Scraps of My Geek Life » review

Luminess Airbrush Makeup Professional Edition; A Makeup Gadget

Michele — Sun, 20 May 2012 14:10:06 +0000

When the Luminess Airbrush Makeup system arrived, my 13-year-old daughter was all over it. Finally, she said…a gadget for makeup! She wanted to try it out because she has had a hard time with foundation blending on her skin. So I let her try it out first. She spent several hours watching the videos online, mixing colors to get the perfect match and practicing with the airbrush wand.

This is the picture I took of Sami before she started.

We received the Professional Luminess Airbrush Makeup Edition which includes the 3-speed Professional Airbrush system, several bottles of foundation, blush, moisturizer, bronzer, glow enhancer, eyeshadow duo and the learning DVD. Our DVD was in spanish, so we went to the internet and watched the following videos.

Airbrush Makeup Prepping

The first video is a basic introduction.

The second video shows you how to match the foundation to your skin color. Sami and I both needed a mix of 1 and 2 to match our skin tone perfectly.

The last video shows you how to apply the makeup. We found it easiest to watch the video a few times first. Then prepare your kit and watch the video while you are applying the makeup for the first time. Be sure the area is well-lit. This was the first mistake I made when I applied the makeup. I didn’t have a well-lit bathroom and the makeup didn’t look right. But when I moved to a bathroom with better lighting, the difference was huge. It looked much better.

After Luminess Airbrush Makeup

Here is Sami’s after photo.

She was so happy with the results. She didn’t look like she had foundation on and she had no problems with blending at the hairline and her jawline.

Luminess Airbrush Tips

Here are a few notes that Sami said I had to include in the review:

A bit of the foundation goes a long way. You do not need much.
Practice, practice, practice. She said it did take a few tries to get it right, but once she did, it is so easy.
Watch the videos!!! We need to admit that we did try to do this at first without really watching the videos very closely. Don’t try that!! You need the videos. They help a ton!
How you hold the wand makes a big difference when you are putting it on. Be sure to follow the directions and hold like a pencil.
The airbrush is really easy to clean and be sure you do it after you use it every time.

Now Sami is ready to try the airbrush tanning system because she loved the Luminess Airbrush Makeup so much. Here is one last side by side of the before and after of Sami.

Disclosure: We received the Luminess Professional Airbrush kit in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own and Sami’s.

Let’s Talk About Luminess Airbrush Makeup!

Have you tried airbrush makeup? Let me know what your experience is.

Luminess Airbrush Makeup Professional Edition; A Makeup Gadget originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Ubisoft’s Horses 3DS Lets You Live Out Childhood Dreams

Michele — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:07:30 +0000

Horses 3DSwill let you live out your dream of owning a horse. I remember wanting a horse when I was a little girl. I even took horse-back riding lessons, but it was winter in Wisconsin, so the lessons were inside. That was when we discovered I was allergic to hay. Had to nix the lessons.

The summer after I graduated from college, I went on a family vacation and we all rode horses. My horse was spooked by something, bucked up and threw me off. I landed on my tailbone and right hand. Broke my tailbone and my wrist. So, horses and I haven’t had a great relationship.

Playing Horses 3DS

When I got the Ubisoft Horses 3DS game, I started playing the game thinking that I would play it for a bit and then work. Well 3 hours later, I was still playing Horses. The game is soooo much fun.

You start by picking a horse and naming her (or him.) My horse is Sandee. I need to get to know Sandee, feed her, give her water and ride her a lot. My favorite part was riding to the beach. Because it is in 3D, it’s about as close to the beach as I am going to get for now.

You are the Stable Manager so you need to be sure the horses have everything they need and train them to race in 4 different types of horse races. Honestly, I am not very good at the racing part.

I love going after the hoof marks down the paths and collecting stars. Sometimes you ride alone and sometimes a friend will go along. The rides will usually have a mission like, collect all the stars and ride faster than your friend.

Horses 3DS & My Girls

My 13-year-old was a bit hesitant to play it because she thought it would be a game for little girls. I asked her to please play it so I could get her opinion of the game for my review. She loved it. She makes sure no one plays her game because she loves it so much.

The 2 screens you see while playing Horses 3DS

My 8-year-old heard us discussing Horses and of course she wanted to play too. She is currently hiding somewhere with the 3DS because she doesn’t want anyone to take it from her.

