Lancome DreamTone

I was asked to try Lancome DreamTone. Because of my skin tone I chose #2 as I am a medium skin tone. I have a few freckles high on my cheek bones under my eyes.  I do not have a lot of dark spots other than these freckles, but some of my skin is a little pink at times. 

I had no expectations about the product as I had heard somethings about it on the television but hadn't paid it much attention. I was open minded about the product and followed the instruction to the letter. 

Overall, my skin feels good and looks pretty good. However, the product hasn't made much difference since I began using it. I tend to have sensitive skin and am please to state that it has not caused any reactions on my skin. I have not noticed any remarkable changes to the freckles on my cheeks as they appear to be the same on the before and after photographs. 

I don't know if I still need to give it some time as it really hasn't been all that long that I have been using the product, but there hasn't been much change for me. 

Taking care of the written word, 

Dannie 

Unjunk Your Junk Food

I received a copy of Unjunk Your Junk Food to read and review. The book has a cute cover, is small in size, and loaded with a lot of information about the junk food the masses eat and the healthy alternatives. The book has a cute cover, but when I opened the book and started to look at it, I had some issues with the binding. The center binding broke open and some of the pages came unattached. This was the first look at the book and I as a book lover, I took it easy on the book. Not a good first impression. Nor was it a good second, third, or fourth impression as this happened in four different spots in the book.

So, the book is cute and the construction not so much, how about the contents. Remember the premise of this book is to replace food that is bad for you with food that is good for you. On the pages represented above, 36 and 37 the authors compare Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn-Butter to Newman's Own Organics Butter Flavored Pop's Corn. Orville is the bad choice and Newman the good choice according to the authors. Here's what they got going for them:
Stuff in the Product             Orville                Newman
Calories                               30                       123            
Calories from fat                  20                         44
Trans Fat                               0                           0
carbs                                     3                          17
sodium                                 40                        187

Anyone else confused here, looks like Orville wins in the numbers game, less calories, less fat, less carbs, and way less sodium. Well, according to the authors, the artificial flavor, color, and TBHQ preservative is far worse for you than the extra fat and sodium. Well, tell that to a person with high blood pressure and on a low fat diet.

So lets give this another try, picked another page with binding issues, and it is Jello against Cool Cups gels.
Stuff in the Product             Jell-O          Cool Cups
calories                                   70                    92
fat calories                                0                      0
sodium                                    40                    44
carbs                                       17                    22
protein                                       1                     0

Again, Jell-O looks better than the approved choice. Except it has high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and red and yellow colors. The Cool Cups has 'yellow-flag' ingredients that makes it a better choice than Jell-O and their red-flag ingredients.

What I found in this book is not a resource for those looking for better food choices and the least amount of fat, sodium, and calories in the food they eat, but less chemicals. The problems that most of the mainstream food items have is the artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. The approved choices often had more fat, calories, and sodium than the bad choices. I guess if you are looking to find the best alternative with the least fat, calories, and sodium, eat nuts, fruits, and fresh vegetables.

Overall, I had high hopes for the book, I mean if just judging it from the cover. But I was quickly annoyed by the quality of the book. The message in the book was to reduce the artificial ingredients and not the best nutritional options. Maybe you will be more impressed with the book than I was.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

I received a full size sample of L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream from She Speaks in exchange for giving my opinion of this product. I agreed. I had tried a few other samples of BB cream so I believed I knew enough about the type of product I agreed to try. I cannot believe  how great this product is in matching to my skin type. This product matches my skin tone to where you cannot tell you are wearing a product at all. I am pleased with the texture of the product as well as the lack of scent. I do not smell like I have a product on and I like that a lot. This is a product that does what it says and that is a great benefit. You have to give it a try and you will like it just as much as I do.

I received a complimentary product from SheSpeaks/L'Oréal to facilitate this review.

Taking care of the written word, 
Dannielyn

Re-Body hunger chews

I received a sample of Re-Body Hunger Chews from Naturally Savvy to try and tell. I am currently involved in a weight loss study and could not try this product by the time I received them. However, my husband and son tried these products and let me know what they thought.

My husband thought that they tasted okay but didn't know if they really worked in keeping him from feeling hungry. It was the busy season at work and he worked long hours between meals, so maybe it was asking too much for these things to work that long.

My son thought they tasted pretty good and would use them when he was hungry but wanted to wait a while before eating. He didn't see any real weight loss happening while using these chews, but he did find less hunger pains occurring.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Teeccino

I received several samples of Teeccino coffee alternative beverages to try from Naturally Savvy. These were free samples and I am to tell of my experiences. However, I do not drink coffee so I had my son and husband try the beverages and let me know their thoughts.

The reviews are mixed. My husband a die hard coffee and caffeine addict did not care for the products. He had some difficulty getting over the fact that there was no caffeine. It also did not have the same flavor as coffee and that is what he was looking forward to tasting.

My son on the other hand, tried the flavored 'coffee like tea bags' and found some flavors that he liked more than others. He thought they were a good alternative to tea and coffee but would take some getting used to the unique coffee substitutes used in these products.

It is a mixed review like I said. It really depends on one's desire to try something new and incorporate the item in their diets.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Teechia

I received a sample of Teechia Blueberry Date and Cinnamon Cranberry cereal from Naturally Savvy for free to try and tell. My husband and I both tried it. Neither one of us was really sold on it. The cereal had a weird smell to it and it lingered in the taste. I am not sure what particular ingredient gave it this taste and smell but it was a real turn off. We both tried several times to eat the cereal and hoped that it would grow on us and well it didn't.

