7 Things & My Honest Thoughts About Them
Brands mentioned: Balmain, Bug Bite Thing, Drybar, ColourPop, and more.
Happy September, friends!
The last time I was sitting pretty in your inbox, I asked how you felt about September being days away. Now, we’re over a week into the month! Has it started well? Personally, I can’t complain.
Well, I could, because this heat wave New Jersey’s been battling this past week has been h-e-double-hockey-sticks. Thankfully, all the fall drinks at Dunkin and Starbucks can be ordered cold. So far, I’ve had Dunkin’s Iced Pumpkin Coffee (very disappointing, would not recommend), an Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks (9/10, would recommend), and am currently sipping a Starbucks Iced PSL (7/10, will order again).
I know that sounds like a lot of autumnal sips in a span of eight days, but I have to do my research. In case you’re new here, I shared my annual fall wardrobe cleanout and try-on in this very detailed post last year. Essentially, I pick a Friday at the end of the month, treat myself to a very yummy seasonal beverage, unbox all of my fall clothes, put on a cozy movie or TV show, and have at it. I plan outfits, I donate what doesn’t fit or what doesn’t fit my style anymore. Ergo, to ensure the day goes swimmingly, I need to know which beverage is the best for my day-long endeavor.
Please forgive me for my erratic posting schedule lately but to be fair, I did warn you at the kick-start of this newsletter that, sometimes, I wouldn’t be consistent. This is mostly due to my workload. I’ve been pretty busy. I handed in a 4,600-word draft the other day. That’s a lot of words and quite the time for my carpal tunnel. You can imagine how unappealing writing anything additional after that kind of assignment can be. My manuscript is getting the short end of the stick, too, which bums me out. That said, I should have a bit more flexibility in the coming weeks, which means more time allotted for my favorite newsletter (this one, duh - I don’t have any others) and my work in progress (I’m so close to hitting 15,000 words, guys).
Having said that, I had some pocket of time and wanted to bring you another “things I tried and my honest opinion about them” post because you guys really liked that post (it hit 700 views in a day!) and I really loved writing it. I love testing products, trying new workouts, eating new foods, and giving you my unfiltered thoughts, and on my little slice of the internet, that’s exactly what I can do.
So, without further ado, let’s get into the stuff, shall we?
**Please note that I am not affiliated with any of these brands, nor am I getting paid to write about them. I am generously gifted PR samples quite often, but don’t always get to write about everything I try - whether I love them or loathe them. Up ahead, I list a few products I tried recently and give you my honest review of them. Some I received in PR, some I bought with my own dollars.**
Bug Bite Thing
$18.99 for 2-pack, amazon.com
This is one of those products that either works for you or doesn’t. It worked for my husband. It did not work for me. The suction felt good when my bites were extremely itchy, but it definitely did not “extract the insect saliva/venom left behind under the skin” as its product description claimed it would. I was still itchy and I’m pretty sure all this product did for me was make my bug bites look worse.
Benadryl Anti-Itch Cream
$5.16, amazon.com
This baby, on the other hand? Miracle worker. My sisters and niece recommended two anti-itch products. Benadryl’s gel and something called After Bite. This was what was in stock at CVS, so this is the one I went with. It worked like a charm. The combination of my using Bug Bite Thing to “suck up the venom” and the fact that I’m allergic to mosquito bites resulted in swelling and quite the ugly, still-itchy rash. Once I applied this gel, however, the itch calmed the French toast down and the swelling went away.
Hilma Prebiotic Fiber Gummies
$25.99, amazon.com
It took a few weeks for me to decide whether or not I liked these fiber gummies from Hilma. My consensus is that I do. The orange ones taste better than the pink ones in my opinion. They taste like gumdrops and are very chewy (they stick to your teeth so you need to bite down on them) and worked within a few hours to a day. My biggest gripe is the cost. Three gummies equal a serving (yielding 5 grams of fiber - comparable to Metamucil, but with better ingredients), and there are 60 gummies in a bottle. That’s 20 servings for $26 which, for someone who doesn’t need to take fiber gummies every day might not be a big deal. For someone like me with raging IBS, it’s costly.
ColourPop Ultra Glossy Lip
$9, ulta.com
I love ColourPop’s eyeshadow, so I was hopeful that I’d like their gloss, too (I’m on a kick lately). I did not love this. We are not besties, we are acquaintances. The color options are beautiful, and I like the feel of the gloss on my lips. However, it’s staying power is awful. It was all gone after maybe a half hour of wear.
Balmain Paris Dry Shampoo
$48, balmainhair.us
I have a love-hate relationship with dry shampoo. My hair is naturally oily (I cannot go more than a day and a half without washing), and, in my experience, dry shampoo either saves the day or makes my strands look even greasier. Balmain’s formula falls into the latter category. Thank you to the brand for sending this over, but I would not buy it, especially not for $48.
Drybar Reserve Dual-Plate Styling Iron
$190, drybar.com
This is, hands down, the best hair straightener I have ever been gifted and used. It’s customizable heat settings are easy to control with a click of a button, and because it’s dual-plated, I’ve been able to straighten my hair (which I have a lot of and is very long these days) in a fraction of the time it used to take. It’s also designed with Ionic Technology that reduces frizz and makes my hair smooth and shiny. If you’re in the market for a new iron, treat yourself to this gem.
Just Black Denim The Original Straight Jean
Photo courtesy of Just Black Denim
$108, justblackdenim.com
I cannot tell you the last time I owned a pair of straight jeans. It was maybe in high school. Possibly before that. I am a skinny jean stan and have been exclusively - until now. Just Black Denim offered to send me a pair of their Original Straight Jean and I was in love from the second I opened the package. These jeans are soft. Their feel and fit are so comfortable. I paired them with a tank top and vest because it’s still summer on the East Coast, but I cannot wait to style them with a chunky sweater and booties.
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