Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month #GlamuletPinkOctober


We all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month & we all want to show our support for the women & men who have received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer as well as for their families. We can join a walk, make a donation, hold a fundraiser & wear pink to let everyone know that we care & want to be involved in increasing awareness of this disease & to encourage everyone to take the steps to detect breast cancer in its early stages. A beautiful way to show your support is by purchasing & wearing these gorgeous Limited Edition Charms from Glamulet.

Did you know that breast cancer is the 2nd most commonly diagnosed cancer among women? In 2015, an estimated 231,840 cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. alone. But no matter who you are or where you live, understanding breast cancer is important. And the most important thing to know is: a breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence.

Breast cancer can be treated & millions are surviving the disease thanks in part to early detection & improvements in treatment. Everyone needs to know the warning signs & symptoms, the risk factors, how to screen for & detect breast cancer, when to get tests & what to do if you notice a change in your breast.

Your support will help raise awareness & funds that will help people reduce their risk of cancer, provide free programs & services for breast cancer patients & fund the groundbreaking breast cancer research that will take us closer to a CURE. But we need to act now so that by 2050, everyone who develops breast cancer will live.

So join me in the fight! Get out there & join a walk, wear pink, host a fundraiser, make that donation & purchase these beautiful Limited Edition Pink charms to show your support!

About Glamulet:

Glamulet is a jewelry brand that specializes in Charms. Glamulet designs, manufactures & sells a wide range of modern & quality Charms that make it possible to create a unique bracelet. Most of these Charms are made of .925 Sterling Silver, Swarovski crystals, Murano glass & various kinds of man-made & natural stones. We wish to allow every woman to express herself thanks to an affordable collection of high quality jewelry: that's why our priority is to propose our collections at an affordable price.

Launched in 2014, Glamulet has already satisfied shoppers from Europe, USA, Canada, South Africa & Asia & is still willing to expand. Glamulet is also aware of its social responsibility. The brand's engagement in the breast cancer support campaign Pink October shows that they aim to bring to women the welfare they deserve.

For every set of charms that is added to the cart, Glamulet will donate 50% of the sales to a charity fund for breast cancer! 

You can find all of the Limited Edition Pink October charms right here.

#GlamuletPinkOctober #breastcancer #waroncancer #ThinkPINK

This is a sponsored post Powered by Brandbacker.

Friday, September 25, 2015

Unboxing....WalMart Fall Beauty Box #WalMartBeauty

This is the latest beauty box from WalMart. It is their Fall Beauty Box.



This box came with 2 full-size products, 4 sample-size products, some foil pack samples & a coupon.

Full-size products: ROC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum & Schick Hydro Silk disposable razor.

Sample-size products: Curel Rough Skin Rescue Smoothing Lotion, ACT Advanced Care Plaque Guard mouthwash, John Frieda 7 Day Volume In-Shower Treatment & Dove Advanced Care Nutrium Moisture antiperspirant deodorant.

Foil Pack samples: Nivea Extended Moisture body lotion, Crest 3D White Brilliance toothpaste & Crest 3D White Brilliance whitening gel.

Coupon: $1 off any Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant Deodorant.

I know that there are 2 versions of these boxes. This is the "older" box. These boxes ship once every quarter for $5 with free shipping. The ROC product in this box has a retail price of $15.98 (on Walmart.com) so this box is definitely worth five bucks!

#WalMartBeauty

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Unboxing....Beauty Joy September 2015

I received my Beauty Joy subscription box for September earlier this week. This month it came in a brown packing box with the beauty products wrapped in bright pink tissue paper & laying on teal crinkle paper. Still no little Tiffany blue box but this month I did get the info card (no blue box or info card last month).
This subscription box comes with 1 hand-curated jewelry item, 1 full-size beauty item & 2 - 3 deluxe samples.
Here is what came in the box this month:
Just a Little Sparkle Rhinestone Headband - $19
Beautiful silver plated rhinestone handmade headband, perfect for a special evening out. 
Use Coupon Code BEAUTYJOY for $5 off any order at AddJustALittleSparkle.com

Tat2Lash Mascara - Full size $16
For fuller & longer lashes without fibers, falsies or gimmicks! 
Use Coupon Code THANKYOU15 to receive 20% off your next purchase! 

Bare Escentuals Travel Lip Brush - $10
Its hand-shaped, scooped design hugs & caresses the curves of your lips for application 
that fits like a glove. A retractable cover & protective cap keeps ends in tip-top shape.

