Original Sprout, Worry-Free Luxury

As a mom it’s important to find products I can use on my kids that is not only going to work but is not going to damage their hair. While baby shampoo has been a favorite for a long time, the older they get and the curlier Parker’s hair gets, the more Johnson & Johnson’s baby shampoo is just not enough.

That’s when we discovered Original Sprout. Original Sprout makes all natural Vegan products that are “free & clean” and contain organic botanicals and help restore your hair, lock in moisture and even provide UV protection. The best part? All Original Sprout products are tear free, sulfate and paraben free and are safe for every member in the family- even tiny babies.

The first thing we tried was Original Sprouts’ Natural Shampoo and Conditioner. One both myself and the boys, this shampoo & conditioner duo provided soft, clean hair and smelled great! Original Sprouts has a clean, gender neutral scent that is suitable for men, women and children. The scent is not too strong so even for someone like my husband who is not a been “fragrance fan” these would still work fine.

Along with this, I use the Curl Calmer on my oldest, Parker who’s head  is often a ball of messy curls. I am often tempted to put styling products in his hair to show off his curls but things like alcohol, sulfates and parabens deter me. They will leave his hair styled but as soon as I was those products out, I know they would leave his hair damaged. Baby/Toddler hair just can’t take the same abuse as full grown adult hair can! So, when I saw this I got VERY excited. This Curl Calmer not only calms the curls by bringing them into a tight, frizz free look, but it also makes his hair super soft the next day. I’m in love with this product and even use it on baby brother (who has straight hair) to add a bit more styling and polish to his look for special occasions.

Lastly, we tried the Miracle Detangler. Because I’m the only one who really gets tangled hair (and sometimes Parker does too) I used this one more than anyone and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It was best to avoid my roots because it did add a tiny bit of oil to my hair, but who gets tangles at the roots anyhow? Again, I enjoyed the scent and the act that if I wanted to, I could use this on anyone in the family.

We really enjoyed Original Sprout and I love the idea that if we were to go on a vacation, etc we could just take one set of products for the whole family. We’re constantly trying new hair care around here so we have quite a collection for each member of the family- we could never pack all that for a getaway 🙂

 

Ozeri Kitchen Scale

I recently heard about Ozeri and all the awesome gadgets they make for your household, including gadgets for your bathroom, for fitness and even gadgets to help your wine drinking 😉 Ozeri is a manufacturer of lifestyle hadgets to git the modern home. Looking around their site, I find so many items that I never knew I needed. You can find Ozeri products in so many vacation destinations all around the country. For me, it’s like having a little piece of your vacation convenience right in your home. I got the chance to try out one of their kitchen scales.

My kitchen scale arrived in a standard box (well packed) with all of the features displayed on the outside.

The unit itself is lightweight, but sturdy. There are no cables as the scale runs on 2 AAA Batteries. (which are included) This compact machine, about the size of my hand, can measure up to 12 pounds making it useful for man other applications aside from measuring food for recipes or portion control. You could also measure your packages for mailing when you plan to print you own postage at home. The top “scale plate” is finished in crown for a long lasting, sleek looking finish.

Along with the scale, there was also a Calorie Guide and US Postal First Class Letter Rate Guide. Inside, there are foods listed along with calories by the weight. As someone who is constantly wishing that calorie counting would be easier, this was an answer to a long time struggle for me! It’s almost impossible for me to measure out 1oz of something or 5grams. Not anymore.

Overall, I love the look, ease of use and the multiple uses of this item. It makes a great addition to my kitchen and I can’t wait to try more exciting gadgets from Ozeri. Don’t forget to check out their website, HERE.

Starlooks’ Starbox October!

I’m SO happy for finally have my Starlooks box! I got mine a little later than some of my friends locally because of the weekend and I had all last weekend to pout about it, but I’m SO happy now! 🙂

This months box was black and embellished with my favorite color- Purple! If you don’t already know about Starlooks’ Starbox yet, it is $15 a month and for that price, you get 3-4 FULL sized products sent to you from their cosmetics line. BUT Starlooks cosmetics is not just any old makeup line! Their products are comparable to MAC in quality and the boxes they create to send out every month (inspired from a look featured in their Look Book) is comparable to NONE. You can expect amazing colors that will work together to create an amazing, on trend, high fashion look and pieces you’ll LOVE having in your collection! Through Starlooks I’ve discovered SO many favorites, it’s UNREAL!

