Pour Me Another, Barista!: Trader Joe's Spicy Chai Tea Latte Mix

Pinky McLadybits

Hey, kids! I know we've been quiet around here lately, what with my losing a close friend, the holidays, and my new gig at Pajiba. However, we are hoping to get back up and rolling with reviews you can use! Dixie has been a key component in kicking my ass into gear and we should all thank her and give her lovely presents.

Onward to the review!

After an encounter with some exceedingly vile red grapes purchased from grocery chain Kroger, I have begun doing the bulk of my food shopping at the local Trader Joe's. Kroger has been demoted to bread, ice cream, and milk since TJ's bread spoils faster than we can eat it and I love my Ben & Jerry's. So I was at Trader Joe's today and decided to splurge on a treat for myself: Spicy Chai Latte Mix. 

Here's the Guv'ner, Mrs. Bagnet: Lush Guv'ner Powder Deodorant

Dixie

So, it appears that I am still on my quest for a deodorant that suits my natural scent and works through the day. As I wrote in my review on the Lush Aromaco and Coconut deodorant, I felt the Coconut wasn't quite right for me, that it matched my natural scent too closely and therefore didn't really deodorize. I think that I still stand by that. (Who knows if that will be a permanent stance though. The body is weird.)

Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Cream Shave: Demulcent!

Dixie

My last foray into shave cream was not a huge success, but when I saw the tube of Alba Botanica Natural Very Emollient Cream Shave sitting on the shelf in my local health food store, all reservations flew out of my brain. I thought, "Ooohh! Shiny!" So I grabbed the Coconut Lime scent and excitedly gave my card to the cashier.

Before using the shave cream the first time, I flipped over the bottle to read the instructions, because I read the back of everything I buy. Every. Thing. It's a good thing I did since the instructions on how to get the best result are pretty specific. Spread a thin layer over the area to be shaved, the thinner the better. The last shave cream I used required exactly the opposite - I couldn't get a thick enough layer on to avoid irritation - so I was skeptical. After a few passes with the razor, my skepticism dissolved. I got a great shave with zero irritation. In fact, I actually put the cream on too thick on my first leg and had to rinse my razor every two passes, so I put less on my other leg and got an even better result.

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer: Never Creases To Amaze Me

Dixie

There are few cosmetic mishaps that I despise more than creased eye shadow. When you look in the mirror and see that the eye shadow you carefully applied that morning has migrated entirely into the crease of your lid, it's disheartening. It's like, I know I'm tired and ready to go home, Face. You don't need to produce enough oil on my eyelids to make sure everyone else knows it too.  Unfortunately, my Face never listened to me scolding it. So, I defeated it with the magic of MOAR COSMETICS.

Er, well, not at first. I've been through many an eye primer. Most of the brands I have used in the past simply didn't work. They just added another layer of oil to make my eye shadow slide into my crease, but with the added paradoxical benefit of not blending out due to the primer. Once again, Sephora samples to the rescue. I first discovered the Benefit Stay Don't Stray Eye Primer in a 500-point sample kit. After using the entire tiny bottle, I happily shelled out $26 for a full-size bottle.

Bio-Oil: Scar Tissue That I Wish You Saw.

Metric Jenn

I was just introduced to this product by a lovely lady who lives all the way down in San Diego, otherwise known as "The Whale's Vagina". I was on vacation, and thoroughly enjoying the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, sunshine, and basically being not at work. One day I was complaining vociferously about having crocodile skin on my elbows resulting in strange clusters of freckles. It's ridiculous, and a source of wonder to all those who notice, while being perplexing to myself.

Well, in waltzes Mademoiselle Parissa with her well-moisturized, glowing skin, and I got so damn jealous. I started shrieking about my elbows at her, like they were somehow her fault.

Doctor Knows Best: Physician's Formula Youthful Wear

Metric Jenn

I'm back, everyone! I went on vacation for 2 weeks and it was GLORIOUS. I am refreshed and ready to write. I'm going to be all the bitch I can be! And it starts here, with Physician's Formula Youthful Wear concealer. You see, when packing, I took into consideration many things: changing skin tone after laying in the sun, flakiness from drying skin, climate change...the works. What I didn't account for was the jerkoff(s) that loaded and unloaded my luggage from the 3 flights it took me to get to L.A. And so it was at my destination that I discovered the Make Up Forever concealer explosion that took place in my make up bag. A few things were lost. A few tears were shed.

