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 ★★★★★