I’m a member of the Crowdtap Kleenex Brand® rewards program, and Kleenex® Brand sent me these two products to review. Everyone might think they know the Kleenex brand already, but these are two products you may have not noticed before.
The first is not a new concept, but it's often overlooked. Kleenex with Lotion. If I can, I always buy tissues with lotion just to keep my nose from becoming completely raw. Which, if I'm buying tissues, then I'm likely going to be using a lot of them! I seriously do not understand why they even sell tissue without lotion - who wants a raw nose??
The second product was Kleenex nit-Viral, which claims to kill 99.9% of germs. Can't help but notice that claim... quite the claim, huh? Maybe it's a mental thing? Makes you just feel better with that thought? I know there are things out there that also make that claim (that aren't tissues), but it's still a huge claim, to me... hard to really be able to accept it. However, the concept is quite appealing and somewhat psychologically reassuring. If nothing else, it gives you a sense that's you're doing all you can to keep from spreading your germs to your family or others around you. So I applaud that. Who know... maybe that layer of germ killing goodness really does work. Regardless, it's a great concept and I'd rather have that sense of germ killing than not. They still have that great Kleenex softness you want and expect, so it's worth the buy.
So again, Kleenex lives up to their name... their brand has become synonymous with tissues, and it got that way for a reason.
My latest fun sampling came through CrowdTap again, which always has good ones, it seems. This latest sampling through #TheHerbalistas was their latest body wash, Hello Hydration. I'll be honest, I'm not the most loyal when it comes to body washes. Nothing has ever really 'wow'd me, either in scent, feel, or after-effects. I buy a lot of body washes from a certain body care chain, since they always have a 'buy 3 get X free' sale going on. And because of that that, I have a backlog of body wash, all sorts of scents and even types (gels, liquids, etc.). Do they clean me? Yes. Do they smell good? Yes. Would I ever switch it up to another brand? Yes. Nothing is really keeping me with them other than my backlog of inventory.
So back to this latest sampling. Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Body Wash. I was kind of excited about trying it out - Herbal Essences always has good advertising that makes you want to try their stuff. From the orgasmic showers to the convincing name (making it seem all natural). Which, let's be honest, no body wash is truly 'natural' in ingredients. Nothing 'natural' lathers up like soaps we're used to and expect. But I wasn't expecting that, so no worries there. So not to the actual sampling...
First off, it smelled awesome! I really dug the scent. The little bottle made it a little difficult to put as much soap as I normally do on my pouf... well, the bottle itself didn't, but my perception was off since it seems like way more was being used. But after the first try, where it didn't stay lathered up long enough, I figured out I just didn't have enough on my pouf. But once I did, it lathers nicely, smelled good, and I felt clean afterwards.
But beyond feeling clean... I felt no additional hydration. Maybe it was because my skin has been going crazy with the changing seasons (FINALLY!) and has been unusually dry lately. The scent didn't linger long, either. I guess if I very purposely tried to smell it, I could still catch a bit of the scent. But having a lingering scent has never been a big deal or desire to me.
So at the end of the day, what are my thoughts? Well, I still don't see a body wash that wow's me. It's nice, but it seems to be in with the standard fair of body washes. Smells good, gets me clean, but there's nothing there to make me loyal to it. No super moisturizing wow factor, which I was hoping for in the name 'Hello Hydration!" No all day effect that had people asking what I was doing differently. Would I buy it? Sure. Why not. Would I search it out if my normal store didn't have it? Probably not. Would I recommend it? Well, I wouldn't NOT recommend it. If someone asks, I'll tell them it's a great smelling product and I'd use it is I had it. So, all in all, neutral. A little more than "meh" but not at the level of 'wow' I'm still searching for.
This was a different 'try-out' from my normal routine. Fertilizer. Kind of cool to try something different... something for the house, more so. We have a small yard, so a lot of the stuff that seems to come out is meant more for suburbia. But we're lucky to just have our little patch of green in downtown... just enough without an overload of up-keep.
But there is still up-keep. And that's where this handy gadget comes into play. With our small backyard, and awkward raised/sloped/walled front yard, it's never easy to work with the 'normal' gadgetry of yardwork. Now, I'm not complaining about said yardwork... but it makes it both easy to do and easy to put off. So if we can make it even easier, why not?
We've all fertilized or put down weed control in our yards. Well, I assume we have. Even when I had a bigger yard in the suburbs, I never bought more than the hand spreader to fertilizer. But my hand would cramp up or the fertilizer would get stuck in a sticky ball. It was the simplest task, yet not so simple. With this Ready2Go Spreader, it's battery operated! 
It does the spreading for you - you just walk the line. And since the fertilizer is self contained and not exposed to the elements, it stays in it easy granular form.
It took me a couple of minute to figure out how to open it and get the batteries in, but then it was very easy to use. The only issue I had was because of my OCD nature, in that since this was the 'weed control' fertilizer, I tended to focus a little too much on the areas that had weed problems. I'm sure if I would've walked the lines like I was supposed to, instead of doubling back, it would've been fine. Probably why I use the liquid version of the spring fertilizer usually... but you know what? No matter. It worked. Within a few days, I could see the weeds starting to wither.
This one is a winner in my books. I'll likely look for the various refills in stores - you reuse the canister and spreader and just buy the refill bags. So if you see this in stores and have a postage stamp of yard, go for it. I think you'll be glad you did.
Okay... let me start this blog with a disclosure... it's about what you (or rather, I) do in the bathroom. So if that's TMI for you, stop reading. But if you are as curious as I was, read on!
