Crowdtap sampling: The Revlon Youth Fx line of anti-aging products

 Through Crowdtap I received the full set of Revlon Youth FX line of products, which takes anti-aging to a whole new level and you can actually see an effect after just one use. The set consists of the following products:

• Revlon Youth Fx Fill + Blur Primer, Forehead
• Revlon Youth Fx Fill + Blur Concealer in a variety of skin tones to match your tone perfectly
• Revlon Youth Fx Fill + Blur Foundation again available to perfectly match your skin tone
• Revlon Youth Fx Fill + Blur Primer, Face/Neck

The components include the latest in anti-aging science, such as the Face/Neck Primer that is specifically formulated for the face and the neck. It contains micro-spheres and optical diffusers as part of Revlon Youth FX's innovative, age corrective technology.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - Love how my skin tone has improved!

I used it once and could also feel that my skin felt tighter and overall had a younger look to it. And to make sure that you can have a natural look, the products come in a range of skin colors, such as the Concealer, which is available in six different skin colors.

copyright Durhamonthecheap- problems be gone thanks to Revlon YouthFx

Disclaimer: I received a free sample in exchange for my review. The opinion exprssed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book review: Let's Be Real: Living life as an open and honest you by Natasha Bure

This is a great book that parents can give their pre-teen and teen kids, in particular their teenage daughters, who may think that the world is a less than perfect place (which it is). Reading this book can help your teenagers to understand that we all have problems, they are not alone with their problems and life goes on. Even if some youtube celebrity or daughter of a TV star like Natasha Bure may have the seemingly perfect life, she still struggles with the same issues that any young woman or girl struggles with. There are pimples, boyfriend breakups and plenty of self-doubt. But life goes on and tomorrow is a new day that brings new opportunity make things better and see something positive. It is that positive attitude that I really enjoyed in this book and I found so refreshing as a message for teenagers.
While Natasha is certainly benefiting from a financially stable upbringing and parents that can provide her with a lot - not just time, but also material things. She still manages to write a book that I find in the language used and the issues tackled to be good for teenagers. I think parents should discuss with their kids that the material benefits that Natasha enjoyed set her apart from most kids in the US and the rest of the world, but that material things are not what happiness is about and the reader should focus on a message of a positive attitude towards tomorrow.

available on amazon.com

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review I received a free book. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

The Sweet Smell of Magnolias and Memories by Celeste Fletcher McHale

This is a great romantic love story, in the tradition of the love stories that our parents and grandparents read. So it may be old fashioned, but it also makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.
The story begins during a flood that is threatening the lives of Jacey and Colin. The are stuck together on a roof for several days until they finally are rescued.
Each goes their own life afterwards and Jacey does not really think she will ever meet Colin again. To her surprise, a year later she recognizes Colin as the priest that is officiating the wedding, for which she serves as a member of the wedding party Her feelings for him come back, but nothing good in life ever comes easy. And so the path for both Jacey and Colin is difficulty and takes his number of twists and turns. Memories of her time with Colin on the roof, during which she fell in love with him, are also mixed emotions of joy and sadness.
The author, as I indicated earlier, wrote what I would describe as a good old-fashioned love story. But it is a sweet one and it is an entertaining read. Some aspects seems far fetched at times, but this book is one of these feel good stories that we all need from time to time to block out the difficulties we face in our real lives. Like the fairly tales as children made us believe that everything will turn out well in the end, this book makes its adult audience believe that wonderful things can happen, even if the way to them is dark and filled with stones.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - available at amazon.com

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Stand up for accurate labeling - this is important!

Most women and their daughters know that talking about periods can be squeamish for some, but there is helpful info to be shared.

I just found out that there is no federal law which requires disclosure of ingredients in tampons and pads. This means women are left in the dark about what ingredients they are putting on some of the most sensitive and absorptive tissue on their body. To make a change in this important area of health for all women, Women's Voices for the Earth and Seventh Generation want to let you know that Representative Grace Meng is planning to re-introduce a bill to require disclosure of the ingredients used in feminine products. In support of this bill on May 23, women from all over the USA will gather on Capitol Hill to tell Congress: It’s time to care about feminine care. Period.

We know that vaginal tissue is very sensitive and we should be extra careful about what’s coming into contact with it. In fact, there is considerable interest in vaginal drug delivery systems because the vagina is such an effective site to transfer drugs directly into the blood without being metabolized first. One study found that a vaginally applied dose of estradiol (an estrogen proxy) resulted in systemic estradiol levels in the body 10 to 80 times greater compared to the same dose given orally. So, you should really know what the heck is in the products you use around the vagina.

