Schick Hydro Silk Shaver +Skintimate Shaving Cream Review

As a Bzzagent, I received the Schick Hydro Silk -sensitive care- Shaver to review, along with a free coupon to purchase Skintimate Shaving Cream, and some coupons for sharing. 

The Schick Hydro Silk shaver is made to hydrate and protect your skin while shaving, keeping you from irritation, even in your most sensitive spots, including underarm and bikini. It has 5 curve sensing blades to give you an incredibly close shave, with unique skin guards on each blade, protecting from irritation. On the top of the shaver, it contains a hypoallergenic moisturizing serum, that is infused with shea butter, to keep your skin free from any irritations and give you a smooth shave. It pairs best with Skintimate Shave Gel, to provide enhanced shaver protection, leaving your skin silky smooth.

 I have to admit, I didn't love this shaver. I tend to be heavy handed in literally everything I do, so when it comes to shaving...it may be weird...but I like to feel the blades shaving my skin. With the Hydro, I couldn't feel it, which makes me feel the need to push harder or shave the same spot continuously...not good. But I did my best to withhold on the deeper shave affect, and I shaved as usual. The built in moisturizing serum was really slimy and kind of annoying to wash off, but it did moisturize my legs so that was good. The problem was...the shaver did not give me a close shave as it said it would. I still had stubble's. Huge dislike. I hate hair and do not want to feel any amount of stubble's after I shave...it almost makes the whole shaving process feel pointless. I feel like it was the green band that the moisturizing serum sits in, that got in the way, because 5 blades should do a whole lot of work. I do however, like the scent of the moisturizing serum, and aside from it feeling slimy, 

it does help with keeping your legs soft.

The Skintimate Shave Gel is a wonderful luxury to add in your shaving routine. It not only smells delicious, but really does leave your skin feeling so soft! Skintimate has several scents to choose from from fruity to luscious, each one delightful. I chose the Skintimate Skin Therapy for sensitive skin, with Lotionized Vitamin E. It also contains Aloe and Olive Butter to reduce irritation and help replenish skin’s natural moisture. 

I love the smell and it leaves my skin feeling great! I found, that when I use this shaving cream with the Schick Hydro Silk shaver, my legs have less stubble and they feel really soft the next day. I guess the shaving cream is the secret to a good Schick shaver!

You can find both products in several stores. The Schick Hydro Silk Shaver is available as a disposable razor or a refillable like the one I received above, 

with 2 cartridges and a shaver hanger. 

Also be sure to visit Schick Hydro Silk on Facebook and Twitter! 

*This post is made possible by Bzzagent, in providing me the products to review. All opinions my own.
 

Finger Nail Art Vinyl Decals Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.
 

Vinyl Disorder has come out with a new fun decal....A decal for your finger nails!!! These Finger Nail Art vinyl decals are really easy to put on. You paint your nails in the color you choose, apply decal, and then paint a clear coat over, to secure design in place! Simple as that! And you have great looking nails. Vinyl Disorder carries several designs to choose from, great for any occasion! And you don't have to just use them for your nails, you can use them on a variety of things! Anything you might want a tiny decal on...keys, shoes, phone, ect.
The possibilities are endless! 

I received two sets of nail art decals, 20 stars and 20 hearts, making it a total of 40 decals. I'm excited that these were the decals chosen to give me for this review, as Valentine's Day and Memorial Day will be right around the corner! The decals were easy to apply, and their sticky quality is great. You will want to apply a clear coat of nail polish across your nail after the sticker is in place, if you would like them to last long. I first tested the decals without applying nail polish and they stick well. But once I started moving around and doing things with my hands, the decals loosened up. This is why the instructions state that you should apply a clear coat over them after applying. I just wanted to test their sticky ability before I applied the clear coat :) These nail decals make a cute addition to decorating your nails, and are great for any occasion! (don't mind my messy nails, I'm no nail stylist ;) )

I've had the opportunity to work with Vinyl Disorder in the past, on two other occasions as well, so I know they are a great company!! (Feel free to check out my previous "In Loving Memory" VD Decal, and my "Star Wars Family" VD Decal reviews too.) 

