Urban Decay Brow Box - Brown Sugar - Review

I had blogged about the $9 sale on Urban Decay's Brow Box, which normally cost $30 and I decided to order it to check it out and purchased the "Brown Sugar" Duo, which is slightly darker than the "Honey Pot" that they offer as I have my hair dyed a dark color.

"Honey Pot looks to be more for blondes and "Brown Sugar" for Brunettes.  I ordered it online and it took 1 week for it to arrive.

I didn't take any pictures before I trying it, but inside are the two brow powders, which ar at the top, and the wax, which is at the bottom.  There is a normal mirror above.

It did not come with instructions, or if they were on the box it was too dark and too small for me to read.  I only know from purchasing an ELF brow kit that the wax in the past, the wax should go on first and you should use both colors to dab on your eyebrows to fill areas that you need for a more natural look.

The top level opened easily.

The bottom level has a magnifying mirror on the top, two brushes, which probably one is for the was and the other for the powder, and a tiny pair of tweezers.  The brushes work great, but the tweezers take a little getting used to as they are so tiny, but they do work.  

One problem I did had was opening up the bottom level.  I end up having to put my thumb nail under the lever to get it to open, which is a hassle.

Below is a pic of the product in use on my eyebrows, which are very thin before.  I had heard somewhere that your eyebrows don't need to look like twins, just sisters, for a natural appearance, so that is what I was going for.

The colors are highly pigmented and glide on easily.

The picture is a close-up, but from a distance, it looks much more natural than in this photo, but overall it looks fairly natural.  Normally my eyebrows are very thin so to me it was a drastic change, but the only comment I got after doing this was someone asked if I had done something with my hair.

Pros:

• Small, compact all-in-one brown kit.
• The case has 2 different shades, one wax, two brushes and a small pair of tweezers.
• The case has two mirrors, one regular and one magnifying
• The colors are highly pigmented and glide on easily.
• Produces fairly natural look 

Cons:

• Bottom level tends to stick and hard to open.  Because of this reaching for an eyebrow pencil instead is quicker and easier.
• If purchased when not on sale, would be $30.
• No instructions (or if there were there, box is too dark and lettering too small to read,

Summary: 

To me, the kit was worth $9, but I doubt I would pay $30 when there are similar products on the market that are much less expensive.

If you place an order on Urban Decay's site, please be sure to sign up for the UD Junkies, which is free, to get free shipping and earn points

Pillsbury Easter Cookies - Chick & Easter Egg Cutout Sugar Cookies

I spotted these on Meijer's shelve in the dairy section out this year for Easter.  I believe they are new this year as I don't recall seeing the above two promotions during past.

One is a tray of 24 "Chick" sugar cookies that have an emblem of a yellow chick coming out of a pink egg.  

The other tray a tray of 12 egg-shaped sugar cookies that come with frosting and sprinkles that you can decorate the top with.

Both are the same price and obviously, you get double the number of smaller cookies with the "Chick" cookies as you do the "Easter Egg", but the Easter Egg ones would be more fun but could also be a little messy with mixed results but make good memories.    

  

CONE DAY - FREE SMALL VANILLA ICE CREAM CONE AT DAIRY QUEEN ON MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017

Get ready to welcome in Spring and warmer weather by participating in Dairy Quee's "Cone Day" this coming Monday.

On their Facbook page Dairy Queen is having a "Cone Day" on Monday, March 20th, 2017.

The post indicated:

"#FreeConeDay is coming to DQ on Monday, March 20th. Get your first taste of summer on the first day of spring with one free small vanilla cone.* 

*Free small vanilla cone at participating non-mall U.S. locations. Not valid in Canada. All day, limit one per person. Store hours may vary."

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup - Light.Medium - Review

Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Makeup in Shade 200, which is Light.Medium at Walgreen

Walgreen's currently had a promotion where you can buy 2 Almay products and get the 3rd one of equal or lesser value for free and they also have a coupon you can clip for and additional $2 off.  The non-sale price is $14.49.

I selected to try it for its anti-aging and SPF 20 properties and the automatic "skin tone" matching sounded interesting.

I squirted some out on the inside of my forearm (picture below) and is it a lightweight, odorless, white liquid.  My first impression was it looked like bird poop.

Here is a picture of after I smoothed it into my skin.   While in fluorescent light, I did not see any difference, as you can see in the picture it does even out the skin tone and covers minor imperfections and leaves smooth looking finish.

On the back is a mini-booklet of "Drug Facts" that list the active ingredient as Titanium Dioxide, which is a sunscreen, the next page is to keep out of reach of children and to apply the product 15 minutes before going out into the Sun, use a water resistant sunscreen if swimming and to reapply ever 2 hours.

Pro:

• Automatic Color Matching to skin is a unique feature
• "Anti-Aging" - in that the product in the tube is light enough it doesn't settle into fine lines and accentuate them.
• Evens out skin tone and looks natural and covers minor imperfections

Cons:

• Comes out of tube looking like bird poop
• The Drug Facts on the back advises the product needs to be reapplied every 2 hours (I am guessing for the sunscreen protection) making it high maintenance.
• Cost  - For one ounce is around $15 - would not last long applying it every 2 hours and not cost efficient.

