"it Cosmetics" - Review & Giveaway

Cosmetics   . . . . . Women of all ages need to pay attention to their skin. What it is exposed to. What impacts it daily. What cleaning methods they use. What care they take of the skin. What products they use. Where and how they abuse their skin. How the products impact their skin.

We're all different and we all (we women, that is) must do that which best suits our skin, our budget, our schedule. But do something, we MUST!

As my long deceased aunt who had flawless skin when she died at 90 years of age once said, "You cream your face every day and every night! Use SOMETHING!" Of course she didn't have access to the plethora of products so readily available today on the market, but she had SOMETHING and she used SOMETHING because her skin was stunningly smooth and clear. Now let's talk about a new company (to me, at least) and a couple of products they sent me to try out.

Well, my photography isn't the best, but these are the two products: No. 50 Serum Collagen Veil Anti-Aging Primer and Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer with Collagen and Vitamins C&K.  First, we take care of our skin. That is where the 50 Serum Collagen Veil product comes in. So we'll talk about it first.

No. 50 Serum Anti-Aging Collagen Veil Primer - A true beauty breakthrough, No. 50 Serum Anti-Aging Collagen Veil Primer is a multi-tasking luxe concentrated hydrating primer and serum in one, infused in with more than 50 beneficial ingredients, including hydrating anti-aging peptides, collagen, niacin, essential lipid-rich oils, vitamins, extracts and botanicals to nurture your skin and lock in moisture as it prepares it for flawless makeup application.  (information taken from the it Cosmetics website)

 I have used the No. 50 Serum for about a week now either alone or with my day or night moisturizer. This is a gently fragranced cream that glides over your skin and makes it feel so good.  It primes the skin prior to applying your foundation. I really like the properties of this serum. The botanicals are real "winners" in my book and it has lots of vitamins infused in the serum. All good! I think it is really cute that it has been dubbed Baby Skin in a Bottle!

Now let's talk about the Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Waterproof Concealer.  From the it Cosmetics website:

Working hand in hand with the leading plastic surgeons in Brazil, Bye Bye Under Eye was created as a full coverage, highly pigmented anti-aging concealer that utilizes truly innovative technology and ingredients - giving women the power to finally say "bye –bye!" to stubborn under-eye issues. Bye Bye Under Eye offers a waterproof, yet moisturizing, formula that stays put no matter what. The truly innovative formula contains high concentrations of Vitamins K, A, C, E and Collagen, which are clinically proven to reduce under eye puffiness and discoloration while strengthening the delicate skin of the under eye area. More than just full coverage for under the eyes, this formula was developed, tested and is now used to conceal facial bruising and swelling on the face and body of surgery patients in the offices of some of the leading plastic surgeons in Brazil. Hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic.

 I've used it for about a week now and the tube sent to me is a tad light, but the next shade might be a tad dark. So I simply put it on and touch it up a mite with my foundation to bring the color more in line with the rest of my face. This is a very dense product. It takes such a tiny bit to cover and you use your little pinky finger to apply it. Begin at the inner corner of the eye next to the nose (it usually looks a bit dark there, too, not just "under the eyes") and smooth down and up to cover the under eye area. I have also used a tiny little brush I had on hand and this works nicely, too. It covers. It will, hopefully, enrich the skin under the eyes. It has not been irritating to my sensitive eyes. It is a good product.

These two products are available at the it Cosmetics website and they really have a presence on QVC. The delightful ladies at it Cosmetics are also providing both of these products as a giveaway for one of Chat With Vera's  readers to vie for. Follow the Rafflecopter entry instructions and let's see who will be blessed to receive these really  nice products.

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DISCLOSURE: I received both of the products indicated above from it Cosmetics in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review and I received no compensation for writing this review. Product information is found on their website and opinions expressed are solely my personal opinion. Giveaway products will be provided by and shipped by it Cosmetics directly to the winner.

Anita Higman’s “Winter in Full Bloom” Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Party! {8/29}

Anita Higman's latest novel, Winter in Full Bloom, has just released. She's teamed up with her publisher, River North Fiction, for a fun giveaway and a Facebook Author Chat Party on August 29th.

