The Final Review

Thanks to BzzAgent, I've been using my free sample of the Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin line for about a month and a half now. These are just some of my thoughts about the product:

First off, the Cleanser and Daily Moisturizer are everything Burt's Bees promises them to be!

- The cleanser works well and takes off make up with no problem
- It's great for sensitive skin, I didn't have any reactions to either product, no extra redness or blemishes
- The fact that they are all natural and not tested on animals is amazing
- And the quantities they give you in the tubes, and canisters is perfect, you only need a little of each product so it will last as long as any other facial cleanser or moisturizer you may buy.

But on the down side here is what I found:

Because I'm used to using cleansers that lather, using a cream cleanser was a little difficult to get used to. Some people complained it left a film on your face. I don't think it left a film on my face, but it doesn't leave your skin feeling like it does after using a lathering face wash. I could understand what they were talking about, but once I got over the fact that it was just the way the cleanser worked, it did it's job well.

The moisturizer was a lot thicker than the ones I usually use. That being said, my skin did feel really soft after I used it.  The one thing that I was disappointed about was there is no SPF in the moisturizer. This is important to me because I burn very easily, but then if it did have SPF in it, it wouldn't be all natural!

Someone else had mentioned this and it was something I noticed as well, but the moisturizer didn't have the ingredients on the container. The ingredients were listed on the box, but that doesn't do anyone any good if they recycle it, and not many people want to keep the box (I did in this case). So I would highly recommend printing the ingredients on the canister, it just makes more sense!

Finally, my skin generally goes through a cycle of being very clear, then breaking out, and then clearing up again. I was hoping that maybe my breakouts wouldn't be so bad using the Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin line. Unfortunately, my breakouts this month were just as bad as they have always been and the Burt's Bees products didn't seem to have any effects on my skin. I can't say it made my breakouts any worse, but I have to admit that my face does get more oily during my breakout phase, and I did cheat a little and use my lathering facial cleanser a few times, but continued using the daily moisturizer.

All in all I think the Burt's Bees Natural Skin Solutions for Sensitive Skin is fantastic for someone with sensitive skin who is looking for an all natural product. I would just be weary if you have very oily skin, I will probably go back to using my old facial cleanser and moisturizer, at least during my breakout phases!

Let the testing begin

Today I got my Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin Solutions kit in the mail.  I was so excited!  In it there was a cleanser and moisturizer, some info about the products and some sample of the moisturizer to give to people.  I starting using the products when I got home after work.  I had a bunch of makeup on from my job so I thought it would be a good test to see how did removing it.

First off the cleanser is a cream cleanser, I usually use a cleanser that lathers.  Cream cleansers always makes me nervous because I'm prone to breakouts and I usually find that their ingredients aren't kind to oily skin.  But because this is Burt's Bees and it's all natural I'm willing to step out of my comfort zone for a while and see how it goes.  I have to admit, my skin didn't feel tight and dry like it does when I use my regular cleanser.  But I was missing that "clean" feeling after using a cleanser that lathers.  The Burt's Bees cleanser made my skin feel like it does after I put on moisturizer.  But it worked really well at taking my makeup off. 

The moisturizer was a lot thicker than what I'm used to using.  It's been about a half hour since I used it and my skin still feels like I just put it on.  When I was using the facial moisturizer I dawned on my that I should try their hand cream/body cream because I have very dry skin elsewhere on my body and I'm always trying to find a good moisturizer.

And finally, you don't have to use much product of either the cleanser or the moisturizer.  This, to me, means good value for money.  You get a really big tube of the cleanser that I'm sure would last a few months and the cleanser comes in a small container but it should last a while as well considering how little you need.  Plus it's all natural, won't clog pores, allergy tested, hypo-allergenic, etc. 

More bzz

I'm waiting to get my test kit in the mail for the Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin line and I've been trying to come up with some ways to make reviewing this product a bit more fun or interesting.  So I decided to share with you what I'm currently using for skin care products and take some before and after pictures.

As you can see above I use Avene cleanser, Vichy toner and 2 different moisturizers, Avene and Olay.  I have very oily skin so I use all these products twice a day usually.  Moisturizers are the thing I hate trying or changing the most.  The Olay Complete Ageless has SPF 20 so I use that in the summer as I'm prone to getting burnt.  The Avene doesn't have an SPF but it is oil-free and meant for oily, blemish-prone sensitive skin.   The Avene is also hypoallergenique.  My skin goes through cycles of breaking out and clearing up, so I tend to use the Avene when I'm having a lot of break outs or at night in the summer.  I do find the Olay to feel a little greasier when it goes on than the Avene, but it beats putting on sunscreen everyday!

And here are my before pictures, I took these right after I used the products above.  I've been using the Avene moisturizer lately.  My skin is pretty clear for the most part right now so it's a good place to start I guess!  I'll let you know when I get the Burt's Bees line and keep you posted! 

Creating some Bzz

A friend at work told me about this thing called BzzAgent.  She joined a couple of years ago and basically you get to try new products and write reviews on them.  I decided to join and just got offered my first campaign.  I am totally excited because it's the new Burt's Bees Sensitive Skin line.  I've never really tried Burt's Bees stuff before but I do have friends that love this Brand.  BzzAgent is going to send me a kit that comes with a face cleanser, daily moisturizer, eye cream and night cream.  At the moment I only use a cleanser and moisturizer twice a day, but my mother-in-law is always telling me to use eye cream.  I'll give it all a go and fill you in on my progress! 

