How to Become a Professional Review Writer

As a professional reviewer, you can probably imagine one of the questions I get asked most often -- "how can I become a professional reviewer, too?"

Having been asked this very question twice already in one day, I thought it was time I tried to take a break from the reviews I have stacked up, and products waiting to be written about, and touch on this question just a little.


The answer is not a simple one, and I'd even go so far as to say there isn't necessarily an answer. 

I know, it's not the answer anybody wants to hear, and I apologize from the very depths of my pink heart, but the truth is that reviewing has so much to it. So much.

It simply wouldn't be possible to touch on every aspect and not leave cobwebs hanging around un-answered in the corners of your questioning mind.

The best answer I have, honestly, is to do what I did...

Simply start reviewing! 

This is one of those areas --  much like any type of writing where one intends to become a pro at--  where the old saying "just start writing" is applicable. 

That's just what I did.

I started by writing up informative reviews -- informative meaning your work must offer some kind of insight about the product that would truly, truly be helpful and useful to a potential buyer. A lot of times novice reviewers forget that their job isn't to sell the product, but rather to dig so deep into said product and manufacturer that you leave no stone un-turned. 

You must dig so deep that by the time you're through, you know everything from the ingredients in your product to important points about the manufacturer. How did they become a company? What made them start the business and create the product they did?

What about the product will stand out as worth it aspects and not worth it aspects to an owner of the product.

If I recall correctly, my first review was on a drugstore shampoo I'd used with really positive results for years. 

I simply started with what  I already had. I went and looked in my skincare box to see if any of the skincare products I use were worthy of a review, good or bad. I scoured my bathroom to look for any creams, soaps, and random hair-removal products that I had a particularly useful thing to share with the world about.

I even looked in my closet. 

But I didn't stop there.

As any professional reviewer does, I began to think like a reviewer, breathe like a reviewer, eat like a reviewer, act like a reviewer, and well, sometimes smell like a reviewer. You know what they say, there's a downside to every career, and sometimes, smelling is one of them.

I'm only kidding about that, but you really do have to learn how to get in the mind-set of the person it is you intend to be known as. Just like with anything in life, you have to get into  character if you want to do your best job at something. 

A dentist has to think about teeth, tongues, and gums before she/he ever holds that drill (ouch!) in her/his hands. 

A writer has to get in the mind-set of being one who writes before she/he can put words on paper. Well, read-worthy words, anyways. 

You get the point. 

Every product you see or use suddenly becomes a product you can learn something more about, something that isn't printed on the label for you. Something you have to find yourself. 

And that's when you have something to put to paper (or website.) 

If a product did something spectacular for you, then part of your job is already cut out for you. Start with that spectacular thing your brand new phone or wrinkle cream did for you. 

That is what readers/potential customers who your review is for in the first place are looking to find out when they Google it.

But it doesn't stop there, either.

There's so much that can be reviewed. Even things you wouldn't automatically think of reviewing can be reviewed.

What about your local restaurants? Most folks have a favorite, one they frequent so often that the waitress/waiters already know what you'll be ordering when you step in their front door.

What about that moving company you used last year that made life so much easier? 

I'll bet you guys didn't ever consider those areas as in-need-of-reviews, but they are. 

Consider the places you've purchased from online and loved their customer service, or fast shipping, or perhaps you had a free sample tossed in (a lot of companies do this as a thank you). Review them! Go to Yelp, or Google+, or heck, go to the actual website you purchased from, and leave feedback.

Many websites and online shops have a place where you can post a brief feedback piece or review and simply hit the submit button, just like if you were leaving a comment on a Facebook post. 

One good example of a website that's caught itself several well-written reviews (where folks stated all the useful details of their experience with the company, including what the company offered that you may not know just upon reading their homepage) is www.ontarioexteriorsolutions.ca. 

On their homepage, you are given the option (right in the right-hand corner) to click on the "HomeStars" button (a site where people can post feedback for a company, much like the website Yelp) so potential customers can easily read through the reviews that folks have left regarding their windows and doors, (and more) services.

If you're one of the people who have wondered how you can dive into the world of reviewing, but perhaps you've not found anywhere to share your insight, I highly recommend you take to sites like Yelp, HomeStars, and even take the time to post your review/feedback directly to a company webpage. Some sites will even have a "testimonials" page, like Ontario Exterior Solutions does, which features their customers' reviews directly on their website! That's something to be proud of.

By posting feedback/reviews on the actual company website, you allow potential customers to read your opinion/experiences right off the bat instead of having to go hunt down reviews for the product or service they're looking into, and I can assure you, folks will appreciate it. 

And so will the companies and businesses you're taking the time to leave feedback on. 


I would even say that this is the best place a person who wants to become a professional reviewer can start. Companies always appreciate feedback (well, 90% of them do.) And chances are, you may make some fabulous connections by simply leaving a paragraph expressing your appreciation over the awesome customer service you were lucky enough to have received. 

I use Ontario Exterior Solutions' website and reviews as an example of a company that makes it easy for you to share your opinion/reviews/feedback and also has a handful of well-written, quality feedback that you can learn from. 

Look at the points the reviewers made in their reviews for this company: 

One reviewer quickly states several extremely useful factors when they say that they were given a written quote. 

They go on to say that once they hired Paul, his team arrived on time and worked diligently

They also point out important aspects of the team's attitude while working the job using words like "polite, courteous, great team effort, neat, and tidy."



Just those short snippets of the first review posted for Ontario Exterior Solutions speaks volumes about the company. The reviewer put so many useful details into the review that one leaves the page feeling pretty comfortable about the team they may be hiring. They have an image of happy, positive attitudes working hard on the job they'll hire them for.

Of course, had their experience gone the total opposite of "polite, courteous, diligently working," etc. that review, while it wouldn't be likely to help the company gain more customers, will still prove to be useful to those out there who are looking to know something about the service/product they're contemplating purchasing, and that's where you become the helpful product reviewer. 

