What Keeps You Dry When You're HOT HOT HOT?

Bzz Agent has hooked this girl up once again with a product to try.  This time it's a clear gel deodorant/antiperspirant by Secret.  So, I'm a Secret girl anyway, but I stick with the solid.  I've never been a fan of over perfumey, gooey deodorants, so I stick with my coconut scented stick.

That said, in the interest of science and shopping, I am always willing to try something new and see what I think.  The deal with the Secret Outlast Completely Clean Clear Gel is that it is supposed to go on and dry very quickly and have a mild and nice scent and keep you dry and UNstinky through the day.  The product does work.  It's a great antiperspirant and deodorant.  BUT, it does go on gooey, like all gels, and it does not dry in seconds as advertised.  It takes a while of holding the arms up in the air.  Clever girl that I am, I would use a hair dryer to speed things up, but the heat seemed to keep it from drying good, so that was a bad plan.  It does not get on your clothes, well... unless you put your clothes on before it's dry, of course.

So, overall it works fine and if you're a gel girl, I recommend it, but for those of you who, like me, are a bit grossed out by the goo...  pass.

Can CoverGirl and Olay Make Me Beeeeautiful???

New product alert!  I was provided two new makeup products from Bzz Agent** recently and I’ve been giving them the ol’ college try.  I admit I was excited to try the products because first, they were a combination of CoverGirl and Olay and I’m a fan of both products.  Also, they are designed to “de-puff” your eyes and give you a “facelift effect”.  YES!  I’m getting to that age where I could use a little de-puffing and facelift effect in my life.

I received the two products and the color is actually pretty good on me.  That’s probably my favorite part. If I’m to be honest here, the de-puffing eye concealer does not go on well at all… it didn’t “rub in” and just sort of sits on your skin while you rub it around.  It’s weird.  I don’t like it.  I also didn’t notice any changes in my puffiness… not that I’m PARTICULARLY puffy, but still.   The Facelift Effect Firming Makeup goes on much nicer, but I found it to be quiet heavy or thick feeling.  I know I’m not supposed to touch my face all day, but I find myself touching my face and it feels weird when I’m wearing this, not soft like normal.

I want to note that I don’t dislike the firming makeup, but I also don’t see any firming going on.  I have lines around my eyes and mouth and there is zero change when I use the makeup.  I even tried doing half of my face to kind of do a test and I could see no difference in the lines on my face.

Overall, I do not recommend the De-puffer, sorry CoverGirl/Olay, this one wasn’t a home run.  On the other hand, the firming make-up is not bad for people who like wearing face make-up.  It does give good coverage, but be prepared for it to be a heavier make up, versus a light one.

** Reminder for new visitors, I belong to BzzAgent.  Bzz Agent sends me products that I get to try for free or for a greatly reduced price (in the case of this make up, it was free!)  Then I tell you about the products and what I think.  Honestly, most of the time I like the products, but every once in a while I get one like this that just doesn't do it for me.  but, i want to make sure that everyone knows I was given these products at no cost to me.

MOUNTAIN MIKE's - Just Eat There!!!!

I am OBSESSED with Mountain Mike’s pizza.   I ran across them by accident, tried the amazing pizza and then found out it’s a chain!  Now, I count myself lucky that there is one near my job so I can take a long lunch and scarf down on their pizza and salad buffet (who am I kidding… I totally skip the salad part) with a soft drink for $7.99!  DEAL!

Anyway, the pizza is perfect.  It’s not too thick, not too thin, crispy outside, but soft inside the crust and the toppings are top notch quality.  I personally feel that the Garlic Tuscan pizza is the freaking BEST PIZZA EVER!  So good.  Just try it.

So, the point here is that if you have a Mountain Mike’s near you and you haven’t tried it, you’re in for a treat.  I also recommend checking in on Yelp because the shop near me gives a 10% discount when you check in on Yelp (not on the lunch special, but for a whole pizza!)

If you don't know if there is one near you, check out THEIR WEBSITE RIGHT HERE!

