I am officially in love with BeautyFix.  This exclusive beauty club is THE way to try out the season’s hottest beauty products!  And not only is it FUN, it’s affordable!

If you, like me, have seen pricey new beauty products (that you really, really want to try) on the shelves or at your favorite online beauty product website and have been unsure whether it is:

1.  Worth the money
2.  Really as wonderful as they claim

… you need to become a member of BeautyFix now!

Okay, so what exactly IS BeautyFix?

“Beautyfix.com is an exclusive beauty club dedicated to matching you with the perfect products. Each season, a panel of beauty experts separates the winners from the losers and then suggests the best product matches based on your profile. Your product matches will be divided into 2 categories: Must-Haves and Panel Faves. Must-Haves are products the panel has picked specifically for you. Panel Faves are more of the panelists’ favorites that you pick yourself!”

How it Works…

I personally tried BeautyFix out for myself, and enjoyed the process immensely.  Hello, shopping!

First, you go to www.beautyfix.com, sign up, and take a beauty profile survey.  Next, they give you a list of top-brand new beauty products to choose from based on the results of your survey:

This screenshot is only a sampling of the products available to choose from – there is a great selection!  I was able to choose eight different products (including a free makeup bag), and within a few days I received my package!  It was like Christmas, seriously.  All of these top beauty brands ready for me to try out, and they are all full-size or travel-size products!  Most of what I received was full-size – the cool thing about the choosing process is that underneath each product and above the description it tells you what size product you will be receiving.  So you can pick and choose the full-sized products if you want.  Very cool.

Most of what I received I really loved.  There was only one product I didn’t adore and that’s because I don’t like hair gels much.  It’s the Jonathan hair creme/gel and I was hoping for more creamy – it’s a little stickier than I wanted.  It’s still a good product, just not for my hair type.  I think my favorite product was the Jonathan Create Root Volume brushable root-lifting spray.  I have chronic flat-head hair and this helps so much!

Gives my hair a lift I never have normally!

So, Would I Do It Again?

The answer is YES YES YES!  I absolutely loved my experience with BeautyFix, and the quality (and size) of the products received.  I reviewed the Spring BeautyFix Kit and the Summer BeautyFix Kit is available NOW.  I’m planning on taking part again and am excited about it.  I really loved everything about it – the choosing process, the ease of navigating the website, and the pricing.

Oh, I haven’t mentioned pricing yet?  Well, don’t cringe – you’ll love this!  Especially since I have a coupon code for you.  :)

Quarterly Membership Pricing & Coupon Code!

The price for each BeautyFix package is $49.99, but for YOU I have a special discount code.  Enter the code BFIX5 and get this season’s BeautyFix Kit for only $19.99 – plus FREE SHIPPING!  Seriously, you cannot beat this.  What I received was worth well over $50 (the brushable root-lifting spray alone is $28.00!).  Visit www.beautyfix.com to get started!

BeautyFix Online

BeautyFix Blog
BeautyFix on Twitter
BeautyFix on Facebook

Disclosure:  I was provided with a BeautyFix Kit so that I could share my thoughts and experiences with BeautyFix with you.  This post is 100% my own opinion and written in my own words, and was not edited or reviewed by anyone.  I do not feel obligated to write a positive review – this website is about honest experiences with products and companies!

I’ve never met a Skin Free brand skin care product that I didn’t LOVE.  This is a natural beauty line that I want to use constantly and if there’s a product I haven’t tried yet, I won’t rest until I have!

I’ve worked with the wonderful Julie from Skin Free before – you can find my review on their popular Extra Moisturizing Soap & Shampoo Bars, Green Clay Mask, and Corrective Face Nectar here.

For this review, I was more than delighted to receive another group of great beauty products to try out and share my experiences with you!

The first two products I asked for and received are actually natural anti-aging products.  I may be only 27, but this is the age I’m starting to notice that my skin doesn’t look the same as it did when I was 19.  I’m not necessarily worried yet, but I figure that if I can find a nice cream to put on my face that will keep it moisturized and healthy (and hey, firmness can’t hurt), anti-aging products are a good thing to add to my beauty routine.  I’m sure you’ll agree.  :)  So I’ve added both the Nutritional and Antioxidant Synergy for Face and Skin Free Firming Matrix Cream to my shelf.  Both products can be found here at the Skin Free website.  Both products have the best ingredients, one of the reasons I love Skin Free, ingredients that I can recognize and look up online if I so choose like Olive Seed Oil, Macadamia Seed Oil, and Red Raspberry Seed Oil.