Whether you've had a nightmare experience at a local restaurant that served you a Coke with a bloated fly floating around within it, or you received excellent service from, say, Ontario Exterior Solutions, you have something you can provide to the people who are your audience -- your readers, everyday people who're considering using a product or service that you've already used and can help them along with their decision (or comfortability even) to purchase. 

That's what's in it for us reviewers. 

That is why we slave over research and ingredients and possible benefits of a product. 

So we can help our fellow shoppers make informed buying decisions before they even have to buy.

Truthfully, you do learn a lot from reviewing companies and websites who you shop with, so don't underestimate the impact of taking that step in becoming a reviewer. Over time, your reviews build and build, and you become someone who folks trust. Your opinion matters and will be the first one people seek when need guidance on a purchase.

My Pearl Of The Day - Zen Organics

                               ~My Pearl Of The Day~
                        Peppermint Foot Massage Lotion

  The wonderful Peppermint Foot Massage Lotion is like a miracle lotion from the equally wonderful Zen Organics.

  The Peppermint Foot Lotion is outstanding! It's proved to be far better than any foot massage lotion I've used. When compared to others, including the popular Dr. recommended, the Foot Lotion from Zen Organics completely out does the others! I've yet to use another foot massage lotion that I could compare to Zen's! I'm impressed to say the least.

  The Peppermint Foot Massage Lotion contains menthol and peppermint essential oil. The cool menthol sensations are soothing and take away sore, aching, tired feet while being massaged. The professional Foot Massage Lotion is lotion, not massage oil, but provides a slippery surface for easy sliding and gliding. It works just as well as a massage oil only better since there's no greasy mess and your left with beautifully soft and moisturized feet! I love how pretty feet look after using this. To really leave feet smooth, soft and pretty, use a pumice stone after soaking them in warm water then massage with the Peppermint Foot Massage Lotion. Nothing's better than that! This can also be used for other partial or full body massages. Works like a dream!

  As always, Zen Organics does not use toxic ingredients in the massage lotion. The ingredients include:

Peppermint Foot Massage Lotion Ingredients:
Ingredients: Purified Water, Glycerine, Helianthus annuus (Sunflower Seed*) Oil, Glycerol Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree*) Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Seed (Shea Butter*), Mangifera Indica Seed (Mango Butter*), Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile*)Extract, Sambucus Nigra (Elder Flower*) Extract, Lavendula Angustifolia (Lavender*) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary*) Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage*) Extract, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme*) Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Peppermint (Mentha Piperita*) Oil, Menthol, Citric Acid (from Citrus Fruit). *Organic, Certified Organic or Wild Crafted. No Artificial Color or Fragrance. No Animal Ingredients. No Animal Testing.



 

SkinBright Review

My PeArL of the day Skinbright



  I know some of you have heard of Skinbright products. I’ve been eyeing them for so long & finally got the chance to try it! I couldn’t resist adding it to my “PeArL of the day.”

                              ABOUT THE PRODUCT
The skin brightener by Skinbright is like an all in one product for both men & women. It’s great for areas of concern like discoloration, freckles, melasma, and spots and from what I understand it will vanish birth marks too. I have a strawberry birth mark above my lip. It was the color of blood and a little smaller than a quarter for most of my life, but I chose to keep it. I didn't use the skin brightener to fade it. 

                                      MY RESULTS
  Most of us have spots and discoloration and some aren’t comfortable with it. For instance, I’m a regular tanner & I get discoloration and spots. I have this huge area around my mouth that is more than slightly darker than the rest of my skin & it bothers me & I feel like it looks dirty.

  I've noticed a drastic change in that area as well as another sensitive area that I've recieved amazing results! I've nearly had my freckles on my chest completely vanish as well.

  I have a medium skin color and it did take a while before I noticed results, but that's to be expected with any skin brightening product.


I’ve been using skin brightener from http://www.skinbright.com to help the areas that I don’t like. So far, I'm very happy with the results.
My skin’s only 21 years old so I thought I’d give you the results of my mother’s as well. She had slight age spots, maybe 4 small ones & they’re all gone. I noticed a major difference in her skin almost immediately!I can’t even notice the discoloration & almost all of the spots have vanished! My mother has also been using it & reporting back with her results. Her skin looks amazing!





PROS:


1. Quickly gets rid of all discoloration, age spots, sun damage completely.


2. Works on even the most complicated and dark types of skin.


3. Leaves a really nice glow.


4. Reduces age spots.
5. I thought it seemed to help with acne spots too. I have a few dark blemishes that were cleared up with skinbright.


6. Treats freckles and scars.


7. I didn’t have any irritation or dryness.


8. Didn’t leave greasy residue behind and isn't uncomfortable on even the most sensitive areas, believe me!

9. Not tested on animals.


CONS

I haven’t experienced any cons with this product although on areas that are very sensitive, I did experience a little bit of a tingly like sensation, but nothing uncomfortable & it only lasts for a few seconds.

*Note: This product was recieved with no charge, just a review. You can find my honesty pledge at top of page.*

Much love my sweetie pies,

Kendra

Pheremone perfume that attracts men and plumped, juicy lips

Hello there my sexy little kittens. I've got a PeArL of the day for you that everyone will love!

  For the first lovely little pearl. I have 'Luscious Lips' from Luv Essentials 

Lovely tube!

  I applied the luscious lips clear lip gloss & immediately experienced the plumping sensation, which I thought was a nice subtle little tingle that lets you know it's working. It plumped those babies right up!

  I should add that I have used EVERY drugstore brand lip plumper including hard candy's. I've also use most others as well such as vicorias secret's plumping gloss & I'll say, the Luv Essentials lip plumper was mind blowingly amazing! I was seriously beside myself over this.

  In the past I used the other brands & Luv Essentials totally blew those out of the water even victoria's secret! The BF even noticed! He said "Whoa your lips are huge!" Ha ha. I also had my mother try it (we both have thin lips) and she took the beautiful tube of lip gloss in her powder room to apply. When she came out it was like BAM! Ha ha. I still get excited thinking about it.

