Bzz! Schick Hydro Silk for Women!

 

As a BzzAgent, I was recently invited to participate in a BzzCampaign to try the new Schick Hydro Silk for Women Razor, and was curious to try something new. I've been a user of the Schick Quattro for Women for years, but was willing to check it out. Needless to say, I'll be going back to my Quattro. There are two reasons I say this:

First, the "Water-Activated Moisturizing Serum for Smooth, Silky Skin"- this serum does feel nice and smooth on your legs, however it only lasts a couple of uses. Since it's water activated, it depletes rather quickly when you put the razor under some water to rinse it out. You then just have a standard razor, albeit rather bulky.

And second, the "Oval Cartridge with Five Curve Sensing Blades for Close Shave"- They claim "designed specifically for the curves of a woman's body, the Schick Hydro Silk Razor features five independent curve sensing blades to follow your natural shape. The blades also feature skin guards that smooth skin to achieve a close shave while preventing skin irritation." In all the years I've used a Quattro, I've never gotten cut by my razor. In the month I've used the Hydro Silk, I've been cut three times. THREE!!! I don't know if it's the angle of the blades or what, but I keep nicking myself.

I really feel that there are better options out there if you're looking for a new razor!

Bzz! Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser!

I was sent some coupons to get one of these to review from BzzAgent, and was eager to try out the new Glade Expressions Oil Diffuser. For starters, I was seriously frustrated trying to find these things anywhere... I searched every WalMart, Food Lion, and any other store I could think of to try and find these. I ended up finding a few at a WalMart across town, but the only smell available was the Pineapple Mangosteen scent.

The diffuser kit with its various parts

The diffuser on my bedroom dresser!

I'm not opposed to fruity smells, but I definitely don't like this one. It's almost sickly sweet. The only bright side was that the smell only truly lasted a few days. Perhaps I've just gotten used to it, but it's right next to my bedroom door and I originally could smell it every time I walked into my bedroom. Now I can't smell it at all and it's only been up for about a week! For something offering 30 days of fragrance, I'm underwhelmed by the result!

On the bright side, I really like the look of the diffuser. Although I don't like the Pineapple Mango scent, I like the appearance of the diffuser it came with the most out of the scents on the market. It's a sort of bamboo look, with a leafy/flowery design. It's really pretty! I'll definitely get a different smell to try in it next time though (if I can find something different). The diffuser is really easy to use- you just snap the little paper piece into place and the oil diffuses into it. Supposedly the container is spill-free, but I'm not willing to test that theory!

All in all, I don't feel like this thing is all that great. It offers nothing new and innovative to the gazillion air fresheners on the market, it's nigh impossible to find, and the tiny selection of scent options aren't that appealing.

Bzz! Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Inserts!

I had the awesome opportunity to give Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Inserts a try through a BzzAgent BzzCampaign! I can't tell you how well-timed the campaign was! My sneakers get a lot of use, and their insoles had been pounded completely flat!

The BzzKit! Info, some insoles, and some coupons for friends and family!

Dr. Scholl's says their insoles provide energizing support for tired, achy feet. I don't know about "energizing", but my feet certainly hurt less than they did on my old flat insoles. The Dual Wave Design, comprised of blue gel cushions that provide shock absorption and purple gel that provides support, makes for a very comfortable insole!

Dr. Scholl's provides insoles for men sizes 8-13 and women sizes 6-10, so there is an option for just about everyone! If you go to Wal-Mart, they even have one of those awesome machines that you stand on and it analyzes your feet to determine the best insoles for you! There are many different types:

• Work Insoles for work boots/shoes and people who are on their feet a great deal. 
• Sport Replacement Insoles for active feet, providing arch support and reduced stress on joints. 
• Extra Support Insoles have arch support for big & tall men and large shoes, and keep feet cool.

My grimy shoes with the insoles

I put the insoles into my shoes and gave them a spin. The only real disadvantage I could find was that this BzzCampaign landed just as summer weather arrived- it's flip flop season now!

All in all, I like the insoles. It was a bit of an adjustment, having support under my feet again. I initially felt like I had something under my heel (ok, technically I did have something under my heel) but once my feet got used to it, I liked the support. I think the use of the term "massaging" is a stretch- my feet felt cushioned but not massaged. My greatest wish is that there was more support for the metatarsal heads. I've got a fallen transverse arch, and need something with a bit more support in that arch. Unfortunately, most shoe inserts only include arch supports, with a flat base across the transverse arch.