That is why it is so important to know that companies will only tell you a little bit about what’s in their products, in particular those that manufacture tampon and pads. Many do include some basic information on their packages about the ingredients — unless they use fragrance. A ‘fragrance’ can be made up of 50-200 different ingredients, many of which have not been adequately tested for safety; this means that women may expose their body to dangerous substances.

A few, forward-thinking companies are already doing the right thing by voluntarily disclosing the ingredients used in their products. Seventh Generation as a leader is taking the extra step to advocate for transparency industry-wide by co-sponsoring a rally in May.

So let's hope that on May 23, news organizations will cover the effort by women concerned about their health to tell Congress that we have the right to know what’s in the products we use so intimately. Congress can do their part by enacting a very simple, common-sense law.

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed in this blog is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Product Review: New NESTEA Iced Tea - Peach flavor

 Through MyMagazine Sharing Network I received two coupons for free bottles of Nestea Iced Tea and the first bottle had to be peach tea. The tea comes in three types, peach, lemon and slightly sweet black tea. I will probably sample the sweet black tea next because living in the South you need to have a taste of Nestea's version of Sweet Tea. But what I have tasted so far in the peach variety is very promising. The peach flavor is a nice balance between the sweet peach flavor and the slightly bitter/tart black tea flavor. The peach tea is refreshing, but also a treat because it tastes sooooo good.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - love peach for a refreshing break in the North Carolina heat

 It is available locally at Kroger. So if you are in the mood for a refreshing bottle of iced tea and even want to treat yourself to some fruit flavor - go for the #New NESTEA flavors in peach or lemon. I can certainly highly recommend the iced tea by Nestea!

copyright Durhamonthecheap - three great flavors to choose from, peach is my favorite!

Disclaimer: I received something for free. The opinion expressed in this post is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book review: The Seven Money Types: Discover How God Wired You To Handle Money by Tommy Brown

When we say that some people just can't handle money no matter how many courses about financial management they take we may be closer to the truth than we know. This books looks not as providing guidance for handling money and securing your retirement, but rather at how different people have differing relationships to money and how they handle money as consequence of their innate money personality.
Understanding why you handle money a certain way compared to others will be the first step to improve your money relationship. Aligning with God and Christian Faith your financial behavior will benefit you in the long run and provide you with a good guide to develop a healthy relationship with your finances. At the same time, this book will also help you understand how other people handle money and struggle with finances. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to improve their finances and especially those that have taken financial management courses in the past. This book will reshape your attitude towards money from the ground up and create a long-lasting change in how you handle money. The author does not instruct as much as patiently guide you through the book. He shows compassion for financial troubles and the people that struggle with money. Reading this book will help you, but without admonishing or making you feel bad.

copyright Durhamonthecheap - available now at amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free book in exchange for an honest review. The opinion expressed is solely my own and has not been influenced by any third party.

Book review: An Outlaw and a Lady: A Memoir of Music, Life with Waylon, and the Faith that Brought Me Home by Jessi Colter

 I have to admit, despite growing up outside of the USA, I am big fan of traditional country. None of the crossover stuff for me, give me some Waylon, Willie or Johnny and I am good. So this book hit right home with me, a book written by the wife of Waylon about their lives together. Jessi grew up in a religious household, but I guess she had a wild streak in her somewhere because early on she decided to pursue a career and ended up marrying Duane Eddy. Now I had no idea about this relationship because Duane Eddy's guitar tunes are a favorite of mine and so this insight into his life was an added bonus of this book.

Jessi eventually divorced Duane and ended up marrying Waylon. And if marrying a rock musician such as Duane was not wild enough, life with Waylon certainly was. He was well known for his demons, among them a long standing addiction. While Jessi was mild compared to Waylon, she certainly drifted far away from her religious roots and ended up leading a fairly wild life, but eventually found to her faith again and maintained her faith.

This is one angle of the book and I feel that for some people this will be the focus, but I preferred to focus on the biographical aspects and the knowledge that despite his demons, Waylon was a good person at heart. I also think that the biographical aspects of this book made it really unique, a first-hand look into the lives of rock musicians that were groundbreaking and country musicians that were legendary. That aspect of the book should be the primary focus and religion figures into it and at times, such as when Jessi relies on her faith for strength when times are difficult, can be important. But the book overall should be seen as a biography and a very good one at that! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the music history of the US from the 50 through modern times because you get an interesting, unique look at some of your idols. I loved this book and Jessi has a captivating style that brings the people she met to life in her book.

available through amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a free book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by any third party.