Home
Wed, January 25 2012
Orly Nail Defense
When I decided to treat myself with a haircut and nail polish, I opted for the buy-2-get-1-clear-coat Sally’s had going for Orly products. I may have used some Orly color in the past but I hadn’t used either if their nail protection products. I opted for the Nail Defense because it’s designed to protect nails, bonds layers together and prevent breakage. As someone who’s nails frequently peel, this seemed like a good deal. Orly advertises this as a basecoate on its website but I figured I would use it for both the base and top.
I like this so far, especially because I got it for free. However, it has a leg up over the Sally Hansen strengthener I was using in a couple ways.
- It’s thinner and less gloppy. It’s super easy to use. My previous polish was even grew thicker, the longer I had it. I wound up tossing it well before the bottle was empty.
- It dries a lot faster. This is handy when I just want my nails clear but even moreso when I’m going with color and I’ve already had to wait for two layers of that to dry. I’m impatient so I like this. It also means it’s less likely that I’ll smudge or otherwise mess it up as I’m waiting for it to dry.
- It adds high shine.
- It doesn’t dry out around the edges and start peeling after a few days. This was a big problem with my Sally Hansen polish. It was really noticeable and I’d have to remove all the polish and start over. However, I can worry less because it’s much less noticeable as it begins to wear or chip off and, when it does, I can add another layer without it looking like layers upon layers of polish.
Although it’s not perfect, my nails are growing longer. I’d had a little bit of peeling that lead to breakage but only on one nail. This is exciting because my nails are on their way to actually reaching the ends of my fingertips. Then I’ll use the rest of my Sally Hansen stickers. So, as a basecoat, I can’t complain.
It’s not stellar as a topcoat. It’s shiny and smooth over color but chipping starts as soon as it would with any other topcoat and, really, without any at all. Perhaps I am just hard on my nails. However, the thinness means that maintenance is a little easier and maybe I can cover up those spots and prolong the color for a bit more.
The quick drying has me sold more than anything else and I’ll definitely be checking out more Orly products in the future.
Sun, January 22 2012
Sweet and sour chicken
I had such a craving for sweet and sour chicken the other day because someone in the building was cooking with peppers. My favorite has lots of peppers, pineapple and cherries. However, none of our local restaurants make it that way so I was hoping that I could find something in the frozen section to sate the hunger. I ran across PF Change’s skill version of sweet and sour chicken and, while it lacks cherries, it had lots of peppers and pineapple, too. I love skillet meals because they’re so quick and easy to make so here’s my experience.
Ease: Just toss it in a pan for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. It’s a little longer than some other meals but it’s perfect for lazy cook like me. The peppers and sauce were easy to smell during cooking.
Texture: I liked the chicken, which was bite-sized battered pieces, soft and without fat. The pineapples were sometimes a little tough and also quite large. In fact, they were large enough to make stabbing them with a fork a little difficult. I would have loved to see them smaller. Sadly, the peppers were a total flop — literally. They were mushy and lifeless, lacking that awesome peppery crispness. The onions were of a fine texture but I avoided them.
Taste: The major downfall of this meal is its complete inability to taste like sweet and sour chicken. The sauce was nearly tasteless and the pineapple was so overly sweet that it overpowered the other elements. I couldn’t taste the peppers at all. The chicken was okay.
Servings: Two moderately sized servings. Maybe three if you stretch it but a hungry person could easily finish off the entire bag. It’s probably more reasonable when you consider that Americans tend to eat their portions too large but it’s definitely a lot smaller than any portion you’d get from a restaurant.. and it was more expensive than many of the skillet meals I do like.
Nutrition: A Single servings is 380 calories — not too bad. It offers more than a third of your daily sodium intake and a fifth of your daily carbs, which may not be problematic, depending on your diet. Read more here.
Verdict: Slightly cheaper than going out to eat but the reason I bought it — fruits and veggies — were disappointing. The serving size is a little small, too.
Sat, January 21 2012
Whenever the subject comes up, I always tell people that I should have had glasses years ago — and it’s true. My sight isn’t horrible but things would be a little clearer if I wore them, especially when driving. This is part of the reason why I do not like to drive at night. A few years ago, I got a prescription and I visited at least four eye glasses stores but I either couldn’t find anything that I liked or within my price range. I couldn’t see myself paying upwards of $100 for glasses I’d only wear some of the time. I wish I had known about sites like Zenni Optical then. They offer prescription glasses with a variety of frames for bottom-line prices. One of the lowest-priced options are $6.95 prescription eyeglasses. That’s less than I spend on Mountain Dew in a week! Some of the more “expensive” frames are $12.95. That’s not a price about which I can complain!
