Garnier Olia®: A night of Friends, Food, and Fun

My latest sample opportunity from #Crowdtap was a lot of fun. I am fairly new in the neighborhood, so I decided to share my samples of Garnier Olia® hair color with some ladies in my neighborhood to help me get to know them better. I also invited my sister-in-law, since she's my go-to for a girl's night, and my brother-in-law tagged along. We had a nice spread of hair color to choose from, and some yummy treats to eat as well.

We all started out by choosing the hair color that we were going to try. Not everybody came at the same time, so we staggered our picture taking, and also, at the last moment, my brother-in-law decided to give dying his hair a try, so we ended up using all but one of the colors that we had to choose from. (Plus a couple of extra. My hair took 3 boxes, but I anticipated that and picked up a couple more of the color I used - Garnier Olia® 6.60: Light Intense Auburn - at the store before we started) Here we are with our selections:

Then came the fun of dying our hair. We got to help each other out, talk, and get to know each other better while updating our spring style. While we were working, we observed that we really liked the low odor of the dye. It doesn't have an ammonia component and that was super awesome since we had six of us using my kitchen to dye our hair that evening.  Also, the gloves, while better than the typical plastic gloves that come with a box of hair dye, were a bit slippery and so were the dye application bottles. So combine two slippery surfaces, and it made holding on to the applicator bottle a little bit difficult. Here is a look at our work, with before and after shots for each of us:

I think that the results looked great, and everybody seemed to agree with me.  The color added a brightness to the hair as well as adding color.  It seemed to do a good job covering up gray hair, where applicable, and added a fun new element to our spring wardrobes. As to whether I'll try this hair dye again or not, I still have to wait and see how well the color lasts and if they have the color I want the next time I dye my hair. Thanks Crowdtap and Garnier for this opportunity to have fun and make new friends.

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Garnier.**

Garnier Whole Blend: Natural Health for Your Hair

As many of you know, I have a lot of hair. It is long, thick, coarse, and wavy. Each of these on it's own adds challenges to hair care, but to combine all of them makes my hair especially tricky. So when #Crowdtap offered me the opportunity to try three different varieties of Garnier's new Whole Blends product line, I jumped at the opportunity to see if any one of them would help me keep my hair healthier, smoother, and more manageable.

Garnier Whole Blends are formulated with natural ingredients. They have natural fragrances, and their ingredients can help the consumer have naturally healthy and nice smelling hair (who doesn't love having their hair smell nice after they wash it?). I got to try three different varieties. The first was Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner with Coconut Oil & Cocoa Butter.

I tried this blend first to see if it would help tame my wavy hair and reduce it's natural frizziness. When I opened it up in the shower, the first thing that I noticed was the smell. I loved it! If all my shampoo and conditioner smelled that great I would be in heaven. I applied the shampoo, and it lathered okay (the first sign I look for to see if a shampoo is going to work for my hair) and when I rinsed it out my hair felt clean. Next I used the conditioner.  It spread through my hair well without being too runny. When I rinsed it out it seemed like it left a good amount of smoothness behind, also a good sign that the conditioner is going to work for my hair. Then I got out, and went about my day. At first, right after I used this shampoo and conditioner combo I thought that it was helping. I liked how my hair looked that first day, but unfortunately the benefits didn't last. Maybe if I had been able to try the leave-in conditioner or smoothing oil I would have continued to benefit from its smoothing properties, but after only a day my hair started to frizz again. This left me a bit disappointed, especially since I've used other smoothing or anti-frizz shampoo and conditioner blends that cost less that seemed to be just as, if not more, effective for my hair.

Next I tried the Garnier Whole Blends Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner with Coconut Water & Vanilla Milk.  Once again, when I opened the package, I loved the smell. I think there's something amazing about the smell of coconut. The shampoo lathered even better than the previous blend that I tried, and the conditioner spread through my hair really well.

This time, after showering, I decided to blow my hair dry, since that's when it seems to need hydrating the most. After drying it, I was impressed with the lack of frizz, and how manageable my hair was. And this time it didn't last just the first day. I kept on living life, my hair stayed nice and smooth, manageable, and my scalp didn't seem to get too oily - which made me think that it had gotten the moisture it needed so it wasn't over-producing oils. My hair lasted 5 days, and then I washed it, more so I could try the final blend in time to do my report, rather than because I absolutely had to.

