OZ Naturals 2.5% Retinol Serum Review

It's not a secret that I have an oily and acne-prone skin type so I use a couple of beauty products to help with my problematic skin. I have a skin care regimen at night and I was happy to incorporate the OZ Naturals 2.5% Retinol to my regimen together with the OZ Naturals Facial Toner.

Here is a quick product description:

OZ Naturals Retinol Serum - The BEST Anti Wrinkle, Anti Aging Serum For Your Face Contains Clinical Strength 2.5% Retinol + Astaxanthin + Vitamin E - The ONLY Retinol Product That Contains Astaxanthin - This Intense Wrinkle Correcting Serum Will Give You The Dramatic Results You've Been Looking For Even For Sensitive Skin - Your Satisfaction Is 100% Guaranteed!

MADE IN THE USA in a state of the art FDA registered facility - OZ Naturals formulates the most effective anti-aging products on the market - OZ Naturals products work & they work extremely well - We guarantee you'll get results!

The OZ Naturals 2.5% Retinol arrived in a white and fuchsia box. The retinol came in a 1 fl.oz. amber bottle with a pump to dispense the serum.

The serum has a dark orange color and a gel-like consistency. It spreads on clear and has a very light, subtle citrus scent. The serum has a cool feel on my skin and it neither feels heavy nor greasy. It's absorbed pretty quickly and I like how it works well together with my other skin products.

I use this at night after cleansing my face and applying my toner. I apply this serum followed by my Vitamin C Serum and my moisturizer. I like how it doesn't irritate my skin and  how gentle it is on my skin. It's effective as well because, together with the other skin care products I use, this helped in making my skin look brighter and fresh.

Since I only use a drop or two of the serum each night, this bottle would last a long time. :)

You can purchase the OZ Naturals 2.5%  Retinol Serum HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

OZ Naturals Facial Toner Review

Having an oily skin type, I use quite a number of products to help control the oil as well as lessen the number of breakouts I have in a month. I used to use an alcohol-based toner for my oily skin but it did more harm than good to my skin.

I was happy to try the OZ Naturals Facial Toner because I've been using a similar non-alcohol toner and it worked great for me.

Here is a quick product description:

OZ Naturals Facial Toner- Organic Skin Toner With Witch Hazel Is Considered The BEST Anti Aging Vitamin C Toner Available - Contains Glycolic Acid, Vitamin C, Witch Hazel & Ocean Minerals - This Toner Is A Crucial Base For Your Anti Aging Regimen - Calms Unbalanced Skin - Helps Diminish Fine Lines & Wrinkles For That Healthy, Youthful Glow!
The active ingredients in this spray will heal and restore on their own, as well as support a synergistic relationship with anything layered on top of it. Organic sulfur acts as a healing solvent, driving ingredients deep into your cells and creating permeability, for nutrients to move in and toxins to move out.
Amino acids, ocean minerals, vitamin c, and active plant extracts work miracles with dry, sun damaged skin.
This treatment spray is results driven. Prepare to be amazed! Expect to see results within the first seven days of DAILY use.

The OZ Naturals Facial Toner arrived in a white box and a blue-green label. The toner came in a 4 oz. spray bottle. It sprays on clear, feels like water and smells nice.

I incorporated this in my night time regimen and use it after cleansing my skin and before putting on my acne spot treatment, serums and moisturizer.

The OZ Naturals Facial Toner has a cool feel on my skin and I like how it feels just like spraying water on my skin BUT with the added benefits of refreshing and tightening my skin. Since it feels like water, it neither feels greasy nor heavy on my skin. I also like the spray-type bottle because it's easier for me to apply it and it's more sanitary than using a cotton ball. It doesn't irritate my skin and it doesn't clog my pores either.

What I like about the OZ Naturals Facial Toner is it doesn't over-dry my skin and yet, it makes my skin less oily. I've used an alcohol-based toner before and instead of controlling the oil, it made my skin more oilier and caused me breakouts. The OZ Naturals Facial Toner is non-alcohol based and works better for my oily skin.

I like this toner and it works well with the other products I use.

You can purchase the OZ Naturals Facial Toner HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

All-Natural Herbal Sleep Aid By SimplyGoVivo Review + Giveaway 2/16 US

I usually don't have problems sleeping but there are times when my mind just wouldn't drift off to sleep. I currently listen to a CD called the Sleep Well Series (read my review + giveaway here) when I can't sleep and although it helps most of the time, there are times when I still wake up in the middle of the night with my mind racing.

