Breyers® Gelato Indulgences Review #GelatoLove

Triple Chocolate.

My family is a chocolate-loving bunch, so as soon as I saw the Breyers® Gelato Indulgences in Triple Chocolate, I had to have it.

Lucky for me, there was one left. The Breyers® Gelato Indulgences in-store display was completely bare, all except for this one lonely container of Triple Chocolate gelato. I thought to myself, it must be good. Just then, I saw another woman walking up to the freezer that I was eyeballing. No way I was going to let her have my Triple Chocolate! Time stood still...and then I reacted.

I swung the freezer door open, grabbed the container, threw it in my cart, and ran to checkout, with an adrenaline rush similar to the adrenaline created by Black Friday shopping.

Okay, so perhaps I over reacted. Oh well. I mean, got what I wanted.

When I got home, I didn't even unload the groceries before busting out the Breyers® Gelato Indulgences Triple Chocolate. I popped off the lid to reveal both dark and milk chocolate, with white and milk chocolate curls throughout. By this point, I was salivating.

I grabbed my handy ice-cream scoop and plopped two gooey balls of gelato into my bowl, plus two more in a separate bowl for my husband. I snapped a quick photo and prepared myself for the moment of truth. Was it really so good to leave the in-store freezers empty?

I smelled the gelato (I always smell food before I take a bite) and closed my eyes. Mmmmm! Yes! It was good. Perfectly smooth, somewhat of a frozen yogurt consistency. There were creamy swirls of white chocolate sauce that only added to the rich chocolate-y flavor of the gelato itself.

My husband, before taking a bite, remarked that "Gelato usually sucks." Despite this preconceived notion of his, he actually enjoyed Breyers® Gelato Indulgences.

While I was savoring every last bite, his remark made me wonder, What's the difference between gelato and ice cream? Seriously. Why is gelato so soft and smooth on your tongue, whereas ice cream is a bit more dense? Why does ice cream melt faster than gelato?

I honestly thought that "gelato" was simply the Italian word for ice cream--that there was no difference in consistency.

Apparently, I was wrong. While "gelato" is translated to "ice cream," it is not the same thing. Traditional American ice cream is made with heavy cream, and is mostly water, which is what causes it to melt more quickly. Gelato, on the other hand, uses more milk than heavy cream, which is why it has less fat. Gelato also has less air churned into it, as it is churned at a low speed, which gives it the "elastic" consistency that I have now come to love.

Have you tried Breyers® Gelato Indulgences? What did you think?

* I received Breyers® Gelato Indulgences for free for testing purposes via Influenster.

My Influenster #TLCVoxBox Arrived!

On Monday, after three days of anticipation, I finally received my TLC VoxBox via Influenster!

The TLC VoxBox was given out to selected mothers of "Influenster Nation" so that we could try out the products, review them, share our opinion, and generate buzz.

The contents of the TLC VoxBox are as follows:

• Neosporin® Neo To Go!
• Breyers® Gelato Indulgences coupon
• Ivory Bar Soap
• AVON Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother
• Puffs to Go
• Shell Fuel Rewards Card

I was most excited about the Neosporin® Neo To Go! because I like to get my kids out of the house often, and those play-dates at the park, and around the pool are almost never "boo-boo" free. And Neo To Go! is a no touch, no sting spray, that's convenient to carry along, everywhere we go. What's even better is that it offers protection from infection and pain relief, all with one swift motion.

The Breyers® was the most favorite product among my household, because we all love our frozen treats, especially the kiddos! This one is going to be a hit!

What I love about the Ivory Bar Soap is that it's not incredibly hard (like other bar soaps) and it's completely free of dyes and heavy fragrances. This is ideal, because sensitive skin seems to be a trend around our home.

As for the AVON Anew, well, I don't have many noticeable wrinkles on my fair-skinned, freckled face, but I did notice a slight line above my brows--probably from my refusal to wear sunglasses as a child, and instead squint my way through the daylight. The AVON Anew made the line even less noticeable, to where I could barely tell that it was even there anymore.

Puffs To Go are a lifesaver, especially for a mom who has a child with moderate seasonal allergies. He doesn't whine and cry about the puffs because they're "as soft as a pillow," and they don't "hurt his nostrils." Win!

Finally, the Shell Fuel Rewards card is fantastic! In a time when gas prices are at an all time high, it never hurts to save a few cents per gallon every now and then. And don't forget, the Shell Rewards card also allows you to save on dining and more. Cha-ching!

