Dial Complete Foaming Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap (Pear)

I bought Pear-scented Dial Complete hand soap (7.5 oz) for our bathroom on May 6, 2011 - three and a half weeks ago. Take a look at how much is left:

Ethan and I are not the sort of people who wash our hands 50 times a day or anything, so I am amazed that we have gone through this soap so quickly (and not amazed in a good way). Now, I am not normally a fan of foaming hand soaps (I like to create a lather myself, it makes me feel like the soap is working), but I tried this at a friend's house and it smelled nice. Since we needed new hand soap anyway, I bought some.

We don't like it. This entire bottle will only have lasted about a month! For a household of two, that is unacceptable - it usually takes us about 3 months to go through a bottle of hand soap. Not only that, but for the last week or two I've washed my hands in the kitchen a few times in order to avoid using this soap because it dries out my hands - so we aren't even using this soap as often as we normally would and it is still disappearing at an alarming rate. The website claims that the lather is "lotion-soft," but whether or not the lather is or isn't lotion-soft doesn't matter to me - I want my hands to feel lotion-soft after using this product (or at least normal! Dry as a bone is just uncomfortable). But, on a positive note, it does smell good. It's not an overwhelming sweet smell or anything, but rather is a light fruity scent that stays on your hands for a while (in a good way).

Overall: This was not a good product for us. We aren't germaphobes so Dial's claim that it kills 99.99% of germs and is #1 doctor recommended doesn't do much for us as a selling point. The soap left our hands dry and uncomfortable and we went through the bottle extremely fast. On the bright side, the soap does smell good and the scent is long-lasting.

Re-buy?: Definitely not. Although this product was relatively cheap (about $2), it wasn't worth the money for us.

Dude Review: Steel Kettle Light Original Brew (From Guest Blogger Ethan Fox)

What is one of the most consumed products on Memorial Day weekend? Ok, let's be honest,  EVERY weekend... yep, it's BEER! What else could be better for washing down BBQ'd meat!? Well, if you're like me, then you probably don't really care about the quality of beer you drink. I'm perfectly happy with a Coors Light, Miller Light, Bud Light, Keystone Light (brutal) etc. Of course, I might have white trashified myself but guess what, don't care. I'm on a budget here folks!

I recently started trying the EXTREMELY cheap side of the beer world. To join this club, you can't just go to a regular grocery store. The best place to find a drinkable budget friendly brew is either at Trader Joe's or Fresh and Easy. I was drinking this $2.99/six pack beer called "Simpler Times Lager" (genius name) and it has 6.2 percent alcohol content, and I'm not gonna lie, the taste is not bad at all! I was surprised! I don't consider myself a light weight and after TWO beers, I was feeling kind of buzzed. So, for $1 I can get buzzed!? Sign me up! I think this will be my new "go to" beer!

That is until I recently visited Fresh and Easy and saw a $4.99 TWELVE PACK called "Steel Kettle Light." I was reluctant at first because I didn't see how a beer that cheap could be any good. I had this other one from Fresh and Easy called "Taurino" ($9.99 for an 18 pack) and it just tasted horrible... but I wanted to get drunk and it was there at the time. Well, after taking Steel Kettle home and giving it a whirl, I gotta say...IT TASTES JUST LIKE COORS LIGHT! In fact, it tastes like ALL of the Light beers! Why would I want to spend double the money, for a watered down brew that tastes exactly the same!?

Now, I haven't had more than two, so I can't tell you whether or not it gives a throbbing headache the next day, but from what I've had so far, I don't see that happening. Unless of course you drank the whole twelve pack in one sitting. I recommend getting some pistachios to go along with it, always a good choice.

Overall review, a damn fine substitute for all the name brand light beers. We're not talking about the best tasting beer here, just one that will do the job for a BBQ, beer pong, or a poker game. If your friends make fun of you for bringing it to a party, just say "F U then, more for me!" I can understand if someone is drinking something delicious, like a Shock Top or Blue Moon Summer Ale, but if they're drinking Coors Light and they make fun of your Steel Kettle, then they should question their ability to save money.

