Lavender essential oils comparison and review

I received these items in exchange for an honest review. Blurb sources Amazon.com

Lavender has been one of my favorite scents since I was a kid and now that I think about it that might be because it's one of the few fragrances which always reaches my nose. Having little sense of smell is a unique experience I can tell you. Anyway, my mom always grew lavender and I remember very well harvesting and drying some as a teenager (I still have it somewhere!) 

Gopure Naturals provided me with a sample of their oil to review and then I got the chance to review a bottle of lavender oil from Radha Beauty and one from Sun Essential Oils so I felt this would be a good opportunity to review each one and compare them.

Sun Essential Oils French Lavender

Blurb:

French Lavender in a 2oz glass essential oil bottle. Comes with pipette for your convenience. Features & details
GET BETTER RESULTS WITH SUN ESSENTIAL OILS - With what we believe to be superior sourced and harvested ingredients, we think you will agree that our oils are by far the most effective on the market - a wonderful smell that can't be beat!
SUN PROVIDES THE BEST ESSENTIAL OILS - Yes, it's a matter of opinion, but we believe our oils to be the best and will provide anyone who doesn't feel the same way with an 100% pure, unconditional manufacturer refund, anytime. We think you will feel that you have never smelled an oil this wonderful...and that after you have smelled this oil other brands may have a distinct alcohol or chemical smell with a 'dry' scent and noticeable lack of depth.
LOVE THE SMELL AND FEEL GREAT - Fatigue and irritability are often a result of many factors that are difficult to pinpoint.  Clear your mind and relax with the wonderful smell of French Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)

Review:

When I first got this oil I was impressed because I could smell the oil through the envelope so I assumed the oil was just very potent. Wrong. It turns out the bottle was coated with oil on the outside. This oil did not come with a dropper (nor the pipette it claims to come with) at all so that was less than impressive for my first impression with this brand.

This scent is that which I typically associate with lavender- it is the French variety. I do believe this is the most potent of the oils I tried. At only 2 ounces it is also the smallest bottle. 

The label itself is rather amateur. It does state it is not for internal use, it lists the ingredient as drench lavender oil, gives the distributed information and suggested use. It does not give contact information, county of origin, whether it is pure or organic, whether it is tested on animals or not, and so on.

$9.99 on sale at Amazon

GoPure 100% Pure Lavender Essential Oil

Blurb:

LARGE 4 OUNCE BOTTLE and PREMIUM QUALITY GLASS DROPPER inside each bottle for ease-of-use - 100% GUARANTEE - Purchase with complete peace of mind, we are confident that our oils are by far the highest quality and most effective on the market.

• PREMIUM QUALITY BULGARIAN LAVENDER OIL - 100% Pure Essential Oil - Gentle and More Effective Natural Lavender Essential Oil. No Toxins, No Additives, Unfiltered and Undiluted with no Fillers. Therapeutic Grade. Packaged in the USA
• LAVENDER OIL BENEFITS: Pure Lavender Oil is known to improve mood, helps against insomnia and calms the mind, neutralizes stress and anxiety, relaxes. It strengthens and refreshes. Lavender oil also helpful is soothing the mind and body via aromatherapy. Great for DIY Skin care and should be diluted with a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond Oil, Fractionated Coconut Oil or Rosehip Oil.
• LARGE 4 OUNCE BOTTLE and PREMIUM QUALITY GLASS DROPPER inside each bottle for ease-of-use - 100% GUARANTEE - Purchase with complete peace of mind, we are confident that our oils are by far the highest quality and most effective on the market.

Review:

This oil comes from Bulgaria so unlike French lavender it has a more bitter odor. I didn't care for the scent quite as much at first but I've found that I've gotten used to it so now it just smells like regular lavender to me. This oil is very potent. I've been keeping it next to my bed at night and I don't even have to open the bottle to smell it, it's that strong. It has a nice aroma and the product label has all of the information you really need. At 4 ounces, this bottle is a good size and should last quite a long time.

