Reviews by MadameMadScientist

MadameMadScientist says "Krups Burr Grinder: now my daily grind is a Daily Grind" about Krups GVX2 Electric Burr Grinder

MadameMadScientist — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:42:55 GMT

There was a time when a "brand name" actually meant something - I am convinced that now, however, everything is basically made in one big factory in China, and it's all junk. I bought this burr grinder because it was Krups -- Krups has always been my coffee accessory brand of choice, and the Krups handheld blade style herb/coffee grinder that I've owned and used daily for almost 15 years still works as beautifully as it did the day I bought it. Having recently acquired a proper roaster for roasting my own coffee beans at home (yes, I'm that kind of coffee person), I thought it would be a good time to splurge on a burr-style grinder as well. Krups was the natural choice, and while it looked like a decent device, this grinder just doesn't deliver as it should - there's a real inconsistency at work here, and while that trait may be forgivable in other devices, its a fatal flaw in a coffee grinder. There's no option for a "2.5" stars here, so I went up to 3, but know that this certainly...

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MadameMadScientist says "Zen Stone: Rock your world in a small, easy-to-use package." about Creative Technology - Zen Stone Plus 2 Gig MP3 Player

MadameMadScientist — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:28:48 GMT

Having gone through a parade of MP3 players, I've resigned myself to treating them as a "disposable" product, needing to be replaced on a semi-regular basis, as they fall prey to inexplicable loss (perhaps they elope with the sock we all invariably come up missing some laundry day?), or simply up and stop working for no apparent reason, as so many electronics these days seem to do. As such, I'm wary of investing too much hard-earned $, so the Zen Stone Plus fit the bill. At under $50, it had all the features I wanted, plus one I had, til that point, never really given any thought to: a built-in speaker. My first thought when it arrived was "C'mon, how good could a mono speaker the size of a dime really be?" Surprisingly good is the answer. Even having used this sturdy little player for six months, I'm still amazed at how good a speaker like that can sound. While I use it mostly with earbuds, knowing that I have the speaker option is helpful, and I do actually use it a fair amount,...

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MadameMadScientist says "I am deleting all my reviews." about Giovanni Hydrate Body Lotion Hazelnut Vanilla

MadameMadScientist — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:11:39 GMT

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MadameMadScientist says "You say "tomato" I say "tomahto," but Burt's is great either way" about Burt's Bees Garden Tomato Toner

MadameMadScientist — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:53:56 GMT

If you're thinking "Tomato? On my face?!", I can assure you, it's not half as odd as it might first seem. Tomato is acidic and astringent, and in this Burt's Bees concoction, will leave you a ripe, glowing beauty. Like most Burt's Bees facial care products, the Garden Tomato Toner is chock full of "yummy" ingredients: cucumber, green tea, and tomato extracts, as well as an array of other natural players. The scent is light and summery - indeed, I often buy it in the winter precisely for its cheering, summer-will-come-again-someday effect. This Burt's Bees hit does exactly what it's supposed to do, and works well on oily and combination skin; if you have extremely sensitive skin, a small test area first is probably a good idea, as it would be with any toner, as they all contain some quantity of alcohol. Pluck this delicious addition to the Burt's Bees garden of products and enjoy toned, refreshed skin!

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MadameMadScientist says "The Natural Dentist Mouthwashes - a breath of fresh air!" about The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Mouth Rinse

MadameMadScientist — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:40:47 GMT

In a product category saturated with bottle upon bottle of artificially colored, preservative-laden, burning, stinging alcohol-based options, it's always a delight to stumble upon the rare breed in the pack. The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Mouth Rinse soothes and heals our all-important yap-instruments, treating mouths to gentle disinfection and demulcent protection, keeping gums moist, healthy, and pink - just as nature intended. Alcohol-based rinses work against nature, drying our mouths out, while triclosan-based ones contribute to the ever-worsening antibacterial resistance problem; this ND rinse is a wonderful alternative to those glum choices. I've only tried the Orange Zest flavor so far - I haven't tried the Peppermint precisely because I'm so fond of the orange, which is fresh and natural tasting - not overly sweet or chemical-ish like so many mouthwashes. My mouth is healthy so this is just maintenance for me, but I would imagine that this rinse would work absolute...

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MadameMadScientist says "Aveeno Positively Ageless.. Mmm, delicious silcone" about Aveeno Positively Ageless Lifting and Firming Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

MadameMadScientist — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:28:23 GMT

If you're really after natural skincare, you should be tossing your Aveeno in the rubbish bin. Aveeno's extremely successful marketing of its products as "natural" is just that - marketing. The primary ingredients in, for example, the Positively Ageless Lifting & Firming Night Cream are, after water and glycerin:

Dimethicone, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, and Polyacrylamide.

Most of these are decidedly not natural; they are synthetic chemicals, several of them not especially good for living things. Dimethicone is a silicone based polymer: yes, silicone, just like the caulk. Silicone is generally of low reactivity, but, as the unfortunate debacle with leaking silicone breast implants demonstrated, may not be all kittens and cupcakes when introduced directly into the bloodstream.

Equally worrisome is Polyacrylamide. This polymer downcycles to acrylamide, a troublesome little molecule...

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