Right on top, SPOILER ALERT! Now, I already posted about how December’s box is one you will NOT want to miss, but now you know why!! The feature product in that box will be Starlooks’ Fifteen Shade Pro Eye Shadow Palette!! I’m SO, SO excited about this box. Can you believe they are giving out $99 palettes for $15!! And it goes without saying that Starlooks shadows are outstanding. I’m wearing one right now! Also, don’t forget that if you subscribe before the end of this month (October) you can let them know The Rosy Snail referred you and get a FREE bonus item! Plus, that way, you’ll be guaranteed to get the December box! With this information just leaked about the December box, I’d be worried they might just sell out!

Back to this month’s box 😉 Looks like we got three full sized products. Take Makeup + Full Size – Skin Care – JUNK + Starlooks quality and you get?! One VERY happy women. The theme this month is Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil, See no Evil and there is certainly a little bit of a “Fall Festival” undertone with some of the names and the look book 🙂

The first thing I got was a Eyeliner Pencil in “Gold Dust”. This is a beautiful gold. I like that this gold is shimmery but it is free of glitter. That makes it suitable for my waterline. This pencil glides on super smooth and is very rich and pigmented.

Just one pass and this color is not going anywhere. Since I have blue eyes, I’m especially excited about a gold pencil. This pencil retails for $8

Next was a Eye Shadow Pigment in Post. Did I mention before that I love purple? This pigment is so finely ground. I always thought Starlooks pressed shadows were smooth, but then I tried this and it’s like BUTTER. The color lasts all day long and I love the subtle blue undertones this pigment shows in the sun- possibly my favorite eye color I own now. This one retails for $12!

Lastly was a Starlooks Lipstick in “Masquerade”. Pretty fitting for Halloween, right?

Masquerade is a perfect mix between a burnt orange and a classic red- but with shimmer 🙂

Swatched, this lip color is moisturizing and long lasting. I love the richness of this color! This swatch is only two passes! It’s easy to create crisp lines around your lips with this lipstick but it is not going to dry out your lips. I can’t wait to put together a full look to feature this color! This lipstick retails for $11

We got a lifestyle this month,, these are Eye Rocks eye tattoos. These are pretty neat and I admit I will probably try these! I think this is a great product to have for all the Halloween parties coming up.

And as always, I got my crystal in my box as well 🙂 I’ve got a great collection of these so far and I think I will do what they suggest and make a cup of these into a brush holder.

My box this month had a value of $31- which is pretty awesome! More than that, I could NEVER go to Ulta or Sephora and spend $15 and get three full size anything, not even of their store branded items. Be sure and check out Starlooks and if you’re eying this box, you can order it after December 1st- as well as any past boxes!

Bluum Box and Why I Cancelled

Well, I was VERY excited about this month’s box considering we had been given a hint that we should be expecting to receive a Disney Body Suite in out boxes this month AND that our boxes would now be bigger to create space for bigger goodies. The whole thing turned out to be a BIG disappointment and I have to say, I’m not the only one who is less than pleased with Bluum right now, but I’ll get to that….

So my Bluum box arrived a few days ago and it is in fact larger. About twice the size before. It now also seems sturdier. Bluum is $11 a month and that includes shipping. I have to say that while the box was bigger- nothing else in the box was…

So, this months theme was Magical Moments “Celebrating all the Magical Moments you’ll experience during your little one’s first year.” I think the Magical was just in reference of their partnership with Disney this month- BUT didn’t we JUST get a milestone themed box?

The first thing I pulled out was this white organza bag with the “Disney Onsie” inside…

This is where I was instantly unhappy. First off, two months ago, we were told we would be getting this Body suit. I assumed because it was Disney we would get a character. I was wrong. Before my box arrived, I got a sneak peak that showed we would be getting a 3-pack of plain white onsies. I admit, I was pretty disappointed, but I thought getting three was pretty nice! Then only one arrived. (I assumed three because the sneak peak ALWAYS shows you the size you will be getting and specified a 3-pack, likely this was a mistake on their end) If a plain onsie when you expected a character one OR a 3-pack wasn’t enough- IT WAS WAY, WAY TO SMALL.

I decided to contact Bluum as to why I received a 6-9month size onsie for my 20 month old (who wears 18 months). They replied: (after about 4 days)
“Thank you so much for reaching out. Our partners at Disney have given us an opportunity to try their new baby body suit in October. While we did our best to stay true to baby age and size, it is very difficult to estimate the correct fit of all bluum babies. In fact, the largest size given to us was 6-9 months which apparently is the largest size offered in the particular style you were sent. (So, basically- you didn’t get the sized needed to fit all Bluum babies and in my mind, as a consumer- you chose to put your relationship with Disney above the needs of your customers. You also did not ask ANY customers their sizes.)

