Somaluxe Skin Products by Lady Soma: Relief for Rosacea & Sensitive Skin

For the past four months I've been testing out Facial Cleanser and Redness Repair Moisturizer from Lady Soma's Somaluxe line of products. (Disclosure: I received samples for purposes of writing an honest review).

While I don't have rosacea, I do deal with eczema during the cold, dry months in the Denver climate. The Somaluxe line has made a big difference for me this past winter. Confession: even though the products are designed to use on the face, I have used it elsewhere and have found relief from itchy dryness and irritation.

Let me tell you why I'm impressed with Somaluxe Skin Products:

• Ingredients in the cleanser include vitamin c, tea tree oil & aloe vera
• Ingredients in the moisturizer include aloe vera, witch hazel and rosehip seed oil
• The cleanser is sulfate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free (if that matters to you), and cruelty-free.
• My skin feels better and looks better after using Somaluxe for 4 months. I survived the winter!

I give these products two thumbs up. If you've got sensitive skin and are trying to reduce inflammation, please consider trying Somaluxe Facial Cleanser ($16 for 8 oz) and Somaluxe Rednesss Repair Moisturizer ($25 for 2 oz).

Block Island Organics: A Family Owned Startup Skin Care Brand

What's an ayurvedic-living, ToeSox-wearing, essential-oil using, fair-skinned gal who wants to treat her epidermis well but not with synthetic chemicals to do? Especially when she lives in a semi-arid climate in a city that's a mile closer to the sun than NY or LA?

Block Island Organics to the rescue. When I was offered a full-size sample pack of three items, I said yes because I saw this:

"All of our products are free of parabens, sulfates, petrochemicals, phthalates, dyes and artificial fragrances.  We also don't do animal testing and use vegan-based formulas."

I've been trying out three products, with formulations touted as natural, rich in antioxidants, vitamins and botanicals, and suitable for all skin types. Here's more information supplied by Block Island Organics.

Block Island Organic Purifying Facial Cleanser

• Cleans and freshens skin with gentle botanicals
• Rosehip, chamomile, sunflower, burdock, avocado, olive and more combine to purify skin while maintaining its moisture balance
• $19.79 for 4 oz

Block Island Organic Revitalizing Night Cream

• Nourishes and revitalizes skin
• Features gentle botanicals such as cocoa butter, caleendula, rosehip, avocado, aloe vera, jojoba, blueberry and more
• Light enough to be used during the day, as well
• $31.49 for 2 oz

Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30

• Ultra lightweight, zinc only and vegan formula. Zinc is actually the best UV protector as it offers the broadest UV spectrum protection. Dermatologists often say zinc is the safest sunscreen ingredient for sensitive skin and babies over six months. It also has antimicrobial properties that help to enhance wound healing. It's even the main ingredient in diaper rash cream.
• Nano particle-free
• Broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection
• $17.99 for 3.4 oz

So far, each has lived up to its billing. I'm looking forward to pampering my epidermis through the rest of the spring and all summer.

Check out Block Island Organics for yourself.

Kalis Skincare products (with 20% discount code)

I had the opportunity to try out a few potions from a British company headed by an Italian scientist/formulist. The products reviewed here were given to me in exchange for a review. You, dear readers, can get the promotion code for a 20% discount, should you decide to order from Kalis Skincare. Read on.

First I checked out the company's website. I noticed that the company emphasizes the use of natural ingredients, but admits to using small amounts of chemicals for functionality.  The site also states it has no genetically engineered ingredients, and that it uses plant oils rather than mineral oils. Animals are not used in testing, certain carcinogens are not used, and packaging is minimal. Finally, if you're in the UK, you don't have to pay extra for shipping.

1. The Rose of Damascus cream, which I tested on my face and neck for a couple of weeks, was the first to go under the thumbs (or on the skin, as the case may be). My kids adore the smell, as do I -- rosy but not overpowering. Very moist but not heavy, which is much desired in my dry climate. There is no sunscreen in it, so SPF protection would require a second product

Here is the list of ingredients --click to embiggen. ($37.83 for 50 ml)

2. At the same time I tested the Rose cream on my face, I tested the Chestnut and Seaweed Toning Cream on my body. The website says that chestnut is an antioxidant, that caffeine can repair some skin damage (20 years of sunbathing is coming home to roost), and that carnosine (carnitine on the label -- I assume they are the same ingredient) can help combat wrinkles. The cream has an earthy smell, and it makes my limbs and body feel steeped in moisture. $40.92 for 200 ml. Label:

3. After the first trial period I got to the second string of products. I selected Superfood Plant Extract Emulsion, chosen because it claims to nourish the skin and prevent wrinkles (notice a theme?) Smells fine and  has pomegranate in it, a known antioxidant. $32.42 for 50 ml. Label:

4. Lastly, I tested the Night Night Face and Body Cream. Because, as you may have guessed, I HAVE DRY SKIN. Like the other potions, it smells good (thanks to the chamomile and marigold) and goes on luxuriously smooth, hydrating my skin. My husband actually commented on how soft my skin was the first time I used it! It's heavier (but not greasy) and best used at night. This formulation, like the others, seems to leave my skin better than it was prior to use. $40.92 for 200 ml. Label:

Number 3 was fine -- not bad but not spectacular. I give thumbs up for Numbers 1, 2, and 4, though. Such ratings speak well for the likelihood that you'll appreciate the rest of Kalis' products, even if your skin and climate aren't as dry as mine.

