Maybelline New York Master Shape Brow Pencil

It's been almost a whole YEAR since I've posted a product review!  Wow!

Alright...I'm going to cut to the chase!  I freaking LOVE this product!  Maybelline's Master Shape Brow Pencil rocks my socks!

I'm a bit of a make up addict...or geek or whatever.  I love watching tutorials and teaching myself new methods and application techniques.  You can have the most skillfully made up face and undo it all by not taking care of your brows.

The Master Shape Pencil is really the best brow pencil I've ever tried.  I've tried lots of drugstore brow pencils.  Most of them lack any fluidity of stroke.  Typically I've had to push quite hard to dispense any of
the color onto my skin.  This kind of defeats the purpose of a artfully designed brow.  It's pretty obvious when it's taking too much effort to color the skin between the hairs.  I also found it difficult to find a shade that blended well with the hairs of my brow and skin tone.

On a whim I purchased the Maybelline product and gave it a try.  The pencil comes pre-presharpened with a fine brow brush on the other end.  I have dark hair, so I chose the Deep Brown pencil.  There are multiple colors to choose from.

This product flows easily from the tip with minimal effort allowing the user to draw in quick short strokes to get the desired effect.  The product has a waxy quality that helps the hairs to stay in place.  Once you've applied the product blending is easy with the fine stiff brush on the end of the stick.  The product stays all day but is easily removed with your skin care routine. 

The only difficulty I experienced with the use of  this pencil is that it is made of plastic.  I was very confused as to how I was supposed to advance the pencil product so I Googled it and found I wasn't alone.  You are to sharpen the plastic with your eyepencil sharpener.  My old one wasn't cutting it so I purchased a new one, also made my Maybelline New York.  It's a double one with a large and small opening.  It sharpens easily now with my new sharpener and I could NOT be happier with this product.

My face finally looks "done" when I'm finished with my routine...the brows have it!  Really they do!

This product is widely available at grocery stores and drug stores or wherever Maybelline is sold.

Despite the sharpening dilemma I give this product 5 Stars!

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Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin

Been a while since I posted a product review.  So let's start with the Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin!

Hair clip peeps know...you find one you like and instantly it's the thing you reach for ALL the time.  Nothing else works quite like it.

I'm fond of Goody products in general but I'm really enamoured by this hair pin.  The package comes with two pins made for either light or dark hair.  I of course got the dark hair version.  The pin is made of coated metal wire.  Like a bobby pin it has extra coating at the ends to protect the scalp.  It looks basically like a two pronged cork screw.  It is somewhat flexible as that is needed in order for the hair to have enough tension on it to be held in place by the pin or pins.  You may use one, like I do.  Or both if you have a lot of hair.  My hair is long but fine, so my bun tends to be small.

Included are some basic instructions on how to use the pins, but be sure that your hair must be at least shoulder length (in my opinion) to use this product effectively.  It holds marvelously!  And?  Pain free!  You will not get a headache from this hair tool.

Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin would be perfect in any hair stylist's drawer!  It's perfect for formal up dos!  I love it!  Any one who is looking for a different option to the "clip" will love this!

The Goody Simple Styles Spin Pin is under $4 for a package of two and definitely worth the price!  I found mine at my local grocery store.

I give this product 5 out of 5 stars
 *****

Secret Smooth Effects Antiperspirant/Deodorant - Silky Botanical Scent

Before you all think I'm just going to review products I LOVE, I'll throw this one in there to balance it out a bit.

I'm always in awe of all the choices of antiperspirant/deodorants I see at the store.  Every scent description is so well, out of this world sounding - I just want to try them all.  If you are at all like me and bounce around from scent to scent in search of euphoria for your nose, let me cross one off the list to try.

Secret Smooth Effects Antiperspirant/Deodorant - Silky Botanical smells quite nice.  I will give it that.  The product claims by using it you "shave less often".  Hmmmmm.

Well.  A couple of days after I started using this product I quite frankly could smell myself.  YUCK!  I thought it was just a fluke so I kept using it for a few more days.  A few more days I smelled 'pitty'.

So I ended up going over to the pharmacy and getting some Secret Clinical.  POOF, all better!