Vinyl Disorders Finger Nail Art Vinyl Decals are available for purchase at vinyldisorder.com with a regular price of $9.99 but right now, you can get them on sale for only $2.99!! This includes 20 pieces total, one for every nail. To see more fun decals click HERE! 

You can also find Vinyl Disorder on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Beautiful: Moisturizer/Revitalizer Skincare

Beautiful is an A.M./P.M. Moisturizer and Revitalizer made for women, to promote youthful, moist and beautiful glowing skin. It is made with a rare combination of live fruit, nut and plant extracts, with 100% pure and natural botanical oils to "Feed" your skin cells the nutrients they crave. Beautiful is an "All-in-One" skincare so you can replace everything in your cupboard, from your moisturizer, cleaner, toner, firming gel, protectant, repair cream, blemish controller, and age-defying serum, all down to just two little bottles of Beautiful!

To begin using, you place 2-3 drops of Beautiful on each clean cheek and gently spread across face in a circular motion. Do not rub in. Let it sit and if there's any residue left after 3 minutes, blot your face with a tissue or damp cloth. You do this twice daily, using A.M. in the morning and P.M. at night. (you can also use it as a makeup remover, by placing a drop or 2 on a Q-tip, wiping the makeup away.) Beautiful is said to take a full 30 days to detoxify your skin from previous chemicals you may have used, but it differs per person. It could take 3 days for one, 30 for another, and work right away for someone else! But however long it takes, the outcome is wonderful.

I love the way Beautiful smells. It has a sweet orange smell, but it isn't too overpowering. It spread across my face easily, and feels really soft. My skin absorbed it well, with a slight amount leftover in the beginning,  so I blotted with a damp napkin. The next day though, I woke with a few extra bumps :( I know the Beautiful instructions warn about the "detox period" so these were expected to come but I hoped I'd be one that surpassed them lol. The third day, the bumps were less red and beginning to fade. Throughout this time of using Beautiful, I have noticed that blemishes seem to heal quicker and pores tend to declog easier, my skin has been softer and it feels really good. It hasn't decreased my blemishes fully, but it has definitely helped in the healing process. Beautiful has also really helped in the aspect of dry skin! With Winter being here, my skin has been really dry and itchy. Since I've been using Beautiful, my skin has been absorbing the oil, eliminating the dry itchy patches, making me feel a lot better. I have loved everything about using Beautiful. It gives my facial skin a healthier appearance and an overall great experience. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical in the beginning about using Beautiful and how well it works, but I've been using it for about a month now and I have noticed little changes that really mean a lot to me.  I can see it is working and now I can't see myself without it! I also love that they put your name on the bottles. Whenever I look at them and see "Beautiful Amanda" it always makes me smile :)

 A.M. Beautiful contains: 100% Pure Botanicals oils consisting of almond, orange, lemon, avocado, and olive. P.M. Beautiful contains almond, orange, lemon, evening primrose, and apricot. Just by reading, I'm sure you can imagine how good it smells!! :) Both are free from preservatives, parabens, GMO's, synthetic and chemicals or additives of any kind, and are great for all skin types. There's even a man's version for all the men out there! It's called "You're The Man" be sure to check it out too! :)

 You can purchase Beautiful online at trustedhealthproducts.com for $44.94, for the dual pack of A.M./P.M. or $24.97 each. 

The manufacturer is willing to offer my readers one FREE bottle. They said they would love to have our readers try out Beautiful A.M. Moisturizer (for women) or You’re the Man A.M. Moisturizer (for men) and agreed to send one bottle FREE if our readers would pay a minimal shipping and handling charge. This is a one-time only offer!  They also agreed to include 2 eye-opening reports – The Poisons You Put On Your Face Everyday and Why Your Skin Care Products Have Never Worked: The Truth Revealed .”  That’s a total value of over $40.00.  
Click here to get your FREE Bottle and FREE reports now!