Should you wish to order these creams or any of the others formulations at Kalis-Skincare, you're in luck.  From now through March 31, 2012, you can get 20% off your order by using the code "ALLTHUMBS" at checkout.

Happy holidays to YOU and your skin.

I was sent samples of these products at no cost to me in exchange for an honest review.

-- Submitted by Lori

Tami's Secret: 2 Tips for Luscious Lips

I am a lip snob.

You would have to be in my shower to catch me without something on my lips. Gloss, glaze, stick, balm, lacquer, or even chap stick ... anything to keep the lips looking luscious.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not the kind who has big, bold colors that make my lips enter the room 14 seconds before the rest of me does. I prefer subtle colors, demand no offensive tastes, and need a texture that doesn't make my husband shutter in disgust when he kisses me.

I've tried it all. Expensive, cheap and everything in between. I cannot bear putting on anything that is "long lasting." It clumps up and makes my lips feel like sticky, muddy swamp water with a side of grit. Some products that smell good, taste awful. Some that taste good make my lips look like stalagmites and stalactites forming deep inside of a humid cave.

Yes. I am a lip snob.

About three years ago, my sister-in-law got me some lip gloss from a place I NEVER would have thought of buying it for myself: Victoria's Secret. Not only did I think VS was just for things below the neck, even with my love of all things lip I didn't think I could indulge on myself quite that much for something so vain.

I was wrong.

While they have a wide variety of products available -- lipstick, lip gloss, lip liners, lip glazes -- they really aren't all that expensive.

This Christmas I discovered their Brilliant Lip Shine, $10. These tubes are styled like a ball-point pen where you click the end of the "pen" to dispense the gloss onto a perfectly-sized brush that neatly paints the lips, without overdoing it. With a variety of colors like charm, undress, party girl, rock me, randy, torrid, mischief, fling, steamy and flaunt, I would guess there is a color for every skin tone, mood, outfit and occasion. Brilliant Lip Shine feels natural on my lips. Nice and soft. Never icky or sticky (or swampy or cave-y). It has a light, undetectable flavor which does not interfere with food. I love it so much that I wear it even when I have no place to go and nobody to see.

If I'm feeling colorful enough that I don't need to add color to my lips, their flavored Beauty Rush lines of lip glosses run 2 for $12 or 5 for $20. Just a slight tint to the lips, but the flavors are sensual and so unique: Fineapple, Cherry Bomb, Mocktail Hour, Bubble It Up, Passion Fruitpop, BubbleMinty, SpearMinty, etc. My niece, 9, and the female friends of my son, 5, go crazy over these. More shine than color, these glosses are just enough to please both the "4 going on 14" girls as well as their "I'll never survive the teens" mothers. (It was these girls who made me realize that I always had a tube tucked neatly into every purse, pocket, bag, nook and cranny.) Like Brilliant Lip Shine, these feel very comfortable and natural on the lips.

I give Victoria's Secret lip products two smacks of the lips! And two thumbs up.

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Tums Are My Best Friend

I, chicklet, am 36 weeks pregnant. And I, chicklet, have been suffering from ENDLESS heartburn for the last two months. While I've had a SUPER easy pregnancy overall - with heartburn as my biggest complaint, so yes, I know, "woe is me" - the thing that's been driving me out of my MIND lately, has been the heartburn.

I get it from eating, from NOT eating, from drinking, from NOT drinking, from exercising, or from doing the complete opposite - laying on my side but apparently laying too "level" or flat. And while it started off pretty intermittently, and was just some simple heartburn, it progressed into FULL BLOWN acid reflux, with the charming side effect of waking up in the night to having thrown up in my mouth... good times...

And while I'm very aware there's all SORTS of home remedies out there, I can honestly say I'VE TRIED THEM ALL, and for me, NONE OF THEM WORK. And yes, while there are drug options, I don't really know why, but I've been really hesitant to go that route unless I really REALLY can't take it anymore. So while it drives me CRAZY, I CAN take it, so no drugs for me just yet.

What HAS worked though, has been Tums. Tums, Tums, and MORE Tums. I had some stashed in my desk, I have another container in my purse, and I leave a couple on my night-table for those good times in the middle of the night. I LIVE and BREATHE for my Tums.

The best thing about Tums is that they work within MINUTES. The other bonuses? Well, they've got a TON of calcium in them (which is never a bad thing for a woman, let alone a pregnant woman, to have), they're CHEWABLE so you never need water to wash them down, and if you buy the fruit-flavored ones, they're even kinda "candy-esque" so can feel like a little TREAT in some ways.

