babybloomr

OK, here’s something you may or may not know about the Taff family– we’re tub people.

Oh sure, we’ll grab a quick shower if we have to wash our hair in a hurry or something, but by and large, we all much prefer a languid soak. We read in the bathtub, we eat snacks, talk on the phone, and watch movies on our computers. Seriously. It’s kinda weird. So when I was offered a chance to check out Dove’s new fancy-schmancy Visible Care bath products line, I was totally in– especially when they were claiming it would give each and every Taff “visibly more beautiful skin in just one week” and throwing around phrases like “highest concentration of NutriumMoisture technology across the entire Dove products portfolio.” That’s like throwing down a gauntlet around here– we are no stranger to bath products.

Apparently the Visible Care line offers three kinds of creme body washes that cover three different kinds of skin needs: ‘Softening,’ ‘Renewing,’ and ‘Brightening.’

We tested the ‘Softening’ version, which is supposed to target your skin’s dry spots. The label says that it is a mild cleanser containing glycerin and stearic acid. It looks really thick and rich when you squeeze it out of the bottle; the texture is kind of like a creamy toothpaste with little pearly sparkles in it. It has a nice floral scent, not too overpowering or lingering. All four of us used it for a full week (some of us even TOOK A SHOWER with it), and here are our findings:

**MADI ROSE gave it… four stars!  Madi is very careful about trying new products because her skin is especially sensitive– when she was a little girl she used to get itchy eczema patches on her feet that just drove her crazy. But she immediately liked this body wash, and said that it did not irritate her skin at all. She also said that it was great for shaving her legs, and that it rinsed off well. (Note: Madi is single-handedly responsible for going through at least half of our quite-generously-sized bottle of Visible Care.)

**CHARLOTTE gave it… four stars! At 16, Charlo is just now starting to get into her own little beauty routine, and she really got into this! She shaved her legs with it also and said she much preferred it over shaving cream and that it smelled “very flowery, but in a good way.” Her final word was that she wanted me to keep it around, and “maybe we could try the other flavors, too.”

**RUSS gave it… four stars! OK, to be honest with you, Russ usually wouldn’t pay any attention to body wash; he’d just use whatever happened to be sitting on the ledge and go on about his business. But he humored me by paying attention to this one and dutifully reported his opinion: “I actually liked it a lot. It had a nice lather but it didn’t feel like it left stuff on my skin. Didn’t dry me out. Smelled good. Yeah, I like it.”

**AND I gave it… four stars, too! I’m now about two weeks into using the Visible Care  wash every day, and while it hasn’t made me younger, cuter and taller, it has definitely left my skin feeling softer and well-moisturized. I like to use a small loofah pad instead of a washcloth, and the combination of the exfoliating loofah and the softening Dove wash has worked well for me. I especially noticed a difference on the front of my legs and the sides of my arms, which is where I have a tendency to get little dry spots.

So, to recap: Four out of four Taffs heartily recommend Dove’s Visible Care Softening Creme Body Wash!

DISCLOSURE: I received  one bottle of Dove Visible Care body wash for the purpose of this review, as well as additional compensation. (Sadly, not like a new car or anything. And also, they didn’t buy my house. Dang it.)  As always, the opinions expressed in my reviews are 100% completely my own (and my family’s, in this case), with no obligations to anyone. Because as you know, I’VE GOT OPINIONS– and none of them are for sale. 

**AND HERE’S A CHANCE TO PAMPER YOURSELF EVEN MORE!**

**Visit Dove^® VisibleCare^® to get a coupon for $1 off!

**AND– Enter to win one of two $500 Spafinder gift certificates!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

COMMENTS TO THIS POST ARE NOT SWEEPSTAKES ENTRIES. PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR ENTRY METHODS FOR THIS SWEEPSTAKES.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Follow this link, and provide your email address and your response to the Promotion prompt

b) Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that Tweet.

c) Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and then visit this link to provide your email address and the URL to that post.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age
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The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 7/18/2012 – 8/22/2012

Be sure to visit the Dove^® VisibleCare™ Crème Body Wash brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

BY CHARLOTTE TAFF

This review is for all of the readers who know everything there is to know about Nintendo AND for the ones who know jack squat. Since some of you may not be familiar with the original DS, here’s a little back story. For starters, the original DS was created with two screens and was made for the use of both DS and Gameboy Advance (the portable game system used before the DS) games. The DS games were small gray or black cards and could make graphics, sound, and overall game play better than the Gameboy Advance. One of the two screens of the DS was a touch screen that would be used differently depending on the game being played. The system was a great success as a portable system and was recreated by Nintendo as the DSi and the DS XL. The DSi had a brighter screen and a few more applications more than the original DS; and the DS XL was also an advanced DS, but only larger than the original.

When I first heard about the upcoming 3DS I had my suspicions. While the DSi and DS XL were created better, it didn’t sway me to buy one because my original DS was working just fine. To me, the 3DS just sounded like a hoax to get me to buy a new DS. Yet, when my mother told me she was going to Nintendo Headquarters of America to see the 3DS since she was a brand ambassador, I almost fainted at the fact that she was going to Nintendo Headquarters and didn’t think about the 3DS at all. (I’m a hardcore Nintendo fan to be honest with you.) While she left to go to the Headquarters, I finally realized that she was going to see the brand new DS system and I started to think about it thoroughly. Should I give it a chance? Will it have good games? What does it have that the others don’t? Just try me, Nintendo– show me what you got this time!

Once mom got home she showed me that she had gotten the 3DS system from the people of Nintendo of America. I had a little temptation to play the system immediately but I was too busy pestering her about everything she saw at Nintendo of America and what she did. Once all of my commotion died down and it was just me and the system, I was more curious than ever as to what the 3DS had to offer. When I turned it on and played around with it for a few seconds, I was overcome with amazement.

The 3DS works just like the original DS only it’s astoundingly better. The sound was enhanced. A lot of the graphics were more 3 dimensional like the Wii than being just flat and pixilated. It had a built in joystick that was compatible with DS games along with 3DS games. The console’s design was more flat and convenient to put in places like bags and pockets, unlike the original bulky design. And best of all, it had the ability to be viewed in 3D without glasses. While the DSi may have been more advanced than the original DS, the 3DS blew all of the competition away because of its advanced enhancement of technology and its 3D feature.

I’ve had the system for a few months now and I’m still taken by surprise by all of its features. The 3D feature is made in a way that you wouldn’t really think of. Instead of popping out into your face uncomfortably, the 3D goes inward into the screen that actually makes it more appealing and brings that feel that you’re in the game more to life than before. When Nintendo makes portable consoles, they intend people to use them little by little at a time to your free time and convenience outside of your home. They were probably thinking the same thing when installing the 3D feature to the 3DS. The 3D can strain someone’s eyes when used a lot at a time, but if you can monitor your time on it, you’ll be just fine. Also, while the packaging says kids under 7 should not play this system, you don’t need to feel terrified if they just glance at the screen of someone like their sibling playing it. In the end to the 3D feature, a really good idea, but should be balanced to a person’s convenience. By the way, you can turn off the 3D effect if you want to…

PART 2 COMING SOON!