As a mother of a 3 year old who suffers from seasonal allergy's I was excited to be chosen for the Claritin campaign! In the past we have had a hard time finding any allergy brand that was approved for children under the age of 3 until now.
Have you heard about this brand in the past?
I have seen Claritin ads in the past for adult medication but had no idea that Claritin offered children's allergy medicine for children 2 yrs and up.
What is your first impression of this product?
I think it's a major plus that this is a non-drowsy single dose medication. For one my daughter hates taking any type of medication so one time a day when needed is no big deal. If it does end up being a keeper I think I'd opp for the chewables seeing how that's more appealing to toddlers.
I'll let you know how this one works out I might even try it out myself seeing how it does have an adult dosage and Callie has yet to get her spring time allergies. It's still a bit early for her just yet but I'll keep you all posted
I wanted to take a second to go through some face care products that I have tired out in the past few months sort of a hit or miss type post for you all. First off you should know that my skin can be super sensitive on a whim!While I was pregnant with my daughter it started with my entire body I couldn't use certain soaps or detergents otherwise I would end up covered in hives! Then slowly but surely my face products started causing my face to break out.
I have tried a bunch of products recommended by my dermatologist, higher end to drugstore brands , and even ones targeted towards sensitive skin. Some started out amazing but then once my skin got it's fair share of them it was game over. Today I'm just going to mention a few of the drugstore brands I've tired. I will start off with some of the brands that I think have worked best for me then get into the not so great ones.My skin can be dry at times so I do use a light moisturizer morning and night. When I get breakouts I get just a few here and there. Also something I haven't mentioned which I probably should is during this time frame I was on a prescription for my scar on my face so I will talk about which brands worked best with the tretinoin cream.
This is a new product love for me so far it has helped clear up the disaster the Simple products left on my face in the matter of 2 days! How is that even possible?? I'm still in shock in how fast these three drugstore products worked! I started using the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, Alcohol Free Toner, and the Oil-Free Moisture - Sensitive Skin (Equate Version).
Cleanser- What makes theFresh Foaming Cleanser so amazing is that it's a cleanser and makeup remover in one. This hypoallergenic formula does not irritate my skin in any way at all which is a huge plus. Removes all my makeup with one single pump, lathers wonderfully, and cleans all the nasty stuff out of my pores. I cannot believe the difference this has made in my skin in such a short period of time.
Toner- ThisAlcohol-Free Toner refreshes skin without stripping its natural moisturizers.Cleans up any left over oil and dirt after cleansing without stinging my face.
Moisturizer- I wanted to stick with one product line seeing how most products used together from the same line seem to work out better for me, but I decided to give the equate version from Walmart a try seeing the $5 price difference. The ingredients in both products are almost identical and Walmart offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back on their Equate products so I figured why not right? My skin is left feeling soft, smooth and moisturized, and it doesn't clog my pores at all!
Throughout a years time I have tried three out of the four types of the Loreal 360 Clean Face washes (Anti-Breakout, Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin, and the Deep Facial Cleanser for All Skin Types) Retails about $ 4.37 at my local Walmart.
Anti-Breakout- What I love is that it's oil free with 2% salicilic acid. This one is specifically designed to treat acne, blackheads and breakouts. It did claim to be gentle and not over dry skin which in my case that was the only down side to this one for me. If I used it morning and night to cleanse my face it made my skin fee tight and dry. This product cleared my breakouts and defiantly helped prevent me from getting breakouts.
Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin- When I ran out of the Anti-Breakout I decided to try another product from the 360 line seeing how I loved it so far minus the over drying so I opped for the sensitive skin one. This time I was on my tretinoin cream 0.1% and my skin was super sensitive to everything x2. I figured it would be a great product. Plus for this product it's dermatologist tested for sensitive skin, contains no fragrance or soap. It removes all dirt, oil and make up really easily with the little scrubby it comes with. It made my pores almost disappear and removed all my makeup I think that the only reason this product wasn't a keeper for me was the fact that it stung my face in combination with my prescription.
