Reviews by Meredith

Meredith says "Benefit Bathina Cap- best beauty gift I'd never buy for myself!" about Benefit Bathina Shower Cap

Meredith — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:40:33 GMT

I may be one of the few who get all excited about quality shower caps but let me tell you - Benefit's Bathina Shower Cap is fantastic! I received this shower cap in a gift box with other Benefit makeup products. Shockingly, the cap turned out to be one of my favorite beauty products!

Top 5 favorite things about the Bathina shower cap:

It actually stays put and keeps your hair completely dry while showering!
It's high quality, satin material - durable and thick - no whimpy plastic
It grips firmly to your head for great hold without hurting or leaving "ring-around-the-head"
It's big and deep enough to hold a lot of thick hair
IT'S PINK!!

Along with my fave dry shampoo, the Bathina shower cap has practically cut my "get ready in the morning" time in half. I don't have to shampoo with water every, single day like I used to before these products became a part of my beauty regime.

My only gripe is that it's over $25. Feels pricey for a shower cap but at least it delivers what you should expect...

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Meredith says "I'm on the fence on whether or not Zicam RapidMelts really work" about Zicam Cold Remedy RapidMelts

Meredith — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:22:17 GMT

I felt cold-like symptoms coming on. We all know them well... slightly congested, less energy, a bit of a scratchy throut and fever. I started panicking and made a bee line for CVS to stock up on preventative, OTC meds. Zicam RapidMelts caught my eye because they were on sale. I heard the hype about Zicam and wanted to give it a shot. I popped these somewhat tasty melts about every 2 hours that evening and stopped. I also increased my intake of veggies, fruits and juice the following day. Drank some Theraflu to catch some zzz's. Within 48 hours, I was feeling so much better and knock on wood - I don't seem to have cold or flu-like symptoms anymore. This all occured about 72 hours ago from today. So I really can't pinpoint Zicam as my saving grace. But I can talk about the taste and cost...

Zicam RapidMelts average about $10 for 25 tablets. I picked up the Lemon/Lime flavor. They have cherry as well. The directions tell you to take a tablet every couple hours as your cold symptoms continue....

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Meredith says "Laura Mercier's Mineral Powder is better than Bare Escentuals" about Laura Mercier SPF 15 Mineral Powder

Meredith — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:58:58 GMT

I have Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Classic Beige. It's a beautiful, natural color- not too bronze-y but gives a nice glow. Happy that the powder has some sun protection at SPF 15. As a sun worshiper, I can use all the extra help I can get with wrinkle prevention. I became a huge fan of mineral makeup with Bare Escentuals introduced their Bare Minerals line. I used Bare Minerals for over a year and loved it. Then I took a hiatus from minerals and went back to MAC's liquid makeup. I bought into the believe that liquid form is more hydrating with anti-aging affects on the skin. My oily complexion is just not right for liquid coverage so I decided to go back to mineral.

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder is better than Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals because you can literally see and feel the higher quality of the minerals. Laura's is lighter, does not clump whatsoever and just goes on more smoothly. This is nit picky but I also prefer the subtle smell of Laura Mercier powder.

Also, the product...

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Meredith says "2 enthusiastic thumbs up for Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo" about Oscar Blandi Dry Shampoo 2.5oz

Meredith — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 22:23:21 GMT

I found a dry shampoo that beats Ojon Rub-Out dry cleanser! Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo is the solution for less showering and fab, nice-smelling hair. I love, love, love this stuff. So does Allure Magazine who rated it one of the best quick fix beauty products out there.

One of the main differences between Ojon and Oscar's dry shampoo is the consistency. Ojon Rub-Out is a starchy aerosol spray and Oscar Blandi Pronto comes in pure powder form. As you may guess, the application is a little more tricky with real powder because you have to be extra careful to rub it all in evenly. No one wants to look like they just dumped flour on their head. Applying Oscar's dry shampoo is slightly more time consuming but to me, the end result means it was time well spent.

Why do I love Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo so much?

The promised results last all day. My hair feels clean and more voluminous, as if I washed it that day. Plus, the powder helps hold the style, straight or curly. My hair is slowly...

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Meredith says "Ojon dry shampoo transforms hair from greasy to glam in seconds!" about Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser: Dry Shampoo for Hair

Meredith — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:14:23 GMT

Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser is a miracle product for people like me who have both oily hair and oily skin. I have sweeping bangs that graze the oiliest part of my face, the forehead. Before discovering Ojon's dry shampoo, I washed my hair every single day. Now, I can skip a day! Yay!