 
  One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HD
• Winter in Full Bloom by Anita Higman

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 28th.Winner will be announced August 29th at the Winter in Full Bloom Author Chat Party on Facebook. During the party Anita will be hosting a book chat, talking about family, announcing the winner of the Kindle Fire, and giving away a ton of books, gift certificates, and more. Oh, and she'll also be giving party goers an exclusive look at her next book.

So grab your copy of Winter in Full Bloom and join Anita on the evening of August 29th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven’t read the book, don’t let that stop you from coming!)

DON’T MISS A MOMENT OF THE FUN; RSVP TODAY. HOPE TO SEE YOU ON THE 29th!

Death Be Not Proud The Secret of the Journal #2 by C.F. Dunn

ISBN: 978-1-78264-034-9
$14.99 | Paperback Lion Fiction

About the book:  Following the vicious attack by a psychotic colleague, and reeling from the suspicion that Matthew Lynes is not all that he seems, Professor Emma D'Eresby flees her college teaching position in Maine to her hometown in England--taking the mysterious seventeenth--century journal she stole from the college's archives with her.

Broken physically and emotionally, Emma drifts until, fearing for their daughter's sanity, her parents invite a family friend to assess her. In the course of their conversation, Emma discovers that he spoke to Matthew over thirty years before.

This finally spurs her into action and soon, when she finds what certainly must be a reference to Matthew in the journal, she begins to understand Matthew's profound secret.

This second installment in The Secret of the Journal from British author C. F. Dunn. Mixing suspense, romance, and the supernatural, Death Be Not Proud explores the profound moral implications of a life seemingly invulnerable to time.

My thoughts:  When I read book one in The Secret of the Journal series, Mortal Fire, I found it a very unusual read the conclusion of which simply left the reader hanging for resolution but anxious to read on. Here in Death Be Not Proud we begin to see a light in the tunnel.

The author, C.F. Dunn, does a very good job of crafting her story and creating characters. The visuals created with words help the reader to grasp where they are, what is happening, and all the people involved. I find the premise of Matthew's unique qualities hard to ingest and daunting to the rational mind. Hopefully in the next installment in the series, we will see some reasoning behind his unique qualities - though surely they will be the creation of a very active imagination.

I know that "love can be blind" (and no, that is not a quote from this book), but Emma seems blind to the fact that she is placing her trust in someone whose very existence should not be.  I think that somehow in the end we will find that her own family the D'Eresby's, including the grandmother of which, seems to "know" something about what is going on connected with Matthew. So book three should give up more secrets that are hidden from plain view and not only in the journal.

DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy of Death Be Not Proud from Kregel on behalf of Lion Hudson in exchange for my honest review. No compensation was received for this review. 

If You Were Me and Lived in South Korea by Carole P. Roman (Review & Giveaway)

I previously reviewed the first two books in Social Studies teacher and award-winning author, Carole P. Roman's series "If You Were Me and Lived in ......." (A Child's Introduction to Cultures) The first two books were about France and Mexico. Today we're going to look at her newest "If You Were Me and Lived in South Korea." (Read that review here)

In today's world where people are traveling with much more frequency than ever in the past and even in America where we are seeing much more interaction with the various cultures and peoples of other nations, it is of vital importance that children learn about the countries, people, and customs around the world. I have felt for a long time that there is a dearth of knowledge of the geography of this world and "social studies" - or study of people and cultures - in our educational system. So the introduction of this little series for the young child is a welcome change in that which has been so lacking.

As in the two previous books, an introduction to South Korea features a young brother and sister and their family. You learn the South Korean language names for mama and papa, you will learn of their special holiday, and the names of some foods.  There is a glossary in the back so you can see the words and begin to learn a bit about their language.  The illustrations are consistent with those of the others in the series yet lend a distinction peculiar to the country about which this book teaches - South Korea.

Carole Roman is dedicated to helping children learn - good conduct, good behavior, and social studies. Her interest in children learning is further illustrated in her generosity in providing copies for families to read to their children. So be sure you enter to win a copy  If You Were Me and Lived in South Korea.

GIVEAWAY: Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. You may be blessed to be the winner of a copy that Carole P.Roman is so generously providing. We will choose TWO WINNTERS FOR THIS GIVEAWAY. Begins August 9 & ENDS August 27  @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only.
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DISCLOSURE: The author provided a complimentary copy of If You Were Me and Lived in South Korea in exchange for my honest review. Giveway copies are also provided  by the author and will be shipped directly to the winners.  

