Reviews by Friends of OldHippie

AngelaWLaFon says "MK Signature Eye Color Duets Color Me Happy" about Mary Kay Eye Shadow

AngelaWLaFon — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:12:24 GMT

Mary Kay Signature Eye Color Duets

Mary Kay Signature Eye Color Duets makes choosing compimentary eye colors easy. Each eye color duet comes with two sections with two shades of one hue. MK consultants can also give you a helpful eye color application guide that shows you how to apply you're duets eye colors.

Why I like MK Eye Color Duets:

-Complimentary colors are already paired.

-Lots of colors to choose from.

-Can be applied "wet" or "dry."

-Stays put and doesn't crease.

My latest favorite MK Signature is "Blue Moon." The name is misleading because it's not exactly "blue" but rather one is smoky and the other silvery. It's been my go to eye color fo the holidays. Blue Moon looks really good on people with "Spring" or "Ocean" coloring like blonde hair and blue eyes.

A lot of Mary Kay makeup is made in the U.S.A. I noticed that this eye color duet is made in Italy.

With any eye shadows I think a eye color primer is helpful for longer lasting color and I think good applying...

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BayouBengal says "Cold Sores and/or Chapped Lips? Carmex to Rescue!" about Carmex Lip Balm - 0.5 oz tub

BayouBengal — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:39:05 GMT

I was never one to pick up Carmex when winter weather brought on dry, chapped and cracking lips. My husband, on the other hand is a Carmex believer. It is his product of choice and the first he will pick up when he feels a cold sore coming on or has chapped lips.

Carmex .5 oz Tub

The famous little Carmex Tub with a yellow lid is a familiar thing to see on my husbands nightstand. He reaches for it at bedtime and puts it in his pocket in the mornings on the way to work.

Carmex .5 oz Tub is designed to relieve the symptoms of cold sores and dry, cracked or chapped lips. It contains moisturizers along with active ingredients of menthol and camphor to sooth lips.

Priced at $1.99 or less, it is a good choice for relieving dry, chapped lips or when you are coming down with a fever blister. The product works well at soothing and contains a moisturizer to help restore moisture back to your lips. Carmex can also be found at just about any store or convenience store. Look by the checkout...

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TunefulGal says "Arnica stops bruising cold and relieves muscle soreness, too." about Hylands Arnica Montana 30x 250 Tablets

TunefulGal — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:19:30 GMT

If you just walked into a chair and bruised your leg...

If you overdid it in yoga class and your muscles feel sore...

Hyland's 30X Arnica Montana Pills provide the perfect starting point for comfort. Four small white pills dissolved under the tongue (two for children) will minimize bruising and provide a non-irritating form of pain relief when your muscles scream "overused".

Unlike most over-the-counter products, homeopathic meds must be taken at more frequent intervals for relief. This may be a downside for you. Unlike many pain relievers, however, this homeopathic product won't endanger a sensitive stomach or make you sleepy. Now THAT's an upside!

I previously gave a five-star rating to Arniflora Arnica Gel for topical application. (See: www.viewpoints.com/Arniflora-Arnica-Gel-review-6f7c4 ) For me gel is an immediate, ideal remedy and often results in the disappearance of bruises entirely.

Because gel is so immediate, I've given only four stars to Hyland's 30X Arnica...

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TunefulGal says "Kohl's super-comfy and stretchy SO Gloves great for around town." about SO Velour Gloves

TunefulGal — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:01:37 GMT

Gloves don't usually agree with my long fingers, but Kohl's SO Brand Velour Gloves stretch to fit my hands thanks to their nylon/spandex/other composition.

This SO Brand Velour is soothingly soft -- especially comfy if your skin is winter-dry and apt to catch on coarser acrylic-type knits. The cuffs are huggy and fit right under the sleeve edges of my jackets. These gloves don't fill coat pockets with bulk. Their "hand wash" recommendation should be a breeze.

My friend Sandy gave me my original Velour Gloves in a basic shade of charcoal black. I've since ordered a pair each in the pink (see above) and white colors currently offered at Kohls.com.