Ojon says their Rub-Out Cleanser is "enriched with Amazonian White Clay, Silk Powder, Rice and Potato starches, it helps refresh and treat hair and scalp by helping remove impurities, absorb excess oil and product as it increases hair volume at the roots." The combination of starches and pleasant scents make this styling product a shower in a bottle for hair. Seriously, this stuff smells great! Very clean and subtle. I don't feel like I dumped a bunch of perfume on my head. In the past I used Original Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder to freshen hair between showers. Although I'm a huge fan of the clean baby bum scent, I don't really want to smell like one.

I found out the hard way that you must shake the bottle...

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Meredith says "I am proud to be a Poor Little Rich Girl!" about PoorLittleRichGirls.com

Meredith — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:27:23 GMT

Before I jump in to reviewing PoorLittleRichGirls.com, it's best to tell you exactly what a Poor Little Rich Girl (PLRG) is, especially now that I've deemed myself as one.

The founders of the site supply a definition:

"A PoorLittleRichGirl is a young woman living in the city earning enough money to support herself, but not quite enough to go spending it on every Jimmy, Marc and Saint Laurent she sees. She is conscious of the image she portrays and loves life's little luxuries, but is not willing to spend a small fortune on designer goods and premium martinis. She is smart and would rather put this money into her 401K." --- From About Us: http://www.poorlittlerichgirls.com/about/

So no, this isn't some snobby site for well-paid socialites and divas. I'm pretty sure the Paris Hilton-types think 401K is a Porsche model number. Poor Little Rich Girls are everyday chicks who work hard and want to play hard too, without going overboard!

I love how Poor Little Rich Girls gives weekly and...

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Meredith says "Water for Elephants is simply an incredible story" about Water for Elephants

Meredith — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:42:16 GMT

Water for Elephants is a really lovely story. As a historical fiction fan, I loved how the booked tied a made up love story into actual events. The characters are all really well developed. You really fall in love with some the characters and loathe some others. The story paints a seemingly realistic picture on how the old traveling circus days must have been. This book is a quick read... funny, heartwarming, heart wrenching and thoughtful. Great lessons about love, loss, life and getting old. I highly recommend it.

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Meredith says "Darn tasty for instant coffee! So jacked I can barely type." about Starbucks - VIA Ready Brew Instant Coffee

Meredith — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 19:57:24 GMT

Just dropped some speed, I mean Starbucks VIA, into my coffee mug and mixed it up in an instant. I tried the Italian Roast blend. It's dark and bold as it should be. Suprisingly tasty and flavorful but of course my expectations were pretty low. I can be a coffee snob. Cafe con leche's in Spain and cappuccino in Italy can drive a person to become a coffee bean connoisseur. See how snotty I sound?! Instant coffee usually doesn't float my boat but VIA is not so bad! It's actually pretty far above average compared to other instant coffee. Also, I should be honest... I sort of hate Starbucks. I am more of a the Intelligentsia, Caribou Coffee or Peet's type. It bugs me that there is a Starbucks on every corner. I need options. So, you understand my amazement when I actually liked VIA. I didn't really want to like it. I guess "never say never" rings true here... I do recommend a Starbucks product.

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Meredith says "The Dana Hotel and Spa was such a treat! Fab space & location!" about The Dana Hotel & Spa - Chicago, IL

Meredith — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 22:06:06 GMT

The Dana Hotel and Spa of Chicago - A Contemporary, luxurious boutique hotel in the heart of River North.

The Dana Hotel & Spa offered an absolutely amazing stay this past weekend! I hosted a bachelorette party weekend in Chicago. As the hostess with the mostess, I was looking for a boutique hotel in an ideal location with options to pamper and indulge. The Dana Chicago absolutely delivered and then some! Our 21st floor suite was totally incredible. We had an iPod jack, a stocked frig (at a cost), two balconies overlooking the cityscape, a stone rain shower, mounted LCD TVs and more.

The Fitness Room

In a few words... very clean, adequate equipment for a small space, easy access to necessities like a locker room, towels and a fresh ice water.

The Ajasteak restaurant

Again, in a few words... high-end, yet affordable food. Tasty, well prepared, presented and served! What more can you ask?

The Vertigo Sky Lounge

Smokin' hot! The cocktails are pricey (not unlike other bars in River North) but the......