$16.95 on Amazon

Radha Beauty Lavender Oil

Blurb:

• ONLY ONE INGREDIENT - 100% Pure Lavender Oil - No Fillers. The Highest Quality of Bulgarian Lavender Essential Oils Found Anywhere. 4 OUNCE BOTTLE - more value for your money!
• HIGH QUALITY DROPPER & GUIDE - Comes with a QUALITY DROPPER for Your Convenience when dispensing and a FREE GUIDE of uses & benefits.
• AROMATHERAPY & HEALING PROPERTIES - Radha Lavender oil is great for aromatherapy and relaxation. Great for headaches and promotes a sense of happiness.
• MOST VERSATILE ESSENTIAL OIL - It can also be used for massage oils, bath salts and body wash.
• WORKS OR YOUR MONEY BACK - Our Guarantee: We back our products up with a LIFETIME hassle-free money back guarantee, no matter where you buy our product. There is absolutely no risk to you when you order now! If you are not completely satisfied, simply contact us and we will give you a full refund, no questions asked (you do not even have to return the bottle). Our #1 priority is to make sure our customers are completely happy.

Review: 

This oil comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee and unlike my other oils this one claims to only have a shelf life of six months unfortunately. This one is also Bulgarian lavender so it has the more bitter scent than French lavender. I'm still learning about essential oils and the different processes and whatnot. This one is steam distilled which I guess explains the shelf life and weaker potency. The four ounce bottle is a nice size but since this isn't as potent as other oils I'm afraid it wouldn't stretch quite as far.

This oil does come with a free pdf file which is full of useful information. It gives details about the many uses of lavender oil, some of which I was not aware of. This is a really nice extra feature I wish other companies would offer.

$16.89 on Amazon

Conclusion:

Although it is the most expensive I feel the GoPure oil offers the best bang for the buck. It might not be quite as strong as the Sun Essentials oil but it's close and you get twice as much for less than it would cost to get two bottles of the Sun Essentials oil.

I also want to mention none of these seemed to trigger a migraine at all so I don't know if lavender isn't a trigger for me or if I just got lucky.

These oils are obviously effective because I typed this post up on my phone to be edited and completed on the computer later and the end result of me smelling all of that lavender was me wanting to sleep :P

blog update

I just want to address something which has been bothering me for quite a long time.

I spent all morning modifying my blog to reflect the fact that I no longer only blog about nail polish as I used to. I don't think this should be a big deal, as pretty much all of the nail bloggers I know at one time or another blog about other things in their lives. It was never my intent to become solely a nail blogger in the first place.

As I was doing this, I realized... wow, yesterday was the first nail polish post I had done since January. That is such a long time and I honestly cannot believe so much time has passed. There are a few reasons for this:

First of all, at the time I made the decision to take a little bit of time off from painting my nails to give them a break because they kept breaking and no longer grew long.

Why was I even able to do this as a nail blogger? Because at some point in time, every single one of my nail polish / nail art sponsors dropped me without any explanation what so ever. I find this incredibly insulting because I have worked incredibly hard over the years to do the best I can as a nail blogger, improving my technique, and skills. I find it very unprofessional. I feel they should have at least sent me an e-mail thanking me for my past work and explaining they no longer needed my services. I also find it extremely strange this all happened at once and I for the life of me cannot tell you why this happened. I do not feel the quality of my posts changed at all, my numbers and readers hadn't dropped as far as I know. It's just strange.

The only thing I can think of which did change is at about that time I started blogging about other topics as well as nail polish.  Since then, I have of course let those new topics take over and run their course but this is mostly because I haven't felt like blogging about nail polish at all. It's no longer fun when most of the industry is filled with pictures of "perfect" nails aka Photoshopped pictures or just those with better clean up skills than mine. I won't apologize for this, as I am ever improving. I'm a work of art in myself. I do the best I can, always.

Anyway, I have made it a personal goal to get back to blogging about nail polish because of course I still love polish. At this time, however, I don't expect to review anything nail related anytime soon because for one I just don't care to. If the opportunity to do so arises, of course I will consider it. It just no longer is a top priority for me.

I am more than nail polish, and like me as an individual this blog shall continue to grow and change to reflect this.

I realize odds are most if not all of you will never read this, and that's fine. This is what is currently on my mind and sometimes we all just need to vent.

Leopard spots redo

I have nothing to disclose.

A few months ago I picked up a real treasure from a second hand store:  Wet n Wild 416A Vert Metallique. This is an old school polish though I'm not quite sure how old. It's a nice dark green metallic with gold shimmers and I can tell you I remember the bottles looking like this one back in the 90s.