  I just loved this lip plumper. I've been talking about it continuously for 2 days now. Unlike every plumper I've ever used, this vanilla with a hint of mint scented gloss does not leave that awful taste in my mouth & it doesn't hurt. Yes, I've actually used a lip plumper that hurt! It was called something injection & my lips felt like 100 needles had been inserted all over them. It didn't plump them, but swelled them like bee stings.

  I love that it's goes on clear & goes perfectly over any lip stick or stain. It certainly gets 100% in my book! I also couldn't help but fall in love with the tube it came in. It's beautiful!

  It kept my lips plumped and beautiful for hours although I couldn't get enough of it so I kept re-applying ever couple of hours. It doesn't burn or sting your mouth & isn't irritating when it gets inside your mouth. I could go on & on about this one, but I'll stop here.

 You can find the luscious lips lip plumper at: http://www.luvessentials.com/

                        PHEREMONES SILK PERFUME

  For those of you who aren't aware of the pheremones products, they're supposed to "attract men." I used the Silk perfume from http://www.luvessentials.com/ as well as a few others that I'll talk about later. I normally cannot handle perfumes at all. I'm overly picky because I've only met a handful of perfumes, scents, colognes that did not bring on my migraines. I hate it because it often means I can't smell nice.

  After rubbing a tiny dot of this Silk perfume on my wrist (afraid that it'd make my already migraine worse) I let it stay there an hour & had no worse of a migraine than I'd already had to begin with. So I decided since it smelled so amazing I'd go ahead and roll on more on both wrists & my neck after taking a BC powder to test the migraine. Great news, my migraine stayed gone! The perfume wasn't irritating at all. I couldn't get enough of it either.

                                      MAX ATTRACTION

  The cute blue dropper bottle full of pheremones is perfect for attracting some men! Max attraction is not very scented as far as I could tell, but you can use a perfume with it without having a ton of different scents. It's not really scented so you can use one of their other perfumes for smelling nice & this one for maximum men! Just use the dropper to apply a few drops to your wrists, neck, behind the ears. Purrfect!

                            SCENT OF EROS FOR WOMEN

  This perfume was my favorite! & keep in mind, I'm very picky with perfume. I only wear one kind of perfume, until now that is. I love this scent, it's so hott. It's just the perfect strength of scent. It's truly a beautiful scent. Kind of sweet with a very small hint of mint. I can't even find the words to describe it.

 

                              THE SCENT OF PHEREMONES

  I can't exactly describe the scent, but it sure was nice. Not too strong, but just enough to leave a subtle whiff when you walk by. I loved all of the products I tried. They are some of my favorite scents, and by the way I only have 2 favorite scents so that's pretty good! The BF also loved the way I smelled after using it!

                       ATTRACTING THE MEN (I think it works!)

  As for attracting the male sex, I can't say for sure what happened, but I did recieve a little extra attention than I normally do. I did get by with a little something lastnight that I'm convinced it was the perfume!

   You see, I had a birthday last month & my license expired & of course I've yet to renew them. I went into the liqour store & when we got to the counter the lady said she couldn't sale to me becuase my license were expired. I asked her why since I've been in there before & I truly didn't know why it mattered and she explained that it could be a fake ID.

   Then a guy I'd say in his 30's came over & asked to see my ID. He said "This is clearly not fake. Don't be harrassing these people all they wanna do is get their buzz on, let em' go ahead!" Ha ha. It was hilarious. So I told the BF on the way out that it had to be the perfume!

  I wore it today too, but I wasn't around many men. lol I saw my hairstylist for a trim & had to pick up a few things at Sally's & Wal-Mart. I did have a guy I went to school with hanging around & chatting though... (It's the perfume, I'm telling you!)

                               MY MOTHER'S RESULTS

  That's not all. My mother wore it to work too & she always has weird-o stalkers as it is, but apparently the perfume might have upped the dosage of weird-o stalkers! She had a man trying to sneak pictures of her! He's asked before to take her picture & she said no. He came back in yesterday and asked again when she said no he begged! Ha Ha!

 I also think it attracted my cats too! Fuzz decided she was going to rub her head all over my wrist & she's been angry with me for a month now! So, I'll keep using these & let you know more about the pheremone perfume. I'll test it out tomorrow. I only wore it for a few days so far so I'll have better results when I go out tomorrow. . . . Watch out men, here I come! (The BF might just end up having to pull the men off me! Ha. Ha. Kidding.)

 I can say that from what I've experienced so far, I'm sure this is an effective pheremone product. I can't wait to report back with what happens next! I'll also let you know about the other pheremone perfumes as I use them.

 Overall, I'd rate these products all a heft 10/10 by far! I really loved them. They're so fun & sexy at the same time! I was certainly over the top about them all.

  *I hope yall check out the pheremone products they have to offer & do let me know if you do, or if you have. Feel free to recommend which ones you liked. *


 

Good Clean Love: I'm in love with the sexy cooling cocoa mint body candy!

A hot, sexy pearl of the day for my hot, sexy kittens...

 This cocoa mint body candy from http://www.goodcleanlove.com/ adds a bite of cooling sensation & playfulness to your romantic experience.

  This is the body candy gives you a subtle cool sensation, which does add lots of fun! It smells nice, unlike most that leave your body smelling like a vapor chest rub.

                                   HOW TO USE IT
  All you have to do is apply generously anywhere you want kissed! I found the more you applied in an area, the more intense the cooling effect. It wasn't too much though. Kissing or licking the areas it has been applied is what seems to activate the cooling.

                                       WHAT IT DONE FOR ME  
  I really liked it. I thought it made things much hotter. It just adds a little extra, a subtle mint-y cooling. I was really happy with how it was so easy, no need to shower after using! I absolutely hate those types of products that end up ruining your bed sheets, (or dish towel that happens to be lying on the kitchen table - ahem!) & then end up all over your clothing when you get dressed. I loved that this product did not do any of those things. It keeps up well. By looking at it, I didn't expect the little guy to have so much power!

