Product Review: SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream With SPF 45

It's my favorite time of year! I live for summertime and sunshine. Along with that comes the responsibility of taking care of my skin, which I am finally (at almost 40 years old) starting to take more seriously. So of course I was excited to try out SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream with SPF 45.

I've been using SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream for about two weeks. Here's the low down:

• I love that this product comes in a convenient pump bottle, so just the right amount comes out. I hate when I accidentally pour or squeeze out too much moisturizer, so for me this is a great feature.
• I like to put my moisturizer on in the morning before my make-up and forget about it, so an SPF over 30 is a must. This one fits the bill at SPF 45, offering broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection.
• It's hypoallergenic, which is also very important to me. My skin is not terribly sensitive, but some sunscreens and facial creams do have a tendency to make my skin itchy and irritable. This one is safe for all skin types, paraben-free, and dermatologist approved. It did not irritate my skin at all.
• According to the manufacturer, "Regular use of this product may help to prevent cancer, wrinkles, and premature skin aging." Obviously I can't speak to these claims when I've only been using SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream for a couple weeks, but they sure do sound good!
• The bottle says "lightweight" and the additional product information I received says that it absorbs instantly and has no "sunscreen feel." Personally, I felt that it did have a bit of a sunscreen feel to it. It definitely does not absorb as instantly as other facial moisturizers I have used, but I did not find this to be a problem. My skin did not feel greasy after I rubbed it in, but it is a bit thicker and takes a little more rubbing in than other products I have tried. I was willing to accept this, hoping it meant the product would stay in place and do its job all day. Which brings me to my next point.
• As stated on the bottle, SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream is water and sweat resistant. I swam and worked out with it, and while it did stay in place, kept my skin hydrated, and protected me from the sun, I would strongly suggest to not apply it too close to your eyes. The bottle advises to "keep out of eyes", but I found that after sweating and swimming, some got in my eyes and boy did it burn. This is typical of many sunscreens, and I suppose I was not as careful as I should have been since it is made for faces and billed as water and sweat resistant. It may be - but it still hurts if it runs into your eyes!

My verdict is that I like SmartShield Rehydrating Face Cream with SPF 45 and will continue to use it to protect my face this summer, while being extra careful to not apply it anywhere near my eyes. If you would like more information about this product, or other SmartShield sunscreen products, please visit their website at www.SmartShield.com.

I would like to thank the folks at SmartShield for providing me with a complimentary product to sample and review.

Review and Giveaway: Mía Mariú Cosmetics

I received free products mentioned in this post. All opinions are my own.

Getting new make-up is so much fun! It's not something I splurge on often, but I love perusing make-up aisles and cosmetic departments, looking at all the colors and the new products. I love good make-up, that feels smooth and clean going on, and stays on without feeling unnatural and uncomfortable. Opening a new lipstick or compact is just so satisfying in a totally girly way!

Getting a box of Mía Mariú cosmetics in my mailbox recently might have made me squeal just a little. Ooooh! Pretty colors!

I got a Uniquely You Touch Up Kit (item CTU03), which is that cute little mirrored compact you see above. It closes magnetically, which  love, and has a cool picture on the front. According to the box, the kit "...contains everything you need to achieve attractive day or dazzling evening looks that are uniquely yours! Perfecting Finish Colors include Magic Satin Mineral Powder, Mineral Blush, & 3 Mineral Eye Shadows." I love have everything in one slim compact that I can easily slip into my purse or travel bag. The colors are universally appearing with a hint of sparkle (oooh sparkly!).

I also received three Hydrating Stick Glosses, in Beso (CLK03), Amore (CLK11), and Seducción (CLK06). The colors and glossy and classic. They go on smoothly. There's no grit...and if you've ever used a cheapo lipstick you know what I'm talking about it. Plus they smell good. I mean new lipstick usually does, but these have a faint vanilla scent. I love lipstick and I don't use it enough. Plus the labels say "Made in USA", if that sort of thing is important to you.