G.T. Dave's Enlightened Raw Kombucha: Out-Hippy Your Friends!

Dixie

"Just try it, you'll like it." Famous last words of the person at the other end of the spoon before a young child clamps their mouth shut, refusing to try a new food. Well, I can't really promise that if you try kombucha that you will like it, but at least you will have an interesting new food experience under your belt. Plus, if you enjoy being smug and out-hippieing your friends, then kombucha will probably give you some bragging rights. At least until someone bops in holding a bottle full of wheat-grass and aloe chunks. Ahem. Not that I have done either of those things.

Kombucha is a polarizing taste experience. It seems cliche to say you will either love it or hate it, but it's really the truth. There just isn't a whole lot of middle ground. My good friend Wikipedia tells us that kombucha is an "effervescent fermentation of sweetened tea that is used as a functional food." What that means in normal people speak is that it is bubbly fermented sweet tea. A batch of kombucha starts with a culture that contains bacteria and yeast, similar to sourdough bread, and ends up as a tart brew that can be mixed with various juices and good-tasting substances to create a delightful drink (or a puzzling concoction, depending on your taste preferences). Besides the end result of the taste, a properly brewed batch of kombucha contains probiotics and amino acids.

Hawaiian Tropic Aloha Kiss Moisturizing Lip Gloss

Pinky McLadybits

Influenster was nice enough to choose me over the summer for their Beauty VoxBox program. One of the items I reviewed was Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Lotion Sunscreen SPF30. Influenster enjoyed my review enough to choose me as one of the winners of their Hawaiian Tropic Prize Pack. 

The prize pack included a beach towel, a t-shirt, a full-size of the sunscreen, and Hawaiian Tropic Aloha Kiss Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF20 in Island Berry. I was pleased with everything in the prize pack, especially the lip gloss. I already have two or three gloss/lip balm sticks in my purse, but I can always use something else!

Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Cream

Pinky McLadybits

I was chosen to receive an Influenster Beauty VoxBox again. One of the items I received was this Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Cream. This is a very good thing since I am terrible about choosing products to help me tame my thick, slightly wavy, totally uncooperative hair. I was so happy to have the chance to try something without paying for it.

My hair ends up frizzy after drying regardless of the season and with the cold weather I end up blow drying more. Blow drying frizzes me out too. I've tried other smoothing techniques and serums, so I had a feeling it would probably be a miracle if this stuff worked.

So Clean It's Scary: Bioré Steam Activated Cleanser

Rusty

I went through a weird period this summer where my forehead rebelled and decided to start sending me messages in braille. Given that I don’t read braille, this was a confusing decision and I wasn’t thrilled with having a forehead suddenly full of clogged up pores where once there had just been (mostly) smooth skin. I tried a lot of things to get through it, but what finally worked was Bioré Steam Activated Cleanser. 

Woodchuck Fall Hard Cider: You Autumn Get You Some!

Pinky McLadybits

Like most tasty and wonderful things, I first discovered Woodchuck Draft Cider while creating a Make Your Own Six Pack at Jungle Jim's. I had grabbed Woodchuck Raspberry, and I was hooked from that point on. I was relieved to see that Woodchuck was in the booze section of my local grocery store and I was even happier when I saw I could get a 12 pack with four different flavors. Amber, Granny Smith, and 802 are the constants in that 12 pack and the fourth flavor depends on the season. As the season is fall, that's what we got last time. Fall.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara: Green Good?

Dixie

I will never learn. I mean, I try but I don't. One day I'll learn to stick with the mascara that works, but until that day I will continue to peruse the mascara sections of the drugstore, looking for a new and possibly exciting formula to share with you Hot Inkers. Now, I'm kind of a secret hippie; we all know this. So when I saw the Physicians Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara on sale, I might have squealed in the middle of CVS. Just a little. Not loud enough for the lady browsing in the vitamins and supplements aisle to hear me. Ahem. After my squeal, I was skeptical, but decided to buy it anyway. Hot Ink gives me an excuse to experiment.

Terressentials Pure Earth Hair Wash: Thanks, Mike Rowe!

Dixie

As I mentioned in my review of the Terresentials Organic Flower Therapy Detoxifying Facial Cleanser, I first learned of Terressentials on the Animal Barber episode of Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe visited the Terressentials production plant to learn something very dirty indeed - how to make shampoo from mud. At the time the episode aired, I was just starting my transition from straightened hair to natural hair and dealing with a dermatitis reaction to coconut products (which went away when I became pregnant with my daughter THANK GOD), so I was all over a different kind of shampoo like white on rice.