Deep Facial Cleanser All Skin Types- This one I just came to the end of the bottle and loved it the most! I had stopped using my tretinoin cream for a little while because I couldn't deal with the side effects much longer. The tretinoid cream was really harsh on my skin and made everything from my makeup to my moisturizer sting when applied. This one didn't over dry my skin, had a amazing fragrance that didn't irritate my skin, minimized the size of my pores, and made my skin feel fresh and clean! It has this orange flower minty fresh scent that I absolutely loved! The only reason I didn't pick up this again was because I wanted to try out another drugstore line. I would highly recommend this product if your looking for an inexpensive drugstore deep cleanser.
This has been my favorite facial scrub of all time! I have been using this product sense my early teens and my mother always had this product handy. I have noticed that this brand has come a long way now offering a gentle sensitive skin fromula, ani-blemish and blackhead, firming, and even a olive scrub. I usually grab the St.Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub and I use it at most 4 times a week. This product claims to exfoliate to reveal smooth, radiant skin which it really does. After not using this product for a few weeks and then use it is when I see a shocking difference my skin. It leaves my face feeling so smooth and gives it a beautiful glow. This product is one of Americas #1 scrub brands for a reason and I love it! Recently I picked up the Walmart Equate version to see if it was equally as nice and I think it was a great product. Had the same great smell and left my skin feeling clean. Only difference I did notice was that the beads and crushed walnut shells in the Equate version were a little finer.
I started using this line while looking for a new sensitive skin targeted facial moisturizer after trying a lot of duds. This was a new highly raved about line so I decided to give it a try. When first starting this product I was about to start my period which I normally breakout regardless to what I'm using so I continued to use this product anyways. It wasn't until I joined the HouseParty's Simple Meets the Makers Party until I started using the moisturizer in combination with their gel cleanser and facial wipes. After two weeks of use of all these products together my face was a hot mess!
Pros-
Contains PRO-VITAMIN B5 known to help restore, soften and smooth
no alcohol, no oil so this did not sting or burn
non drying and no greasy residue
no dyes
contains no artificialperfumes no scent at all
gel cleanser feels like silk on your face and foams up giving you a great lather with a tiny bit of product
Cons -
made me breakout horribly when used all together
claims to have no harsh irritants that willupset skin not sure if I stand by this one as someone who has sensitive skin
facial wipes were not saturated enough, didn't remove makeup without cleansing first
I picked the Olay Complete all day moisturizer with sunscreen for Sensitive Skin up over the summer still on the hunt for a good moisturizer and thought that this would be a great product. It has SPF 15, contained vitamin e and aloe, said it was for sensitive skin, and was a non-greasy formula. I don't know if it's just the one I got but this stuff made my face feel really greasy! I stuck with it all summer and the outcome of that was super paste face which kinda stunk because I couldn't not wear a foundation because my face was an entirely different shade thanks to the SPF in this. I thought that getting the 15 vs the 30 would be a good idea but from now on I'll veer away from products high in SPF.
Last but not least I want to talk about my experience with Aveeno skincare products. I have had horrible luck with most of the Aveeno products I've came across. I've tried the positively radiant daily moisturizer spf 15 ($15) it broke out my face after the second use. Gave two of their exfoliating face washes ($6-11) a shot and both didn't meet my expectations as far as removing dead skin and they had a weird scent. Lastly their positively radiant cleansing pads ($7) these caught my eye when I saw that they won Allures editor choice award. I love that they are double sided with a smooth side and a textured side you can wipe off your face and then flip over to exfoliate making this a two in one product. I loved that they were pre-moistened and they lathered up easily without any water. If your looking for a product to cleanse and exfoliate without water that is quick and easy then I'd recommend this. Only reason I no longer purchase this is because it is more towards the more pricey end of the drugstore brands.
So that was my little list of products that I loved and others that I didn't really like. I'm always open to try new products so please feel free to share your favs in the comment bar below. -Tess
So last month I did a end of the month freebies haul sort of thing and that was a great way to show you exactly what I receive throughout the month. The only downside to waiting till the end of the month to post is most of the freebies and samples are no longer live so you don't have the chance to score the same deals. With that being said I decided to do my blog post and videos every week to two weeks depending on how much I actually have to show you all. -Tess
Lets Start with my free magazine subscriptions shall we :)
I received a year superscription completely free from Mercury Magazines for Parents, Parenting, and Teen Vogue. When they ask you for what industry you work for select other, then you can choose student or homemaker.
