alexfranchuk
Member Since: September 24, 2015Reviews
AURA MUGLER Fragrance
I received a sample of AURA MUGLER FRAGRANCE in the mail and was so excited to hear that this brand came out with a new scent. My favourite go-to fragrance is from the Mugler brand and it is called ALIEN. Unfortunately my bottle smashed mid-move and... +
I received a sample of AURA MUGLER FRAGRANCE in the mail and was so excited to hear that this brand came out with a new scent. My favourite go-to fragrance is from the Mugler brand and it is called ALIEN. Unfortunately my bottle smashed mid-move and I want to use up others before I repurchase a new bottle as it is an expensive (but worth it!) brand.
The scent of this one is classified as a "woody fragrance" which I love because it is not to feminine. It has hints of rhubarb leaf, tiger liana, orange blossom, bourbon vanilla, and wolfwood! It smells kind of similar to the ALIEN which makes me feel like home! I get tons of compliments when I wear it. I spray the product on at 7:30 AM before I leave for work and It stays easily all day - at least 12 hours. A little also goes along way. I spray two sprays and that is almost too much. The price is a little pricey at $85 for the 1oz size... but I swear a bottle, unless smashed, will last forever!
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Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask
I tried the TATA HARPER RESURFACING MASK as it was on Allure's top beauty products of 2017. Its good for pores, dullness and uneven skin texture which I suffer from due to natural aging... yay! I have tried many different products and was really... +
I tried the TATA HARPER RESURFACING MASK as it was on Allure's top beauty products of 2017. Its good for pores, dullness and uneven skin texture which I suffer from due to natural aging... yay! I have tried many different products and was really hoping to see some great results with this one as I have read so many wonderful things about it! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this product.
The mask is in the form of an orange gel with a really heavy chemical smell which I found strange considering it is supposed to be 100% natural and non toxic. The directions are simple, apply a THICK layer over the face, neck, and chest. Leave on for 15-30 minutes and rinse with warm water. I am not sure why they say THICK layer because I tested it and it does the exact same thing and you get the same results with a thin layer as well and I am also baffled as why you would need this on your chest... but I followed the directions and this is what I concluded. The mask goes on so easily and so smoothly. A little bit of the product really does go a long way, which is fantastic because it comes in little 1 oz jars. The product does dry really quickly after application and it really really dries. Like, it hurts. At first it was just a normal drying sensation that lots of masks have, but pretty soon it became very uncomfortable and unbearable. Each time I was only able to leave it sit for the 15 mins instead of the 30. I could not hardly talk and It felt like I had gotten botox or something. I could not move my face or show expression hardly. Eeek.
The product rinsed off very quickly and easily and I did not need to use a rag or anything. Just warm water and my hands. My skin instantly felt so smooth and silky and it lasted well into the next day as well. I was surprised that my face was NOT RED at all. Most masks make my face red upon removing and I was scared because of how drying this one felt on my skin. But there was no redness at all. I did get a beautiful glow which was super nice!
Overall, this product does work and it works very well. However, it was very uncomfortable and I know that there are masks out there that work just as well and do not hurt in the process. Also, $77 CAD for a 1 oz jar is just not worth it to me.