Orly Nail File - $1
Shapes natural & artificial nails. Quickly reduces & smooths nail seams & edges.

I Love Cosmetics Bubble Bath & Shower Gel in Mango & Papaya - $1
From Australia, we use a unique skin softening vitamin complex to help moisturize & keep skin 
soft & supple. All of our fabulous products are Soap Free, Paraben Free & pH Balanced.

I love all of the products in the box this month. My favorite is the mascara but I can't wait to try them all. I like the little shower gel sample & I can always use another nail file. I don't know how much I'll use a travel lip brush but I'll keep it with my travel samples. And that headband is really pretty so I'll try it on & hopefully wear it somewhere fancy! 

The total value of the items in this box is $47.00. The cost of this subscription is $15 per month & can be cancelled at any time before you are billed for the following month. Billing is done on the 1st of the month. Shipping is free for the U.S. & $5 for Canada.

You can get your own Beauty Joy subscription box right here.

So....I can't wait to see what comes next month!

Brighten up your party with LED Light Up Balloons #LEDballoons

We always have balloons when we have a birthday party but we've never had balloons that light up! Check out these LED Light Up Balloons from Dealzip.


I received two packages with 5 balloons in each package: red, yellow, white, blue & green. You can feel the little LED light inside of the balloons. To activate the light, hold onto the end of the balloon & pull the tab that says "Pull".


Once the tab is out, you can inflate the balloon by either using helium or just blow it up yourself. Tie the balloon shut & you've got a flashy glowing party balloon.

These balloons flash & change colors & last a really long time. I watched one of them to see how long they would continue glowing & flashing. 30 hours after I blew it up it was still going! It wasn't as bright as it was at first & it had lost some of its air, but it was still glowing & flashing!




You can purchase these LED Light Up Balloons on Amazon.

UPDATE: I recently learned that this product is no longer available on Amazon.

#LEDballoons

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Monday, September 21, 2015

Crowdtap Sampling: Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF30

I am a big fan of Aveeno products so I was really happy to be chosen by Crowdtap to sample the Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with Broad Spectrum SPF30.


My Crowdtap Kit arrived & there were 3 samples of the Daily Moisturizer so I was able to share some with friends so they could experience this product along with me.


This moisturizer is a silky lightweight lotion with a fresh clean scent. It glides on smoothly & absorbs into my skin quickly without any greasy or sticky feeling. I have somewhat sensitive combination skin but I have not experienced any irritation or redness while using this product. I just have soft & smooth skin!


I have only had this product for 5 days so I can't say that it has improved my skin tone or texture because I haven't used it long enough, but I will definitely purchase the full-size product so I can continue using it. I really like that it contains a broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen because here in Texas it is sunny even in the shade!

You can find this product on the Aveeno website.

I am a member of the Crowdtap Aveeno® rewards program, and Aveeno® sent me a sample of its Positively Radiant® Daily Moisturizer with SPF30 to review.


Friday, September 18, 2015

Unboxing....Target Fall Beauty Box #TargetStyle #BeautyBox

I love Target Beauty boxes! So when I saw a new Beauty Box on Target.com back on the 8th of September, I grabbed one because they sell out quickly. Sure enough....the next morning they were no longer available. I also love that they ship quickly. I received my box a week after I ordered it.
 
The Fall Beauty Box came in the usual black box with the Target logo on the front but the usual Target Red tissue paper was replaced with a pretty Autumn Gold color. Included is a coupon for $3 off of any Target Beauty Department purchase of $15 or more. There is also an offer to receive 20% off of a purchase of at least $125 at dermastore.com by using the promo code FALLBEAUTY at checkout. Here are the products in this box:

Colgate Optic White Platinum Express White toothpaste (0.75 ounce sample)
SheaMoisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil (3.2 ounce sample)
Curls Creme Brulee Whipped Curl Cream (2 ounce sample)
Jane Carter Revitalizing Leave-In Conditioner (2 ounce sample)
Dove Quench Absolute Creme Serum ($5.99)
Aquaphor Healing Ointment (0.25 ounce sample)
(price shown is from Target.com)

The Dove full-size product has a retail value  of $5.99 and I only paid $5 for this Beauty Box with free shipping. Target advertised this box as a $19 value. Target Beauty Boxes are not a subscription box so you pretty much have to stalk their website watching for the next one to be offered. I've gotten several of these boxes & so far I have really liked all of the products.