My Impressions & Experiences: I love the way the products feel on my face – they’re not too oily at all and I do notice an improvement in my complexion with both products.  The firming complex contains Andean Seed Extract and Ocean Algae Serum to help with firming the skin.  Overall, I love both products.  The Firming Complex does smell better than Synergy for Face, if scent matters to you in a good natural product.  Both are effective – I would recommend them to anyone who is starting to think about fine lines or aging skin.

Niaouli Scrub for Blemish-Prone Skin: I wish I had had a product like this when I was a teen and suffering from severe acne.  Everything I used either made things worse or stung my face.  I hated my skin, it seemed cursed.  There are so many options nowadays, though.  I have hope for my daughter having better experiences than I did.  :)

My Impressions & Experiences: Now this isn’t the most lovely scented sugar scrub I’ve come across, but it is one of the nicest – and boy does it make my skin SOFT!  I love it!  It also doesn’t sting or burn at all, even with the gentle sugar crystals.  The instructions say you can use it daily or once a week, that would probably depend on your skin sensitivity.  I can use it daily, even though I consider my skin fairly sensitive (especially with pregnancy).  Other reasons I love this scrub:  It exfoliates and cleanses thoroughly, contains Organic Niaouli Essential Oil (antibacterial and with a scent like tea tree oil only not as intense), and it contains other wonderful moisturizing oils like Olive Oil.  It cleans without stripping your skin of all oils.  I really really love this scrub and recommend it for all skin types.  :)

Buy it!

You can purchase Skin Free products online at the Skin Free website, or find their products in your local Walgreens!  To see if your Walgreens carries your favorite Skin Free products, click here.

Skin Free Online

To see Skin Free’s complete line of beauty products and to find out how the products are made, visit SkinFree.Net.

Julie of Skin Free wants to give one of my readers a $30.00 Gift Certificate!

{Prize} Gift certificate ($30.00) to be used on the Skin Free website.
{Eligibility} Open Worldwide.

{Mandatory Entry } Check out Skin Free’s beauty products, then come back and tell me in a comment what you would spend your $30.00 on if you won!

Optional Extra Entries – Get 1 extra entry for each unless otherwise noted:
(Leave a separate comment for each extra entry!)

• Sign up for the Skin Free email newsletter
• Follow Skin Free on Twitter
• “Like” Skin Free on Facebook
• For 3 extra entries: “Like” my Kindred Spirit Mommy Facebook Page
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets available!)
  You can use this sample tweet: I just entered to win a $30.00 gift certificate to @SkinFree Natural Beauty Products from @kindred_spirit! http://bit.ly/bI59Dl #giveaway
  
• Stumble/Digg/Facebook, or share this giveaway in some other way (email, etc) (1 extra each)
• Add my button to your sidebar
• Follow my blog, Subscribe to my blog by feed reader, and/or Subscribe to my blog by email (1 extra each)
• Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit)

• +5 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post and SkinFree.net

Giveaway will be closed on July 27, 2010 at midnight PST and winner notified by email and posted on this website (either in this post or in a new winner’s announcement post).  Winner will then have 48 hours to reply to my email or I will have to re-draw another winner.  Good luck, everyone!

Disclosure:  I was provided with the products reviewed above so that I could share my thoughts and experiences with them with you.  This post is 100% my own opinion and written in my own words, and was not edited or reviewed by anyone.  I do not feel obligated to write a positive review – this website is about honest experiences with products!

I recently was given the opportunity to try Dove’s new line of hair care products, Dove Damage Therapy.  This line includes the Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner System, Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner, and the Dove Damage Therapy System (formulated for specific hair types).

Here’s what makes Dove’s Damage Therapy products so awesome:

• Fiber Actives penetrate deep inside the hair strand to help reconstruct damaged proteins.  It helps strengthen hair against breakage, split ends, dry, unmanageable hair, lack of body and even static.
• The patented Micro Moisture serum targets damage where hair needs it most, helping to repair the surface of hair by sealing lifted cuticles to help protect against future damage. It targets damaged hair by depositing gel-phase conditioning, cationic polymers and fine silicone droplets in an even layer, leaving hair with a more conditioned, clean feel without weighing it down.

Watch this Dove video, you’ll love it!

My verdict after a good two months of daily use?

Love it!

Seriously, I was so impressed with what the two products I was sent for review did for my hair that I immediately bought the Dove Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner.  But let me start at the beginning here…

My Experience:

I was sent the Dove Daily Treatment Conditioner and Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner to try out.  Now, my hair before I started using Dove products was not in good condition.  I was frankly depressed about it.  I’ve been heat styling my hair for years now and it was definitely taking its toll – my hair was dry and unmanageable, and I had split ends. I was to the point where I could do nothing but put my hair up to keep it out of the way.  Every day was a bad hair day.

