Grandpa Simpson and Lisa Frank Giveaway WINNERS

Did you read my post about Jergen's Body Lotion that ended up being a giveaway for pure shea butter and African black soap? OPIAddict and Vintage Makeup did! They won the awesome goods. Thanks loyal readers. :)

Did you read the post about me spying Lisa Frank stickers and being transported right back to the '70's? Uncouthandlovingit did. She's getting a set of 1886 Lisa Frank stickers to decorate her locker any way she wants to. Thanks for being a loyal reader, hon.

While it is amazing to have over 1060 followers, it's humbling to have readers. My giveaways are for my readers rather than random folks wanting a free prize. Will you be a loyal reader? I hope so.

Sample Sunday: OPI Avoplex Revitalizing Hand Scrub

Sample Saturday just may become Sample Sunday. It seems that it falls easier for me to do on Sundays.

Today's sample is a delightful surprise. I didn't think it would be anything special, as I have used lots of different hand scrubs. But I like this one!...

This sample came in the latest addition of a nail magazine. I got to try OPI's Avoplex Revitalizing Hand Scrub.

OPI's Avoplex line is all about moisturizing your skin; mainly, your hands and nails. The foundation of the products is avocado oil. As a woman that has dry and drying skin, healthy oils are welcome.

And OPI's Revitalizing Hand Scrub fits the bill...

This scrub smelled citrus-y and fresh. The scrub felt like it was hydrating right off the bat. As I scrubbed it into my hands and cuticles, the avocado oil was working and the salts were exfoliating. As I rinsed my hands, the water was beading off my skin and leaving a smooth and clean surface.

It was particularly pleasant to have the moisturizers stay on my skin even after drying them with a towel. My skin felt soft and my cuticles were hydrated.

I know I can pick up OPI products at Ulta. And this scrub is one that I feel does an excellent job and delivers as promised. OPI Avoplex Revitalizing Hand Scrub has found a place at the vanity.

Have you had the luxury of trying this hand scrub?

Toss or Trash: February 2012 Part 3

I've talked enough trash in the last 2 posts, it's time to wrap this up! I will admit that doing this series does help me focus on using up products or deciding that a product isn't going to work the way I want it to. That's my reasoning on having so much to post about.

Last round-up of trash:

Starting from the left: Secret antiperspirant/deodorant; Ulta's Passionberry Vanilla body wash; Moroccanoil; Gud Vanilla Flame body wash; Rimmel's Volume Flash Mousse mascara.

Secret is one of my favorite deodorants. But here is were I am super fickle. When I need to buy deodorant, I'll get what is on sale from an array of popular brands. I have two different ones that I use, at any time, so my body doesn't become accustomed to just one. Secret seems to go on sale a lot because it does end up on the vanity often.

Ulta's Passionberry Vanilla was OK as a wash. But the fragrance was too weak to consider more purchases of this brand.

Moroccanoil is awesome. If you haven't tried an argan or moroccan oil, you should try this one. It's the best of the best. I got this as a sample from the Orlando Premiere show last year. I love using this. I do have an oil I love better. However, this is a very close second. That little bottle lasted me a long time. The sense is scrumptious and my dry hair drinks this in. I have the regular type in a larger bottle. But I wanted to see how this 'light' one worked out. With my hair type, I can use the regular consistency. The vanity approves of this product highly.

gud is not good, in my opinion. I did a post on my disappointment and you can read it here. I used this up fast. I will not be replacing it.

Last and finally, I tried Rimmel's Volume Flash Mousse mascara. I did like this but again, it was another product that dried up fast. I think because this was of a fluffy consistency that it had more air in it. Thus, it dried out before I could use it all up. I did like the way it smoothed on. I won't replace this mascara because I just have too many already. There wasn't anything that special about this one.

Tell me which products you have tried that I've listed. What's your take on them?

Toss or Trash: February 2012 Part 2

These next two parts are going to talk trash. Yep, MY trash too. But this is trash you can even share with your Grandma...

Ta Da...My first photoshopped photo! The top one was the only one in focus so I had to attempt to correct. Can't complain because I did this without any instructions.

Let me list the products, from left to right, starting in the back: Lendan Infinitime; Zoya Remove+; Garnier Moisture Rescue; Silk Elements Shea Butter with Olive Oil; WT??? That stinky-ass body butter!; Avon Moisture Therapy lip balm; Olan Laboratories Nail Optimizer; Avon High Definition mascara.

Starting with the age delay perfection skin serum; Infinitime. That's a hard name to say! I won this in a giveaway from Australia. It's expensive and the packaging is pretty. If I could get it again, I don't think I would. I liked it but it wasn't anything special. My skin was moisturized and soft. But that's about it and I have plenty of other moisturizers that match up.

Next is Zoya's Remove+. If you are reading nail blogs and haven't read about this, I'm going to take your temperature because you must be feverish! This polish remover is famous and loved by many. I'm in that group. I bought a huge bottle and use this pump at the vanity. Well, this one is thrown away; I have a second one. My dried, crackled, whacked cuticles love this product. Totally recommend!

Next is Garnier Moisture Rescue. I love this cleanser. It is my favorite skin care item on the vanity at the moment. When I wash my face, it will dried out in a matter of minutes. I get a few more minutes with Moisture Rescue. This stuff is creamy, gentle, removes my makeup and doesn't turn my face into a desert. Love it...lots!