The bottom line with this product is that I will never get to see if in fact I have to shave less often for using it defeats the purpose of using an antiperspirant/deodorant.

*
1 star out of a possible 5 stars

Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy from Eucerin

I was reminded of this product yesterday when conversing via Facebook with my friend Alice about dry, damaged skin.

I grew up with eczema.  My mother had it all over her hands.  I know a thing or two about dry, cracked, damaged skin.

But you can imagine my dismay when I discovered that my thin skinned Nordic looking little boy was suffering from skin issues galore.  Some examples of his skin problems have been severe red raised irritation round his hairline, behind his ears and along his chin/mouth area.  He also has significant problems with irritation and raised skin behind his knees and probably the worst is the peeling, cracking feet.

None of these conditions are constant but when one crops up he's very uncomfortable.  I went through many, many different products.  Petroleum Jelly, Lotion with Vitamin E and Aloe, and quite possibly 10 other types of cream that would appear to not have fragrance added.  Low and behold most of them did, or else weren't effective at all.

I finally stumbled across a product made by a company whom I've always trusted, Eucerin.  Aquaphor Healing Ointment Advanced Therapy is the ONLY thing that worked on his tender skin.  Let me repeat this.  THE ONLY THING THAT WORKED.

This product is what is says, it's an ointment.  Expect it to be greasy.  I would advise one to use it at bedtime and make sure you have sheets on the bed you don't care about.  Use of this product liberally, every night (3 to 4) with cotton socks cured his peeling, cracked feet.  I saw a major difference after just one night.  We continue to use this product as needed and it is a STAPLE in my arsenal of medical supplies.  I hope next time you are at the drug store you pick this up.  It's available in a tubes (both small and large) and this pot type container which I love since we use so much of it!

*****
5 out of a possible 5 stars

Lysol Brand Mold & Mildew Remover Complete Clean with Bleach

Here it is my first product review.

I'd like to introduce you to my bathroom's BFF, Lysol Brand Mold & Mildew Remover Complete Clean with Bleach!

As a family of four our shower/tub gets a LOT of use.  READ: it is always wet!  We have owned two homes and both tubs have had issues with mold/mildew collecting on the joint where the fragile caulk resides.  You know what one I'm talking about, the one where the shower wall meets the tub.

Previously I have tried to remove the mold spraying other "bathroom" type cleaners and scrubbing.  Well there are two problems with that.  ONE : No matter how much "bathroom cleaner" I used it didn't budge.  Maybe it faded a little, but that would be giving the "bathroom type cleaner" a LOT of credit.  TWO : Scrubbing is futile.  Caulk is extremely delicate and damages quite easily when over handled.  My attempts at scrubbing that line have been in vain as it usually meant I would end up breaking the seal and pulling the caulk off completely.  Then my poor husband would have to re-caulk.  Which if you aren't savvy with do-it-yourself stuff you wouldn't know how much of a PITA this is because you have to wait like 24 hours or more for it to "cure"....try living like that with two children! (I actually think there are some quick-cure caulks out there now but still)

Ok, so my Bathroom's new BFF, Lysol Brand  Mold & Mildew Remover Complete Clean with Bleach is literally going to save my shower's life.  I plucked this product off the shelf last week with the faint hope it would help me save my delicate caulk line from imminent demise.

I sprayed it on my grout and in a feeble attempt to test the Lysol's strength, I also applied it to my shower curtain which was in no exaggeration DISGUSTING!

I came home that day to discover the caulk line, PURE WHITE like it had just been done.  And the part of the shower curtain I sprayed was also clean!  NO SCRUBBING!  NONE!

The smell is tolerable, but I would caution you to run your bathroom fan and perhaps use it while on your way out of the house for the day.  This way the smell will dissipate while you are gone.

My shower looks amazing.  Only wish I had done a before and after pic!

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 5 out of a possible 5 STARS!

Greetings!

Welcome to my mid-winter brainchild of sorts.  I often find myself in a state of utter excitement or sheer disappointment at the many products and services I come across as a Mother, Wife, and Personal Assistant.  I buy lots of things and I want to share my hits and misses!  Three cheers for smart consumerism!