Gillette Venus and Olay Shower and Shave Cream Review

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Last year I got laser hair removal, which was great as I no longer felt like Chewbacca's sister. However, I'm not 100% hair free and I do still need to shave every few days. My hair is much more sparse than before the laser, and it grows very slowly, but I do prefer to be super smooth if I'm swimming or wearing shorts.

Which means I still shave every few days, but I can be much sloppier about it! I fully admit that I'll often just go over my lower legs with a razor when I'm lathered up with body wash. It isn't quite as smooth as when I use an actual shave gel, but it's all that I need most of the time in the winter. I've found that using body wash is about 75% as smooth as a shave gel.

So, I was pretty interested when Venus & Olay sent me their Shower and Shave Cream! It's a body wash that's meant to do exactly what I've been doing, help you shave with just the body wash. Except that this product is formulated to work that way.



I want to point out the fine print that I found on the bottle. This product is sold under two names, this is apparently one of the Olay Moisture Ribbons body washes, just repackaged. As long as you're aware of this, it's fine. I checked the price of the product at a few local stores (Meijer, Target and Walmart) and the price per ounce was always within a few cents of each other.

This is a very moisturizing body wash, and it does have a nice light vanilla scent. I found that it has a great lather, and yes, that lather can be used to help you shave. And it actually is a closer shave than with my "normal" Olay body wash, though not quite as close as with a regular shaving gel. It is smooth though! It works well enough that on a recent trip I didn't bring any shave gel, despite planning to wear shorts and swim every day. It saved me time in the shower and room in my suitcase.

At home I'm swapping my previous Olay body wash to this one for the summer, though I'll still keep some shave gel in my shower in case I feel the need to be extra smooth.

You can find it at Target, Walmart, or ULTA
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Something New: Dove's Shower Foam

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Have you run into the displays of this Dove Body Wash yet? They're at a lot of my local big box and drugstores suddenly. It's a bottle of body wash, but it foams when you pump it out. As much as I've been told and read that the lather doesn't matter when you're trying to get clean, I really love a great lather.


The bottle looks small, but it actually contains over 250 pumps of product. I use about 3-4 pumps for an entire shower, so a bottle will last for a long time. It comes out very foamy, with a nice light scent. I use 1 pump per leg, and 1-2 pumps for my body and arms. It definitely gets me clean, but it doesn't feel like it strips my skin of moisture. Instead, I'm just clean and my skin is soft.

Amazon, Walgreen's, or Target
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What is the Best Smelling Body Wash? I Took the Suave® Fragrance Challenge/Sniff Test to Find Out

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I know I can't be the only one that is very picky about my body wash. With so many amazing body washes on the market, I want one that has a great lather, washes me without stripping my skin of essential moisture, and smells great. Most body washes do just great with the first two criteria, but it's the third that always seems to be an issue. I don't have a big preference about what kind of scent, but whether it is citrus, a fresh scent or something warmer, I want my body wash to smell good. I don't want my body wash to be overpowering, or more importantly, to smell artificial.

I partnered with Suave® and was just sent a really fun kit in the mail from Suave with 3 different blinded tests. Completely unlabeled, the tests contained body washes of similar scents from Bath & Body Works® versus Suave Essentials®. The idea is that I smell them and see which I prefer – Suave or a premium brand like Bath & Body Works®. I did this on video since I felt it would be fun to see how I really felt. I didn't think my face was quite this expressive! Be sure to adjust your volume so you can hear me.






So the winners were.... all Suave! I definitely preferred the Suave body wash scents over Bath & Body Works®. I admit that I'm often a Suave body wash girl, though I haven't used any of these scents recently. I'm mostly a Mango Mandarin girl. And I think I need to work Ocean Breeze into my rotation as well! I love that I can buy about six of them for the same price as a Bath & Body Works® body wash!

What are your favorite body wash scents? Let me know in the comments!


You can find Suave Body Washes at Walmart. Learn more from Suave on the Suave Website, their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest or Instagram.

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This post is brought to you by Suave, but the opinions are all my own. As you may have noticed during the video...