"Marnie" Crocs (Espresso/Mushroom)

Before our trip to New York City in March, my husband and I went shopping for weather-appropriate clothes. We'd never been to New York before so we weren't sure what to expect, but we knew it wouldn't be similar to the weather we were leaving behind. You see, we live in Southern California so we don't usually need much more than a hoodie and jeans to keep us comfortable.

We decided to check out Bass Pro Shops to see if we could find anything good on sale... no such luck. I was ready to leave after scouring the sale racks and finding nothing, but we brought my mom with us and she is a wanderer, so I decided to go upstairs and check out the shoes while she looked at everything downstairs. I am so glad I did because I found an amazing pair of flats! I'd gone upstairs on a whim thinking, "I will probably be doing a lot of walking in New York... I wonder if there will be any good walking shoes here?" but I wasn't expecting to find anything beyond hiking boots and boat shoes. The ladies' shoe area is kind of small, so I found the most "fashionable" shoes rather quickly: Sanuks and Crocs. I know, I know - Crocs?! I was surprised too. I thought they only made  silly-shaped plastic shoes that you find on babies and old ladies in the garden. And let's be fair, that's how everyone knows of the brand, because that is what the first Crocs were. But it seems as though the brand has branched out. They even make heels now! But I digress. This post is about my new favorite pair of shoes - "Marnie" Crocs in the Espresso/Mushroom color (aka kind of a neutral olivey brown).

This pic is truest to color

I found them nestled in a back corner behind some not-so-cute Crocs. They are just a basic pair of flats, which fits my lifestyle perfectly, and they are brown, which goes with everything. And they are so comfortable! Sometimes I even wear them around the house instead of my slippers (which have a tendency to disappear under the couch). They are also very easy to clean - just run them under warm/hot water with an old soapy toothbrush and let them dry (although if you're in a hurry, you can blow-dry them to speed up the drying process).

They are definitely the trademark (plasticky) Croc material, but that's a good thing because they're super durable. Like I said, they can get wet! And the best thing is, they don't even look like plastic - they're slightly textured, and look like a faux suede. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on them and people are so surprised when I say, "they're Crocs!" There are a few downsides though: because there's no air in there, they can make your feet smell a bit after you've worn them all day. Luckily, since they're plastic, they don't retain the smell so they aren't stinky in and of themselves. Also, again because of the lack of air, sometimes my feet squeak in them on hot days. It's actually kind of funny walking around Target and hearing squeaky sounds coming from my feet, but it doesn't really bother me.

I went onto the Crocs website and saw that they even come in purple! They also come in black, but I tried on the black ones in the store and they were more of a dark grey and not a true black so I wouldn't recommend them.

Overall: These are great. I've had them for about 3 months and haven't had any real problems. The brown is a perfect neutral, great for most outfits, and I love that I don't have to worry about getting them wet or dirty. Granted there are a few quirky things like squeaky feet and a little stink after a long day, but you'll find that with almost any shoe. You should know that they run large - meaning, if you're normally a size 8, buy a size 7. They don't come in half sizes but going a full size down worked for me (they actually fit perfectly in a 7, and I am usually an 8 or 8.5, although once or twice I've worn 7.5).

Re-buy?: If anything happens to them, I will definitely buy them again. I might even get an additional pair in the plum color as soon as I can afford to!

Fresh Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment SPF 15

I got Fresh's Sugar Rosé Tinted Lip Treatment last summer from Sephora. A year later, I still have about 3/4 of the tube, so that should tell you something. While I really wanted to like this product (the tube is a pretty stainless steel-esque pink! The cap won't fall off in my purse because it twists onto the tube! It smells yummy! What a nice color in the tube!), it fell kind of flat for me.

Granted, I still like the color and design of the tube, but I am not in love with the texture or the tint once applied. The product feels very goopy and melty the instant it goes on my lips, and I hate that feeling. I even tried putting it in the fridge overnight to see if that would make a difference, and it still felt melty!

While it is tinted, it is a *very* sheer tint, and I'm looking for fuller coverage. It also looks darker on my bottom lip than my top lip, which is weird because I applied the same amount to both. I've tried applying more to my top lip, but it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Bare lips (in a warm room)

Wearing the tinted lip treatment (in a warm room)

Overall: The texture is melty, even after being in the fridge overnight. The tint is very sheer; nothing special. It does smell good though - kind of a sweet, citrusy smell.