So, the game is fun for an 8-year-old, 13-year-old and even a 44-year-old girl. My boys didn’t want to play it, so it is definitely for girls.

Let’s Talk About Ubisoft’s Horses 3DS!

Did you want a horse when you were a kid? Do you have a 3DS?

Thank you to Ubisoft for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Ubisoft. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are my own. #UbiChamps Affiliate links within post.

Ubisoft’s Horses 3DS Lets You Live Out Childhood Dreams originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Are Loads of Fun Online & Offline

Michele — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:49:51 +0000

Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters are from the same makers of HEXBUG. My kids love the HEXBUG so much so I was really excited to host a Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Mommy Party. We decided to hold the party over Spring Break because we knew that the kids wouldn’t mind playing with a new toy when they have a whole week to play.

Planning a Monster Party

My kids set up most of the Moshi Monsters town before the party because they wanted to be sure that they knew how it worked. They set up the town, opened up a few of the Moshi Monsters and of course they decided which ones they wanted first and I picked out my orange, Moshi Meggie as I call her.

Moshi Meggie

My son suggested veggie stick chips and Sprite for the food. I told the kids this party was theirs to plan because they were really excited about it. So we went to the store to buy veggie stick chips (Moshi Sticks we called them) and Sprite (or Moshi Monster Juice.)

We set up my Moshi Monster up online before the party also. Moshi Meggie has a room and likes to play games. We haven’t had a lot of time to explore the full online site, but so far we have had fun. You can visit my room on Moshi Monsters if you’d like.

Moshi Monsters Party

Each child had a few friends over they took turns playing with the Moshi Monsters (boys first, then the girls.) The boys raced the Moshi Monsters all over the town and had fun setting up obstacles to try to block each other from making to the next place. They decided that trying Moshi Monsters with the HEXBUGS would be a lot of fun, but we decided to try that another day.

The girls played with the Moshi Monsters in a more calm way. They discussed why each Monster was going into each store making up stories. Each Moshi Monster had a spouse and at least one kid by the end of their game.

Moshi Monsters Gross-ery Store

Later on, when only a few were left, I took this video and had them show me how the Moshi Monsters work and we realized we had not set up the last store, the Grossery.

Moshi Monsters Final Verdict

My kids enjoyed playing with the Moshi Monsters, but all agreed that it would be really cool to play the Moshi Monsters with the HEXBUG sets. They loved the online game and naming their own Monster. My daughter plays with the online game quite often.

Follow Moshi Monsters on YouTube, Facebook & Twitter.

Disclosure: I received the Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters sets from Mommy Party in exchange for this post. All opinions are 100% my own (and my kids.)

Let’s Talk About Moshi Monsters!

Have you heard of Moshi Monsters? Do your kids like to play with toys that have both online and offline fun?

Bobble Bots Went On A Road Trip! – Review and Giveaway(zenforyou.dalefg.net)
Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters ~ Review and Giveaway!I(coffeewiththemrs.com)
HEXBUG and Bobble Bots Bring Easter Cheer!(mylittlereviewcorner.wordpress.com)

Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters Are Loads of Fun Online & Offline originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Samsung Replenish with Boost Mobile Review

Michele — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:42:01 +0000

The Samsung Replenish with Boost Mobile service was an interesting phone for me to review. I’m used to using a touch screen and this cell phone has a QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen.

At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to like using a QWERTY keyboard because I always thought they looked rather clumsy. I was willing to give it a try and it was pretty easy. It also didn’t take me too long to figure it out. The big difference is that you can feel the keys so you have a better idea if you are right on the key or not. I’m not sure that I was a better typist with the QWERTY, but it was easier than I thought.

I really liked that you had the touchscreen capabilities when you are not typing. For me, it is so much easier to just press where I want to go.

Setting Up Samsung Replenish

Setting the phone up was super easy. I turned it on, put my GMail information in and within a few minutes, all my contacts were on my phone and I could send and receive email. The screen on the Samsung Replenish is smaller than I’m used to, so I found it a bit hard to read emails because I had to keep scrolling and scrolling.

Green Technology

This is an interesting fact about the Samsung Replenish…it is partly built with recycled plastic. If you trade in your current phone, you are also adding to the green factor of this phone.

Samsung Replenish Size

The size of this cell phone is a plus especially if you carry your phone around with you a lot (and who doesn’t.) It weights a little over 4 ounces and the dimensions are 4.84″ x 2.36″ x 0.47″. The Samsung Replenish easily fits into a back pocket and doesn’t add bulk.

