Skintimate® Mandarin Burst Moisturizing Shave Gel Sampling

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Just the other day I received a sample of Skintimate® Mandarin Burst Moisturizing Shave Gel from Crowdtap, a user testing, review, and input site. These samples were given to me for free so that I might review them the opinions I share here are 100% my own.

I was really excited to receive this sample and share opportunity and my legs rejoiced from the added moisture and glorious scent.

How did shaving the legs get such a bad rap for being a monotonous and loathed chore? Think of the reason why you’d shave:

• Going on a weekend trip at a hotel with a pool, better shave the legs
• Spring break and that vacation is around the corner, better shave the legs
• Summer is here – break out the shorts, flip-flops and razor
• Going on a date, better shave your legs

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Truth is, we very much look forward to all these events. So shaving the legs is a good sign my friends! Hooray, shave those legs! 

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I actually just got back from my summer vacation and when I got back, there was my sample of Skintimate® Mandarin Burst. What perfect timing for Skintimate® Signature Scents to add a new scent to its already exciting shave gel lineup! Mandarin Burst! This new shave gel has revitalizing moisturizers, vitamins and olive butter, to protect and nourish your skin.  

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Now, usually I use body wash and a shower puff to shave. In fact it has been a very long time since I have used shaving gel and after this sampling, I realized I missing out! First off the smell is to die for! I think that this shaving gel would be perfect for the winter because even though the weather is cold outside you can escape to a tropical paradise in your shower.

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Featuring the refreshing citrusy fragrance of mandarin oranges, lemons and limes, Skintimate® Mandarin Burst Moisturizing Shave Gel provides a combination of aromatic scent and moisturizing properties perfect for warming and smoothing that rough ‘winter skin’.

Containing six moisturizers including antioxidant Vitamin E and Olive Butter, Mandarin Burst will not only provide you with a smooth refreshing shave, but will also help replenish your skin’s natural moisture and will help maintain healthy and beautiful skin with its gel turning lather.

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The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was the bottle, love the colors! They made summer feel more like summer. Even the gel is colorful! Pink! Love it! I could instantly smell the citrus, grapefruit! It was very invigorating. Though I'm an evening showerer, I'm sure that this scent would be great for morning showers, helping you to wake up.

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The gel lathers beautifully and a little goes a long way. The razor glide over your skin and there is little to no chance of nicking yourself. I found my legs to be very moisturized afterwards and did not even need the usual gobs of lotion! I would highly recommend this product and I will for sure be using it from now on!   

I say that we give shaving a break and embrace all the reasons why we do it. If only to have silky smooth and nourished skin again? Finally!

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

LISTERINE® Naturals Antiseptic Mouthwash Sampling

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Last week I received a sample of LISTERINE® Naturals Antiseptic Mouthwash from Crowdtap, a user testing, review, and input site. These samples were given to me for free so that I might review them the opinions I share here are 100% my own.

I was really excited to receive this sample and share opportunity because LISTERINE® is already a brand that I trust, use regularly, and enjoy, so why not create more buzz for this great brand?

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I'd like to start off this review by saying, just because it's natural & clear, don't think that this mouthwash is going to be anything similar to mild. It's not mild. It's just a tiny bit less aggressive than original LISTERINE®, but has more of an herbal taste than the somewhat chemical flavor of original LISTERINE® (or other options.) The first use was a shock to me and the aftertaste left by the stevia did not help at all.

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The taste is strong and might even strike you as medicine-like the first time you use it. My second time I was prepared and quite enjoyed it. If you like the bite of regular LISTERINE®, this may make you just as happy. The taste was not sweet, and not a strong mint flavor. It was quite aggressive none the less.

I'm always a supporter of going with less chemicals if the performance is equal or very similar. In this case, the performance was on par with chemical mouthwash but the after taste was different than the chemical version than I'm used to. The aftertaste doesn't really make me want to buy it after this sampling but the fact that it is natural does make me want to use it more. The best part is that I wouldn't hesitate to use this and have breakfast soon after-- something I always avoid with chemical mouthwashes.

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If you are interested in this alternative because it has fewer chemicals, I would encourage you to try it! But don't try it if you assume by the natural/clear appearance that it is lighter or more mild in any way. It definitely is not. But the flavor is still nice.