  It's comfortable. Doesn't leave that greasy or thick filmy layer on your body. I also love that it isn't unpleasant to taste. I was almost sure it would be yucky, but it really doesn't cause any nasty taste or irritation. I'm sure it wouldn't be pleasant to take a bite of, but it certainly doesn't hurt to get a little in your mouth... or a whole lot!

  The packaging said the product was not intended for internal use, but being the strange girl that I am, what did I do? Yall know everything has to pass the 'cooter test' with me! lol. It wasn't bothersome or anything. I wouldn't recommend using it as a lube or deliberately using it internally, but I did a tiny bit & there was no problems.

                     WHAT THE BOYFRIEND SAID ABOUT IT
  What did yall think I'd leave that part out? Ha! He said he really liked it! He didn't have any irritation or bad taste from it. He really found rubbing it on then licking & blowing air on it was very entertaining! lol Score for me!

                                           TEXTURE
  I was so glad that the texture was kind of waxy, not greasy & it isn't messy thank God! Who has time to clean up after a messy product? Also it's so frustrating when they get on clothing. This one was great. I had no problem with a mess. It stays in the place where you apply it.

  One thing that really made this company & their products stand out to me was their tastefullness & of course the wonderful product itself. But I loved so much that their online site is clean. I don't have to watch and xxx movie just to purchase from them. It may sound prudish, but those things mean a lot to women such as myself. I think it's amazing that they advertise their products without looking sex crazed.

  That alone gave me more trust in the company & products and it actually is one of the reasons why we made the decision to purchase from there now on. It's nice to have at least one good company around that can sell their items without having to add so much vulgarity. I just thought it really made things nicer.

  With that said, the high quality & the tasteful way they've put up their online store gives me comfort & they will be my first choice when purchasing love products. I think very highly of the company.

                                      WHAT ELSE?

  So far, I can honestly say that Good Clean Love's products have by far been both mine & the Bronson's favorites! I hope y'all stop by there and check out what they have to offer: http://www.goodcleanlove.com/

  I still have several other products of theirs setting on my vanity that I'm dying to try, but we decided to stick with using one item at a time that way I could give accurate results for each. It was a challenge to not try them all at once though! They all do seem amazing & I love that they are organic.


  All in all, this product is great & it'll certainly be staying around for a while. That little tin can sure has a lot of party inside! I'd give it a 5.   I plan to purchase more from them in the future & I will certainly leave my thoughts for you guys on those too.

*Please do let me know your thoughts & if you've used or plan to use goodcleanlove's products! I really want to know what products you liked. Recommend some to me for a change. :)*

Liz Earle Cleanse & polish - review

 Hello my beauties I have an amazing PeArL Of The Day for y'all!
          Cleanse & Polish hot cloth cleanser from Liz Earle.
I haven't ever used any of their products before & actually haven't ever heard much of them until recently. So I've not used many of their items, only the Cleanse & Polish kit. Here's what I got out of it...

 The kit came with a lovely little bag & 2 muslin cloths which I was ecstatic about. I've read so much about muslin in my herbal body book, but never had a clue what it was. It's good stuff although I'm still a little confused about how to wash the cloths. I'm afraid I'll mess them up.
                                         HOW IT WORKS
 You clean your face with the cleanse & polish then use the warm, damp muslin cloth to wipe it off and splash with cool water. I was a bit iffy at first because I was worried the cloth alone wouldn't be enough to get all the make-up and dirt off, it worked very well! I love that cloth. It cleans everything off!

  I didn't notice much of a difference in my skin except that it was extremely dry after the first use. It got better after I kept using though. Unfortunately, I have very dry skin so I do have to use my exfoliating cleanser along with the Liz Earle cleanse and polish.

  With several more uses, I did find that my skin seemed to be glow-y and pores were nice & less noticeable.

 For those of you like me, who wear crazy make-up like turquoise glitter & neon purple eyeshadow this product is very good with removing all make-up, however I felt like the muslin cloth is necessary for the removing. 

 Working together, the muslin cloth & cleanser make a good team for cleaning and removing; not too rough, but gets the job done.

  This soft and creamy cleanser smells nice, it's like a mini-aromatic experience.

                                    THE WRAP-UP
  Overall, I really did enjoy the product. I'd be lying if I said using it was not a very nice experience. I really loved the product. I just hated that it didn't seem to help some of the problems I tend to have with my skin such as dryness, and those once a month little red bumps. Ladies, you know what I mean & for those of you who tend to get small, but several breakouts around that time, you will want a cleanser that will help that as well. I'm just one of those people who like to have an all-in-one type of thing. I like to be able to use one cleanser that does it all rather than paying $20 for a cleanse & polisher then forking over another $13 for an exfoliator & acne cleanser, not to mention the toners, anti-agers on top of it!

 It's a nice product, however I believe I'd be able to really make a decision as to which way I'm leaning had I tried other products by Liz Earle as well. So I love it, I do. I'm just a complicated skin kind of girl.

 You can visit http://www.lizearle.com/ online to shop around and see what they have to offer.


*you can find my honesty pledge at the top of the page*

Much love sweeties,
Kendra

Dr. wheatgrass

Hello again my beautiful readers,
I have a short one for y'all.

I received a sample of Dr wheatgrass' skin recovery cream, my review is in!

 The wheatgrass cream from http://www.grassfactor.com/ is great for skin problems such as dry skin, eczema, molluscum and from what I've gathered it's suppose to heal anal fissures too. The lotion actually contains wheatgrass! How cool is that? Y'all know how I've recently became very fond of wheatgrass pills so I was so stunned to learn that the company offers wheatgrass skin recovery cream as well!