Hot Minute Reviews: Hot Kiss Intimates Extreme Double Push Up Bra

Pinky McLadybits

Sometimes you just don't need lots of words to let someone know whether a product works. For this reason, I bring you the inaugural Hot Minute Review! I went shopping at TJ Maxx for scarves and bras and returned home with one of each. The bra is Hot Kiss Intimates Extreme Double Push Up Bra, which retails for $24. TJ Maxx sold it to me for $6. SCORE.

Birchbox Treats: Harvey Prince Hello Perfume

Pinky McLadybits

This was another Birchbox goodie! I've yet to pull the trigger on purchasing another scent for myself, so I was happy to see another perfume sample arrive in the mail. I'm not familiar with Harvey Prince perfumes, but I don't care much about who makes it as long as it smells good.

Harvey Prince Hello Perfume has Meyer Lemon, White Grapefruit, Satsuma Mandarin, Summer Forsythia, Pink Plumeria, Wild Verbena, Tahitian Vanilla, Sensual Musk. I love me some sensual musk. Yup.

I'm not much of a fruit scent girl, but I was willing to take a chance. Especially since I wasn't technically out any money if I hated it. Luckily, I really like this perfume. Surprisingly, my husband does too! That rarely happens.

Lush Aromaco and Coconut Deodorant

Dixie

Does anyone besides me have a problem with finding a deodorant that works consistently, all the time? My body seems to have this weird quick that after a period of time the antiperspirant/deodorant I wear on a daily basis, no matter what brand or how strong, eventually stops working. I don't know if it gets used to the chemicals in the formula or if my body chemistry periodically changes, but every brand I've ever used has eventually failed me.

Over the course of my teens years and adulthood, I have tried literally every store brand, a few health food store brands, and even the roll-on formula by Shaklee. Actually, the Shaklee formula was the best one, working for a full two years before going down in a cloud of sweat.

One-Two Punch: Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo and Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask

Vee

I'm constantly on the lookout for products that leave my hair shiny and clean without breaking the bank. My hair was feeling a little dull and oily so I picked up a bottle of Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo. Walgreens had a special on Neutrogena products so I grabbed a jar of the Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask as well since I know deep cleaning products can be drying.

Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener: Where Did You Get Those Eyes?

Tamatha

I may not be the best person to review an eye primer, since until about a year ago, I didn't even know this stuff existed, but I'm going to do it anyway.  I swear, back in the 80s, which was the last time I was in the know about make-up, eye primer was not a thing.

Recently, however, some of my lady friends on the Facebook (and here) have been talking about eye primers, and I thought I should check it out.  Considering the infrequency with which I wear make-up, I wasn't about to invest in a pricier eye primer (for ex., Urban Decay or Too Faced).  Luckily for me, when I dashed to CVS on New Year's Eve, fingers crossed that my old standby, Revlon, would have one, they did!  Enter Revlon's PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener.

Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Body Lotion: More Like ORGASMIC.

Metric Jenn

Have you ever walked by something like a BAZILLION times and never really thought much about it? Or thought that it was something totally different from what it actually is? Or thought nothing of it at all? Yeah, those reactions and more were what I had for the longest time about this so-called Organix Hydrating Moroccan Argan Oil body lotion - and to Organix in general.

So of course, after years of dismissal, I picked up the bottle and really examined it. What I read obviously piqued my interest and I bought it, though I have to admit that I was sure it would be Inked and I could get all HULK RAGE SMASH on it.

Agree to Disagree: Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Strips

Dixie

Nail strips are a great invention. I've always admired nail art, but I've never been able to justify the high cost of something so fleeting. And, I've never been able to develop the talent or the steady hand to do my own. When Sally Hansen came out with the Salon Effects Nail Strips, I was excited. I could finally have bitchin' cool nails!

I immediately snapped up a box of houndstooth pattern strips at my local CVS...and put them in the drawer. Truth be told, I was a little intimidated by them. Yes, I read the instructions but I didn't want to waste my $7 by screwing them up. So they sat. And sat. And I read Pinky's review. And they sat some more, until last month when my mom and I happened to be in Sephora during their nail event. When asked by a Sephora employee if you want your nails done for free, you say YES! So, I asked her to put a sample of their nail strips on to show me how to use my Sally Hansen ones at home.