Vitabath Fragrance Body Wash review

I recently got hold of a bottle of Vitabath In Bloom body wash in Asian Orchid & Coconut with Angelica extract from the Vitabath new fragrance collection. I tend to be pretty picky about body washes and shower gels, but I was surprised at how much I enjoy this one.

I can't stand body washes with those little beads floating around in them. I don't like the kind that smell like perfume. I don't like it when body wash is runny, but I also don't like it when it's so gelatinous that it won't lather. As for the lather, I know that lather doesn't indicate how well a soap cleans, but I still feel like it's not doing anything if it doesn't lather right. But my big thing is the scent. If the scent isn't right, it's all forfeit.

No matter how lovely a scent is, if it's too strong, I will get a headache. It's sad, but it's just the way my body works. So when I got the Vitabath body wash and found out that it was from the new fragrance collection, I was not pleased. I convinced myself to try it out just once and give a half-hearted review about how it kind of smelled nice and then let my mom use it.

Well, I'm glad I didn't give it to her. The Asian Orchid & Coconut smells heavenly, but the scent isn't too strong at all. It gives the shower a nice aroma, and afterwards there's just enough of a scent left on my skin that I can catch whiffs of it during the day. No headaches. And the best part is, the body wash actually made a difference on my skin.

I usually expect body washes to do little more than clean off dirt and sweat and make me smell nice for a while. Commercials can claim that they make skin baby soft all they want, but I've rarely seen it. This time, though, I hopped out of the shower, dried my hair and dressed, and as I was dressing, I felt my arms. They were so soft that I went around the house, finding anyone I could, and telling them, "feel my arms! Now smell them!"

On top of that, Vitabath is sulfate and paraben free. It's got all kinds of cool antioxidants in it, including açai, pomegranate, coffee, and green tea, and vitamins A, B3, C, E, and pro-vitamin B5. It's practically a smoothie for your skin.

I'm gonna go back to sniffing my arms. Mm, Asian orchid and coconut....

Full disclosure: I received this product free through Influenster's Vox Box to try and review.

Venus ProSkin Razor review

So I recently received the Venus ProSkin razor to review. From the product info, "Venus ProSkin MoistureRich Razor has shave gel bars enhanced with a triple blend of body butters, which create a layer of protection for your skin with every stroke. Plus, it features the trusted Venus three-blade technology for an ultra-close shave; our rounded, pivoting head for those hard-to-reach places; and an ergonomic handle for great control in wet, soapy environments."

Warning. You may want to take my experience with a grain of salt, because my legs are kind of weird anyway, and they are very persnickety when it comes to being shaved.

I've been a pretty big fan of Venus for years. In the past ten years, I've only bought two razors that weren't Venus. I hated one, and the other was okay at best. So you could call me something of a Venus fangirl. But I did not enjoy the ProSkin razor.

I tried using the razor the way it was intended at first - No gel or cream or lotion, just wet legs and a single sweep of the razor with its built-in gel strips. It was not pleasant. I had to shave my legs a second time, this time with lotion, but the damage was already done. I had razor burn and bumps all over, and it hurt. Bad.

Here's the thing, though. I also shaved my forearms, one with lotion, one without. The one that I'd shaved with lotion was softer, but both were equally smooth. So the razor did fine on my arms, but left my legs looking as if I'd gotten chicken pox. I was also able to get a nice smooth shave without cream on my armpits.

So basically the razor performed just as well as I would expect a Venus razor to perform, even without shaving gel, but not on my legs. I'm going to guess that anyone else would have no problem with this razor, and it would probably save them time and money since they wouldn't need to use shaving cream. But if you have any difficulty with shaving your legs, or any sensitive skin that you're planning to shave with this razor, don't. Or if you do, at least use some cream.

Full disclosure: I received this product for free to review through Influenster's Vox Box program.

Proactiv Product Review

Hey, everybody! I'm gonna gush at you today about the Proactiv skincare system. It's a three-step system for your face to remove acne and just generally make your face look awesome.

So I'm not particularly acne-prone anymore. About halfway through high school, my skin cleared up for the most part, and now I'm just left with some black spots on my nose, the occasional zit or blemish, and pores the size of craters on my cheeks. In general, though, I've gotten compliments on my complexion before I ever tried Proactiv.