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KIND Dark Chocolate Chunk
I bought the KIND DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK on a whim at the grocery store the other day when I was craving something sweet. I have heard so many things about the KIND brand and was looking for something a little healthier then the junk I would normally... +
I bought the KIND DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK on a whim at the grocery store the other day when I was craving something sweet. I have heard so many things about the KIND brand and was looking for something a little healthier then the junk I would normally pick up when the cravings hit. The bar is made of 'super grains' which is pretty awesome - but I had hoped that the super grains would have a super taste.. but they didn't. The bar was, for lack of better word, weird. It was almost just thrown together without any real 'recipe for success'. The chocolate that I was hoping would satisfy my cravings was hardly even there. It got lost in the mix of healthy superfood. The texture was also okay but i personally prefer a more chewy bar and this kind of sat in the middle of crunchy and chewy. KIND claims to be a healthier option but the nutritional value doesn't jive. There is 16% of your daily intake or 8g of added sugar and the g's of fat is almost the same as the fibre!! whaaaat?! I thought this was supposed to be healthy. Aside from all this, they are far more expensive then any other granola bar I have bought. I should have read the box BEFORE I bought them but I didn't. FAIL. Will not purchase again. -
Biotene Moisturizing Mouthwash
BIOTENE MOISTURIZING MOUTHWASH is a lifesaver for me! As a kid and now into adulthood, I generally sleep with my mouth open and now I suffer from 'dry mouth'. This makes it hard for me to swallow at times and makes it difficult for my body to... +
BIOTENE MOISTURIZING MOUTHWASH is a lifesaver for me! As a kid and now into adulthood, I generally sleep with my mouth open and now I suffer from 'dry mouth'. This makes it hard for me to swallow at times and makes it difficult for my body to produce saliva. Before finding this mouthwash the only thing that helped me was drinking tons of water and sucking on sugar free hard candies. This stuff changed the game for me, especially at night. Up to 5 times a day (I average 2-3) you swish about a tablespoon of this around in your mouth for approximately 30 seconds and then spit it out, much like regular mouthwash. It has an incredible minty taste which helps to freshen your breath at the same time as providing relief! The moisturizing system is alcohol and sugar FREE which is so important because alcohol and sugar both help contribute and worsen the effects of dry mouth. The bottle states that the effects remain for around 4 hours but unfortunately I find that they last for maximum 1 hour. The cost of the mouthwash is $12.99 at my local grocery store, which to me, is quite pricey. The bottle is smaller then an average mouthwash and does not last nearly as long. Overall this is a great product and I won't stop purchasing it, but I wish the price point was lower. -
Vicks VapoRub Topical Ointment
VICKS VAPORUB TOPICAL OINTMENT has been a lifesaver for me ever since I was a kid - I can remember getting colds/sick and my mom and dad rubbing this stuff all over my chest, under my nose, and on my feet! Its medicated vapours helped relieve my... +
VICKS VAPORUB TOPICAL OINTMENT has been a lifesaver for me ever since I was a kid - I can remember getting colds/sick and my mom and dad rubbing this stuff all over my chest, under my nose, and on my feet! Its medicated vapours helped relieve my coughs, nasal congestion and aches and pains like magic! I would go from not being able to breathe almost to being able to breathe and smell everything! This is wonderful for families as it is suitable for adults and children ages 2+. A little bit goes a long way. It is a little pricey but for me, well worth it! -
Air Wick Scented Oil Diffuser & Refill in Crisp Linen & Lilac
I purchased this product as a non-noticeable alternative to one of the smaller washrooms in my house because there wasn't enough counter space for my normal scent method. I purchased it at Walmart for around $6.50 and the package came with one plug... +
I purchased this product as a non-noticeable alternative to one of the smaller washrooms in my house because there wasn't enough counter space for my normal scent method. I purchased it at Walmart for around $6.50 and the package came with one plug in and one scent. The Crisp Linen and Lilac scent is soooo nice! It smells fresh and clean and is a great scent for a bathroom. I put the scent pack into the plug in piece (it was so easy! unscrew and click!) and then plugged it into my outlet. It smelled incredible! However, for almost $7 I wish it would have lasted MUCH longer then it did. I found that the oil levels in the scent bottle dropped drastically in the first week. I saw that there was a notch to change the amount of scent that the Airwick gives off and I panicked thinking I must have had it on the MAX setting... nope! It was on the lowest. Within two weeks there was nothing left in the oil bottle and it had started to turn brown. Had the dial been adjusted on the max level I don't think it would have even lasted the first week. It does look aesthetically pleasing and is a nice addition to almost every time of home decor. It doesn't take up hardly any space at all and can be easily hidden from plain view. This would be a great product if a) it was cheaper and b) the scented oils lasted longer. I will not purchase this again. -
Pure Leaf Ginger with Orange Blossom pyramid tea bags
I was given PURE LEAF GINGER WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM PYRAMID TEA BAGS to try for free in exchange for my honest opinion and I am hooked! Pure Leaf is a tea brand that I know and love because they use high quality ingredients and taste delicious. Their... +
I was given PURE LEAF GINGER WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM PYRAMID TEA BAGS to try for free in exchange for my honest opinion and I am hooked! Pure Leaf is a tea brand that I know and love because they use high quality ingredients and taste delicious. Their price point is a little higher because of this but It doesn't stop me from purchasing their products because I think it's worth it. This Ginger with Orange Blossom tea is no exception... delicious! I prefer my teas 'spicy' so ginger is a tea flavour that I drink often but I have never had it mixed with orange blossoms before.
