Product review: Strongus Tahitian Vanilla Beans - Vacuum Sealed Grade A Vanilla Pods Fresh

 

 The Vanilla beans in this package were vacuum-packed and still soft when I opened the package.

You can either throw the whole vanilla bean, once it is cut, into the recipe, or you can just use the scraped seeds and save the pod for another use later. The most efficient way to get the flavor from the vanilla is to add it to something warm, which helps to disperse the seeds and the oils. I love adding half a vanilla bean to my coffee. So much better than flavored coffee. After I use the whole bean soaked in coffee, I grind it a coffee grinder and add it to the coffee grinds to get the last bits of flavor.

One vanilla bean is equivalent to about three teaspoons of vanilla extract. If a recipe only calls for one teaspoon of vanilla extract, you can slice the seed in thirds and only split and scrape one-third of the bean while storing the remaining two-thirds.

While a vanilla bean pod stored in sugar can become hard, you can revive it in hot water or other hot liquid.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: MÔME CARE - Indispensable Deo - Refillable Natural Deodorant for Women

 

It does work for me as a deodorant, but unfortunately, it is not unscented.  The scent is light, but I prefer products that don't add a scent.  I would re-order it if it were fragrance-free, as I like the idea of a refillable roll-on.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: DERMAXGEN INSTANT FACE LIFT - Lifts Tired Skin

 

We've all seen TV commercials when in seconds, the bag under the actor's eyes disappears.  No, this does not work like this.  I see a slight improvement in about 5 minutes after the application.  The improvement is temporary, a few hours.

The cream is unscented (big plus), moisturizing (big plus), and did not irritate my skin (big plus), but nothing like the difference shown in stock photos - that's a miracle of Photoshop, not the cream.

I have tried two DERMAXGEN instant facelift creams ( ASIN B09C13W6WN and  ASIN B09B4KD8BQ)  and the results were the same.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: ALINK Portable Shower Caddy Basket with Handle, Plastic Storage Organzer

 

This is a plastic, industrial-looking basket.  Its size (measured at the top, the widest area) is 12.5" long x 7.5" wide. It is 7.25" tall.  It has plastic loop handles that extend 4.5" above the edge.

The basket is well suited for cleaning supplies or shampoos, i.e., stuff that might get wet or fall over.  It works well for me in the bathroom, stored under the sink. I would describe it as attractive, but it is sturdy.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆  

Product review: Tachibiu Electric Nail Drill with LED Lights | Portable Electric Nail FIle with 6 Heads

 

 The drill works only when it is plugged in. I would have liked to see a cord-free rechargeable version, so it is easier to use on my toes.  The light is not removable; it is part of the mechanism.  I would have preferred the light to be removable to make the entire unit smaller and easier to maneuver.

I like that it has a speed control knob.  It also allows the drill to rotate right and left, but I have not found it necessary to switch directions (yet?)

Overall, even though it is not perfect, I do like it.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Scented Bussani Men Roll-on Deodorant Made in Israel

 

I thought the deodorant had a strong flowery scent. Everyone in the family prefers unscented deodorants, so the strong scent was a disappointment.  On the positive side, it does not stain clothing and suppresses sweat smell.  We would have liked to see an unscented option.  This is a deodorant, so it does not prevent sweating, nor does it claim to prevent sweating.

I was a bit confused by the statement that this deodorant contains no Aluminium.  Amazon's description does not have a list of ingredients, but the ingredients on the label (see attached photo) include Potassium alum as the second ingredient.  I posted a question to the seller on Amazon listing and received an answer:

"The full list of ingredients: Aqua, potassium alum, oleic acid, magnesium chloride, xanthan gum, fragrance Please note that potassium alum is not aluminum, but it is a natural antiperspirant that can be used safely, which offers protection for 24 hours. Potassium alum is the natural and safe crystal stone salt powder.  I mention it here because in some review a customer wrote: "Warning - contains aluminum" and this is not correct. Potassium Alum and aluminum are two different substances, which have different chemical properties that create different chemical reactions."

