Palmolive Fresh Sponge Review

Monday, April 16, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I was selected by Influenster.com to receive a free bottle of Palmolive Fresh Sponge to try and review.  All opinions are my own.

So, I'm pretty excited to be chosen again to review a new product by Influenster.com!  This time, they sent a dishwashing kit that included a full size bottle of Ultra Palmolive Fresh Sponge Dishwashing Liquid, a new sponge and several coupons to use and share with friends and family.  I had read on Influenster's Facebook page that other members had received their bottle but that it had spilled in the box during transit, so I was worried when I saw the "Resealed by USPS" tape on the box.  But yay, everything came intact with no issues.

Gillette Venus & Olay Razor Review

Sunday, April 1, 2012

DISCLOSURE:  I received a free razor, as part of the Love VoxBox, from Influenster.com and Gillette Venus to sample and review.  All opinions are my own.

I normally don't buy refillable razors.  I usually buy Gillette Venus disposable razors (the ones that smell really good!) and use them for several weeks at a time!  It saves me money since a three-pack of disposables lasts me months.  Especially in the colder months when I'm not shaving as often.

But, now that the weather is starting to warm up, I am going to be shaving pretty much everyday.  I was pretty excited to give this new razor a try.  It just became available in stores at the end of March.  This razor combines Venus' five blades with Olay Moisture Bars to help keep your skin from drying out after shaving.

My skin has a tendency to get really dry and irritated after shaving.  I usually have to slather on body lotion or butter to try and keep them from getting ashy and red.  I've actually never used a razor with five blades, so it was kind of scary!

The Gillette Venus & Olay razor reminded me of the Schick Intuition razor, in that you do not need to apply shaving gel or shaving cream before using the razor.  But the head of this razor is A LOT smaller than the Schick Intuition.  I liked the fact that it was faster to shave with the Intuition but I found it to be pretty big and cumbersome.  So I was definitely interested to see how this new razor would work out.

The first time I tried the razor, I think I was being a little too gentle with it.  I found there were areas that I just completely missed or didn't shave close enough.  The second time, it was a little better.  But I still found that I was getting regrowth by the end of the day.  The Olay Moisture Bars on the razor are supposed to "help lock in moisture to your skin for less dryness," but I noticed my legs actually felt DRIER.  I even had to get some eczema lotion to try and calm the skin on my legs.  They were pretty irritated and bumpy.

I also found the bigger head to be hard to maneuver around harder to shave areas like my knees.  I had to go over that area a lot more than I usually do with my regular three-blade Venus disposable razor.  After a few days of use, I also found the Olay Moisture Bars had worn down a lot.  I'm not sure if I can just slather on regular shaving gel and continue using the razor or if I need to go out and buy a refill.  Sadly, I threw out my last Venus disposable when I got this in the mail!

Would you recommend it?  No.  I really didn't care for it.  I didn't think it gave me a close enough shave, even though it has two more blades than my normal razor!  I found it hard to maneuver around my knees and felt it made my legs drier.

How much does it cost?  A new razor retails for around $8.99 - $10.99.

Where can I buy it?  You can find it at all major drug stores, mass merchandisers, grocery stores and online retailers.

Kiss Nail Dress - Fashion That Sticks Review

DISCLOSURE:  I received a pack of Kiss Nail Dress from Influenster.com as part of the Love VoxBox to try and review.  All opinions are my own.

I hardly ever do my nails.  When I do, I usually go to the salon to get them done.  I'm horrible at applying nail polish.  And I always seem to mess it up.  Even after going to the salon, I usually end up smudging it as I'm leaving!  So I was pretty excited to try these stick-on nail designs by Kiss.

Kiss Nail Dress are stickers that you can apply to your fingers or toes.  You peel off the correct size sticker, press it onto your nail and then file off the excess!  It requires no drying time and can last up to 10 days!  To remove, you just peel it off.

It's available in 18 different styles.  In my VoxBox, I received the style KDS10 Sexy, basically a leopard print.  Each kit includes 28 strips in a variety of different sizes to ensure you'll find the perfect fit for your nails.  Though, when I saw that there were 28 in my pack, I invited my sister to come over so we could do each other's nails.

I started on my sister first.  As we went along though, it become apparent that there really wasn't going to be enough for the both of us to do our nails since our nail sizes aren't dramatically different.  There were plenty of the bigger ones leftover once I finished my sister's nails, but not enough of the little ones for me to do a complete set on my own nails.  I'll have to buy a set so I can try it for myself!