The best face wash ever.

Up until my 20s, cleaning my face meant Neutrogena Acne Face Wash and St. Ives Apricot Scrub. These served me well while my skin was busy breaking out and being hormonal. However, when things balanced out, I needed less drying and more moisture than either of these could provide. Add in my crunchy girl desire to find something more natural and free of icky chemicals and it was like a Where’s Waldo crusade.

I searched high and low, with face wash success here and there, but ultimately nothing met all of my criteria. Until I nabbed my brother-in-law’s  Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash. It’s the “green” version of my old Neutrogena stand-by. It does a stellar job cleaning, keeps break outs a thing of my teenage past (save for my monthly pimple visit) and does it all without making my face feel like it’s been attacked by a moisture sucking vampire. 

Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash is the best face wash I’ve ever used. It does a seriously cleaning job and also works overtime. In the six months I’ve been using it, the texture and tone of my skin have dramatically improved. There’s a slight tea tree oil smell to it but it’s very subtle. I will warn you to shut your eyes tight because it can sting pretty bad if it runs into your eyes at all.

I’m most excited because it’s a “green” product free of many of the harsh chemicals we’re warned about these days. Four out of five green products won’t work on my skin so just know I kissed a lot of frogs to get to this prince. And for the cost conscious skincare maven, rejoice knowing you can score an 8.5 fluid ounce bottle or get more bang for your  buck with the 32 fluid ounce refill size. I’m in green skincare heaven!

Posted by Carla for Buy-Her.com.

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Walk into any convenience store and you will see, fountain drinks, snacks, coffee, and coolers of water, soda, alcohol, and energy drinks. Row after row of energy drinks. With names like Rockstar, and Monster, NOS and Amp, they are hardcore energy, one boasting more caffeine than the other and basically marketed to men.  I used to be a hardcore energy drink fan.  Rockstar pomegranate was my favorite.  I would follow a large coffee with a caffeine laden, sugar coma inducing energy drink, and have tremors all day.  I needed something new.

Thumbing through one of my magazines, I saw an ad for Neuro® drinks claiming they are The Operating System for Life.  These weren’t just energy drinks geared towards women, they were a whole range of drinks focusing on what women want or need throughout the day.  Turns out, Diana Jenkins, along with a team of nutritionists and researchers launched a line of drinks that taste good, and promote well being, without all the chemicals, known as Neuro®

Neuro’s Mission

The company was started in 2008, after founder Diana Jenkins had a bad experience with an energy drink.  Diana, along with a team of nutritionists and researchers created and launched Neuro, in an attempt to launch a line of drinks that promotes well being without a lot of chemicals.  Their mission states the drinks are designed to sustain and enhance your active lifestyle with natural ingredients.

Neuro Drinks

neuro Bliss

neuroBliss in the white bottle, uses L-Theanine, an amino acid that reduces stress, and Chamomile (like the tea)

• to help reduce stress,
• enhance moods,
• support memory and

neuro Sonic

neuroSonic in the red bottle, sounds like an ad for the Army helps you to be all that you can be”

• Provide mental energy
• Support focus and concentration
• Promotes healthy aging
• Supports memory

neuro Sun

neuroSun in the neon yellow bottle, is loaded with Vitamin D for days when the sun just isn’t doing it’s job

• Supports healthy immune system
• Provides 1000IU of Vitamin D
• Helps maintain healthy bones
• Supports balanced moods

neuro Passion

neuroPassion (formerly known as NeuroGasm) in the maroon bottle gets you up, and keeps you going.

• Sustain energy
• Improved performance
• Increased drive &  Stamina
• Enhanced cognitive function

neuro Trim

neuroTrim in the purple bottle, uses the highest quality fiber to fill you up, without weighing you down.

• Promotes Healthy weight loss
• Better digestive health
• Promotes Healthy aging
• Helps curb appetite
• Caffeine Free

neuro Sleep

neuroSleep in the bright orange bottle, uses melatonin to aid in getting a good night’s sleep.

• Provides restful sleep
• Relieves muscle cramps
• Supports relaxation
• Promotes feeling of well being
• Supports healthy mental function

neuro Sport

neuroSport in the blue bottle helps get the most out of your workout and replenish your body

• Active lifestyle formula
• Electrolytes for hydration
• Energy replenishment
• Replaces depleted minerals.

Each drink is only 35 calories.  Some drinks are carbonated, some are not.  They are not the high sugar almost syrup drinks like most energy drinks.  There is a slight aftertaste but not overpowering, and not something that is overly distracting.