I'd describe SO Velour Gloves as around-town rather than all-purpose gloves. My charcoal pair live on the hooks with my dogwalking supplies, always ready to go. They keep my hands cozy for the 30-40 minutes I'm out in low, 40-ish temperatures. Beyond that, I'd probably opt for something heavier. They are easy to get on and off,...

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Matt says "Last Man Standing is enjoyable but formulaic thriller" about David Baldacci - Last Man Standing

Matt — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 07:14:14 GMT

Last Man Standing is a formulaic thriller that was decidedly easy to read that and was enjoyable but it did not rise to the level of memorable or distinguished for what it was. That said, I am not a regular reader of this genre of fiction, but I was generally underwhelmed with the quality of writing in David Baldacci.

I found the plot to be both predictable and ridiculous which frankly is not such a good combination. On one hand I knew what was coming next, on the other hand the string of coincidences stretched the thin line of believability so much that the end of the book just felt like he was tying up a whole mess of loose ends.

Bottom line? A good very light vacation read but you can do better.

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AngelaWLaFon says "Variety is the spice of life and I like the Aramis Life variety." about Aramis Life Eau de Toilette Spray

AngelaWLaFon — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:29:57 GMT

Aramis Life Eau de Toilette Spray

I like it! My husband has been a Estee Lauder for Men cologne wearer for a long time and I love the scent. He occassionally also wears Royall Lymn which is a winner with me too. It's easy to get comfortable in our ways and in our sprays but recently my husband tried out some Aramis Life Eau de Toilette. I like this one too!

Aramis Life has been described as "woodsy" and "spicy." I don't disagree but to me the scent is really soft. I don't mean "baby" soft. It's a very manly scent but many men's colognes start out soft and end with an edge and this cologne is just really smooth all the way through.

Yes, the bottle is attractive too. It's a bright blue with a silver top.

Aramis Life is very reasonably priced. It's smells clean and manly but yet very smooth and soft. It's more of a casual scent. It's easily an every day scent because it's in no way overpowering but to me anyway, it's very attractive. It makes you snuggle up a little closer...

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bkovacs says "Good hard drive for the older laptop computer" about Samsung HM160HC 160GB 2.5-inch IDE/PATA Laptop Drive

bkovacs — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:54:35 GMT

I have a five-year-old laptop computer that came with a 60 GB hard drive. Although the computer generally worked fine, it had a couple of minor problems related to its Windows XP operating system. After all, the OS had been updated over five years, and the computer has had two different anti-virus packages running on it. That's a sure way to make a computer sluggish and occasionally ornery, which this computer was.

A solution was to reload the operating system and if I was going to do that, I wanted to upgrade the old 60 GB hard drive to something bigger. The catch was that this laptop is so old that it uses a hard drive connection standard called IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics), a standard that has been out of fashion for... well, five years. Please note that IDE means the same thing as PATA (Parallel AT Attachment), and that the "AT" in the middle of PATA refers to the now-ancient IBM AT computer that was state-of-the-art in 1987. We're talking really old technology here.

So I went...

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onwaytozion says "Understand more about addiction with Healing the Addicted Brain" about Harold Urschel - Healing the Addicted Brain: The Revolutionary, Science-Based Alcoholism and Addiction Recovery Program

onwaytozion — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:43:11 GMT

Addiction, whether it's to alcohol or drugs, is widely misunderstood. Some people think it's all a matter of will-power (Just Say No!) or that it's a moral failing. Healing the Addicted Brain helps to explain the process of addiction using the current disease model. More importantly, the book helps to explain how recovery is possible.

Healing the Addicted Brain is addressed to both the addict themselves and the caretakers and family members trying to help them. The book is sprinkled with case studies and explains the latest medicines that are used in combating addiction.

Addiction is a disease that can cause brain damage (sometimes reversable, occasionally not). Addiction is unique in that it can deceive the afflicted into believing something is not true when it actually is, and vice versa. Therefore, addicts often relapse before their brain function can return back to normal.