For some reason last week I received Feb,March, and April of Teen Vogue. Then the next day Feb and March of Parenting the School Years. And today Parents magazine which I like a million times more then the Parenting magazine seems to have so much more to offer.
Next awesome deal to land in my mailbox this month was a Nielsen TV Ratings Survey. I usually throw these things out because more then half the time it's junk mail. To my surprise once I opened the envelope five dollar bills fell out along with only a 15 question survey on my TV viewing experience. The survey was all boxes that had to be x'ed off and I only had to write down the top three shows viewed in my household. It was so simple to fill out and I got $5 for what only took a minute of my time!
Finally my P&G package arrived with my free samples and coupon booklet containing $24 of savings!
I was starting to wonder on how long this one would take but I found out that they only do shipments so many times a month so that explained the delay with this one.
What came in my box: A coupon booklet containing $24 worth of coupons
Sample of Pantene Daily Moisture Shampoo & Conditioner
Tide Boost Vivid White and Bright Single use Action Pack
Tide Pods Detergent Single use Pac Capsule
Ultra Downy Infusions Fabric Softener in Honey Flower
Downy Unstopables in-wash Scent Booster
Crest 3D White Travel Size Toothpaste
Inside one of the issues of Teen Vogue was a sample and a save a dollar coupon for the new Flash Clean Makeup Removing Lotion by Maybelline. I haven't tried this sample yet but I did snag the $1 coupon off coupons.com for this line to try out their makeup removing wipes a few weeks ago which is still live. I also liked the Facebook page for Always Feminine Products right now the Radiance line is my favorite of all time! They sent me a $2 off coupon for one Always Radiance and a $1 off one Always Pantiliners. Last but not least for the second time this month Eucerin sent me another lotion sample this one was the Smoothing Repair Dry Skin Lotion. This was a Facebok freebie as well which is still live at their fanpage.
This sample was one I requested back in January and finally received it's the Centrum Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement Flavor Burst in Wild Grape. It contained two nasty grape flavored adult chews. First off everyone knows anything grape flavored is gross so why make a sample in this flavor?? yuck! It came with a save $2.00 coupon but the only flavors are grape and mixed fruit which contains 1/3 grape flavor so sounds like that will not be happening in this household.
Those of you that don't know I'm a Marine Wife and of course I shop at the Commissary on base! Every thing is decently priced & tax free how can you beat that right?! So while looking for coupons that the commissary will accept I found a website called Commissary Shopper . They mail me a letter every so often containing a packet of coupons that can be used at my local comissary.
Disclaimer: Commissary Shopper is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Defense Commissary Agency.
Another great newsletter I signed up for was for Tanger Outlets. We were stationed at MCAS Beaufort for 3 years and with no mall locally I spent most of my time out in Bluffton/Hilton Head Island at the outlets! Now that we are again stationed at Camp Lejeune I believe the closest one is in Myrtle Beach. I have been to the one in Kittery, Maine and the one in Westbrook, Connecticut :)
20% OFF Your Entire Purchase, (3) 20% Any Single Item
Right now I just have them pinned on the little boards in my office so I don't forget about them. I made these chevron fabric covered cork boards to hang up in our office space about a month or two ago and they were really easy to make! I think I might make some for my daughters room when we redecorate it.
Friday I will be posting my vlog on my youtube channel sempersassy going through what I received and what I thought about it in more detail so keep an eye out :)
I always get excited when I check the mailbox now a days! One of the biggest reasons I request free product samples is not only to try new products but also because usually they come along with great coupons. It's like a two in one deal you get to try something for free without wasting your money on something you might not actually like, and get a dollar or two off your next purchase. Win win right?! I just wanted to share with you all the free product samples, coupons, and deals I received in the month of March! I did a week 1 vlog of how much I accumulate in as little as a weeks time! Not everything I mention is still live so I try and make it up to you all by finding online coupons that you can print and use on your next purchase. Keep an eye out on my channel SemperSassy to see other monthly freebie videos!