I started with the Dove Intensive Repair Conditioner because my hair was in such bad shape.  It says on the bottle that you can use it every day, so I have been.  The instructions say to “massage a quarter-sized portion through wet hair and leave on for 1 minute”, then rinse out thoroughly.  This I did, and noticed a difference in the way my hair felt right away!  I let it dry naturally and was so thrilled that it didn’t frizz up like usual. And after straightening it it looked great!  There was so clearly a difference in my hair, I couldn’t deny it.  It is shinier and looks so much better as a whole. I even had my mom try it and she was converted, too!  We’re normally rather picky about what we use on our frizzy locks, so I can tell you that these products impressed us greatly.

Final Thoughts:

The Intensive Repair Daily Treatment Conditioner claims to “leave hair intensely nourished, significantly strengthened, and silky smooth.”  So did it do this for me?  Yes!  It definitely lived up to its claims and has made the Dove brand a new favorite for me. I’ll be using this as long as I heat style my hair for sure – I only wish I had used it before so that it could have prevented the split ends I had from straightening my hair every day over a long length of time.  But I’m just glad to have it now.

Buy it!

You can purchase the Dove Damage Therapy products for anywhere from $4.00 – 5.00 at stores like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens.  Very affordable!

Find out more about Dove’s new line of products at http://dovehair.com.  While you’re there, enter for a chance to win a visit to the set of Glee!

Disclosure:  I received two Dove Damage Therapy conditioners in order to share my thoughts and results with you.  All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

If you haven’t heard about KettleWorx yet, you are SO missing out.

If you have heard about KettleWorx but haven’t tried the program yet, you are SO missing out!  ;-)

And I’m not just saying this, folks.  I am LOVING this set of fitness DVDs.  And I have a whole list of reasons WHY I love it and think you should order it right now, but first I want to tell you a little bit…

About KettleWorx

The KettleWorx fitness program features exercises that center around a uniquely shaped weight with a handle called a KettleBell.

There are 10 DVDs featuring over 200 exercises in the KettleWorx fitness program.  It also comes with a healthy eating guide and introduction DVD.

What makes KettleWorx special and a great program is that their six-week challenge only requires 20 minutes of exercise three times a week!  And it’s effective!

My Experience With KettleWorx

When I first received the program, I was a little intimidated by it all.  I had asked for a 10-pound KettleBell and it felt… heavy.  lol  You can also get 5-pound, 15-pound, 20-pound weights.  I recommend starting with the 5-pound weight – you can always work your way up to the 10-pound weight.  I think anything bigger than 10 pounds is for men – I certainly don’t feel I’ll ever need anything heavier than the 10-pounder!

Anyway, like I said, I was intimidated right at first.  I mean, have you seen the dude on the cover of these DVDs?  Look at his muscles!  This must be an intense workout.  But when I finally (about a week after receiving them) broke into the DVDs and watched the Introduction video, I found myself getting excited about it.  These exercises looked doable!

Workout Day One

So where to start?  I flipped through the rest of the DVDs  – I had Resistance, Core, Cardio, Fast Fat Burn, and Fast Abs.  I looked for something telling me exactly what I should start with, but there really isn’t any strict regime to follow except that you exercise for 20 minutes three times a week.  So I started with KettleWorx Core - and I am telling you, at the end of those 20 minutes I felt good.  The next day?  I felt SORE.  I mean really sore.  ;-)  It was a very good sore, though.  I was like, “Hey, if I’m this sore after one twenty-minute session, that is AWESOME.”  Because it really didn’t feel like “too much”.  You know, the too much that makes you never want to go back to a workout again because you don’t want to go through that agony again.  Call me a wimp, but I have given fitness DVDs away for this reason.  Poor unsuspecting victims…

Workout Day Two

I began with a different DVD on this day.  Cardio.  I was feeling better from Workout Day One but still feeling a little sore.  I was ready to go, though.  Cardio was a little more intense, and I didn’t make it through all of the exercises, BUT I did make it through the DVD and just joined in when I could.  It was still very effective.

Every Workout Day After

I continued the challenge doing just 20 minutes of whatever I wanted three times a week.  Core is one of my favorites because it hits my stomach and thighs so well.  The Fast Ab Workout is awesome as well.  I started seeing a difference in the way my body looked right away, and started feeling stronger, too!

