Every Drop Water Filter

I was really excited about trying the Every Drop Water Filter as a part of House Party Chatterbox. I received a free kit that included the drop shaped portable water filter, a three month replaceable filter cartridge, a carry case and a water bottle with a rubber stopper that ingeniously holds the water filter in place while filling the bottle. I really LOVE the look of the filter and clear case - they are compact enough to be truly portable and the water droplet shape is really slick. There is definitely a cool factor to the filter and carrying case. I've seen nothing like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4psbKXjeHo

I have city water, and while I am sure it is clean and completely potable, it has an unmistakeably chemical taste which actually affects the quality of the coffee I make. When I am spending $12 a pound for fair trade organic half caff, I am not going to stand for it to be compromised by funny tasting water. My solution thus far has been to use a Brita pitcher, which admittedly does fine for the coffee application. The drawback to the Brita is waiting for the pitcher to filter the water once it has been poured in. It's a minor inconvenience, of course, who can't wait 5 minutes to finish filling up the coffee pot? It's just a little annoying is all. That being said, it becomes a larger annoyance when filling something that needs more water than the pitcher can hold. I have found that using the Every Drop Water Filter is ideal for filling pots of water for cooking - it provides a continuous stream directly from the tap to the pot, with the filter straining out the impurities for better tasting food.

Next stop: work. Seemed like a great idea to have a portable water filter that travels to the gym, to work, on vacation, almost anywhere. I usually lug in a gallon jug of water to keep at my desk, but this seems like a great alternative. The water at work is city water also, but it doesn't taste as chemically as it does when it gets to my house. There is a distinct chlorine taste, however. I filled my rubber topped water bottle (which is really cool for holding the drop shaped filter in place for filling) right from the tap. I was unable to fill at the drinking fountain since the filter and water bottle combo is too tall to make that work. The filter itself is uniquely shaped like a water drop, so it draws attention. Co-workers wanted to know what I was doing, so I explained the Every Drop Water Filter and tried the water. I noticed a marked improvement in taste, although there is still a faint, lingering chlorine flavor.

Overall, I find this filter easy to use and pretty effective. Plus, it's cute! On the downside, gauging the correct water flow into the filter took a little getting used to, since too much water going in (faster than it drains out) causes an overflow and unfiltered water to pour into whatever container you are filling. The optimal tap flow is a bit slower than what I was expecting, but I think once I am accustomed to the proper flow rate, I won't have to pay so much attention to that. I admit that am not overwhelmed with excitement over this product, and continued use of it most likely will depend on the cost of the replacement filters. It does work as advertised and cutting down on water bottles is a worthy endeavor, so I will also see if I can get into the habit of reaching for the Every Drop every time I need water.

Meaningful Beauty Creme de Serum

Influenster recently provided me the opportunity to try a free product from Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty line. I was aware of the super model's line of skin care, more by accidentally coming across an infomercial than any first hand experience or word of mouth. I thought the products were available via QVC or perhaps directly ordering from a website, but it seemed like a gamble to order something I was unable to try. From a look at the Meaningful Beauty, it appears that the products have been available for 1o years, with new innovations added as they happen. it looks like the company focus is on selling packages - it makes sense to me to promote a coordinated line of skin care vs. a piecemeal approach. I think the theory is that all the products complement each other and work together. It is hard to guarantee success of your product if the client is also using something that is not helpful!

The product I was sent is the "Creme de Serum", which looks like a swirl of different colored lotions packaged together in a helix-like design that mingle when dispensed. From the website: "This crème de la crème treatment takes a triple approach to combating the signs of aging with three powerful anti-aging ingredients: superantioxidant melon complex, anti-aging peptides and hyaluronic acid. Combining the power of a serum with the rich, moisturizing effects of a crème, this super-boost is designed to help protect, increase hydration and prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles." A tall order, but those of us who regularly try and /or use anti-aging products are keenly aware of the big promises they advertise and the hope that they inspire. As a result, I always try these things with a healthy dose of skepticism...

The product itself is nicely packaged, and the pump nozzle of the container dispenses just the right amount of product. I must say that I absolutely LOVE how this creme goes on the skin. If a lotion could be cashmere, this would be it. The texture is divine - silky and soft, and spreadable without tugging. The swirled effect of the lotion itself is also appealing somehow. It makes it seem special, as though the 3 ingredients are really separate until applied. It feels very luxurious and high end. I was also really pleased with the hydration of this product. My skin feels wonderful! I have a problem sometimes with sensitive skin and so many anti-aging products seem focused on cell turnover, which in my case sometimes translates to dryness and flaky skin. Now that the winter weather is upon us,I have to be careful not to use anything too drying. This creme fills the bill - it is not dehydrating at all.

I like this enough to keep using it now that I have had the opportunity to try it. From the website, I see that I can order it as part of a skin care collection for $39.95. I haven't had a lot of opportunity to evaluate the anti aging properties of the creme - it can be difficult to rule on a new product until you have been using it for a while, since so much of anti aging skin care is preventative. That being said, I really like this product and if it works as good as it feels, my skin will never look better!

Learn more about the Crème de Serum: http://www.meaningfulbeauty.com/products/products,default,pg.html
Meaningful Beauty purchasing information: http://www.meaningfulbeauty.com/select-a-system/order,default,pg.html

#MeaningfulBeauty @Influenster #CremedeSerum # GotItForFree

Dr. Scholl's Active Series replacement insoles

I had the opportunity to try Dr. Scholl's Active Series replacement insoles recently via Influenster. (@InfluensterVox ) These insoles are geared to athletes, which I take to mean someone with an active lifestyle. I am not a runner, but I do walk after work and I have a standing work station, so I am on my feet a most of the day on the job. These are nicely made insoles compared to other brands I have tried. I like that they are firm, not floppy, although the gel area near the toe area of the insoles does have a bit if that squishy, unstable feel. Some people may love the gel feeling, but it is not my favorite. It’s great for standing still as far as being very comfortable, but with movement there is too much of a wobbly feeling of instability for me. But that is the only caveat with a hearty recommendation for these insoles. They go into the shoe very easily. Again, the firmness of the insole makes it so much simpler to insert into the shoe than others I have tried. They are made with three areas of foot support. The heel cup is great! It fits very well, and I tend to have narrow feet, so that is a real plus. The instep is high, which takes a little getting used to, but it definitely a positive. I would recommend wearing these insoles for shorter periods of time at first, rather than sticking them into the athletic shoes and heading off to work for a twelve hour day of standing. They started out really comfortable, but as the day wore on, the high arch was was really feeling like... well, a lump. I think it's really just a matter of getting used to them. I will definitely leave these in my shoes and see how they last!

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.