And while the container says not to take more than 5 in a day if you're pregnant, my OB was fine with me taking more if I needed. His preference was like mine - to avoid the drugs if I could. So if that meant more Tums, he was A-OK with that.

So at roughly $8-10 a pack (for 160), or at $18.70 for Amazon's double-pack, they're worth EVERY PENNY if you're suffering from heartburn. Two BIG thumbs up from me.

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Pregnant Runners - This is For You!

Pregnant? Currently a runner? Worried you won't be ABLE to run when you're FIVE months, SIX months, or even SEVEN months pregnant? Well have no fear, the Mom-EZ is here! And it works!

As someone who has been running on and off (mostly on) for the last 10 years, and someone who did her VERY FIRST half marathon at 12 weeks pregnant, I'm someone who quite obviously, would like to maintain my running habits while pregnant. Running is an extremely important part of my life I JUST got back, and I'm not ready to throw it away just because I'm pregnant.

While I understand there will be limits, and I understand the health of this kid is THE most important thing in the world to me, I also know that running has a TON of benefits - particularly while pregnant. There's the obvious mental health part (running keeps me sane, it gives me an outlet), there's the "fit women have easier labours" (which is awesome for both me AND the baby!), and there's a whole lotta research that shows that exercise like running can build a stronger placenta, deliver more oxygen to your baby making them smarter, and on and on and on.

However, for me, while all of that is AWESOME, it's also about having some ME time, something that is completely MINE, and something that still makes me feel like ME. And while I struggled through weeks 8-11 with a fair amount of nausea and exhaustion, and I struggled through weeks 14-16 with EVERYTHING hurting EVERY TIME I RAN, I kept going - because running matters to me. And as long as this kid kept on growing and moving, I was going to KEEP trying to run.

But after week 16, things weren't so easy anymore. It wasn't just that I tired more easily, or that my joints hurt sooner, it was now that my pelvis HURT - like hurt a LOT when I ran, it was now that my belly felt like it was BOUNCING unless I held my hand on it, and it was now that my knees were starting to REALLY kill me in ways they really shouldn't.

To deal with the knees, I switched to the treadmill, and voila, it worked! I still have more knee pain than I did BEFORE I was pregnant, but meh, it's nothing that doesn't go away with rest, so I'm going to keep going. To deal with the belly though, I went on a hunt for the elusive MATERNITY BELT. And no, I'm not talking regular old belly band, I'm talking FULL-ON BELT. I wanted something MADE for extremes and not just the regular old backaches those lycra belly bands are made for. And lucky me, a good friend who ran until 8 months pregnant with BOTH her kids (thanks to this belt), found me her little piece of magic - the Mom-EZ.

The first thing I'll say is that this thing is NOT easy to find. Specialty running stores? Never heard of it. Lady-specific sports stores? Never heard of it. Maternity stores? Wanted to sell me a belly band. So after a lot of digging and begging, my friend who'd worn one of these herself, found me one where she got hers. But if YOU'RE looking, your best bet is probably to order online, if anything just to save yourself the calls/trips to the many stores.

The second thing I'll say, is that this thing is HIDEOUS. It's like a girdle, but BIGGER and BOLDER and THICKER. But I personally have been stuffing it underneath my workout gear, and this thing works like a FREAKING CHARM!!!! Not only does it have adjustable straps, but it also has velcro in lengths that allow you to adjust it even further. Not only does it wrap around you, but it wraps around your belly in a way that CRADLES it and ACTUALLY holds it in place. Not only does it do up nice and tight, but it's COMFORTABLE - and it DOESN'T loosen but it DOES stay in place - for my whole run, every run.

While I obviously haven't made it to 8 months with this thing yet, at 23 weeks, I have a VERY good feeling about the Mom-EZ. So far I couldn't be happier with it, and I couldn't recommend it more highly to pregnant runners. It also probably works pretty damn good for general back support if you're suffering, but so far I've been fortunate enough not to have to try it for that.

An obvious two big thumbs up for the Mom-EZ.

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The "H" Word

When you're pregnant, there's a lot of things to be afraid of. There's those BIG things like "will my baby be healthy", there's those middle-size things like "how will I ever AFFORD this", and then there's those small things... those things nobody really wants to talk about but everyone is probably thinking about anyway?

Yes, I'm talking about the dreaded "h" word - HEMORRHOIDS.

As someone who has yet in life to experience a hemorrhoid, but has IBS so has had my own share of OTHER "ass" issues, the hemorrhoid is the one experience in pregnancy I actually dread. Not because it's something I can't get over, but because it's something I know I can't prevent, it's something that doesn't just last a few hours, and it's something that I have heard NIGHTMARE stories about.

While women have their own share of nightmare stories about labour, the truth is they go onto to have 2, 3, and 4 kids, so really? Well there must be something about the fact that it ends that lets them go into that kind of pain again and again. Yet hemorrhoids, well they don't just "end" - they stick around for awhile. And they stick around in a place you really don't want ANYTHING sticking around.