So, where can you find your neuro® drink?
You can use their handy dandy Store Locator or you can buy online at DrinkNeuro.com, at Amazon, or check your local convenience store.  I bought my first one at a QuikTrip in St. Louis.

Posted by Becky Hood (Ms Batman) for Buy-Her.com.

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When I try to think back to when it all started, I know I was a kid.  It started with a chap stick obsession.  I had to collect as many flavors as I could.  It was hysterical to realize my cousin was doing the same thing.  You would never want for chap stick with the two of us in the room.  As I got older I expanded my chap stick collection to include lip gloss.

Sure I tried lipstick here and there.  I mean I still have some fantastic purple metallic colored ones from the late 90′s somewhere in an old makeup case… but I never really liked lipstick.  The colors never looked right on me and I didn’t like the way it felt heavy on my lips.  My wedding day may be the last time I actually put on lipstick of any kind, as I had purchased it after getting a consultation on what would look just right for the big day.  Since then, I have been all lip gloss all the time.

Recently I have become a big fan of Stila lip glaze.  I got my first one in a swag bag from the Mingling Moms event I went to in March… and already the Stila lip glaze collection has grown to three.  They come in 5oz. tubes.  While it doesn’t sound like much, I have yet to run out of one yet.  The tubes are clear so you can see the color through them.  When you twist the bottom the color comes up to the brush.  A bit of a warning, give it a moment after you twist it a few times so you don’t end up with too much gloss.  Stila recommends twisting 10 to 15 times to first activate the lip glaze … but only 1 to 3 times for each individual use after that.

The lip glaze is sticky, which I would say is the only drawback.  I really don’t like that sticky feeling… BUT I am so in love with the colors that I just try to use it sparingly.  It can be worn alone or over the top of a favorite lip color.  I sometimes add it over something lighter to give me a different color.  The shine in the lip glazes visually enhances the size and texture of your lips.

I have the lip glazes in grape-fruit, majesty, and merry merry.  They all smell great (reminding my kids of candy apparently) and I love how it gives my lips just a touch of color and sparkle.

Posted by Cira for Buy-Her.com.

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It All Seems to Come With a Remote...

Enter my part in the show: I put my foot down.  No more remotes.  At all.  For any reason.  My OCD tendencies rear their ugly head because I just can’t take the clutter of it all.  I actually almost asked if we could get rid of something because the plastic rectangles hanging around are making me twitch.  Not to mention the fact that we should just go ahead and buy stock in AA and AAA batteries or that it takes a Master’s degree to turn the TV on.

I can hear the canned laughter now as we wrestle over the benefits of a Blu Ray player and Hi-Def receiver vs a calm, collected household headed by a woman who is no longer threatening to stomp a poor, plastic tool to bits and pieces.  There’d probably be some eye-rolling (from me) and gnashing of the teeth (from him).

But, like all sitcoms, mine has a happy ending too. No more eye-rolling or teeth-gnashing and definitely a lot fewer batteries.

Enter the Logitech Harmony 650 Universal Remote, also known as the God-mote in our house.  My fiancé found it and I just didn’t believe him at first. A new techie tool, and yes, another remote but now it’s the only one!  Yup, you read that right.  One remote controls the TV, the cable box, the receiver, the Blu Ray player, the CD player/tuner, and the Wii.  Just one.  Even better? It’s just one push of one button to get everything up and running.  Even our six-year old can turn on the TV now, leaving us to sleep in a bit on the weekends.

Logitech offers a few different Harmony remote options, ranging in price from $29.99 all the way up to $349.99.  The Logitech Harmony 650 Universal Remote is right in the middle of the price range and is pretty easily programmed too.  It comes with a USB cord that you connect to your computer and download the information for your devices.  Once you find your devices, you can choose to customize the big buttons near the screen to do the things you choose most often and you’re all set: one remote to rule them all.

One Remote to Rule Them All

At this point in the sitcom, the canned laughter would fade out and the camera would close in on my fiancé and I cuddling together on the couch, sighing contentedly, with only one remote to be found.  Cue the, “Awwww!”

The Logitech Harmony 650 Universal Remote can be purchased in store or on-line at Radio Shack.  It’s regularly priced at $69.99, a pretty good price to pay for a happy ending!

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Orange Petalooza™ Natural Nourishing Shampoo

I was “blessed” with baby fine hair. A lot of baby fine hair.  This makes finding a good shampoo difficult for me. Some leave it too dry, some leave it too flat, some don’t even seem get it clean. To add to the problem I’ve been trying to go “natural” and eliminate all those nasty chemicals from my daily shower routine. I’ve tried at least 5 different brands and spent an amount of money that we wont tell my husband about.