Take a peek into my bzzkit unboxing and see my first impression of this product! This new line from Garnier Fructis claims to be one of the first shampoos to contain thousands of beads that will burst on impact while you're lathering your locks. Contains wonderful smelling super fruits goji berry, passion fruit & kiwi that will replenish your hair without leaving it feeling weighed down. And last but not least a powerful deep treatment that is a lightweight creme gel that will transform dry hair in under minute. Feel free to like my video and subscribe if you wish to see move videos like this :)
Update: Week 1 Using the three products! #gotitfree
Deals: Garnier Fructis Hydra Recharge Fortifying Conditioner, 13 fl oz (Pack of 2)$5.92 & $1 offGarnier Fructis Shampoo & Conditioner
I already washed my hair this morning before this came in the mail but hold in there I will be updating this with my review soon! In the mean while go check out my blog post on "Find out what the buzz is about" to learn more about bzzagent and their company! **Update** 3/22/13 loving the smell of this set! Leaves my hair clean and feeling super light weight. No complaints besides it doesn't really moisturize my hair as much as I would expect from a product marked toward "hydration". Thank you Bzzagent for including me in yet again another awesome campaign. Looking forward to my next one already :)
-Tess
I absolutely love Benefits CreaselessCreams but they can be a bit pricey at $19 each so I was hoping that this would be a nice
alternative to try out. Another great drugstore product that I think is equally as good would be the Loreal Paris Infallible 24 hr Eye Shadow in Iced Latte I show it in my vlog it retails around $8 but I scored it in clearance at Walmart I have heard that the E.L.F ones are not as creamy as the
benefit ones but I think that they are almost just as nice with twice the product. Candlelight is more of a yellowish cream color not really what I was expecting, and dawn is a nice brownish taupe.
Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in the color Summer Nights ($2)
Essential Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick in the color Pink Umbrellas ($2)
The Lip Gloss Sticks are comparable to the Cliniquechubby sticks & the Revlon just bitten kissable balm stains. The packaging
is quite similar same pencil-like tube. Elf is a great inexpensive alternative
without losing quality. Some customers complained about it having a weird
smell which really didn't bother me it's kind of a minty chewing gum like scent. The color Summer nights is a nice champagne nude color with a bit of shimmer && Pink Umbrellas is just a soft pink with less shimmer.
The condoning lip balm is super smooth, velvety soft and non-sticky they only thing I didn't like about this product was the bulky packaging it not only limits the amount of product you get but good luck putting it into a small purse or clutch for that matter.
Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer in Porcelain ($3)
There were so many amazing blush colors to choose from in the studio line along with a bunch of baked blushes & bronzers! I think if I end up loving these as much as everyone else has been I will have to check out the baked line. For the summer I really wanted to find a good bronzer and everyone has been raving about the studio contouring blush and bronzer duo in St.Ludica. Some say that it resembles the Nars Orgasm and Laguna palette. From the swatches I've seen on other blogs they do come close but they are defiantly not exact dupes.
As for the blushes I decided on the Candid Coral and Blushing Rose which just so happen to also be great dupes for other expensive blushes. Candid Coral would be a great steal for Benifits Coralista ($28) if it wasn't so orange I think that the Benefit blush is also a bit darker. Last but not least the beautiful Blushing Rose in the pan looks identical to one of my favorite blushes from Nars. Both Blushing Rose and Nars Dolce Vita ($28) have a somewhat reddish brown tone to them with a bit of fine gold reflex in them.
The High Definition Powder I guess you could call this a hit or miss item. Some love it while others say it’s a waste of money. I got it in the color translucent to try out as a setting powder. It feels smooth and velvety on my skin.
The Maximum Coverage concealer claims to be able to cover tattoos, scars, blemishes and so much more.Well we will see about that one tomorrow while I get my face on I highly doubt a $3 product will do miracles, but who knows it could happen. I'm pretty fair in the winter so I went for the lightest shade they had which in person looks about a shade or two darker. It ended up being a pretty good match for me so I was a happy camper and it blends easily which is another plus.
Deals going on right now until March 11th-
10 free Mineral Eyeshadows with any order $30 or more use promotion code MINERAL at checkout
Free Shipping on orders over $25 with the SHIP25 promotion code, and Save 50% off all Studio with STUDIO50!