Meredith says "A Bread A Day blog: A delight for foodie & carb lovers! " about A Bread A Day

Meredith — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:22:22 GMT

A Bread a Day is a new food blog that offers just what it says it will... A new bread recipe each day. As a believer in honesty and full disclosure, I will tell you that A Bread a Day is owned and operated by my dear friend, Elizabeth (aka Beth.) She has mad skills in the kitchen and I'm not just saying that because I like her. She's also a trained chef and connoisseur of all things culinary.

http://www.abreadaday.com/

Whether you're a rookie or expert in the kitch... the free recipes on A Bread a Day will help you hone your bread making skills. Personally, I'm a tragic cook. I get really anxious and stressed out when I have to balance timing and multiple ingredients. However, I can find healthy recipes here that are easy enough for me to not screw up. Yes, bread can still be healthy. Buzz off carb-haters.

So each week, Elizabeth chooses a different theme for the breads she bakes, photographs and posts on the blog. A few of my favorite themes so far:

Breads for parties
Italian breads
Savory...

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Meredith says "Tori spills the beans in Stori Telling & I enjoyed the easy read" about Stori Telling

Meredith — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:33:41 GMT

Yea, a goofy name and a goofy book about a goofy girl. Still a good, fun read. Tori Spelling shares here life story from childhood to motherhood. The drama, the money, the lavish lifestyle, the bad mistakes, the questionable behavior... it's all detailed here in the words of one of American's favorite little rich girls. I never followed the original Beverly Hills 90210 very closely (nor do I today with the new 90210) but still enjoyed hearing about the behind-the-scenes action in Tori's book.

Stori Telling includes a photo collection of baby pictures, family photos, celebrity shots and recent pics of Tori and the people in and out of her life. These are sort of before and after shots of when Tori didn't quite know herself or what she wanted. Now, she seems to be a mature, down-to-earth woman with a good (yet ditsy) head on her shoulders. I loved hearing how she grew in to herself as a woman and mother. No matter what anyone says about her, Tori is absolutely a dotting mom who seems to have......

Meredith says "Santa gave me an iPod Nano! It's bright yellow for 2009!" about Apple - 8GB iPod Nano Chromatics

Meredith — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:11:43 GMT

My new bright yellow, 8GB iPod Nano Chromatic brought me into the 21st century! Finally. Don't make fun. This is my first iPod. I could not have received a more appropriate color with yellow being the new hue of 2009!

Now, I'm addicted to both Pandora AND iTunes! $.99 song downloads are like candy I can't stop eating. Plus, buying albums in seconds for less than $10 is amazing! I have to be really careful not to get carried away.

As a PC user, I'm relatively new to Apple products. The technology and style completely outshine PC's in my opinion. Apples's Nano does not disappoint. My 8GB Nano allows something like 6,000 songs, video capability, photos, podcasts, scrollable album cover art and a cool shake-to-shuffle option. Also, the new ipod nanos have a program called Genuis which suggests new songs you may like based on the artists you already enjoy.

Two things that are hard for me to get used to with the ipod nano:

The Nano is sooooo lightweight I feel like I could break it with my pinky....

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Meredith says "Used to be anti-Ugg boot until I slipped these babies on my feet" about Ugg - Classic Tall boots

Meredith — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:26:40 GMT

After years of resisting the Ugg boots phenomenon, I gave in after slipping a pair on my feet. I used to talk trash about Uggs... like how every girl on the planet wears them, how they are called Uggs because they are "ugly!", and how ridiculously expensive they are. Well, I'm a changed woman. Ugg Australia makes the classic tall grey Ugg boots I purchased for $160. Yes, it hurt to pay that much but I believe I paid for a quality pair of winter boots that will last several seasons. Unfortunately, my Ugg boots are not water-proof so I paid an extra $5 for water resistant spray. Snow boots are an absolute necessity for survival of Chicago winters. The suede Uggs won't cut it for walking around in deep snow but they will keep your feet warm and toasty when it's cold outside. Uggs are comfortable, casual and super cozy. Ugg knock offs are everywhere at much cheaper prices but I had to go for the brand name this time. After doing a little research, it seems the quality of materials used to make......

Meredith says "UNCG is a nice school but in a boring location." about University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Meredith — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:28:47 GMT

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Meredith says "Toast earned all 5 stars for me!" about Toast - Lincoln Park - Chicago, IL

Meredith — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:27:13 GMT

Toast has 2 locations in Chicago, one in Lincoln Park and one in Bucktown. After at least 4 attempts to get a table at Toast Lincoln Park, I had almost given up. Finally, this past Saturday I found myself willing and able to wait for an hour to eat brunch with 3 other friends. The host was soooo kind and funny. He was pretty blunt about his frustration with the wait too but encouraged us to give them a shot. We were told an hour wait but were seated within about 40 minutes. Sweet! The experienced continued to improve from there.