Anyway, getting to my point, because I DO have one... recently the kind folks at Tucks and MomCentral offered me a free sample of Tucks Take Alongs. And while no, I haven't yet experienced a hemorrhoid, I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so I'm pretty sure at some point the dreaded "h" word IS going to enter my life so I figured these were a PERFECT thing to have in my house to try out!

Putting myself into a headspace where I was imagining the dreaded "h" word appearing in my life, I opened up the box and checked them out, and while I'm sure actually HAVING hemorrhoids vs IMAGINING having them is completely different, these Tucks Take Alongs offer a couple cool things about them.

First, they come in nifty little "towlette" packages - the kind that could easily slip in your pocket on a night out. No, you wouldn't put them in your pocket TOO casually at risk of them falling out, but yes, they COULD fit in a zippered little pocket quite easily. Second, they come sealed, which is always a good thing. Third, the directions are on the package so when in paranoia you're worried you've used too many today, you can easily see that there's no problem using them up to 6x a day. And last, the smell is okay - it's strong, and definitely got that "cleansing" smell to it, but it's nothing strong enough to stick to me (meaning it didn't leave ME smelling like the wipe).

All in all, I'd give these handy little wipes two thumbs up. They're conveniently packaged to take anywhere you need, and on the quick searches I did on the net, seemed to work for those who used them to actually help with the dreaded "h" word.

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1.800 Contacts Redeemed!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I'd bought my latest contacts from 1.800 Contacts... and how I wasn't so impressed with the quality of what I'd received. However, one Anonymous commenter and one Miss Tori encouraged me to tell 1.800 Contacts what had happened - because they would just REPLACE my contacts!?

So rather than calling 1.800 Contacts and ASKING for new contacts, I ran a little test. I sent in a simple complaint, voicing my disappointment with the number of bad contacts I had received - and then I waited. I waited to see how quickly they'd respond, I waited to see how easily they'd offer up the replacements, and I waited to see what kind of customer service they REALLY had.

And lo and behold, within ONE HOUR of sending my complaint in, they'd emailed me back asking how many were bad, and what prescription, as they'd like to send me replacements AS PER THEIR GUARANTEE (which I obviously hadn't read clearly enough!). I emailed them back, and within a few minutes I received a confirmation email that my replacements had been shipped!

While I haven't received my replacements yet, I am MORE than pleased to say that 1.800 Contacts now gets a raving two thumbs up - just for customer service alone, regardless when my delivery is received. There aren't a lot of businesses out there with this kind of guarantee:-)

Thanks Miss Tori and Anonymous!

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My Secret Scent

I, Chicklet, have a secret. A secret I rarely ever reveal to anyone, because well... I fear that everyone will smell as good as I do, and I kinda LIKE having a rare but good smell. And yes, I really wrote that because yes, I really mean that. Because I, Chicklet, am just THAT crazy, but I, Chicklet, also smell THAT good. And I get told so - REGULARLY.

At work, a co-worker will casually mention it and ask what it is. At a dinner party, I really don't believe there's a man whose hugged me who HASN'T commented on how good I smell. And well, then there's the husband, who even 5 years later, thinks I smell damn yummy.

And while normally I'm hesitant to share this secret, after almost a YEAR with All Thumbs, I figured it was time to come out of the closet. I, Chicklet, buy my perfume online. I, Chicklet, buy the same perfume someone somewhere claims a LOT of celebrities have purchased (it was in a magazine, and their picture was beside it, so that makes it TRUE!). But I, Chicklet, buy it because I absolutely ADORE this perfume.

What is it? And where do you get it? Well it's called Sun, by Zents, and they ship pretty much anywhere in the world. As for what it smells like, well, this is my favorite part, and why I've been wearing it for 10-15 years now and just can't part with it - it's not FLOWERY, it's not PRETTY, and it's not what I'd call GIRLY. Instead it's musky, but nowhere near manly, because there's a sweetness to it too.

A mix of vanilla, sweet orange, sandalwood, and pink grapefruit, you seriously will NEVER smell a better perfume (really an "eau de toilette", but that's beside the point). It goes on really light, so if you screw up, you can put it on 5 minutes before you leave the house and NOT kill someone in an elevator with you. It lasts most of the day, so late in the afternoon some new little hottie at work might comment on how good you smell - and that's NEVER bad for the ego! And it's affordable. At $52 USD, these bottles last me around a year, maybe more, depending how lazy or crazy I am with the smells that year.

I'd like to think of more to tell you about it, but really, you should just go buy it. It's THAT good. Two BEAMING thumbs up... if my thumbs could actually beam...

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1.800 Contacts... or Not

I chicklet, am BLIND as a bat without my contacts. For those who KNOW prescriptions, I'm a -5.5 and a -7.75. For those who DON'T know prescriptions, the easiest way to describe it is when my husband is laying in bed next to me, I can see that his face is white - but unless I stick my face RIGHT UP NEXT TO HIS, I can't see if he's awake, asleep, has a nose, doesn't have a nose, etc. So I wear contacts. Disposable contacts to be exact.