We apologize if your bluum baby was not able to fit the body suit. Our sourcing team feels that you and baby should get more of what you need and your feedback ensures a better selection of products to come in the near future. Additionally, bluum is a subscription service designed for mom and baby 0-12 months however, we will soon introduce a toddler box for our growing bluum kids in the following months.” (Fair enough, BUT when I signed up, I was asked my child’s Birthday and though he IS over 12-months old I was STILL allowed to sign up. You keep saying things that make me think it’s all about the money, Bluum… I’ve been hearing about this “toddlers box” for about 6-months now and still nothing…)

This Body Suit would be worth $5…if it fit.

Next was a sample size of Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Tear Free Shampoo & Wash. We like Burt’s Bees well enough and we will certainly be using this! This sample has a value of $1.58

Next was another Burt’s Bees product. This is their new Intense Hydration Night Cream. I don’t love that is this a one time use sample. I’m not sure how anyone can tell if they like a night cream after one use, but I like trying new products on the market so this isn’t a total loss. This sample is worth $1.80

And this is where I was like “enough with the Burt’s Bees!” BUT I truly love this product. Though this “Rhubarb” color might look and sound intimidating, it’s actually pretty sheer and adds just a pinch of color. The smell is pretty menthol-y when I love to have during the winter time. This is a full size Lip Shimmer which retails for $5. This is the only product I’m actually happy about and I would NOT have paid $11 just for this…

Last was a Happy Baby Organic Baby Food pouch. On the card- it says you could get Happy Baby OR Happy Tot (or at least both are listed) So, were they paying attention to my child’s age at all?! And if they were also giving out Happy Tot (as in Happy Toddlers, by the way) then what was the above about 0-12 months old? These retail for $1

Overall- I just feel lied to, confused and like Bluum could care less about me as a consumer. I did complain, cancel and get a refund without having to fight it, so in that regard (and when they replaced a leaky item for me before) they have good customer service. But I think it’s VERY poor customer service to say your box is for 0-12 month old babies and allow older kids to participate AND THEN partner with a company that only sends you 6-9 month size onsies for your subscribers and basically try to “get away with it”. I just want to look at Bluum and say “WHAT?!”. I have to admit that I might (for ONE month) try their Toddler box, but at this point, I’m saying this box is a dud. It was in no way personalized to make my baby and I feel special. Plus getting only 3 brands and SO many from one company was a little silly. They could have spaced out Burt’s Bees better. (or did a different item in place of the night cream)

Oh!! And to add insult to injury, they threw in a discount for Wittlebee. If you’ve been considering Wittlebee- RUN! Don’t do it! They charge $40 a month just JUNK! Not to mention, you see this picture above with a box STUFFED full of goodies?! You ARE NOT going to get anywhere near that many items. How many is that above- 11? You’ll be lucky to get 6. Bluum, I recommend disassociating from Wittlebee, as to not go down with them…

Amazing Bow-Tique GIVEAWAY!

Hey ladies! Since I’ve got two sweet little boys, I know I don’t get to give away enough girly things to you guys who have beautiful daughters. Since I don’t have the best of both worlds, I wanted to share this awesome giveaway over at
Loving Life & Living On Less.

Click on the picture to head over to the blog post to read about this adorable bow
she had designed for her niece AND to enter to win your very own!

Dreamfarm

Every Christmas, my husband & I always end up gifting each other various kitchen gadgets. It’s something we both just love and having only been home owners for a little over 2 years, we haven’t yet decided on a kitchen style just yet. Aside from functionality, we’re big fans of a product having a unique design and look. I found everything we were looking for in Dreamfarm’s line of kitchen/home gadgets.

I got to try two of their gadgets. Dreamfarm makes 18 different items (currently) all in an array of fun colors. This bright red is called “First Truck” which is a bold, crisp red.

The first product is called Scizza. While my husband is perfectly content with our old fashioned pizza cutter, I admit to being one who sometimes has a hard time getting a clean cut. With the Scizzas you can take a traditional scissor stance to cutting into your pizza. With a built in spatula base, you have a lot more control than if you were trying to take any old pair of scissors to your homemade pizza. The stainless steel blades cut through even thick/tough crust pizza with ease. One thing I did not count on being a plus with this product was that there is no longer a need for a flat surface. I was able to cut pizza even on a place with grooves or ridges.