Fels--Naptha Laundry Bar Soap (History & Giveaway)

The following was borrowed from http://www.ehow.com/about_5052139_history-fels-naptha-soap.html and I simply found it too good to NOT share with Chat With Vera readers:

History
The Fels Naptha soap story begins in 1861 in the small town of Yanceyville, North Carolina. The local economy was floundering, so the townspeople devised a plan to create a distillery to boost the economy. They set to making a local brand of whiskey, and used the sour mash as feed for pigs. The problem was that the mash wasn't cooked all the way through and proved fatal to the pigs. A local man named Lazarus Fels stepped in, purchased the entire lot of pig carcasses and cooked the fat, combining it with lye to concoct bars of soap. The business had a slow start, so the Fels family moved operations to Baltimore and, in 1873, to Philadelphia.

Significance
Under the name Fels & Company, the Fels family continued to create and sell soap to the wholesale market. It wasn't until Samuel Simeon Fels, the youngest son of the Fels family, joined the company in the late 1800s that Fels & Company created its signature brand. In 1893, Fels & Company released a new type of soap product that incorporated naptha, otherwise known as benzene solvent, in its soap.

Effects
Fels Naptha soap was different from its predecessors. The active ingredient of benzene solvent proved to cut through grease and clean surfaces thoroughly. Throughout its century-long history, Fels Naptha soap has been used as a home remedy for rashes, a stain remover for grease-based stains, a base for homemade laundry soap and even a pesticide for worms that bore into dogwood trees.

Features
Fels Naptha is one of those products that has experienced little change in its appearance and properties throughout its history. Although it is currently made by the Dial Corporation, it still features a basic paper wrapper with an old-fashioned logo.The soap is yellow and longer than most bars of soap. It resembles laundry soap more than body soap.

Warning

Out of the wrapper, the bar is larger
than regular "bath" bars but not too
large to handle for rubbing into stains.

Although many people have used Fels Naptha soap on their hair, scalp and skin, it is not intended for bathing use. The active ingredient is an irritant to the eyes and skin. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has identified high concentrations of benzene, which is also found in some plastics, rubbers, synthetic fabrics and solvents, as carcinogenic to human beings (see Resources below).
-------------------------------
I found it particularly interesting that this all began here in my home state of North Carolina. Although, its true success was not achieved here.

Purex and the folks at Dial now manufacture Fels Naptha soap.  Here is what is said on their website:

Easy size to grasp and rub
onto stained fabrics

Purex Fels-Naptha is a powerful laundry bar that works overtime to remove greasy, oily stains, perspiration, and ring-around-the-collar. With over 100 years of removing America’s stains, you can rest assured that this laundry bar knows how to tackle your toughest stains.  All you’ve got to do is rub the stain with a wet bar of Purex Fels-Naptha and let it sit for a few minutes. Then wash your clothes as you normally would and say farewell to tough stains for good.

Lots of folks are trying to get back to more basic products for laundry and household care. Well, this is one way you can do that. These bars cost less than $2 and has a basic, clean fragrance.

GIVEAWAY: I have a couple of coupons that I'd like to share with my readers and you can try to win one by using the Rafflecopter entry form below. Begins August 3 & ENDS August 25 @ 12:01 a.m. EDT. Open to USA addresses only.

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DISCLOSURE: I received 1 bar of Fels-Naptha and 3 coupons from Purex Insiders in exchange for this review. Two of the coupons will be used as giveaway prizes I will mail to Chat With Vera readers. No compensation was received for this post.

"Happy This Year! The Secret to Getting Happy Once and For All" by Will Bowen

"If I get ______, I'll be happy."
"If I do ______, I'll be happy."

Happiness is not the result of getting or achieving. Rather, happiness is a cause that is the shortest and most direct path to personal fulfillment and achievement. In "Happy This Year!," internationally-bestselling author Will Bowen teaches you how to align your thoughts, words, and actions so that they create the habits, character, and destiny of happiness.