Since I started about four months ago, I’ve worked out with KettleWorx off and on and really love what it does for me!  I don’t really have any before and after pictures for you yet because I haven’t been as consistent as I would like due to some health issues and moving; however, now that summer is here I have plans to do the six-week challenge again.  I want to be able to wear a bathing suit and not feel uncomfortable, and I know for a fact that this will help me.  When I start up with the challenge in a couple of weeks, I’ll update via Twitter and let you know how it’s going.  :)  If you would like to follow along, my Twitter ID is @kindred_spirit.

What I Love About the Program:

• It’s effectiveness in strengthening and toning
• The fact that I don’t get bored with the program (so many different exercises and DVDs)
• The trainer isn’t annoying at all!  He’s very genuine – you can tell he believes in this program 100%
• You can target your “problem area” but most of the exercises really work to tone and strengthen your entire body at once
• You only have to work out three times a week for 20 minutes a day!  I really love that.  ;-)
• Oh, and it’s perfect for working out with a friend!

What Some People Might Not Love

The only thing I can think of that might bother some is how fast it moves from one individual exercise to another.  One minute you’ll be sitting on the floor, and the next he’ll be up and you’ll be scrambling to follow.  Some people could have trouble with that and it would be a pain to have to pause it in between while you get into position (or catch your breath, lol).  Still, even if you weren’t able to do all of the exercises in trying to keep up, you would still be getting a terrific workout.  I haven’t had trouble keeping up myself, but it has been a challenge!

The other thing is the size and weight of the 10-pound bell… when I’m lying on the ground with that bell over my head, I wonder what kind of brain damage I would have if I dropped it on my head – LOL.  And I make sure my daughter is either in her highchair or in bed (somewhere far away) before I work out.  There is a lot of swinging that weight around and you wouldn’t want to hit anyone with it.  Or a pet.  But as long as you’re safe, it’s totally worth doing!

Questions?  Read the KettleWorx FAQ.

KettleWorx in the News

Final Thoughts

I’m so glad I discovered KettleWorx!  This is a DVD program that I’ll be using often in the future without a doubt.  I would recommend it without hesitation!

Buy it!

Check out the KettleWorx Package Deals at the KettleWorx website and see what Amazon.com has to offer as well!

Thanks to KettleWorx, one of you will win a KettleWorx Ultra Package (Valued at $100) with a 5- or 10-pound weight (your choice)! Giveaway closed!

{Prize} KettleWorx Ultra Package (Valued at $100!)
{Eligibility} Open to residents of the United States and Canada

{Mandatory Entry }  Complete the two steps below for your main entry:

1. Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect (sidebar on the right).
2. Go to the KettleWorx FAQ, then come back here and tell me in a comment something you learned there!

Optional Extra Entries – Get 1 extra entry for each unless otherwise noted:
(Leave a separate comment for each extra entry!)

• Tell me in a comment who in your family would use this program and why!
• Follow KettleWorx on Twitter.
• For 2 extra entries: “Like” the KettleWorx Facebook Page.
• For 3 extra entries: “Like” my NEW Kindred Spirit Mommy Facebook Page
• Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets available!) (50-follower minimum)
  You can use this sample tweet: Enter to win the @KettleWorx Ultra #Fitness Package (Value: $100!) from @kindred_spirit  http://bit.ly/d6RDZA #giveaway
  
• Stumble/Digg/Facebook, or share this post in some other way (email, etc) (1 extra each)
• Add my button to your sidebar (make sure it links to kindredspiritmommy.com!)
• Subscribe to my blog by feed reader and/or Subscribe to my blog by email (1 extra each)
• Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit)

• +5 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway with a link to this post.

Giveaway will be closed on June 4, 2010 at midnight PST and winner notified by email and posted on this website (either in this post or in a new winner’s announcement post).  Winner will then have 48 hours to reply to my email or I will have to re-draw another winner.  Good luck, everyone!

I received the KettleWorx Ultra 10 so that I could share my thoughts on it with you! All opinions expressed are my own.

I’m a total eyeliner girl.  I love playing around with different brands, and lately I’ve been on a quest to find the perfect pencil eyeliner.  I already love powders – they can be dampened and brushed on for vibrant color – but finding a nice, not-too-pricey pencil liner that goes on smoothly and lasts all day is what I would like to find.

Enter Pencil Me In Cosmetics.  Everything on their site intrigued me – their models have gorgeous eyes, their shade selection is awesome, and their pencils uniquely feature:

• All-natural ingredients, clinically tested
• Anti-oxidants and vitamins to keep the eye area soft and smooth
• A built-in sharpener in each pencil cap
• Smooth, creamy application that doesn’t pull on delicate eye skin

So I wrote to them, and they sent me a few shades to test for myself!  I requested these three shades: Buff, Nutmeg, and Liberty Green (shown below in that order).