Yes it's still good.

This is one coat which is rather sheer.

With two coats I found it did have quite a few bubbles and some stray pigments but considering how old this polish is I won't complain because otherwise it applied rather well.

I was wearing this alone for a few days trying to think of something to do with it. Originally I thought about doing an ocean scene but my thoughts kept turning to one of the first manicures I posted on here because the color is sort of similar. (I'll post the link next time I'm on the computer.)  So in the end I decided to recreate my leopard spot manicure.

Last time I used Zoya Opal which is a green flakie but this time I had Sinful Colors Green Ocean at hand so I used one coat of it.

This polish is really pretty but it's a bit thick and lumpy so it was just a tad difficult to work with.

I love this combo by itself though. Next I used Shany nail art polishes 10 and 18 to make my freehand more realistic leopard spots. Then I just applied top coat and done!

If you like this manicure please let me know by commenting. Thanks for reading!

Proctor Silex Coffeemaker review

My boyfriend purchased this item. I have nothing to disclose.

Life is funny sometimes and being in chronic pain you sometimes find yourself doing things you never thought you would.

I've always hated coffee. I can't smell many things but coffee is one of those few things I can smell and I absolutely HATE the smell. I'm caffeine sensitive so I usually avoid caffeine completely.

When you're in permanent pain you'll try just about anything to get rid of it. Last week I finally broke down and agreed if my boyfriend bought a coffee machine I would try it to see if it helps with my pain.

In one short day I went from being a morning person to the annoying person who has to have their coffee first thing in the morning or they're irritable and can't wake up. So maybe coffee isn't exactly good for me but who cares. I'm thinking clearer (after I have my coffee of course) but more importantly it is helping ease my morning pain.

So that brings us to today. I spend so much of my time in the kitchen that I've been wanting to blog about cooking and whatnot for awhile so this seemed like a good opportunity to do so. 

(Yes our coffee pot is in the kitchen on a washing machine. What can I say? We rent.)

Mike went to Family Dollar and bought a Proctor Silex coffeemaker for about $12. He feels "it's awfully cheap for $12. Cheap as in cheaply made." I can agree with this but of course it's made in China and everything is so expensive anymore.  I've thought about getting other Hamilton Beach Brands products in the past but I never did because I was concerned about the quality. I probably won't buy any of their products in the future and go for something better made even if it is more expensive.

I digress. This coffeemaker is supposed to make up to ten cups at a time. We fill the water up to the four cup line and it makes enough coffee to fill two small coffee mugs. I guess coffee cups are smaller in China?

It has a built in auto pause and serve feature which I suppose would be nice if you were making larger amounts of coffee for more people. The switch lights up and the accessories are supposed to be dishwasher safe but I haven't tested that.

I'll agree with Mike this coffeemaker is flimsy but it does the job. 

As I mentioned, this was purchased at Family Dollar. I'm assuming you could find it online or at other stores such as Walmart or ShopKo, Target, etc. I believe the model number is 48351.

Edit: this coffeemaker is $20 on Amazon so don't waste your money.

Luxury Bath and Spa Pillow review

I received this item in exchange for an honest review. Blurb source: Tomoson.com

 Today I'm back with another bath related review :) One of my recent goals has been to destress and relax and what better way to do that than take a bath? I try to do a weekly "spa day" but unfortunately living in Wisconsin in a home with little insulation this doesn't always happen year round :P This time of year it's been so hot that I just want to jump in the shower and get out and cool down quickly so not many baths right now either but I was able to take a few in order to do this review.

Blurb:
The everyday bath becomes a luxurious spa escape as the Estilo bath and spa pillow cushions your head, neck and shoulders in ultimate comfort. No worries about slipping, either...it's held securely in place with 7 suction cups. 2-Section Design for Superior Support Unlike flat pillows, the Estilo bends around the edge of the tub, protecting both head and neck from hard surfaces and allowing for deep relaxation. The flexible hinge is adaptable to any tub shape including Roman tubs, air jet tubs and jacuzzis. Foam Fill for Solid Comfort The interior resilience and support have also been upgraded, with foam fill that performs like a real pillow, without having to be inflated or guarded against punctures like an air pillow. 7 Suction Cups (2 on the top section, 5 on the bottom section) You may have been disappointed with bath pillows that only have 2 or 3 suction cups, sliding out from under you just as you start to relax. That's why the Estilo has a full 7 suction cups, to make sure that it will stay in your perfect position throughout your bath experience. Simply wet them first before pressing them onto the tub to ensure a tight seal. Easy Maintenance Vinyl Cover The wipe-clean vinyl is chemical and odor resistant, and dries out faster than cloth covers to prevent mildew growth. As you rest on it, it will match your body temperature, creating a soft, warm nest for your head and shoulders. Light some scented candles, put on some soft music, pour in the bath salts, lie back...and enjoy!

