Yours To Win

Archive for September, 2011

To be entirely honest, weight is a tricky subject for me.  On one hand, I want to believe that people should be comfortable with their bodies.  On the other hand, I think that nutrition and fitness aren’t important enough to most people and obesity is a serious health risk.  All of that conversation aside, I do sometimes find myself wishing that some of my pudge was a little less obvious in certain outfits.

For occasions like that, Vedett Shapeware comes to the rescue.  I was given the opportunity to review the Jacquie, a corset-style top that targets that very effectively smooths the abdomen, back, and waist.  The fabric is thick and the clasps are strong.  My shapewear is remarkably snug.  I’m not sure if I ordered it in a size too small or if the shapewear feels too snug just because I’m not used to wearing it.  Either way, once it’s on it isn’t going anywhere.  The results are pretty unbelievable too – it is remarkably slenderizing.  I love that you can wear the Jacqui with your own bra, so there aren’t any issues with matching cup sizes with waist sizes.

The only piece of advice I have for Vedette is a change in packaging.  Based on my experience with the Jacqui, I’m comfortable saying that their products are excellent quality.  However, the packaging that it came in was flashy and cartoonish.  It really detracted from the sophisticated nature of the product inside.

Need your own lump and bump smoothing undergarment?  Vedette also has shapewear in the following categories:  bustier, panty, brasier, sensuale collection, waist cincher, full body shaper, body suit, derriere enhancer, compression bras, shapewear with bra, and post surgery.  Sizes range from 3XS to 3XL and the compression ratings range from lite to firm control.

Have you ever read the ingredient list on your hair care and lotion items?  I always get the sense that if I had a clue what most of those ingredients were, I’d be horrified.  Though I don’t always stick to it, I would like to adopt the rule of thumb that if I can’t pronounce any of the ingredients in an item(or at least 75% of them), it probably shouldn’t go in/on my body.  This is where companies like Original Sprout come in.  Original Sprout offers products that are vegetarian, vegan, not tested on animals, honey free, lavendar and tea trea oil free, biodegradable, and eco-friendly.  On top of all of that, they were created by a master stylist named Inga Tritt.

I received Natural Shampoo, Miracle Detangler, and Scrumptions Baby Creme for review.  The back of the products boast ingredients such as extracts of organic basil, organic rosemary, organic calendula, and organic cranberry.  I find all of those ingredients to be delightful.  The products themselves are mildly scented, which I appreciate.  I like fragrance, but a little goes a long way.  Original Sprout offers the perfect amount of scent.

As for the individual products, the Miracle Detangler was by far my favorite.  It is spectacular.  I can only use conditioner a few times a week because it makes my hair too oily,  but that was not the case with this product.  A few spritzes after the shower and a comb went through my wild hair with ease.  It also removed a lot of the typically untameable frizz.  The Natural Shampoo sudzed well, but I felt like it took a lot of shampoo to clean my hair (which there is a ton of).  I’d highly recommend it for a baby or someone with short hair or thin hair.  The Scrumptions Baby Creme felt silky smooth on my skin – it didn’t leave any gross greasy residue.  It didn’t stand the test of my elbows, but that’s a tall task, and not something that should be reasonably expected from a baby-targeted product.

Check out Original Sprout for safe, animal, and eco-friendly luxury hair cair and beauty products.  In addition to the products described, they offer conditioner, curl calmer, sunscreen, babywash, hair gel, styling balm, Tahitian hair oil, and travel size products.  They also have a summer special and free shipping on orders over $99.

Use the code FIRST_ORDER_10-U to get 10% off your order.

Disclaimer:  I received complimentary products to facilitate this review.  I did not receive monetary compensation.  All thoughts are my own.

Until last week, my pan collection was pitiful.  Warped pans, scratched pans (yikes!), and pans that had horrible hot spots.  I shudder to think of all of the awful chemicals that I have subjected my body to.  As someone who is becoming increasingly aware of the need to minimize exposure to nasty chemicals, I was delighted to discover GreenPan, which offers solutions to my disastrous pan collection.  

The Original Green Pan is a Belgium-headquartered company whose mission is:

to help support the global challenges of living in our modern society.  We are bringing ‘constainability’ (convenience and sustainability) to products you use in your kitchen.  Convenient as we don’t ask you to change your lifestyle, sustainable as we are preserving the natural resources of our planet in a responsible way.

