Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

Stella May I ask what is that nori (seaweed) you are snacking on?

Of course you may. This is a new, well new to me, seaweed snack product I found lurking at the market. (This was at an Asian supermarket.) There was a whole wall dedicated to them! So I got to thinking, if the market was going to stock a whole wall shelf unit, then it must be somewhat popular and since I am a fan of seaweed I thought why not try it. Today I am sharing with you the Tao Kae Noi. The Thai seaweed snack.
When you first open it, it's more like a bag of chips. There are strips of seaweed (about 1½ inches wide) inside a mostly air filled bag. The Tao Kae Noi is unlike the Korean seaweed snack as it's much thicker and there for more crunchier. It's like if the Korean one is like biting into cellophane, while this Thai one is like munching on thicker wrapping paper. I know neither of them sound tasty, but I want to emphasize that these are much thicker and not as transparent as the Korean kind. (You know, the kind that come in little plastic trays and are normally greasy?)
I imagine that this are a fried treat so I probably wouldn't want to have it every day, but they are tasty and light enough for a once in a while snack. I keep comparing it to the little tray kind since I think that the most popular kind of seaweed snack. The Tao Kae Noi are more flavorful, crunchier, and less greasy.
The flavor I have here is the hot and spicy one. There are so many others though! Original, Tom Yum Soup, Squid, and even Tempura. I think I want to try the Tempura one next.
That zip close feature is nice, but me and Mister polished the whole bag in one sitting. Have you tried Tao Kae Noi?
Food, Review, Snacks
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Stella May I know what your favorite lip gloss?

 Of course you may! In a world of matte lips, I still love a glossy, wet finish lip. I know I may be the only one but I am here to convince you with this Lancome Gloss in Love lip gloss. Today's At First Blush is all about this one Lancome Lip Gloss and how it became my favorite.
 First of all, the Gloss in Love is a click open gloss. All you go is press on the little square button in front and the top pops open. I can't tell you how satisfying this is to play with. You click it open, then pop on the top to close. Both times you get a really satisfying "click" sound. Also I really like there are no screw lines. It really makes it look sleek. (Don't close it too quickly though! If you do the pressure builds up inside the tube and may cause the gloss to pop back open after you put it away.)
Next, just look at that wand. It is a doe foot applicator, just like other glosses, but this one has this unique scoop shape. It fits so nicely with the curve of your lips. It also prevents you from taking out a lot of product at once. For me, this is a pop open, apply, and close. There is no need to re-dip. Also the tip is finer than others making it so I can be more precise with the placement of the gloss.
 On the top of the gloss is the signature Lancome rose embossed on.
This color is 302 Rose Oscar. The formula is not sticky and feel really comfortable on. The gloss provides some moisture and wears for a couple of hours.  But I am always eager to click and apply more! Are there any glosses out there you are loving?
links: Gloss in Love 
At First Blush, Beauty, Review
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Stella May I know how you like the Red Velvet Oreo?

Of course you may. It's kind of expected now to see Oreo come out with different editions to their classic cookie, but I have always just been partial to the standard boring one. When I spotted these Red Velvet Oreos with Cream Cheese flavored creme middles I couldn't resist and fell into the hype.
I think just the red hue to it makes it a little bit more exciting! It's such a pretty red too. Definitely reminiscent of a red velvet cake.
These come in the classic packaging with 24 cookies inside.
Looking it up online, it seems that this was originally released as limited edition for Valentine's Day. But looking at my little pack there isn't any mention of limited edition so I think these are a permanent stay now. You just have to be quick to snap them up. I got the last one at my store.
To me the cookie tastes really similar to a regular Oreo cookie. It's the cream cheese frosting flavored center that makes the Red Velvet Oreo special. It's almost creamier and fluffier than the regular Oreo creme. Overall I'm a fan. Oh and when you dunk the cookie in milk it turns the milk a soft shade of pastel red.
You've got me all red in the face. 
Fiddle-Faddle Fridays, Food, Review,
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Stella May I know have you tried Trader Joe's newest potato chip?

