Reviews and Other Stuff

Squeeze Pods Review

September 7, 2018 / TRAVELS & PLACES / 0 comments

Traveling is a lot of fun, but it can also be really annoying. For me personally, I hate the packing part of it and having to go through security and worrying whether my luggage is gonna go through just fine or whether it’s gonna get flagged. I tend to overpack and I just can’t help it, LOL. Most of the time, I have problems trying to close my luggage right after packing because of too much stuff, and because of that, I’ve contemplated several times as to how I could make my travels, especially the “packing” a lot easier. I know for sure that I tend to pack too many toiletries, apart from packing too much makeup, clothes, and shoes. The thing is, I haven’t been able to find the product that will help lighten up my luggage, and I’ve been wishing for one. Most of us, like yours truly, still carry travel-size shampoos, conditioners, and lotions, or even moisturizers and sunscreens that take up much space. Fortunately, I’ve recently discovered Squeeze Pods – these are single-use premium toiletries or pods that are about the size and weight of a quarter. They’re TSA- compliant, easy to pack, compact, and super lightweight. Also, they’re leak-proof and are very convenient to use, you just have to literally snap, squeeze and go. Each pod delivers just the right amount of product you need for every use, and the ingredients are all natural. There are no sulfates, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, and most of all, they’re cruelty-free. In other words, these mini single-use pods will make your traveling easy and will revolutionize the way people travel.

These pods are so ideal for camping, short trips, sleepovers, or even long-term trips since you can buy them in kits or in bulk, depending on the product you want, and they’re not that expensive. For example, you can buy 10 or 30 single-use premium shampoo pods for $12.99 or $16.99 (6% off) and these pods don’t leak and they’re easy to pack, so they don’t really take up much space, which eliminates the necessity for heavy or bulky toiletries. On top of that, they’re just so easy to use, just snap the narrow tip with the perforated crease and squeeze. They’re so cute that you have to be careful and make sure that the kids don’t play with them because they can be a choking hazard. I also toss a few of these in my purse, especially the Sunscreen, and also I kept some inside my gym bag so I could use them right after working out. To me, these are just so convenient.

Natural Facial Cleanser – Has a slight floral scent, feels creamy and it’s really mild on the skin.

Premium & Natural Shampoo – Sulfate-free and mild on the hair. May need to use two pods if you have long hair, like mine. The premium one smells fresh and the natural one smells like sweet Vanilla.

Natural Conditioner – Sulfate-free. Also very mild on the hair, and it doesn’t leave my hair too oily or too greasy. The scent is sweet and fresh.

Natural Moisturizing Lotion – Has a lemon fresh scent and it feels very creamy and really moisturizing.

Premium Body Wash – Sweet, fresh and a bit earthy. Love that it lathers well on the skin.

Natural Facial Sunscreen SPF 28 – Very creamy and unscented. It doesn’t irritate the skin since it’s mild and it doesn’t leave much white residue on the face.

Natural Toilet Odor Eliminator – With Eucalyptus and Citrus scent, you just have to squeeze this directly to the toilet and this can eliminate bathroom odors.

Other toiletry pods available but not included in this review are the shave creams and the hair gels.

No more lugging around those bulky toiletries, I like these because they’re just so practical to use and I love the natural ingredients, which works really well for my skin and my hair, and that means a lot to me because I’m one that’s really picky with the skin and hair products I use. Overall, I really like these pods and I love its whole concept. I think they’re ideal if you’re into packing light and saving space in your luggage or any travel bags.

Have you tried these already?

These Squeeze Pods are currently available at http://www.squeezepod.com and at Amazon.com

*product samples provided by Squeeze Pods. All opinions and reviews herein are solely by the editor.

Tom Ford Nail Lacquer Review & Swatches

September 5, 2018 / FASHION & BEAUTY / 0 comments

Today’s review, we’ll talk about my favorite nail colors from this posh brand.

The Tom Ford Nail Lacquers don’t seem to have a lot of color lineup to choose from, and in contrast to Chanel or Dior, Tom Ford doesn’t seem to release many colors every season, or none at all. In total, there are about 11 shades of the Tom Ford Nail Lacquers available (as of the moment), and though limited in color range, you will still find the perfect true red nail color, a beautiful vamp, a nice neutral cream shade, and the prettiest pink. The quality of these nail lacquers and the beauty of the packaging with the gorgeous sleek tube are just drool-worthy. They’re definitely the most beautiful nail polish I’ve ever owned, just staring at them will really make your heart skip a beat, LOL. Formula-wise, I find that I always need to apply two coats on my nails in order to get a good color payoff, and the first application always seems to be a bit patchy, but once you apply the second coat, then you’ll get true vivid rich colors that will last for two weeks without almost any chipping. I do think that the patchiness of the first application is due to the brush applicator which I think could be improved because it’s a little too thin or too skinny and a little too long for my taste. I would have loved it to be like Dior’s or Essie’s Gel Couture brush that is wide and thick which applies nail colors quickly and easily. But anyway, that’s just a minor thing, because once you apply any of these nail polishes, you’re definitely going to be amazed at how nice, glossy, and beautiful your hands and fingers look especially if you use any of the darker shades.

Mink Brule – This is probably the best neutral I could find out of all the TF nail lacquers, and I like that this fits my complexion well without making my skin look too dark or too pale. On me, this looks like a medium beige creamy nude.

Smoke Red – This is a blue-toned red that delivers super rich pigment and one that my skin can pull off because it’s a deep rich red and not one that is too bright or tinged with orange or coral.

Bitter Bitch – Bought this because of the name, I must admit, and it still cracks me up whenever I see this particular nail polish. I think this color has an attitude, LOL, it’s like eating chocolate and having it all over your nails while not giving a care, hmmm!