Samsung Replenish Camera

The camera on the Replenish is 2.0MP camera which takes “ok” pictures. The pictures I took inside didn’t turn out very well, but the ones I took outside looked pretty good.

Boost Mobile

Boost Mobile offers a low-cost, no contract service plan for the Samsung Replenish. As an added bonus, for every 6 on-time payments you make, you will shrink your monthly payment by $5. The plan starts at $55 and you can go as low as $40.

My Final Thoughts

The Samsung Replenish is great as a phone and to use email and do a bit of surfing. It is very small and will keep you in touch without a lot of frills. The Replenish is an Android phone, so it is well-integrated with all the Google products. This is perfect for a teen or college student who doesn’t want to spend a lot on a cell phone to keep in touch with friends. The cost of the Replenish is $99.99 so this is definitely a cost-effective and green solution.

Disclose: I received a Samsung Replenish to test out for a few weeks in exchange for this review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Let’s Talk About The Samsung Replenish!

Do you have a Samsung Replenish? What are your thoughts? How do you use your phone?

Samsung Replenish with Boost Mobile Review originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Using Serif MoviePlus X6 To Create a Quick Video in 15 Minutes

Michele — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:13:01 +0000

Serif MoviePlus X6 is perfect for both simple HD editing tasks and advanced. There are times where I need to edit a quick video and there are times where I have weeks to work on a project and I need advanced tools. Serif MoviePlus X6 has both.

For this review, I’m going to show you how easy it is to create a video in just about 15 minutes. I created this one without reading the instruction book. I wanted to see if the software would walk me through the editing.

Creating a Quick Movie

When you first open up MoviePlus, you will get this screen:

Choose the second option, Create a QuickMovie. Next, you need to choose a theme. You can click on the theme and play to see if it will fit your video’s topic.

Once you pick your theme, you can add your video by either uploading from your hard drive, capturing with your webcam or uploading directly from your camcorder.

You can make a few quick edits on this screen.

When your edits are complete, click next and you can add your title slides and music.

Click Finish and you are ready to view your movie.

If you want to make more advanced edits to your movie, you may at this time or export it to a format that is suitable for your final product.

Exporting Your Movie

When you export your movie from Serif MoviePlus, you choose the final output (DVD, Blu-Ray, YouTube, iTunes, etc.) I uploaded my movie directly to YouTube and here it is.

It took me less than 15 minutes to put that video together. It was easy and fun too.

Best Feature of MoviePlus X6

What I like best about Serif MoviePlus X6 is that I can easily create a video without much fuss or if I need the full advanced features of movie editing software, they are also available. It will grow with you as you learn more about editing movies.

Serif MoviePlus X6 is available for PC and retails for $79.99.

Disclosure: I received a copy of Serif MoviePlus X6 in exchange for this review and post. All opinions are 100% my own. Affiliate links in post.

Using Serif MoviePlus X6 To Create a Quick Video in 15 Minutes originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

Carbonite Backup System; Works While You Go About Your Business

Michele — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:31:16 +0000

Yesterday was World Backup Day, so the subject of backing up is on my mind. Before I tell you about the Carbonite backup system, let’s talk about backing up in general. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, if you do nothing else to protect your data, BACK IT UP! No April Fools here.

Best Backup System?

The best kind of backup system is the kind where you set it up and then you don’t think about it after that. If you have to remember to back it up daily or weekly, you will forget and it will keep getting pushed further back on your to do list until months have gone by.

Then one day, you will turn on the computer and nothing will happen….the hard drive is fried and all your data is gone. Think it won’t happen to you? Then I’ve got a lot in the swamps to sell you!

Carbonite Backup

But seriously, you need a system to back up your data. I was given a year of the Carbonite Home & Home Office to try. You get unlimited space to back up your data for $59/year.

Here is how easy it is.

First I signed up (you can get a 15-day trial before you pay for your year) and installed a small application on my iMac.

I told Carbonite which files to backup and then for the last week I forgot about it. I could see Carbonite in my status bar. Carbonite is the lock right next to the p for Pinterest.

I can reach Carbonite by clicking on the lock.

Today, I looked at my Carbonite account and saw all my files with the last backup completed today.

Great, I can get access to them anywhere I have access to a computer. I love it! My files are backed up and I have access to them from almost anywhere. Then I receive this email just as I’m starting my review.