While scouring the shampoo aisles at Target, some cute packaging caught my eye (I’m a graphic designer, the packaging always has an impact on me) It was güd by Burt’s Bees Orange Petalooza™ Natural Nourishing Shampoo  I checked out the ingredients, and saw that it was free of parabens, phthalates and petrochemicals (I don’t actually know what any of those things are, I just know they sound evil) It also noted on the label that this shampoo would “Lathers like all get out”  This was a MAJOR selling point to me since not one of the other “natural” shampoos I have tried lather at all, let alone like all get out!

Of course my next step was to pop the top and see how it smelled.  Let me tell ya, it smells amazing! I love citrus scents, especially for my shampoo and shower gels. The citrus really wakes me up in the morning and leaves me feeling as invigorated as one can feel at 7am.

So, how did it work? You ask.  It worked extremely well! It didn’t weigh my hair down and it didn’t dry it out.  It left my hair looking shiny and clean, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a shampoo. I loved the way my hair smelled (so did my husband!)  I will definitely buy this shampoo again, as well as try out some of the other scents ( Floral Cherrynova™  and Vanilla Flame™)  and some of the other güd products (conditioner, body wash, body butter, lotion, body mist, hand wash and hand cream)

About The Author:

Posted by Sarah for Buy-Her.com.

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I had but few requirements.  It had to be inexpensive to make.  It couldn’t include things I had never heard of, or couldn’t find.  It had to be quick and easy to make.  And it had to taste good.

It was then that I stumbled upon Kraft Foods Food & Family magazine.  The magazines are short (less than 70 pages) and full of recipes for the season.  In fact, I have copies of every issue from 2004 thru 2006. There are many reasons I still have my magazines all these years later.

                 Short easy to follow recipes

Click to read recipe

I am not a gourmet cook.  I am a single mom of two teenage daughters.  I don’t have a lot of time too cook.  The recipes included in the Food & Family Magazine are all very simple, easy to follow recipes with basic, have-on-hand ingredients.  One thing to note, all recipes feature Kraft Foods – be it salad dressings, mac n cheese, barbecue sauce, Cool Whip.  If you can take the advertisements in stride, the recipes are great.

Full size, full color pictures

Every recipe is accompanied by a full size, full color picture of the finished product.  If you are a mom, then you know part of getting a kid of any age to try something new is making it look good.  If it looks ‘yucky’ or ‘funny’ they are not going to eat it.  Same goes for some adults I know.  It helps when I’m planning menus, if I can discuss options with my girls and have pictures to show them.  I also like that I know what it should look like when it’s done, so I know I did it right.

Everything is right at your fingertips

The Table of contents at the front is laid out in an easy to read style.  Across the bottom, every recipe is listed and sorted by categories such as ‘Appetizers & Snacks”, “Salads & Sides” and “Entrees & Sandwiches”.  Each recipe is also marked Healthy Living, 20 Minutes or Less, or Budget Wise.  A picture of each recipe is included in the table of contents, along with nutritional information.

They also have them listed under the headers Advice, On the Menu and Timesavers.  Throughout the Kraft Foods Food & Family magazine, they group some of the recipes together in a magazine story format.  This isn’t just a cook book, it’s magazine that incorporates family stories, holiday celebrations, traditions, healthy eating, and fun into their sharing recipes with you.

Back when I started getting Kraft Foods Food & Family magazine, it was free. Just sign up on their website and it was delivered in the mail five times a year.  Somewhere in my many moves, they stopped trying to keep up with me and I no longer received them in the mail.  Of course, I could still get the daily Kraft Foods email Newsletter than included recipes with full color photos.  But they weren’t always what I wanted.

I went online to sign up for the magazine again, only to find that the tough economy seems to have hit Kraft Foods as well.  The magazine is no longer delivered to your front door free. Being a single, unemployed mom, I wasn’t sure I wanted to pony up the money for the magazine given I was getting recipes sent to me daily for free.

But I found, on their website that you can see every edition of the magazine they have published.  The older editions, prior to the Holiday 2009 edition, are still listed by category, and have the recipes listed below.  Click on any recipe you want to see and it takes to a page with the recipe and a full size, full color photo.

Starting with the Holiday 2009 Edition, Kraft Foods started adding the digital edition which is the actual magazine using the website Zino.com.  I was so excited to see that I could still get the great recipes, the same quality and simplicity I loved years ago, free, even if it meant I would have to do a little work clicking through to the actual recipe.