I never tried or used any sleeping medication (unless of course I have a cold and need the drowsy medication) to help me sleep because I don't like to get dependent on them.

I gave the SimlyGoVivo All-Natural Herbal Sleep Aid because it's all-natural and it's non-habit forming. It arrived in a white plastic bottle with the image of a moon, clouds and stars outside. It's pretty cute actually and I like the image outside the bottle. Each bottle has 60 capsules.

The ingredients of the sleep aid by SimplyGovivo contains a 500 mg. Proprietary Blend of Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) dried extract (herb top), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) dried extract (herb top). Other ingredients are hypromellose capsule, microcrystalline cellulose and maltodextrin.

The all-natural herbal sleep aid by SimplyGoVivo came in a veggie capsule and has a dark brown color inside. The direction is to take 1 capsule a day with a full glass of water before bedtime.

It takes about 30 minutes for the SimplyGoVivo Natural Sleep Aid to take effect. After 30 minutes, I felt relaxed and sleepy. Together with the Sleep Well CD, I felt lulled to sleep. I didn't experience any other side effect other than feeling sleepy and relaxed. I also didn't taste any foul aftertaste after taking this.

Since it's in a veggie capsule, I like how I can swallow it easier. Since I've only taken this twice, I can say it's not habit forming because I can still sleep on my own even without taking the sleep aid.

I like how easy it is to take the SimplyGovivo all-natural herbal sleep aid and I like how it helps me feel relaxed and sleepy. I wake up feeling refreshed and well-rested because in times when I couldn't fall asleep, it keeps me sleeping the whole night.

Visit the SimplyGovivo Website HERE to learn more about their products. You can purchase the SimplyGovivo all-natural Herbal Sleep Aid HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Would you like to win a bottle of SimplyGovivo's All-Natural Herbal Sleep Aid?! Well, yay! SimplyGovivo has sponsored a giveaway for my readers for a chance to win a bottle of SimplyGovivo's All-Natural Herbal Sleep Aid (60-ct.)! Just head on over to the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good Luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

DISCLAIMER: 1 Winner will receive a bottle of SimplyGoVivo's All-Natural Herbal Sleep Aid (60-ct). Giveaway will start January 30, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST and will end February 16, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST. This will be open to US residents only. The prize cannot be shipped to a P.O. box address. Winners will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment. My role is to give the sponsor the information of the winner and they will directly ship the prize to the winner. I have received a product/s mentioned above to in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own and are not influenced in any way. No other form of compensation was received. I do not share or sell information and all information shared with me will solely be used for prize shipment. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255. 

Landscape Laser Light From Quality Source Products Review

I like to decorate our home during the holidays and although the Garden Laser Light from Quality Source Products is mainly used in the garden, I specifically wanted to use this inside our home.

ABOUT THE PRODUCT:

• Heavy Duty Aluminum Housing
• Weatherproof Electrical Connectors
• Available in Green, Blue, Red and Green, Red and Green with Movement (Dance Party)
• Quality Source Guarantee - Love it or Your Money Back
• 100% Money Back Guarantee For A Risk Free Buying Experience

The Landscape Laser Light from Quality Source Products came in a nice box with pictures on where to use the lights. There are 3 available colors available: Green, Red and Green, and Blue. The box contained an instruction booklet, the laser light, and a sharp peg stick (for garden purposes).

To turn it on, I just had to plug it in. It doesn't have an on and off button so having an extension cord with a switch is nice to save me time from plugging and unplugging the laser light.

The laser lights made our room look really pretty. My daughters described it as "stars" and was so happy when they saw the lights. The more farther I point the laser light, the more scattered the lights seem to be.

The laser lights emits 2 different laser light sizes: big dots and small dots. It's in a cool pattern and it makes the lights prettier.

I like the Quality Source Products Laser Light because it's easy to use and it produces nice, vibrant and colorful laser lights. I just wish there's a remote control for the laser light so that I can turn it on or off automatically.

You can purchase the Quality Source Products Landscape Laser Light HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

300 Lumens LED Lantern By AYL Review

Almost 6 years ago, the typhoon Ondoy struck the Philippines and as a result of the strong typhoon, we had no electricity for almost a week. We used candles to light up our home at night and we needed a lot of candles to brighten up the room. When I received the AYL 300 Lumens LED Lantern, I thought and wished we had something similar to this before because it's helpful in calamities and emergencies when electricity isn't available.