*You can also enter to win your own bottle of A.M. Beautiful Moisturizer, totally free including shipping and handling, by entering with Rafflecopter below. There will be 3 Winners!!! Good luck!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received a free sample to review in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions my own.

Hershey's Spreads Review

On behalf of Crowdtap, I was sent Hershey's Spreads in the flavor, Chocolate Hazelnut, to review. 

I tried Hershey's Spread on a variety of snack items to test which one tasted the best. 
I tried the following:

• Red Pepper
• Carrot Sticks
• Marshmallow
• Apple Slices
• Tortilla Chips
• Crackers

Which one do you think would be your favorite? My favorite turned out to be apple sticks. 

Second in line were the tortilla chips, and third place, believe it or not, were the Red Peppers! 

I only used what I had on hand, but I will be testing pretzels, strawberries, and toast soon. I imagine they will all be good! My least favorite was the carrot sticks. Mixing carrots and chocolate just doesn't work for me but it was worth a try...hey, maybe I should add pickles on my list of trying too! ;)

I'm a chocolate lover and was very pleased in trying Hershey's Spreads out. The flavor is a rich and luscious chocolate, with a slight hint of hazelnut. My first thoughts before trying, was that I figured it would be a lot like Nutella. The texture is slightly thicker, and sweeter then Nutella, but just as delicious so be careful, or else the whole jar will end up empty with just a spoon! ;)  It also works great as a dip or spread. I can imagine it would be great as a frosting too! Hershey's has a nice list of recipes you can use their spreads with as well..so many delicious things!! I can see Hershey's Spreads in a lot of upcoming snack and party dishes!

You can find more information on Hershey's Spreads at www.hersheys.com/spreads

*This post is made possible by Crowdtap, in providing me the products to review. All opinions my own.
 

Walgreens VS. 1800Contacts + Deals!!

***(deal codes posted below)***

It's that time to purchase new contacts for me! I usually go through 1800Contacts.com but when I came to the subtotal of $79.98 for just 2 boxes of contacts, I felt like I could find a better deal. So I looked for coupon codes and came across one to give you $15.00 off of your order at 1800contacts. I was happy to find this deal, but decided I could surely find a better price then $64.98, so I went on to Walgreens.com. My total came to $51.98! Much better. But I wanted to see if I could get it down just a bit lower...and that's when I came across the 20% off code, making my total only $41.48, for 2 boxes of contacts! Dropping from $79.98 down to $41.58, I feel like I got a good deal :)

Walgreens 20% off Coupon Code: SEASONS20  (expires April 30, 2014)

1800Contacts $15 off Coupon Code: surins15  (expires January 31, 2014)

Red Leafs: Powdered Eggnog Matcha

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Red Leafs: Eggnog Matcha is green tea mixed with natural eggnog flavoring. It doesn't have an egg flavor, but said to have more of a sweetish vanilla or custard flavor that lingers on your tongue. It's a great holiday drink, that even young and old can enjoy, and because of it's sweetness, it can be an excellent companion in your afternoon snack. When you first open the container of Eggnog Matcha, the eggnog aroma is strong and smells delicious. I prepared my eggnog matcha as a warm tea with hot water and milk. The smell made me think it would taste would be amazing but, it was just too bit bitter in my opinion. I think this tea would be better as a cold drink, blended with ice and milk, and possible a little honey or sugar.

*Eggnog Matcha is 100% natural. It does not contain any food coloring, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or MSG/Chemical additives. 

You can purchase Eggnog Matcha at redleaftea.com 

for as low as $15.99 for a 30g bag.

Red Leaf has a large variety of teas, so be sure you check out their webpage. 

There's a unique and delicious tea for everyone!

Also be sure to check out my review on Red Leaf's

Caramel Matcha and Carmel MATCHAccino!