Well that is even better. I can reach my backed up files from my iPad and iPhone With Carbonite Access. What a great backup system!

So, now I have access to those files anywhere. So, what happens if I need to restore the files that are backed up? The Carbonite application has a restore section where I can get all my files back.

Honestly, the best part of Carbonite is that during the last week when my important files were being backed up, I didn’t think about it. I didn’t notice that my computer slowed down. I didn’t notice any spinning wheels or notifications that I needed to respond to. Carbonite backed up my files and I went about my business as usual.

Follow Carbonite on Facebook & Twitter. Carbonite is available for Mac & Windows.

Disclosure: I received one year free of Carbonite Home & Home Business to review the service. All opinions are 100% my own. No other compensation was received.

Let’s Talk About Your Backup System!

What backup system do you use? Have you ever lost important files? How often do you backup?

Carbonite Backup System; Works While You Go About Your Business originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

2012 Toyota Camry Review #ToyotaWomen

Michele — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 23:40:26 +0000

This past December, we purchased a 2012 Toyota Camry in red. Red is our color for cars. Red looks so beautiful when it’s clean and in the sun.

Toyota Entune Technology

My personal favorite feature of the Camry is the Entune technology which you can read about in my Entune post. Toyota has a lot of Toyota apps available for the iPad and iPhone, so be sure to check them out if you are considering a Toyota vehicle.

Our second vehicle is not a Toyota because we needed a big honkin’ car to travel with 4 kids and a dog and luggage, so I was excited to get back to a Toyota in our first car.

Camry Reliability

The Camry has been a reliable car for us in the past. My husband drives the car to and from work so we wanted something that had good gas mileage and was comfortable for him. He often drives with others in the car, so the Camry was perfect because the backseat is comfortable for adults as well as kids.

The Camry cars that we have owned in the past help up their value better than any other cars that we have owned. We never had problems trading it in or selling it depending on which path we chose.

As the gas prices go up and up, we find ourselves driving our Camry more and more. If we are taking 4 or less people in the car, we try to use the Camry instead of our SUV.

We have had the Toyota Camry for 3 months now and my husband’s only complaint is that it isn’t a convertible (and that is only on days that are at least 60 degrees.) I love driving the Toyota Camry.

Trusting My First Born to Toyota

One of the biggest reasons we chose a Toyota Camry this time was because our oldest son is now 15.5 and has his Learner’s Permit. I wanted a car that I felt comfortable with my 16 year old son driving. That’s a Toyota Camry.

Disclosure: This post is written as part of my involvement in TWIN and the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions are 100% my own. #ToyotaWomen

2012 Toyota Camry Review #ToyotaWomen originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

SinuSense Review, A Natural Remedy for Spring Allergies

Michele — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:57:23 +0000

The last 6 weeks have been pretty miserable in our house. Everyone is either sick with a chest/head bug or spring allergies are making us feel like our head is going to explode. I have been lucky enough to have bronchitis and pneumonia and my allergies are back with full force this year.

Trying SinuSense

I have never tried cleaning out my sinuses at home. I’ve had it done in the doctor’s office, so I was apprehensive about trying SinuSense. I found this video on YouTube. I watched it a few times because I wanted to be sure I was doing it right. The first day I used it, I ended up with more of the water on me than in my sinuses, but I realized I wasn’t leaning over the sink. The next day I leaned over the sink more and it worked better. Using the SinuSense definitely cleared out my sinuses. I could breathe better and I wasn’t blowing my nose every few minutes.

SinuSense Helps Spring Allergy Symptoms

According to the SinuSense website, SinuSense helps relieve the following symptoms:

Nasal and allergy dryness
Sinus pressure and nasal stuffiness
Nasal symptoms from flu and cold
Nasal irritation from dust, animal dander, grass, pollen and smoke
Post-nasal drip congestion

I always struggle during allergy season because the medicine that works really well for me also puts me to sleep, so this is another option for me to try. It was uncomfortable at first, but after a few days I got the hang of using the SinuSense and it didn’t bother me.

Be sure to use a SinuSense coupon available on the Waterpik website to try SinuSense for your spring allergies. Follow Waterpik on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Disclosure: I received free product and compensation in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

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SinuSense Review, A Natural Remedy for Spring Allergies originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

X Out Acne Treatment For Teens; Our Test Drive Before Pictures

Michele — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 01:02:51 +0000

I have 2 teens in the house who were lucky enough to have inherited my complexion and both are dealing with teen acne. When I was given the opportunity to have one of them try the new X Out Acne Treatment for teens.

