I hate good ideas poorly executed. It was bad from the absolute beginning and frustrating. I received a package of items from the company My Tagalongs via Ashworth & Associates. They are the makers of a great product called Tagalongs which are disposable underwear. They are perfect to keep around for a variety of reasons. I keep a pair at the gym for those days I forget to stock up my locker and I’m left with no underwear after coming out of the shower. Those days are not fun and Tagalongs have saved my ass before. The first item was the Emergency Valet for $30 bucks. It includes a metal crush-proof Tampon Tube (it looks like a cigar holder), portable Eco-Chic Tote, Sticky Notes To Go (different sizes in one pad) and a 911 Tin (a sewing kit, pre-cut double-sided clothing tape, tweezers, a nail file, a hair elastic, band-aids and individually wrapped flossers). This is a great idea. Everything is small enough to fit in your purse. I love the 911 Tin. The Eco-Chic …

Ashworth Associates sent me a Secret package. I’ve been trying them out for this post. The package included items for the Secret Slimmers shapeware line: thigh & tummy shaper panty, high waist shaper panty and the tummy shaper pantyhose. They also included a pair of red leggings (pictured) and patterned black tights. Almost all of the items were in black, the high waisted shaper was nude. Ashworth Associates gets a check in my good books. There is nothing more disappointing than receiving nude hose. It may surprise some but I’m a fan of shapewear. For some items of clothing, it can really clean up a silhouette (hello, unforgiving jersey). I have a pair of skinny black dress pants that I won’t wear without it. It’s not about losing inches, it’s about smoothing. I’ve bought Nancy Ganz shaperwear in the past and it’s not cheap. Secret’s offerings are at least reasonable at $9 – $25. I’ve never purchased pantyhose from Secret before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I now swear by their tummy shaper …

I can’t even get into the fashion section in this mag. It seems I’m not suppose to which is fair enough. Like every editor-in-chief, Sanati is fond of referencing “the typical reader” or, in her case, “the typical contemporary Canadian woman.” Usually, this archetype is a fiction, a statistical composite distilled, as Sanati remarked, from “a deep amount of psychobiography, demography and market research.” Chatelaine, however, draws heavily on a real woman. This is Robin (her last name is a secret), a white, blonde, pretty working mother, in her late-30s, who lives with her husband and two children, on a combined family income of about $80,000, in a suburb north-east of Toronto. Virtually everything about Robin is available in Chatelaine’s staff data base (and has been since at least early 2007). Rarely, Sanati remarked, does a day go by at Chatelaine headquarters without someone saying something like “Robin likes Patrick Dempsey” or “Robin would be interested in that” – and “that” could be a survey on the status of national day care, determining one’s correct …

I love my friends at Brill Communications. They send me samples of LypSyl lip protection to try out. I received three products but I’ve only used two so far. Overall I like the product. It’s not heavy and it keeps the lips nice and moist. I’ve heard some buzz about beeswax being good alternative to some of the things that are in lip balm. I’m a fan of the Lyp Moisturizer Honey Berry. It’s has a faint smell but is not overpowering and doesn’t have a taste. The applicator is big enough to get all the lip in one stroke. If you have bigger lips like I do, this is important. LypRadiance with Honey Rose is the one with some subtle shimmer in it. I didn’t like this one so much, mostly because of the smell and fruity flavour; it was really overpowering. The shimmer was very subtle and it left me wanting more. I can see little girls liking this one because of the smell and taste. Lypsensitivity with Aloe Vera is the only …

I was sent a sample of Gloves in a Bottle. It’s a shielding lotion much like the Skin MD Natural product I reviewed.. Both lotions perform the same actions, protect the outer layer of skin from harsh damage. Like Skin MD, it took a while for the shielding lotion to kick in. I’m not religious about putting lotion on and I’m sure that had something to do with my results. I like Glove in a bottle better, the lotion is a thicker consistency without leaving your hands greasy. I bottle is $12.95USD and contains about 120 applications. You can purchase Gloves in a Bottle in Toronto at: Yarn Boutique 1719 Bloor St W Toronto 416-760-9129 Quilters Garden 931 Kingston Rd Toronto 416-693-1616 How Gloves In A Bottle Works The outer layer of your skin consists of dead skin cells – it’s a protective layer designed to protect the delicate living cells of the deeper layers of skin. This layer of skin needs to stay moisturized to protect the deeper layers of skin. In order to …

My friends at Brill Communications send me a little package that consisted of Yardley of London English Lavender Bath/Shower Gel and perfumed talc. I’m a lavender junkie, so I was really excited when I opened the package. The heritage of Yardley is Lavender. When Yardley first opened its doors in London in 1770, lavender was the herb chosen to perfume an exclusive range of luxury soaps, a decision that established English Lavender as the international signature fragrance of Yardley. No one knows lavender quite like Yardley. Since 1770 the company has specialised in providing the finest bath luxuries scented with the distinctive aromatic freshness of this classic English herb. Over the centuries Yardley has devoted its energy to searching out the finest quality plants and oils and to developing luxury fragrances with a contemporary feel. No other company understands the benefits of this unique herb better than Yardley. Lavender has the ability to uplift, calm, restore and heal. Justifiably the company claim is: Yardley English Lavender – The finest lavender in the world. Yardley lavender …

My good friends at Brill Communications send me the JR Watkins Sampler which consists of: All-Natural Lavender Hand & Cuticle Salve All-Natural Lemon Body Oil All-Natural Lemon Hand & Cuticle Salve Aloe & Green Tea Hand & Body Lotion Lemon Cream Shea Butter Mango Shea Butter Peppermint Foot Cream Vanilla Hand & Body Lotion 100% all-natural botanicals, essential oils and other natural ingredients are the foundation for all of our personal care products and remedies. In order to maintain the optimum freshness and efficacy of our natural ingredients, we use the smallest amount necessary of safe, time-tested preservatives to maintain the integrity of our natural products. All daily use, personal care products must contain some form of preservation. I haven’t tried the body oil yet, but everything else smells amazing. The creams and body butters aren’t greasy. Good alternative to Burt’s Bees in my mind.

I agreed to review a skin shielding lotion called Skin MD Natural. “Shielding lotion is a lotion that forms a protective barrier on the skin and keeps out irritants and chemicals. It also allows the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. It is a big advantage that shielding lotions are light and go on without a greasy mess, ” says Dr. Brian Zogg, a dermatologist in Albert Lea, MN. Shielding lotions are more effective in the treatment of dry skin than moisturizing lotions or protective creams. I had really dry hands this winter and started to use the Body Shop Hemp hand protector to deal with it. Trying out Skin MD Natural sounded like a good idea. I received the 120ml bottle in the mail. I’m told that a little goes a long way. The instructions are vague, apply a small amount every 2 – 8 hours, then 12 – 24 hours. The lotion is absorbed very quickly and doesn’t leave a greasy residue, or residue of …