 I had a small amount to use & I really liked it. I thought it made a wonderful foot cream as well! It's got a bit of a mint-y scent, not bad at all though.

 PROS:

1. Healing & I love that it really works on skin problems that are so common, but so tough to treat. That's amazing!

2.  It's organic.

3. I love that with wheatgrass, the results are practically never ending.

4. Perfect for dry skin even the toughest skin like on feet. Heals cracked heels too!

CONS:

1. I'm a cheapie so I did kind of find the prices to be a little high, but that's my opinion.

2. I believe with this product it can take using it regularly for a while before you see really big results so I was unable to really get a good idea of the entire benefits which I'm sure are outstanding.

Other than that, I believe highly in the product!

*Read my honesty pledge at top*

My PeArL of the day ~ brown sugar & lemon grass - it gets me going!

   Hello my sparkling little kittens,
I'm here again to bring you my luxurious, mouth watering, get-you-going PeArL of the day...

  First, I'll let the picture do the speaking.

This is the Brown Sugar Body Scrub from http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/ it contains brown sugar and butters! How amazing does that sound? Multiply that by 10. I have never in my life used or even known of a body scrub like this. It's truly mind blowing!

   The smell of it alone just gets me going. It smells like a very rich desert, you can definitely smell the ingredients. It has a hint of lemongrass scent too. It's enough to make my mouth water. It's extremely rich. I loved that it wasn't "just another one of those body scrubs." This one was much more than that. It's a pretty powerful little scrub. Many scrubs tend to make you soft, but they don't always seem to be very cleansing. This one, I found to be all.

   PROS:
1. Cleansing with the perfect level of exfoliation, not too rough, not too subtle.

2. It gets the job done, but leaves a beautiful scent. Perfect for a relaxing shower.

3. Leaves your skin more beautiful than ever, glowing, so soft. It doesn't leave a single patch of dead/dry skin behind and still leaves your skin flawlessly smooth. I actually said "My legs look gorgeous!" to the B/F after I showered. If you know me, you know I don't say things like that often.

4. Thick & rich. When I say rich, I mean rich like gourmet chocolate!

5. Results are not temporary. Most scrubs I've used end up being good until a week later, it seems they just don't quite stick to their job & they only keep your skin smooth for a few hours. The Brown Sugar Scrub from http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/ will never slack on the job! It has kept my entire body, (keep in mind this body goes through quite a bit of tanning bed visits) flawless & 100% smooth.

6. A scent so rich & luxurious.

7. The only way I know how to describe this scrub is to say it left my skin like silk and that is an understatement!

  The only thing I didn't care for was that it did seem to clog my razor, but it the company did not claim that it wouldn't so by no means do I blame them.   

   I can truthfully say the scrub is more promising than it claims. The razor clogging was more than likely from the scrub being so rich, not greasy. Had it not been, it probably wouldn't do as great of a job; a little razor clogging is totally worth it.

 The search is over. I have found 2 of the best sugar scrubs ever. This is certainly one of them.
 
  Go ahead, see for yourself. http://www.justnaturalskincare.com/

Much love to y'all. Check back for my upcoming PeArL. HINT: Lemongrass, baby!

-Kendra 

Wonderful skincare product! California Body

I always try to let y’all lovely readers in on all of my favorite, sometimes strange products and such. I have found another one worth blogging about! It would be my new pearl of the day…


California Body Care’s Fruit Enzyme Peel from http://www.californiabodycare.com/

I’ve actually got the peel on my face at this very moment! I really like it. I’ve used masks before, many, many different kinds and never really had results. In rare cases, I’d get a tiny glow for an hour or two after the mask came off. Nothing special. I’ve only used one other facial peel before and it was the kind you get from Wal Mart or CVS. I experienced no results from the peel whatsoever. I have used mud masks, Dead Sea, red sea, sea of this and sea weed of that and still came out with either a blistered face, or nothing at all.

I just rinsed the peel off of my face and let me just say WHOA! The directions said to leave on for 10-15 minutes then rinse. I however, got busy and left it on for about 30 minutes. I can’t believe how soft and velvet-y my face feels! My fingers are even soft from using them to apply to my face!

It honestly feels like a really soft, plush blanket. That is the only way I know to describe it and my pores are barely visible and as I’ve said before, they’re normally huge.

I am in the process of trying several different products from California Body http://www.californiabodycare.com/ (Check them out!) at the moment so I will be sure to keep updating you on each product. So far, I haven’t needed my usual moisturizer or make-up. It seemed to even my skin color and clear away all patches and discoloration. I have never in my life seen my skin looking so truly pretty. Normally you would never hear me call my skin pretty, far from it actually. I found the results to be absolutely stunning. That’s why I just couldn’t resist a photo. I just had to show the results.

And as crazy as it is, I am not wearing any make-up whatsoever. I’m sure that’s obvious. (lol) & before you even go there, you should know this photo was taken at 4:40 AM, with a migraine, olive oil in my hair and no masc1ara which is a huge deal to me! Lol. Let’s move on to the pros and cons, or should I just say the pros?

PROS:

1. This peel left my face very soft.

2. It’s organic.

3. Cleared up slight un-even skin tone.

4. Practically made my pores disappear! Wow!

5. Got rid of dead skin.

CONS:

1. So far the only thing I could even dream up is that I felt a tiny bit of tightness afterwards, but hardly enough to even matter. My skin wasn’t dry at all and the tightness more than likely came from tanning and my always having dry skin. Certainly not enough to where I even needed moisturizer. So I can’t really say there’s any cons here.

*I plan to write a review for the other California Body products I've been using. They certainly have some outstanding skincare products!

Valentine's PeArLs - Tom's of Maine (Ladies and men)

  Hello my sparkly little rock-stars! That one really works for me.

I've got one of my best PeArL's of the day all for you.  

This one is from http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products 

  I have the natural soap bar and just by looking at it, I had no idea what a great product it was until I stepped into my shower.

