traceymconley
Member Since: February 28, 2017Reviews
Canada Dry Club Soda - Orange-Mandarin
After receiving my coupon for the Canada Dry Orange-Mandarin Club soda, I quickly went out to pick up my free 12 pack and see if it was as good as sounded. I'm actually a big fan of carbonated, flavour waters and I typically make my own at home... +
After receiving my coupon for the Canada Dry Orange-Mandarin Club soda, I quickly went out to pick up my free 12 pack and see if it was as good as sounded.
I'm actually a big fan of carbonated, flavour waters and I typically make my own at home with my Sodastream. I was hoping the Canada Dry version would be comparable as sometimes it's just easier to grab a can and go. Unfortunately, I wasn't overly impressed.
It isn't that the product is bad, it's just that it really doesn't seem very different to regular Club Soda. The Orange-Mandarin flavour is so slight and mild that it is nearly indetectable. I had been hoping this could be used as a mixer in cocktails or even as a base to add other fruit juices to but doing either of these things just obliterates the delicate orange-mandarin flavour. I'll probably end up squeezing fresh orange or tangerine juice into these just to bump up the flavour a bit.
I will say, for someone who wants a milder flavoured water, this is probably a good choice. But if you are looking for a bubbly flavoured water with a little more oomph, you are unlikely to find this a satisfactory choice.
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Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea
I am in LOVE with the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea! I'm not a coffee drinker so I'm always looking for new flavours of tea. This tea is one of my favourite finds! Describing the taste and smell of this tea as like cinnamon heart candy... +
I am in LOVE with the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea!
I'm not a coffee drinker so I'm always looking for new flavours of tea. This tea is one of my favourite finds! Describing the taste and smell of this tea as like cinnamon heart candy is dead on. The fragrance is STRONG, as is the flavour, so if you don't like cinnamon hearts you will most likely not enjoy this tea. Otherwise, it is such a warm, soothing, inviting tea. It's hard to find tea that is as fully flavoured as this is, I want to emphasize again, this is a major pow of cinnamon flavour! The first time I brought this to work (I use the Keurig pods) I had 3 people ask me what it was that smelled so good and turned them on to this tea as well!
I buy mine at E.C.S. Coffee and be warned, it is very popular and frequently out of stock. I believe it can be ordered online from them as well as from amazon.com. There may be other retail locations that sell it that I am not aware of.
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Sodastream
I love my Sodastream and use it every week! I purchased my Sodastream because I knew using it would help me drink more water each day and I was right. My favourite use for the Sodastream is to carbonate my water after which I add either freshly... +
I love my Sodastream and use it every week!
I purchased my Sodastream because I knew using it would help me drink more water each day and I was right. My favourite use for the Sodastream is to carbonate my water after which I add either freshly squeezed lemon, lime or tangerine juice for a hint of flavour. Delicious, no calories and definitely makes it easy for me to drink all the water I need each day!
I have tried a couple of the Sodastream flavours you can buy. For me, they are just ok, but they do add sugars to your drink which for me defeats the purpose.
Quick tip: Carbonate your water BEFORE adding any flavours. If you add the flavour before carbonating (or try to carbonate a flat juice for example) it is almost a certainty that it will overflow in the carbonation process. I don't know why this happens exactly but it has happened to me enough that I feel confident advising against it!
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LÄRABAR Apple Pie
I recently had a chance to try 2 different Larabars; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Apple Pie. I wanted to give them a shot as a morning meal replacement/snack food because I had seen several ads touting how healthy they are and how they only have... +
I recently had a chance to try 2 different Larabars; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Apple Pie. I wanted to give them a shot as a morning meal replacement/snack food because I had seen several ads touting how healthy they are and how they only have a few ingredients. Here's my opinion.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bar has 4 ingredients, dates, chocolate Chips, salt and cashews. I found the date flavour to be fairly obvious but it is a reasonable chocolate treat. Very filling, I couldn't finish it in one sitting, I did find the flavour became a bit overwhelming about halfway through. I found the bar a bit heavy, it definitely kept me from being hungry too soon after eating it.
