mwinyela
Member Since: September 17, 2008Reviews
Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste
NO NO NO! Please do not buy this! I had a horrible experience with this product for which I am still paying financial consequences!!! I used it from April to June and it wasn't until a couple of close friends made some comments about my teeth... +
NO NO NO! Please do not buy this! I had a horrible experience with this product for which I am still paying financial consequences!!! I used it from April to June and it wasn't until a couple of close friends made some comments about my teeth that I took a look in the mirror one fine Saturday morning and noticed ....BROWN SPOTS all along my top and bottom gumlines. This may sound stupid now, but I was horrified, and for the next two days I thought my insides were rotting away or something or it was some sign of a disease.
A little history about myself - I'm very into natural products and health foods. I don't smoke, do drugs, drink coffee and occasionally drink. When I went to the dentist, the nurse told me the brown spots (which the dentist's assistant had to spend 30 minutes removing because it was all over!!!) were similar to brown discoloration that a smoker of 20 years would experience. WHAT THE HELL? Anyway, the spokesperson from Crest was right about the discoloration being removed after one good cleaning. However, it was a completely unnecessary cleaning that cost me $190.00.
Since June I have been in contact with Health Canada, Crest and Proctor and Gamble about this issue. It is now September, and I only just received a call from Proctor and Gamble to say they will be reimbursing me with a cheque that should be arriving within 4-6 weeks (we will see about that...). Customer Service was horrible over the last couple of months because I kept calling and would never get a response back.
Anyway - The dentist agreed that the brown discoloration was due to Crest Pro-Health Mouthwash (Mint flavor). Crest's response is: "Brown discoloration on teeth is an indication that the product is working..." Apparently, if you have any tartar build-up at all the ingredient in the alcohol-free mouthwash will kill the tartar and it is a natural occurrence for it to turn brown. If you ask me, this is a bunch of b.s.. If you want your teeth to be clean, why would you by a product that lets you know its working by turning your teeth brown? Think, people, Think! Looks like anyone can get hired at Crest over in the U.S.
If you think I am the only one this happened to, google Crest Pro-Health wash- you should come across amazon.com reviews that discuss brown discoloration and loss of taste as the main two side effects from using this product. There is also an ongoing lawsuit by Bell and Brigham in the states against Crest over the pro-health line...and Crest had acknowledged this issue on their american website but I think it has been taken down now.
Just because of this one issue, I now use baking soda and tea tree oil for my toothpaste and tea tree oil and water as my mouthwash and try to avoid proctor and gamble products at all cost. Why? Proctor and gamble is quite aware of the side-effects caused by Crest Pro-Health products but refuses to put a warning label on the bottle or to take it off the shelves...didn't anyone take business ethics 101 at P&R;? tsk tsk. I just hope Health Canada does their job and puts that warning label on the bottle.
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The Tea Store
Yup, 5 stars for food, price and quality. The ambiance and location is great for a place to relax and drink a nice cup of tea. Plenty of exotic choices to choose from and knowledgeable and informed people to help you find what you're looking so... +
Yup, 5 stars for food, price and quality. The ambiance and location is great for a place to relax and drink a nice cup of tea. Plenty of exotic choices to choose from and knowledgeable and informed people to help you find what you're looking so you don't get lost in the giant selection of tea they have there. The tea is served in top quality tea-ware and you know you are always getting the best quality. On occasion, I have come across some live music there so if you're in the market - by all means, go and check it out. The tea store has changed the way I think about tea and I don't think I could buy it anywhere else. :) -
Phytospecific Phytorelaxer (no lye) Index I
THE ONLY OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BLACK/ETHNIC/AFRICAN HAIR WHO WANT TO SAFELY RELAX THEIR HAIR. This product is the gentlest chemical straightener I have ever used and the most natural as its active ingredients are soy and egg. After treatment... +
THE ONLY OPTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH BLACK/ETHNIC/AFRICAN HAIR WHO WANT TO SAFELY RELAX THEIR HAIR. This product is the gentlest chemical straightener I have ever used and the most natural as its active ingredients are soy and egg. After treatment, my hair was still full and people were asking if I was middle eastern because of how bouncy and full my hair was. YESS! Usually, after relaxing your hair you have to go through that horrible week of flat hair - well not with this product.
However, keep in mind that this product is not a miracle cure. You can still damage your hair or burn your scalp if you don't carefully follow the manufacturer's directions. If it is your first time using this product or the phytospecific line, use Index I first and get a professional to do it for you. Do not wash your hair a week prior, and do not wash it for 3 days after. This was the first relaxer I used after almost 2 years going natural and my roots really took to it but, no thanks to the hairdresser, my ends could have turned out a little smoother. (True, you should only apply the product to new growth, but the hairdresser did not consider the fact that I hadn't relaxed my hair in a very long time and he didn't really treat the ends properly).
Anyway, overall it was a great experience and I will probably use this product every 8 -10 weeks because I am trying to go very natural. It has been about two weeks now and my hair is shiny, soft. full and very manageable. I will update the review when it starts looking like I need to relax my hair again.
P.S. I know this may be very important to some people - the price. The relaxer is very expensive, especially when you're used to buying $12 chemical straighteners. However, this is the most effective relaxer that will not damage your hair if used properly. Phytospecific is based on plant/natural ingredients and you are paying for the quality of the product. It is truly worth the price and its time that black hair suppliers start putting these kind of products up on the shelf.