What I Like: They go on smoothly, and have a lovely creamy texture!  The sharpener in the cap is so nice and convenient.  The color lasts all day.  And the shades are beautiful! The fact that they are all-natural is a huge plus for me, too.

What I don’t like: My only problem with the pencils is that the shades I chose don’t go on quite as dark as I would like, even with multiple layers.  Also, it’s hard to create a fine, thin line with the creamy texture and size of the pencils.

Overall, I’m very pleased with these pencils – the cons I listed above would not stop me from ordering a few more pencils and collecting some darker shades that will show up more vibrantly, and the colors I chose are great if you want to layer coordinating shades.

My thoughts on the “Buff” Pencil: This is actually not an eyeliner shade meant to be put on by itself, but an accent pencil.  According to the Pencil Me In Website, it has a “creamy pale green hue color which can counteract redness giving the illusion of a bigger brighter wider eye.” I’m a worn out mom who deals with trying to cover up tired, red eyes on a daily basis, so I was thrilled to give it a try.  And I’m happy to be able to tell you that I was pleased with the result!  It truly does help to cover up the red around your eyes, and prepares them for application of your regular eyeliner.  This is a product I love!

Buy it! (And Deal Alert!)

Each pencil is $6.99, and Pencil Me In Cosmetics always has some great deals going on.  Right now, they are offering:

Buy 2, Get 1 Free
Buy 4, Get 2 Free
and so on!

To take advantage of this great promotion, follow these directions:

Log onto www.pencilmeincosmetics.com and choose the pencil colors that you would like to purchase.  Then proceed to the shopping cart page. On the shopping cart page, you will see in purple a link for this promotion. Click on it.  The user name and password for this section is the same word:  “Healthy“  Choose your free pencils and proceed to check out!

You can also find the Pencil Me In Cosmetics line in professional beauty salons, spas, upscale cosmetic boutiques.

Email Newsletter: Sign up for their email newsletter for sale announcements, make-up tips, and more!

I would like to thank Pencil Me In Cosmetics for sending me the products reviewed above so that I could share my experiences with you!  This review is my own opinion and was not edited or reviewed by anyone.

Did you know that one of the least expensive ways of going green is to make your own natural cleaning products, beauty products, baby products, and even pet products?  I did some research on the internet a couple of months ago and found a ton of great natural cleaning recipes.  I was so inspired, I made a special trip to the grocery store and bought ingredients like vinegar and baking soda -  those two products are wonderful for cleaning and disinfecting!

The Problem.

Unfortunately, the vinegar I bought is still under my sink… waiting for me to one day make something with it.  lol  I just couldn’t get started – couldn’t find the containers and spray bottles I wanted to use, and couldn’t seem to make time to look up the recipes again.  And… well, I hate the smell of vinegar!  Yuck.   I think that was part of it.  ;-)

The Solution!

When I first came across Eco-Me’s Starter Kits, I thought it was brilliant! Half of my problem was having everything I needed at my fingertips.  Eco-Me simplifies it to the point that a child can do it.  And the cool part?  It’s safe enough that a child can do it with you!

Eco-Me is all about providing you with know-how and everything you need to make everyday cleaners, beauty products, etc – without any chemicals whatsoever.  It saves you from having to worry about reading and understanding the labels of products that say they’re natural but could be messing with you.  Labels are confusing, aren’t they?  Well, with Eco-Me, you are the one who mixes the ingredients, so obviously you know everything that is in them.

The biggest plus?  They’re wonderfully affordable!

Some of my favorite Eco-Me kits:

Element Home Scrub Kit
(All the tools you need to make your own chemical-free home scrub cleanser.)

—
Body Starter Kit
(Make your own natural Body Scrub, Body Oil, Body Tonic & Body Powder.)

—

They also carry Pre-Mixed Cleaning Products!

A Mom’s Thoughts:

I really wanted to try out their complete baby product kit, and so was excited when Eco-Me agreed to let me test it out and share my results with you!  They sent me the complete Baby Starter Kit Box Set.