The AYL 300 Lumens LED Lantern by AYL arrived in a white box. The lantern has a decent size and height and measures 4 x 4 x 7.2 inches. There is a handle on top of the lantern and a hook at the bottom of the lantern so that I can also hang it upside down. The ABS Plastic cover can be removed so that I can have a light-bulb style lighting.

The rubberized base helps maintain a firm grip on the a counter top or table so that the lantern will stay upright. The green body which also has a rubber surrounding it, helps protect the lantern from bumps and drops.

The 3xD-sized batteries needed to power up the lantern is not included. There is no illustration on the box on which way the batteries should face so I installed it the wrong way the first time. I browsed the short instruction booklet included and it has a simple diagram there on how to place the batteries correctly.

There are 3 lighting options for the lantern: Low, High and Flashing Strobe. The white plastic case comes with a convex reflector which helps scatter light for a broader lighted area.

I couldn't capture the flashing green light on top of the power button but this flashes every 30 seconds so that I can easily find it in the dark.

This lantern emits a bright light and since it uses LED lights to power up, battery consumption is less. It's light enough for my 2 daughters to carry it around.

This would've been nice to have when we had no electricity for almost a week. I like this and I'm more confident and more prepared when there's a power outage in the future. :) Right now, my daughters use this as a night lamp and love it.

You can purchase the AYL 300 Lumens LED Lantern by AYL HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

La Lune Naturals 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge Review + Giveaway 2/23 US/CAN

Having an oily skin type, I have quite a number of things I do to help control the excessive oil production on my skin as well as to keep my skin from having breakouts. I used to think that my breakouts would stop after puberty BUT, I was wrong. I still get breakouts specially during that time of the month AND what's worse is that my BIG pimples would now leave dark spots on my skin which didn't happen when I was younger.

So aside from the serums, toner, cleanser, blotting paper, mud masks (I can go on and on), etc. I use daily, I also use a facial sponge to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells so that the dark spots would go away faster.

I was super happy when I received the La Lune Naturals 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge because (1) I get to try it for free and (2) I like trying out new brands and products and sharing my experience with you guys. :)

The La Lune Naturals Facial Konjac Sponge arrived in a simple brown box. The sponges are separately packed in 2 sealed plastics which I think is nice and sanitary. There is a hook included so that I can hang my sponge after I use it.

I opened one of the sealed plastic and similar to other facial sponges, the initial feel of the sponge is hard and rough. It has a pretty decent size and bigger than the current one I'm using.

I soaked it in a bowl with warm water first prior to using it to soften up the sponge. The La Lune Naturals Facial Konjac Sponge was soft and spongy in less than a minute. I was kind of surprised and impressed because my other facial sponges took more than 5 minutes to soften up.

The facial konjac sponge became a bit bigger after it was fully soaked.

Of course I had to try it to see how it feels.

After using it for about a minute, I hung it on the suction hook included in the box to dry.

The Facial Konjac Sponge by La Lune Naturals has a soft and smooth feel which is great for gentle exfoliation. It neither turned my skin red nor irritated my skin even if I use it daily. The bigger-sized sponge helped me cover more areas of my skin in a shorter period of time.

Gently exfoliating my skin with the La Lune Naturals 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge helped me have less breakouts and it also helped remove whiteheads on the sides of my nose. Using this makes my skin feel cleaner and smooth which I think is really nice. It also helped lighten my acne scars faster.

I like this sponge and I like how it comes in a pack of 2. These are made from the sustainable konjac plant, and is free of chemicals, parabens, sulphates and is biodegradable. These are also cruelty-free and vegan. Since one sponge can last for 3 to 4 months, this pack of 2 sponges for La Lune Naturals is a great deal.

You can purchase the La Lune Naturals 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Would you like to win a La Lune Naturals 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge? Well, yay!! La Lune Naturals has sponsored a giveaway for my readers for a chance to win a 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge! :) Just head on over to the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good Luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER: 1 Winner will receive a 2-Pack Facial Konjac Sponge from La Lune Naturals. Giveaway will start January 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST and will end February 23, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST. This will be open to US and CAN residents only. The prize cannot be shipped to a P.O. box address. Winners will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment. My role is to give the sponsor the information of the winner and they will directly ship the prize to the winner. I have received a product/s mentioned above to in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own and are not influenced in any way. No other form of compensation was received. I do not share or sell information and all information shared with me will solely be used for prize shipment. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.     