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bareMinerals Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF15
I have oily sensitive skin and my skin really did not react well to this product at all. I completely broke out and, sadly, it took me several weeks to confirm 100% that it was because of the bare escentuals line. Thankfully, I can still go and... +
I have oily sensitive skin and my skin really did not react well to this product at all. I completely broke out and, sadly, it took me several weeks to confirm 100% that it was because of the bare escentuals line. Thankfully, I can still go and return some of the products at Sephora but the first kit I bought was from the Shopping Channel - and this stuff is not cheap...
The first problem I had was that I could not find a color match for my skin tone - I am biracial and so I am lightskinned (medium tan). The tan color was a little ashy on my forehead and it washed me out. Medium Tan was too dark - so I was really stuck with the tan color. The concealer loose powder really wasn't effective - it was either too chalky on my skin or it didnt provide enough coverage and ended up melting off anyway. That's another issue I had with this makeup - BARE ESCENTUALS IS NOT FOR OILY SKIN!!! Five minutes after the foundation sets I already start to look oily - I only tolerated it because with the help of a little talc powder it would look "dewy", which was good.
I really thought this was going to be my new makeup - but it made me break out and my skin was never oilier than when I used this. Thank God for Sephora and their return policy.
On the upper hand - Dr. Hauschka's makeup line is great and surprisingly there are dark foundation colors available. I had a free facial and makeover on Saturday at Market Organics and the makeup was great and it made my skin feel great and it looked so natural. I am going to guy buy it and will rate it after a few trial weeks of use!
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Market Organics - Health Food Store
What used to be called Natural Food Pantry, has gone under new management and is now called Market Organics. After having shopped at Rainbow Foods, Herb & Spice Shop and other health food stores, I would say that Market Organics is the least... +
What used to be called Natural Food Pantry, has gone under new management and is now called Market Organics. After having shopped at Rainbow Foods, Herb & Spice Shop and other health food stores, I would say that Market Organics is the least expensive. I have been buying some Organic Raw/Living Vegan foods and it is definitely not cheap, and it helps that Market Organics has great sales and a reduced/clearance section. They have a small produce section, a large selection of raw and organic dehyrdated/dried fruits and veggies, and some great lunches to go. They have some local baked goods and alot of supplements - so go check it out. I think from now on I may only go to herb and spice for their samosas and pakoras and some produce. -
Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise - Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant
I love this restaurant - it's a great place to hang out after lectures. They have a great selection of vegan, dairy-free foods. I think they have gluten-free choices as well, but I don't remember. The soups are fabolous and are great to try... +
I love this restaurant - it's a great place to hang out after lectures. They have a great selection of vegan, dairy-free foods. I think they have gluten-free choices as well, but I don't remember. The soups are fabolous and are great to try even for people who are not vegetarian or vegan. The vegan cheesecake was delicious and you would never know it was made from tofu. Mango-Lime juice was very tasty and the vegan pizza was good too. They have baked/fried vegetable samosas and lebanese spinach pastry so there are great appetizers. Only downside is the place is a little small, but that is great for the ambiance. If you do go, please do not be judgmental - the servers/chefs are followers of Sri Chimnoy, a spirtual philosopher, and the restaurant reflects that, so please be tolerant of other people's spiritual beliefs. -
The Hair Centre
The Price - I used to pay $3 to get my eyebrows threaded in Montreal, so I guess I any price might be too expensive for me. But in Ottawa, it tends to range from $9-$15, so the price is average. Ambiance - I have never gone to the Hair Centre for... +
The Price - I used to pay $3 to get my eyebrows threaded in Montreal, so I guess I any price might be too expensive for me. But in Ottawa, it tends to range from $9-$15, so the price is average.
Ambiance - I have never gone to the Hair Centre for hair services - only for manicures and pedicures right next door. It was a clean environment and not too busy, so it was fine.
Service - This is what it really comes down to - She did an excellent job on my eyebrows. They were in major need of a cleanup as I hadn't touched them for a good 3 weeks. Little hairs were gone, and I was left with a clean beautiful arched eyebrows. Even better, she was pretty fast and I didn't have to keep holding the skin back on my forehead like some other threaders make you do. She was nice and overall it was a pleasant experience.
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Gabiani Hair Moda
I had a relaxer, trim and style done. I had brought my own chemical straightening product so he said he would charge me $55 for the service - OK, I didn't mind. However, when he mentioned that he it would be an extra $30 to blow dry my hair... +
I had a relaxer, trim and style done. I had brought my own chemical straightening product so he said he would charge me $55 for the service - OK, I didn't mind. However, when he mentioned that he it would be an extra $30 to blow dry my hair after washing the product out, I was not impressed. He said if I didn't pay then he would just towel dry my hair. I have been to many hair salons, including Holtz Spa, and they would never let their client walk out with damp hair.
Even washing the product out of my hair was a struggle for the other stylist as I had to sit there with my head in the sink for 15 minutes - NOT IMPRESSED! I was like, "Is there a problem?". To make matters worse, they spoke Lebanese and didn't let me know what they were doing with my hair - very unprofessional.
We came to an agreement that I would pay an extra $35 for the "Artistic Director's" cut and style (which is priced at $50) and that was a huge mistake. I had showed him a picture of a 40's retro style and he did not do anything even remotely close to that. He flipped out the back, which I could have done, and curled out some bangs - even tho it was supposed to be wavy/ringlets. I told him I had expected a polished look and he said there was only so much he could do with my hair. Sorry, but the black hair salon's never had a problem styling my hair and it always came out bouncy and shiny.
The styling was amateur at best and even before leaving the salon, the style was starting to come undone.
Please, if you have black/African hair, do not go to Gabiani's hair salon. Turn right back around and run away!!!
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