All-in-all, I LOVE my TLC VoxBox. It's the first one that I received, and I look forward to future campaigns!

* I received these products complimentary via Influenster for testing purposes.

Hot Designs Nail Art Pens Review

Browsing my local Dollar General the other day, I came across Hot Designs Nail Art Pens. If you stay up-to-date with this blog, you know that I am obsessed with all things nail related, so I had to try this product. The kit was $15, which I felt was very reasonable for 6 different shades of nail polish. I purchased the kit with the classic colors, but there was another kit called "Glitz and Glam" that had brighter, more vibrant colors.

The Hot Designs Nail Art Pens kit came with everything you see below, including three double-tubes of nail polish, an instruction pamphlet, and an insert with some tricks and tips.

In the instruction manual, you will find an area of design ideas, along with blank spaces to practice in. I found these things to be very useful, especially in getting the hang of the pen. The tips mentioned that the pen often develops air bubbles, so it's very important in squeezing out as much air as possible before using to prevent a bubble from coming out and bursting all over your nail.

Below is one example of the nail design ideas and step-by-step tutorial.

Now, the coolest part about these nail art brushes is the fact that the cap acts as a nail art pen, and as a regular nail polish brush.

By pulling off the top cap, you get the nail art brush.

Snap the pen cap back on, and unscrew the cap to reveal the actual nail polish brush.

How neat is that?

Now, I tried the actual nail polish brush as a base. I used white. I found the polish to be a nice consistency, bright, and two coats were sufficient enough to cover my nail. The polish had a strong odor, but not unbearable, and it dries rather quickly.

In the following photos, you will see that I removed the white polish and instead, used a base coat of Pure Ice "Happy Hour." This is a coral color. Very bright and pretty for spring. The reason I removed the white polish is because it didn't match my outfit for a bridal shower that I was attending that afternoon.

Once my base coat had dried, I used the nail art pens to create a quilting design on my middle nail, and used it to create a very thin "tip" on the other nails. This is the result.

I'm quite experienced in doing my own nail art, so I didn't have many issues with the Hot Designs Nail Art Pens. There were, however, a few instances where air bubbles would form, but I paid careful attention to the pen tips and removed them from my nail before squeezing out any excess air. Once the air was removed, the pens worked perfectly.

The design that I drew with the pens has lasted for three days so far without any signs of wear. Fantastic!


Before moving along, let's discuss the pros and cons.

Pros

The polish is a nice consistency.
The polish dries rather quickly.
I have good control with the design of the nail art pen.
The colors are vibrant.
The double-tubes are convenient.
The price is very reasonable.
The color is long lasting, and lasts even longer with a clear top coat.

Cons

The odor of the nail polish is very strong.
The actual nail polish brushes seem rather cheap.
The pens often develop air bubbles that you must get rid of prior to use.

As you can see, there are more pros than cons here. You can even kind of cancel out the cons by taking some precautions. For example, if you're sensitive to smells, make sure the area that you're painting your nails in is well-ventilated. If you're not satisfied with the brushes, you can purchase your own nail brushes to use instead. Finally, if you follow the instructions in the pamphlet, the bubbles in the nail art pen should not be a problem for you.

Overall, I love these pens and I am very satisfied with my purchase. I would definitely recommend them to those of you who are just as obsessed with nail art as I am.

Obsession Confession: Nail Polish, Nail Art

I'm a nail polish junkie. If it has anything to do with nails, you can bet that I love it! My husband is aware of my "addiction," and once went out and spent $60 on nail polish alone. He obviously knows the key to my heart.

I've been thinking about doing a nail art tutorial. I have yet to decide if it will be an image guided tutorial or a video tutorial, nor have I decided what kind of nail art I want to do in my tutorial. Once I get all the details figured out, my readers will be the first to know. ;)

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a bit of my nail art with you.

Enjoy!



Pink natural nails. Black and yellow flower.

 

Red natural nails. White and black tree.
 



Kiss Stick On Strips. Natural nails.

 
Artificial Bengals nails. I painted these.
Artificial nails. White shimmery polish with black/red tips, and a red stripe.
 

Pink artificial nails.

My favorite nail polish brand is Pure Ice. I've been dying to try China Glaze, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. What's your favorite brand of nail polish? Colors?