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: RII Mouse Mover Mouse Jiggler with Random movement

 

 Since my company switched to a remote mode of work for everyone, they reduced the screen saver time out to 10 minutes and removed our ability to change that value.  I work on two computers and use one of them as a reference to display the information I need without typing on that computer. It has been annoying to type in my password every 10 minutes or remember to touch the mouse frequently to keep it awake.  With RII mouse jiggler, I have a solution that takes of this for me.  I am using it on a win10 laptop. Since all my ports on the laptop are taken, I am using it with a small USB hub.  I have a laptop cooler, a keyboard, and the RII mouse jiggler plugged into this hub.  The jiggler works both plugged in directly into the laptop and plugged into the hub. My win10 immediately recognized the new device and configured it as a regular HID-compliant  mouse.  The jiggler does not interfere with using my mouse; the real mouse takes control of the cursor.  The jiggler has an on/off button so that you can turn it on.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★  

Product review: Zifengcer 8Pcs Lace Headbands for Women Girls Elegant Headbands

 These headbands did not look as nice as I had hoped.  They are a piece of lace attached to a black rubber band.  The lace ends at my ears, so the ugly black rubber band is visible if I have my hair in a ponytail.  I wear a lot of headbands, so I thought I would like these, but they look very old-fashioned on me.  They feel light but scratchy. Out of the black and white headbands, I liked the black lace better.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: PACIFIC PPE 12 Pairs Cleaning Gloves, Reusable Rubber Kitchen Gloves

 

I got small gloves, and I found that they were somewhat oversized. Not to the point of being useable, but a bit large in the palm and a little long in the fingers.  The material is thin rubber - thicker than nitrite gloves but thinner than some of my other rubber gloves.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆  

Product review: HIKI Aluminum-Free Deodorant for All Bodies Mint-scented

 

I was a little concerned about the strong minty scent of this deodorant.  It smelled potent in its container, but it was not too bad once I put it on. I could not smell it walking around, and the scent on the clothing after a day of wearing it was faint.  It does not prevent sweating but deodorizes light sweating like the little sweat that might develop doing light errands in a comfortable temperature.  Despite leaving the scent on clothing, it did not leave a white residue.

The container itself felt clunky with sharp edges.  It did not feel as smooth as well-finished the mainstream brand deodorants.

Will I switch from the unscented Ban? No. Perhaps if it had an unscented version.  But the container would need to have smoother edges as well.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆  

Product review: KAMMAK Small Trash Bags Wave 4 Gallon Garbage Bags

 

The thing about unknown brands of trash bags is that their volume does not always match my expectation. A few times, I got trash bags that were much smaller than expected.  This is NOT the case with KAMMAK trash bags. I compared a KAMMAK trash bag to a 4-gallon Glad bag, and they are similar in size.   KAMMAK's size matches the expectations set by a well-known brand like Glad.  

 KAMMAK trash bags are a bit thinner than the Glad trash bag and also more transparent.  I would prefer not to see the garbage. It has a huge green KAMMAK logo running the length of the bag, which I find annoying.
Surprisingly, the trash bags have an expiration date!   I purchased them in November 2021, and the bags have an expiration date of June 2025.

The bags work well for soft trash; they are not meant to hold sharp or heavy objects due to their thin nature.

These trash bags come in a roll without a dispensing box or container. It would have been better if it had a box to pull the roll without worrying that it would fall and create a mess by unrolling.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: spencer & whitney Silk Hair Scrunchies for Women Large 22 Momme100% Pure Mulberry Silk Scrunchies Hair Ties (Dark Blue)

 

I got the dark blue color scrunchie. This is a very beautiful scrunchie, the color is navy, and the edge is decorated with rhinestones.  It is a "dressed-up" scrunchie.  

However, it is not perfect. I did not like that the manufacturer attached an ugly white label to it.  The label is visible when it is in my hair. I had to amputate it with scissors risking damaging the scrunchie. Since it was sewn into the seam, I could not remove all of it.  There is a white strip of material spoiling the look.  Attaching a visible polyester label, which is ugly, to a pretty scrunchie is a wrong decision. I strongly suggest that the manufacturer put a label in a box that is not attached to the scrunchie, no need to attach a label to the scrunchie itself.