Review:

I've only ever used one other bath pillow before and it was the shell shaped kind which you had to fill up with water. I didn't care for that design very much because it was kind of a pain to have to fill it up, which made it kind of heavy but also difficult to clean. I much prefer the Estilo bath pillow because it's made from foam so you just sit it in the tub and use it, and clean up is simple because you just wipe it down with a rag.

This pillow seems like it would fit well with a variety of different bath tub shapes and sizes however, unfortunately mine is not one of them. Our shower walls are made of this cheap material which the suction cups did not stick to at all. They stick just fine to the tub, just not the walls. So I found when I used this pillow it kept sliding around on me so I had to readjust it a few times. Overall that's not a big deal but I thought it was worth mentioning.

This pillow is easy to use, easy to clean and comfortable, so for those reasons I do like it. Hopefully when we move, our next place will have walls which the suction cups stick to better. Otherwise I have no complaints, and I don't really feel this is due to poor design or anything like that.

The Estilo bath pillow is $11.99 on Amazon and ships free with orders of $35 or more.

update:  August 24, 2015: So unfortunately I live where mold is a big problem because of the high levels of humidity, which translated into the cover of my pillow now having mold growing in it not quite a month after posting this review originally. I've tried getting rid of the mold, but it's pretty well grown inside the cover and doesn't seem to be touched :(

Natrol Melatonin review

I received this item in exchange for an honest review. Picture and blurb source Tomoson.com.

I've been taking Melatonin for many years now because I had read it is one of only a handful of things which helps relieve the pain of Hemicrania Continua (which I have not been diagnosed with, but it does help with my 25 year old headache.) I'm not a health professional, but I recommend it for anyone with anxiety, if you have difficulty getting to sleep and especially for those working third shift. Melatonin was such a help when my boyfriend Mike was working nights.

Blurb

Natrol Melatonin is a drug-free sleep aid that helps establish normal sleep patterns. A good night's sleep can help restore your body, boost your immune system, and may help you maintain a healthy body weight. Melatonin has also been shown to help reduce anxiety. Help combat occasional sleeplessness with Natrol Melatonin, a natural nightcap that helps your body establish normal sleep patterns to promote a more restful, relaxing night's sleep, and better overall health. Relax and get a great night's sleep with Natrol Melatonin. Go to sleep and stay asleep. Natrol Melatonin Fast Dissolve tablets dissolve up to 30 times faster than regular tablets. They are great tasting and all natural. No water is needed. Natrol Melatonin is 100% drug free. Natrol makes this product in the U.S.A.!        

Review

Mike and I each take Melatonin every night so we're pretty familiar with it's usage and so I decided he could be my guinea pig and help me evaluate Natrol Melatonin. We both agreed the strawberry flavor was good, so it was kind of like eating candy before bed. I really liked this product because I could just keep it beside my bed, without having to worry about having a cup of water next to me so even if I laid down I didn't have to get up again just to take my melatonin. I found it dissolves quickly, and the strawberry flavor does make it kind of fun to take. Think of it as strawberry flavored vitamins for adults.

I was surprised by how large these pills are, but once I used them and experienced them dissolving I realized this really isn't an issue. I personally found that I didn't sleep nearly as well taking Natrol Melatonin as I do with my regular Melatonin, so for me it wasn't as helpful. It seemed to work faster to put me to sleep, but I didn't stay asleep and so I would wake up after a little while wide awake and unable to go back to sleep. Mike felt it worked just as well as other brands we have used in the past.

Natrol Melatonin is $5.21 on Amazon and available for subscription. It is available in other dosages, such as 10 mg and other flavors such as citrus. It is also available at CVS, Walgreens and other pharmacies.

