Luster Premium White

I really wanted to love this product! I mean, half the fun of being a Buzz Agent is tooting your horn about the cool stuff you've tried and going on about how great it is... I TRIED to love it. I used it for longer than the product recommends, at least 16 times rather than 12 applications. Still there I was after the cycle, not completely disappointed or anything, but a little "meh". To be fair, the Before / After photo doesn't really illustrate the subtle difference in whiteness that I gained form the experience, and my teeth weren't in terribly bad shape to begin with. When I look closely though, my teeth do have some yellowing which I would love to get rid of. I know people who, through artificial means or not, have beautiful white teeth and I want them for my VERY OWN. There's nothing like having a crown on a molar done and realizing that the match for the fake tooth is a disgusting shade of yellow, not white! My experience of using the product was fine - the directions were clear, complete and easy. There was even a secion of frequently asked questions which I also found to be helpful. I tried the 6 day course of treatment, using the products once in the morning and once at night (vs. the more time intensive consecutive repeat of the treatment 1-3 times over three days.) The process involves a 10 second swish with the mouth rinse that should coat the teeth with an "accelerator" for the whitening. Then, the gel from the "pen" is brushed onto the teeth to be whitened. (I think I would very loosely call the product "gel" - it was more liquidy than what I would characterize as gelatinous. It was easy to paint on, but dripped and ran - it didn't cling) The pamphlet instructs the user to to allow the gel to dry on the teeth for 30 seconds before allowing the lips to touch the tooth surfaces being whitened. (No small feat when the liquid is running off.) Oh, and the liquid did sting my gums, albeit temporarily.I think I did a tolerable job of following the instructions though. And Voila! whiter teeth! There is no rinsing, trays, strips, or appliances to mess with with. Once it's applied, just continue with your day. Obviously, one would avoid eating and/or drinking while the Luster White is doing its magic. And it DID work. It lightened and whitened. But not as much as I was hoping. The package I received as a Bzz Agent also included some Luster White toothpaste samples. This stuff is brilliant blue! The idea seems to be to give an instant whitening boost to the teeth by counteracting any yellow tones. I thought it was interesting - it did sort of leave a bluish tinge to the teeth (that only I noticed since I was looking for it - no one asked me if I had been imbibing blueberry Kool-Aid or anything) so it may well have delivered on the promise. I am not sure it actually made my teeth any whiter as far as polishing off stains or whatever, but must toothpastes don't really seem to make a difference in one use. I mostly use whitening pastes in the hope that it will help maintain whatever level of whiteness I have and counteract the coffee and other daily abuse. I guess the final verdict on the Luster Premium White is, yes, it does deliver a whiter smile. It is probably the case that the more dramatic whitening effects would happen for people who are starting out with a more pronounced yellowing. In any case, I am had a great time trying out the product and I am glad I had a chance to use it. It was just a little more work for not enough payoff for me to give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up.

Kashi™ Hummus Crisps

In the interest of full disclosure, let me first say that I am a HUGE Kashi fan... I really love the cereals this company makes. Several years ago, I decided to eliminate high fructose corn syrup from my family’s diet. When I made this change, I really didn’t realize how difficult it would be. The stuff is EVERYWHERE and it takes a lot of label reading to stick with the plan. Well, I have come to know brands that are committed to healthy, good quality food and Kashi is one of them. My family has eliminated 90% of the cereals we used to eat... Kashi is one of the brands we turn to for consistently great cereal that fits our standards.

So that being said, I was really anxious to try Kashi™ Hummus Crisps... I love hummus, I love chips, seems like a marriage made in heaven!  Well, I wasn’t wrong. I tried a bag of the Sea Salt & Olive Oil flavor crisps - I was sent a bag by Bzz Agent to try them for free, and they are delish! The crisps seem light  (the bag says: ”deliciously popped”) but I think they would hold up to dip. They have a nice crunch and a completely different taste. All that and no High Fructose Corn Syrup!

I was happy to note the Nutrition Facts on the label: only 3.5 grams of fat for 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Pretty good stats for a salty snack food. OK, so what’s the catch? Even the serving size is a generous 27  (Ritz cracker sized) crisps, not the usual skimpy serving size no one pays any attention to. I noticed that the serving size really IS about the right size for a serving for me to feel satisfied with the snack. The bag has about 3.5 servings in it and without trying, I did munch on  the chips 4 times before the bag was sadly empty. I do admit, I thought the bag looked a bit small when I first saw it. (4 oz.) It seemed about half the size of an ordinary bag of chips. I don’t know if that will work against the product, but great quality is better than quantity.  I was completely satisfied though.

Guess I should say something about the taste of this snack. The flavor is great - I can tell that there are a variety of seasonings besides salt used in the flavor I tried, although there is a nice saltiness.   They don’t taste exactly like hummus, but I can taste a chickpea influence. Taste is so subjective,  but I can say unequivocally that I think they are great. Going to use my additional coupons to get some more! Great job, Kashi. This is a wonderful addition to your line of products.

Mary Kay True Dimension Lipstick

I was sent a full size sample of the new Mary Kay Dimension Lipstick to try in Mystic Plum from Stylewatch Style Hunters. What a beautiful color for fall! It was probably not the exact color I would have chosen for myself but there are so many luscious shades available, I most certainly have to try another one... It was actually fun to branch out of my comfort zone a little. I usually choose a safer pink or peachy tone, and I am always in search of "my" perfect red. In any case, I was certainly happy with the performance of this lip color. It has really nice staying power, but doesn't feel dry or lip dehydrating at all. It is not advertised as a long wearing lipstick that I know of, but it seems to adhere nicely for a regular moisturizing lipstick. I was pleasantly surprised that the color stays on as long as it does. Because the shade is darker and plum-ier than I am used to wearing, I liked it best on me when applied then smudged with a finger for a soft edged matte look. It makes me feel like I looked like I was just kissed (which made me feel a little edgy and cool!) I can see I will be having a lot of fun wearing this lipstick into fall, and I recommend it. I have always liked the quality of Mary Kay cosmetics, and this certainly does not disappoint. Get on the horn with your local Mary Kay Representative STAT! You won't want to miss this one.