I will be honest: I’ve been desperate for a Clarisonic since they came out, but the price is a huge turn-off. Flash forward to now, where I am lucky enough to introduce you to the Spa Sonic Skin Care System!

The kit comes with the handheld machine as well as two facial buffer attachments, one body buffer attachment, one pumice stone and one facial moisturizing applicator… all while costing a third of the price of the Clarisonic! Right now, this beautiful set is only $45 at Target.com (it’s also available at Amazon.com and Walgreens) – marked down from the regular price of $65.

I’ve used all tools but the pumice stone so far, and I’m extremely pleased. The tool rotates at a nice speed so I feel like I’m being cleansed but not like my skin is rubbed raw. And I am smitten with the moisturizing applicator – I genuinely have a glow to my skin after using it and have seen significant improvment in the texture and tone of my skin. At this price point, I highly, HIGHLY recommend the Spa Sonic System to those who are looking for a new option that’s versatile and manages to be both gentile and powerful.

Love,
JP

Full Size SPF 30 by HydroPeptide

Lets flash back to my very first product review: HydroPeptide Travel Kit. In that review I mentioned that the smell of the SPF 30 lotion was a little off – slightly resembling liquid latex/rotten eggs. I thought it was pretty weird seeing as how all of the other products in the kit smelled amazing and fresh. So, we decided to reach out to their PR contact Elise. She was more than accomodating and sent us a new full size bottle of the SPF! After we recevied it she send us a self-addressed pre-paid envelope to send back the defective travel sized SPF so they could investigate the issue. I used the new full size bottle and there was no foul smell AT ALL.

One Pump of HydroPeptide SPF 30 Lotion

I really love HydroPeptide’s SPF lotion. One pump is all you need. When you pump it onto your fingers you’ll even be able to see the little color-changing spheres. I love that the SPF has some tint to it so I don’t have to use that much foundation to make my skin look even.

The combination of the phenomenal customer service and really high quality products that truly deliver has me completely hooked on HydroPeptide. I will literally be recommending this product until the end of time… Thank you so much to Elise and everyone at HydroPeptide for completely wowing this beauty blogger!

Love,
Alyssa

I’m all about spoiling myself on occasion; you need a break from the world, and sometimes the best way to do that is with a little bit of chocolate. I was sent a spectacular little kit from Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark.com that had a great chocolate spa kit and a coupon for a free pouch of Sweet Moments, so the first thing I did was head to the grocery story to buy a bag. After a long internal debate, I settled on one:

These little morsels of goodness were amazing! I couldn’t wait to get home, and ended up snacking on two in the car. I was tempted to freeze them, too… but they were gone before I knew it. That’s what you get for sharing chocolate-y goodness with friends.

Have you wanted to try Pillsbury Sweet Moments? Here’s your chance!

Enter to win a Spa Set and a FREE Sweet Moments package right here!!!

This is a quick and easy giveaway with only one entry, so everyone has an equal chance of winning. Since I was so taken by the whole experience (I don’t want to share too much about my chocolate bath, but it was fantastic!), I knew that one of you would love to get your hands on this set – you need a break, too!

Mandatory Entry: Go to our Facebook Page and tell us which flavor of Sweet Moments you want to try!

This contest ends on Friday, October 15th, 2010… enter NOW!

Love,
JP

Disclosure: The “Sweet Moments” prize pack with VIP coupon for the new Pillsbury Sweet Moments were provided by Pillsbury and MyBlogSpark.com. The giveaway prize is also provided by these parties. No compensation was given to me for posting about the product; I loved it all on my own.

I have been using Calgon products since I was a little kid. For a birthday present one year I received a scent sampler of shower gels, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

More recently, I adored their limited edition orange creamsicle scent and whipped right through an entire tube of the old lotion formula in that scent. The lotion was alright but nothing earth shattering. I’ll admit it, I used it because it smelled friggin delicious.

The Nourishing Body Cream is a new formula designed to be richer and more moisturizing than the old. I can definitely feel the difference between this lotion and their old formula, but the difference is not incredibly dramatic as far as performance goes. My general feeling of the Calgon line is that their wonderful fragrances tend to be more worth it than the product itself. I’m willing to overlook the less-than-greatness of this body cream because it just smells so good.

That is not to say this is a bad lotion. Not at all. It’s just not a product you’re going to use and then proclaim “GOOD GOD, MY SKIN! IT IS SO MOISTURIZED AND SOFT!” — more like “Mmmmm. That smells yummy.” It’s packed with the usual suspects you would see in a body cream– Vitamin E, Vitamin A, and Aloe Vera. Nothing particularly innovative or unusual there.

The first scent I tried was Morning Glory. Morning Glory is described by Calgon as the “delicate hush of a perfect morning with soft petals swirling all around you”. The top notes are star anise, apple, and orange, joined by geranium, rose, violet, and supposedly sandalwood but I don’t smell it in there at all. Which is a good thing for me. I get a strong apple note with some fresh florals. “Fresh” is the easiest way to describe this scent. It’s sweet without being cloying or cheap, and overall quite pleasant. This is the kind of scent that I would love to have as a room plugin or something, it’s that nice.

I also tried out Tahitian Orchid. In the past I used up a tube of Tahitian Orchid shower gel. I already knew I really liked this fragrance, and I still do. I’m pleased that it hasn’t been changed in this new product. Calgon describes Tahitian Orchid as “seductive rhythms of the South Pacific and the hypnotic beauty of white orchids”. Jasmine, mimosa, and orchid compliment the additional notes of lemon, melon, and leafy greens. This scent is definitely more heavily floral than Morning Glory, but again they manage to keep this one from verging on cloying very well. It’s a good floral for those who usually aren’t that into florals (in other words: me).

If you’re typically into sweet & fruity scents and want to branch out, both Morning Glory and Tahitian Orchid are excellent choices. Both fragrances are airy, light, and pleasant enough to use every day. The scents don’t linger too long on the skin, but you could always layer them with the accompanying body mists for more “oomph”.

Calgon products are available at pretty much any drugstore, but I usually see the best selection at Rite Aid. If you’re intrigued by the scents, I suggest trying the body mists. Let a great fragrance just be a great fragrance; if you need serious moisturizing performance from a body cream you may need to look elsewhere.