I also thought the scrunchie was overpriced.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

Product review: Rabuharu Neti Pot Sinus Rinse Bottle Nasal Nose Wash Cleaner Manual Bidet

 

Neti Pot Sinus Rinse Bottle has precisely the same construction as manual bidet bottles. They both have the same functionality.

I was attracted to this model because it has a valve on the bottom of the bottle (I will explain below why it matters). Bidet bottles with a valve became hard to find as the manufacturers are trying to cut costs.

The valve on the bottom allows air to escape, which equalizes air pressure in the bottle. This has the following benefits:
(1) If the bottle is turned upside down, it does not leak. I can aim it without drips, then squeeze to start the stream.  If a bottle does not have a valve, the bottle leaks continuously.
(2) The spray comes out stronger in a bottle with a valve, and you don't need to stop and let the air come in through the nozzle; the water can spray continuously
(3) The bottle does not make loud slurping sounds because the air goes through the valve

On the negative side, this bottle is made out of plastic, not silicone as my favorite model (which unfortunately is no longer being sold).  Plastic is much more rigid, so it is harder to squeeze than silicone.  The need to squeeze hard makes the stream harder and hurts my hand after a short period. If you have arthritis, this is not a good bottle to buy.

I hope the discussion of pluses and minus makes it easier for you to know if this bottle meets our needs.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆

Product review: Zellseuu Colorful and Classic Satin Scrunchies

 I like the vibrancy of the colors in this set of scrunchies.  I have been looking for a teal-colored scrunchie for a long time, only to be disappointed by the pale colors the sellers called teal.  Finally, this has a beautiful teal with lush deep color.  Other colors are very nice as well.  The scrunchies come in a nice container - it keeps them safe from dust, but I can still see what is inside.  The set also included four thin velvet bands.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★★

Product review: PediaSure Harvest for Tube Feeding, Complete Nutrition Formula with Real-Food Ingredients

 

 The box contained 24 cartons.  The flimsy box from PediaSure was enclosed in a sturdy Amazon box, so nothing was damaged.  However, The PediaSure box has 1-inch openings on the top and bottom of the box.  I felt the box falling apart when I lifted it as the box could not hold the weight of the cartons inside. I had to put several layers of packing tape on the package bottom to make it secure.  I thought the cartons would fall out if I did not give the box more structure with packing tape.  The box is not designed to hold the weight of the cartons it contains.  Very odd.

The formula itself is a thick liquid.  It could be used as tube feeding or as an external drink to supplement nutrition. It is not sweet and not salty.  The taste is not recognizable as any individual ingredient it contains. The flavor does take some getting used to, but it is not terrible.

Ingredients:
Water, Organic Mango Puree, Organic Spinach Puree, Organic Rice Maltodextrin, Soy Protein Isolate, Soy Oil, Organic Carrot Juice Concentrate, Organic Milled Whole Grain Brown Rice, High Oleic Safflower Oil, Organic Rice Protein Concentrate, Organic Chicory Root Fiber, Organic Pumpkin Puree, Organic Banana Puree. Less than 0.5% of: Soy Lecithin, L-Lysine, Taurine, and L-Carnitine. Vitamins and minerals: Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Ascorbic Acid, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl, Acetate, Maganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacinamide, Potassium Iodide, Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Chromium Chloride, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid.


You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★★☆

 

Product review: Niacinamide Dark Spot Corrector Remover for Face and Body, Hyperpigmentation & Melasma Treatment

Niacinamide lightens skin discolorations from sun damage. The manufacture of Glamour Valley states that it takes 6-7 weeks before you see results.  A concentration of 10% Niacinamide is considered to be effective.  Glamour Valley packaging does not state Niacinamide concentration, so it is probably lower.  I posted a question on the product page Q&A and was greatful to receive an answer the next day.  The seller stated that "Niacinamide at 4% plus 0.5% vitamin c".  This answer explains a slightly longer period for waiting to see the results compared to a higher concetration preparations.

The cream is unscented.  So far, 10 days since I started using the cream, I do not see results, but I am waiting for seven weeks of usage to make the final judgment.

You can find it on Amazon by following this link.

Ali Julia review ★★★☆☆