Therapeutic Foot Soap {Review}

I'm reviewing Oleavine Therapeutic Foot Soap. I received this product in exchange for my honest review through Tomoson and Oleavine.

First of all, I love Oleavine. A while ago I reviewed one of my favorite moisturizers to date from there that was really nice. So when I had the chance to give the Therapeutic Foot Soap a try, I had to give it a shot.

 Turns out that this was a good thing for more than myself. I think I've used the product a couple of times at most, but my dad has used it several times.

But let me go over the product. The soap is made of tea tree oil and is mint for soothing relief. The soap is advertised as good for skin irritation, foot/body odor, dry/itchy skin, and body acne. The only thing we've used it for so far is feet, but I want to try it for more than that.

 For some reason, we had it in our mind that we were supposed to add this soap to warm water to soak our feet in and I've only just realized that that was technically the wrong way to use this soap as I write this review. Well, then. Score for me for observance. I'm obviously skilled there.

I will say that I liked this as a soaking agent. I used it one day when my feet were particular sore, if I recall, and it was incredibly soothing on my tired feet. My dad has some feet problems and he also confirms the soothing nature of this product. So while we may not have used it right at first, we certainly found it useful. Now to try it for its actual purpose. Check it out on its website, here.

~ Bethany

Lazy Lidz Sleep Mask {Product Reviews}

 Some exciting changes are coming to A Pinch of Classy, but we'll talk more about that in the future. Now I'm going to present you with yet another review. I KNOW. But only a few more days. 2017 has something new coming. For now, I'm reviewing the Lazy Lidz sleep mask.

 A really sad tale goes with this sleep mask and it is the primary reason I haven't reviewed it yet. It's also the reason I don't have a photo to include with this post. Let's begin our tale...

 Once upon a time there was a girl (that's me) who wanted a sleep mask because her first sleep mask was borrowed forever (stolen?) by her mother. She was sent one to review by a lovely company and her happiness began. Oh, but that happiness was short lived. After she had spent a bit of time with the mask, she went on a trip, taking it with her to block out light. It would have been better if she'd left it at home. Not even a few hours into the trip, she offered someone else the opportunity to borrow her mask because sleeping in vehicles is hard. It was then that the mask disappeared. The girl did not review the mask because she thought she would find it to take a photo. Alas, it was not meant to be.

 And that is the story of how I lost a really awesome item while on a trip. *Sad sigh.* And now that I'm going to be living in a college apartment next semester, I could really use that mask... how sad.

 Though I don't have a photo of the mask, I will direct you to the Amazon page, here.

I like this mask. It doesn't have any plastic feeling pieces on the mask. It's soft and comfortable against your face and the satin material is very nice. Instead of something that pokes into your skin, it just rests comfortably. The inside is soft cotton velvet. The mask comes with a free set of ear plugs, too, so that's nice. It's just a good product and a good company. Check them out at the link above.

~ Bethany

Speed Jump Rope {Review}

 Time for a mystery, gang! *Rounds up the Scooby-Doo characters.* But really. This product is a bit of a mystery. It got behind on my review list and now I can't find it online. I'll have to check in with the company to try to find out what happened, but here's what I know. This product is called Speed Jump Rope Discover the Secret to Blast Fat! by Bella Naturals. The problem? When I visit the URL where I bought it, a completely different product pops up. Weird. So I shall review and send you to that site and maybe one of us will discover the mystery eventually. I received this product in exchange for my honest review via Tomoson.

My room is disorganized currently and I'm preparing for a big move and whatnot. I'm not totally sure where this jump rope is among the confusion right now, but I want to find it because I definitely want to take it to school with me. Here's a photo from the company since mine is unavailable for a photo shoot.

 When you think jump ropes, you think little kids playing a game while jumping over the rope swung by two other kids. But this jump rope is not like other jump rope. In fact, it isn't even a rope at all. The portion usually designated a rope is a nice ten-foot cable. (I'm pretty sure this is in my closet. Probably). Now, if you're thinking that ten feet sounds like a lot for some short persons (*cough* me *cough*) you're right. That isn't long. But this jump rope is special. It's adjustable. See the metal things on the end of the handles? You can tighten those at any length on the 'rope' and the product comes with instructions for you to set the rope to your height specifications. You can cut the excess cord when you're done. I just left mine, though, and hold both the handle and cord when jumping. Not ideal, but I can adjust it for different people in future. It's light and there's a slight learning curve, but it's nice and sturdy.

This jump rope is specifically designed for people to lose weight, not a child's toy at all. It's a really neat product and I can't wait to use it for a good while to come because I can definitely stand to lose more weight. What makes it all the more sadder is that I can't find the product! I will try to update you if I am able to track it down. For now, here is the link to the Amazon listing it was supposed to be under.