I'll be watching & waiting for the next Target Beauty Box!

Get a salon look without a high salon price: imPRESS Press-On Manicure


I don't usually wear nail polish on my fingernails though I sometimes paint them with a clear coat or a "barely there" color. I've never tried press-on nails before because I thought they would just look fake, but I was provided two sets of imPRESS Press-On Manicure nails to try for myself & when I saw these nails in the package they looked nice so I was ready to give them a try.
I got one set in Symphony & one set in Tweetheart. The Symphony set has 24 pink nails plus 6 gold & white accent nails. The Tweetheart set has 24 bright red nails plus 2 heart-shaped sparkle accents. Both sets come with a prep pad & a nail file. Since I'm used to either no polish or very subdued polish on my nails, I wasn't sure how I would like these colors but I decided to just go for it! 
I washed & dried my hands completely before I got started. I decided to try the pink nails so I opened the package & spread them out so I could pick the sizes that I wanted for each nail. I wiped each of my nails with the prep pad, made sure they were dry & then started applying the nails. It's very easy to do: peel the plastic off the back of the nail, line it up with your nail & press down. I used the glitter accent nails on my ring fingers & pink nails on all of the rest, leaving my thumbs until last as suggested in the directions. The whole process didn't even take 10 minutes! 
Unlike regular nail polish, there is no drying time with these press-on nails. Just be sure to wait at least 30 minutes before getting them wet. I liked the way they looked as soon as I was finished applying the nails, but it took a lot of getting used to for me. I could feel that there was something on my nails but after a couple of days I no longer thought about it or noticed them. After wearing them for a week, it was very easy to peel them off (because a couple of them had started to loosen around the edges) without any damage to my real nails. I'm saving the bright red nails to wear when we celebrate our wedding anniversary. 

These press-on nails are not reusable but there are enough nails for 2 manicures or you can mix & match them with other colors from other sets. These are available at your local chain drugstores, grocery stores, Walmart & Target. For around $7, it's a lot cheaper (and faster) than getting a salon manicure! 

Go to the website to check out the other colors & styles currently available & follow on Instagram to for more mani inspiration! 

I received this product from imPRESS Manicure through Brandbacker for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Unboxing....Ipsy Glam Bag September 2015 #septemberglambag #ipsy

The theme of the Ipsy September Glam Bag is Face Fashion. "Face the Future. Smokier, deeper, richer. This September, leave the past behind and take the leap into fall with a Glam Bag made to inspire the perfect transition from summertime casual to autumn elegance." 



These are the products that I received in my September Glam Bag:

Formula X Nail Color in Ignite
J. Cat Beauty #MOTD Waterproof Slide on Pencil for Eyes in Bronze
NYX Cosmetics Ipsy Eye Shadow Trio 

Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment
Not Soap, Radio Emotion Well-Being Hand/Body Lotion

My favorite product this month is the eye shadow trio. I love the colors! The only thing I don't like about it is that it is "Made in P.R.C.". I also love the nail color but it is such a tiny little sample that I will probably only get to use it once.

Ipsy is a monthly subscription box which comes with full-size or deluxe-sized products plus a makeup bag. The cost is $10 each month with free shipping to the US & Canada. It is delivered via USPS. I think it's well worth the money that I spend & a great way to try new products & add to your makeup collection. Ipsy sends out multiple variations of each Glam Bag so my review is the products that I received. Yours could be different & I love seeing what everyone else gets in their bag.

So. That's my Glam Bag. What did you get in yours?

Thursday, September 10, 2015

BzzAgent Campaign: Evolution Fresh Greek Yogurt from Dannon

I have tried a few brands of Greek Yogurt because it is good for me & I really want to like it, but I don't. Well, I didn't until I tried this Evolution Fresh Greek Non-Fat Yogurt Inspired by Dannon.



I checked out the website before I went to the grocery store to search for the yogurt & learned quite a bit about the product. The first thing that I saw was the available flavors: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Pineapple Passion Fruit and Raspberry Blackberry. Then I learned that this yogurt is made of high-quality fruit & Dannon Greek non-fat yogurt with no added flavors, preservatives or artificial sweeteners. When my BzzKit arrived, I couldn't wait to go shopping to try these great flavors!


My BzzKit came with coupons to get the yogurt free so I made my grocery list, grabbed all of my coupons & headed to Kroger. I had 2 coupons to get free yogurt for myself & 4 coupons to share with others so they can try this yogurt for free too.

