I have been wet shaving with a safety razor, brush and natural, sulfate free soap/cream for almost a year and a half. I love it as I get a better shave and I love going back to vintage methods for a lot of things. I use a 1963 Lady Gilette Starburst safety razor and a badger hair brush. I was given the opportunity to try a boar hair shaving brush and stainless steel bowel set from Cornucopia Brands. I had not previously tried boar, but I knew that the texture is different. Boar is a stiffer, coarser animal hair and generally cheaper in price. It is not a bad bristle, just more scrubby. Since I am using this brush on my legs, I really do not mind the stiffer feel, as it gives some added exfoliation. A man's face would like it as well. This brush does whip up a nice lather. I will not say that this is the best brush I have used (it is an entry level brush) as I do prefer my long handled, vintage butterscotch bakelite (re-knotted with a 30 mm finest badger hair brush (but I did not like the price as it is a bit rare.) Now, that is not to say that I dislike this boar brush. I do like it a lot. It is comfortable to hold in white painted wood. It is stiff, but lathers well. I use it for exfoliation shaves and for travel. I like the bowl as it fits comfortably in the palm of my hand. I generally get the boar brush warm by soaking in water for 1-2 minutes, then after shaking the excess water off, I lather over my soap puck. I then transfer the foam and froth into the small stainless steel bowl (gently squeeze the soapy foam from the brush) and add some essential oil (lavender/tea tree), castor oil, rose water and argan or rosehip oil. The bowl is great for mixing and frothing and stainless steel holds the warmth. This set includes: Stainless Steel Shaving Bowl Stainless Steel Brush Stand Wooden Handle Boar Hair Brush The stainless steel bowl does not clutter my sink or tub area. The stainless steel brush stand stands evenly and holds the brush well. I have stored the brush and stand on the edge of my tub and have not had any rust or wear to either. The brush stand can hold two sizes of brushes, small brushes can be hung from the end of the handle, and large brushes can be hung just at the end of the hair knot. This is a much smaller knot than I am used to, but excellent for a starter brush, spare brush, or travel brush. I use it for exfoliation and am taking it with me this next week when we go on vacation. Great gift set (3 item for just under $20) on Amazon.
*I was provided this as a sample for my honest opinion. This is my personal experience.
This is a sponsored post about Greenwalds Glass Cleaning Spray. My posts often contain affiliate links. This is my honest experience and review of this product. I was sent Greenwald's Glass and Window Cleaner for review. This is not an all natural, organic cleaner. I mention this as the majority of the products I review (and use in our house and on our skin/hair) is natural, made from botanicals and essential oils, etc. I will tell you about the product and those of you that use regular cleaning agents (whether chemical or natural based) can learn more about this product to see if it is for your needs. I have tried all 3 products from Greenwalds and I like the glass cleaner the best. We have actually used it the most. I have tested it on our bathroom mirrors and on the glass lid of our washing machine. I was able to remove the soap build up from the inside and outside of the lid of our washer and it is smudge free. The mirrors look nice as well. This makes 6 32-oz spray bottles saving you money and storage space. Take 1 packet and put it in the spray bottle with warm water, wait 1 minute, then shake. Watch the clear water turn blue. You are ready to clean. I like how you can make it weaker if you want to (mix it in a larger gallon size jug and then pour into the spray bottle (this would make it last longer and mainly make it seem less chemically potent, as I am not a fan of using chemicals.) I like this product the best of the 3. The others I do not see myself using as much as generally we use natural cleaners. This is not natural at all, but for glass and mirrors, I tend to use store bought regular glass cleaner as it works best for us. This gave a nice clear clean to my glass and I recommend it. For more information or to purchase, you can find this on Amazon.
This is a sponsored post about Greenwalds Cleaning Spray. My posts often contain affiliate links. This is my honest experience and review of this product.
I was sent Greenwald's Citrus All purpose Cleaner for review. This is not an all natural, organic cleaner. I mention this as the majority of the products I review (and use in our house and on our skin/hair) is natural, made from botanicals and essential oils, etc. I will tell you about the product and those of you that use regular cleaning agents (whether chemical or natural based) can learn ore about this. We do not have many chemical based cleaners in our home. We are pretty much addicted to Clorox disinfectant wipes and use them for most everything. But generally we use water with various antibacterial essential oils mixed, with the occasional baking soda and vinegar. For our cloth diapers and laundry, we use Nellies Natural Laundry Soda or Country Save Powder (both natural/sulfate free). We do keep the blue Dawn dish soap on hand for the occasional "strip" (increase of absorbency wash) of the cloth diapers.
For really tough jobs, such as automotive cleaning, this Citrus All Purpose Cleaner would be a recommended product. You can use this on any surface, so for those of you who use regular cleaners daily, this is a product you might enjoy. This is a strong cleaner and can cut through grime easily. I would have liked it to mention the actual ingredients on the bottle.