Can't Sleep

Why is it that I seem to get motivated most when I'm lying in bed trying to fall asleep.  My eyes hurt because they're so tired yet my mind just won't shut down.  I'm hoping that maybe if I start posting on my blog again then that might get some of my ideas and thoughts out of my head and leave room for sleep.  Last night I was up thinking about how I would organize my closet and putting pictures up on our walls.  We have all these pictures and art we got when we were traveling but we haven't put any of it up yet.  We've been living in this apartment for about 3 months now and the walls are bare.  I can't even remember what pictures and art work we have any more.  We have a long hallway that leads to the bathroom and bedrooms, and it's a huge space just waiting to be filled.  I want to put pictures up there but I thought it would be fun to get some wall stickers to tie them all together.  There are so many to choose from!  I think I have found some I like though.

First thing first, clean our room and get it organized then I can start to figure out what photos we have an where to put them.  I don't have a picture to put in this post yet but I will find some, hopefully before the night is over, and post it later.

Our first Christmas tree.

Our ornament from Scotland

Above are just some quick pics I took of our tree and some of the ornaments we have on it.  We collected an ornament from almost every country we were in.  I know the star is crooked but it was the only our friend Adam could get it to stay on! 

Lets hope this blog get some more use this year.  

How to Make a Raspberry Buckle

I was visiting some family this week and my aunt and I went to pick some raspberries.  I ended up with 2 pints to take home with me.  This weekend she's having a fundraiser for Huntington's Disease and it's a pot luck so I thought it would be great if I could find something to make with the raspberries we picked.  In my searching I found a recipe for a raspberry buckle (thanks Martha Stewart!).  I'd never even heard of a buckle before so I thought I'd give it a try!

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 3/4 cups raspberries
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
• Whipped cream, (optional)

 Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 2-quart oval or square baking dish. 

2.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.

3.  Beat in one egg at a time.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.  With your mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture until incorporated.

5.  Spread batter in baking dish. Sprinkle raspberries on top.

6.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and top is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

7.  Let it cool for 20 minutes, and dust with icing sugar.  Scoop out with buck with a large spoon and serve with whipped cream! 

You can substitute raspberries for blueberries, and I would image any other type of berry if you'd like.  I haven't tried it yet, but I'll let you know after the weekend!

Hair Wraps!

My cousins went away for a vacation in Mexico and when they were down there Lisa wanted to get a hair wrap done.  Turns out they were charging $10 for a braid with a silver string wrapped around it and some beads tied on the end.  When they got home Lisa asked asked me if I could do one.  It's been a long time since the last time I did it but I thought it would be fun to give it a go and it gave me something else to post on my blog!

Things you need:

Embroidery floss (at least 2 different colours and up to as many as you'd like)

scissors

tiny elastic for hair

big hair elastic

beads, bells or charms if you want

Step 1:  After choosing your colours, cut each piece at least twice as along as the hair you're wrapping.  It's better to have too much than not enough string! 

Step 2:  Section out some hair where ever you'd like the hair wrap and make a small braid and use you tiny elastic for the end of it and with the rest of the hair tie it back with a big elastic.  It's easier if the rest of the hair is pulled back so it doesn't get in the way of the wrap.  

Step 3:  Find the middle of each piece of string then tie a knot around the top of the braid.

Step 4:  Start wrapping!  All you have to do is pick which every colour you like (and it doesn't matter which piece of string you use) and wrap it around the hair and the other string that is not being used.  Just pretend that the unused string is a part of the braid.  Keep the string tight and wrap the rows close together so no hair shows through.  When you want to change colours, just pick the next colour you want, just hold the piece of string you were using between your thumb and forefinger and start wrapping with the next colour over top of the colour you just used. 

Step 5:  For designs or patterns, you can do a lot with just wrapping the string.  You can make each colour a certain length and do patterns that way.  Or alternate colours after wrapping each piece of string once around the hair (this will make it look like each row is a different colour).  If you want something a little more complicated, and you can also make Xs around the solid colours you have.  To do this all you need to do is chose a colour to be the solid and a colour for the Xs.  Before you start wrapping your solid colour keep out both strings of the colour you want to make your X.  Wrap the solid colour around the rest of the hair and string.  When you're solid colour is as long as you want it, get someone else to hold the end for you (I just had Lisa hold it for me when I did it) and then take both strings of the colour for the Xs and wrap them around the solid colour.  

Then just pick the next colour you want to start wrapping with and wrap as per normal. 

Step 6:  To finish your hair wrap, keep wrapping until you've covered the end of the hair and all you're left wrapping is the unused string.  If you want beads, string a couple of beads on at the end of the wrap then just tie it off at the end.  You can also use beads throughout the hair wrap if you like, Lisa didn't want any beads in hers because it makes it hard to sleep and brush her hair, so just keep that in mind.  

And that's what it looked like in the end.  They will stay in for a pretty long time!  

TIP:  If you underestimated how long you needed for your string and you don't have enough to finish the wrap, just get some more and tie one piece of string at a time part way down the braid.  If you tie one piece at a time instead of making a big knot like you did at the top of the braid then it will make it easier to cover.  

So I guess if you want a hair wrap you're better off getting one at home than you are in Mexico!