And while disposable contacts are great in many ways - fresh pair every couple weeks, always an extra pair handy in case something feels WEIRD with the current pair or you lose one - the one way they're NOT great is that you have to buy them all the time. Yes, you can buy them in big multi-packs where you get 60 or so at a time (which is what I do), but it still means keeping an eye (pun intended) on your stash, to ensure you never run out and can't actually SEE your husband's face, the road [when driving], and other critical things in life.

So for the last couple years, I'd always gone into my optometrist and just picked them up there. They were only a 10 minute drive away, they were near a mall I could shop at to make the drive worth it, and there was a Starbucks next door... which is NEVER a bad thing. But where it started annoying me was they started keeping these STRANGE hours where they closed at 5pm weekdays, 2pm on Saturdays, and weren't open at all Sundays. The hours weren't TERRIBLE, but they weren't convenient either. So rather than looking around for another optometrist, I thought I'd save myself some time AND money, and just order them online. Through 1.800 Contacts.

Sigh.

The first problem? Well, there's a LOT of contacts to choose from. The second problem? The way they ask for your prescription is messed up - or at least it was for me, because trying to match what they were asking for to my actual paper prescription, DIDN'T work. I ended up having to grab my contacts box, entering THOSE numbers in, and hoping I ordered correct.

Thankfully, I did order correct, and when they arrived, all was well. Or so I thought. Because out of 8 boxes (containing 6 contacts each), I've thrown out at least 2 contacts in EVERY SINGLE BOX. And I've thrown them out before I even wore them, or after wearing them for 5 minutes and running (almost screaming) to rip them out. Because these contacts? Well, they have CRACKS in them which scratch my eyes, they have TEARS in them which irritate my eyes, and they're actually mis-shapen (not 100% round) and just don't sit right on my eyes - and all of this is immediately upon removing them from their package. Meaning, they CAME this way.

While I will admit there's a chance I just got a bad batch, the flaw in that theory is how did I get at least 2 bad contacts in EVERY single box? One bad box? Okay, I can see that happening. Eight bad boxes? Really?

So for me, 1.800 Contacts is a BIG thumbs down. In theory, I saved some money, but in reality, I threw out probably everything I saved in the additional contacts I'll have to buy to replace the bad ones I never even got to wear.

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Me n My Electric Toothbrush

So I hate to say it, but I'm old. How do I know I'm old? Because I gave in, and bought one of them damned electric toothbrushes.

I didn't buy one because I WANTED one. I didn't buy one because I COVETED one. Hell, I didn't even buy one cuz I thought I NEEDED one. I bought one to prove a point, and maybe get my damned dental hygienist off my back. Because the thing is, every single appointment I've had in the last 2 years, I've gotten in shit for not flossing. And every single appointment I've had in the last 2 years, I've ALSO been told my teeth are only "okay". And while fine, I DON'T floss, other than that, I think I have pretty good teeth - they're very white, they're very straight, and I follow all the rules for having a clean mouth except for that flossing crap. But apparently, none of that matters, because EVERY SINGLE TIME, I get in shit. And lately, so does the husband.

So about a month ago, I bought the Oral-B 8850 - but in a different color than shown here. I bought it two weeks before our bi-annual dentist appointments to prove that point I so gently refer to above. I thought that if I bought this toothbrush, I could either convince the dental hygienist that I WAS flossing (because it claims to help with plaque and gingivitis), or I could convince her that there's NOTHING MORE I CAN DO TO BETTER MY TEETH if even an ELECTRIC toothbrush won't fix them!

And yet what happened? Well after only INTERMITTENT use by both of us for 2 weeks before our appointments, and specific use by both of us both the night BEFORE the appointment and the morning OF the appointment, we both got rave reviews from the damned hygienist. And I mean RAVE reviews! Without her even KNOWING we'd bought this thing, she commented to both of us about the lack of plaque, to both of us about how little cleaning she had to do this time, and about how our 'rating' had gone up - for BOTH of us! She also didn't mention a WORD about flossing? WTF?

And yea yea, if she were IN on the trickery, I'd have thought this was no more than a little game of Pavlov and his dog, but she WASN'T in on it, and we'd only used it INTERMITTENTLY. So suffice it to say, even if you bought it ONLY to have better dentist appointments, I gotta say it's worth it.

At $80, it ain't cheap - agreed. BUT... this one has some perks. First, it comes with a little rechargeable stand. Not ideal for travel, but see above re INTERMITTENT USE here people! Skip it on trips! Second, it comes with this little "pop-up" container IN the rechargeable stand that can hold up to four toothbrush "ends" (the part with the actual brush), so for a family of four, or a couple of just us two, it holds what you/we need. And third, that little container also has a handy-dandy LID on it to keep those damned poo particles floating around your bathroom, safely OFF your toothbrush(es), because you know, poo particles and toothbrushes DO NOT mix.

As for actually USING the Oral-B 8850, both the husband and I a month in, still find it a bit "weird" - it is so NOT normal to have this thing vibrating around your mouth while you kinda put no effort in. But even before we'd gone to the dentist, we both commented that our teeth felt surprisingly "clean". We couldn't put our finger on what it did better than we did (probably gets corners we don't), but they did, and DO, feel cleaner. So the Oral-B 8850 gets two surprising thumbs up from me.