MeasuPro DCT250 Cooking Thermometer With Timer Review

As a stay-at-home mom, I love using the oven to cook our food because it's easier for me. I just toss the meat I marinated in the oven and then wait for it to cook while I do other "mommy" tasks I need to do at home or use my extra time to update my blog. Sometimes, I would forget I'm cooking something in the oven so our meat would turn out over-cooked or dry, and sometimes, even worse, burnt.

I recently reviewed the MeasuPro DCT350 and although they're both similar, there are some features in the MeasuPro DCT250 which is not included in the MeasuPro DCT350 and vice versa.

The MeasuPro DCT250 Cooking Thermometer with timer came in a sealed plastic container. It has a silver color with white buttons. There is a small instruction flyer on how to use the MeasuPro DCT250 s well as a table of suggested cooking temperature of different kinds of meat. There are 2 magnets at the bottom of the cooking thermometer so I can place this on our refrigerator or any metal surface. This also comes with a AAA battery which is needed to power the cooking thermometer on.

The probe is long enough to be used on thinly sliced meats as well as thicker kinds of meats like whole chicken and whole ham. There is a thin cable wire included to connect the metal probe to the cooking thermometer outside.

I like how the thin the cable is because this ensures that the oven door is closed properly so that there are no heat leaks happening.

There is no pre-set temperature I can choose so I have to manually set-up the maximum internal temperature I prefer for the meat I'm cooking. The alarm beeps when it's already 10 Degrees Farenheit below the set maximum temperature and it rings as soon as the maximum internal temperature is reached.

What I like about this is that I can use it as a timer because this is specially helpful when I'm baking and broiling meats. The cable included is not advisable to be placed in an oven temperature greater than 392 Degrees Farenheit so setting the timer up to remind me when cooking foods which require a higher temperature and when I'm baking is a huge plus for me.

The metal probe is easy to clean and is done by wiping a damp cloth or tissue paper after letting it cool.

This is a very handy kitchen tool and I really like the timer feature. It constantly reminds me of the dish I'm cooking in the oven so I get delicious and juicy meat dishes easily. :)

You can purchase the MeasuPro DCT250 HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Silicone Ice Ball Tray Maker By i2 Gear Review

We can't drink any drink without ice. I probably got this from my mom because she can't drink any drink without ice too. I have a couple of ice cube trays at home to ensure that we have sufficient ice to use throughout the day and our demand for ice is greater during the warmer months. I have a different ice ball mold at home but it makes a bigger ice ball making it hard to fit in my daughters' sippy cups.

I received the Silicone Ice Ball Mold Maker by i2 Gear to try and I couldn't wait to try making ice balls in it.

The i2 Gear's Silicone Ice Ball Mold Maker is made of BPA free silicone. It came in a white box and has a black color. There is a blue mold available too.

The tray can make 4 ice balls at a time.

How does the i2 Gear's Silicone Ice Ball Mold Maker work? Here's a step by step instruction:

-Place the mold in sink and fill mold with distilled water to the top rim. Tap water will work but could bubble and create a cloudy ice ball.
-Press down on the top mold and release any excess water between the top and bottom molds.
-Place mold on a flat surface in the freezer.
-Once frozen, remove the top mold and place on the counter upside down.
-Flip the bottom mold over the top mold and separate the edges until the ice releases into the top mold slots. Note: The mold should separate from the ice very easily.

Filling the silicone with filtered water was easy. I covered the mold with its cover on the sink because excess water from the tray leaked out while I was putting the cover on. There is also a grooved part on both sides of the tray so that I can cover it the right way. The tray and the cover seals nicely but the problem is the excess water which came out of the 4 small holes. When I tilt the tray, water from inside the mold comes out of the 4 small holes so I couldn't remove the excess water which formed at the top of the mold. I didn't mind the excess water on top of the mold since I wouldn't use it anyway. :)

After about 2 hours, the ice balls were ready. I flipped the mold upside down (the part with holes is now on the bottom part) and removed the tray. I was expecting to have a bit of difficulty in separating the mold from the cover but found out how easy it was to separate them. There were a thin layer of ice which formed in between the 4 ice balls but they were easy to crack. The molds were stretchy and bendy but didn't tear or deform even if I pushed the mold to get the ice balls out.