The baby kit includes:

• 1 Bottle with Sprayer to mix Eco-Me Baby Room Spray
• 1 Jar & Lid to mix Eco-Me Baby Wipes (35 soft wipes on a roll)
• 1 Jar & Lid to mix Eco-Me Baby Diaper Pail Deodorizer
• 1 Bottle of Eco-Me Baby blend essential oil mix
• Pre-packaged Vinegar and Baking Soda
• 1 Mixer

I was really impressed with the organization and the simple instructions.  In fact, there are no extra paper instructions to keep track of – it’s all on the labels on the containers.  For instance, when it came time to make the Eco-Me Diaper Pail Deodorizer, the directions instructed me to add baking soda to the marked line on the container they provided.  In this kit, they provide the baking soda as well, so I added the package they provided.

Next, I was to add one “unit” of the essential oil baby blend to the baking soda.  The units are marked on the side  of the essential oil bottle, making it simple to add the specified amount.

I used the provided mixer to mix the two ingredients together, and ta-da!

A simple-to-make, 100% natural diaper pail deodorizer!  The lid has little holes in it so you can sprinkle the mixture easily to the bottom of your diaper pail.  It also cleans, so when you’re ready to clean the pail all you have to do is add a little water and wipe it out.

Pros and Cons:

I think what I really love about Eco-Me’s kits is how easy they make it for you to learn how to do it all yourself.  After you run out of their ingredients, you can continue to make the products using your own ingredients!  They do sell essential oil refills, though.

Speaking of the essential oil – I do have to share my thoughts on that.  I didn’t like their baby blend of essential oils.  It just bothered me.  So I decided to use another brand of baby blend essential oil I had on hand, and I loved the results!  I know that not everyone will be bothered by Eco-Me’s blend, but I’m thinking it might be nice to have another type of essential oil around just in case – they’re not that expensive and can be purchased in the health section of many stores.  I recommend lavender as an alternative.  I also love orange and lemon.  It’s really a preference thing.  :-)

Conclusion:

Eco-Me has a definite fan here.  I love how they make it so simple to learn how to make your own products, and I can’t wait to try some of their other kits!  I have my eye on the body kit right now – I think that one will be next.

Ready to Buy?

You can buy Eco-Me Box Kits and other products at Abe’s Market online.  The Baby Box Set is $26.95 there.  Alternatively, you can buy the same baby kit (in different packaging and without the pre-packaged baking soda and vinegar) for 50% off at www.Eco-Me.com.  Those burlap bag kits are phasing out and the boxes will be replacing them in the future.  If you have any questions about this, let me know!

One lucky winner will receive any Eco-Me Box Kit of their choice!  Open to US only.

This giveaway has closed.  Please check the Winners page to see if you’re the winner!

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

I think most people start cheap, and that’s what I did when I bought my first flat iron. I found cheap, just to see how it worked. It’s not really a good idea, because not all hair straighteners work well, and it can make you think that it isn’t for you, that your hair will never look sleek or smooth. *insert sniff and sigh* Truly, though – I think that pretty much anyone with almost every hair type can benefit from using a really nice straightener. Like this one:

I was given the opportunity to test my first $100+ salon-quality flat iron thanks to MyHairStylingTools.com. I was a bit skeptical at first about its ability to outdo my $30.00 flat iron, but after using it the first time, I was a skeptic no longer. Those people who swear by their expensive hair-ware are telling the truth! At least when it comes to the Karmin G3 Salon Pro flat iron.

So let’s talk about the awesome features of the Karmin G3!

• Lightweight, easy-to-use design
• Tangle-free swivel cord
• Temperature settings for all hair types
• On/Off switch
• The iron reaches your desired temperature very fast
• Pure tourmaline ceramic plates
• The ability to straighten, curl, flip, and add volume and body – all with this one tool!

I wondered about the benefits of using pure tourmaline ceramic plates as opposed to the ceramic coated plates on my old model. Both my research and my experience tells me that the pure is better by far. I’ve found that the G3 Salon pro is much lighter than my old iron. It also heats up faster. Additionally, it is said that one of the benefits of tourmaline ceramic is that it keeps the heat even, thereby styling your tresses evenly and reducing the chance that you’ll burn your hair.

The Karmin G3 Salon Pro comes with a very helpful manual instructing the new lucky owner of their flat iron in the arts of straightening, adding curls or waves, flipping the ends, and adding volume and body to your locks. I couldn’t wait to try them all out and was very happy with my results! Yes, even my hair can be tamed!

My Experience:

Okay, you knew there had to be before and after pictures, right?

I had to not smile in the first one, they always do that on TV – LOL.

Pictures really are worth a thousand words, aren’t they? I am really loving my Karmin G3 Salon Pro – it is truly the nicest flat iron I’ve ever used. I’m very pleased with the ease of use (I love that it is lightweight!), the swift heat-up time, and its excellent performance and versatility. It has lived up to all of my expectations and even surpassed them! I would recommend it without hesitation.