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Skin care recommendation from a BEAUTIFUL 40-something

...who is not me.

Martha, my bloggy friend who first informed us about Eyebrow Threading, gave me a tip that Benedetta skin care line was a little-known organic set of products for people who didn't want to look like they were entering or in their 40s.

I contacted Benedetta and they sent me some teensy-weensy samples, insufficient for me to have an opinion on until I order a full set.

Martha to the rescue. She has volunteered to share her experience with Benedetta. When Martha talks, I listen.

============
Greetings, Dear All Thumbs Readers! I am so excited to be a guest reviewer about the organic and aroma therapeutic skincare line, Benedetta that I have used for over two years.

Like most women, I have tried most every product from every price range that crossed my path. To be of benefit, a skin care routine has to be simple, fast, effective, and reasonably priced. Also, I am increasingly concerned about our skin’s absorption of the many toxins including the preservatives, detergents, dyes, fragrances, and unpronounceable stuff they put in beauty products

I was intrigued by the idea of an organic and aroma therapy based skin line after seeing Benedetta in a catalog, and I decided to try the travel set with the assortment of facial and body care products to see if it “agreed” with my skin. After three days, I was hooked on these products because of how my skin looks and feels.

Benedetta’s skin care includes both body and facial care.

For their facial care line, they have three types of cleansers and moisturizers including for dry, combination, and oily skin. I have oily skin but live in a very dry climate, so the Rosemary Verbenone cleanser and Rosemary Hydrating elixir for combination skin works well for me.

• The Cleanser is clay based and you can also use it as a clarifying mask. It smells incredible and leaves your skin velvety smooth. Plus it helps regulates breakouts.
• The Hydrating Elixir is moisturizing and is used after cleansing and can be spritzed on the face throughout the day right over makeup.
• The final facial product that I frequently use is their Control Cream which contains natural antiseptic properties with tree tea oil which does everything from heal acne to stop a bug bite itch.

I also enjoy Benedetta’s body care products including their hand sanitizer and deodorant which don’t contain the petroleum and metals commonly used in these types of products. They smell wonderful and are very effective at keeping you feeling fresh and clean.

I have not only had a great response from my skin with Benedetta, but their customer service has also been very helpful both over the phone and with their website.

Thank you so much, Lori and Chicklet for allowing me to share my experience at All Thumbs. I really appreciate you both and all your commenters!

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Thanks, Martha, for saying this to my face.

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Thanksgiving and threading

First, Thanksgiving. Not a review; just a little limerick.

A chesty young turkey name Terry
Gets nervous in November -- very.
He came up with a plan
To steer clear of The Man
And keep his distance from yams and cranberry

Can you come up with a Thanksgiving ditty? Post in a comment below. You know you have nothing else to do except dishes.

My manifold blessings include you, our readers known and unknown, and the chance to work here with the absolutely wonderful Chicklet.

I am truly blessed. Mwaaaaaah!

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Now for the threading.

How did I not know about this?

Do you?

I mean, I knew about this method of depilation for legs. But it took Martha to introduce me to threading for eyebrows.

I've never had my brows waxed or plucked. I've always been au naturel. But lately I've been wondering how it would look to have more shapely brows. Of all the women I know IRL, I think I am the only with with unshaped brows.

So immediately after I watched this video (which I lifted form Martha) I go.ogled "threading eyebrows MyTown" and found a salon about a mile away from me. I set up an appointment for right after lunch.

I had Reed with me, which made me nervous because I'd have 15 minutes tops before the whining would commence.

We were greeted at the salon by Promila the Esthetician, who guided us to a private room. She invited me to lie on a massage table.

(Reed sat on a nearby chair and played with his Star Wars figurines. God bless George Lucas.)

Promila told me that she was an expert at the ancient Indian* art of threading, and that I was really lucky to find a genuine Indian to do my brows. She said she's an artist and that she can make the best shape for me, or I could pick a set of celebrity brows for her to emulate. I said, "I am your canvas."

She got going right away, gently yanking entire rows of my brow in graceful fluttery motions. There was a little discomfort, but not pain. Within about 6 minutes, she was finished with one brow and went on to the other. Six more minutes, a little finishing at my temples and in the unibrow area, and I was fully plucked.

She brought an icy yet slippery ball and massaged my eye area, then slathered on some cream and told me I have very sensitive skin. This was code, I discovered after she handed me a mirror, for "You look like one of these."

But the red went away within minutes and Reed and I headed to the front desk to pay (before the whining!). Twenty dollars for the procedure, more than I was expecting and, according to my research, a little more than similar salons charge for eyebrow waxing. You can decide if it's worth it to have to have less pain (I suspect) and to be able to get in and out more quickly than with a wax job.**

Promila sent me off with a gift bag of Aveda hand creme, a stack of her cards, Aveda hairspray, a $20 off all service coupon (score!) and a menu of services and prices.

I don't think I look all that different.