NOW...One of my readers can win their very own Red Leaf's Eggnog Matcha!!! Enter below! Good Luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Red Leafs: Caramel MATCHAccino Tea Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Red Leafs: Caramel MATCHAccino Tea is a flavored green tea matcha latte, flavored with caramel. Some say it's taste is similar to crème brûlée, caramelized sugar, or the old fashion caramel candies. I think it's closest to the crème brûlée. This is the best flavored Green Tea I think I've ever had and the smell was glorious. It had a soft caramel cappuccino scent, and the tasted matched the scent perfectly. MATCHAccino is said to be best as a cold drink, mixed with ice and milk, but I loved mine warm with some milk. If I had whip cream on hand, it would have been perfect!! Next time I'm in the store, I need to pick up some whip cream just for this drink!

*Caramel MATCHAccino is 100% natural, with only 58 calories and 0g of fat. It does not contain any food coloring, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, or MSG/Chemical additives.

You can purchase Caramel MATCHAccino at redleaftea.com 

for as low as $13.99 for a small 5oz (10 serving) bag.

Red Leaf has a large variety of teas, so be sure you check out their webpage. 

There's a unique and delicious tea for everyone!

Also be sure to check out my review on Red Leaf's Carmel Matcha and Eggnog Matcha + giveaway!!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

How dinner turned into: Cornbread Casserole

I had one of those nights, I just didn't know what to make for dinner but had a lot of leftover items that needed used up. That's where the Cornbread Casserole came in! I began by crumbling the cornbread and sprinkling it across the bottom of a greased casserole pan. I let this sit, while I added several sauces to cooked veggie noodles, making a soupy texture. The liquid consisted of Indian Masala Curry sauce, Red Spaghetti Sauce, Ranch, BBQ sauce, and Cajun seasoning. I just added different amounts for each, until I got the right taste of the sauce I was making. Once this finished, I poured it over the crumbled cornbread and sprinkled with Pepper Jack cheese. I then baked it the oven until the cheese was melted and the sides were slightly crisp. This tasted amazing! It always seems like it's the things that you don't measure, that end up tasting so good. I wish I would have measured though and written exactly how it was done, because I'm not sure I'll ever be able to remake it exactly how it was before. I will attempt it again though, because it was just that good!

Shandali Travel Towel Review

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. 
 

The Shandali Travel Towel is made of a new and advanced microfiber lightweight material, made to absorb wetness and dry about 10 times faster then a cotton towel. You can use this towel anywhere! Great for trips to the beach, after a workout at the gym, when your camping...so many places you could use the Shandali towel. With its compact size, it can fit into your bag without taking up too much room, so you can be ready to dry in just minutes. The 100% microfiber material is soft on your skin, the dye will not bleed through, and it's really durable so it should last you a long time.

I was shocked at how thin the Shandali towel is. It is really lightweight as said to be, and has a hook sewed in for easy hanging. The material is very absorbent, even more then my towels! It also dries really quick. I ran it under water, rung it out as you would a normal wet towel, and hung it to dry, I left it for an hour or 2, and came back to find it dried completely! This towel would be an amazing piece to have with you when you go to the beach or lake and play in the water. After you dry off with the towel, it should dry within minutes under the 

sunshine. Then you don't have to worry about the stinky wet 

towel smell on your drive home! It would also work great at cleaning up spills. I can imagine a hand towel or napkin sized Shandali towel would be a great addition to kitchens, replacing paper towels, making it environmentally friendly and cost efficient.

The Shandali towel is a great invention for times when you need quick and absorbent drying. It not only saves you time, 

but can also save you money!

The Shandali Towel comes in three different colors: Pebble and Stone, River blue, and Light Blue.You can purchase the Shandali Towel on Amazon starting at $21.95 for a small 20"x40" towel, or $26.95 for a Medium 24"x48" towel.  (I received the medium size, that you can see in the right picture..my 6 yr old son is holding up :)

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake with a Brownie Crust

This is seriously the most simplest way to make an ice cream cake! 