The only suggestion I would have for the manufacturer is that an automatic shut off after a certain period of time would be nice. I did leave it on all night once. But it does have an on/off switch and I have learned to be diligent in remembering to shut it off when I’m done.

About MyHairStylingTools.com:

I ♥ MyHairStylingTools.com! They have a wonderfully large selection of high-quality hair tools along with reviews, the ability to ask questions about products before buying, and a direct email to a hair care expert for free advice! But what really impressed me about their company is their 100% Satisfaction Guarantee (“If for any reason you are not satisfied with the item, return it for either an exchange or a full refund.”), their Low Price Guarantee (“We guarantee we will not be undersold!”), and their UPS tracking and free shipping with all orders over $75.00.

Buy it!

You can buy the Karmin G3 Salon Pro on sale right now for $134.95 (in white) and $139.95 in pink or black. Don’t forget that shipping is free! Also check out their hair dryers, curling irons, hair shears, and hot rollers while you’re there!

Disclosure: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

Today’s featured company is Piggy Paint! I’ve worked with Piggy Paint before and absolutely 100% love and recommend their products! They carry safe, natural, non-toxic nail polish in a myriad of gorgeous colors that goes on easily and is completely odorless (oh thank you!). Piggy Paint was created especially to ease moms’ minds when it comes to toxic chemicals in popular nail polish brands. As the mom of a toddler, I am so thankful for this!

Find out about Piggy Paint ingredients and FAQ here!

In June, I was able to try the Dandelion Dance (golden) nail color and nail polish remover. Click here to read that review and find out more about the Piggy Paint founder, Melanie Hurley!

Now, take a look at this:

Can you believe what the regular nail polish did to that styrofoam plate? Now we know why our fingernails are ruined by the polish and our noses sting when we breathe in nail polish fumes. This was something Melanie discovered by accident, and it spurred her to create a new, safer nail polish and nail polish remover.

For my holiday event review/giveaway, Piggy Paint sent me a different color to try – Candy Coated! This “swirling lavender” is a beautiful shade of purple/pink. I can almost swear that this nail polish goes on better than any other polish I’ve used! It seemed easier to paint on and smooth out, stay “in the lines”, etc. I love it! I would love to collect every shade.

My piggies are lovin’ the Candy Coated shade!

Gotta love free shipping!

Free shipping on orders over $25!

♥♥♥

Discount Alert!

Piggy Paint has an exclusive discount especially for you! Use the code SPIRIT15L and get 15% off your order, including sale items!

Piggy Paint wants to give one of you a $15 gift certificate code to their store!
Free nail polish, yay!

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit the Piggy Paint shop and tell me which color is your favorite! Please leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

• Follow Piggy Paint on Twitter or Facebook (+1 extra entry each!)

• Follow/Subscribe to this blog (+1 extra entry each)
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• Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/kindred_spirit (+1 extra entry)
• Tweet this giveaway and/or share on Facebook (+1 extra entry) Copy/Paste this:

  Piggy Paint non-toxic nail polish #Giveaway – You could win a $15 Gift Certificate! http://kindredspiritreviews.blogspot.com @kindred_spirit

• Grab my 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza button and put it in your sidebar! (+2 extra entries!)
  
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Giveaway will be closed on November 28 at midnight and winner notified by email – good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: The review product was sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content and my own opinion.

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It’ll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

It takes time and effort to find the brand that will work for you, but it’s worth it! I haven’t had much luck with most over-the-counter brands joining the mineral makeup craze, but every once in awhile I’ll find a brand I really love. Like Orglamix!

Orglamix makes 100% pure mineral makeup that contains no:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Petro-Chemicals
- Phthalates

At Orglamix, you can find mineral eyeliner/shadow, blush, foundation, and even fine makeup brush sets! Their eyeliner/shadow section is huge, containing over 70 different shades. There are also eye color kits, special tutorial kits, and even a Glampire collection – you can get any of these looks for under $20!

Thanks to Cheri of Orglamix, I was able to try out the Brown Eyes Intensify Eye Color Collection (brush not included), and boy have I had a lot of fun with these colors!

This collection includes the following shadows: Chamomile, Violette, Cardamom, Jasmine, Slate, and Bordeaux. I love them ALL! Slate is a gorgeous shadow that is at the same time subtle and sparkly, and looks good over the darker shades as well. I think that’s going to be my favorite out of the bunch. Cardamon (top right) is another beautiful color – kind of a purple with a bit of metallic blue. I like to add water to my mineral eye makeup and brush and smooth it on as eyeliner. All of these colors can be used together in different combinations and do, in fact, bring out the brown in my eyes.