This is a very healthy cereal and provides great nutritional benefit. However, we were just unable to consume a normal portion size of the product.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Oscillococcinum

I received a sample of Boiron's Oscillococcinum from Naturally Savvy for free to try and tell. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to try this product when I had the flu. My son had something similar to the flu in the beginning of November and about a week and a half before I received this product I had come down with the flu. I had all the symptoms that this product would address, the fatigue, headache, body aches, fever, and chills for about 5 days. I had the lingering cough for another two to three weeks.

About the time that the early symptoms left and the lingering cough arrived, I received this product. I went to a physician's appointment about two weeks after the flu about another issue and asked the doctor about this medicine. She uses it and so does her family. She states that it works very well and relieves many of the symptoms quickly.

For now, I will have to take her word for it.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Influenster Holiday Vox Box 2012

I received a Holiday Vox Box 2012 from Influenster on Christmas Eve in the mail. It was a great deal of fun to get a box of goodies on Christmas. I received the products for free to try and tell about them. I am honest in my reviews of the products and some are good and some well, not everything is always good.

My absolute favorite product I tried in this box is the Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal. I received the Cherry Pistachio Almond flavor and I love it. I mean I love it as I have loved few products I have tried for free. I buy at least four of the little containers each week. I love the chunks of cherries and nuts that demonstrate visually and with texture that I have real fruit and nuts in my oatmeal. It is crunchy, oatmeally, and delicious. Yes, I do know oatmeally isn't a real word, but by golly, if you are eating oatmeal, then what else could it be!

The NYC New York Color Liquid Lipshine is my second favorite product from this box. I love the clear gloss alone or over my favorite colors. Beautiful.

The Goody Quikstyle Brush is okay but not one of my favorites. It doesn't really help keep my hair straight and it flattens the curls that I have. I like the idea of it more than actually using it.

EBOOST claims it will boost your mood, focus, and immunity with natural ingredients and no crash. I tried it and the flavor is okay, but didn't really feel any great effects. Maybe it was because it was only one serving, but nothing really all the wonderful.

Sole Society provided us a coupon for $25 off our first purchase and most shoes were $50. The shoes are great but not really practical. I like a medium heel and the options were really only 3-4 inches for ballet flats. This was one treat in the box that really did nothing for me. The colors were a little too wild for me and well, I wish them luck but I won't use my coupon.

I also received a book. Hiding in Sunshine by John and Caitlin Stuart. This is a father and teenage daughter duo writing their first book together. To be honest, the subject of the book is not my cup of tea. I am not into   cyber thrillers and the story seems really far fetched. The authors use an awful lot of (!) points in the story, makes reading it seem like everyone is always shouting at me. I read it but it will not be one of those books that I read over and over again. It was difficult at time to follow the plot and sometimes I put it down hoping to never pick it up again. It may be because it is not a story line I prefer.

Well, there you have it, I am really glad I received the Holiday Vox Box from Influenster. Thanks!

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Congress or Americans: Who is failing America?Rant Political

This is a guest blog/link from my son. He is a junior in college studying political science. Who do you think is failing America? The answer may surprise you.

Congress or Americans: Who is failing America?Rant Political:

'via Blog this'

The Fiscal Cliff: A lose/lose situation for the Republican PartyRant Political

This is a guest blog post/link from my son. He is a junior studying political science. What he says makes you think regardless of what side you are on in politics. Take a few minutes to read and share if you think it something everyone needs to think about.

The Fiscal Cliff: A lose/lose situation for the Republican PartyRant Political:

'via Blog this'

Quick and Crispy Talapia in a Skillet No Less

This picture does not come close to showing you how crispy the outside of this fillet is but you have to believe me that it is wonderfully crisp and flavorful.  I am a bzzagent and I love being able to try new products and sharing my experience with others just like you. I love the product and it was my first time tasting talapia and I thought this was a great product to introduce me to the fish. You just have to get out there and try some yourself as this fish is tasty. Try Gorton's Skillet Crisp Talipia in Garlic and Herb.

Taking care of the written word,

dannielyn

Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified

As a bzzagent I received a sample of this coffee to taste and see what all the fuss is about. I have to tell you that the coffee is wonderful but the fair trade certification is even better. I love the idea that those who are growing the coffee are being treated fairly. I swear it makes the flavor of the coffee even better tasting.

If you have not tried this product, get out there and get yourself some. The coffee has a great flavor without that old or burnt coffee flavor that some brands have and with the many varieties of coffee styles out there, whole, ground, K cup and so on, you have to get your hands on this right away.

Taking care of the written word,
dannielyn

Taking a Spin and Keeping my Hair Pinned

This is a great alternative to the usual hair clip to put my hair up. It is versatile, stylish and wonderfully easy to use. It save a great deal of time searching for bobby pins. If you have long hair, you have to try this product! You will love it. I do and I got to try it free from Influenster as a part of the beauty blogger voxbox.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Kinky like nothing else you've tried

Ok, this products makes your curls really defined and so not frizzy just like they brag they do. It is so refreshing to use a product that does what it says it will. I am a part of the Influenster Beauty Bloggers VoxBox and I received Not Your Mothers' Kinky Moves curl defining hair cream and I love it. You just have to use this product if you have curly hair of any way, shape, or form. It is amazing.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn

Creating a lot of Flair

I tried false lashes for the first time and after the initial period of getting used to the feeling I enjoyed the drama or flair it gave my eyes. Being a newbie, I was glad the instructions were easy and the application flawless. I was nervous and I had no reason to be. It is easy to do and you look wonderful afterwards. If you ever wanted to try them out, you have to get Kiss' brand. The whole kit is easy and inexpensive. You will be pleased with the entire process.

Taking care of the written word,
Dannielyn