I have been dying to get my hands on a steam cleaner. What better way to clean the house without chemicals? I had watched (an embarrassingly large number of times) the infomercial for the Shark steam pocket. I read reviews online which were mixed – so I checked into other steam cleaners, some of which had better reviews. But when it came down to it, I was at Costco this weekend and they had the Shark. I think it was $80ish? So I figured, what the heck? Costco has an amazing return policy so I knew if it was a piece of junk, then I could always return it. I brought it home and couldn’t wait to use it. Much to my husband’s eye-rolling, I pulled it out at 9pm on Saturday night after I finally had a minute to check it out.

I got all the zillions of pieces out and quickly read the quick start guide. Then I got going on our bathroom sink – and my first reaction was.. “eh”. It was OK. Definitely NOT like what I saw on the infomercial (I know, how SHOCKING!).  We have hard water here so we get calcification on the faucets. I was really hoping that this would soften that – but not so much. However, I did notice that it loosened it enough for me to scrape it off more effectively than I’ve been able to do in the past. So that’s not bad, I guess?

It did an amazing job on the toilets which was a bonus. Suffice it to say, I live with 3 males (…) so the toilets can be, um, disgusting. Cleaning with the Shark,I didn’t actually have to touch anything (yea!) and was able to sanitize and clean the outside of the toilet and around the bottom easily. What they don’t show on TV, though, is that you usually have to wipe up after steaming. But still, overall, I was happy with the toilet cleaning bit.

Cleaning the showers was more “eh”. It does make the chrome sparkle which is nice. But there’s still a lot of elbow grease needed to get rid of soap scum etc. I guess I was wishfully thinking that this would be some miracle tool that would make cleaning fun (I know, I must have been watching the infomercial after that second glass of wine…).

So here’s my boiled-down (so to speak) assessment:

The good:

• Relatively easy to use (some flaws, see bel0w)
• Chemical-free
• Works great on chrome, toilets, getting dirt from nooks & crannies and tiny places
• Excellent at getting rid of greasy grime in the kitchen (stove top, microwave, toaster oven)
• It comes with a canvas bag that you can easily store everything in
• It is very portable – the cord is super long

The “not what I’d hoped for”:

• Didn’t get rid of hard water stains without a lot of elbow-grease
• Didn’t do any better than scrubbing with Bon Ami on getting rid of burnt-on mess on the stove top
• A little messier than I had thought – can leave a lot of water behind that you have to wipe up
• Not sure that using the attachments with the cloth steam pockets is actually disinfecting anything – it doesn’t seem hot enough. The cloth pockets seem to trap and cool the steam? I need to investigate more.
• It is hard to press the steam button with one hand and scrub with another if you need to hold onto smaller items. In general this isn’t a problem but cleaning the teapot was tricky.

So I guess if I was giving it a rating using a 5 star scale, I would give it a 2 1/2 stars rating. I suspect I’ll keep it because it is handy for certain jobs. But definitely not the revolutionary tool I was dreaming of…

I had seen the BeautyBlender on the Purely Cosmetics website many times and had read reviews of the funny pink egg on blogs but I just never felt compelled to buy it. What is it? It’s a funky spongy pink egg thingie that is touted as “The Ultimate Make Up Sponge Applicator”. I mean really – how “ultimate” can a make up sponge be? I thought I was happy with my flat-top brush from Purely Cosmetics so I figured I didn’t need this bizarre looking tool.

Then on the Bionic Beauty blog (fun blog – check it out) – they said there was a special offer for Valentine’s Day – you got 2 Blenders plus a bunch of sponge-cleanser packets to keep it fresh. I checked out the site and decided that it was time to try this thing out. (I actually bought the one without the cleansers as I like to use Garden Girl shower gel to clean brushes and sponges.)

So these cute little guys arrived at my doorstep and I was immediately intrigued. I have to say, for some reason I expected them to be firmer – not as soft. But they are very soft and they are AMAZING with mineral powders! I said I had “thought” I was happy with brushes but once I tried this I knew I’d never go back – at least not for the base powders (I still prefer a brush for blush and obviously eye liner).  No more powder messes that have always frustrated me. Plus – the egg shape is perfect for getting different areas covered – the wider ends for the forehead, cheeks and chin – the pointier end for eyes and nose areas. Really – it’s a simple but fantastic little tool.

So I highly recommend getting the blenders – either from PurelyCosmetics or straight from the BeautyBlender website where, by the way, they are still having their special offer! Even if you use cream based foundations or other non-mineral products, check them out – you’ll love them!

Yep – still on my quest for a great natural mascara. This time, it led me to Sephora where I found Tarte Lash Hugger mascara. Love that it’s free of parabens, mineral oil, propylene glycol, phthalates, sulfates, fragrance and dyes. Sounds familiar, right? Right away I was excited. So how does it compare to the Kiehl’s Mascara that I reviewed earlier?

First off, the ingredients list is much smaller and appears more natural. Another plus. But the application of the product is totally different from Kiehl’s. As I had said, Kiehl’s goes on thick and a bit clumpy. But it definitely made my short and straight lashes stand out. I would say the Tarte mascara is more, hmmm… refined? It’s not as heavy and the brush has a lot of very fine bristles so after one coat, my lashes are less dramatic than Kiehl’s – but also noticeably less clumpy. So overall, I think I would have to go with Tarte as my “go to” mascara, but Kiehl’s is good when I need to put on make-up fast and am less worried about how natural it looks.