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

Viva® Vantage Choose-A-Size

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I LOVE the new Viva Vantage paper towels! I received the paper towels as part of a Crowdtap sample and share a few months back and they are all I have used since! They have ridges that really make them tough towels, they don't fall apart after rinsing, scrubbing, and wringing them out. They're even absorbent! Even after cleaning some tough stuck on gunk in baking pans of mine, the towels were no where near giving up. As an added bonus, Viva Vantage paper towels are very affordable and not stiff to the touch, though I would not recommend using them to clean your face thoroughly.

These samples were given to me for free so that I might review them the opinions I share here are 100% my own.

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

Suave Professional Natural Infusion with Awapuhi Ginger and Honeysuckle - For Damaged Hair

I recently received a sample of Suave Natural Infusion with Awapuhi Ginger and Honeysuckle shampoo, conditioner, and leave-in cream. I did not receive full sized products, only a one time use for each product.

Photo Credit Suave

Suave Professionals Natural Infusion Awapuhi Ginger and Honeysuckle is a basic Suave product. I'm not sure if Honeysuckle improves hair texture, or if Awapuhi Ginger makes hair it stronger or healthier. Most likely not, but they do give the shampoo a pleasant smell, ginger spiciness blended with honeysuckle sweetness.

Because I haven't been able to use the product for a long time, I'll just give my first impression of each product that I sampled.

Anti-Breakage Shampoo - $ ($2.88 at Walmart)

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This isn't a volumizing shampoo. Most volumizing shampoos contain wheat protein or some other ingredient that adheres to hair and gives it bulk. And as far as healing damaged ends is concerned, as far as I know, you need to repair damaged keratin with a keratin-bonding agent...usually more keratin. Both claims seem a little off the mark. But Suave Professionals does get rid of the many products that I add to my hair on a daily basis. That alone gives hair a little loft so it appears a little more voluminous. And it's not harsh, so hair isn't just a bunch of flyaways and the damage is not exacerbated. The shampoo doesn't get to lather much and again, leaves your hair feeling clean and light. Hair is not hard to manage after use, so while not a healer, it does sort of deal with the split ends. It does a good job. Other products might do a better one, but for the price, I give it: ☆☆☆☆

Anti-Breakage Conditioner  - $ ($2.88 at Walmart)

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This would most likely be an excellent conditioner for fine, straight hair, very much unlike mine. My thick hair was not provided with enough moisture and there was not enough conditioner to really work through my hair entirely, leaving me with a tangled mess to deal with when I left the shower. I left the conditioner in my hair for the recommended 1-3 minutes and still, the tangles were barely manageable. The fragrance was still just as enjoyable as the shampoos, a delicate floral scent with just a hint of spice. If you have fine, straight hair that needs repair, this might be a good option, for me, it's a: ☆☆

Strengthening Light Leave-in Cream - $$ ($4.98 at Walmart)

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Again, this product had an amazing scent, a soft, subtle, natural scent. The directions say to apply this product to damp hair and work from roots to ends through hair, combing to distribute. The consistency of the product is smooth and creamy and thinner than I had expected it to be. It goes on light and does not weigh your hair down at all. I wasn't sure if I should use my normal styling products in conjunction with it, but with work the next morning, I didn't want to take a chance of not looking my best so I used all my products with this one first. My hair is the softest it has most likely ever been! This is already on my shopping list and I am buying it when I go out tonight! If you couldn't tell, I give it a: ☆☆☆☆☆

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Movie Screening

Photo from gofobo.com

Director Jonathan Liebesman's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is not as terrible as one might have expected. But in the sense of bringing back memories to this 90s child, this movie is the best so far this year. 

The film does suffer because of the comic book-based elements that inevitably must be grounded in the 'real world' with, at times too much backstory. From main character and our eyes into the lives of the Turtles, April O'Neil (Megan Fox.)

O’Neil, a struggling news reporter seeking to make her bones on a story about the FOOT Clan. In doing so, she encounters the Turtles and befriends them, realizing that she -- and her scientist father -- had a hand in their origin. 

Through a series of confusingly-written scenes that burden us with too much backstory, we learn that the Ninja Turtles were her pets as a young child, and that her father was shot and killed by the villainous Eric Sachs (William Fichtner). The movie is obsessed with explaining how things work in a world dominated by sentient, talking turtles trained in the art of karate. 