There were also a couple bonus items in my box-o-goodies, including a make-up brush, suitable for eye shadow (specifically called a Petite Detail Brush), and sample packets of RestauraCel-C Microdermabrasion Thermal Activator, RestauraCel-C Microdermabrasion Refinisher Cream, and Proteccion Hydrating Moisturizer SPF 30+. I'm looking forward to trying these, since I'm always on the lookout for ways to help my skin look more youthful and healthier.

Have you heard of Mía Mariú? It is a Dallas based company, selling high quality, make-up artist grade cosmetics and brushes, as well as natural skin care products, nutritional supplements, and fine fragrances. Their philosophy:

The Mia Mariu philosophy makes the connection between beauty and health in harmony.  Mia Mariu’s high performance products are formulated with the most natural ingredients available helping you achieve vibrant beauty and health inside and out.  Each unique product fuses nature and technology by combining the highest quality botanicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and peptides.  The result is healthy products that provide a perfect balance that reflects itself through youthful, healthy, beautiful, glowing skin and renewed energy and vitality, at an exceptional value. 

Now for the fun part...Mía Mariú is offering one MichiGal reader a Colors For Your Every Mood set, just like mine! A $109 value! And the winner will have her choice of three colors for the Hydrating Stick Glosses! Open to residents of the US and Canada. Just use the Rafflecopter form to enter! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit

Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit

I've been packing lunches for years now, and I can attest that the novelty wears off very quickly. I trained Bethany and Connor early to make their own lunches, to encourage independence. Definitely for no other reason. Not at all because I was sick to death of doing it. Witch's honor. But Lucy is not quite ready to take that step, so my lunch-packing days are not behind me just yet.

School hasn't even started yet, and I already feel like I'm in a lunch-making rut. So I was excited when I received a Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit in the mail to review. Maybe this is just the tool I need to help make packing lunches fun?

The kit includes a sandwich container, a side container, two snack containers, and an ice pack. The nifty thing about it is that everything fits snugly together. The ice pack is particularly neat because it has been specially designed to snap on top of the sandwich container, and the side and snack containers snap on top of the ice pack. If the ice pack is not needed, the snack and side containers also snap directly onto each other or onto the sandwich container.

I love how everything snaps together, and the variety of container sizes. But with everything snapped together (see photo), the whole kit will not fit in Lucy's lunch box. For her lunches, I think I will get the most use out of the sandwich container with the ice pack snapped onto the top of it, or the side and snack containers snapped onto the top of the ice pack. A second ice pack would be nice, so that one could go on both the bottom and the top of my containers. Additional ice packs can be purchased on the Rubbermaid website, as well as lunchboxes that are just the right size to hold the LunchBlox kits.

I am a big fan of convenience, so I was happy to read that my LunchBlox Sandwich Kit is microwave, dishwasher, and freezer-safe. Furthermore, I was thrilled to read that it is BPA-free. Another convenience is that measurements are etched into the side of each container, so I know how much each will hold. For example, the side container holds either 3/4 cup or 200 ml. I don't know what use that would be to me, but I still like that it's there!

The Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit retails for $12.99 and is available at many stores, including Target, Kmart, and Kroger. For up to the minute tips and information, visit the Rubbermaid Facebook page.

I received a complimentary Rubbermaid LunchBlox Sandwich Kit for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Review of Shielo Complexion Face Scrub

I am always looking to try new facial care products, and I especially love exfoliating cleansers. Somehow, my face never feels truly clean unless I exfoliate. So needless to say I was excited to have the opportunity try Shielo Complexion Scrub.

Exfoliating lifts the dead skin cells off to make way for the younger and healthier looking skin that was hiding underneath. There is really nothing like it, as far as I'm concerned, to help me feel fresh, soft, and clean. Some exfoliating products are harsh and irritating, but Shielo Complexion Scrub is quite gentle. According to the product information on the tube, it should be rubbed gently on clean skin, then rinsed off, one to two times per week.