Ebook: Bestselling Fantasy Novel, The Awakening Review

I received this item for free from Tomoson.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

One of the fun and interesting things about being a writer and e-book reviewer is once in awhile coming across books which seem as though they parallel my own universe to some extent. Today's review is for a book which did just that. My thanks to Stuart Meczes for providing me with an e-book copy of The Awakening for review.

Blurb:
 The Awakening  is the first book in the top 100 Amazon bestselling YA urban fantasy series, Hasea Chronicles, by British author Stuart Meczes.

Alexander Eden is one unhappy teenager. A geeky, social pariah, he's the victim of constant bullying at school. His home life isn't much better with a stepfather who resents him and a half brother who is better than him at everything.

But that all changes the day the mysterious and beautiful Gabriella De Luca walks into his life. Everyone wants to know her, to be with her. But she is interested in Alex.

Because Alex is different.

Soon afterwards he is thrown into a world he never thought possible. A world where he and others like him are the last line of defence. A world where an ancient unspeakable evil lurks.
Evil which seeks to consume him.

DILECTI SURGEMUS - SOCII POLLEMUS
(Chosen we rise - Allied we prevail)

Review:
 To be honest, when I saw this item available for review, I was hesitant to try it just based upon the picture alone. I'm not fond of this picture, as I feel it kind of has a military feel to it which made me think of crime stories which just aren't my thing. However, I received a personal invite from the author, read the description of the book, and decided to give it a shot. First, I just have to say that Stuart Meczes is amazing. Not only did he provide me with The Awakening, but he also gave me two more novels which I will review once I get caught up on some other reading and reviews first :) So thanks again Stuart for your generosity!

So they say not to judge a book by its cover, and in this case it's very true. The Awakening is easily one of the very best books I've read in a long time. The author's writing style is excellent, being fun and easy to read. The story is captivating, very original and enjoyable. Although throughout the read I was reminded of different media such as X-Men, the Matrix, Men in Black, the Mortal Instruments and most of all Harry Potter, the over all effect is a very nice combination making for a very unique story. I know it's over said quite over, but in this case I sincerely did not want to put this book down. I was kept on the edge of my seat, and some of the moments were just flat out heart wrenching. Overall, the character development was good. The only parts I didn't care for was some of the drinking, but that's just me. I am looking forward to reading the remaining books in the Hasea Chronicles.

The Awakening can be purchased at Amazon.com for $2.99.

100% Pure Moroccan Argan Oil for Hair, Face, Skin Review

I received this item for free from Tomoson.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Argan oil is one of those beauty secrets I learned about through blogging. I've tried a few different products which contained it, and I've been very happy with it. Today I'm reviewing 100% Pure Moroccan Argan oil from Earths Path Body Care. As the blurb states, you can use it for a lot of great things - no I haven't tried it on my finger nails - but using it in my hair has been my favorite so far.

Blurb:
Virgin Argan Oil for Hair, Nails, Face & Skin - Organic Cold Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil - Anti-aging, Anti Acne, Perfect for Dry Scalp, Split Ends, Frizzy Hair, Cuticles & Stretch Mark Removal - This Essential Oil Is Perfect Anti Aging Ingredient - 1oz Bottle

BEST ANTI AGING NIGHT CREAM: We all look for that perfect night cream that makes a difference. Argan Oil is the best natural anti-aging night cream replacement. There is probably not a more enriching and complete moisturizer. Argan oil is rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and Vitamin E. It works while you sleep. Wake up to a fresh and rich skin every morning.

NAILS THAT YOU COULD BE PROUD OF - Your hint for expensive cuticle oil should stop with us. Don't be fooled by expensive creams and lotions. A few drops of our pure Argan Oil on your nails and you will see the difference. Our oil would help your nails and cuticle look and feel strong and healthy. The only thing you need to worry about is the time you need to handle the compliments! What are you waiting for? Order today!

COLD PRESSED MOROCCAN ARGAN OIL IN ITS PUREST FORM: Why spend hundreds of dollars on expensive cosmetics when there is nature's solution for your skin care problems. Our Pure, natural, cold pressed Moroccan Argan Oil provides unbelievable benefits to your skin, face, hair and nails. Oils are known to lose their natural state when heated at high temperatures. This is exactly why our Argan Oil is cold pressed and extracted in its natural form from fair trade women's cooperative society in Morocco. Use it direct on your skin or over your make up to give you the glow you need.