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Cold Weather Beauty Swap Outs with Dove: Prepping for Colder Weather

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When the weather starts getting colder and the humidity plummets, there are a few swap outs that I make in my beauty routine that make a big difference! I thought that today was the perfect time to share my picks! In general, I go for items that are more gentle and add some much needed moisture to my skin and hair. The cold, dry air of the winter (and all of my subsequent time spent indoors with central heating) really does dry out my hair and skin, despite running our humidifier.


I recently shared Dove's Self-Esteem Project with my readers, and there's been a huge outpouring of response! So, while I was at Rite Aid recently I picked some of my favorite Dove products. Read on to see what I grabbed while I was shopping!



1. Dry Shampoo: Dove Volume and Fullness Dry Shampoo
I love dry shampoo year round to stretch the time I go in between washing my hair, but that becomes even more important during the winter! If I wash my hair too frequently in the winter, it becomes dry and staticky, with fly aways that are hard to control. I've also found that my scalp becomes dry and itchy if I wash every day.

So, I use dry shampoo to stretch to about 3-4 days (instead of 2-3 days) in between hair washings. I love using dry shampoo at night before bed, instead of in the morning. I can apply a bit more product, it soaks up oil even better, and there's no whiteness or dullness issues! This dry shampoo from Dove smells great and also adds some great volume to my hair.

2. Moisturizing Antiperspirant: Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant
Strange but true, even your underarms need to be a little pampered. Dry skin can happen everywhere, and if I get dry under my arms, well, I get itchy. Instead of applying moisturizer under my arms, I use an antiperspirant that also helps to hydrate my skin. Multi-tasking!

3. Super Hydrating Body Wash: Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash
Once the weather turns cold, it's a good idea to conserve any and all moisture you can in your skin. One of my favorite swap outs is to go for a super moisturizing body wash. This is one of my favorites! It is very gentle but still gets my skin clean, and it leaves my skin very soft and moisturized.




Want to win these products for yourself? Head to my Instagram and comment with your story about a time you or a friend had a negative experience on social media and let me know how you got through it. Use #SpeakBeautiful and you’ll be entered to win a Dove tote bag filled with full-sized Dove products! There will be 6 winners! Full Rules Here

Included in the tote:
• Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash, 12 oz.
• Dove Advanced Care Original Clean Deodorant
• Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo

Learn more about Dove's Self-Esteem Project





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This post is a paid collaboration, but all opinions, and dry shampoo obsessions, are my own.

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Natural Beauty Section Picks for the Summer

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Have you noticed that the "natural beauty" section at your local big box store is slowly (or not so slowly) expanding? What you could once only find at Whole Foods (which, by the way, has a pretty amazing beauty area) is now available at Target, Walmart and CVS. But, which products are worth picking up?

I've only just started to explore those beauty areas, but so far I have found some great products! Here are some of my favorites for summer.

1. Jason Gentle Basics Facial Cleanser (from Amazon)
This is a great, basic cleanser. It is very gentle, takes off pretty much everything and doesn't overstrip my face of natural oils. This is extra important after being out in the sun, my skin just doesn't need another source of irritation!

2. Jason Gentle Basics Day Lotion (get it from Amazon)
This is a lightweight, very basic and non-irritating lotion for under makeup. Note, you do still need to add a sunscreen over this. This is one that I'll be recommending year round.

3. Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Cream (from Amazon)
My skin needs a little extra pampering if I've been outside a lot. This cream from Weleda is nicely hydrating without being "too much", and it helps sooth any irritation I might have.

4. Avalon Organics Bath & Shower Gel, Refreshing Lemon (from Amazon)
It smells soooo good!

5. Avalon Organics Cream Shave, Nourishing Lavender (from Amazon)
Again, it smells great! I don't have to shave often (once a week or so, I did laser hair removal), but this shaving cream definitely helps me have a closer shave and it doesn't irritate my skin.

6. Weleda Oat Replenishing Treatment (from Amazon)
Being out in the sun and swimming can really dry out your hair, this deep treatment helps to reverse the effects. Use it once or twice a week as your hair needs it.

7. Waxelene (from Amazon)
A great alternative to a well known petroleum jelly, this can be used as a lip balm, moisturizer, or anything you want. It's also gluten free, which is great news if you have celiac!