Shielo Complexion Scrub is an anti-aging product, and I'm all over that. Helping to smooth away fine lines and wrinkles, this scrub also encourage cellular regeneration. It contains allantoin and jojoba microspheres, as well as aloe vera juice. What this amounts to is a product that gently scrubs the skin's surface, even helping to eliminate blackheads, while soothing and comforting it as well.

I'm really happy with this skin care product. Before this review, I had never heard of the Shielo brand. Now that I've had such a positive experience with the Shielo Scrub, I will definitely consider Shielo products in the future. If you want your skin to feel baby smooth (who doesn't, right?), you really should be exfoliating! And if you think exfoliating products are too harsh for your skin, give Shielo Complexion Face Scrub a chance. Use a small amount and rub gently, and I think you'll find that this product is very kind to your skin.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Review of Moppy Floor Cleaner

Cleaning floors is one of my most hated chores, especially because the kids and the dog are constantly wreaking havoc on them. But, since I love natural products that are safe for my kids and my dog, I was happy to have the opportunity to try out Moppy floor cleaner, made by Natural House.  It contains probiotics, which are supposed to keep working for an entire week. Maybe that means my floors won't feel like they need to be cleaned again five minutes after I'm done washing them!

A 30 day supply of Moppy comes in a small plastic zip top bag. It contains four little packets, which remind me very much of dishwasher tablets. Since the probiotics are meant to work for a week, each little packet is for one weekly use. You just drop one packet into a bucket of water, watch it dissolve, and get to work. I love that the package doesn't take up much space, like other cleaning products that come in large jugs. But that's not the only thing I love about Moppy.

My whole family suffers from allergies, and my girls have asthma, so we're sensitive to a lot of strongly scented cleaning products. Moppy has a very light, non-intrusive orange mint scent. It's pleasant, yet hardly noticeable. Love.

The list of ingredients makes my heart sing. Check this out:

• Soda ash
• Baking soda
• Corn sugar
• Citrus extract
• Plant based surfactant
• Natural enzymes

None of that stuff sounds like anything that could kill my kids or my dog, and in fact, the package is clearly marked "non toxic." It's also phosphate free, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.

Moppy is made in the U.S.A., which is always a bonus. Sometimes it isn't all that easy to find products that our made in my own country, and thereby hopefully keeping jobs right here where they belong.

Even though it's all natural, Moppy is an industrial grade cleaning product. So it's gentle, yet strong. I don't use rubber gloves, and dipping my hands in the bucket repeatedly didn't even make them feel nasty at all.

It's safe for use on many different surfaces, including finished hardwood, tile, vinyl, marble, terrazzo, and high gloss surfaces. I used it on my laminate floors and also tried it on my hardwood, and it worked like a charm. I will admit that it streaked a bit on the laminate, but I'm not exactly the best floor cleaner, so it's probably my own fault. Lots of cleaners streak on the laminate, but maybe if I had a good mop instead of using a rag on my hands and knees, I'd have better results.

I hear the word "probiotic" tossed around quite a bit, and I'll admit I'm not all that sure of what it means. But according to the Moppy package, the priobiotics help to keep surfaces germ and odor free, and that is a win-win in my book.

There are many other Natural House products which I'm also excited to try. They all have cutesy names that end in a "y". For example, there's Flushy the toilet bowl cleaner, and Trashy, the trash can deodorizer and cleaner. I definitely like Moppy well enough to give it my seal of approval, and to buy it again.

I was provided with a 30-day supply of Moppy for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Review of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations

I love homemade frosting. Unless I'm in a serious time crunch, I try to avoid canned store-bought frosting. Honestly it doesn't take that much time and effort to make a decent frosting from scratch, and I can guarantee it'll taste better than anything sold in the baking supply aisle.

Nonetheless, I recently had a coupon for the new Duncan Hines Frosting Creations. It's a plain white frosting, and you buy a flavor packet (sold separately) to add to it. In addition to my coupon, it was on sale, so I decided I'd give it a try. I also have to admit I was a little intrigued when I saw the cotton candy flavor.