So, when you’re stumped with how to answer the never ending inquisition of “What’s for dinner?” check your pantry, and check out Kraft Foods food & family magazine.  You’re sure to find a quick, easy and delicious family pleasing recipe.

Posted by Becky Hood (Ms Batman) for Buy-Her.com.

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Let's Pretend This Never Happened

What have you been doing the last ten years of your life? If you’re Jenny Lawson, aka The Bloggess, you’ve been writing your memoir. Your twisted, bizarre and hysterically funny memoir. And for the last week or so you’ve been squeeing because it actually made the New York Times Bestseller list. Not too shabby.

I won a proof copy of Jenny’s book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir, from the publisher. If I hadn’t, I would have paid money for it (which is saying something for a girl who has a love affair with her local library). It’s funny. It’s quirky. It’s totally Jenny. If you don’t read her blog… well I feel sorry for you. If you do, this book is a must read. So go, read it!

Let’s preface this by saying I’m not a huge fan of the memoir. I like the always-something-happening feel of a novel or the treasure trove of new facts in any kind of “informational” book. Memoirs, unless they are about someone famous (and someone famous that I actually care about), don’t particularly interest me much. So to say that I really loved this book is really saying something.

One of my favorite chapters is the one where Jenny tells stories about her time in Human Resources. People are bizarre, boys and girls (especially you boys), and if  you’re ever looking for a never-ending source bizarre but true tales, HR is the job for you. My other favorite chapter is about Jenkins, the jumbo quail (turkey) and his friends. They lived in Jenny’s front yard. The were horrible. And? Awesome. Because it’s just too weird not to be true.

I belly-laughed my way through this book. My husband thought I was insane. Given what I was laughing at, he might be right.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading The Bloggess, go and have a look. And if you want more, go buy this book. You will not be sorry.

About The Author: Megan is a professional writer, amateur photographer and an accomplished beauty product crash test dummy. She'll try anything once, especially if it's a free sample. She's still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up, but it will probably involve travel and Colin Farrell. And maybe some writing and photography. You can visit her at onethousandwordsormore.com or follow her on Twitter: msmegan.

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Coffee anyone?

Coffee. I love coffee. It makes me human enough to be able to deal with the monumental amount of stupid we have to see on a daily basis. School drop off car line, extreme couponers in the 10 items or less lane, fracktastical drivers on the roads…. it’s like a game that never ends! This shirt expresses why I drink my giant cup of love juice in the AM.  Some days, I need a second cup to get to that +5 wisdom though. This great shirt is available from Snorg Tees for $19.95 and would bring a bit of humor to your mom, humor that will sustain her when she has one of “those” mornings!

Better Living Through Science!

Keeping with the caffeine theme, look at this beautiful necklace! This glittering bit of jewelry is from Think Geek and it is totally awesome! Made from sterling silver with a silver snake chain attached to it, this is one molecule I’d love to wear every day. From the Think Geek site… “Your favorite molecule shouldn’t be relegated to casual Fridays. Bring it with you every day with a sterling silver incarnation. Designed by a wayward Ph.D. post-grad in molecular biophysics, this sterling silver caffeine molecule pendant is about 1.5 inches wide. It hangs from a sterling silver snake chain that can be adjusted for length between 16 and 18 inches.”  You can keep caffeine close to your favorite Mom’s heart for just $84.99!

YEAH!!!

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge a huge group of moms out there that I know personally… the Roller Derby Moms! Hey, there are quite a few of us!  Whether it’s skating our own bout, supporting our derby sisters as they skate theirs, or cheering on our little derby spawn at Junior bouts,  the empowerment of the roller derby movement can be felt all over the world and now your own Mom can be a part of it when you give her this shirt! This t-shirt from Wicked Skatewear is a retro throwback to derby  from the 40′s with it’s styling. At $23.99, this is a great gift for Mom. Also, Congrats to Strychnine, (One of Wicked’s co-owners) for becoming a Mom herself! That baby boy is gonna have a frickin’ AWESOME mom when he debuts!

I'm A Goddess Yo!

Does your Mom like to wear makeup? I sure do! Ever since I discovered Sephora, I have expanded my makeup collection, but I also discovered I needed more brushes to apply said makeup! I found this set from Plasticland while browsing the site for shoes! (They have shoes to DIE for!) These six brushes are weighted, come with a velvet carrying case, and have antiqued silver handles shaped like Art Nouveau Goddesses! Talk about feeling like a goddess while putting on your make up! For $45.00 this is a gift mom can use all the time.

Flowers For Mom!