For a relatively low-cost, comfortable shoe insert, I'm pleased with the Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Inserts. For someone who is on their feet a great deal, it's a great option! I've read complaints from other reviewers that these didn't provide adequate comfort for their various ailments (Morton's Neuroma, recovering metatarsal fracture, etc) and I think they missed the point- these are shoe inserts you buy at the local grocery store for a bit of added comfort, not costly therapeutic orthotics for medical conditions. If you're looking to fix a medical problem, talk to your podiatrist. If you just want some cushion in your shoes, try these!

Interview time!

Approximately a year ago, I was preparing for my applicant interview for the Eastern Virginia Medical School PA Program. It was my second attempt- my interview the year before was a complete fiasco. I was a spaz. I could barely articulate a thought because my people skills were so bad. I spent a year forcing myself out of my shell and even went so far as to travel solo to Europe.

My second attempt was significantly better- I walked away from my interview thinking, "If I don't get in, I'll be amazed." A year later, I'm a member of the EVMS PA Class of 2014, and spend my days smashing as much medical info into my brain as I can possibly retain. I'm totally stoked, because in a few weeks, new interviewees will be here! When I did my interview, the PA students were in charge of guiding the interviewees around the campus and answering questions.

 This time, I'll get to walk around with a bunch of nervous wanna-be PAs and answer their questions! I'm so stoked!!! In case there are any prospective EVMS PA Program students out there preparing for their interview in a few weeks, I wish you the best of luck!!!

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Earth has become uninhabitable, and in a last ditch effort to save the human species, the people of Earth constructed two spaceships. The New Horizon left first, and the following year the Empyrean launched. Each ship carried men, women, and children across space on a voyage that would take 40 years to complete.

Everything seemed to be going as planned on the Empyrean. The only unforeseen consequence of long-term deep space travel was that all of the women were rendered infertile. Fortunately, the scientists on board were able to fix the issue and a new generation of humans was growing happy and healthy. Why then had the Empyrean caught up to the New Horizon? The New Horizon should have been light-years ahead of the Empyrean. And why wasn’t the captain of the Empyrean explaining anything to his crew?

Waverly’s Utopian life is about to be disrupted in ways she never imagined possible. Being the oldest of the girls, she must overcome her fear and anger to help save those dearest to her.

One of the things I particularly liked about the book is that the characters are not outright good or evil- the reader is forced to consider the situation and determine which character they believe is right/wrong/good/evil. Is the ruthless but efficient leader the best to have in a time of strife? Or is the leader that brainwashes his followers whilst inspiring them into action a better option? Situations are rarely black and white in real life, and the author does a great job of showing the indecision, conflict, and struggle that comes with trying to do the right thing but not necessarily knowing the best way to do it.

For the most part, I enjoyed the themes in the book. I’m not usually a fan of books that involve a lot of religion, but the author added an interesting spin to it. If you’re a devout Christian, you may not like the spin much- essentially the religious leaders have warped the Christian message to fit their agendas, which at times seems cruel and fanatical. That said, readers have to bear in mind this is a dystopian future, and sometimes those fanatical leaders try to use religion to justify their actions (Hitler, anyone?).

The book is well written and although the reader is often switching narratives between characters and locations, I didn’t find it difficult to follow the events taking place. Unlike other authors who rely on fluffy adjectives and repetition to fill out their writing (*coughcough*Meyer*coughcough*), Ryan manages to maintain good narrative flow while keeping the story fairly straight to the point. The characters that were important to the storyline were well developed and the settings were thoroughly described so the reader can visualize the environments.

All in all, this was an interesting, creative, and exciting read! If you’re into dystopian tales and a touch of sci-fi, check out Glow! It’s definitely still your typical teen read (why do authors think all teens want to read about love triangles?), but it has some interesting twists from the norm. As dystopian fiction slowly replaces paranormal romance as the genre-du-jour, I think Amy Kathleen Ryan has the potential to make a name for herself. I look forward to reading the sequel to Glow!

*I received a copy of this book from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review.