Reviews

    Stella and Dot Jewelry

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    After seeing in passing a few pieces of Stella and Dot jewelry that I liked I went to check out their site and found that they are, unfortunately, a predatory MLM. I would highly discourage anyone from supporting this business model that often preys primarily on disadvantaged women. I am attaching excerpts from the company's own income disclosure statements, and more can be found with a cursory Google search. I have hope that this business model will fade away over time, but it seems there is a never-ending parade of companies that are willing to take advantage of people.

    NOON

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    Purchased through a Thingtesting offer

    I received my Thingdrop purchase of the Rise and Relax drops, as well as the In The Zone chocolates yesterday so this is a 'first impressions' review. First off, the packaging is lovely. Heavy, frosted glass bottles color-coded for each formula in pleasing blue-gray shades are securely contained in heavy but recyclable cardboard boxes. The chocolates are in a simple paper sleeve. Both drops come with an included info card detailing the purpose of the various ingredients. I do think that the formulas are a bit thick for highly accurate dosing with the bottle dropper, but its CBD, so Im not terribly concerned about precision. The chocolate did arrive with some slight bloom, despite being shipped with an ice pack, but I don't fault noon for that, its summer in Virginia, after all. Taste is more pleasant than other CBD drops I have tried. I, personally, really dislike the flavor of CBD/THC products so its nice that these have a lot more going on to kind of mask that intensely "green" flavor. Rise is a bit citrusy which is nice in the morning and Relax seems chocolatey(?), both are tasty enough. I didn't notice much after using each formula once, but I plan to use both drop formulas for the next week or two to see if the effects become more apparent, and will probably increase the dose from .5ml to 1ml going forward. So far, I think these are really nice and Im looking forward to including them in my routine, which I emphatically cannot say for other CBD supplements I have tried.

    Chocolate DelightsRISE Nootropic DropsRELAX Nootropic Drops

    Joolca

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    I have the Double Ensuite (they also have a single and now a triple!) that I use in conjunction with my Aliner and in my opinion, it's an indispensable piece of my camping load out. The tent pops up and down so easily, it all feels good quality, and it's thoughtfully designed in a way that makes you certain that Joolca did quite a bit of practical testing before finalizing the design. I'm 5' and I can put the whole thing up or down by myself in just a minute or two, but its also plenty tall and roomy for my 6' husband. The Double has a "wet side" and a "dry side". The wet side has space to clip on the included toiletry organizer, a small zipper at a convenient height to slide in a showerhead, clips for the showerhead and its hose, and a partial mesh floor to allow for drainage. The dry side has an attached drying line, and clips for the included hamper bag. Both sides have overhead vented panels, and large window panels, which means keeping warmth in in chilly weather, but also allowing steam (and smells if you use the dry side for your camp toilet!) to escape. I did also purchase the Awning Kit, but its kind of a pain so I only put that up for trips over 3 nights. I feel like there is some room for improvement with the awning, but it does stay up well. If you do a lot of car camping, boondocking, or have a camper/trailer without a bathroom, I cannot recommend Joolca enough. Its a well-thought-out brand with a small but mighty range of products.

    Double Ensuite

    Necessaire

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    I have loved everything I have tried from this brand. The formulas perform as expected, the packaging is very good, and I love that most of the products are available without fragrance. Products: The Body Serum is great for me as I generally hate applying moisturizer post-shower, but the serum sinks in so well and is so light that it doesn't bother me at all. Unscented is *wonderful* as I'm a perfume fiend and I don't like it when my perfume has to compete with bath products. The Body exfoliator feels really good, it's not too scrubby, but still effective, the texture of the scrub is almost like fine sand. I've recently added the Body Retinol and that seems to be doing wonders for the occasional bumps and clogged pores on my thighs and arms, I am hoping to see improvement in some light hyperpigmentation over time. Packaging: All of the products I currently have are in "bio-resin" except for the tube of exfoliator which appears to be plastic(?), the pump on the body serum works very well and I really do like the vacuum-style bottles. They have started introducing aluminum packaging, and I hope to see more of that, since I know its recycled in my area, and Im not totally clear on the environmental impact of bio-resin. I do like the very simplistic packaging, Im trying to reduce visual noise in my bathroom lately, and Necessaire is perfect for that. Brand: The brand seems highly committed to environmentally friendly choices and seems to be extremely transparent about their ingredients.