If you're interested in trying out threading for yourself, just go.ogle "eyebrow threading YourCity" and see if you, too, can find a genuine Indian threader.

And if you live in Denver and want to visit Promila, I'd be glad to give you her contact information.

* as in the country of a billion people. Not to be confused with the people who helped keep the pilgrims from starving all those centuries ago.

** not to be confused with a whack job.

***

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Swooning over soap...and a scentual giveaway

If the Internet had the equivalent of smellivision, this would be everyone's homepage.

While Chicklet's a sucker for paper, I am a sucker for a really nice smelling soap. I have, in some ways, searched the world.

I found the epitome of botanical soaps a few years ago on a trip to Victoria in British Columbia, and I have been ordering from Pacific Coast Soap Works ever since. By doing so online, I even save money -- 2 to 6%. (You can, too.)

Karin Korb, soapmistress at Pacific Coast Soap Works, currently has 10 "flavors" to choose from, but I'll spotlight only my favorites, from which I never vary:

• Lavender -- besides the flower's color (purple) and the name (starts with 'L'), there's the intoxicating smell. I think heaven must be rich in lavender.
• Lavender Spice -- imagine the yin of lavender tempered by the yang of clove and cinnamon. I wish I could turn this scent into a pie.
• Rosemary -- one of my favorite scents in my garden. I keep meaning to learn to make my own herbal soap from it. But for now, it's just too easy to click.

Check out Karin's other seven flavors to see which ones send YOU into orbit. Seriously, click over and choose two, because that's what you'll get -- FREE -- if you win this giveaway.

Karin is offering a Twin Pack to the winner of this giveaway. Here's what you do:

1. Write a post on your blog* about All Thumbs Reviews. It can be about something we've reviewed, why you visit us, how you found us, what you've done with our advice, etc. Make sure you link here.
2. Then come back to this post and leave your post's permalink in a comment.
   
3. Please do so by 10:10 am on Friday, October 10.

Entry means you agree to these rules. We'll use a random.org to choose the winner. Come back the weekend of October 11 & 12 to find out if it's you or some other karma-rich person who wins this little luxury. We will attempt to notify the winner by email (if we can easily find it).

Pacific Coast Soap Works will ship directly to anyone in North America.

If you do NOT live in North America and you are the winner, you can give your Twin Pack to someone who DOES live in North America. And that person will be eternally grateful (and will smell good).

And now everyone knows what to get me for Christmas (and my birthday and Valentine's Day and Easter and Mother's Day and my anniversary and Arbor Day and Talk Like a Pirate Day and Rearrange Your Sock Drawer Day...)

* Don't have a blog? Why not ask a bloggy friend to allow you to guest post?

UPDATED: I asked random.org to pick a number between 2 and 7 (Chicklet's will never forgive me for writing the rules the way I did). The one that popped up was 3. Cathy, come on down!

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Saturday Roundup

Sometimes, when I'm out surfing - you know, when I'm supposed to be WORKING - I find things I wanna buy. And not just things I wanna buy cuz *I* found them after hours and hours and HOURS of hard searching, but things I wanna buy cuz someone ELSE did all that hard work for me. Oh, and cuz that someone ELSE? Well they have pretty damn good taste.

So this week, these are those things I'd love to buy, and I really might EVEN buy, if I can wrestle the credit card out of the husband's wallet without him knowing it:

1. A teeny tiny little classy purse. Fancier people call it a wristlet, I call it a purse. Either way, it's very very cool.

2. A kickass diaper bag. The kind I'd want if I ever had a need for one.

3. A handmade crown. Supposedly it's for kids, but meh, I think I'd look HOT wearing it while cooking. Or drinking wine...

4. The coolest shower speaker ever. A perfect companion to my beloved shower clock.

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Want easy access to products recommended by Lori and Chicklet? Help support us by visiting the All Thumbs Store, which has no added markup. Just easy shopping, good prices, Amazon security and thumbs up ratings.

Repair My Hair!

While I hate to admit it, for awhile there, my hair got pretty damaged. Between washing it EVERY single day, blowdrying it EVERY single day, and tying it up in RATTY horrible hair ties whenever I was out running, my hair had fallen into dark dark days.

And while I was able to convince myself I was just having a "bad hair period" that I'd soon grow OUT of, my new hairdresser quickly put me in my place on visit numero uno. I think her words were, "Your hair feels like shit. We have to fix it.".

Humbly embarrassed and mildly ashamed, it didn't take much TWISTING of my rubber arm to sell me the most EXPENSIVE products she had in the store, reminding me that part of the reason my hair felt like SHIT was the cheap CRAP I was putting in it, the other part was my lack of attention to what my hair needed.

Off on my own to fix the SHIT that was my hair, I had three tasks:

1. Use Loreal's Absolut Repair Shampoo whenever I washed.

2. Use Loreal's Absolut Repair Masque whenever I washed.

3. Stop washing every day and buy some softer hair ties.

Two months later, I can happily say my hair is WAY softer, much less frizzy, and overall just hangs and behaves a WHOLE lot better. Admittedly I'm still washing it four times a week, and still blowdrying EVERY single one of those times, but that shampoo and conditioner have REALLY saved my hair.

