Product Reviews / Part 1

I buy a bunch of random things and whatever makes the cut I'm putting here now - so give them a shot!

These are not impulse-buys, mainly self-care/trial and error projects. Some people explore other countries, the dark web, forests, bitcoin....I explore products. And I love finding things that actually work (who doesn't, right?).

“I'll try anything once. Twice if I like it. Three times to make sure.” - Mae West

What she said. #same :) Here are five selects from earlier this year:

Beeswax & Coconut Oil Melts (w/ plug-in melter)

As I began a more serious wellness journey this year, I started reading a book full of things to do in order to "stack the cards in your favor" i.e. doing things that you actually have control over to essentially slow down death and/or illness. One of the things listed was eliminating environmental toxins in your direct vicinity, like mold, dust, things that cause allergic reactions etc.

Turns out beeswax purifies the air like an inexpensive air purifier. When a pure beeswax melt burns, it releases negative ions in the air like air purifiers do. These ions cling to the positive charged ions (like dust particles and pet dander) and neutralizes them instantly. Then they fall to the floor for you to sweep, vacuum, or mop up later. I now have plug-ins for the bedroom and living room, then bought the melts from Etsy. I already noticed how much less congested I am in the mornings and they also make the place smell so warm & cozy....like a forest lodge on Thanksgiving. I'm hooked.

Nose Filters (as seen on 'Shark Tank' )

During quarantine, I've sheltered in place with a few different shows on for background noise but Shark Tank got me invested (no pun intended). One of the episodes featured this item and at the time it was a great alternative to the masks we're all wearing right now. Fast forward a few months, masks are so much more fashionable and acceptable as an accessory to your outfit. But an option is an option; these nasal screens really work, you don't feel as suffocated as you do in a masks, and they're flesh toned to be strategically inconspicuous.

With the amount of doctor's visits I've had this year, I still wear them occasionally under my mask. Here's a clip of the original pitch on Shark Tank too.

Happy Pits (Natural Deodorant - that actually works!)

Real talk: I try at least 3-5 different deodorants a year. The search for the perfect natural deodorant has been a long annoying one. This is the latest winner. It takes about 30 days for your body to "adjust"/make the transition from a toxic deodorant to this one, so you will still sweat a bit at first. Ingredients are shea butter, beeswax, coconut oil, vitamin E, and diatomaceous earth (with only therapeutic grade essential oils if you choose to get a scented version). So far so good, it doesn't clog the pores under there or give me a weird rash (charcoal kinds can do this).

And as many Etsy shop owners normally have, the backstory is really touching as well. Love supporting small businesses with heart! (Second prize goes to this vendor).

ManiMe Co (stick-on gel manicure)

I only get manicures for special occasions. All of the women in my family have these beautiful manicured nails, but my mom specifically I never saw her polish her nails so I kinda just followed in her footsteps to embrace them au naturale. Had a weak moment during quarantine and just wanted a little pick-me-up since I hadn't really felt properly groomed in awhile (anyone else still have their roots grown out or still not wearing jeans yet? You feel me). I eventually came across these on IG (shocking at this point, I know).

Their technology is fire, they look great, the designs are lovely, the prices are reasonable, and they last a week to 15 days (unless you wash dishes 3x/daily or work a lot with your hands). They also recently started to offer pedi's! My favorite designer on their site can be found here.

No-Guessing Water Bottle

So, you know how you always hear the standard "drink half your body weight in water every day" but have always just rounded off your intake or tried counting up all the 16oz bottles you drank that day only to have lost count by 5pm #cuzlife? That gets old. But you do it. For yearssss, lol. I did. And old faithful came to the rescue (IG). I saw this bottle on an IG story and begged my friend for the link to it asap.

Now I know exactly where I stand with my hydration for once in my life. To think, it could've been this simple for SO long. I just love the fact it has the time of day right there and a little drill sergeant-type message; it comes in a bunch of different colors & ounce options too.

P.S. - This has been the sole reason of my properly hydrated body since February. Before that, I should've been blacking out at least once a month. (hypothetically)

On the next episode of this series, I'll be reviewing 5 new things I'm still forming an opinion on/just started trying out: Cricket (yes, the arthropod) Protein Powder, my first way too expensive pillow ( buckwool baby...that fancy ish ), a lymphatic skin "brushing" kit, a magnetic copper bracelet that "helps reduce" joint inflammation, and an IG famous coloring conditioner .

In the near future, if you wanted to find a specific item we talked about over the phone, via text/IG DM, or face-to-face, just click on the little magnifying glass on the top of any post & search by keyword to pull it up on the blog quicker.

See you in a bit ~

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