If you have fairly near flawless complexion and just want to even the skin tone and provide a bit of sun protection this would be a good product for you.

For me, it is not a product I would purchase again.

Almay's website

FORTUNE BUFFET - REVIEW

We have been going to the Fortune Buffet for several years and overall have been happy with their food selection and they usually have coupons the local "Mad Money" booklet for $1.50 off lunch or dinner.

They serve Chinese and American food on a buffet for a flat fee (was $11 per person on a Saturday evening) + additional for drinks (was around $2.50 per person) plus tax.

When you enter, on the left wall is a Sushi bar and a Hibachi bar.

I have never tried the Sushi Bar, so I cannot speak to if it is good or bad,

On the Hibachi bar, you can pick out noodles, meats, and vegetables (or a NY strip steak, which is wrapped in plastic) and have it cooked to order.  They have garlic and a chili paste to season the dish if you request.

One of my favorite features that they have is the fruit bar, which has fresh fruits like strawberries, pineapple, peaches along with puddings and Jello.

They also have a Salad bar with basic dressings such as Ranch, Italian, French and some toppings, but it is a little lacking compared to some other salad bars in town.

They also have several hot bars that have rice, broccoli with beef or chicken, fried potato bits, green beans, beef that you can carve,  macaroni and cheese, and a sundry of other items, enough that it will fulfill a variety of tastes.

My least favorite part is the desserts.  Some look pretty but lack flavor.Although they offer over half dozen different hard dip ice cream in a case and the back row is hard to reach even for an average adult height female.  Another reason to skip is I have seen children lick the scoop to get the last bit off and the scoop goes into a cold water container for rinsing.  I would recommend skipping and stick with the fresh fruit for dessert instead.

Service is usually good, although basically they just clear the table and refill drinks.

Overall the place appears clean and well cared for on this visit; in prior visits, the glass on partitions was streaked and cloudy, like they had been wiped down with an unclean cloth.

They do have a fairly large back room so if you had a special occasion to celebrate, you could probably schedule to use it if you had a large party.

Location:  5507 Coldwater Rd, Fort Wayne, IN46825

Hot bar

Sushi Bar

Salad Bar

Fruit Bar

Back Dining Room

Peeps Oreo Cookies - Review

Peeps Oreo's are a new limited time seasonal item that is now on the shelves for Easter.  I purchased a package on sale at Meijer's Superstore for $2.50

There is a flap on the top you can pull up and re-seal, which is a clever design that cookies have come out within the past few years.

Upon initial inspection, the cookies look similar standard Oreos; a shortbread sugar cookie stamped with a design on each side with a filling in the middle, except instead of chocolate it is vanilla and the filling is a bright pink.  

One this that you might also notice is that they smaller than the standard cookie, which makes them easier for smaller hands to handle.

In opening up the cookie you see a bright Barbie pink filling with a little bit of a sugary sparkle sheen like you would on a Peep. It smells a little marshmallowy but the consistency is not like a marshmallow peep, it is that of a standard Oreo, flavor itself is less sugary and a little bland.  

If I didn't see the cookies in the package and just on a plate, my first guess would probably have been they are a bubblegum.flavor (albeit an almost sugarless one).

At 140 calories for 2 cookies, it is not bad for a special treat.  It is a cookie after all; it is not meant to be good for you.

However, there has been some complaints by users on Twitter and elsewhere on the internet that the dye in the pink center turning people's tongue and mouth pink and the same surprise coming out the other end.  I personally did not notice this and I ate nearly half a package, although I would not recommend keeping it to a 2 cookie limit for a snack.

Pros:

• Fun themed cookie for Easter (or a Barbie themed party)
• Smaller cookies easier for kids to handle.
• 140 calories for 2 cookies - not bad for a snack.   .  

Cons:

• Center is not marshmallow and a little bland.
• The dye in it might turn mouth/tongue and pink as well as the same issue coming out. (Although this might be the reason some people buy them to see if it is true, so could be a Pro).
• If you are sensitive to dyes in food, would probably want to avoid this one.

Other:  

• I would have preferred it it had been sandwiched between to chocolate cookies instead of the vanilla.  I think both visually and from a taste perspective, there would be more a contrast between the cookies and the center.

It is not something I would buy for myself again, but I would consider buying to put in Easter basket or a kids party (and have an alternative available in case any of the recipients are known to be sensitive to dyes.),

As there is an Oreo Dunk Challenge going on Ohere is a link for more information as there is a chance to win prizes for participating, but it was not something I am doing or influenced my decision to buy the product; I just wanted to try the cookie.

Old School Chocolate Pie Recipe

This was a Facebook post that someone posted in the Southern Comfort Cooking group that I belong that is just too precious not to share.  It is of the man's late Grandmother making Chocolate Pie video on her 100th birthday.  How precious!