Admittedly, they're also not cheap products by any means - they're more than I'd usually spend for SURE, but within just a few DAYS of using them, I started to see a difference. And within just a few WEEKS, I was getting compliments on my hair - something I hadn't heard in months.

Two definite thumbs up. Expensive but worth every penny.

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Time to Shower

So I've got me this REALLY bad habit, of staying in the shower for hours and hours and HOURS. And when I say hours and hours and HOURS, I actually mean it. If I were allowed, and if I had NOTHING else to do for the rest of my life, I'm pretty sure I'd just stay in the shower, for all time.

And it's not cuz I'm especially DIRTY (in either sense of the term), it's just that I like the shower. I like that I'm all alone in there and nothing else can bother me. I like that there's no DUTY or CHORES or anything hanging over me. I like that I can really really think, without even thinking at all. But mostly I like the hot water, cuz really, hot water running all over me, well that really may be one of my favorite things EVER.

But unfortunately, I'm a grown-up, and that means I have to WORK for a living - you know, to pay those damn bills. And working for a living means that at SOME point, I have to get OUT of the shower - something I struggle with, OFTEN. So to make sure that I really get to enjoy every last second possible in there, and to make sure I'm not suddenly three hours LATE for somewhere I need to be, I bought a shower clock - THIS shower clock.

And yea, to some of you the Zelco Aquatime Rope Clock might seem kinda boring, cuz it doesn't have a RADIO and it's not DIGITAL, and there's nothing very GADGETY about it, but the simplicity is exactly what I like about it.

I like that it's simply a CLOCK. If it were a CLOCK-RADIO, I'd spend half my time in the shower switching channels to listen to music that FIT my showering mood that day. Cuz starting my day off with the wrong music, could really RUIN everything.

I like that it's NOT digital, cuz in the morning, with no contacts in, there's no way in HELL I'm going to be able to see tiny digital numbers halfway across the shower while I'm trying to shave my beastly legs.

And I like that it hangs. I don't really know WHY this part appeals to me, but it does. Maybe cuz it's tidy and out of my way, maybe cuz it's like soap on a rope yet with much less scary connotations, I'm not sure. Either way, the HANGING portion, works.

So this clock, well, it's a big ol' two thumbs up again. Cuz while I may NEVER want to get out of the shower, having a clock IN the shower, does help me get the most out of my time in there.

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The last time I shaved my legs...

...was 7 months ago.

But my legs are smoother than they've ever been. You want proof? Rob hasn't worn protective leggings to bed the way he did every other night last summer.

I reallllllly hate shaving. It's a lot of work for legs that stay smooth a whole five-and-a-half hours. I was ready to give up my razor, the occasional painful nick, and the extra water and time consumed by bi-daily shavings. I was NOT, however, willing to spend a fortune or endure pain.

On the recommendation of a Style Matters column in my local newspaper, I set out to find a Braun epilator. I looked at my usual places: Target, Costco, and Walgreens. I couldn't find the $49.99 model suggested.

I also tried braun.com. Apparently you can't buy direct from there, so I ended up at Ulta. There I got the last Braun Silk Epil Xelle on the shelf for $70. (But since then I found a better price -- less than $59 through Amazon, if you can wait for delivery.)

Ouch! I thought. Pain in the purse. But then I remembered what my Venus blades were costing. I'd be ahead of the game in less than 2 dozen blades.

I gave it a go after my next shower (clean, dry skin is required). And I did what Style Matters suggested for the pain: I took ibu.profen 20 minutes beforehand.

The epilator, which looks a lot like an electric shaver, has two speeds and two heads, for four different sensitivity levels. I chose the lowest setting but quickly moved up because -- surprise! -- there was very little pain. And I, my friends, am a wuss.

I now power-pluck about once a week, and my legs stay pretty smooth in between treatments because only about a third of the follicles are active at any one time. And the re-growth isn't prickly like with shaving, because the top ends of the hairs hasn't been sheared.

My hope is that if I keep yanking the hairs out at the roots, that they will just get tired of replenishing. Wouldn't you? Is it my imagination, or is the forest hair on my leg a lot sparser now?

Going back to the low speed and the higher head, last week I ventured into bikini-land. And by that, I do mean the area not covered by a bikini. Well, a bikini I would wear, anyway.

A little sensitive, I must admit. Next time, I'll pop the Ad.vil ahead of time. Then I'll try again to pluck those suckers.

My only beef? The head is pretty slender, about 1.5 inches across. That means that each stroke cuts a small swath and that the regimen -- both legs top and bottom -- takes me about 15 minutes.

Hmmmmm. 15 minutes a week versus 15 minutes every other day. And smoother legs as a bonus.

I love my Braun epilator.

Two thumbs up.

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Want easy access to products recommended by Lori and Chicklet? Help support us by visiting the All Thumbs Store, which has no added markup. Just easy shopping, good prices, and thumbs up ratings.