Since I used filtered water, the ice balls looked a bit cloudy. Using a distilled water would solve the cloudy appearance but since I'm just using the ice balls at home, I didn't have a problem with them being cloudy. :)

The ice balls melted slower and lasted longer than the regular ice cubes we use. It didn't make our drinks watery and yet it kept it icy cold. I like how these ice balls also fit my daughters' cups because they can use it too.

This is a nice ice ball maker and I like how it doesn't take up much space in our freezer. I can make batches of ice balls and just put them in a separate tray so that I can have a "stock" of ice balls in the freezer.

The silicone ice ball maker is durable because I've made ice balls using this a dozen of times already and it still looks like it's new.

You can purchase the Silicone Ice Ball Mold Maker by i2 Gear HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a sample for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I tried personally and believe will be good for my readers. No other form of compensation was received. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Keri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable And Julienne Peeler Review + Giveaway 2/5 US/CAN (5 WINNERS)

I love kitchen tools and products with multiple purpose because they save me space and they help me minimize the kitchen tools and products I need. Since I cook from scratch everyday, a good and quality peeler is a must for me to make food preparations easier. I used to use a $1 peeler and I thought that it works the same as the more expensive ones. I was mistaken because after trying out a stainless steel peeler, I knew I wouldn't go back to the $1 ones.

Kerri's Kitchen sent me their Ultra Sharp Dual Julienne Peeler to try and since I already own a Dual Julienne Peeler & Vegetable Peeler, I'm already familiar with dual peelers. I decided to keep this and donate my old one because I found out that this has 4 different uses!

The Dual Vegetable And Julienne Peeler by Kerri's Kitchen came in a white box with an image of the peeler outside the box. The back of the box has a list of tips on how to take care of the Kerri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler.

The dual vegetable and julienne peeler is made of stainless steel and is very pretty. It has a hook at the bottom of the handle to hang it for drying/storage.

There are 2 different blades attached to the handle. One side, which is the one with a single hole/blade, is used to peel vegetables. The other side, the one with teeth-like blades, is used to cut Julienned pieces of fruits and vegetables. I also discovered that the 2 small hook-like metals on each side of the peeler can be used to decorate and carve vegetables and fruits. That's why I decided to keep this instead. :)

The handle has the right length and is easy to hold. It's also engraved with the Keri's Kitchen Logo.

Above, I used the Keri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler to peel a cucumber, make Julienned pieces from the cucumber and carve and decorate the orange using the small, round hook-like metal on the side of the peeler. My daughters were so excited when they saw me carving the orange. :)

The dual vegetable and julienne peeler by Keri's Kitchen is very sharp as well as the 2 hook-like metals on each side of the peeler. It's very easy to use and I don't have to put effort in peeling vegetables. In one easy sliding motion, I can peel the vegetables effectively and make strips of  Julienne vegetables. I love how I can also carve and decorate fruits and vegetables.

This is very easy to clean as well but I don't suggest scrubbing the peeler because it's sharp. I just dip the blade part in warm soap water and then let it run under running water and it's clean. :)

This is such a nice addition to my kitchen and I'm glad how it made preparing fruits and vegetables easier. :)

You can purchase the Keri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler HERE with free shipping if you are a Prime member. Use the code MINEHALF at checkout to get 55% off the Keri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler.

Would you like to win a Dual Julienne Vegetable and Julienne Peeler for your home?! Well, I'm super excited to share with you that Keri's Kitchen has sponsored a giveaway for a chance to win their Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler! What's more exciting?! There will be 5 WINNERS! Yes, 5!! Just head on over to the rafflecopter form below to enter. :) Good Luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER: 5 Winners will receive a Keri's Kitchen Dual Vegetable and Julienne Peeler (either sent to your home or a code to redeem at Amazon.com for free). Giveaway will start January 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST and will end February 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM PST. This will be open to US and CAN residents only. The prize cannot be shipped to a P.O. box address. Winners will be notified by email and will have 24 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. I am not responsible for prize fulfillment. My role is to give the sponsor the information of the winner and they will directly ship the prize to the winner. I have received a product/s mentioned above to in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are honest and my own and are not influenced in any way. No other form of compensation was received. I do not share or sell information and all information shared with me will solely be used for prize shipment. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.