Plus, Zinni offers options like Oleophobic coating to deter fingerprints, oil and dust so that you can spend less time cleaning your lenses. This same coating also reduces reflection, which is always a plus. That would be great for me, if I were wearing glasses while driving at night. The coating itself isn’t that expensive either.
Even though I need a new prescription, I cannot help but browse the site and I’m surprised at how many frames I like. I’m definitely going to be playing on the site before I go to bed.
Thu, January 19 2012
You know how I’m a sucker for Glade’s Hawaiian Breeze sc
ent? Yea, you do. Anyway, I usually buy my air freshener refills with one jar of vanilla passion fruit as well, which I also like. When I was considering buying a spray air freshener, I decided that a candle might have a more pronounced effect and bought the duo of my favorite scents.
The cylindrical glass jar is plain and clear and you can see the red of the vanilla passion fruit on top and a creamy colored bottom on the bottom for the Hawaiian breeze. I really enjoyed the first half of this candle and it burned quite evenly, which is always a plus. I burned it for several hours — I’d say four to six — for two days before the mixed scent started filling the air and it was also quite enjoyable. The burning wax made for a subtle change that was interesting but not sense-assaulting.
After the candle burned down to just the Hawaiian breeze, I was a little less impressed. It wasn’t horrible but the smell of wax was more noticeable and the scent of the candle itself was a) not quite what I expected from using the air freshener and b) just too weak to do a good job at fragrancing the air.
Still, for a small jar, the burn time was impressive. I’m not sure if it was quite 22 hours but I did burn it for at least 16. It burned cleaner and more evenly than I expected and the first half really made the open area in my apartment smell good. My nose didn’t become used to it so that I could no longer smell it. I would probably purchase it again but not all the time. I’d rather wait for a coupon or sale before I buy the Haiwaiian Breeze & Vanilla Passion Fruit candle from Glade.
Wed, January 18 2012
Today I received an entire box full of cupcake scented goodness.. manufactured by the company known for the great Coochy Cream. Lots of toy companies are branching out to include sensual gear, including massage candles and lotions and potions and companies like Classic Erotica are continuing to expand their line-up of sensual and sexual health and body products. I, for one, cannot complain. I love having more options because I feel so much better when a) I smell good or b) my house smells good.
So it’s kind of cool that EdenFantasys is now carrying a whole bunch of fragrance options. I also love that they’re carrying the entire cake line. I still love my Milk Made body froth and I want to try both of the scents of their Supremely rich bath and shower froths. I’ll probably get some of the Milk Made sugar scrub, too.
Principessa Beauty is another new company and while I have not yet tried its products, the lotions, lip glosses, body washes and perfume oils all call to me. When did I become such a girl? So whether I want to spruce up my hair and skin or show off the girls or invest in some sex toys, EdenFantasys definitely offers a variety of options this Valentine’s Day.. even if it’s likely I’ll be spending it alone. d=
Tue, January 17 2012
So I’m a little late. Whatever.
Clothing and Accessories
Entertainment
Food
Health and Beauty
Tech
You’ll notice that I didn’t mention any products in terms of housewares. 2011 did not offer a lot in that category that knocked me off my feet. I would also like to make a special mention of Kaspersky Internet Security 2011. Although I reviewed it on the last day of 2010, I really enjoyed using it. I didn’t realize how much until it expired.
What were your favorite products of last year?
Mon, January 16 2012
I’m a bit slow posting my winners, my apologies.
Dez won the Chick Fil-A giveaway and we are anxiously awaiting for cows to arrive at her door. Moo!
Lucky Monica will have her own piece of couture from Channing & Co because she won the bracelet!
Aaannd Christy Ann will soon be receiving $50 worth of lingerie from Smart and Sexy.
Not too bad!
Tagged: 
Categorized: 
Commented: 
Please use the image provided to link back to 
I'm Cole, a 20 something female newely returned to Central Wisconsin after my divorce. I review products in my free time. I also enjoy reading (fantasy), TV and movies (sci fi), music (mainly rock and metal), maintaining my numerous websites, chatting, and spending time with my friends and kitties... 