I have been using this to deep clean my daughter's potty chair on the inside bowl. Sometimes she does not tell us that she went pee-pee, (as she mainly uses the big potty, and perhaps uses the little potty 1-2 times per week when she cannot make it in time). This cleaner powers through the odor and the residue of 1, 2, or even 3 day old potty chair (it is a bench with a lid that stays closed when not in use, and sometimes I forget to ask her if it is empty or check it). (I have a busy 14 month old and 4 year old at home with me 24 hrs a day and things do get crazy busy here at times).
This product does do what it says, it is tough on big messes. I would have liked to know the ingredients. I am not fond of the fact that these are not natural, but I do like the fact that you can make your own strength depending on how many packs (1-2) and how much water you use (could use a larger spray bottle or mix the solution in a gallon jug for a weaker solution then fill the bottles.)
To use this cleaner, and any of the Greenwald's cleaners (surface, fabric, glass, etc.) you put the small concentrated packet of chemical into the empty spray bottle, fill with warm water, and wait 1 minute. Shake the solution (after replacing the toggle lid of course) and watch as the clear water quickly changes to the color of the solution, in this case, orange. I like how the spray nozzles always match the solution (blue for glass cleaner solution, and so on). This has 6 packets which would be about 6 bottles (32 oz each). This could definitely save money and storage space.
If you are interested in learning more, or purchasing this cleaner, you can find it on Amazon.
We live out in the country in a nearly 100 year old home that is not sealed up very well. Now that it is the summer time, spiders, bugs, and the occasional mouse will wander through. I am terrified of mice and I am grossed out by bugs and spiders. Having 2 small children in the house, I do not want to set any traps for fear of seeing the remains of the animal, having them see it, or having a dangerous trap where either child may get to it. I also do not want poisons in the house.
I was happy to be sent for review, a spray pest repellant. Made with 100% organic and natural ingredients, Eco Defense's Pest Repeller spray safely repels pests both inside your home and outside. This does not contain any strong odors and leaves no residue. I do want to mention that this has 75% castor oil, so it can be a touch oily so keep that in mind---you would not want want to spray it near curtains or near a couch, etc.
Lately I had been hearing a scratching noise in my front room/living room. For weeks I thought it was a mouse. That is the room my children (age 4 1/2 and 14 months) play in 95% of the day, every day. I was very concerned. One day I was looking out the front door glass (our living room and front entry is connected in one room) and it was raining pretty hard. I had also heard that sound again and thought it sounded extremely loud and I could actually hear chewing. As I was peering out the glass window part of our wood door, I saw a squirrel right up against our door stoop (like an inch from the base of the door outside) and it was CHEWING on our wooden strip that is attached to the entry. I had seen that for weeks it had been looking pretty worn away, but like the rest of the house that is falling apart in some areas, I just thought the wood wear was age. Nope! It seems that scratching / chewing was a squirrel chewing on the soft, wet wood. I stood there in disbelief for about 10 minutes watching it, and then with the door closed, pounded on the wood door hard several times until he scurried off. I looked it up on the internet and apparently sometimes squirrels like to file their teeth or chew on wood. I was very mad.
I immediately got out the Eco Defense spray and sprayed the entire base of the door and around the area. Luckily the porch is covered so the rain did not wash away the spray. This is formulated to repel rats, rabbits, deer, moles, squirrels, raccoon's, and many other type of animals that may be causing problems to your home and property. I think i may try it in the yard as well since we have been having moles (I am guessing) tunneling our front yard since we moved here 4 years ago.
I love that this can be used both indoors and outdoors. I have sprayed in our wooden cupboards (that seem to occasionally have tiny mouse droppings despite the fact that I do not see any holes) and along the doors and door entries. You can also use this for attics, basements, or anywhere pests may be invading your home. I like how it can be diluted to last twice as long or sprayed directly in problem areas containing heavy infestations. I have not tried diluting since we live in the country and I am pretty much scared of the pests we have.
This can even be sprayed directly on vegetation without harming your plants or your body. (I have not tried this, but it may be a good idea since last year we had Japanese beetles chomping (huge holes) into our rose petal leaves.
I really love this product and how natural it is. The squirrel has NOT returned since spraying the doorway area ONCE, 2 weeks ago. Fantastic. I will probably spray that area continually about once or twice a month since that would also help repel the spiders and occasional mice.
*I was sent one bottle of Eco Defense for my honest opinion and review. This is my personal experience.
LashIQis a natural eyelash growth stimulating serum that is clinically proven to increase eyelash density up to 82% in just 4 weeks. I like how it is gentle and contains no sulfates, parabens, or chemical preservatives. It comes in a mascara size tube and is easy to take along in your bag when traveling.
To use this, apply it along the lash line once daily usage in the evening before bedtime. The tip of a thin brush that resembles a liquid liner brush. I think I would have preferred a mascara wand for the application as it would be easier for me personally. It is not difficult to use, it is just a preference.