~ Bethany

LeliaSea {Review}

Brace yourselves. More reviews are coming. This review? For LeliaSea Dead Sea Mineral Hand Cream. You read that right. Dead sea. I received this product in exchange for my honest review through Tomoson and LeliaSea.

First a little backstory on why I might be reviewing hand cream. Isn't that just lotion? Well, not exactly. But here's the thing. I've always had dry skin issues. When I was a child, every winter the skin on my hands would crack and bleed. It wasn't fun AT ALL. It was so bad at points, that my mom would put vaseline on my hands and cover them with socks at night. True story. I don't know about you, but vaseline covered sock hands are just not that attractive or practical... and that can be downright annoying. Needless to say, I sort of abandoned my vaseline and sock days as I grew older. The dry skin persisted at times, but thankfully not to the degree it had before.

As you can see in the photo, some of the bottle has worn a little bit, but the inside is what's important.

 So. Dry skin. I like lotion. It's good. But this stuff is really nice. It's designed specifically for the hands, so not a body cream. And it leaves you hands feeling incredibly soft without that "oh, I'm wearing lotion" feeling. You know? The one where you feel like you need to wipe your hands off or something? My hands are pretty dry at times so I they may not feel totally moistened, but the cream still works pretty well. The cream is thicker than most lotions which adds to the moisture, I think. Sometimes when I use thin moisturize, for example, my face will still feel dry. This stuff doesn't feel dry right after applying which is nice. Also, I love the smell. It doesn't have a strange, chemical smell, or lack of smell, but it doesn't have an overpowering scent either. The lotion is a soft, floral scent that is just enough to add to your overall scent without impeding on anyone's senses (or clashing with other scents you're wearing, as someone so aptly mentioned in an Amazon review). My mom even mentioned that I smelled good today while I was wearing this stuff. I'm pretty sure the cream had a part in that.

 But what's the cream made of? Well, obviously the cream comes from minerals in the Dead Sea. Add some essential oils, herbal extracts, and multi-vitamin complexes, and you have a pretty nice little product. Another thing I like about this product? It's compact. It can be placed in a purse (or the pocket of the bathroom bag I reviewed yesterday) easily. While the item is small, it lasts a good while because you only need a bit of the cream to spread on your hands. I believe you can find it in a larger size as well, if that's more up your alley. Overall, I like this product and I'm taking it with me to school. Hurrah. You can check out this product on Amazon here.

Contest! LeliaSea may give out one of these hand creams. Enter by commenting! :)

~ Bethany

Snowing All the Colors of the Sky

I really do not care for the cold. AT ALL. I mean it's so... so cold. I like to be warm, and wear summer clothes, lol.

But snow...

It does make pretty pictures.

And it can be fun sometimes.

So, maybe I'll like the cold a little this year ;b

The last couple years I have not been at home this time of the year, but with friends in the far off state of Tennessee. So, it's both weird and nice to be at home... though at times I miss "my other home". 

Anyways, what I really like looking back over life, seeing how different things connect, how my life has changed because of things, how it's continuing to change. It's really fantastic that I've always kept a journal - because then I can remember those things that weren't so important and see how they extremely impacted my life to be what it is today.

Do you ever do that?

Gauge the future by what is and has been happening?

It's very fun to do - and really makes you in awe of God. Because there are just some things that I could never imagine of happening that have happened. Or things that I was sure of that became foggy memories. And just to see how some of my friendships have grown out of the weirdest circumstances... and continue to grow.

It makes you realize that, "Sure, I don't like snow, but hey. God might have some adventure through even this that I can't even begin to comprehend."

And you're like, "Wow. How did that come to this?"

Lol.

Fashion post rants that have nothing to do with fashion are the best ;)

Pink. Green. Blue. All the pretty colors ;)

My hand is sort of awkward in this picture... but the cat in the background demanded to be posted! 

These mittens were made for me by a dear friend - she actually sent them to me while I stayed in Tennessee. It made my day to receive a surprise package from her, with all sorts of goodies. :)

Again, just about all of this outfit was thrifted. I made the hat. A friend made the mittens. My mom gave me the scarf.


So, do you have snow where you live? How do you like or not like it? I have always thought it would be fun to help make maple syrup when it's snowy out, then gather snow and pour the fresh syrup on the snow for a yummy treat like the did in the Laura Wilder Ingalls books :) 

Shower Tote {Review}

I'm going to flood you with reviews. But this one I think you will appreciate, so read on. Today I am reviewing the Showermade Portable Shower Tote Storage Organiser... a lengthy name that basically means a shower or bathroom bag, as I call it. I received the product in exchange for my honest review from Tomoson and Showermade.

 When traveling, I'm sure we have all wondered that ever-present question... where do I pack my bathroom items? Those essentials for body and hair care have to packed somewhere and in the suitcase where a potential spill is possible is rarely the ideal choice. In the past I've used random bags for these items, but this can result in digging to find small items and other headaches. Not to be cliche, but this product kind of did change my life. 