When I got to Kroger, I found the Evolution Fresh Greek Yogurt but they only had 2 of the flavors. I found an employee that worked in the Dairy Department & asked if they had the other flavors in stock because I wanted to try all 4 but he told me that they only had the flavors that were on the shelf. So I grabbed 2 of the Blueberry & 2 of the Black Cherry. The thing that I noticed right away is that the yogurt cups are clear (although most of it is covered up with the labeling) so when I turned it over I could see the fruit on the bottom.


I tried both of these flavors & I really like this Greek yogurt! It is not as thick & lumpy as some of the other brands that I have tried. This is smoother & creamier so the texture is nice with lots of fruit & no artificial taste. My husband also tried it & he likes it better than the last brand that he tried. I had really looked forward to trying the Raspberry Blackberry flavor but I've been to 3 Kroger stores so far without any luck finding anything but the 2 flavors shown above. I'll keep looking at other grocery stores & I've got my fingers crossed that I will find it.

#GotItFree #BzzAgent #EvolutionFresh #Dannon

I received coupons to get this product free for the purpose of testing & review. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal use of the product.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

This "Favorite Child" Glass Coffee Mug is a great conversation starter! #GotMeTipsy


Check out this cute coffee mug from Got Me Tipsy!

This clear glass mug has a nice hefty feeling in my hand, not heavy but just the feeling of a quality product. It should last a long time even though I tend to plop my mugs down on the table, the countertop & in the cabinet. The lettering is bright white which makes it show up really great when there is a dark liquid, like coffee, in the mug. And because the lettering is on both sides of the mug, it doesn't matter if you are left-handed or right-handed. The mug is dishwasher safe & I've washed it several times since I've had it but the lettering still looks like new.

This would be a fun gift to give to a parent, just make sure your siblings are there to see that you are the "favorite child"! Both of my parents have passed, so I'm going to keep this mug for myself to use when my siblings visit. My sister was the goody-two-shoes & my brother was the spoiled baby, so both of them are equally convinced that there were always the favorite. So this mug should make for some interesting conversation & bickering!

This fun mug will hold 13 ounces of your favorite beverage & it is Made in the U.S.A.!

You can purchase this "Favorite Child" mug on Amazon.

#GotMeTipsy

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

All About That Bass with these FSL AI13 Heavy Bass Earbuds #HeavyBassEarbuds


I've tried a few different sets of earbuds but none that were made specifically for those of us who like a listen to more bass. These FSL AI13 Heavy Bass Earbuds are just for that!


This earbud set comes with the earbuds, two extra sets of tips & a drawstring carry case. The earbuds come with medium silicone tips already attached but you can easily switch to either the larger or smaller set that are included. The earbuds have a nice long flat cable so it won't tangle like the round cables & the right-angled jack sits more flush to whatever device you are listening with & doesn't pull out as easily. These earbuds do not let outside noises distract from your listening.


When I used these earbuds the first time I thought that they weren't really much different than the other sets that I have. Then I changed the medium tips for the smaller tips & that made a big difference for me. With the smaller tips, I could fit the earbuds more tightly into my ears & that is all it took for the bass sound to come through better. I've used these earbuds with my laptop, tablet & phone with good results from each. I don't listen to some types of music that have a lot more bass like rap or hip hop & I don't want the bass to blow out my eardrums, but I do like to hear it a bit more than the treble. Some of my favorite bands, like ZZ Top, sound great with the bass turned up!

And these since these earbuds are "All About That Bass", I just have to share that song!



You can purchase the FSL AI13 Heavy Bass Earbuds on Amazon.

#HeavyBassEarbuds

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Protect your ears during Hunting Season with this FSL Patriot Electronic Earmuff for Shooting #FSLPatriotElectronicEarmuff


I don't go to the Shooting Range & I'm not a hunter, but I have family members who love to do both. And for those times that they are shooting targets on the acreage behind my son's house, I want to have something to protect my ears so that I don't have to watch from so far away. This FSL Patriot Electronic Earmuff for Shooting lets me stay close to the action.


This earmuff comes with the 2 AA batteries that it needs to operate plus a sheet of instructions. The battery compartment is easy to get to & doesn't require a screwdriver to open. Once the batteries were installed, I tried on the earmuff. It fits my head nicely & the padding is comfortable on my ears. The information sheet indicates that the earmuff can be used for 30 continuous hours but I definitely did not wear them anywhere near that long. I only wore them for about an hour at a time but my brother is an avid deer hunter & I'll be he's worn ear protection for at least 12 hours or more!