 Of course you may. Well first, me and the Mister love snacks. While he is more about the candy life, I like the salty crunchy snacks and the sweet dessert bakes. But when he first heard about these chips on the radio and that we happen to be going to Trader Joe's, Mister just had to try them. These are the Somewhat Spicy Dill flavored Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.
& that's exactly what they are. The super long name describe what they are. Mister's verdict: he likes them. There is that tangy pickle flavor with a touch of spice. I haven't tried Trader Joe's kettle chips before but they are pretty good! Normally they aren't so uniformed shaped or colored but these look good! They also have a good crunch. They are cut thinner than Lay's Kettle Cooked ones.

Are you ever just intrigued by new products that you just have to try them? Have you had these new chips?
Food, Review, Snacks
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Stella May I know how your Parachute sheets held up?

Of course you may. It's been about 5 months of using these Parachute sheets daily. I got these sheets back in February of this year and for today's Fiddle-Faddle Friday post I will be updating how they have held up.
I got the Venice Set. The set includes: a duvet cover, a fitted sheet, and two pillow cases. The left pillow is mine and the right pillow is Mister's. Why does his fit so nicely?
Mister has a longer memory foam pillow that fits the envelope style pillow case better. Unlike the sleeve style pillow case, these pillowcases have a slit in the back. My pillow (also memory foam) is fuller, but doesn't fill it as much since it's much shorter. With the sleeve style, I could just fold back the excess fabric, but with the envelope style pillowcase, the pillow is never exposed.
Mister's pillow 
The duvet cover has little rubber buttons to enclose the duvet. It also has an extra flap to cover it. So like the pillow case, you don't see the inside. (This just makes things so much prettier in the morning, especially when you sleep with a active partner.)
In addition to the buttons, there are these ties on each of the corners. I didn't know about this until the third wash, and I haven't noticed that the duvet would slide much. But since finding it, I have been using it.
My duvet doesn't have holes to tie the duvet down, but I still use it. I just tie the corners into the ties, like so. These are cotton ties, so they don't slip out.
The problem with this tie method is the corners of the duvet get tucked in. It almost looks like a little rose bud. I'm actually liking this look since all the corners look distinctive and all the same.
My favorite thing about the fitted sheet is how deep it is. It's 18" long and it's the only fitted sheet we have that doesn't slide up. (Don't mind the lumpiness, that's our mattress not the sheets.)
First things first, as you can tell, we decided to keep the sheets. Looking at the sheets, it would seem like we got the percale instead of the sateen. In the swatches and before I washed it, the sateen sheets had a beautiful sheen that seem to have disappeared. No matter how early I take out the sheets from the dryer (even when it was still very damp) the smoothness that created the sheen.
Left is the sateen and the right swatch is the percale.
Here's the little tag. I like to use the tag to put the sheets on. Since there is only one tag on the fitted sheet, it always goes on one corner. That way I don't have to lay it all out and make sure I have the right corners.

 Overall thoughts: So far the sheets have been what I expected. I have washed it about every 2 weeks and they have looked the same each time I make the bed. The color isn't faded and the texture/thickness of the sheets are the same. The sateen sheets are warmer than our previous sheets. What I mean is that it keeps the heat longer and was probably the wrong choice for the summer. But without the flat sheet, it's so easy to slide the cover off without messing up the bed sheets. The percale would be cooler in the sense that it doesn't hold the heat as much. I would repurchase from Parachute again and proably try their percale ones.

links: unboxing first impressions
Fiddle-Faddle Fridays, Home, Review
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Stella May I know about the face primer you are using?