Even though we already had a birthday cake for Mathilda over the weekend, I couldn't let her real birthday go by without singing "Happy Birthday" and letting her blow out three candles. I returned once again to my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook, this time choosing the chocolate cake recipe.

Here is the recipe from the Betty Crocker cookbook, which I followed to the letter with one small exception. After beating all of the ingredients together, I stirred in half a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It was a good addition to the recipe, now duly noted in my cookbook.

Chocolate Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose or 2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease (or spray with no stick spray) bottom and sides of one 13x9-inch pan, two 9-inch round pans, or three 8-inch round pans with shortening; lightly flour.
2. In large bowl, beat all ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).
3. Bake 13x9-inch pan 40-45 minutes, round pans 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool rectangle in pan on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely before frosting, about one hour.

 After baking the cake, I followed the directions for mixing the frosting.

I made a hole in the middle, going all the way down to the bottom, with a dinner knife.

I poured the entire contents of the flavor packet into the hole.

I stirred with my dinner knife.

Eventually it looked like this.

My suggestion is that when you think you have the flavor packet completely mixed into the frosting, keep stirring for another minute or so. When I frosted the cake, I realized that I hadn't stirred as well as I thought I had.

Here's the frosted cake

For a finishing touch, I added chocolate shavings. I took a vegetable peeler to a Hershey's bar to make the pieces curl a bit. It works better if the chocolate is cold, and I found it easier to shave the thin edges of the chocolate instead of trying to shave over the flat surface of the chocolate bar.

The best I can say about Duncan Hines Frosting Creations is that I love the color and the kids liked the taste. I'll also throw in that it was easy to mix and easy to spread. As far as the color, the pictures don't do it justice. I think the combination of the blue frosting and the brown chocolate shavings looks great. Unfortunately, I didn't think it tasted much like cotton candy at all. The kids thought it did, but I'm fairly certain they wouldn't have been able to blindly tell me it was cotton candy flavored frosting without already knowing that's what it was. Also, I polled them and asked if they liked this frosting better or the homemade coconut cream cheese frosting I made the other day, and they all said the homemade frosting was better. There are several other flavors available, but I'd only be tempted to try them if I once again had a great coupon combined with a sale.

Have you tried this frosting? What did you think?

I was not compensated for this post, nor was I provided with a free product. I bought Duncan Hines Frosting Creations. All opinions are my own.

Kellogg's FiberPlus Cereal

Cereal is one of my favorite foods. Right up there with ice cream and butter, I pretty much think it is a perfect food. Good for any meal of the deal. Good for snacking. Such variety! Yep, I love cereal.


I try not to buy much in the way of sugar cereal. And I think there are lots of healthy options available now that taste great too. Some things I consider when shopping for cereal:

• Does it taste good?
• Will my kids eat it?
• How much sugar is in it?
• How much fiber?
• Does it contain whole grain?

I was given the opportunity to try two varieties of Kellogg's FiberPlus cereals, Berry Yogurt Crunch and Cinnamon Oat Crunch. Here's how they measure up.


Does it taste good? Both Berry Yogurt Crunch and Cinnamon Oat Crunch taste very good indeed. Berry Yogurt Crunch has these yummy little yogurt clumps in it, as well as fruity clusters. I love crunchy little clusters in my cereal! Cinnamon Oat Crunch is the kind of cereal you can just snack on all day. It would be a good one to put in a baggie and throw in the diaper bag. Yet it's also great in milk. 


Will my kids eat it? These cereals passed the kid test in my house. All four of them liked both the Berry Yogurt Crunch and the Cinnamon Oat Crunch.


How much sugar is in it? Berry Yogurt Crunch has 12 grams of sugar per serving and Cinnamon Oat Crunch has 7 grams of sugar per serving. This is decent. Could be better, but they both taste really good so I won't complain too much about the sugar content.