I was given the opportunity to try out the Cottenelle Care Routine, and share the opportunity with a couple of friends, too. What's that? Well, I'm sure you've seen the commercials about either trying to name the routine (I liked Freshi-Fresh) or the commercials where they don't use water to cleans, say, a table top or your car. The CCR is the routine where you use Cottonelle TP, followed by Cottonelle Fresh Care Wipes.
I was completely skeptical going into this. The thought of wiping with anything wet just seemed too foreign to me. Sure, you use baby wipes on a baby, but that's because that's what you need to clean them with. But then, I guess that's not really different as you get older... hmmm...
So I tried it. Still a little iffy the first few times. But then I could actually tell... it really did feel cleaner. It was kind of... refreshing! Go figure!
So now I'm a believer in the routine. If you're never tried it, it's worth a shot. I can see where it'd be great for younger kids that are still 'learning' to fully wipe. Or just adults who try to go to fast.
I'm sure many of us grew up thinking Woolite was for our delicates. That's it. You always had a bottle around for that rare load of just delicates.
Well, guess what. It not just for delicates anymore. While they still do that, they have versions for your Everyday loads, too. Worried about those jeans or that favorite black sweater fading? They've got a detergents for dark colors, too. Whatever your concern, they've got you covered. The best part? It does more than your regular detergent. It protects anything from your favorite t-shirt to bra for special occasions.
Recently, they sent me some samples of Woolite to try AND share with my friends. I have to admit, some of the people I gave it to in person thought it was odd that I was giving them a detergent sample. But there's no better way to spread the word that with a sample! Not everyone came back with any feedback for me - most just disappeared, never to be heard from again. I *hope* they tried! But the few that came back were surprised - they didn't know Woolite was 'all that' now!
Personally, I used my sample on a load of jeans. I have a bit of a love affair with my jeans and I'm probably overly concerned about their lifespan... but I DO want them to last forever! But I have to say, I think I'm okay with using Woolite to wash them, verses to normal, barely washing them routine I normally do. They didn't seem to get 'soapy' feeling, for lack of a better term - like some residual detergent was stuck in the fibers. Which is important since they don't get thrown in the dryer, still - Woolite doesn't go in the dryer and I think a lot of the wear-n-tear happen there. But I felt like my jeans got treated a little nicer in the wash. That's good.
All in all, I have to say, go try some Woolite. Need some more convincing? Well, for now, you can go here to get a $1 off coupon and try it yourself. But I don't that link will last forever. Get Woolite Washed and rediscover an old favorite.
I have to admit, the first time I saw Supergoop Sunscreen Swipes, I was a little turned off by the name... it just didn't sound pleasant. But you know what? They freakin' rock!
Personally, I love the individually wrapped swipes. But they also come in a 40 pack, which if you have a family to pass them out to may work better. I first tried these at an ultimate test spot... Wrigley Field Bleachers. It's always so hard to put sunscreen on there, especially once the crowd gets going, but these are so quick and easy... and MESS FREE! But the best part it that they really work!
They can be used all over and they're water resistant. One wipe should do the whole job, at least if you're in shorts and a t-shirt. I'd assume it's cover you in a swimsuit, too. And if you're not into wipes, they do have a full line of products. But the wipes are what make it awesome... I highly recommend them!
I apologize for my lack of blogs over the past month... the holidays really got me busy and sampling just hasn't been in the cards!! But I promise, I'm getting back on it and hope to have lots of blogs to post shortly!
So I've said I'm coming into more opportunities to try samples. Everyone loves samples, right? Especially if you get to try new or 'in the know' products from high end brands!
Yeah... I know... I sound like an ad...
Well, I found this really cool site called Birchbox. It's not free, and I admit, I was skeptical when I first saw it... why would you want to pay for samples? But it boasted how these weren't your run of the mill samples you can get online through department store websites... these were actually big names or up-and-coming names in beauty and they weren't just little samples that can get lost in the mail (or in your medicine cabinet). I figured I'd try the first month and could always cancel if I didn't think it was worth it.
Well, I was thoroughly impressed with my first box! First off, it was quality products (usually 4-6 items), most of which were in a deluxe sample size. Yay! They include a little card that explains what everything is and even why they love it. The added fun is how it comes all wrapped up in a little box, making you feel like you're getting a cool gift. I know after the first month, I couldn't wait till the next month! Well worth the $10 (which basically covered the package and shipping).
So if you like getting samples, and really like getting GOOD samples, go check out their website and sign-up. I know I'll be posting a lot of my reviews from things in those boxes!
Welcome to my new blog!
I find myself coming across samples of stuff all the time. Sometimes I like it... sometimes not so much. Other times I find that the claims are just way off base and they should be completely called out on it! Besides... I LOVE trying new stuff!
So I decided to start this blog. Not just to share my knowledge, but to help me remember what I do and don't like! And if I can keep someone else from making a big mistake in buying something, well then, that's just a bonus.
So here's to trying new stuff!
The second product was Kleenex nit-Viral, which claims to kill 99.9% of germs. Can't help but notice that claim... quite the claim, huh? Maybe it's a mental thing? Makes you just feel better with that thought? I know there are things out there that also make that claim (that aren't tissues), but it's still a huge claim, to me... hard to really be able to accept it. However, the concept is quite appealing and somewhat psychologically reassuring. If nothing else, it gives you a sense that's you're doing all you can to keep from spreading your germs to your family or others around you. So I applaud that. Who know... maybe that layer of germ killing goodness really does work. Regardless, it's a great concept and I'd rather have that sense of germ killing than not. They still have that great Kleenex softness you want and expect, so it's worth the buy.