Apple Pie
The Apple Pie flavour was too sweet for me. This bar contains apples, dates, cinnamon, walnuts, raisins and almonds. Again, I find the date flavour very prevalent (I suspect this is the case with most of these bars that use date as a primary ingredient). It may just be me, but I find dates, raisins and apples (even unsweetened) to be quite sweet on their own; together, I found this just too sweet and could only eat a couple of bites. I'd rather have an apple or some grapes on their own in this case (which would be healthier and even more natural).
Overall, I can see that these bars might be good for someone looking for a healthy snack alternative to your more traditional fruit/nut/granola bars. If you don't like dates, you are probably not going to like these. These are an especially good choice for someone following a vegetarian or vegan diet.
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Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15
Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion is a great bargain choice for skin care. I normally use more expensive products but I really wanted a lower priced lotion that I could use every day and that contained SPF. I have been using this product for... +
Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion is a great bargain choice for skin care.
I normally use more expensive products but I really wanted a lower priced lotion that I could use every day and that contained SPF. I have been using this product for a year now and it's definitely done its job.
This lotion goes on smoothly and absorbs quickly; I don't find it becomes tacky or greasy like some other products do, you know, where you can literally feel the product just sort of sitting on top of your skin. It's done a great job of keeping the "winter dries" away, I'm outdoors a lot and tend to get a little tight and chappy in the cheek area without using something.
The fact that this has SPF 15 is a bonus. One of my top beauty tips is to ALWAYS think about sun protection, especially on your face and hands. 15 isn't very high, so if you are outdoors a lot you will definitely want to use something else or reapply this frequently but it is great for just an average day where you are minimally in the sun but want to make sure you have some protection.
I have very sensitive skin and this has not bothered me or caused any breakouts. It is lightly scented which is usually a no-no for me, but the formulation seems to be good enough that it is not causing any problems.
I'm very happy with how my skin responds to this product!!
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Versa spa spray tan
I love a Versa spa spray tan, it's the next best thing to real! As someone who is VERY conscious of skin care and ensuring my skin stays young looking for as long as possible, finding out about the Versa spa system has been nothing short of a dream... +
I love a Versa spa spray tan, it's the next best thing to real!
As someone who is VERY conscious of skin care and ensuring my skin stays young looking for as long as possible, finding out about the Versa spa system has been nothing short of a dream come true. The Versa Spa comes in three colour levels and you can also choose to have a prep spray to ready your skin (I recommend this step). I'm quite fair but choose the level 2; it makes you look like you've been on a tropical vacation! Want to know the secret ingredient in the Versa Spa formula (that WON'T make you orange)? Beets. Yep, sounds crazy but it's true and it delivers a true looking colour too.
The whole procedure is easy and private. Unlike traditional spray tans, the Versa spa takes place in a private unit; it's just you, so it's great if you are shy. The machine walks you through the process via a recording and there are usually images posted as well to help remind you of the various positions you need to assume for each "pass" of the spray. Finally, a dryer pass ensures you are ready to get dressed when done.
You can choose to have your Versa Spa with or without instant bronzer. I always choose without as the tan colour develops over the next few hours anyway and I don't like what I find to be the extreme look of the bronzer. The bronzer addition also seems to sometimes streak.
Price wise, it's usually in the area of $40; some places sell them in discounted multiple visits. If you get a chance to try the Versa Spa, I say go for it!
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Saje Natural Wellness Eucalyptus 100% Pure Essential Oil
I just want to start this by saying, I am a Saje addict. I am completely in love with their products and a firm believer that aroma plays a great role in how we feel. Not a day goes by that I don't diffuse an essential oil from Saje in my home, in... +
I just want to start this by saying, I am a Saje addict. I am completely in love with their products and a firm believer that aroma plays a great role in how we feel. Not a day goes by that I don't diffuse an essential oil from Saje in my home, in my car and even at work. So let's talk about the Eucalyptus specifically.