Last, I tried Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner with Honey Treasures (Royal Jelly, Honey & Propolis - all made by bees as part of the honey making process). This blend was my least favorite. I didn't like the smell as much as the other two, and although the shampoo seemed to work okay, the conditioner seemed a bit heavy. It didn't want to spread throughout my hair quite as well, and it seemed to leave a little bit too much residue behind when I rinsed it out.

Once my hair dried, this Whole Blend variety just never quite did it for me. My hair seemed frizzer and less manageable that I like and I didn't seem to see any real benefits from it. And, the most annoying part is that within only three days my scalp was oily again and I needed to wash my hair again. This result clinched the fact that I probably won't ever purchase this variety, because I generally like to only wash my hair once a week, since my hair is so thick and long and takes so much product to get it clean in the first place.

So here are the summarized results: First, I liked the Garnier Whole Blends Smoothing Shampoo & Conditioner okay, but I didn't see a good enough result to purchase this product over other smoothing/anit-frizz products that I've used in the past. Second, I really like the Garnier Whole Blends Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner. It seemed to hydrate my hair really well, which reduced the frizz and made my hair more manageable. I will definitely consider purchasing this blend after my current shampoo and conditioner run out. Lastly, I did not like the Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Shampoo & Conditioner. This blend just didn't work for my hair. It might work just fine for others, but it is not a product that I will purchase for myself.



**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Garnier.**

Amopé Pedi Perfect™: The Perfert Pedicure Tool

I live in the desert. The air is dry and my skin is dry. I've worked hard to find products to keep my hands, elbows, and face moisturized and smooth, but I don't think I had really ever thought about the dry skin on my feet until I started learning about the  Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Wet and Dry Rechargeable Foot File on #Crowdtap. This is a electronic foot file that is waterproof and can be used on dry skin anywhere, wet skin in the shower, or damp feet in the tub or after a soak in a foot bath. It also has a rechargeable battery and replaceable files so it can become a permanent part of your pedicure routine.

My sample box arrived just over two weeks ago, and in these two weeks I have started preparing my feet for sandal weather. I started by taking the file out of the box, reading the instructions, and charging my file for its first use. 

It took a couple hours to charge, then I was ready to start my path to smooth, happy feet.

Here's my "before" photo. I had several layers of hard, callused skin on my heels, the balls of my feet and the side of my big toe. I've worn shoes most of the winter, so they weren't as dry as they get in the summer, but they still were in need of some love.

The first three times I used the Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Wet and Dry Rechargeable Foot File, I used it in "dry" mode. I settled in with my foot file, one of my favorite lotions, a towel to catch the dry bits of skin, and my feet. It took me a few minutes to figure out the best way to hold the file and the best filing technique, but it didn't take too long and I soon started filing away a nasty layer of dry skin.  The first time took about 20 minutes, and when I was done, I finished my session off with some good lotion. The end result was that my skin was softer, although there was still quite a bit of dry skin. 

I filed my feet again a few days later. My skin started feeling softer after the second filing, but it wasn't until the third time that I really started seeing a difference. I worked on all of the calluses, but I focused on four trouble areas that seemed drier than the others. Here are the before (top row) and after (bottom row) pictures of my third foot filing.

It wasn't until after my third pedicure that I had to recharge my foot file. That was a little over 45 minutes of dry skin removal after only one charging. I see that as a pretty good battery life - my husband's high quality electric razor doesn't even last that long. 

For my last two times using the Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Wet and Dry Rechargeable Foot File I used it in "wet" mode. I found that using the file on wet skin works even better than on dry skin. The wet or damp skin seems to be more willing to part from my foot, and the damp skin with less dry skin on it seemed to absorb the lotion better. 

Here's the "after" photo: my feet after two weeks and 5 pedicures using the Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Wet and Dry Rechargeable Foot File. Notice how my skin looks smoother and the calluses are less dark and thick. My feet feel softer and they look great. For more details, here's a close-up illustration of the two week process:

Now that I've softened up my feet, I'll reduce my pedicure frequency to probably only once a week. I'm sure that with the help of Amopé Pedi Perfect™ Wet and Dry Rechargeable Foot File, I'll be able to maintain my softer skin throughout the rest of the spring and throughout the entire year. Look out sandals, here I come!