Of course you may. This is the Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm. It has been my go to moisturizer/primer for the summer. I know I'm not the first to rave about this men's skincare product, but I wanted to add my two little cents in. For today's At First Blush post I am sharing how I use the Nivea Men Sensative Post Shave Balm and how it has worked for me.
 First off, this product is only five dollars! You can find it near the men's shaving section at Target. It's 3.3 fluid ounces and comes in a sturdy milk glass bottle. That's a lot of product and it comes in a nice bottle.
The product itself is very serum like. I just pour a little out and massage it all over my face. What you see above is about how much I use on each application. You can see that this will last me quite a long time. (That is if I was using this all by myself, but Mister also uses this as, you would guess, the name intended.)
 I keep massaging it into my skin until it becomes a little tacky. Then I start smoothing it. That sounds a little weird but what I am trying to do is smooth the little hairs on my skin so it lays flat. That way my skin appears smoother.
 As I am smoothing the product down, the balm dries down to a matte finish. (I say balm, but it never truly feels like a balm. It goes from serum to primer to almost powder finish.) This product also controls my oil production while keeping my skin hydrated.
This has been my moisturizer this summer. It's light enough so I don't feel clogged, but moisturizing enough that I don't feel dry. (If I don't put any moisturizer on then my skin starts tightening and uncomfortable.) Every morning I wash my face, then tone, eye cream, post shave balm, and then sun protection. But besides moisturizing my face, the Nivea balm creates a smooth surface for makeup application.
The Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm is definitely something I suggest picking up next time you roam through the men's shaving aisle.. While using the product you can tell it's made for men since it a very fresh, piney scent that all men products have. The scent doesn't linger though! It disappears after a few minutes. It's not the prettiest product, but it is substantial and gets the job done. Let me know if you try this one out! Do you use it as a moisturizer too?
At First Blush, Beauty, Review,
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Stella May I know how you control your shine?

Well of course you may! This was a little something I picked up at Sephora recently. I have quite the oily skin so I am always on the lookout for something to control that. I don't mind a little shine, I know that matte skin is just not achievable for me, so I have embraced the little shine. Most days though, especially with the humidity here in the south, I will just look like a grease ball.
I first spotted this online and it was out of stock. Doesn't that just make you want it more? That's what happens to me anyways. This is the Dinoplatz smart blotting paper. What made me impressed with this first is the encased mirror. It's a good sized, not-warped mirror too! Most blotting sheets come in a paper envelope, and they almost always end up getting smushed in my purse.
Then it was the sponge that intrigued me. I thought it was like the beautyblender blotterazzi, which did nothing for my oil. But instead of the sponge absorbing the oil, it is actually used to pick up the sheets.
 And it picks up just one sheet!
There's a little adhesive strip on the puff that picks up the sheets. It's also kind of like a post it, in that if it loses it's stickiness (which is inevitable since you are putting oil onto it) you can just peel it off and there's a fresh one! There are 5 extra adhesive strips included.
All this is enclosed in a pretty sturdy plastic container. All in all I am pretty impressed with the little thing. I haven't even mentioned the cute little dinosaurs roaming the city on the front!
Last week's beauty post I shared the Sun Safety Kit, but since I had two Play Pass cards (from the monthly subscription) I picked up two items. You can't use the cards in the same transaction, so I just picked this up at the doom aisle. And I'm pretty happy with it too!

I hope you are enjoying my weekly beauty posts! I have been using the tag for a little while now, so maybe some of you might have noticed it. Without further ado, I will be posting At First Blush Wednesday posts weekly now! #AFBxSMI
At First Blush, Beauty, Haul,
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Stella May I know what you think about Mac n Cheetos?

Of course you may. Now I don't think I have shared with you here yet, but I am a massive fan of mac and cheese. To me, it's my ultimate comfort food. Now Cheetos are okay, I like the Hot Cheetos better, but when Burger King announced their newest item I knew I had to try it.
 As you can see I couldn't wait to try them. I just couldn't wait until I got home, this is me in the car. (reminiscent of the donut day, no?) You get six in each order and they are about the size of the Cheetos puffs, maybe just a little fatter.
 They aren't as messy to eat as the Puffs though, my fingers weren't covered in cheese dust afterwards. The outside is crunchy (mind you, my order was warm, not hot) and the middle was creamy. The cheese taste is very much a Kraft style, artificial taste. Well I haven't tried Kraft in a long time, so I don't know what their new one without the food coloring taste like. The macaroni itself is soft and just makes the entire middle even more creamy tasting.
They do come in a cute little box. It really reminds me of that Happy Meals would come in whenever I see it in the commercials. All in all it was a little disappointing. It might be because my order was just sitting there and not freshly made, but I just thought it would have more crunch. Like Cheetos.
Well not these Hello Kitty ones. I spotted these online, does anyone know where to get them?
Have you tried the Burger King Mac and Cheetos? What do you think?
Fiddle-Faddle Fridays, Food, Review,
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