This earmuff did give me good ear protection during target shooting (we were outdoors, not at an indoor shooting range) while still allowing me to hear conversations that were going on around me. It seems to be durable & well made so my son will be using it when deer season opens later this fall.

You can purchase the FSL Patriot Electronic Earmuff for Shooting on Amazon.

#FSLPatriotElectronicEarmuff

I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.

Book Review: Lethal Conspiracy by Dr. Gary Fuller #LethalConspiracy

I'm going to tell you about a suspense thriller that I recently read by Dr. Gary Fuller titled Lethal Conspiracy. The topic of terrorist attacks is something that we should never get complacent about, so this novel made for some very interesting reading. In fact, when I got down to the last few chapters, dinner was late because I just needed to "finish this chapter" but then I couldn't stop reading until I was finished with the book!


Lethal Conspiracy  

"There were three good reasons for them to kill him. 
He was a Jew! He was Israeli! He was Mossad!" 

David Shamir had been undercover as one of a small group of Middle Eastern Muslims working in the United Nations for so long that no one knew that he was actually a member of the Israeli Mossad when he was invited to join a new terrorist group whose goal was to achieve Allah's final Jihad: nuclear war.

Dr. Steven Grant, a political science professor at Columbia University, is a specialist on the Middle East who was recruited by the CIA to uncover that terrorist cell which had formed inside the United Nations. But Dr. Grant was just beginning to recover from a year-long bout with depression that began after the sudden death of his wife & had found happiness again with Dr. Samantha Sorkin, a renowned Clinical Psychologist, when he is asked to go to Iraq with a UN negotiation team to continue his investigation to determine if the terrorists are going to attack from Baghdad.

When Phillip Ratowski, an English-Arabic translator at the U.N. & a patient of Dr. Sorkin, overhears pieces of a conversation that includes the word "bomb", he is murdered outside of his apartment building to ensure his silence. But once the terrorist group learns that Ratowski had been to therapy sessions with Dr. Sorkin, they fear that he may have talked too much. Then they learn of the link between Dr. Sorkin & Dr. Grant so both of them are now targets for elimination.

Can Dr. Grant protect Dr. Sorkin from these terrorists? Can he uncover the terrorist group within the UN before they launch their final Jihad? Can David Shamir stop the terrorist group from within or will they discover his true identity?


This novel is full of action which stretches from the U.N. in New York City to Sadr City in Iraq. Dr. Grant must use all of his wits when he is forced to go up against Hamas militants, the Egyptian Secret Police & even people that he thought were on his side who betrayed him. And weaving it's way through everything is the fact that he is falling in love with Dr. Sorkin. The chapters move easily from one to the next & the character descriptions are so complete that I can visualize the person in my mind.

This is the first novel that I have read by Dr. Fuller & I can't wait to read the sequel! I think this would make a great screenplay or TV mini-series.

#LethalConspiracy

I received a paperback copy of this book from the author for the purpose of review. The opinions expressed are 100% my own based on personally reading the novel.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Product Review: Professional Grade Garlic Presser by KUKPO #http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZRUVUPM


If you have never used a garlic press or think that it is one of those kitchen gadgets that you don't need, think again. I used to believe that it was just another unnecessary tool taking up room in my valuable kitchen drawer space, but I was wrong!


Before I tried a garlic press, if I wanted to use garlic in a recipe, I used to just peel & dice it with a knife. Easy peasy! But then my hands always smelled like garlic. Not so good. But that is not a problem with this Garlic Press from KUKPO.


This is a sturdy press, but not too heavy. It is made of stainless steel so I don’t have to worry about rust. I love the sleek look of this garlic press but the best thing about it is that I don’t even have to peel the garlic before I put it in the press! I really didn’t think it would work but then I tried it with both a peeled & an unpeeled clove. Both of them were minced just the same! All I have to do is throw out the peels & clean the press.


This garlic press is stainless steel so it is dishwasher safe but I just wash it with warm soapy water. I haven’t put mine in the dishwasher yet because I use it too often. I also haven’t tried this press with ginger yet but I’ll be trying that too.

You can purchase this Professional Grade Garlic Presser from KUKPO on Amazon.

#http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZRUVUPM
I received this product for the purpose of testing and review. Regardless, I only recommend products that I personally use and believe will be good for my readers. The opinions expressed above are 100% my own based on my personal experience and use of the product.