I must begin this post with an apology to my brother for the following story. Sorry Mat, it just had to be told.

A bunch of years ago, my brother thought it would be a good idea to get rid of all the hair on his back. The best way to do this he thought? A cream depilatory. This story invariably ends with the horrible smell of chemicals mixed with burning hair, a patchy looking pattern of back hair, and a week of my brother not feeling confident enough to take his shirt off and go swimming. Tragic. So when it comes to hair removal techniques, I go pretty standard with a razor. In an attempt to convert the simpletons like myself, Veet has come out with an entire line of hair removal products. The line, consisting of both painful and painless methods, has a solution to every kind of hair removal procedure you can imagine. Female mustaches be gone! Let’s see what we can find out. Read the rest of this entry »

You know that expression “you get what you pay for”? Well, I think that there’s one exception to that old adage. As consumers the world over will attest, the leading international furniture retailer not only offers quality and efficiency, but also innovation and style in addition to affordability. Yes, I love IKEA (properly pronounced “eeh-kea”). But who doesn’t? Their annual catalogue alone receives arguably the widest readership of any publication, including the Bible! Well, now you can add socially & environmentally responsible to their list of merits.

Whether it is flat-packing products to reduce packaging and transportation emissions, working with Global Charitable partners like UNICEF, Save the Children, WWF, using socially & environmentally responsible materials in its products or having a store format that draws on a larger trade area (instead of more stores), the company has practiced responsible retailing for decades.

I first took notice of the initiatives this company was taking when I spotted these parking stalls during one of my trips to the store last year. I’ve never seen any other store offer preferential parking to customers that drove hybrid cars and I was ecstatic to have found a spot right by the main entrance for my Prius (anyone who’s taken a trip to IKEA on a weekend knows what a bonus this is!). I think any company that goes the extra mile to uphold worthy values deserves a right proper mention and other retailers should really take note because in this new age of conscious consumerism, they can’t afford not to step up their game.

There’s more so read on! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the little known facts about being a blogger is that it can be very cold. Literally. Sitting in front of a computer for hours a day in an empty office can easily lead to chilly arms and an equally chilly disposition, especially when it’s June but the weather’s screaming November. Sure, you can put on a sweater or two, but nothing really beats a nice snuggly blanket. Unfortunately, blankets and computers don’t go well together because you have to expose your arms to get at the keys. I understand that might seem like a trivial problem, but for a blanket loving blogger like Angela, it’s a perpetual frustration. What to do…what to do…Hello Slanket! This ginormous super fleecy blanket comes equipped with two roomy sleeves to keep the warmness inside without making you feel like you’re in a straight jacket. Might sound like a novel or even stupid idea, but it’s actually surprisingly practical. Read the rest of this entry »

Move over acai. Watch out pomegranate. It’s time for the latest wonderfruit to have its fifteen minutes of fame. The latest in the long list of foods that will fight cancer and extend your life expectancy: the mangosteen. Enter XanGo, the only company out there to harness the full power of this little purple fruit. Not only have they bottled its goodness, but have gone one step further by putting it in convenient little one ounce drinkers. Somehow “a shot of mangosteen a day keeps the doctor away” just doesn’t have the same ring to it…let’s take a look. Read the rest of this entry »

My parents come to visit tomorrow and thus, I am vacuuming my apartment. But if I’m being honest, I usually walk around with socks on so that I don’t end up with dirty feet. It’s not that I’m unclean; I’m just really lazy, and vacuuming makes me work up a sweat that causes me to realize I’m embarrassingly not as fit as I once thought. Unfortunately, this extreme state of denial doesn’t change the fact that people I care about (and who, as family, have the right to openly criticize me) will be visiting tomorrow. With its patented Root Cyclone Technology, Dyson’s new Dyson Ball DC24 vacuum claims to have all the incredible suction power of a regular Dyson, with improved maneuverability to boot. With the hallowed hoover in hand, I took a swipe around both my apartment and my work to see just how great this little wonder is. Read the rest of this entry »

We all remember the nasty photos of Britney that came out last year immediately after a trip to the Restylane clinic. Oh, you mean you don’t keep up with the manic craziness that is her life on a daily basis? Weird. Ok – I’ll give you the run down. The paps snapped Brit in her car leaving the clinic attempting to cover the ridiculousness that had become her plumper, duck billed lips. Normal side effect? Or botched procedure? Let me tell you, if that’s the result I’d rather avoid both. Lip plumping glosses have been around for a while now but one of our readers had one she wanted us to give a try: City Lips Instant Lip Plumper (advanced formula). So we put it up against one of the hippest brands on the market to see how they compared. I now call to the ring our two contenders – City Lips vs Urban Decay. Let’s keep this clean ladies, and most of all, big, plump and beautiful. Fight! Read the rest of this entry »

One of the most unappetizing things on the planet is soggy lettuce. There is nothing worse than planning out the perfect salad all day in your head, only to come home ready to get started, and realize your lettuce has gone bad. Yah, you go through and try and pick out the bad pieces, but it’s no use, the idea has spoiled along with your salad fixins. Enter Produce Saver food storage container. Can Rubbermaid make my dreams of sugarplums and kick ass gourmet salads come true? We’ll just have to wait and see. Read the rest of this entry »

I covet stick straight hair. Having curls and a dual cowlick to boot, the flat-iron look is something that I really need to work for in order to make it happen every day. To think, that my Dabbler editor almost didn’t give me this assignment because she thought I already had straight hair! After I did my little happy dance, I accepted the challenge of testing out Pantene Pro-V’s latest collection – the Extra Straight hair care line: shampoo, conditioner, and straightening cream. With my jumbo ceramic round brush in hand, I gladly put this one to the test.

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This assignment made me feel very Erin Brockovich. With marketing material spouting the “Dangers of [My] Morning Shower,” I was unnerved to uncover yet another toxin invading my world. So now even my every day bathing is putting me at risk? I’m not sure that anyone would appreciate me avoiding this potential hazard. But by installing the Vitashower filter to my showerhead, I can avoid the death trap disguising itself as my shower…or so they tell me. I took a solid month to test this one out and me and my chlorine-filled skin, hair, lungs and sinuses are ready to tell you what we think. Read the rest of this entry »

I have an immune system like freaking Superman. Working in an urgent care clinic for five years allowed me to develop antibodies to just about every disease known to man. Because of this, having to test Astro BioBest Maximmunité seemed like an exercise in futility. What it did allow me to do, is a little research on the claims that probiotics are a necessity in our diets. They’re popping up in all sorts of products and everyone and their brother is telling you that they are an essential part of a balanced diet. Clever marketing ploy? Or legitimate healthy endeavour? We’ll see… Read the rest of this entry »