My daughter is 13 years old and we have tried many acne products and while some have worked better than others, she isn’t really happy with the results she has seen from all the products she has tried. She was really anxious to give the X Out Acne Treatment a try.

Acne Treatment Routine Before X Out

Morning Routine – Wash face & shoulders in the shower every morning. with an acne cleanser. Use a toner and moisturizer that are for acne-prone skin. Finish it off with an acne spot treatment for the really bad zits.

Evening Routine – Remove all make-up with an acne cleanser being sure to not leave any make-up on her face. Use a toner and night moisturizer (both for acne-prone skin.)Finish it off with a night-time acne spot treatment.

Acne Treatment Routine With X Out

Morning Routine – Wash with the X Out Wash-In Treatment while watching the QR code video.

Evening Routine – Wash with the X Out Wash-In Treatment while watching the QR code video.

Big difference in the amount of time she is spending on her routines. And honestly, I know that when she was tired or rushed for time in the morning, she would skip some of those steps which I’m sure is why they didn’t always work as they were supposed to.

It was just too much for her to do everyday. That was the big reason I wanted her to try the X Out. I knew that she could keep up with one step

X Out Acne Treatment Before Pics

My daughter has acne on her face and on her shoulders. She was willing to let me show you the before (and after in a few weeks.) She doesn’t like the acne at all and I think it makes her self-conscious about her face. She is a very confident person so she doesn’t let it stop her from doing anything, but I do know it is something that is on her mind.

She has been using the X Out for a few weeks now. We are going to give it a good month and we’ll take some more pictures and show you how she is progressing.

Follow X Out on Twitter and Facebook.

Let’s Talk About X Out Acne Treatment!

What acne products have you or your teen tried? What is your typical acne treatment routine like?

I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of X Out and received a X Out product sample to facilitate my review, one to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

X Out Acne Treatment For Teens; Our Test Drive Before Pictures originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.

6 Relationship Books I’m Reading This Month #ProjectBalance

Michele — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:44:29 +0000

Relationships can be with anyone. When I’m speaking of relationships for Project Balance in February, I’m referring to relationships with your spouse, kids, friends, parents, siblings, neighbors and even with yourself. In order to learn more about relationships, I plan to read 6 relationship books this month.

I love reading books on everything. My Kindle has a large selection of books from all sorts of topics. Each month I plan to read at least 5 that pertain to the life topic of the month. After I finish the book. I’ll write a more thorough review.

Side Note: Today is Read in the Bathtub Day.

6 Relationship Books

Here are 6 relationship books I’ll be reading on my Kindle this month.

Love Your Body

by Louise L. Hay (I purchased the Kindle version)

I truly believe that before you can love someone else, you have to love yourself. Part of that includes loving your body. I struggle with this every single day. I’m trying very hard to say good things to myself but every day I find myself being so mean to me.

I feel guilty that I let myself gain weight. I’m mad at me for not stopping it sooner and for not having control. I’m constantly telling myself that no one is going to like or love you when you look so fat. Yes, not nice, but reality. So, this is the first book I’m going to read.

Love Your Body is $.89 for the Kindle version now.

Choosing Me before We

by Christine Arylo (I received a copy of this book to review and I bought the Kindle version)

This book teaches women to find the relationships they want by exploring what they want in themselves.

Power Friending

by Amber Mac (I purchased the Kindle version)

Power Friending is about building authentic relationships in social media. Think of your audience as your friend.

The Self-Centered Marriage; Screamfree Marriage

by Hal Runkel (I purchased the Kindle version)

Hal Runkel wrote the Screamfree Parenting book which I love, so I’m very curious about his book about marriage.

The 30-Day Sex Solution

by Victoria Zdrok Wilson (I purchased the Kindle version)

I think the title pretty much says it all.

Relationship Saboteurs

by Randi Gunther ( I purchased the Kindle Version)

Helps you overcome some of the toxic emotions and behaviors that do not equal a healthy relationship.

Let’s Talk About Relationship Books!

Do you have any suggestions for other relationship books I could read? Have you read any of the 6 books above?

Project Balance Books on Amazon

Amazon.com Widgets

6 Relationship Books I’m Reading This Month #ProjectBalance originally posted at Scraps of My Geek Life.