How much fiber? Berry Yogurt Crunch has 10 grams of fiber per serving, or 40% of the recommended daily amount, and Cinnamon Oat Crunch has 9 grams of fiber per serving, or 35% of the recommended daily amount. Great numbers for one bowl of cereal, in my opinion.


Does it contain whole grain? Berry Yogurt Crunch contains 25 grams of whole grain per serving, and Cinnamon Oat Crunch contains 16 grams of whole grain per serving. Again, I think these are great numbers for a bowl of cereal.


In addition, both of these cereals are rich in antioxidant vitamins C and E. All in all, I would say Kellogg's FiberPlus Berry Yogurt Crunch and Cinnamon Oat Crunch are a good choice for getting fiber, whole grain, and antioxidants into my family's diet. They taste good and they have health benefits, what more could I ask for?


Disclaimer: I was provided with one box each of Kellogg's FiberPlus Berry Yogurt Crunch and FiberPlus Cinnamon Oat Crunch for review purposes. I received no other compensation. The opinions expressed are 100% my own. Thanks to Kellogg's and Technorati Media for this opportunity.


Photos from www.consmr.com.

Upcoming Reviews and Giveaways! Coupons to Use Now - EvoraPlus/EvoraPet

I'm really excited that I've been given the opportunity to review several new products - and host giveaways too! - in the coming weeks. I love trying new things and sharing my opinion for the benefit of other prospective buyers (and my friends and family, of course!), and I am thrilled that some of my readers will get to try these products too.

I recently received two items made by Oragenics, EvoraPlus and EvoraPet. They are both probiotic oral care products - one for humans and one for dogs and cats. I got a 30-day supply of each, and just started using them. I will be reviewing them all in good time, and giving my readers a chance to win them as well. But in the meantime, if you're curious and interested in trying either or both of these 100% natural products, I have coupon codes to share with you that can be used at www.oragenics.com now through August 31, 2011 (US only).

•  EvoraPlus is a mild tasting probiotic mint, to dissolve in your mouth once a day after brushing. According to the bottle, it "Naturally whitens teeth, naturally freshens breath, and supports gum and tooth health." The coupon code, for $5 off, is EPLUS811.
• EvoraPet is a powder probiotic to sprinkle on your dog or cat's food once a day. It has no taste or smell, and according the container, use of this product will freshen your pet's breath while cleaning and whitening his teeth. The coupon code, for $5 off, is EPET811.

I will provide a lot more information about these products when I post the actual reviews, but just wanted to give everyone extra time to take advantage of the coupon codes. Don't forget - they expire August 31, 2011.

I'm Taking The RoC Challenge, To Look 10 Years Younger! Plus Coupons

Back in February, I celebrated my 36th birthday. Most of my life I have been mistaken for someone much younger, but now that I'm getting to be a bona fide old lady, I've sadly been getting lots of gray hair (must do something about that - soon!) and I'm noticing new and annoying facial features, such as crow's feet. Hmph. So when SheSpeaks offered me the opportunity to try RoC's Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream as part of their Look 10 Years Younger challenge, I excitedly jumped at the chance.

For 12 weeks, I will apply the cream, which is like a light moisturizer and smells really good, to my face and neck at bedtime. I took a before picture, and will be taking comparison pictures at 1 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. I will blog about my progress, including photos. Today will be day 5 for me, so look for an update and pictures in a few days! I have in my possession 5 coupons for $3.00 off on any RoC anti-aging product, so if you'd like to join the challenge with me (or try another product), just leave a comment below with your email address and I'll mail you a coupon. (If you don't leave your email address, I'll have no way of contacting you to get your address...)

I can't wait to look 16 again. Wait, did I subtract wrong? Um, no...16 it is.

*Disclaimer: SheSpeaks provided me with a 12-week supply of RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream in exchange for joining the Look 10 Years Younger challenge. Other than that, I am not being compensated in any way.