8. Jason Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 (at Amazon)
I'm a fan of physical sunscreens with full UV spectrum coverage. This one does just that, keeping you protected but it doesn't feel too heavy on your skin. Don't forget to reapply every 2 hours or after swimming.




Zinc Oxide 14.5%, Titanium Dioxide 2.0%

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Herbal Essences Body Washes: Fun and Colorful Start to the Day

Product Sent for Review


Recently, the nice people over at Herbal Essences sent me a few of their new body washes to try out, and I've been quietly enjoying them without sharing. This trio of body washes are pretty much exactly what you'd expect from Herbal Essences: they smell great (though the scents are more subtle than I had expected), have a nice lather and do a great job of getting me clean without over drying my skin.

Pink= Happy Go Lather, a light floral scent with a little bit of a rose leaning.
Blue= Hello Hydration, a tropical scent with some coconut. Note that it doesn't really seem to be any more hydrating than the other 2 body washes in my opinion.
Orange= Body Burst, citrus! Always my favorite scent.


Herbal Essences
Product Sent for Review

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Top 10 Tuesday: 10 Things in My Shower

Product Sent for Review I Bought it Myself


Today for Top 10 Tuesday we're sharing what is in our showers, I have to admit that most of us didn't think we'd reach 10 items, and while I do a lot of product testing (which doesn't always end up on the blog), I wasn't sure I'd come up with 10 items in all of that mess in my shower. (Yes, you can go ahead and feel bad for my hubby, he seems to put up with this giant bottle collection in our shower.)


1. Joico K Pak Shampoo and Conditioner : This is currently my go-to shampoo and conditioner. I love that it is really hydrating and doesn't weigh down my hair. It also doesn't hurt that it is often included in the ULTA Liter Sale.

2. Head and Shoulders Green Apple: I have eczema and there are patches of it near my ears. I sometimes need to use a dandruff shampoo on my flare ups (I'm able to avoid using topical steroids with about once a week Head & Shoulders, I think that's pretty good!), though in the past I've hated doing this. The old school stuff smelled horrible, so I'd drag my feet and wait until I could no longer wait, so I'd be forced to use the steroids. Luckily they have a ton of new variations, and I like the Damaged Hair collection and the Green Apple, which smells yummier!

3. DermOrganic Intensive Hair Repair Masque: I love this stuff! I have a couple of intensive moisturizing masks in my shower, but this one only takes a minute to work so it seems to be my go-to products.

4. Kiehl's Aromatic Blends Orange Flower & Lychee Body Wash: I have a ton of body washes in my bathroom, but this is the one I seem to save for "good occasions". Why? Because I'm strange, and sometimes that good occasion can just be hanging out at home with the family, but it does feel like a big splurge on the days I use this one!

5. Beautisol's Hammam Deep Exfoliating Mitt: Are you tired of me talking about this exfoliating mitt yet? I know there are others out there, but this one seems to be just that perfect balance of exfoliating and not too harsh and it has held up for forever!

6. Skintimate Shave Gel for Dry Skin: I try other shaving gels, but I always seem to come back to this one!

7. Gillette Venus & Olay in Sugarberry Scent: I need 5 blades to get a close shave so I go for the Venus, but it's only recently that I've been noticing that the big moisturizing strips are worth the added bulk. (Ok, I think only the Olay ones are, they move out of the way easily and really do make my legs smoother.) I really love this summer's new Sugarberry scent!

8. Le Edge: You know when you're in the shower and you scratch an itch somewhere (for me this is usually my side) and you come back with a bunch of dead skin under your nails? Yes, likely TMI. It always makes me want to scratch myself everywhere to exfoliate all of that extra skin off! Le Edge does that for you. It feels like using a razor, except that the metal edge is blunt, so it won't cut you. It painlessly and evenly gets rid of that extra skin. Without scratch marks.

9. Solevation Shower Mat: I love being able to just run my feet over it a few times. Perfect feet in a minute! While washing my hair!