I like how it contains Biotin, which is a supplement both my husband and I like to take for our hair health. Other ingredients in this serum include: Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Retinyl Palmitate, and Pumpkin Seed.
This is MADE IN THE USA, and safe to use. This very important to me for all products, but most importantly something that will be put near my eye, so it gives me peace of mind that it is made in a an FDA registered facility. The company provides a 90 no questions asked guarantee that you will like this and that you will see thicker lashes.
I like this product a lot, the only thing I would like a bit more is the applicator to be a spoolie brush brush/mascara wand type as the current brush is a bit thin and slightly pokey.
*I was sent this lash enhancing serum for my honest and unbiased review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
For more information on this product you can find this product on Amazon.
*The following is an advertorial review and is sponsored by the company. I was not told what to write or how to rate the following products(s), and as always, I form my own opinion from thorough use of the product.*
If you read my blog with some regularity you will know that I am sulfate free (will she ever stop mentioning it?) and that we use organic, natural products for nearly everything. There are times when I have a stain that I just cannot remove with a natural product and so I often like to have something on hand to use as a backup. I do know that I do not like purchasing more plastic containers and storing numerous bottles of products. I was intrigued when hearing about a product that, while unfortunately very chemical based, it does save money and plastic. I heard about Greenwald's Carpet & Fabric Stain Remover and was given the opportunity to sample some of their products. The sprays come in small chemical concentrated packets designed to make up to 6 quarts of solution.
This is a product that is a very potent chemical. I am not a fan of chemicals in general, but for household cleaning if I have a stain that will not come out from excessive treatments and scrubbing using my natural based solutions/products, I will often need to go a more vigorous route. I am not necessarily endorsing chemicals, as you know I am not fond of them. I do want to note that my personal lifestyle choice of not using many chemicals does not mean this product is bad or unhelpful.
Up until almost 3 years ago, we used sulfate shampoo, aluminum based deodorants, and lots of chemical based cleaning products (my husband loved using Scrubbing Bubbles and similar bathroom scrubbing products and I agreed with him that they worked, but the fumes were terrible and getting product on hands / skin made for some unpleasant itching at times and irritation.)
The Greenwald's Carpet / Fabric Stain Remover spray does work and as seen in my video it lightened my Henna stain on my shirt considerably. I have been using it as a laundry pretreatment for thought stains, and then immediately washing (rinsing an extra time). I do not use this cleaner on a daily or even weekly basis. I have used it a few times in the last month. For the casual user who uses regular chemicals this will fit great in their daily cleaning routine. I do worry about the bottle not listing the ingredients. I realize the company has a special / secret formula but I just worry about ingredients as I am a mommy and always read labels. I may recommend using protective gloves when using it. It did not harm me the few times I used it, however, as my grandmother used to say, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." (Although Benjamin Franklin said it first. Perhaps his grandmother mentioned it to him as well?)
Here are the main aspects of the solution and how to use it:
1. It's more powerful than the average cleaner purchased and discount stores. (So it will have some potentially stronger chemicals, but I am unsure). It works deep to remove the toughest stains from carpet, fabric and upholstery. (I have found that it works well with removing natural Henna/Indigo dye from my clothing, which is a tough stain to lift.)
2. It saves money because this can be purchased as a kit / refill set that contains a 6 pack of solution that you mix with water. (Saving money is great!)
3. It saves a space and shipping/packing weight. Each dissolvable refill makes a 32 ounce spray bottle and each refill set comes with 6 packs. You can store several gallons of cleaner refills, which frees up space. (We always are cluttered with bottles and cleaning supplies under all our sinks).
4. You are not purchasing a new plastic bottle (more plastic use/waste) every time you need a new bottle of cleaner. You can recycle the existing cleaner bottle. Less Plastic and less trash. (I like this aspect).
To mix the solution, take 1-2 (depending on how strong you need the solution) packets and put the uncut packet into the empty bottle. Fill with warm water, screw on the spray nozzle top, and let sit for one minute. Gently shake the bottle and watch the water color change from clear to orange.
This works well and I recommend it for those who normally use chemical based cleaning products. If you are completely chemical free and do not even let something nonnatural enter your home, you will want to pass on this. I can tell you it works, I am not sure how often we will use it. Most stains we get out by hanging the garment in the sunshine outside or with natural based products. I will keep this out of reach from my little ones and keep it on hand for tougher stains that are near impossible to remove. I have not tried this on mold/mildew stains on fabric, nor have I tried it on rust stains on fabric, so far, those are the ONLY stains I have not been able to remove with ANY chemical or natural cleaning solution. I thankfully do not have either of those stains currently as I have had to just purchase replacement items in the past for severely stained items, but when I have a rust or mold stained item, I would love to test this on it.
This spray and the refills are available on Amazon.
This was a sponsored post. I often have affiliate links in my posts. This cleaner was sent to me as a sample product to review, this is my honest account of the product.