I came across the idea of making an ice cream cake for my little family's Christmas, because the hot cocoa brownies I previously made, cooked faster on the sides, so it left me with crunchy brownie edges around the soft brownie inside. I didn't want to toss the crunchy brownies, so I salvaged what I could. I ground my crunchy brownie edges in my blender, then poured the now powdered brownie into a mixing bowl and added melted butter. I didn't measure anything so I just through things together until it looked like a good "crust" mix. I flattened my now crust mix into a greased spring-form pan and baked in the oven on 350 degrees for about 20 minutes -give or take- til it hardened as a crust. In the meantime of the crust cooking, I started mixing my ice cream. I chose Peppermint Candy Ice Cream because it is one of my favorite Holiday flavors and it went well for our Christmas theme. I let the ice cream sit out for a little, to get it slightly melted, then I began stirring the ice cream with a wooden spoon, getting it all mixed together, like a really thick milkshake. The time it took to get the ice cream softened, my crust was finished and cooled. (make sure you let the crust completely cool before you spread the ice cream on, otherwise you will have a mess!) I spread my softened ice cream out on the cooled crust and spread it around to form a cake layer. Once it was spread to my liking, I covered with foil and put it back in the freezer. I'm not sure exactly how long it takes for the ice cream to completely re-harden, but we left it in the freezer for 2 days, due to not being home, and it was perfect. I removed the edge of my spring-form pan and sliced the cake like a pie, then sprinkled sprinkles and marshmallows across and served it. This was delicious!! My family loved it. This crust would work for so many different ice cream flavors! I will be making this in the future as well. The only downfall is, the ice cream cake tends to melt very fast so eat it immediately and what doesn't get eaten right away, pop it back in the freezer :)

(brownie crust)

Patch Jammy Knees DIY

My son has these adorable robot pajamas (purchased at The Children's Store) that he wore the knees out of, leaving them both with big knee holes. I didn't want to toss them, so I decided to sew knee patches on. It was really simple actually. I cut ovals out of the sleeves of an old tshirt to use for the patches, then ironed them on with double sided hemming tape, and hand sewn around the oval for extra durability. I think they turned out super cute, with matching knee patches and he can continue wearing them til they're up to his knees! Just kidding, but he can at least wear them for a little bit longer ;)  

Cookies with Creamer Fail

Have you ever used Coffee Creamer in cookies?

Awhile back, I had purchased a small bottle of International Delight's Vanilla Heat creamer, with a $1 off coupon I snagged up. I really wanted to try the new Holiday Limited Edition flavors like the Peppermint Mocha or White Chocolate Raspberry, but they were all gone at that time, which is why I went with Vanilla Heat. It was either that or Pumpkin Spice which didn't sound very good at the time. Vanilla Heat is exactly as it sounds. A Vanilla flavor, with a touch of heat. The taste is similar to the Red Hot Hearts candy that appear around Valentine's Day...so if you like those, you will love this creamer! I found it a bit spicy for my taste buds, in both tea and coffee so I wanted to find a different use for it, that could lessen some of the spiciness. I decided to make cookies with it! I've never done this before so it was an experiment I was willing to try...Because doesn't spicy chocolate cookies sound amazing?

I used an original cookie recipe and replaced the milk with the creamer.  (recipe posted below)
 They turned out really flat and chewy. The flavor was great!  But after they sat for a bit, 

they got so hard, even dipping them in milk didn't help. So that was a bummer. 

But they were great if eating straight from the hot pan! ;)

↓Cookie Recipe in case you might want to try it ;)

 1 C. Butter

  1/2 C. Sugar

1/4 C. Milk Product (creamer)

1tsp. Vanilla

1/2 tsp. Salt

2 1/4 C. Flour

 1 tsp. Baking Soda

Cocoa for chocolateness.

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until done (maybe 10minutes?)

Now if you do make these cookies, don't blame me if they don't turn out! lol. They will most likely turn out flat and hard like mine, but if you're daring... feel free...

Just let me know how it turns out ;)