10. Nivea Skin Firming Hydration Body Lotion: This is become my go-to summer lotion this year!





Product Sent for Review I Bought it Myself

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30 Seconds to a Natural Tan? Josie Maran Self Tanning Body Wash Review

I Bought it Myself
If you're a fan of 15 Minute Beauty on Facebook, you may have noticed that I was excited about Josie Maran's Sunless Tanning Body Wash. I'm a pale girl, and I've embraced that, but really by default. I can spend a ton of time laying out, but the only thing that happens to my skin tone is that I get some random clumps of freckles, which look like dirt from more than 3 feet away. So, I get premature aging and look dirty instead of a nice glow. Winning.

So, I ordered the Josie Maran when it was the special deal of the day (though that 24 hour price was available before the date and now, weeks later, it's still there). QVC sent my product pretty fast, it was there a day or two before I expected it, so I was very happy.

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Beautisol's Hammam Deep Exfoliating Mitt Review: A Daily Scrub will Give You Baby Soft Skin

For years I've used that little round netting ball with my body wash. You know the one, it's a few bucks at Target? It does a great job of creating lather (love me some lather), and it does a little mild exfoliating, but not much. Mostly it is just easy to replace and I love that it hangs up to dry out.

I've just made a major (major) shower upgrade! This is the Hammam Deep Exfoliating Mitt from Beautisol, the self tanning brand that likes to sell out on HSN. If anyone knows the need for a little daily light exfoliation, it's a self tanning company! This baby costs $12, which is a lot compared to my $3.50 for a netting ball, but isn't much really.

The mitt is a very thin but indestructible fabric with a little texture to it (click on the pic to the right to see what I mean). Body wash doesn't really sink into the fabric, but instead stays more on the surface. I use a lot less body wash with this mitt, it makes me wonder how much product I've wasted over the years by just feeding it to my hungry netting ball. Because the fabric is thin, when you're washing your body you can really very easily vary how much pressure you use to exfoliate, you can get into every nook and cranny (this is amazing around stubborn areas like ankles), and you definitely get clean! When you're done, it rinses out super quickly (there's that thin fabric again) and it dries very quickly when hung up by its little tab.

I've been using this for over a week now, and I can say that in that short period of time, and in the middle of a Michigan winter, I've noticed a big difference in my skin! I'm definitely softer and I have fewer issues with ingrown hairs in certain...areas. This is an upgrade that I'm keeping!

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5 Great Body Scrubs That Make My Shower Happy

I'm crazy picky when it comes to facial scrubs, but I really think that there's a lot more leeway when it comes to a body scrub. The skin is thicker, less sensitive, and for some reason the scrubs on the market are just much better suited for this job than the facial scrubs. I'm a sucker for a good sugar based body scrub. As the weather has turned warmer I'm hoarding scrubs in my shower and reaching for them all the time! It's time to shed the gross skin of winter.

Here's a peek at a few of the items that have been in my shower recently.

LaLicious Sugar Kiss Souffle
$34 at LaLicous and other on-line stores

I fully confess, that in true Christine fashion, the most expensive scrub is my favorite one. This scrub feels different than any other scrub that I've used. It feels very dry, like the sugar is just barely wet. Once applied to the skin you note that there is oil in the scrub and it does spread nicely and does a good job of exfoliating. It rinses off easily but it does leave behind a light oily residue. I do like the residue, it has basically just sealed moisture into your skin. However, I wouldn't use this scrub before shaving or in preparation to sunless tan, the oil will interfere with both activities. It smells amazing, like the best sugar cookie ever!

One Sun Drenched Lemon Scrub
$10 at Target

This one is perfect for summer, it is very lemon and actually a faint chemical smell. This is the lemon slushie from your neighborhood ice cream shop! The smell is somewhat strong and I can still smell it in the room once I'm out of the shower, and if I try to smell my skin it does linger there just a little bit. You need to be very close to smell it.

The consistency is similar to a slushie as well. It does have a bit more of a gel/viscosity to it, but in the tin it looks just like a slushie. There is more grit in the scrub than you think, and it is all evenly shaped and sized. It's enough grit to get the job done. It rinses off completely without any residue.