My only caveat concerning this book is in predicting how those in addiction will react. Healing the Addicted Brain...

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bkovacs says "This movie really left me "Up In The Air"" about Up in the Air

bkovacs — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 20:46:42 GMT

I usually like George Clooney in movies and the previews for Up In The Air looked good, so I went to the cheap matinee at the theater. I'm glad I did, as Up In The Air was a good movie, even if it had a vague and not particularly satisfying ending.

Ryan Bingham's (Clooney) job is to visit people at work and fire them. He is good at it, hiring his service out to weeny bosses who don't have the guts to do the firing themselves. Ryan flies all over the country and has accumulated millions of frequent-flyer miles, and is closing in on his goal of 10 million miles. He loves all the perqs he gets at the airline, hotels and car rentals.

He also loves the bachelor life, especially when he meets Alex (Vera Farmiga), a fellow frequent flier who shares Ryan Bingham's travel sensibilities. The two quickly spark a relationship that starts Ryan thinking that maybe flying solo isn't as much fun as it used to be. At the same time back at Ryan's home office in Omaha, a hotshot young business analyst named...

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CyndiA says "Invest in quality and have great meals and no replacing pans." about Le Creuset Stoneware Baking Dishes

CyndiA — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:58:25 GMT

My Granny got me a set of Le Creuset pans when I was in college which I still use and love, so when I broke a favorite baking dish, I decided to splurge on a Le Creuset stoneware baking dish. I say "splurge," because the Le Creuset line is expensive. But, when you use them for a lifetime, it makes sense to pay more and get good cooking gear.

My pots are the hunter green which I love, but thy now have lime in the green. I'm not so fond of that color. So, I went with the red. Online it looked more orange, but it turned out to be a true red. I was glad. I really like the red in the baking dish with the beige inside. Nice color combo. It looks fine to put right on the table for serving or to take to a pot luck dinner.

As far as how this pan bakes - excellent. Le Creuset is known for products that heat up well and even, and the casserole dish is no exception. This can make a big difference in how dishes come out. I don't get burned edges and soggy centers with this high quality bakeware.

I hope...

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CyndiA says "Wild n Mild is a great grilling marinade and mop style BBQ sauce" about Wild n Mild Grilling Marinade & Sauce

CyndiA — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 19:42:16 GMT

Wild n Mild barbecue sauce is one of my favorites. It doubles as a marinade for meats or can be brushed or mopped on throughout the grilling process, since it does not have a ketchup or tomato base.

This grilling sauce can be used on basically anything. We use it on steaks, pork chops, chicken, and vegetables. It adds an interesting flavor - kind of sweet but with a bit of zip. The hot version has more kick than the mild, of course.

For any hunters out there, Wild n Mild is very good on game meat. It helps pull the gamey taste out when used as a marinade and adds the nice sauce flavor.

We also use Wild n Mild for stir fry. Neither of my sons really like the taste of soy sauce. This is similar in terms of the texture, but the flavor is nicer in stir fry dishes. Wild n Mild adds the moisture and then sauces up so that stir fry meats and veggies are very good over rice.

I have a grill site called Yes You Can Grill, and I try out lots of barbecue marinades and sauces. Wild n Mild is one of...

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MikeMaroon says "Lost in, but never Rescue Me from These Shows I watch with Glee" about Best TV 2000-2009

MikeMaroon — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:17:57 GMT

Here we are at the end of another decade. Of course, I know you can carve any 10 year chunk of time out of the calendar and call it a decade and, well, it is. 1993- 2002 is a decade, BUT we mortals tend to think in multiples of 10 and so, for the purpose of categorising things, we think the beginning of all decades involve a number ending with a zero. Therefore, for most of us, Jan 1, 2010 will begin a new decade.

Now, any ole hack can pick the top 10 TV shows for a year, but this ole hack is gonna have the audacity to name the best (at least in my mind) TV shows I saw in the past 10 years. I KNOW! But, anyway I do understand that anyone making a list like this is gonna bring their preferences and biases into it and I'm not a huge sitcom or reality show fan, which is why you won't find much of that here. I must say, there was a LOT of quality TV out there and it was a tough choice, but I picked the shows that I just couldn't resist. You may or may not be surprised by some...