Coppertone Clearly Sheer Sunscreens

I've been using Coppertones new Clearly Sheer for about 6 weeks now and I like it. The hype is that it's sheer and light and won't clog pores and has light scenting. Now, I happen to LOVE good old fashioned Coppertone scent, so not having that scent isn't necessarily a plus to me, but I have to say I found the scent of both the lotion and the spray to be nice. I want a beachy scent, darn it, and this does okay, but it is much lighter than the standard Coppertone in the brown bottle.

I agree that the product feels light on your skin and it definitely is not greasy at all. I feel like it stays on well, even when I'm in the pool. I burn easily and so I use a lot of sunscreen and this definitely kept my burning to a minimum and the last time I was in the sun and pool, my husband said, "you didn't get any color on you today!" I think that means it's working. 

I've been using a combination of the lotion and the continuous spray. What I like to do is to use the lotion first and then I back it up with the spray throughout the day. IT works! I love sprays because it is so easy to apply. I even spray this into my hands and then rub it on my face and it's worked great.

 I've shared it with friends and family and my husband and everyone has liked it, with no complaints. I honestly don't have any sunscreen stories where I had a problem and I don't have a big loyalty to any one brand, with the exception of the Coppertone smell! But, I would definitely recommend these, either the lotion or the spray, or BOTH!

I was lucky to get my hands on these products for FREE through BzzAgent. They provide me with products to try and then I get to tell you all about them! You can be a BzzAgent, too... just go to the website and start trying products!

Spalena Sheets - originally found at Costco, now online

So, my parents got us sheets from a Costco Roadshow and I instantly fell in love with them.  They are the Spalena brand and are microfiber and literally the softest thing I've ever slept in.  I had just the one set for the longest time and then I decided to search the Internets to find more.

I found the website and was about to buy, then did some Google searching and found another website selling them for a little cheaper.  I've since done more searching and it seems they sell the same sheets under a few different names, so if you decide to go this route, be sure to do a little research to get the best price.  One place I haven't found them?  AMAZON!

So a few minutes after placing my order, I discovered a review place/message board where people were discussing the sheets and the reviews were a mixed bag.  What I learned was that microfiber sheets can make you super hot.  Okay, I should have known this since I'd been using them over a year at this point, but honestly, I was thinking it was a hormone thing causing night sweats.  Boy do I feel dumb.  Anyway, I'd already ordered a couple sets of these things and they are not cheap, so I've continued using them, but I do believe that these sheets will make you feel very hot at night.  If you're good with that, then these sheets are AWESOME and sooo sooooooo  sooooooooo soft AND wrinkle free!  If you don't like the heat, stick with cotton and get out your iron.

My two cents.

Heys, Britto "A New Day" Luggage

I have been coveting this luggage for a long time.  I love the Britto style of art and I think these are gorgey! So, I was totally excited about finding this piece at TJ Maxx... ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  It was still pricey at $139, but I had to have it and I bought it.

After using it a few times now, I realize that I am not in love with the actual luggage itself.  It's taking some time getting used to the opening in the middle thing and I don't think it packs as well.  It's fairly lightweight and I love the spinners and It's truly beautiful (of course it's already getting all scratched up... GR.).  There is a but, though... it's just not as convenient for actually packing.  I think when I get another suitcase, I'll go back to the open on top sort of thing instead of the clamshell style... but you have to admit it's pretty as I rush through airports!

BOBBLES!

I'm surprised it's taken me so long to review Bobbles.  I LOVE them... started using them in January as an alternative to those stupid squishy plastic bottles that all of the bottled water has gone to.  The cool part is that Bobbles have filters, so you can improve the taste of your water.  I will warn that just because there are filters, doesn't mean that you can filter out microbes from a creek or anything and it doesn't make all water taste like Aquafina, but it's helpful.

So, I've found them at Target - luckily on the mark down! But mostly I get them from Amazon and watch for sales.  It says you  should change the filter every 30 days or so, but I use mine like six months at a time and its totally fine.  THE MAN will not sucker me in to their money making scheme of short shelf lives on filters!

I have paid between $6-$12 for the actual bobble with a filter and I've paid between $5-$8 for the replacement filters.

I use four daily.  I have one of the large size (24oz) and four of the medium size (18oz).  I drink them all and more each day.  When I travel, I take them with.  Great for going on an airplane.  I leave it empty, then after going through security I can fill up at a water fountain.  You should totally get these.

I promise, you will love them!