NON GREASY AND LIGHT: One of the key properties of Argan Oil is that it is light and non-greasy. How many oils in the world, can boast of that. Fresh, light and fast absorbing, don't be surprised if you don't feel the oil on your skin when you apply it. Our light Argan Oil also ensures your skin absorbs it smooth and easy without breaking or damaging your skin. This means, less worry and more merry.

ECO FRIENDLY PACKAGING - Our 100% Pure Cold Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil comes in a simple cotton muslin bag. One of the reasons why our pricing is so low is because we offer the exact same premium quality Argan Oil in simple packaging. When companies spend more on packaging to convince customers, they make the money back by charging more for the product. We kept our packaging real simple, there by passing savings to our customers.

Review

The first thing I noticed about this oil is the bottle is quite small. I know from past experience that I can go through Argan oil rather quickly. I've been using this oil for not quite a month and in that time I've used almost a third of the 1 ounce bottle. So for me it's not the longest lasting option. I just used this product in my hair, applying it after showering. I noticed my hair was very greasy and dirty looking so maybe I just used too much, I'm not sure. Regardless, even with color treated hair I seem to have fewer split ends and I even think I'm shedding less stray hairs. My hair doesn't look damaged, despite the coloring. It is now soft with very few tangles, and my hair is prone to tangling.

Earths Path Body Care Argan Oil is available from Amazon.com in 1 ounce bottles for $10. 

Effenfine Tweezer Set Review

I received this item for free from Tomoson.com in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Today's review comes with a story. I never lose anything, or I should say very rarely do I ever lose things. I have excellent spacial memory so I typically know exactly where I keep everything. Of course, one day my glorious looking mono-brow was growing back in so I went to grab the tweezers. Of course I couldn't find them. Went looking for a spare set. Couldn't find those either. I caved and tried the cheap tweezers from my first aid kit, and those things are awful. I didn't really want to buy new tweezers so I just put it off for awhile and I saw effenfine were looking for bloggers to review their tweezers, so I thought, why not? Fortunately, I was selected, obviously. The funny part is, once I received my effenfine tweezers in the mail, I found both my regular tweezers, the spare, and a set I didn't even remember owning. Looks like I'll never be short handed for tweezers ever again :P

Blurb:
effenfine Tweezer Set - Two Slant Tip Eyebrow Tweezers & a Set of Pointed Tip Tweezers for Splinters and Ingrown Hairs - 10 Year Tweezer Alignment Guarantee - Get Eyebrows Other Women Will Envy
♥ TIRED OF CHEAP TWEEZERS? - Effortlessly grab and remove hairs. Get each hair out on the first attempt! Gone are the days of re-grabbing a hair over and over again. Even get the really fine hairs that you could never get without pinching your skin. Made of high quality Stainless Steel that will never rust
♥ LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT WORKS - The Glossy Candy Apple Red finished tweezers feel great in your fingers. Comes with a lether case to protect your effenfine tweezers and keeps them from getting lost
♥ AN EXTRA TO SHARE - Tired of people "BORROWING" your eyebrow tweezers? Your effenfine tweezer set comes with TWO eyebrow tweezers so you have one to share
♥ THE PERFECT GIFT - The best gifts for women are those that surprise and delight. Everyone gets FREE Shipping when order two or more sets
♥ GUARANTEED - We're so confident in effenfine Tweezers we back them with our effenfine 10 Year Guarantee. If your tweezers ever become misaligned or bent from normal use within 10 years simply return them for a FREE replacement. A No Risk Purchase What have you got to lose? If you aren't completely satisfied with our professional tweezer set simply return it within 60 days for a full no questions-asked-refund.

 

Review

The thing I like most about this set of tweezers is that it comes in a very nice black leather case, which should make it practically impossible to lose these. Even if I didn't keep them in the case, the bright candy red color makes it pretty easy for these to stand out.