Stated plainly, the company revolves around 3 core principles:  health, environment, and convenience.  The pan that I received was from the 8″ Commercial FryPan from the Copenhagen Collection.  This pan has the following health and eco-friendly features:

• PTFE-free and contains no silicone-oil
• PFOA-free
• no toxic fumes, even when overheated
• 60% less CO2-emission during application of Thermolon non-stick coating than PTFE-containing cookware

In addition to these benefits, the pan has an up-cycled ergonomic stainless steel handle which has finger grips and can withstandoven temperatures up to 450 degrees.  It is made of upcycled heavy gauge aluminum which allows even heat distribution, and it is coated in a trademarked abrasion-resistant, non-stock coating called Thermolon that is natural and mineral-based and can withstand commercial level use.

As for my opinion after using the pan… I don’t even know where to begin.  It is simply glorious.  This pan is in a realm of its own in my mind–it far exceeds any pan I’ve use in the past.  I’m not sure that you could make something stick to it if you wanted to.  The handle feels natural and the pan feels solid and indestructible.  It heats quickly and cooks evenly.  Washing it is a breeze.

I also received a trivet and a microfiber sponge, both of which are high quality.  Green pan also carries a variety of other cookware, ovenware, and accessories.

Yours to Win… a GreenPan 8″ Commercial FryPan!

Mandatory Entry:  What GreenPan product would make your kitchen a better place?

Extra entries:

• Subscribe via email to this blog (+2)
• Follow me on twitter and leave your twitter name (+1)
• Follow GreenPan on twitter (+1)
• Follow GreenPan on facebook (+1)
• Enter this giveaway in a giveaway linky (leave the URL) (+1 per linky)
• Tweet this giveaway.  You can use the Tweet button at the top of this post or:   “The Original GreenPan FryPan Giveaway! @yourstowin @realGreenPanUSA http://yourstowin.com/?p=1283” (+1 per day)
• Mention this giveaway on your blog (+5)

This giveaway ends September 28th at 9pm EST.  I will choose a winner via www.random.org and notify the winner through email.

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product to facilitate this review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation.  All thoughts are my own.

Shopping for clothes is one of my least favorite past times.  This is partially due to the fact that I’m ridiculously frugal, but mostly due to the fact that I am never happy with the way that clothes fit on my body.  As someone with a large chest and a small waist, shirts can be especially tricky.  Add to that my short stature, and I’m always hard pressed to find things that don’t make me look squatty.

For those of us with hard-to-fit bodies, there is an internet company that offers items that can be custom sized.    eShakti makes apparel according to your specifications regarding sleeve, neckline, and length.

Shakti means ‘power’ in Sanskrit.   eShakti therefore means the Power of the Net.   We believe the internet empowers customers and helps companies be customer-centered.

Custom sizing isn’t mandatory, and sizes are available from 0 to 26.  eShakti’s shipping turn around time is a mere 3 days even for tailor made items.  Their styles are eclectic; I’m certain that I could easily find an outfit for almost any occasion.

I was given the opportunity to review an item, and after much browsing I settled on the Pleat Front Pencil Skirt.     As a chronic jeans wearer that is soon to be thrust into the business world, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to build my collection of business attire.  The skirt arrived rapidly, and I was instantly impressed with the fabric – it feels nice to the touch and is a perfect summer/spring weight.  The seams were also sewn well.  I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the skirt has pockets.  The waist sits a little higher than I anticipated, but now that I have re-examined the picture that should have been evident to me.  The only drawback that I have to offer is that the sizing (of this skirt at least) runs very small.  I used the size chart on the website which called for me to order a size that is two sizes larger than I typically wear, and it was still on the snug side.

Want to try EShakti for yourself?  Use the promotional code YTWIN0811 now through October 31st for $20 off your order!

Yours to Win… a $25 gift certificate to eShakti!

Mandatory Entry:  What eShakti product would you love to have?

Extra entries:

• Subscribe via email to this blog (+2)
• Follow me on twitter and leave your twitter name (+1)
• Follow eShakti on twitter (+1)
• Follow eShakti on facebook (+1)
• Enter this giveaway in a giveaway linky (leave the URL) (+1 per linky)
• Tweet this giveaway.  You can use the Tweet button at the top of this post or:   “$25 eShakti Gift Certificate Giveaway!  $20 off your order promo code for everyone! @yourstowin @eshakti http://yourstowin.com/?p=1205″ (+1 per day)
• Mention this giveaway on your blog (+5)

This giveaway ends September 21st at 9pm EST.  I will choose a winner via www.random.org and notify the winner through email.

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary product to facilitate this review.  I did not receive any monetary compensation.  All thoughts are my own.