**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Amopé.**

Secret Clinical Strength® Deodorant: A Fresh Idea

Deodorant and I have an interesting relationship. I have overactive sweat glands and I seem to sweat a lot. This has always been a slight annoyance that I could generally resolve by applying deodorant more than once a day. Then, after the birth of my youngest child, all that changed when I added sensitive skin to the equation. Applying deodorant too often started irritating my skin, and when I tried Degree Motion Sense deodorant, to see if it would work better than Suave or Dove brand deodorants, I broke out in a rash and had to go a couple of weeks without being able to wear deodorant at all. I then had a lucky break when, at about the same time, I got an opportunity through #Crowdtap to try Secret Clinical Strength® deodorant. I was very excited when the box arrived with my sample so I could see if this product would work better for me than those that had recently failed me.

I was excited to get started trying Secret Clinical Strength® right away. I read the packaging, and the instructions said to apply the product at night before bed, and I tried that, but since I shower in the morning, not at night, the deodorant would get washed off. So I switched to using it in the morning and it has worked wonders ever since.

There are two things that I really like about this product. The first one is that it works all day long. I can put it on in the morning and it is still working when I go to bed at night. Second, it doesn't irritate my skin. As part of being a smooth solid, it goes on a little bit more like a lotion than the typical dry deodorant, and Secret® has incorporated skin conditioners into the product so it soothes my skin while keeping my sweat at bay. There is one draw-back, and that is that I've found is that I still experience wetness when I exercise. But despite having a few minor sweat stains after a workout, the scent keeps going and I still smell great. So if it comes down to having a rash and no sweat (not fun at all!) or having a few minor sweat stains, but my skin is happy and I keep smelling fresh, I'll take a little bit of wetness and good smell any day.

Prior to this sample opportunity, I had learned through my participation on #Crowdtap that Secret Clinical Strength® deodorant is formulated to not only work under ordinary conditions, but that it is made to work well for stress sweat as well. I've noticed in the past that I stress when I'm nervous or under a lot of pressure, but I didn't realize that a deodorant could be formulated to work just as well under those circumstances as for an active lifestyle.

It just so happened that I got to test how well this product works when I'm under a lot of stress. Last week my poor little daughter got sick. It was several days of fevers, coughing, and very little sleep for the both of us. I found myself getting overworked and stressed as I tried to help her feel better, but still try to take care of the rest of my family and the house as well. I didn't really have time to think about it at the time, but with the help of Secret Clinical Strength® I was able to cope with all this stress and not have to worry as much about myself. I put it on in the morning and went about my day as usual, and by night time it was still doing its job. I was so impressed, that although I have not yet gone out and purchased a full-sized product to use, I definitely will soon. Thanks Secret® for this opportunity to try your amazing product and for helping me stay fresh no matter what life throws my way.


**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and Secret®.**

o.b.® PRO COMFORT® Tampons: Small and Simple

It is time, yet again, for another one of my sampling opportunities.  This time I receive,d from #Crowdtap, a package with three boxes of o.b.® PRO COMFORT® Tampons and three convenient carrying cases to go along with each sample.

The idea for this sampling was for me to try out one box and to give the other two away to two of my friends. My two lucky friends who got to help me out with this sampling were Sarah Connell and Laurie Allen. Here are pictures of those two lovely ladies with their samples:

Now for those of you who don't know, o.b.® does tampons a little bit differently than other companies. Their tampon design began 50 years ago in Germany. It was designed by Dr. Judith Esser, a female gynecologist who only had women's best interests in mind. The tampons are made with healthy, renewable products, and guess what? They don't have an applicator. This means less waste, smaller size, and easier to carry with you. With or without their convenient carry case they take up less space in your bathroom, purse, or pocket than traditional tampons do. They are also designed to do a better job at preventing leaks and there are different varieties for all the different needs of women during their periods.

At first, I'll admit, I was a little leery about using a tampon without an applicator. But I figured that I'm a grown woman and I should just 'woman up!" and try them, so I did. There were several things that I liked about these and will make it likely for me to use them again. First, to my surprise, inserting them without an applicator actually caused less discomfort than a normal tampon does. Second, with less applicator caused irritation, I was able to use tampons back-to-back during my period which I normally don't do. Third, they did a really good job and I didn't experience any leaks, although I did stay pretty active while using them. The one draw back that I did experience was that, without the applicator, I was never quite sure that I had put it in correctly, but I assume that over time and with more practice that I'll figure them out better.

So ultimately, yes, I like o.b.®'s PRO COMFORT® Tampons. I will purchase them and use them again. Will I quit using pads and switch exclusively? Probably not. But that's due to my own personal preference, not because of any fault of the product.



**The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Product samples and program incentives were received as compensation for this product review. Product testing and review were performed in compliance with guidelines provided by Crowdtap and o.b.®.**