The Eucalyptus essential oil can only be described as clean, clear and reviving. I first smelled this scent while visiting a Hammam steam spa in Montreal and fell in love. I use it in the diffuser when I'm feeling tired, a little stuffed up or have the beginnings of a headache. I find it's just so pleasant and soothing while still being vibrant if that makes any sense.
Saje make great products and this one is no different. One little tip: in addition to diffusing, this Eucalyptus scent is great in the shower. You can either sprinkle a few drops around the bottom or, do what I do, add a few drops to a small dish and set it inside the shower out of the spray. The steam seems to pick up the oil scent and helps recreate the steam spa experience that first drew me to this oil.
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NIVEA 2-in-1 Moisturizing Primer Dry to Sensitive Skin
I've only had the Nivea 2 in 1 moisturizing primer for 2 days so I will have to add an updated review after using this for awhile longer to really get a feel for the product. I received this product from Chick Advisor as part of the product review... +
I've only had the Nivea 2 in 1 moisturizing primer for 2 days so I will have to add an updated review after using this for awhile longer to really get a feel for the product. I received this product from Chick Advisor as part of the product review club (#gotitfree) and here are my first impressions:
Pros:
Goes on smoothly.
Feels nice on my skin.
Seems to be pretty good in terms of actually moisturizing my skin.
So far, this has not caused any breakouts or irritations, so appears to be pretty gentle on the skin.
Seems to create a reasonable base for makeup, although at this point I haven't put any on over top. I like that it doesn't look shiny or greasy so I was able to put it on and feel confident leaving the house without makeup.
I will be using it with makeup this week and will add photos in followup.
Cons:
It comes in a little pot that you have to dunk your fingers in, so contamination is a possible concern.
It is fairly perfumed for a product geared towards sensitive skin which makes me nervous with my fairly reactive skin. I do prefer an unscented product when purchasing items geared towards sensitivity as sometimes fragrance itself can cause problems.
Overall, this appears to be a pretty decent "drugstore brand" type product that I think people will enjoy using. I will continue to use this product to see if it remains a good choice for my sensitive skin!
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Color Prep from Color Oops
I recently tried Color Prep from Color Oops as I have been colouring my hair for years (mostly dark brunette shades) and as happens, I had a lot of build up of old colour, especially in the ends. This product is designed to break down and basically... +
I recently tried Color Prep from Color Oops as I have been colouring my hair for years (mostly dark brunette shades) and as happens, I had a lot of build up of old colour, especially in the ends. This product is designed to break down and basically rinse out old color so that you have a fresher starting point. So does it work?
Well let me preface this by saying, if you have years of colour build up, this isn't going to work miracles. You probably aren't going to get right back to your natural colour. If you are using this on hair that has been coloured only a few times I suspect you are going to get a great result. Having said that, it DID remove a good amount of my old colour; enough that I was at least starting again from a point where the shades from root to tip were not so greatly different as before I used the product.
The product is super easy to use. You just put it on, pop on the cap (it works best in a warmer room/environment) and wait the appropriate time. Rinse it out and you are ready to re-colour!
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Ferrero Rocher
Who doesn't love Ferrero Rocher? The crunch followed by that smoooth, rich chocolatey goodness...it's hard not to eat a whole container at once! These used to be more seasonal, i.e. mostly around at Christmas but in recent years they have... +
Who doesn't love Ferrero Rocher? The crunch followed by that smoooth, rich chocolatey goodness...it's hard not to eat a whole container at once!
These used to be more seasonal, i.e. mostly around at Christmas but in recent years they have started to really offer them for most holidays; Valentine's Day, Easter etc. Pro tip: Buy your boxes in the days after a holiday, you will save up to 75% on the price (because these are sometimes a little on the pricey side!)
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