Next was the Tapi. This product was a real winner with the boys. You attach this rubber piece to your faucet and pinch the end, this forces the water to come out of a hole near the top much like a public water fountain would. This is especially useful in the bathroom during a teeth routine, especially with little ones. I had a product similar to this growing up but it was made of cheap plastic and lasted us a short time. This Tapi is SUPER well made and has a small price tag just under $6. Of all the Dreamfarm products, this one has the most color selection, making it easy to match to a bathroom or get the favorite color of a child in your life 🙂

We love both our Dreamfarm products and I look forward to trying many more of them in the future. If you’re searching for that unique gadget with a modern design that won’t break the bank, Dreamfarm is the place to go!

Illuminare Cosmetics

I first heard of Illuminare in my quest for mineral makeups. I love to wear minerals because of the soft, glowy finish, but I have one BIG complaint with mineral cosmetics- they are messy! One slight slip of the hand and you are now wearing your favorite eyeshadow on your blouse. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had this happen to me! Sure, a few companies out there create mineral makeups that are pressed but what you might not realize is that they have no choice but to add a pressing agent to bond them together…So…what if I told you I found a company that gives you the same mineral glow without the mess and in cream form?

I got this set from Illuminare to try out! They sent a sample of their foundation in their Mattifying formula, their Perfect Color Blush (both products are in Florentine Fair) and their Fast Application Pad.

The first thing that caught my eye was their Fast Application Pad– of course I loved it right away. Why? It’s leopard print! But aside from all that 😉 This pad made application of both their foundation and their blush absolutely seamlessly. I’ve heard a lot of hype about things like the beauty blender and I’m a big fan of stippling brushes for foundation and cream blush application but I think this pad takes them all. It feels like slightly more course velvet and paired with the other products I received from Illuminare, it really does make for an airbrush finished.

Next was my Mattifying Mineral Foundation, because I am SO fair skinned, I chose their “fair” shade. They have three different finishes of foundation: Moisturizing (Fantastic Finish), Concealing (Extra Coverage), &  Mattifying (Ultimate All Day) I chose the Mattifying one because a.) I’m a touch oily and b.) as a busy mom, cosmetic touch-ups are on my “no-go” list most of the time. I’m lucky some days to put my makeup one the first time.
That said, I really enjoyed the wear and the feel of this foundation. Even though it is a liquid, it’s still mineral so I got smooth, even FULL coverage without any of the weight of a traditional liquid foundation. If you aren’t sure which finish is right for you, they also offer a “sample kit” for only $10.

And last (and my personal favorite) was the Perfect Color Blush. One great thing that Illuminare has done is named these blushes after their foundation counter parts, meaning there is a blush to “match” your foundation color. This takes the guess work out of which color will “work for you”.

I used just ONE DROP and it would have easily been more than enough for both cheeks. I adore this share first off- it’s beyond perfect for my skin tone, but also it was incredibly easy to blend. It was somewhat hard to get off (without the use of soap) from my hand and help up ALL day on my face without any touch ups. I shy away from cream and liquid blushes because I find them difficult to apply and blend in well, this one is certainly the exception to that rule.

Make sure and check out Illuminare when you’re in the market for mineral makeup. I think this company make real winning products and I LOVE the idea of wearing minerals without the mess and with super long lasting results! 🙂

Julep’s October Cause!

I received an email recently from Julep about their efforts to help raise Breast Cancer Awareness this month! I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again- right next to good products, a companies willingness to help out for a cause such as Breast Cancer Awareness is VERY important to me. I already LOVE Julep’s products so, this is the cherry on top in my book!

If you haven’t seen some of my blog posts on Julep, do a quick search OR if you want to check them out and become a Maven, click on the logo “I’m a Bombshell” on the side bar to go to their site 🙂

This month they are partnering with The Edith Sanford Breast Cancer Foundation and I wanted to share this amazing attachment they sent me. These statistics are staggering, but you reading this is the FIRST step in what we are all working towards this month- Awareness.

Pacifica Perfume- Lotus Garden

I first saw a bottle of Pacifica perfume on the dress of a friend of mine and I was drawn to the ornate design of the bottle. Without being too “over the top” the bottle was beautiful and simple and on top of that, it smelled amazing! So when I reached out to Pacific recently and they agreed to send me a scent of my choice for review, I didn’t realize I had a tough choice ahead of me! Which scent to choose. They are all so beautiful and which scent would be right for me?