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Meri says "Scents a Home in Minutes" about Rimports ScentSationals Ceramic Fragrance Wax Warmer

Meri — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:50:40 GMT

My daughter gave me a Scentsationals Ceramic Fragrance Wax Warmer along with four packages of Scentsationals scented wax cubes. [She had told me how wonderful the product was and how much she loved the fragranced wax cubes but I couldn't find them in the stores here.]

The ceramic warmer is electric and warms the fragrance cubes with the heat of a 25 watt lightbulb. Within five minutes the whole room begins to smell heavenly. Because the heat emitted is so small it is safe to leave the warmer plugged in 24/7. If you prefer to turn it off and on at will there is an on and off switch on the cord.

At night the warmer acts as a night light as the light shines through small openings on top and around the sides of the warmer.

Each package of fragranced wax comes with six cubes. Simply cut off one cube and place it in the warmer top. Plug in the unit and forget about it. Each cube lasts anywhere from 4-9 days.

There are several styles of warmers to choose from and scads of fragrances. My daughter...

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AnnaBanana says "A great alternative to a muffin for a fun breakfast!" about General Mills Fiber One Toaster Pastry

AnnaBanana — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 12:49:24 GMT

We probably enjoy more breakfast options today than the centuries of people who came before us could have dreamed of. Prominent among these are the quick and easy things. Nowadays, you can just pop a frozen breakfast entree into the microwave, make a bowl of "instant" hot cereal or knock back a serving of the ready-to-eat stuff and then of course there is the notorious sweet roll or muffin. Should we become so jaded that none of that seems exciting, there is always a healthier breakfast goodie option -- Fiber One Toaster Pastries manufactured by General Mills. These taste almost as good as sweet rolls or muffins and are almost as easy -- you just stick them in the toaster under the lightest setting for a few minutes to create a delightful, warm light breakfast.

Fiber One Toaster Pastries come in a variety of flavors; I chose Brown Sugar Cinnamon which cost about 50 cents a bar and was available from Alice.com (and most supermarkets). My expectations were not high because...

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lilsquibb says "Faded Glory Life Suede Slip-On's are Like Pillows for My Feet" about Faded Glory - Women's Life Suede Slip-On Shoes

lilsquibb — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:31:30 GMT

I admit it… I’m a shoe person. If we had more resources I would have more shoes. But I normally keep it to a pair of tennis shoes, pair black and pair brown. Since I rarely buy myself new shoes my black pair was getting really worn, where I knew they would not make it through the winter. So, my search began for a pair of black shoes that were both comfortable and dressy enough for work wear – oh yeah a cheap price tag would be helpful as well. My quest ended when I spotted the Faded Glory Women's Life Suede Slip-On Shoes at Wal-Mart.

The Faded Glory Life Suede shoes are simple in style, yet look nice enough to put with dress pants or jeans with no problem. The shoe is a slip on, with a touch of elasticity on each side. These are simple black suede shoes with a plaid accent on each side of the shoe and accent stitching. These shoes come in 2 different colors; black with wither dark grey or light grey and brown with a tan plaid. My choice was the black with dark grey,...

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TunefulGal says "My Oreck XL Classic Power Team: still sucking after many years." about Oreck XL Classic Power Team Vacuum

TunefulGal — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 17:41:35 GMT

For more than 15 years, I've been sweeping my way through the clutter with my eight-pound Oreck XL Classic vacuum. The cats have scratched the outer bag. The handle falls backward if I don't park my Classic carefully. I've replaced cords twice. And I've learned that generic bags work as well for me as Oreck's more expensive bags.

If you've missed all the Oreck commercials on TV or all of the full-page ads in magazines... well... I'm surprised! Oreck products are among the most-hyped items of their type.

This hype, however, actually works for me (the hater of hype). I carry my old Classic XL in one hand and change bags fairly often (the XL loves animal air). I can maneuver it in places where most vacuums simply don't fit -- under the piano bench and the bed and the armoire; between the clutter of desks and bookcases, etc.