Bordeaux Lust – As always, I’m a big fan of vampy or red-wine nails, so a nice blood-red color from Tom Ford like this is a perfect must-have for me. Just can’t go wrong with this shade.

Plum Noir– A surprisingly beautiful dark purple-violet color that may look vampy in the shade, but can also look like a beautiful glossy berry-wine under the sun. This is a dramatic beautiful color that is perfect for Fall or Winter and the best berry-violet-purple nail polish I’ve ever tried.

Bottom line, lots of love for these gorgeous nails lacquers. I may not like their brush applicators and their sort of patchy application at first, or the fact that there’s not a lot of shades to choose from, especially if you’re looking for more neutral colors, but I do love how long-wearing the formula of these nails colors are, and the fact that they don’t chip as much compared to most nail polishes out there. They also don’t have a very strong pungent scent and they set in pretty well, though you will still need a fast drying top coat to seal the colors in quickly. These nail lacquers are pricey but its good to have a few of them in the colors that you really like.

Are you a Tom Ford Nail Lacquer fan?

These Tom Ford Nail Colors are currently available at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Net-A-Porter

Caring For Roses In The Summer

August 31, 2018 / HOME & GARDEN / 0 comments

This year, my roses struggled a lot. Not only did they take a long time to regrow, they’re also suffering from extreme humidity this Summer. As you all know, roses are finicky plants, and they really need such special care and the right environment to grow their best. Unfortunately, this Summer has been too much for them mainly because of several weather fluctuations plus some pests and diseases that are quite a challenge to control.

The Summer is probably the time when I had to pay close attention to my roses, simply because a lot of issues happen or can happen to them at this season. Usually, when it’s too humid, my roses tend to get inflicted with fungi, which causes them to have black spots on their leaves, and if not treated, the leaves will fall off and the roses will not produce any blooms, then they could potentially die. That is probably the worst thing that could happen to anyone who has a rose in their yard, and the one that I fear the most for my own. Aside from the dreaded black spots, there are some problems I usually encounter for my roses every Summer, one of them are those pesky Rose Cane Borers. You don’t usually see them much until you’ll notice the roses’ stems/canes having holes in the center. These insects are so mysterious and so annoying; they bore holes right through the roses’ fresh cut canes/stems and they go all the way down and they can so hard to get rid of. Also, the Summer is the season of the Aphids. Tons and tons of Aphids stick to my roses’ new growth and new buds, and if left untreated, they’ll suck the life out of every new rosebud and hinder their growth, resulting to abnormally shaped or deformed rose blooms.

By observing all these problems, I’ve somehow managed to learn with time and prepare by having some products that have helped me alleviate my roses’ problems. I learned that by using a combination of treatments/products and treating my roses rigorously have improved their appearance and overall health a lot. So, the first thing that I always have in my shed is a bottle or two of Bayer All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate, the liquid one. Aside from being an all-around rose treatment, for me, this is a very good prophylaxis that needs to be used during the Spring to protect the roses from any potential diseases. I just use 2 oz. or 4 tbsp. of it mixed with 1 qt. water and that treats one plant. With this liquid treatment, I never noticed any rose burns or any untoward reactions from my roses, and they seemed to proliferate well after just a few days of having the treatment. This formula resolves the yellowing or black spotting of the leaves and restores them back to their lush green healthy foliage. I love that this treatment not just treats, prevents or cures the roses of certain diseases, it also rids them of some bugs, and it also has an added fertilizer for nourishment.

The Rose Cane Borers problem may usually be relieved by the Bayer Rose & Flower Care, but most of the time, they can be so hard to get rid of once they’ve tunneled through the rose canes. The best way to combat this issue is to cut off the stem/canes until you don’t see the holes, but try not to cut a lot or cut all the way down. Then seal the cut stem or cane with Elmer’s Glue or any wood glue, that should take care of the problem. From then on, whenever you cut a rose cane, always make sure to seal the top with a glue so that the borers won’t be able to dig in. The last thing that really makes my roses miserable are the horrible Aphids. They seem to multiply so fast and congregate on new growths, especially on the upper part of the rose where there are new soft leaves and new buds. I’ve tried spraying soapy water on them or pluck them one by one which was so tedious until I finally gave up and bought the Garden Safe Neem Oil Extract. I don’t know why, but most Neem Oil Sprays are too weak to get rid of several Aphids, so I had to buy this Need Oil Concentrate since I definitely needed a stronger formula on my roses. I love this product a lot, and it’s available on Amazon. You just have to put 2 tbsp. or 1 oz. per gallon of water and then spray it on the plants, including the underside of the leaves. For me, I usually put more, like one tablespoon for a 32-oz. spray bottle. I usually use a heavy-duty sprayer that I also purchased at Amazon since I got tired of using some flimsy sprays in the past that don’t hold much and their nozzles break easily. I’ve had this sprayer for almost 3 years now and it’s still holding up so well. I usually spray my rose bushes with this Neem Oil Extract every other day until the Aphids disappeared. They could still come back, so I just keep spraying with this as preventive measures. Since then, my roses’ blooms looked more balanced, perfect in size, and the blooms open well with no damage or broken petals. Also, this Neem Oil concentrate is very economical, you don’t need to use a lot, one bottle can last forever. It’s very aromatic and can also repel mosquitoes. The scent is between lemon citronella, and that’s probably why the Aphids left because the scent is too much for them. I just hope they won’t transfer to my Azaleas, OMG!

My roses have been through a lot this year, but they’re now recovering and are looking lush and healthy again, thanks to these amazing products. Will be reaching for them again next year.

Do you own a rose plant? If so, how do you keep them healthy?