Does mom like flowers?  I really like these flowers and I’m a Mom! These are Cherry Blossom knee socks from Fast Girl Skates, but you don’t have to be a skater to love them! Beautiful reddish pink cherry blossoms wind down the sock along brown branches making a lovely tribute to one of Spring’s most fragrant flowers! These flowers will be with Mom long after the FTD bouquet she got fades from time. $8.00 will get you one pair of these, but really, one isn’t going to make a bouquet. Make sure to get a dozen!

Gamer Mom Approved!

I love to play video games with the kids! We play Mario Bros, Bombermanland, Frogger, you name it. I would be pleased as punch to get this flower bouquet by Think Geek from my kids. 8 Bit throwback is very popular right now and when you think about it, this is the ultimate flower gift for your Mom. They never need watering, they won’t wilt with time and they will make Mom harken back to when she started playing games as a kid! It’s a total win! Also, at $14.99, it won’t break your (piggy) bank either.

Oooo! It's The Wiki Tiki!!

And finally, we all know our Moms need a drink every now and again. No matter if it’s a Mai Tai or just a club soda, Mom is gonna love putting her feet up and sipping out of these Tiki Mugs! Made from ceramic and shaped like 4 different Tiki idols, these little gems will make for a relaxing cocktail for your Mom as she watches you try to clean the house she so meticulously keeps immaculate with almost no effort! Oh who am I KIDDING? It takes a Herculean effort! The set goes for $22.00 and don’t forget to get a pack of those cute little umbrellas for her drink too! (And is it just me, or does the green one look like the Idol Bobby found in Hawaii when the Brady’s went on vacay??)

So there you have it! A short list that thinks outside of the gift box! Now get out there and make your Mama proud!!!!

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Your Magic Wand For Eyebrow Shaping

In the Kardashian version of my life, eyebrow shaping is a job left to someone in my entourage.

Unfortunately, as entourages go, I’m a party of one these days. I’d love to get to the salon to have my bushy eyebrows tamed and threaded every other week (yes, they could use it that often); the reality is the only eyebrow shaping love they see happens once in a blue moon when the sight of them makes me gasp in the mirror.

Threading is my preferred method of eyebrow torture. I have no idea how it works but my goodness it’s perfection! Since I can’t make it as often as I’d like, I’ve gotten into a pretty good routine of threading once every three months and then doing maintenance at home.

The key to surviving in between eyebrow appointments is having a solid pair of tweezers.

What the heck makes for a good pair of tweezer,  you ask?

I had no idea until I tried the Tweezerman Trellis Slant Tweezers. For years, I’d been using the same old drugstore brand tweezers. When I got my Tweezerman’s I couldn’t believe what a better job they did. I compared them to my old pair and the most noticeable difference is how incredibly sharp the tip of the tweezers is. The sharp and slanted tip makes it easy for someone clumsy like me to easily and precisely grasp the hairs I want. A lifesaver considering I don’t want to look like I’m trying to make any designs in my eyebrows.

After all, I’m not trying to channel Dylan McKay.

Since I’m a sucker for good design in beauty products, it doesn’t hurt that these puppies look good, too. Bright colors and a funky design make it hard to lose these. Good looking, functional and damn good at what they do. I’m hooked!

A big thank you to the folks at Tweezerman for supplying with a sample pair to test out.

Posted by Carla for Buy-Her.com.

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I’m sort of a fan of superhero movies.  And it all started with Tobey McGuire in the Spider-Man movies (way back in 2002).  My husband was thrilled that I was willing to go see each movie as it came out.

Since I have had kids, my house is all superhero all the time.  I have one child obsessed with the Hulk, another with Iron Man… they all love Thor and Captain America and I’m afraid to admit how many times I have seen the Iron Man movies as their insistence.

But deep down I love them.

I didn’t admit it to my guys for the longest time, but I am dying to see the Marvel’s The Avengers movie, which hits theaters on May 4, 2012.  The countdown is on my friends.

For those not in the know, it’s the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Who can you expect to see?  Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson.  Oh yeah.  Chris Hemsworth ladies!  I said it.

You can check out a little about the movie here.

I have exciting news!  We are doing an Avengers giveaway!  One of our lucky readers will get a prize pack consisting of:

- MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS t-shirt in adult sizes (S, M, L, XL)

- MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS set of 6 buttons

- MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS one pair of limited edition 3D glasses

While the movie doesn’t open up till May 4th, you can follow up now with Marvel’s The Avengers on Twitter and Facebook.

(...)
Read the rest of Marvel’s The Avengers

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