Now we are on to Silk Elements Shea Butter with Olive Oil. That's a lot of moisturizing properties in there. My hands cheer every night when I use this. I slather on a healthy amount and into the cotton gloves they go. And this hand cream smells GOOD!! I got this at Sally's before Christmas. I got two because I was going to save one back for part of a giveaway package. This one is done and I took the prize.

Front row and I'm not EVEN going to talk about that icky-stinky butter. Go here if you have to know about it. Blech! (I did fail to mention I purchased it at Sally's.)

The next two are favorites. The lip balm is Avon's Moisture Therapy and I keep one of these on my nightstand. I use this right before turning in. To make it short, I have dry lips but I never let them get dry. I like Moisture Therapy lip balm because it has no taste, no smell. During the day, I like a nice smelling gloss or balm, but not at bedtime.

And next to the balm is Olan Laboratories Nail Optimizer. I was turned onto this nail treatment by a nail tech I went to when I lived in Virginia Beach, VA. My nails are on the weak side so she recommended this as a base coat to help strengthen my nails and to hold the polish on. It works. When I moved her to Orlando, I found that Ulta sold this. But, sadly, they had it in the clearance bin. I went to 3 different Ulta's to buy up what was left. I'm set for a while. Luckily. That will give me time to see where else I can find it or a replacement product.

And next, down in front, is Avon's High Definition Mascara in black. It was OK. But I have a lot, tons of mascara. High Definition doesn't stand out so I won't seek out to replace it. In fact, it may be discontinued. No worries.

Our trash days are Tuesday and Friday. All these got sent to the curb last night. Those items that I liked, I have already replaced. Others are replaced by something I already have.

But wait...there's more! I was so trashy in February. I will continue on with Part 3 next.

Let me know if you have tried any of these and what your opinion is.

Toss or Trash: February 2012 Part 1

February was a good month for tossing and trashing. In fact, so much so, I'm doing this post in 2 parts. First, let's talk about the toss. The toss items are products that are a 'no go'. For some reason, that I'll explain, this product isn't making the cut.

These are the products that are getting tossed...

 From the top, going clockwise: L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Delightful Cream; Wet 'n Wild Gel Eyeliner in purple; L'Oreal HIP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Authentic; Styli-Style Lip Liner, color name unknown; Veria Vanilla Organic Lip Balm; Ulta Eye Shadow Base.

None of these products got used up. There is no sense in these taken up room on the vanity when I can toss them out and get something else that I do like.

First up: L'Occitane Honey & Lemon Delightful Cream. Delightful, really? This has a weird, chemically, cesspool smell to it. Sometimes I can apply a lotion that will smell sort of funky in the container but be a uhm...delight on the skin. No go here.

Next: Wet 'n Wild Gel Eyeliner. This is a purple color and, maybe because I don't use purple as much as black, it just went dry. And it went dry fast. I may have used it ten times. Not only is it dry, but also, it is hard. I couldn't even dent it with my nail.

Next: L'Oreal HIP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Authentic. Authentic is a deep, forest green. I really like this color. However, where the gel liner was a chunk of cement, this crayon was grease. It didn't want to stay on my eyelids one bit. I tried it with and without a primer, with a brush application and with my finger to smooth it out. Hot, green mess. I actually tried to give it another job as an eyeliner, using an eyeliner brush. It still creased. I fired it.

Next: Styli-Style Lip Liner, color name unknown. I LOVE this liner and the shade is my very, very favorite. It is just a couple of shades darker than my lips. So, you may ask why would I throw away my favorite lip liner. Actually, I'd use this until it was a nubben, but the liner, itself, came loose in the pencil. Now it doesn't want to slide smoothly around my lips. Let me back up. I like my liner pencils to be sharp. After this liner got down to where I needed to sharpen, it just stuck in the sharpener when I tried to use it. I'm not going to fight with a lip liner. I have 100 others I can pick from. I think I will hold onto this one only to go match it up with a new one, since the name has worn off mine.

Next: Veria Vanilla Organic Lip Balm. This was sent to me as a sample last year. I think because it is organic there is no preservatives in it. Maybe. But this balm has a weird smell and it was gritty. The smell wasn't a chemical-type smell, it was just an odd vanilla fragrance. And I might have been able to get past that. However, eewww...it was like chewing gum right after eating potato chips...crunchy where it shouldn't have been. Blech!

And last: Ulta Eye Shadow Base. Wow, I so had hopes for this one. And I feel I gave this base a fair shake. In fact, I used it today. My shadow, a mineral one today, creased before I could leave the house. I liked how smooth it applied and the shade too. But it just wouldn't stay put.

This one gets its own toss award...

Beyond Belief Cocoa & Shea Body Butter. I agree with the Beyond Belief. This smelled like ass. It wasn't buttery either. It was rather like a lotion consistency. And I'm OK with that misnomer. But the smell...gag. I was using this at night and putting on cotton gloves to moisturize my cuticles. But even after I washed my hands, my face and then showered, my hands still smelled like something shitty and moldy. TEE-AUSE!

Of course, these opinions are solely mine and my experience with them. Maybe you have some of these products and they are the bomb for you. Leave me a comment and let me know. Or, maybe you even agree with me. Feel free to leave a comment, either way.