This is "old school" before Jello Pudding, which is much quicker and easier to make with more consistent results.  I made one similar that used 1/2 cup of milk instead of evaporated milk and cornstarch instead of flour when I was in Jr. High which I think was in a Betty Crocker Cookbook.

My Mom said was like they made when she was a kid in the 1940's, but said it would be much easier to just wait until the next time she went to store and pick up some instant Jello pudding.   She said this method takes more time and patience and in a little of the liquid at a time and constant stirring to prevent it from getting lumpy.

However, this was during one of my intermittent my pie baking obsession days/phase that I had in the 7th and 8th grade and that ended after I got my first car & job and no longer had the free time or energy to bake pies all the time.

My Mom was right, it did take, time and patience and it did come out a little bit lumpy, but I liked the shiny sheen the cornstarch gave the pie and it had a chocolate taste that was not as rich as instant Chocolate pudding and it was fun to eat a version that my Mom might have had as a kid.

This woman reminds me of how my Grandma would cook as it seemed a bit scattered to watch but she had it all organized in her head, never really measured and except for trying out a new recipe someone gave to her, didn't use them to concoct her magical delectable or feast.

Here is the body of the post:

"

Jimmy Huckaby

November 22, 2013 · 

This is for anyone who ever had my late grandmother's chocolate pie. I filmed her making it on her 100th birthday. If you want to make it yourself below is the recipe and Ruby Huckaby will show you how its done.

Recipe
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp. cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 sm. can evaporated milk
1 cup of water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 baked pie shell
Mix sugar, flour, salt and cocoa. Add milk to the dry ingredients.
When moistened, add egg yolks alternately. Add water; mix well,
put in double boiler and cook until thickened. Pour into baked
pie shell. Use egg whites for meringue."

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Sinful Colors - Kandee Johnson for Sinful Colors in Pink Velvet Sugar

I am a follower of Youtuber/Makeup Artist Kandee Johnson and this is the 2nd nail polish purchase from her collection I have purchased.  I purchased this polish for at 1.99 at my local Meijers superstore.

The shade Pink Velvet, a hot pink/rose matte shade with a "Sugar" texture that is sparkly and had a texture like a fine sugar.  

Although Zoya nail polish seemed to be the originator of the textured nail polish trend they called "Pixie Dust", it only has half a dozen shades, none of the colors are in any shade close to this one and I found them to be a lot thicker and more gritty and 3 times the price, although I am a fan of Zoya polish as well (just not this their "Pixie Dust" line).

Here is a link what stores carry Sinful Colors, but personally, I have only found the the matte pastels and "sugars" for the Kandee Johnson Collection at at Meijers.

In the picture below I used two coats of the polish.  I tried 3 coats and found it tended to chip a lot easier.  Even with the two coats, as Sinful Colors is more a bargain brand you will need to touch up the ends every other day or so and it can last a week or two.   

Swatch on white paper

Pace Ready Meals - Santa Fe Style Steak with Black Rice and Beans - Review

I spotted this new product at our local Meijers for $2.36 and decided to give it a try the front of the package looked appealing and it is something that can be heated up and ready to eat in 60 seconds.

The pouch contains black beans, steak strips, corn, bell peppers flavored with Lime/ Chili Powder & Cumin and Cilantro.   It has a good flavor, is hearty and filling, but a little on the runny side so not all that pretty to look at.

The package itself is unique with the "Cool Touch" area at the top on each side that when you tear off at the notches converts the package into a small bowl and surprised that is not prominently displayed on the front of the package.

If you work someplace where you can't get away for lunch and don't have access to a conventional sink to wash out a dish or bowl.  The plastic is not BPA and very sturdy, it is not likely to spring a leak unless you tear the strip or really abuse the package, but the package is easy to open as it is scored at the notches.

I ended up putting it in a bowl, but the stand-up pouch can be turned into a bowl when the top of the package at the notches is removed.

Pros:

• Hermetically sealed - no refrigeration needed
• Pouch has "Cool Touch" area on each side for easily removing hot bad from microwave
• Stand up pouch can be used a bowl 
• Microwaves in 60 seconds
• Non-BPA Packaging and sturdy, but easy to tear open with the notches on the side
• No Added Preservatives or Artificial Flavors or Colors 
• 230 calories for a little over a cup of food
• Good flavor, hearty and very filling

Cons:

• Like most packaged foods, high in salt and has nearly 1/3 of the daily allowance of salt.
• The sauce is a little on the runny side, so not all that pretty to look at.
• Expensive for a cup of rice, beans, and a little meat; you could make your own at home for a fraction of the cost.
• Around .50 cents higher than similar rice products on the market, but they do not have any meat product.
• Packaging creates waste that will end up in a landfill

Overall this is a decent product and one I would buy to keep in my desk drawer at work or one in the cupboard as it is something my adult son could heat up for himself if he stopped over and was hungry.

This is what it looks like outside of the package in the bowl.

Nutritional Information

Source: Nutritional Facts from Fat Secret

Pace Ready Meal website
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