I think I can now put this search on hold. I am happy with Tarte Lash Hugger, and at $18 for a 0.19 oz tube (at Sephora), I will want to use this up before I invest in checking out another mineral mascara.

I have been curious about Carol’s Daughter hair products for awhile, so I finally decided to try one. Carol’s Daughter products are typically for ethnic hair, however I have read on many beauty sites that most of the products are great for all types of hair. And when you read the ingredients – at least for the Mimosa Hair Honey – you can see that they are great, natural ingredients:

Zea Mays (Corn) Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender), Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf,Trifolium Pratense (Red Clover), Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary), Rosa Damascena (Rose-petal Red), Malva Moschata (Malva-Blue), Urtica Diocia (Nettle), Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) Fruit, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Fragrance, Alkana Tinctoria Root, Annatto Seed.

This product has no water in it so it is actually free of preservatives, which is a bonus!

I was looking for something quick and easy to use after drying my hair to soften the ends and add a little shine. I didn’t want anything that had silicone or other icky ingredients – I wanted something natural. So my search led me to Hair Mimosa Honey – it is designed to reduce frizz and add shine.

Well, as you can see, there is certainly a lot of oil in the product. I had read on some review sites that you only need a little – and that is absolutely true. A tiny bit goes a very long way. If you use too much, you can quickly make your hair look like it needs to be washed again. So literally I lightly run my finger across the top of the product (which has the consistency of a thick salve). Then I rub that in my hands then onto the ends of my hair and then through the rest of my hair.

So what do I think? I would say it is pretty good for a natural styling product. I’d give it maybe 3 of 5 stars. Not amazing, but definitely not bad. But the thing is, I have very thick, coarse hair. I’m thinking that this would not work well on fine or thin hair – it’s pretty oily and I would guess that this would make thin hair look greasy.

I’d say that I would recommend it if you have thick, coarse and/or dry hair and you’re looking for something to make it softer and silkier after you style it. But I’ll still be on the lookout for something that I don’t have to be so careful using.

On a side note, I was disappointed in seeing that they use fragrance which I’m guessing isn’t phthalate-free. I actually find the scent a little strong. It’s supposed to be citrus-y but it seems like citrus mixed with a perfume-y scent – not really my thing…

Last week, after reading many great reviews about Kiehl’s new Mineral Mascara, I excitedly placed my order and it arrived a few days later. It is paraben-free, and has a pretty impressive list of natural ingredients. But when the box arrived, I was at first confused then a little disappointed. The return address was from L’Oreal. I didn’t realize that they were owned by L’Oreal now? Anyway, the disappointment soon gave way to eagerness to check out the product.

Let’s start by saying that up to this point, I had transitioned all of my makeup to minerals, except for mascara. I couldn’t find a natural mascara that I liked so I had been using regular one. I have been searching for one that I like – and that really works. So when I heard about the new Kiehl’s version, I figured I’d check it out.

Here’ my scoop. My first reaction was just kinda “OK.” But after a few more tries, I realized that it was just “OK” because I was expecting more. While not crazy expensive, the mascara is not cheap – it was $16.50 + shipping for a 0.16oz tube. So I guess I had really high hopes. But in the end – I’d say I’d give it a “B” grade. Here are my pros and cons:

PROS

• It definitely thickens – that was the first thing I noticed
• It lengthens nicely, leaving your eyes notably enhanced

CONS

• It is very thick and clumpy
• It takes a bit of practice to get the results you want without it looking lumpy
• It takes a few coats to get the thickness and length (of course, this is coming from someone who has minuscule eyelashes!)

So I will definitely keep using it, since I hate to waste things! But will I buy it again? Probably not. I’ll stay on the lookout for a natural mascara that’s as good as a regular one. There has to be one out there.

What a pleasant surprise to see another great review on one of my favorite beauty blogs – Bionic Beauty! They had reviewed Garden Girl back in January but I didn’t realize they were going to do “Part Deux” as they call it. Bonus!

In this review, Jami checks out Garden Girl’s Starting Over microderm scrub, No Worries face cream and Break Free fruit acid gel. Best part? She loved them all! It’s always a little nerve wracking to read reviews – you never know where they are going to go. The reputable beauty bloggers (like Bionic Beauty and Mythbuster Beauty) give their honest opinion. That is why they are good – you know you’re getting the real scoop – rather than just random reviews you might see posted elsewhere on the web (like in beauty chat rooms). So I was thrilled to see that she loved them. And with Bionic Beauty’s highly sensitive skin, it speaks to the fact that both Starting Over and Break Free can be used very effectively on sensitive skin.

And don’t forget – this week you can save an incredible 15% on ALL ORDERS (no minimum). Just use coupon code July7 – anytime before Saturday at midnight. If you haven’t tried Starting Over, No Worries or Break Free – now is the perfect time! And don’t forget, our products are always free of parabens, sulfates, petroleum products and phthalates!

The fabulous Bionic Beauty blog just wrote a wonderful review of Garden Girl products. Their unbiased (but happily very positive!) review appeared today. They tried our Pucker Up sugar scrub, You’re Fresh face wash, Even Ste(pH)en toner, Hugs body butter and Hand it to You hand cream.

Check it out what they had to say: http://bionic-beauty.com/garden-girl-skincare-reviewed/

And while you’re there, take a peek at their other posts – it’s a great blog. Now – what would be so fantastic would be if every customer told 10 friends, and they told 10 friends, and so on, and so on….

Keep an eye out for another customer referral bonus soon!