    The Body SerumThe Body RetinolThe body exfoliator in Sandalwood

    Barebones

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    Ive purchased a bunch of things from Barebones over the years. My husband and I are pretty avid campers and are also very outdoorsy at home, so this brand was very appealing to me, however, I haven't been really thrilled with anything I've purchased. The plates and bowls are just ok, the kettle is poorly designed, the lanterns just don't perform well (blinding or too dim). Overall, this brand is maximalist wearing minimalist clothes and form over function. A shame, as I wanted to love them, the aesthetic is right on, but in use, many of the products are a let-down. I do love my hori hori and foraging bag, but even with those I find my self saying "if only this..." pretty often.

    Paintbox Soapworks

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    7 months ago

    PBSW is a fabulous small brand of hand made soap (both hot and cold process), lotion, bath streusel (which is like a bath bomb meets bath melt, so nourishing!), hair oil, sugar scrubs and more. The shop seems to be a one-woman show, but somehow she manages to have incredibly fast shipping, accurate turn-around times, lovely packaging, *delightful* customer care and timely seasonal scents in addition to a stable supply of year-round favorites and an unscented line. Truly a unicorn in the indie bath and body space! I've tried every formula PBSW makes and all of them are great. The lotion absorbs nicely (no greasy hands for hours!), the sugar scrubs are the perfect texture, and the hair oils are somehow lightweight but super moisturizing at the same time. The product are almost all available in full and sample sizes, so you don't have to commit to a big container of something if you're intrigued, but unsure of a particular note. I love PBSW so much that I could rave for several more paragraphs, but the bottom line is: order some samples, you won't be disappointed.

    Vacation

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    8 months ago

    I'll admit that when I got the Whip sunscreen in a beauty box, I thought it was really gimmicky and left it on my shelf for months, but I opened it a few weeks ago while on vacation at the lake and I was SO WRONG. Not only is this stuff amusing to use, but it smells great, sinks in fast, and works perfectly. It's not sticky, the scent is not at all overpowering, and I didn't get even the slightest bit red. My favorite part though is how the light texture makes it fast and easy to reapply. It doesn't leave marks on my clothes, and while Im admittedly very pale, I didn't notice any white cast. Ive since purchased the little SPF 50 spray and that's also great - I use almost like a setting spray, so I can reapply sun protection throughout the day and not mess up makeup.

    Arcane Bullshit

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    8 months ago

    Are you a little weirdo? Then you'll probably love Arcane Bullshit. I know I do. I have purchased everything from tee shirts (comfy! accurate sizing! high quality prints!), to stickers (sticky! glossy!), patches (uh...patchy? no...very tidy embroidery!) and other objets d'art (arty!). Really - you're gonna know more or less at a glance if AB is your thing or not, and if it is, you're in for a real treat.

    Bask Suncare

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    8 months ago

    Purchased through a Thingtesting offer

    Works well, but the best part for me (aside from the cute packaging) is the scent. Theres a soft almost cooked-rice smell on the drydown, which is weirdly comforting and also much preferable to some other sunscreens intense coconut or chemical scents. I feel like I can apply this in public without gagging everyone in a 50 foot radius, which makes it the most practical option I have found for locations that arent the pool or beach. The mist gives a nice fine spray that seems to offer good coverage. Im a big fan.

    BAGGU

    Level 8
    Amy MLevel 8 74 Reviews

    8 months ago

    I have been using baggu for years and have accumulated a variety of sizes and patterns. They are great, lightweight, and packable enough to keep in my handbag for impromptu shopping trips, but durable enough to hold as much as you can comfortably carry. The various sizes are handy for everything from acting as a dirty laundry bag when traveling to holding a few tomatoes from the farmstand on my way home. I have washed them many times and have never had one fall apart or wear out in the many years I've been using them.