Re-buy?: Not a chance. I can think of way better products to spend $22.50 (plus tax) on.

Clinique Almost Lipstick (Black Honey)

I came across Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey the other day at TJ Maxx. At first glance it's not a very appealing color - they aren't kidding with that color name! It really does look almost black.

However, once you put it on it's a nice rosy color. What's interesting about this product is that the pigment becomes more intense the more liberally you apply it. The thing is, once I apply a lot of it, I've noticed it settles in the lines on my lips which I don't like. I think I'll stick to one or two swipes for the more subtle look, which I prefer anyway.

Bare lips (in a warm room)

Two swipes (in a warm room)

Liberal application (in a warm room)

Settled in my lip lines (it's more profound in person)

Overall: The texture is good; not too creamy but not sticky either. It smells slightly waxy, but has no taste. I really like this product and I think it would look good on anyone, as it seems to adjust to everyone differently. It's not great in cold weather, but works really well when it's warm. It's actually very similar to Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose (except that one doesn't become more intense with liberal application) - read my review for that product here.

Re-buy?: Probably not, unless I find it at a discount store again (or get a job). I looked it up and this full-sized tube costs $25.50 on Amazon! But if you can afford it, it's definitely worth a try. I can't see it looking bad on anyone.

Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm (Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Rose, and Red Dahlia)

As soon as I saw Burt's Bees new tinted lip balms at my local Target, I knew I had to try them. My lips are naturally devoid of color so I am always looking for products that will brighten them up without being too high maintenance (I'm lookin' at you, lipstick). Don't get me wrong, I like lipstick, but it can be impractical for everyday errands and relaxing at home - I want to look pretty, but don't want to have to consult a mirror to reapply my lipstick every time my lips feel dry. Since my former favorite tinted lip balm has been discontinued (R.I.P. Revlon's Beyond Natural in Neutral Pink) I went ahead and got these Burt's Bees lip balms in four different colors: Honeysuckle, Hibiscus, Rose, and Red Dahlia.

My lips, sans product (in a warm room)

Honeysuckle was the first one I tried and it was not right for my coloring - Burt's Bees categorizes it as a "neutral," but it came out kind of shimmery yellowish/goldish on my lips. I ended up giving it to a friend with a more olive complexion and it looked better on her (more natural).

Honeysuckle in the tube - I'm not wearing it because I visited my friend this weekend and she showed me that she still had this lip balm after I'd put on lipstick. Oops!

Next up was Hibiscus, which I think is the most pigmented of the four. It looks really good on my lips and seems to have a thicker, more solid texture than the other three, which seem more sheer. Because of its texture, Hibiscus is the closest to a lipstick of the ones I tried. If applied liberally however, I noticed it has a tendency to settle in the lines of my lips.

(Note: I don't have pictures of Hibiscus because it melted in the dryer last week. I hate it when that happens! I even checked my pockets, but I must have missed one - of course, I missed the only one with something actually in it)

While Rose is a more sheer color, I feel like I can apply it in more layers than Hibiscus without it settling in the lines of my lips. Burt's Bees considers it a "red" but it is a deep pink on my lips, which is exactly what I was hoping for. However, I wish it had just a bit more color; it can be too sheer in colder weather.

Wearing Rose (in a warm room)

Rose in the tube

Red Dahlia is another one of the "red" colors, but it isn't really red either. It is very similar to Rose, but it looks darker in the tube. When it's on my lips, however, it seems indistinguishable from Rose, except it somehow looks worse on me when it's cold out.

Wearing Red Dahlia (in a warm room)

Red Dahlia in the tube

Overall: I really like the texture of these lip balms, which is creamy but not sticky. They also smell and taste good (subtly fruity). Hibiscus and Rose are my personal favorites. Honeysuckle looked awful on me, and Red Dahlia isn't anything special. They're all really sheer though (even Hibiscus), so if you're looking for a lot of color to help pasty lips, these aren't your best bet for year-round coverage. While they're great in warmer months, in colder weather they just sit on my lips and look waxy and weird on me. However, if your lips are naturally flushed, these would probably be really good for you because they'll enhance what you've already got going on.

Re-buy?: Probably not. There isn't anything bad about them, and they actually look really good in warm weather, but I need something that can get me through all temperatures and still look flawless.