When I got the Vox Box, I replaced my daily skincare routine (which up until then had been an exfoliating scrub, a foaming cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, all from different brands) with the Proactiv system. Proactiv is a three-piece system: an exfoliating cleanser, a toner, and medicated lotion for trouble spots. I used the system for about two weeks before I wrote this, to give my skin time to adapt to the new system before I gave a final verdict.

First of all, I got lucky. My Vox Box arrived the day after I'd passed out with my makeup still on. I had probably the most blemishes on my face that I've had in years. I used the Proactiv that night and again the next morning, and by afternoon of the day after my box arrived, most of my breakout was gone. Another day later, it was completely cleared up. Awesome stuff.

I want to repeat what I said before. I got compliments on my complexion before I ever touched Proactiv. After about a week and a half of using it, I visited my psychiatrist. The first words out of his mouth were, "Your face has cleared up a lot." I was stunned. I didn't know that it was possible for my face to be much clearer than what it already had been. Sure, there are tons of people with skin that's practically perfect and smooth as silk, but I had figured that my skin was as clear and smooth as it would ever be. After the appointment, I got back in the car and immediately checked my skin in the mirror. I hadn't noticed the changes myself until then, but he was right.

My gigantic pores looked significantly smaller. The deep creases on my forehead, which I've had since I was in elementary school, were much less prominent. While my skin never really struck me as loose or wrinkly before, it was definitely firmer and tighter than it had been. I ran my hands over my face. It felt almost oily, but when I rubbed my fingers together, there was no oil. I tried running one of those oil sheets over my forehead, but it didn't pick up much at all. My skin wasn't oily... It was smooth. Very, very smooth. We're talking the difference between legs after a week of camping, and legs that have just been waxed. I couldn't stop touching my face! I don't know how I didn't notice it before. I guess I'd just ignored it because I thought my face was just super oily lately.

Anyway, the point is, I didn't think I'd be able to give much of a review for Proactiv, since I only really get acne or breakouts once in a blue moon. I was wrong. My skin feels awesome, it looks awesome, and I've almost completely stopped using foundation. I cannot recommend this stuff highly enough, regardless of whether you've got acne problems or not.

If you do buy the Proactiv system, I do have one recommendation. Go easy on the medicated lotion at first. It's not like most vanishing creams; it's strong. It will not hesitate to dry your face out if you're not careful with it. The toner is also a lot stronger than most toners, so I'd definitely recommend starting out using it once daily until you know how your face will react to it. I was a little overzealous with mine and found my whole face itching like the dickens, and my skin was so tight it looked like I'd gotten Botox.

The Proactiv system is a 30-day, 3-piece system. They've recently lowered the price to $19.95, too, which is pretty awesome. When you're using the Proactiv system, make sure to use sunscreen or a moisturizer with sunscreen in it, because the toner can make your skin more sensitive to sun exposure.

Full disclosure: I got the system free through the Vox Box system from Influenster to try and review.

Softlips Giveaway!

I was on Facebook when the Softlips page posted about a giveaway being conducted by a blog called Mom to Bed by 8. The blog is really cool, so check it out when you hit up the giveaway! Softlips and Mom to Bed by 8 are giving away a prize pack of Softlips 100% Natural products. They've got some very unique flavors, plus a lip butter and lip polish that look heavenly. Make sure to check it out. Softlips is one of my favorites!

I've abandoned you, dear blog...

Wow, it's been a while...

Life got crazy, but I'm back and I have a brand spanking new giveaway to tell you about!

CleverChicks and It Works are giving away a free body wrap. This is not the first time I've heard good things about the It Works wraps. I have been skeptical the whole time, but after having heard so many success stories, some of them from people on whom I have witnessed the results first-hand, I'm more than willing to take a shot at it.

Sorry for the long period of negligence! I really need to get back into the habit of blogging, and I hereby promise to do just that.

Christmas Giveaways!

Holiday time! I found some awesome holiday giveaways that you won't want to miss. Trust me!

For gift cards to Amazon and Target and Best Buy and all sorts of other places, totalling 500 bucks, check out the Momstart blog giveaway, made possible by F-Secure security software.

Awesome. Go check it out! It will certainly put a dent on your holiday shopping!

Namaste & KnitPurlGurl

Namaste and KnitPurlGurl have teamed up to give one lucky winner a gorgeous Namaste Hermosa bag for knitting or other supplies!

You can enter the contest here, and be sure to use all the extra entries you can to boost your chances of being the new owner of a beautiful new bag!