Pages

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Testing: Rejuvenating Body Mist

Disclaimer: I purchased the Aromassentials Awakening Rejuvenating Body Mist. I received no compensation or free products for this review.

I love this product! And not for the reasons you're thinking. But first, per the Arbonne website:

Spray on the essence of the holidays — enthusiasm — with this uplifting blend that rejuvenates yourself and your senses.
Sure, it's a great body spray with a lovely scent. In fact, I'm in love with the citrus undertones. It's not so overpowering that you feel like you bathed in orange juice. It also isn't greasy or sticky like some other products I could mention. On top of that, there are no funky chemicals!

Full honesty here, people. When this product was first introduced to me at a party that I hosted, I was extremely skeptical. I was told that a friend of the consultant had used it for a weekend float trip down the river. The woman who used it supposedly had no bug bites until the last day when she did not use the spray (she wanted to test it for herself). I take stories like this with a grain of salt since I get eaten alive by mosquitoes and fleas if I don't use a product with DEET in it (which we all know is really bad for you). I went ahead and ordered it. I figured that since Arbonne has a 45-day return policy that if it didn't work, I would just return it and get my money back.

Friends, I'm never giving this spray back! Fast forward to the Fourth of July. Perfect day to test this stuff since I knew we'd be spending a good portion of the evening outside when mosquitoes in Oklahoma are usually at the their most hungry. I also tried a little experiment for myself. We brought real bug spray (the kind with the bad stuff in it) and the body mist. My dad coated himself in the bug spray while I sprayed myself down with the mist. And then we waited. Neither of us were bugged by any flying pests! Even flies wouldn't come near either of us, even though he had an open beer and I was eating watermelon. The added bonus: anyone who sat near me wasn't bothered by any mosquitoes either. The spray held up against a real bug spray with the added benefit of not putting harmful chemicals on my body.

Rating: 10/10!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Ordering Outside of a Presentation

I've had several people ask how to place an order without being present at a show. After doing some research and playing around on the Arbonne website, this is what I've come up with. Follow the steps below:

Click on the Shop Online link at the top of the page:



Pick your product (we'll go with the new mouthwash for this tutorial):


Enter your quantity and click Order Now:


From here, you can click on Continue Shopping or Complete Purchase. Obviously, if you want to order more, go for the first option, but for now let's do the latter of the two:


Since almost all of you will be shopping as new client, this is the option you'll want (just as an aside, for $20, you can sign up to be a Preferred Client which will give you own personal access to the Arbonne website as well as 20% off all purchases for one year; it's a great deal for those who know they'll be making several purchases):

Type in all of your information, and when you get to the Referral Arbonne Consultant ID, enter my ID number - 12686734; this will pull my name and location up as your referral and should give me the credit for your order:

Fill in your shipping information and choose your desired shipping method:

Enter your credit card information:

Confirm your order and complete your purchase!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Testing: Deodorant

Disclaimer: I purchased the Pure Mint Deodorant. I received no compensation or free products for this review.

The Pure Mint Deodorant is a brand new product in the Pure Mint line that Arbonne introduced at the beginning of July 2012. Per the Arbonne website, the deodorant is:
An aluminum-free, paraben-free deodorant infused with mint and extracts from white tea, ginger, lemongrass, sage, and tea tree that ¬fights bad odor and helps you feel fresh all day. Baking soda and vegetable enzymes help neutralize odor, blocking the effects of odor-causing bacteria and delivering gentle, effective protection. (Arbonne)
I was super excited when my product came in the mail. I ordered it alongside the new toothpaste that was released on the same day (sadly, I forgot to order the mouthwash and will have to wait until pay day to order it). I've been slowly trying to "go green" for several months now, and this was the next step for me in trying to eliminate some of the nasty chemicals I put on my body (because let's be honest, no one really wants to put aluminium on their skin; it's just not good for you). The deodorant has a very pleasant mint smell as soon as you take the cap off the stick. I think even a man can get away with wearing this one without feeling like he smells like a girl since the scent is not overpowering once applied. It's also a clear stick so there's no messy residue that's going to get on your clothes. It glides on smoothly and feels pretty soothing on my skin (I usually get razor burn since I have sensitive skin).

Full disclosure: I normally need the clinical strength deodorants that some of the big name women's brands make. To be blunt, I stink. Bad. I also sweat a lot. The first couple of days, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I worked in my air conditioned office for eight hours and played with my 17-month old son. The only time I spent in the 105degree heat was the short walk from my house to my car and back. I was relatively impressed that I didn't stink by the end of the day, especially considering that if I were using just a regular deodorant that wasn't a clinical strength one, I would have been starting to smell a bit.

Fast forward to today. I spent the morning fighting with my very cranky toddler. Then I fought with some fabric while making a tutu for my sister. I then spent a couple of hours in a crowded church celebrating the life of a dear friend's husband. It was an emotional and sweaty day. And my deodorant failed me. To be fair, it was another scorcher of a day, and you can't expect a miracle with a product that uses a minimal amount of chemicals. I've got one more test I'd like to try on this stuff before I make a final decision on how I feel about this one (I'll reapply throughout the day as I get hot or do more activities). But, yes, I reeked. Or at least I felt like I stunk, and I just was not comfortable until I was able to take a shower.

With that being said, I would recommend this to someone who is not a candidate for using either a prescription or higher strength deodorant. It smells good and goes on nicely and works if you're either not running a marathon or just not a sweaty beast (like yours truly). If you're like me though, you may want to go ahead and stay with your normal stick for now (check back here after I finish my final test to see if I've changed my mind). I'm holding out hope that reapplying when necessary will change my opinion, although I'd rather not have to carry around a stick of deodorant any time I think I'll be getting a little too warm.

Rating: 6/10