I decided to do this video review a week early because the next 2 weeks I have a lot going on. We leave for VA then off to Florida Monday to visit family. So lots and lots of traveling going on the next few days :) Feel free to like this video and share it with other beauty lovers comments are always amazing I love hearing others suggestions!
I'm excited to try some of these products out tomorrow! I wanted to put this blog up first before giving a full review so that you could see some of the products and still be able to score some of the amazing deals that are now going on! I usually like to try out products for at least a week or two before writing a full review that way I can give you my opinion after I've given them all a fair shot. Also I wanted to add that I ordered this haul on the 28th and it shipped out March 1st. I was not expecting it to arrive until the 8th but it got here early this afternoon on the 5th! Fast shipping && everything came in one piece!
Take a look into my bzzkit below : Everything that came inside the box
I received the Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil in the mail from bzzagent to try out in return for my honest review. When I was asked to join this campaign I was really looking forward to this product seeing how it is the first of its kind (a multipurpose product that can be used on your hair, body, and face.) I will admit I was a little thrown off at first because Garnier Fructis is well known for having good quality drugstore hair care lines. I have tried out a bunch of their products in the past 4 years and so far I haven't found a product from their line that is holy grail worthy.
The first time I used this product was during my unboxing vlog and I spayed it a few inches away from my hair on my ends and then worked it upward into the rest of my hair. It felt nice in my hair and made it feel super soft at first but then a few hours later I looked like a shiny mess! I think that this would be a good product if you used only a tiny bit and held it more then 6-8 inches away from your hair. Today I gave it one more shot this time I sprayed a tiny bit onto my hands and ran it trough some hot curls. So far that seemed to be my best bet with this product.
Like I said before in the video this product not only smells like PAM olive oil cooking spray, but it also feels just as bad on your hands! Ever use sunscreen that comes in a aerosol can and get it all over your hands? That's what this product feels like. I decided to be brave and use this on my face after I cleansed it with my sample of Simple refreshing facial wash gel before bed and it wasn't as bad as I expected. It did leave my face really dewy so I wouldn't uses this as part of my morning facial care routine.
After a few more tries and using this for about a week now I really don't think this product did much for me. I gave it a fair shot even though I knew from my first attempt on camera that this was going to be one of those products I regret trying thankfully this one was a free product thank you for including me in this campaign bzzagent & Garnier Fructis ya'll need to stick to hair care products.
Hair - great for dry ends, but be cautious when spraying it a little goes a long way. The last thing you want is to look like you haven't washed your hair in a month.
Skin/Face- It wasn't super heavy like some oils can be on your skin. This product did take awhile to absorb into my skin over 5+ min. Hated the feeling of it on my hands and the smell was really unbearable.
I have used other oil based moisturizers in the past and I absolutely love the Josie Maran Argan Oil you can find it at Sephora. The argan oil can be a bit pricey at $48 for a 1.8 oz bottle but compared to the GF oil it really does do miracles on your skin plus it's 100% pure organic with no nasty smell! I know that I have heard people talk about finding other organic argan oils on websites like amazon , and QVC usually has some good deals.
Here's a new hair care product that I have been using throughout the month of February and have been loving! The L'Oreal Paris Anti-Oxidant Color Vibrancy Dual Protect Spray. I use this product when my hair is damp after a shower and then let my hair air dry to prevent extra damage from using hot tools. You could just blow your hair out this product heat protects up to 450 degrees. What I absolutely love about this product is how it makes my hair feel! It makes my hair feel so soft and adds just the right amount of shine to it. I color my hair often so when I saw that this product helped prevent color from fading out, while nourishing and conditioning, with the extra bonus of a heat protectant I was sold.I received a free sample for this new hair care line from L'Oreal and I believe it is still live if you would like to check that out. With my free sample came a small amount of shampoo, conditioner, and leave in treatment along with a $1.00 coupon to go towards my next purchase from the line.
$1.25 Off your Purchase of GF Triple Nutrition Miracle Dry Oil
Hope you all enjoyed my product review I hate to have to post a negative one but this product didn't really meet my expectations this time. If you've tried this product already feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how it worked for you. -Tess