Abe Lincoln said, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Unfortunately, most of us never make up our minds as the level of happiness we wish to enjoy. This book encourages the reader to set a happiness goal and then to measure his or her success at reaching that goal.

Being a happy person significantly improves all areas of life, leading to better physical health, an increased sense of well-being, greater success at work, and deeper, more fulfilling relationships with others.

Through practical advice, step-by-step instructions, and inspiring stories, Will helps you remove your mental and lifestyle blocks so that happiness flows freely. Will's unique perspective on happiness, formed through a wide range of spiritual and secular influences, infuses timeless spiritual wisdom with scientific study, personal experience, and powerful anecdotes.

Regardless of your challenges, you can experience increased and sustainably higher levels of happiness every day!

My thoughts:  I am sure that the majority of people have a deep desire for happiness. According to Will Bowen this can be achieved. Not because of your circumstances but because you tap into an inner self that focuses on happiness.

Mr. Bowen speaks early on of religious and spiritual aspects in our lives and their effect on our happiness. He seems to dwell on the spiritual part of our being as having a highly causative effect on our pursuit of happiness. But his definition of spiritual and mine are somewhat different.

The author quotes Confucius, Buddhism, and the Christian Bible (as he himself titles it). He seemingly gives more or less equal weight to the validity of each. Personally, I believe that while some sayings outside of those in the Christian Bible are good thoughts, they can not be considered in equal terms with verses from the Holy Bible (consisting of Jewish Old Testament and Christian New Testament sections).

 
Sitting in a prescribed position, holding one's hands in a certain style, and chanting or saying anything repeatedly or a respective sequence of times will not induce a state of happiness.

I think that focusing more on those things in our lives that are positive (our joyful occasions, our blessings, our up-times) and beneficial and less on that which is negative (our down times, our sorrows,  our hurts) will tend to lend a happier countenance to us and outlook on life for us. But sometimes life simply hurts and we have sad moments. It is how we handle those moments and what source of strength we draw from that determines our success in handling the bad moments and the good moments.

 

I personally can not recommend this book although aspects of it were interesting and point-on.

DISCLOSURE: I was sent an invitation to review Happy This Year! and render my honest opinion. Grand Harbor Press on behalf of the author provided a complimentary copy for this purpose. No compensation has been provided for this review. Opinions expressed are solely my own.
 

Miss Moore Thought Otherwise by Jan Pinborough and illustrated by Debby Atwell (Review & Giveaway)

Just suppose you had no money for books. Just suppose you had little ones at home and you wanted to broaden their outlook on life and introduce them to the joys of the written word in stories or poetry or travel the world on the pages of a book. You could go to the library if you were an adult and if there was a library in your town. But really, there was not much there to appeal to the child. Your child could NOT even enter the doors. Children were NOT welcome in libraries and children definitely could NOT check out a book. What children's books there were in the libraries were only available to adults.

But Miss Moore Thought Otherwise .......



ISBN: 9780547471051

In the late 1800's this was the story of libraries and this was the plight of children who wanted to read books. But Miss Moore thought otherwise and began a movement to bring the children into the libraries. To allow children to have library cards to check out books. And to have their very own children's book rooms and story time.

Even as a child Miss Moore was different from the other girls in that she liked rambunctious play and more active activities.  And she liked books. Upon reaching adulthood, she began her movement to bring books to children via the public library.

Today's children have much to be thankful for in having such ease of access to public libraries and books designed especially for them and their specific age group. This is all because Miss Moore Thought Otherwise.

The illustrations in this delightful, informative book were created by Maine artist Debby Atwell.  She uses paints to boldly draw the scenes picturing Miss Moore, the children, and the libraries in a primitive style that is charming, bright, and delightful and will certainly appeal to children.

GIVEAWAY:  Ms. Jan Pinborough has agreed to provide one of Chat With Vera's readers a copy of Miss Moore Thought Otherwise, and you can try to win it for yourself or someone you wish to have it by simply using the Rafflecopter form below. Begins August 2  & ENDS August 21 @ 12:01 a.m EDT. Open to USA addresses only.
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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary review copy by the author, Jan Pinborough, in exchange for my honest review. The winner's copy in the giveaway is also provided by Ms. Pinborough and will be shipped directly to the winner by the author. The book is published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.