 "Our Stewardship Model Standards for Natural, Sustainable, and Responsible guide our ingredient selection and formulation development." Stated on Tom's of Maine's online store.

 

  I have to say, the above quote from their site, is true. One use of their product and you can literally feel how much effort & care was put into their products. And that's far more than I can say about most. Yes, I am picky about what products I use on my body and face.

   A lot of people see "all natural products" and think nothing about it. I used to until recently when I tried Tom's of maine's soap and the last review I stated I had used another all natural product and these two products are what made me a real believer in the importance and quality of natural products.

 If you're picky like me about the products you use on your face and body and the quality, then I hope more than anything that you'll check out these. Take a closer peek here: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products

  Now for the Pro's and Con's list:

PRO'S

1. It's all natural ingredients.

2. Cruelty free. I don't know about you, but that is a make or break for me. I respect any company who chooses not to be cruel to animals.

3. Contains Vitamin E which contains Antioxidants which I love becuase of their wonderful powers like anti-aging. Contains jojoba, olive, palm and coconut oils! I love coconut more than anything. I love the taste, the smell, the look and all. All of these ingredients have some of the best skin healing and protecting properties.

4. It smells oh so alive! It smells fresh, you know? Not like most soaps Tom's Of Maine's has a very fresh and beautiful scent.

5. One of my favorite things about the bar of soap I used was that it didn't leave a weird residue like every single bar soap I've ever touched in my life! I don't know if you've ever noticed the film-y residue it leaves behind. You can actually feel it. And I hate the smell of most bar soaps. This one does NOT leave a pasty, nasty residue. You actually ARE clean when you wash with it. It doesn't just give you a nice cooling sensation that says I may have done my job and got you clean, but you'll never know. It cleans ya.

6. Moisturizing! Yall know the trouble I've had with dry skin and products that claim to moisturize until lately.

7. It is milled four times for premium quality. See, I told yall I bring you nothing but the best!

8.  You know what you get. Tom's of Maine provides you with a  full list of every ingredient in the product.

I could go on & on about this one.

CON'S

There are no con's on Tom's of Maine's soap bar. The only thing it didn't do was grow a set of arms and scrub me itsself!  As pleasant as that sounds, I can not complan! lol

  Another thing that I love about Tom's of Maine is that it isn't just soap, you can find just about all of your basic need products, all natural! They have everything from toothpast to deodorant! I should also mention that you can choose from frangrance or frangrance free. I like a little scent so I'll always choose frangrance.

  I hope you decide to check these out too! I truly believe Tom's of Maine's products are worth your while. They were worth mine. I don't think I'll ever be able to care for regular old drugstore brands! I can't get over how wonderful the quality of a bar of soap can be.

You can check them out at: http://www.tomsofmaine.com/products  

  Men, just because it's bath products does not mean it's ladies only! You can also get the "Relaxing bath Bar" as well which will be the next sparkle in my shower. Sounds like a great valentine's gift doesn't it?

My PeArL of the day - Crabtree & evelynn

Hello beauties,

I'm sorry that y'all haven't heard much from me lately. I've had a lot going on between business stuff, working on orders, running on no sleep & my mother being robbed again. I do have a pearl of the day for you though! Later, hopefully I will be able to post a little more detailed story of my latest, but for now I promise you don't want to miss this PeArL!

 Y'all know I'm always on the hunt for the best & once again I'm bringing it to you!

This is the CITRON Honey and Coriander body lotion and skin cleansing shower gel from www.crabtree-evelyn.com  They are 100% natural and I really loved them! This is only the second body lotion I've used that has not left my hands and body sticky or greasy. Also the scent is wonderful! I give it a 5 out of 5! It has a "woody, citrus, scent with a bite of pepper." You wouldn't be able to tell just by the name, but it really is good stuff. I loved the scent too! It's perfect for dry skin. I've been using it after tanning and it's worked perfectly to keep my skin from feeling tight, dry, and peeling! I love that you can use it all over without getting a sticky residue or unpleasant scent.

Pros:
1. It's all natural.
2. Smells amazing!
3. The scent seemed to be very energizing/uplifting. Yes, that is possible when you purchase from a manufacturer that puts hard work into their products.
4. Perfect for dry skin! I'm usually only able to find relief in Jergen's lotion when it comes to dryness, but this lotion does the trick without the sticky and with a great smell!
5. Super long lasting scent. When I say long lasting, I mean I still get whiffs of the nice scent even the next night when I'm ready to shower again.
6. Super long lasting moisturization. I hate that most all lotions only seem to help dry skin for a few minutes, but this one works for what seems to be days!

Con's
-Not a single one!

I really hope you check out their other great products! You can find them for great prices at www.crabtree-evelyn.com 

They're having an amazing sale right now too so you better get there quick! They're bath products are unbelievably outstanding!

Scrubz amazing sugar scrub-my new must have!

I know what you're thinking no! not another review! But there is a very important reason why I was dying to post this one. Normally I'd save it for next week, but this can not wait.

 Has anyone else ever used Scrubz from http://www.scrubzbodyscrub.com I used the Pink Grapefruit Sugar Scrub (Scrubz)  for the first time the other day and I had no idea that it was possibly for my face and legs to feel so good! It came with the cutest little scooper too.

 Anyways, It's a sugar scrub. All of Scrubz products are 100% natural! Let me tell you, the grapefruit smelled so good I wanted to eat it... so I stuck out my tongue and swiped it across my face. It was good! But please know that it is NOT food, not made for eating, or licking. I did that at my own risk because I'm strange. It clearly says not to ingest so don't. I did, but like I said, I did it to myself. lol

 Ever tried other body scrubs/sugar scrubs? I have tried brands you can purchase at drug stores and bath & body works sugar scrub. You see, my mother is beyond obsessed with bath & body works so she's had me using their products since I was a kid. I used their body scrub and it clogged my razor & did not feel so silky smooth afterwards at all. It smelled good, but that was it. I once said I will never buy anything but Bath and Body works. I lied.