(Bordeaux)

I’ve had a very positive experience with Orglamix eye shadows. I can’t even think of any cons except maybe that the Bordeaux didn’t go on quite as dark as I would have liked when used as an eyeliner. That’s a personal preference, though. If you like dark, dramatic liner, you might want to go for the very dark shades. Still, look at how the sparkles open my eyes up! I mixed Bordeaux, Slate, and Violette and found it made a very pretty combination when mixed with a little bit of water and used as eyeliner. I’m extremely happy with this makeup.

In conclusion, the price is perfect (eyeshadows are $3.99 each), the shades are gorgeous, and I will definitely go back for more. With over 70 eyeshadow colors, I have plenty to pick from! :-)

Orglamix is currently on Etsy at http://orglamix.etsy.com.

Follow Orglamix on Twitter: @HauteBeauty

Orglamix is giving away a set of three mineral eye shadow/liner colors of winner’s choice! Giveaway open to anywhere in the world!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

• Follow Orglamix on Twitter/Fan Orglamix on Facebook (+1 extra entry EACH)
• Follow/Subscribe to this blog (+1 extra entry each)
• Add my button to your sidebar (+1 extra entry)
• Blog about this giveaway (+3 extra entries)
• Follow my blog on Facebook’s Networked blogs here! (+1 extra entry)
• Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) (+1 extra entry)
• Tweet this giveaway and/or share on Facebook (+1 extra entry each) Copy/Paste this:

  #Giveaway alert! Win a set of three (3) mineral eyeshadow/liner colors from Orglamix! http://bit.ly/4xBZxH @kindred_spirit @hautebeauty
  

• Grab my 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza button and put it on your blog! (+2 extra entries!)
  
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Giveaway will be closed on November 10 at midnight and winner notified by email – good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: I was sent mineral eyeshadows for review and testing purposes only. This in no way sways my opinion or my post. This review is 100% my own opinion and my own content.

See complete rules and disclaimers regarding giveaways here.

I had awful acne as a teen. I mean really awful – sometimes I didn’t even want to leave the house. Thankfully when I reached my 20′s my skin cleared up. For the most part. I’m 26 now and have oily skin, and I still break out now and then.

Totally unfair, you know. I would have thought I had paid my dues as a teen. ;-)

When I was given the opportunity through BzzAgent to try the Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Solutions products, I agreed wholeheartedly and with much excitement for two reasons:

1) I absolutely love Burt’s Bees products! I’ve used their eye gel (for dark circles) and their baby products and it is just the best stuff ever. I. Love. Burt’s. Bees.

2) I wanted the chance to try a natural acne treatment – I figured that if anyone could create a natural acne treatment that really worked, it would be Burt’s Bees!

The Burt’s Bees Natural Acne Treatment Solutions regimen consists of four steps and products. 1) Purifying Gel Cleanser, 2) Pore Refining Scrub, 3) Daily Moisturizing Lotion, and 4) Targeted Spot Treatment.

Natural Ingredients:

Yes, all of the ingredients are truly natural! Burt’s Bees uses black willow bark, a natural source of salicylic acid, as well as ingredients like calendula, tea tree extract, and goldenseal extract. Read more about the ingredients here!

My Thoughts:

I tried samples of the Purifying Gel Cleanser and the Spot Treatment, and was pleased with the results! I love love love the scent of the face wash – it smelled like honey and citrus to me. But not too strong. I love using it and my face doesn’t end up over-dry afterward, either. The cleanser includes the natural salicylic acid.

The spot treatment works well, too. I used it on a spot that popped up ever so inconveniently and the next day it was definitely looking better. It disappeared within a few days. It doesn’t sting and doesn’t over-dry the area. This bottle also will last for a long time so that adds to the value!

Conclusion:

I’ve used these products for about three weeks and am very happy with the results. I wouldn’t say it’s a miracle cure, but it’s the perfect alternative to the harsher treatments available – I think it works just as well if not better. It’s definitely better for and kinder to your skin. I would definitely suggest giving it a try. I’ll be using this in the future for sure and can’t wait to try to the moisturizer and face scrub!

Buy it!

Burt’s Bees is offering a special promotional sale: Buy 3 and get the 4th free! This means you can get the entire regimen for the price of three! Good deal. :-)

Disclaimer: Although I was sent the Burt’s Bees products as mentioned above for review and testing purposes, this in no way sways my opinion or my post. This review is 100% my own opinion and in my own words. I was not reimbursed in any other way for this post.

Thank you sooo much for sharing this post! :-)