I like the fact that the Oreck XL self-adjusts when going from carpet to bare floor. I appreciate the direct suction design (how basic can you get?) ...

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steve9631 says "Of course I'll have more warthog .." about Boma (a place of eating)

steve9631 — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:29:52 GMT

Adventure dining. What else would you expect in Zimbabwe? Hummmm? And the Boma delivers. A little on the touristy side, but what a gas!

Upon your arrival, your adorned in a traditional African wrap, and face painted with a symbol meaning something or other. I say something or other because I saw many similar markings on guests faces, and heard many different meanings being thrown around for the same marklngs from the people doing the face painting. Didn't really matter, cause who would really know anyway? Or care? Great fun.

After passing the entry, your shown to your table via lantern, walking across the open patio where the large woodburning BBQ cooks away, and lead to your table under the groupings of thatched roofs crowded together to accomodate the diners for the evening. Dark, kinda outside, around 80 degrees....perfect.

Then comes the appetizers, different types of African nuts, (which were great), and dried fish, (which wasn't). And wine, (from South Africa),...

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steve9631 says "Absolutely the best interactive travel info." about TripAdvisor

steve9631 — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:32:40 GMT

Maybe my favorite travel planning tool online for research. Real information from people who've been there, done that, and love to travel. This website in my opinion has so many valuable options, I can't believe its free. Great travel photos too.

Firstly, there are forums in regards to pretty much any destination, attraction, or region your curious about. Not everyone is a travel wizard on these forums, but there are plenty of bright travellers with really good info to share. There are local experts that monitor the forums and supply invaluable information for making informed travel decisions. These forums aren't really for the Motel 6 kind of adventurer or someone who's looking for the local Burger King, but if your looking for that one of a kind adventure or local restaurant not inhabited by droves of people in Hawaiian shirts at an all you can eat buffet, I think this website might be for you.

Trip Advisor also gives you the ability to correspond with other travelers,...

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onwaytozion says "Be thrifty by buying at the best time; Buy Ketchup in May" about Mark Di Vincenzo - Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That, and Go Here

onwaytozion — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:48:16 GMT

Have you ever asked yourself, Should I get this or do this now...or will it be cheaper or easier later? The book Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon helps to answer those previosly theoretical questions. The premise of the book is that you can get more for your money, maximize your time, take better care of your health, and be savvier about your career by doing certain things at certain times, and it sets out to help you do this.

For example, buy ketchup and other condiments in mid-May to early June, as the title suggests. Buy Ketchup in May... goes one step further by explaining the why behind their answers. Companies often offer deep discounts at this time of year to lure you away from their competitors. It suggests that you buy a years worth of these items at these sale prices because they'll stay good for that year.

Buy Ketchup in May... is fascinating reading even if you don't follow its advice. Which is the best day of the week to eat dinner out? Tuesday. Why? Food deliveries start...

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RudiXeno says "ForceFlex Quick-Tie: Not quite ready for prime-time" about Glad Forceflex Quick Tie Kitchen Trash Bags

RudiXeno — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 06:02:41 GMT

Not too long ago I tried Glad's ForceFlex Tall Kitchen Trash Bags. This was the variety that came with the familiar drawstring. Having previously pretty much stuck with the Publix store brand, I had to say I was impressed. In fact I tested them for their strength and found that they could easily hold four 1 gallon bottles of water weighing just over 32 lb. My Publix bags couldn't.

So it wasn't long before I found Glad ForceFlex bags on deep sale in the local BJ's Wholesale Club. A box of a million or so bags (actually "only" 140) for a very reasonable price.

All Glad ForceFlex Bags are not created equal

Had I looked carefully I would have noticed that these bags had no familiar red draw-string. Sure they had the signature criss-cross pattern from which they derive their incredible strength, but no draw-string. In its place were four elongated flaps that could be tied together in order to seal the bag closed. As far as I was concerned, I didn't think it was going to be much...

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