From here, the movie auto-pilots its way through weightless, logic-less CG set pieces as Sachs and his Master, Shredder, scheme to unleash a deadly pathogen into New York City, one which Sachs will make money on by providing the government with a cure -- which he'll derive somehow from the Turtles' blood. Given the obsession of explaining the science, I was relieved with the lack of information provided here.

When the Turtles plays the nostalgia card it happens without being forced, which is refreshing. Fans will be pleased to finally see their beloved characters cut loose in action scenes, in ways that enjoyably harken back to the animated series. 

Megan Fox arguably gives her best performance in a summer tentpole to date, but she's still unable to quite nail the deadpan humor the character is often required to deliver. Her dream to be taken seriously as a journalist, which she announces repeatedly, is dropped in favor of an unconvincing and un-earned goal of accepting the turtles as her brothers.

And So It Goes - Movie Screening

I am a member of Gofobo.com, a site that offers it's users the opportunity to screen films prior to their release and requests reviews in return.

Photo used from Gofobo.com

I was not really excited for this film before going and didn't do much in terms of research on the film either. I suppose I was not disappointing by the film either but I really wasn't wooed by this retirement-age romance film.

The title of the film, “And So It Goes” seems to be a much intended hat tip to the inevitable detours and potholes of life, and the movie all but surrenders — to the kind of geriatric burlesque that seems to be the only game in town for stars of "Social Security age".

When we first meet him, Oren (Michael Douglas) is trying to unload his own estate before retiring — something that would please no one more than the fellow tenants of the lakeside fourplex where Oren lives. Among the residents is widowed lounge singer Leah (Diane Keaton.)

Orens own troubled relationship with son Cameron gives him an estranged adult son (Scott Shepherd), who turns up out of the blue on the eve of a nine-month prison sentence and asks Oren to take care of 10-year-old Sarah (Sterling Jerins), the granddaughter he didn’t know he had. And from there, you can imagine the rest of the film, Oren’s shriveled-up heart enlarges by the requisite two sizes, etc.

Watching “And So It Goes,” it's not hard to become bored with the film and it's easily replicated themes. Whenever the film feels like it might be on the verge of such a turn, it reliably opts for the cheap punch line or easy pathos. In all of the films 93 minutes, you never feel anything significant is at stake for anyone.

Cottonelle’s Summer Clean Care

Earlier this month I received a Cottonelle sample including:

• 3 on-the-go samples of their bum wipes
• 3 one dollar off coupons for Cottonelle products
• A four pack of their Clean Care toilet paper
• A full sized sample of their Cottonelle Fresh Care bum wipes

These samples came from Crowdtap, a user testing, review, and input site that I am a member of.  I was really excited to receive this sample and share opportunity because Cottonelle is a brand that I trust and I love their new #LetsTalkBums adverts and I was hoping to create my own buzz around the topic of clean bums. 

New sampling from Cowdtap and Cottonelle! My Instagram

In this sample and share opportunity, users were given these samples and asked to share the the on-the-go sized packs with two friends. Of course, being the savy sampler that I am I shared all three of the on-the-go packs with friends on the condition that they share their experiences with me. Why do I need to keep one for me when I get the real deal?

After having an opportunity to sample this amazing duo, I'm convinced. How could anything else work so well together? My bum has never felt so clean! I really liked that they leave you feeling much cleaner than just toilet paper.

These freshening cloths are an essential to any bathroom, as sometimes, toilet paper is simply not enough. These cloths are soft and wet and easy to use and even flushable -- with limits. It's recommended that you only flush one or two at a time. These cloths have chemicals as most products do these days but they have not irritated my bum and they are non-toxic.

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I love having this duo in my bathroom! The wipes have a great container that make it so only one comes out and make me feel very fresh down there. It's also nice that they are flushable, so they don't just sit in the bathroom trash can. I've even had guests comment on how great they are which seems like the ultimate good review!


These wipes are unlike other products that can be as dry and abrasive as twigs and leaves, Cottonelle moist wipes left me fresh, refreshed, and wanting for nothing! They're thicker, they're better cleaning, and they don't have the same tendency to break up while using them. From the bottom of my, well my bottom, I can't thank Cottonelle enough!

How do you feel about the Cottonelle clean care routine for clean bums? Post about them in the comments!

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