 Maybe that's too dramatic. I don't know. But this really is a great poduct. It retails on Amazon (here) for only $12.97, which is pretty awesome, and I'll explain why. 

 As a reminder, this is an honest review. If I didn't like this product I'd pretty much tell you, but I genuinely love it. I've had this bag for a while and it has held up. The cloth, canvas-like strap is nice and durable. It hasn't frayed or weakened as far as I can tell. This product is awesome in a couple of ways. 

Unlike a normal tote that only has the inside of the bag, this product has both a large space inside and several pockets of varying size all around the outside of the bag. Why is this so awesome? I can place smaller items in little pockets, such as tweezers or a contact case, and I won't have to worry about them falling into the depths of the bag. The inside works well for larger items, like shampoo bottles and other things. 

I often fill this bag up and take it with me whenever I go on a trip. It's so handy! The handle is sturdy, as I've already mentioned, and can hang pretty much anywhere on a hook, or you can sit the bag on the shelf. I've done both. I love that it's easy to hang, but doesn't fall over like a tote might if I want to set it down. It's also pretty compact, so it can fit quite a big without taking up a huge amount of space. Another feature of this bag? It's made of quick-drying mesh fabric that helps keep it dry so mold and other nasty stuff doesn't happen. Pretty neat, huh? If you think this bag is as cool as I did, you can check it out at the link I posted above. It's worth it. I can't wait to take this bag with me on my two next trips... to visit my sister and then to my college apartment. Hurrah!

~ Bethany

Alpha: Product Review

Today I have to do a quick review of a product I probably should have reviewed long ago. I am learning the consequences of putting off things so much lately, especially being in college. I'll have to write a review of that sometime. Today's review is on Alpha Garcinia Cambogia. I received this product in exchange for my honest review.

 I went through this fitness phase that I wouldn't really call fitness. You see, I wanted to lose weight without putting much effort into it. I'm sure that sounds somewhat reasonable because some of us lead super busy lives (especially during school, in my case) where finding the time or energy to exercise can be difficult. I'm working on this, myself. Now, I think there are definitely some awesome products that can help in the quest for fitness, but merely relying on products can be lazy and not do much for you in the end.

 Garcinia Cambogia is a product you've probably seen raved about on celebrity sites. In fact, many celebrities claim it as a reason for their weight loss, or so the sites say. So I decided to review some. The idea of a product that could melt away the fat? Awesome. Now, it's been a while since I've tried this product (and I think I'll try it again, just to see and update you guys) but after trying this for a while, I didn't lose significant weight. Part of that was probably due to my busy schedule. Like I said, if you don't put any effort into exercising, you probably won't lose a lot of weight in most circumstances. So this product didn't do much for me the first time I tried it. Also, as a note, the product contains 50% HCA performance blend. I believe that the higher the HCA, the more effective, so 50% really isn't the best, but again, it's been a while.

Now, here are some of the product stats on Amazon:

• 100% Pure Alpha Garcinia Cambogia Extract Featuring The Dr. Oz Recommended 50% HCA and Calcium and Potassium for Optimum Efficiency.
• Clinically Proven To Help Supress Appetite, Block Fat From Metabolizing, Increases Fat Loss by 3 Times More Than Diet And Exercise Alone, and Promotes Healthy Serotonin Levels And Energy
• Made In The USA In An FDA Approved Facility, Help Support A US Based Company Who Puts Their Customers First.
• All Natural, Completely Safe and Effective Weight Loss Supplement, Non Stimulating.

e Sounds pretty okay, huh? I don't want to give a fully positive or negative review, because I think a lot of these things require extra research and depend on the human ingesting the product. Just because it hasn't worked much for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. In fact, there are numerous positive reviews on Amazon that I encourage you to look into. Check them out on http://www.alphapills.com. Overall, I think that maintaining health is more important than losing weight. Things like exercise and what you eat apply greatly to this, but taking a supplement to help curb those appetite cravings might not be the worst idea, either. If you'd like to look more into this product, check it out on Amazon to read reviews and buy.

~ Bethany

Dress: Price Determines Little ;b

This is a lovely dress I found at a thrift store for $6 a few months ago.

I actually bought it to wear to one of my friends weddings, but now it is a church dress.

It's such a comfortable, pretty dress! The color and flower-design just makes me so happy :D

This picture from the wedding shows the top of the dress better... and these are two of the best little girls :D

Everything, but my necklace and boots, was thrifted. The first necklace I made, and the second my sister gave me, and my boots came from Murdoch's.

As you can see, I wore it as a summer outfit for the wedding. It was a great dress to dance in, and looked formal enough.

Yet the right jacket and boots - and even jewelry, both dressed in "down" and made it into a better winter outfit :D

So, what has been happening in your part of the world?