These tweezers are sturdy, durable and easy to use. Unlike cheap plastic tweezers, these make it easy to grab whatever your aiming for. I like this set because it comes with 3 different pairs of tweezers in 2 different styles. Since this set comes with 2 pairs of the eyebrow tweezers, I think I'm even going to put the extra pair in my first aid kit to replace the cheap plastic pair it came with - I definitely wouldn't want to have to rely on those in an emergency!

I used these for the obvious uses, but also here is a picture of the first use when my niece decided she wanted to make a Makit & Bakit suncatcher. If you've never done Makit & Bakit sets before, it's a metal frame with tiny little plastic beads which you have to place in the frame and then cook the works. The beads melt and you get a pretty cool looking suncatcher in the end. I did these a bunch when I was a kid, and I'm happy they still make these. Anyway, I did use the effenfine tweezers to place some of the beads and it worked wonderfully. :)

This set of tweezers is available on Amazon.com for $19.95 and ships free on orders of $35 or more or free with Prime.

Radha Tea Tree Oil

I received these items free from Tomoson.com in exchange for an honest review. Blurb source: Tomoson.com and Amazon.com

Today I'm back with a product which I've been using a bunch today, and you'll understand why in a moment. Just let me say that I went camping this past weekend, and there were a ton of mosquitoes, which love me :P

Blurb:
PREMIUM TEA TREE OIL - 100% Pure & Natural Essential Oil Therapeutic Grade- The best Tea Tree Oil on the market produced through steam distillation of fresh leaves. This versatile oil can be used in your beauty routine, home remedies, and much more! 4 ounce bottle!

MOST VERSATILE ESSENTIAL OIL - Helps heal and soothe sunburns. Heals skin infections naturally and helps to prevent lice naturally, just add a few drops to your shampoo. A few drops in your pets' crates or beds keep the fleas away. Has been found as an effective treatment for warts and soothes insect bites. Treats ringworm and is great for removing ticks. This product offers so much more!


Review:

I found this oil to have a very strong, Pine-Sol like odor. The smell is quite strong, so I think it might be bothersome to some, but I've gotten used to it. I primarily used this oil to treat mosquito bites, which I found it worked pretty well to soothe the bite itches. The oil evaporates or soaks in fairly quickly, so you're not stuck with a greasy residue like other oils. I haven't had a chance to use this on other pests, but it's good to know I have it on hand if I ever need to.

The bottle is a huge 4 ounces, comes with a rubber stopper and you can use it with other oils so it should last quite a long time.

You can purchase this oil on Amazon for $14.89 with free shipping on orders over $35.

As an added bonus, Radha Beauty also sent me a bottle of their Vitamin C Serum so today you get a two for one review :)

Blurb:

• RADIANT AND YOUTHFUL SKIN - This vit c serum is guaranteed to leave your skin radiant and more youthful looking by neutralizing free radicals & is proven to stimulate collagen & reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
• 20% ACTIVE VITAMIN C - Clinical strength 20% vitamin c serum for your face + vegan hyaluronic acid is the absolute highest quality vitamin c serum available.
• USE WITH MOISTURIZER FOR BEST RESULTS - Use this powerful vitamin c serum with a high quality moisturizer like Radha Beauty Retinol Moisturizer.
• CRUELTY FREE & ORGANIC - Vitamin c serum does not contain alcohol, parabens or sulfates and is safe for all skin types.
• WORKS OR YOUR MONEY BACK - Our Guarantee: We back our products up with a LIFETIME hassle-free money back guarantee, no matter where you buy our product. There is absolutely no risk to you when you order now! If you are not completely satisfied, simply contact us and we will give you a full refund, no questions asked (you do not even have to return the bottle). Our #1 priority is to make sure our customers are completely happy.

 Review:
 I had heard about Vitamin C serums, but I had never really tried them until this one. I found after just one use my skin was must softer and smoother. It helped heal even troublesome acne. Unfortunately the skin on my arms is the type that's very bumpy and it just recently occurred to me to try this serum out on that skin as well as my face, so I'm going to see if it helps with that at all. This serum did leave my skin feeling and looking kind of greasy, so that may be something to consider if that's an issue for you.

You can purchase their Vitamin C Serum on Amazon for $14.89 as well.

Radha Beauty also provided me with a few more items which I will be reviewing later on this month :)

You can find them on both Facebook and Instagram if you'd like to know more about Radha Beauty.

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instagram name is - @radhabeauty