Scrubz sugar scrub also helps circulation and my legs and face felt like a new pair of legs and a new face! Yall know how I have to use specific lotion for my face each and every day. I also started wearing foundation on my face 2 years ago when I realized my anemia and health issue caused my face to be pale & at times look like I was dead. I am naturally pretty dark, but my face would be so pale.

 I walked out of the house & went shopping with out a stitch of make-up except for mascara & without my facial lotion for the first time in years after I used the Scrubz on my face & legs. Yes, you can even use it on your face! I had no peeling, dryness, discoloration. I even went to the tanning bed without having to use tons of lotion on my body or face afterwards thanks to the natural oils in Scrubz! That's never happened before!

 My face was so glow-y and clear I couldn't even see my own pores. That's also never happened before. Mine are usually big enough to store loose change in!

 The only complaint I could possibly muster up on this product would be that I didn't learn about it sooner.

 Remember earlier I mentioned how my mother used only Bath and Body works. I mean she has so much that she's more than likely the woman our local Bath & Body has to thank for keeping them in business! So I handed her the container of Scrubz and told her to use it & tell me what she thinks...

 Needless to say, she is no longer a bath & body works only kind of girl! That expensive container of razor clogging scrub she always has in her shower has been replaced with Scrubz natural sugar Scrubz! It only took one use to convert her.

 You can also get Scrubz for any other need, such as shaving & it even comes with a razor! You get a really great amount too which is amazing because most sugar scrubs come in such small amounts.

 *Let me know if you are a Scrubz lover too! Tell me what Scrubz product you use. And if you've never tried it before you should really check it out! I'm so picky about the products I use & I've rarely wrote a review stating that a product is a MUST for me, but Scrubz will be one of my musts. Check out Scrubz at: http://www.scrubzbodyscrub.com/

 You can choose from SO many different products, it's hard to choose. They all sound so good. The products are all 100% natural, which is an amazing quality! I could go on and on, but I just can't even put in words how well this Scrub made me feel.*


PRO'S:

1- Best smelling! The pink grapefruit scent is the one I used and the smell was the best!

2- Scored me EXTRA compliments & rubbing by the B/F. Yes, he could smell how delicious I smelled after using it the night before! So that means the scent lasted from 5AM to 8PM. He swiped his hand across my back & not even an hr later I scored a back rub! Oh yes!

3- No razor clogging! I had to throw away a brand new razor each time I used other scrubs. Tom's of Maine scrub did not clog or grease up my razor at all. It actually made shaving far more comfortable & less razor burn/bumps!

4- No more using facial lotion for my outrageous peeling/dry skin.

5- I also have terrible little bump type things on my upper arms. It's a common condition where your upper arms have a lot of redness and are rough with what appears like "bumps." I've never gotten rid of them. Tanning helps, but only if I burn. I've used everything for it even sea salt scrub and it never goes away. The Scrubz sugar scrub I used has completely cleared it up and I haven't seen one sign of the bumps or redness since the first use!

6- I really love that by purchasing it helps donate money to extremely important causes such as  breast cancer.


I have no con's for this product. I like small price tags, these aren't high at all, thought considering how great they really are. I know it sounds crazy to not have just one single con about a product, but there is nothing I don't love about it. It's helped with a lot of skin issues I seem to have when nothing else would. I hope you decide to check it out too! If so, let me know which one's you like I might try them too!

To view Scrubz products, go here: http://www.scrubzbodyscrub.com/pb/wp_45a0a6b3.html?0.11271322433404263

a great PeArL of the day today!

Clinique "Take the day off" Makeup remover for lids, lashes and lips.
I love Clinique! Especially their facial items. This make-up remover is
The best I've used so far. Another perk, it's really nice looking!

This make-up remover actually gets the job done. I don't know about you but I don't enjoy scrubbing the skin off my face just to remove my NON-waterproof makeup.

The removers I used before done nothing that water didn't do. I've used
the drugstore brands and even one of my favorite foundation brands, Almay. And even their's didn't do the trick. They all left my face with a nasty sticky feeling, one brand broke me out, none of them actually removed the make-up, instead it just smeared it all over my face.

I couldn't tell you how many times I ended up with bright turqoise
shimmer eye shadow still on my eyes & cheeks 3 days later (even after scrubbing with removers!) Well not anymore. Turqoise eye-shadow, you my friend are a GONER! lol It won't irritate your skin & it seems to give it a nice glow. No residue!

There is only one thing that I dislike about this one & it's the prices
I love Clinique with all my heart, but honestly a woman can't always
fork over the cash when there is bills to pay. Their prices aren't terrible, just not always affordable like drugstore brands.

Since, Clinique is one of my favs, I thought I'd let you in on some of their items I keep on hand. That would be the other 2 products in the picture above. One is primer/eyeshadow you can use it for both. It goes on great & doesn't crack or crease or smear! Now that's really tough to find in a cream shadow.

The other is hydrating cream which works great & isn't greasy, leaves no residue. The reason I love this one is because you can use it with your make-up & it doesn't cause streaks. You can even use it on top of foundation!

Maybelline's Falsies mascara

 I thought I'd add a pic on this one. I know it's one terrible pic but I couldn't seem to get one that didn't make me & my eyes look really strange. lol So, this is my eye lashes with the falsie mascara on.  I've been using it for a while now and it's ok. My eyelashes are naturally super long so this mascara only added just a tiny extra to them. It's pretty good. I like it but, for someone with short eyelashes, I wouldn't recommend you buy this thinking it will really add much length because it doesn't. It works about the same as the colossal lashes.

 The pros: Good price $6 at dollar store. Pretty container lol. It's just as good as the other cheap brands.

 Cons: I didn't notice any difference in the length of my lashes. It seems to space them out and clump several lashes into one little twig lol. It's not too bad for someone who already has long lashes. But if you're looking to actually make them appear longer than they really are then, this won't do it.