The only complaint that I have about this scrub is the tin! I have small hands (especially for someone who is so tall, I'm 5'9" but my hands are about the size of a 12 year olds), and I really can't get my hands completely on the lid. It twists off, but it is very hard for me to do so, especially if my hands are wet. I open it before turning on the shower and leave the lid in place to protect the scrub, but it is difficult for me.

Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub in Coconut Lime
$7 at locations like ULTA, Walmart, CVS and Drugstore.com

Mmmm..... You put the lime in the coconut...Yes, it does smell like lime and coconut, though thankfully it isn't an overwhelming scent. As well, it is very real and natural smelling, no chemical leaning at all!

This scrub feels a bit like a gel, though you can see in the picture that it does kind of hold together a little bit on its own. The grit is evenly sized and not at all sharp, and while there are occasional darker pieces (to look like coconut?) they actually are exactly the same as the other grit pieces except for the color. No sharp edges! The scrub rinses off easily and there's no residue left behind.

Aveeno Positively Ageless Resurfacing Scrub
$9 at locations such as ULTA, Walmart, Target, and CVS

When getting ready to write this piece I discovered that this is actually a facial scrub. Oops! It has the same packaging colors as some body items that Aveeno sent me at the same time (a hand cream and body lotion) and since it doesn't say face on it I've been using it all over.

I love that this comes in a squeeze bottle, so easy to use in the shower! It has a very smooth texture. It is a bit like a "dry" Aquaphor lotion. I really can't describe it any other way. The granules are very small, evenly shaped and not at all sharp. You can't really see them in the picture above, but they are there. I've been using this scrub on my face and on my body, and it does a great job for both without being too much for my face.

The scent is a bit herbal and musky, making me think that most guys wouldn't be opposed to using this scrub. The scent disappears once everything is rinsed off. No residue is left behind.

Nivea Touch of Renewal Lathering Body Scrub
$4 at locations such as ULTA, Walmart, Target, and CVS

This is really more of a body wash and scrub together. Because of that there is less grit than I usually like in a scrub, though it does still exfoliate. The grit is mostly white and evenly sized, though there are occasional blue pieces (so few that there aren't any visible in the picture here), those are a bit larger. The scrub is very perfumed and the scent tends to linger in my shower but not on my skin. I loved that it came in a big squeeze tube and it is reasonably priced enough that you could use it every day without feeling guilty. It rinses off without residue.

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Tone Fruit Peel Body Wash Review: Exfoliate While You Cleanse

Now that the winter(ish) weather has suddenly given way to near summer conditions here in Michigan, I'm scrambling a bit to make myself summer ready. Which is amazing since I'm already pretty on top of things. But, I feel like I need to be extra soft and smooth, which means some extra exfoliation and moisturizing.

So, since there's more daily maintenance to do, it helps to be able to multi-task some of it. This new body wash from Tone does help with the exfoliating bit, though not in the way that you're used to. Rather than adding a few little beads of.... something in there and calling it a day, Tone has gone a completely new and useful direction.

(A bit of an aside, am I the only one annoyed by the little beads that sometimes show up in body wash prompting it to be labelled "exfoliating"? And then there are so few of them that I feel like maybe I exfoliated a little bit near my ankle and then another tiny spot about 6 inches up my leg, rather than all over?)

Tone has added a ton of different fruit juices into this formula to take advantage of their alpha hydroxy acids. The result is the most amazing smelling body wash that I've used in a while. It's fruity, mostly apple, a bit sweet... really you need to head to the store and smell it for yourself. Seriously, love smelling this in the morning! It's a nice change for spring time. The body wash has a nice lather, gets me clean and rinses off easily. I had no skin irritation or after wash tightness.

It's probably too soon to tell if the AHAs in the body wash are making a difference, but my skin does feel soft. I like knowing that they're there and really, the smell is just a nice little change for the warmer weather.

(Citric Acid in very small amounts at the very end on the ingredient list, and all of the fruit juices have alpha hydroxy acids as well. When in fruit juices many feel that this is pregnancy safe. You're already drinking juice, right? I leave it up to you, I would have been fine using this when preggers, but since I did list all AHAs on my list I felt the need to add the extra info here.)



Tone Skincare

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