The initial smell of the tea in the jar is a very nice combination of both ginger and orange - I was excited to see which flavour profile stood out the most. I took out the pyramid bag and added my hot water and waited for 5 minutes as it steeped. As those 5 minutes went on the ginger aroma really started to come through and I thought for sure it would have a nice little spicy kick. Oddly enough after it was finished steeping and I took my first sip, I was hit with orange blossom notes instead. Literally THE PERFECT mix of two incredible flavours. I drink tons of tea and tons of ginger tea and this is by far my favourite that I have tried. Usually ginger is paired with lemon but the orange blossom is such a nice and refreshing tone. No cream, milk, sugar, honey or anything else needed. It tastes wonderful just black. The tea is a herbal tea with no caffeine so it is perfect coupled with a good book right before bed.
I can't find this in my local grocery store but online they retail on average between $8-$9 and I think that is a good price for the quality and taste of this tea. I will be purchasing this again!
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Pure Leaf Pure Matcha tea sachets
I was given the PURE LEAF PURE MATCHA TEA SACHETS to try for free from ChickAdvisor in exchange for my honest opinion and I was excited because I had never tried matcha before! Pure Leaf uses high quality Tencha green leaves from Japanese plants... +
I was given the PURE LEAF PURE MATCHA TEA SACHETS to try for free from ChickAdvisor in exchange for my honest opinion and I was excited because I had never tried matcha before! Pure Leaf uses high quality Tencha green leaves from Japanese plants that are cultivated especially for matcha tea - once again, Pure Leaf uses the highest quality ingredients to solidify their position in the tea market! I have talked to people who enjoy matcha and they said that it almost has an "earthy" taste which really intrigued me. Well, earthy is right! I knew from the moment I opened the package that I was not going to enjoy the flavour profile. It had almost like a seaweed taste that I had a really hard time trying to choke down. As someone who has never had matcha, I really didn't have anything to compare it to so I gave a package to one of my friends who drinks matcha regularly and she said that although it's a little strong, it's very comparable to other matcha that she has had in the past. Matcha is a great antioxidant that has an abundance of detoxifying, metabolism boosting and calming properties so I really wanted to try again and see if I could make the matcha work for me. I tried mixing it with warm milk, almond milk, coconut milk, honey, sugar... you name it. The most delicious combination for me was the coconut milk and the honey. It helped get rid of the seaweed taste but did not change my overall opinion of matcha as a drink - I did however throw some of the powder in my morning smoothie to still get the added benefits of matcha and IT WORKED! No earthy taste, just some awesome matcha powder doing its thing behind the scenes! I will continue to add it to my smoothies as I like the added health benefits.
In regards to matcha preparation, I really enjoyed the fact that the matcha came in pre packaged individual sachets so beginners like me know exactly how much to use. You open the package, add some water and whisk away! I didn't have a matcha whisk but I did go and buy a little baby whisk from the dollar store and I found that the matcha really clumped at the bottom of my cup. I tried with a fork the next time and I still got the same result. I know they have actual matcha whisks but the packaging said one was not necessary for this product. I am not convinced LOL. Lastly, mine did not froth as much as matcha is supposed to. Maybe it was my technique or the supplies I was using, but overall matcha did not go over well with me.
I could not find this product in my local grocery store so I cannot comment on price, but I have saw online that they retail for about $8-$9 which I feel is a little bit of a high price point. Overall, I am glad I got the experience to try matcha tea as it is a huge craze right now. For me, I will keep my matcha in my smoothies and out of my hot beverage lineup.
