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.

Marc Anthony Easy Lites

Let me just establish my hair highlighting cred before I say anything about this product... I have highlighted and/or colored my hair for more years than I really care to admit. Being the owner of really drab dishwater blond hair I have used paint on, comb through, pull through caps, and any manner of contraption-fitted applicators with prongs or brushes or a combination of the two. I have used highlighting kits and occasionally a high lift hair color to accomplish the blond sun kissed highlights of my dreams. I have tried many brands! I've used one step kits and two step color-then add highlights kits as well.

I have had epic failures and magnificent results alike. I have learned from my mistakes and successes (one mess comes to mind in which I actually needed to send my husband to the drugstore for a box of restorative haircolor! LOL) Over the years, I have come to trust Revlon Frost and Tip with a pull through cap no matter how long my hair is at the time. It is truly no fail for me, and I never get the dreaded orangey result or too large clumps of white blond from unpredictable timing. The product has remained consistent over the years and I can count on perfect highlights every single time for the look I want.

All of that being said, I was seduced by the Marc Anthony Easy Lights sale priced at $6.99 - $2 off the regular price at my local drugstore. It was a impulse purchase for me because it seemed to be something new and the images on the box of the before and after of many different hair colors were really impressive. Is it possible that one highlighter that is processed instantly with a flat iron could work so easily for any type of hair!? You could literally add a few highlights while styling your hair to go out! The results looked wonderful... I HAD to try it, right?

So... how did the product perform?  There is a really wonderful thing about this highlighter: IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. Who has not had that scary moment of anticipation when you get out of the shower or pull your wet head from the sink to see how your freshly applied highlights look? Are they spaced OK? Too light? Too orangey? Is there a blob where the lightening solution leaked through the cap? Do they look like the effect you were going for? Well, this product eliminates all the doubt because you can literally see it working. The solution is applied with the spray mist bottle directly to the section of hair you want lightened and a flat iron is run along the strand 5-7 times to activate the lightener.

I immediately thought of the 70's product "Sun-In" which seems to be a similar concept. If you didn't actually have a sunny day or the time to sit out in it with the spray on you hair, you could activate the highlighting with a blow dryer. The Marc Anthony product is sort of the same idea but it is much more targeted. It is so much easier to isolate small strands for lightening by using a flat iron. (Which may have existed in the 70's but I didn't have one - I think the popularity of flat irons has increased exponentially over the years.) Plus, the act of flat ironing itself visibly activates the lightening. It is subtle, but with repeated applications one could actually achieve the effects on the box. I did a few sections more than once, meaning I sprayed and flat ironed  5-7 times at least twice on the same section of hair. It visibly lightened those sections past the point of the reddish blond I tend to get when highlighting solutions are not left on long enough.

Which brings me to the question of how damaging this can be. The directions say to flat iron the hair while it is damp with the solution, but how many times have we been told in general not to flat-iron or use a curling iron on anything but dry hair? The ingredients on the box do list some botanical oils so I am hoping they are built in conditioners. Also, I have not experienced any breakage or the appearance of damage yet. But since peroxide is usually rough on hair AND we are adding heat application to the mix, I probably would not do this repeatedly. I am going to save it for when I feel dingy and need a lift in the form of some hair brightening.

Overall though, I would enthusiastically recommend this product. It's really kind of fun to use. Just make sure you are not over-zealous with how much hair you are trying to do - add generous space between the sections or it will no longer look like highlighting but a solid swath of colored hair. Also, be careful with the flat iron too close to your scalp heating the liquid solution. That hot iron creates a puff of steam that can burn the heck out of your head! Finally, don't expect a miracle of lightening on the first try. Granted, for most of us, a gradual approach may be best, but if you want some sunny highlights for your date tonight be sure to build in some time for repeat applications.

Dr. Scholl’s® Massaging Gel® Insoles

Virtually everyone knows what you mean when you say you are "Gellin'"... Dr. Scholl's has become known for their gel filled comfort insoles. I just had the opportunity to try them out through Bzz Agent. I thought I would give them a great all-day workout, since I have a standing workstation at work and sometimes spend 9-10 hours at my desk, mostly on my feet.

I inserted the Massaging Gel Insoles in a pair of admittedly flimsy canvas tennis shoes. These are not athletic shoes in any real sense of the word - rather picture the canvas "tennies" that kids used to wear in gym class back in the dark ages before Nikes and Air Jordans. No one in their right mind would wear these shoes for any kind of sports! Rather, they are a cute summery fashion statement with old fashioned rubber soles. I was wondering if the insoles would really improve the performance of these shoes and if they would stay IN the shoes - they are a backless slip-on style.

Well, yes and yes!

The first thing I noticed about the insoles was the color. They are a wonderful turquoise blue. They have the cooling appeal of a swimming pool. I personally think it might be nice to have a more colorless version available in case the insoles peek out of your shoes a bit. They might not be as noticeable. That being said, I think these insoles are really designed to be worn in shoes where they will not likely be seen.