After being seated, we were quickly greeted with coffee by our waitress. This was not just any coffee...it's Julius Meinl, gourmet coffee from Vienna, Austria. This brand of coffee is just plain glorious, very smooth and savory blends. Our waitress kept it coming too. The four of us were jacked on caffeine by the time we left Toast. What better way to start a day of shopping on Michigan Avenue?

Now, back to the food at Toast... I was torn between ordering the Pesto......

Meredith says "Tresemme Anti breakage is not greasy, woohoo!!" about TRESemme Anti-breakage Shampoo

Meredith — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:09:41 GMT

I have oily hair, especially near my forehead area. Tresemme Anti-breakage shampoo delivers hydration without over moisturizing my hair. Who wants to look like an oil spill on top of their head? Certainly not me. With Tresemme hair products, I feel confident with the conditioned texture without the greasiness....

Meredith says "BeneFit's Benetint adds the perfect shade of lip/cheek blushing" about BeneFit Benetint Blush and Lip Shade

Meredith — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:01:53 GMT

Benefit Benetint is one of my all time favorite beauty products. I use it to add a little color to my lips and cheeks. It's the most simple way to add a pretty, natural blush to your skin. The Benetint bottle looks strange as a lip/cheek blush applicator because it appears to be nail polish. The liquid is very light and thin but let me tell you... a little goes a LONG, long way. Benefit's Benetint is pricey but worth every penny because one bottle lasts forever!...

Meredith says "Warning: Second hand permagrin for Pineapple Express viewers" about Pineapple Express

Meredith — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:14:23 GMT

I walked in the theater expecting to laugh a lot and possibly lose rather than gain brain cells while watching Pineapple Express. I got what I expected! Seth Rogen and James Franco (whoa! unexpected hottie alert) had great chemistry in the film. They played off each other's quirky, stoner-ific humor very well. At times, it seemed like the actors used improv in a couple scenes but then again, how much brilliant script can one expect in a pot head movie?

Rosie Perez makes an appearance as a mini cop gone wrong. She's her usual tiny, feisty, badass female character who's gotten herself all wrapped up in a drug war between Chinese drug lords and a egocentric dealer played by Gary Cole. Perez and Cole have some weird, lusty, criminal relationship going on that's sorta silly.

Seth plays an fun-loving, laid back good guy with a pot problem. He has a stoner-friendly job that involves driving around delivering subpoenas to people who are "being served." James plays his right hand man and favorite......

Meredith says "My LG VX-8300 Cell Phone has survived so much." about LG - VX-8300 Cell Phone

Meredith — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:08:55 GMT

I've had the LG VX-8300 flip phone for about 2 years now. Verizon Wireless is my cell phone provider and I plan on keeping it that way. Their service is almost always reliable. My LG phone has been dropped, beaten and even rained on. Yet, it's still kicking. Sure, it's not fancy or all that cool looking... but it always works. I plan on crossing over to a Blackberry Curve on my next 2 year contract renewal this August. It's time. I want email access 24/7. I would get an Apple 3G iPhone but I just can't make myself leave Verizon for AT&T right now. The LG cell phone has been a good one but I'm really ready to upgrade and move on.

Update!

Instead of the Blackberry Curve 8310, I opted for the Blackberry Pearl Smartphone. I'm pretty pleased so far. I'll review my new Blackberry Pearl phone soon....

Meredith says "I was misted at Plymouth Restaurant during dinner. Annoying!" about Plymouth Restaurant and Bar - Chicago, IL

Meredith — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:19:16 GMT

The Plymouth Restaurant & Bar has a pretty nice view of the Chicago library in the Loop. However, my visit was obstructed by the newly installed "produce section"-style misters that surround the perimeter of the roof top deck. The evening was a cool 65 degrees so there was no need for mist to cool you off. I would understand how one would enjoy the sensation in 90+ weather but certainly not when it's cool-ish and you're trying to enjoy your decent burger.

Luckily, our waitress understood our frustration with the mist and turned them off. We could enjoy the rest of our meal without being lightly covered in precipitation. Weird. Evidently the misters were added to attract a late night, hot crowd but they only seem to annoy people.

It was hard to get past the mist and horrible, electronic music... BUT, the food was good for what is was (bar food, generous burgers with fries, draft beer, etc.) I do hope they'll just do away with the mist so diners don't feel like a chilling cucumber in the......