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Lipton Mandarin Orange Green Tea
I was chosen to try LIPTON MANDARIN ORANGE GREEN TEA for free from Family Rated in exchange for my honest opinion and as a regular tea drinker, I was so excited! Green tea is a tea that I drink regularly and I prefer them with some sort of added... +
I was chosen to try LIPTON MANDARIN ORANGE GREEN TEA for free from Family Rated in exchange for my honest opinion and as a regular tea drinker, I was so excited! Green tea is a tea that I drink regularly and I prefer them with some sort of added flavour - mandarin orange was a flavour that I had not yet tried and I was so excited to be chosen to give it a try. Lipton is a brand that I not only trust, but it is a brand that I enjoy and love as well so I knew that this was going to taste delicious. I usually find that the best teas are the most aromatic teas, but this was not the case for Lipton Mandarin Orange. I could not really make out any smell until the tea actually started to steep in my mug... and then BAM! Mandarin goodness.
I love that the ingredients list is super short and contains only 3 ingredients, however I was a little disappointed in one of them. The good? Green tea and natural flavours (citrus/mandarin orange). The bad? Soy lecithin.. many teas are taking soy lecithin out of their teas but I guess Lipton has yet to do that. It is a common additive in teas which is sometimes used to help keep ingredients from separating. I shouldn't say that it is bad for you, because it's not. Unless you have a soy allergy, you will be okay. I just don't like the fact that there is an additive in the tea. That's all. Personal preference that would NOT stop me from purchasing this tea again though! The best part? The green tea comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms which means that you're also saving the rainforest and helping our Earth when you choose a glass of Lipton!
The tea was extremely easy to make and the string for the tea bag was nice and long so I did not have to worry about it falling into my hot cup of water. It only takes 2 minutes to steep a delicious brew and the smell that whole time is so delicious. The flavour is incredible and it goes down so smooth. No sugar, cream or milk needed. You can really taste the mandarin and citrus notes and me and my boyfriend were both extremely impressed as to how much we enjoyed it. We have added it into our regular tea lineup. The box also has detailed directions on how you can make this an Iced tea and we couldn't wait until the summer to try it, so we gave it a go this weekend. So, so , so good. Seriously. 4 bags, 2 cups of water, 2 mins and ice... that is all. It was so yummy. My niece came over and added a little sugar to hers (tsp) and we were all blown away at how easy and delicious it was. I really liked the hot version, but I LOVE the cold version.
I found this in my local Walmart for $3.99 - seriously a steal of a deal. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a delicious spin on green tea. Two thumbs up for Lipton for once again providing me with a delicious and unique cup of tea. I will be purchasing this again!
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Lipton Mint Green Tea
I was chosen to try LIPTON MINT GREEN TEA for free from Family Rated in exchange for my honest opinion and as a regular tea drinker, I was so excited! Mint tea is one of my favourite flavours and Lipton is a brand that I not only trust, but a brand... +
I was chosen to try LIPTON MINT GREEN TEA for free from Family Rated in exchange for my honest opinion and as a regular tea drinker, I was so excited! Mint tea is one of my favourite flavours and Lipton is a brand that I not only trust, but a brand that I love as well. For me, I can tell when a tea is going to taste great by the amount of aroma it gives off - this stuff was incredibly aromatic and filled my kitchen with minty goodness upon opening the box. Yum!
The mint flavor comes from a mix of peppermint and spearmint leaves for an extra kick of mint flavour. I don't think I have ever had a tea that contained a mixture of mint leaves, but it absolutely took the flavour over the edge. The only other ingredient in the tea is green tea... yup, 3 ingredients and that's it! No artificial colors or flavours, just a delicious blend of mint leaves and tea. The best part? The green tea comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms which means that you're also saving the rainforest and helping our Earth when you choose a glass of Lipton!
The tea was extremely easy to make and the string for the tea bag was nice and long so I did not have to worry about it falling into my hot cup of water. It only takes 2 minutes to steep a delicious brew and I would honestly wait 20 if it tastes this good! The flavour is incredible and it goes down so smooth. No sugar, cream or milk needed. Seeing as how it contains a little bit of caffeine this is a great coffee substitute for an afternoon pick me up! The box also has detailed directions on how you can make this an Iced tea and I cannot wait to try that in the summer time. I found this in my local Walmart for $3.99 - seriously a steal of a deal. I highly recommend this product to anyone looking for a delicious green/mint tea. Lipton, once again, did not disappoint!
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