I decided on Lotus Garden. I love the smell of Lotus flowers and I thought this bottle design was perfectly my style, but it was what the founder said about her inspiration for this fragrance that really sold me on it. “The lotus, said to always be looking for its place in the sun, is a symbol of strength, unyielding passion, spiritual enlightenment and unconditional love. This fragrance is dedicated to all who seek such beauty in life.” Maybe I’m a sap, but I love the idea of live being a journey. Of always looking to do better and be a better person at whatever you’re doing and whatever stage you are at in life. She also goes on to explain where her company, Pacifica, came from. Her love of scents and spices at a young age propelled her passion to crate these scents as an adult, a passion that would one day become this beautiful brand.

Pacifica recently launched their new sample program for online ordering. When you spend $25 or more, you get one solid perfume sample OR if you spend $50 or more, you get 2 free solid perfume samples and free shipping. My perfume was $22 so with shipping, I qualified for one free sample and got one in the coordinating scent. These samples are .1oz, but really pack a punch. It’s great to have this small tin on hand for your purse. There is nothing more disappointing than spilling or busting a perfume in your handbag.

I can’t stop gushing about the design on both the box and the bottle! It’s just beautiful. I’m not usually one to keep the boxes for my perfumes (they take up enough space as is) but in this instance, I don’t have the heart to throw out something so beautiful. Aside from looking pretty, the scent is also what I would describe as pretty too 🙂 Lotus Garden is certainly floral like you would guess but more than that, it has an earthy musk to it. One of the “loudest notes” to me was the green or earth bite to it. I love the careful balance or girly but the strong, serine outdoors. Both the floral and green notes are wrapped up in just a touch of citrus. I admit, I’m a sucker for perfumes with a citrus undertone and this one is so beautifully put together and the floral is still the star here 🙂

One thing to note about the Pacifica line is that they are all “top less”. Each bottle comes in an ornate box and bottle, but no cap. I am certain this helps keep the price as reasonable as they are. This intoxicating  1oz bottle only costs $22. I’m lucky to find other perfumes I like for that on clearance. Aside from perfumes, Pacifica also makes products for the home such as candles and reed diffusers as well as other personal items like soap, lotions and body wash. Each of these items are made with natural, essential oils and are products in an environment that strives for 0% waste during production. This takes place here in the USA 🙂

Be sure to check out Pacifica’s Site for purchasing as well as on Facebook to stay in the know 🙂

 

Knot Genie Review & Giveaway

As a kid, I grew up in a beautician’s home. This meant constant hair styling and dare I say it- perms- until about the age of 5. To this day, brushing the knots out of my hair is, for me personally, my most dreaded form of personal “beautifying”. Because I have two boys, you would think their hair styling would be much more simple and for the most part it is, but with high energy boys, one with thick, curly hair, getting brushing out of the way and pain free is always the objective.

We got our Knot Genies a few weeks ago and my boys were instantly drawn to the colors. They call this print, Camo Cloud.

Upon examining the unique shape and design of the Knot Genie, I noticed several things I liked right off the bat. Knot Genie does not have a handle, rather it’s domed shape is easy to grasp firmly in your palm. Even my youngest found the shape easy to grasp with his pint sized fingers and spent about 15 minutes brushing Mommy’s hair, something he’s never had any interest in doing before. They claim that it is not only easy to use but it will get through knots with ease, even on the most tangled of do’s.

Aside from it’s lack of handle, what makes the Knot Genie so different? Well, there are two “sets” of bristles on the Knot Genie, each at different levels/heights. These different sized bristles are what gives the Knot Genie it’s “magic powers” and it’s ability to whip through tangles with ease. There is also a well defined curve in the brushes bristle covered side that perfectly contours to the scalp. I found this feature to be especially useful with squirming toddlers. Because it is curved in this way, it covered a larger surface area and leaves every hair in its’ path well groomed, meaning brushing a toddler boys hair is literally done in just 3-4 quick passes.

Knot Genie retails for $19.99. While as a beauty lover, I spend this much on my personal hair brushes, I thought at first I wasn’t sure I would be able to “justify” this sort of price tag on a child’s brush. After using the Knot Genie, I have to say, I think it is well worth the price. My boys love this and no longer run in fear when it’s time to “tame their manes”. Instead, they enjoy brushing my hair and their own to shiny, smooth perfection.

Think the Knot Genie would be the saving grace to your child’s hair care stresses?
One Lucky Rosy Snail Reader will win their very own Knot Genie 🙂
Click on the image below to enter!