 I still have to say that my favorite mascara is maybellines Pulse Perfection but only because the brush works so good. The brush keeps them from clumping and it actually shows all of your lashes instead of clumping lashes into one twig. Ya get what I'm trying to explain? If you're big on mascara you know what I mean.

 All in all, it's a decent mascara but doesn't really do what it claims. I love the pulse perfection mascara but it's way too pricey when you have to buy a new tube every 2 weeks. The only good thing about pulse perfection is the amazing brush. So, for now I will stick with the falsies mascara but only because of the cheap price.

Smooth Away review

 I've been meaning to do a post on the smooth away product, but haven't had a chance. I'm sure most of you are well aware of this product as it has been advertising everywhere from television to magazines for at least a year now.

 Needless to say, I was one of the fools who rushed out to buy the smooth away product that claims to make hair disappear with a little rub.

 Yea that's not exactly how it works. I wanted so badly for this thing to work and be my answer to every single unwanted hair. It didn't. It seems to work at first when you rub it across your arm and then feel to see if you feel any hair. I didn't feel but a few hairs.... until I actually looked at my arm! It really makes your skin feel extremely soft and it seems that it makes the hair thin so that when you rub the skin you feel no hair. But that's hardly the case. If you look at it, you see hair!

 After vigorous scrubbing, in hopes that it would magically work, it seemed to make the hair less prickly on my legs and shorter but it did not by any means get rid of hair.

 Hmmm... I guess there will always be some disappointments in life. I'll manage.

VOTRE VU REVIEWS

 I have ordered several thing from the Votre Vu line of skincare products. I was really unsure about paying the prices because to me, they were pretty high (some of em') and the brand isn't a popular one, or at least I hadn't ever heard of it but, I had the 3rd person ask me to do a review on a few of their products so, I forked over the cash and ordered:
the Votre Vu attentive cream for sensitive skin which is a moisturizer. It was ok. That's about all I can say. It didn't do anything special. I have really dry skin so I have to use moisturizer but this stuff didn't seem to do anything that the $3 moiturizers don't do. I wouldn't ever purchase it again.

 I also ordered the Votre Vu Tarte D'amande, rich souffle lotion type thing. It's almond pie scented and smells great but, didn't work any better than wal mart's lotion. Actually the Jergen's overnight repair and pretty much their entire line is 10x better than this Votre Vu.

 Then, I tried the eye gelee. It's for eye bags and dark circles. I hated that it didn't do a damn thing for mine and the sad part is that my eye circles and bags aren't too bad at all and it still didn't work well. I noticed no difference.

 As for the Votre Vu attentive allergic reaction serum, I have yet  to need it but, my hopes are not up.

 Then there's the Votre Vu Fleur Blanc tonic for all skin. It's a tiny spray/mist thingy and I am not exactly sure what the results were supposed to be but, once again I saw no results. The little spritz thingy though, it's kinda nice to spray on but, thats it.

 I also tried the same spritz type tube that was for hands and feet, not sure what it done either!

 Then the face mask, it was so greasy! I couldn't seem to get it off. The next day, my entire face broke out which I was sure came from this mask. I havent ever had breakouts like this and never in the areas where they came about. Needless to say, I will not buy this crap ever again! Also, I have yet to get my skin to clear up from that dang mask!

 I do not recommend. Have you used it and got better results? Please let me know :)

I love hearing from yall!

My PeArL of the day

         My PeArL of the day...

I've been using this shampoo for several days now and so far, Im happy with the results. It certainly brings the volume! But, I have to straighten my hair so it takes a little of it down but, so far, good.

I also use herbal essence's straightening shampoo, comes in a pink bottle. It really helps you to manage it better and it helps the straightening process to go much smoother!

THINGS THAT VIBRATE... THE GOOD & THE BAD.

~THINGS THAT VIBRATE~

It seems that every product out there vibrates these days. You can buy mascara that vibrates, panties that vibrate, facial cleanser devices that vibrate, tooth brushes that vibrate, seats that vibrate, game controllers that vibrate, vibrators that vibrate! I've wondered, what is up with this vibration trend and what's so great about it! So I set out on another one of my 'missions' to find this out.

I tested many of these vibrating products including the tooth brush, neutrogena wave, and maybelline's pulse perfection vibrating mascara. Here's what I found...

Well, for starters, I found that we are a little obsessed with vibrating. Then, the mascara. Maybelline's pulse perfection vibrating mascara, results: AHMAZNG! was it worth the whopping 11 bucks? No. I think what I liked most about the mascara, was the mascara itself and the brush. I don't even use the vibrate button because it pokes my eye! I like the mascara but I find that others like lash stilleto works just as well. What I do, is I just stopped buying the mascara because the price, so I've kept my old brushes and now I use them to apply my cheaper mascara. Works just as well!

And for the vibrating tooth brushes, I didnt care for them. They made my head feel funny with all that vibrating but if they really do get in between teeth to clean better then, I guess for some people thats great. For me, its too pricey. Im all about those bargains! And have found many ways to make bargains work just as good as the high end stuff.

Now, the NEUTROGENA WAVE. I started using this product about a year ago. I went out and bought a bunch of the pads and the wave. For the first 3 weeks it worked well, not the best but it was decent. It dried out my skin badly though! After using it for almost a month. I finally had to trash it. It did no good for my skin. It did not clean my pores at all. I was so disappointed! But I guess that's how it goes. I've read in magazines that neutrogena is one of the best products so I've forced myself to purchase and use, purchase and use. I finally realized that this brand IS NOT for me and just because it says its the best in a magazine, does not always mean it's the best for you. I don't know why it took me 4 years to get that through my head. WOW, the power magazines have over us. huh?

As for the vibrating panties, I'm sorry to disappoint but I've never purchased or used them. Now, other vibrating products, I have but not this type. I don't think they would be for me though.

Leave your reviews too! comment or email: kendra30752@yahoo.com