The next thing I noted was how easy they were to trim to the size of your shoe. The insoles are clearly marked with easy to follow lines at the various shoe sizes the inserts would fit. Simply trim to your shoe size and voila! - perfectly sized insoles. Well, assuming your shoe is a true size.  Shoes do tend to be a bit more consistent as far as sizing - the women's clothing world contains wildly fluctuating sizes. One brand's size 8 is another brand's size 6 or even 4. My shoes seem to be pretty much a consistent size, though the instructions do note that you should try the insoles in the shoes before trimming. Good advice, since I think it makes it easier to estimate how much, if any, of the insoles should be trimmed off. Anyway, it worked well for me, and I was grateful for the markings. I like the flocked surface of the insoles so they wouldn't feel "sticky" if you weren't wearing socks.

The insoles proved to be comfortable, if a bit unnerving at first. There is a squishy movement to them that took a little getting used to for me. They did stay in my shoes very well, though, and they do provide an extra layer of cushioning between you and the hard surfaces of the floor. I think the Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Insoles are great for shoes without a lot of cushion or support. Good work, Dr. Scholl's!

R.I.P. Bose Ear-buds

My Bose in-ear headphones failed yesterday. They had given me three years of faithful service, but at $100 price point, I was SO disappointed that they didn’t last longer. My retired Mom bought them for me as a birthday gift and I don’t even want to let her know that they are already dead. I have replaced cheaper headphones in the past, but I really thought that the Bose name meant a higher quality product, not just great sound.

The ear buds did have a good quality sound, but I freely admit that perhaps I am not enough of a connoisseur to notice a huge difference between Bose and the aforementioned cheaper headphones. I found the ear buds to be comfortable, and I used them at work at a desk all day. I gently wound them and placed them into their little soft sided case at night so I believe I took good care of them.  I guess sometimes things just fail, as I did not have an “event” like dropping, crushing, slamming in a drawer, etc, that would explain the sudden loss of sound in one ear-bud.  One day it worked, the next day it did not.

I was planning to send them to Bose to have them fixed. On their website, I got the mistaken impression that they performed repairs on failed equipment.  Apparently this plan does not extend to headphones. Of course, if they fail during the one year warranty period Bose will  replace them, but everyone knows that products always fail AFTER the warranty period runs out. I was prepared to pay for them to be repaired - I just had a Levelor blind fixed and UPS’d back to me for $25 -so I was unprepared to hear that their solution to my problem was to sell me another pair of the ear buds that just failed (albeit at a discount).  For some reason, it felt like a slap in the face. After all, I am already feeling like my product was of poor quality and here they are trying to sell me the same thing.

I am sure many people have had experiences with headphones that fail - as I began to browse around on-line, I noted many people saying their Bose headphones didn’t even last a year ( let alone three) so perhaps I should be grateful for the time I did get.  I do think that  the $30+ dollars a year the Bose headphones cost to use is not an acceptable level of expense for me. Perhaps it is for others and it may be that I am not discerning enough to be able to detect the huge quality difference in the Bose sound that might warrant the cost. I am going back to the  “cheap seats” - I will not be purchasing anything from Bose again, because in my opinion they did not live up to their excellent reputation. In fact, when I mentioned to a friend that the left ear-bud had stopped working suddenly, she said “Oh doesn’t Bose fix or replace those?” ... I am going to have to tell her she was misinformed and spread the word.

Rhianna Nude

I was lucky enough to get in on an People StyleWatchers Style Hunters giveaway of Rhianna Nude perfume. I was expecting to receive a sample to try, but was thrilled to get a full size bottle!

I looked this fragrance up online because I was not familiar with it. I know Rhianna has become something of a style icon, but it seems like every celebrity has her own fragrance these days - from Taylor Swift to J.Lo - and I was prepared for it to be drugstore caliber scent. Looking for more info, I went directly to my favoritewebsite for all things fragrance and looked it up:

http://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Rihanna/Nude-16630.html

Fragrantica notes that this is a sweet fruity floral, with woody and powdery notes. I decided to give it a chance it before judging it to be less worthy than a designer scent. I will admit right off the bat that the bottle itself does nothing for me. I love the swooping shape of the glass, but the nude colored "ribbons" and the plastic silver colored "diamonds" adorning the bottle are not very attractive to me. There are so many deliciously styled bottles out there - I personally really love a beautiful perfume bottle. It makes one feel the specialness of the scent before even putting it on. For me, it really adds something to the total experience of a perfume. It appears that this is the style of all the Rhianna scents however, with variations on the theme for her other perfumes so it must have really appealed to her sense of style.

But on the to the fragrance itself. I agree that this is a somewhat sweet scent- on first spray, I don't know that I would necessarily have made the investment in a wholehearted commitment. It is not an overwhelming sweetness either, even to begin with, but I would not have necessarily considered it MY style. That being said, I am really glad I gave it a chance. This is one of those fragrances that has a wonderful dry down. I love how it smells a couple of hours later. I lean toward white florals and rose notes, with patchouli and sandalwood being my favorite accents. SO, while this may not be my ideal signature fragrance, I am finding it a delicious addition to my fragrance wardrobe. I really like the powdery element, too. I will wear this for daytime and I think it will make a nice go-to summer scent. It is not particularly strong or overwhelming, and I can envision the pleasure in catching a note of it on a warm summer breeze.

Overall, quite nice.