pattyyyz2610
Reviews
Aerobie Bounce Disc
Spinmaster Toys and Butterly sent these Aerobie Bounce Discs to review. This is a throwing toy with rubber edges so that it can bounce. It is marketed as a toy for indoor play but the kiddo found them a bit lackluster and commented they might be... +
Spinmaster Toys and Butterly sent these Aerobie Bounce Discs to review. This is a throwing toy with rubber edges so that it can bounce. It is marketed as a toy for indoor play but the kiddo found them a bit lackluster and commented they might be better for outdoors - but since we have 50cm of snow outside that won’t be happening any time soon. Kiddo was entertained for a little while but unless you have a house full of non-breakable items, I would suggest taking a pass on these. -
L’Occitane Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm
I’ve been using a version of the Intense 25% Shea Butter hand cream from L’Occitane for over 20 years since discovering the boutique on Bloor Street in Toronto in my university days. It’s a beloved classic for good reason. It has a pleasant... +
I’ve been using a version of the Intense 25% Shea Butter hand cream from L’Occitane for over 20 years since discovering the boutique on Bloor Street in Toronto in my university days. It’s a beloved classic for good reason. It has a pleasant scent that dissipates quickly and the cream itself absorbs quickly without a heavy or greasy residue. A little bit goes a long away, I really only need a pea-sized amount for my hands, cuticles and I rub any excess on my elbows.
There’s a slighter lighter hand cream formulation with 20% Shea that was released a few years ago but I prefer this one with higher Shea butter content because it feels more moisturizing, luxurious and is perfect for dry winter skin. The aluminum tube can get lumpy and difficult to manage as the product gets used, which is why they released a key to roll the tube and get every last bit of this cream out. (Key is sold seperately.)
Thanks L’Occitane Canada for sending me this cream free to review. I had run out so the timing was perfect!
- Product gifted by L'Occitane Canada.
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CLEAN RESERVE Whipped Cherry
This is a cozy, warm gourmand fragrance. Very vanilla forward, with a slightly almond and woody dry down but after an hour all I smell on my skin is sweet vanilla. I don’t detect any cherry or citrus/ fruit notes at all. It is reasonably long... +
This is a cozy, warm gourmand fragrance. Very vanilla forward, with a slightly almond and woody dry down but after an hour all I smell on my skin is sweet vanilla. I don’t detect any cherry or citrus/ fruit notes at all. It is reasonably long lasting, and doesn’t have a wide sillage.
Reminds me of a sweeter version of Atelier Cologne’s Vanille Incensée but without the longevity of Atelier Cologne’s perfumes. I don’t buy into all the brand’s “clean formula and no dirty ingredients” marketing but I do appreciate that the brand is cruelty-free. This retails for $148 (Cdn) for 100mL so it is a fairly priced Eau de Parfum. I was sent this product free to review but my opinions are my own.
- Product gifted by CLEAN RESERVE (Canada).
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Unicorn Academy, Valentina Doll with Highlighted Hair, 5 Fashion Accessories & Hair Styling Tool
Butterly & Spin Master Toys sent me this Valentina doll from the Netflix series Unicorn Academy to review, so let’s do it! I have never watched this series nor do I know anything about the character Valentina, so I’m going be looking at this... +
Butterly & Spin Master Toys sent me this Valentina doll from the Netflix series Unicorn Academy to review, so let’s do it!
I have never watched this series nor do I know anything about the character Valentina, so I’m going be looking at this doll the same way I would review any of my dolls, figures and collectibles.
First impressions - this is a 9.5” tall “fashion doll” type of toy and she’s cute! She has a very pretty face. The sculpt is a semi-realistic style - obviously the eyes are huge (and just printed on) but she has a nice nose and lips, and a subtle chin. I can see folks complaining she has too much makeup or not enough makeup but I think that the face-up she has is pretty. Her hair is very unique! I love the multicolor streaks that took a lot of wefting to achieve, and the style with the half-up bun is neat.
(Second impression - I can envision some doll customizers doing some cool things re-styling the hair and re-doing the faceup. It’s a good canvas to work with!)
Her outfit design is giving me 90’s Disney channel vibes. It’s cool but I personally don’t love the style, and to be critical the sewing construction is not the best. The gloves (and boots) are removable, but I wouldn’t recommend removing them too often because I can see it getting damaged over overtime due to the material it’s made of.
The doll is jointed and can pose well. Elbows and knees are articulated. Too bad the wrists are not, but I do understand that they are targeting a younger age group here. More points of articulation means an extra point that can possibly get broken.
Final thoughts - with a MRSP of $16.99, this doll is a good value and a doll I would have liked as a kid. To older collectors, don’t overlook the possibilities of customizing this doll line!
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Hatchimals Alive, Neon Rainbow Egg Carton Toy with 5 Mini Figures in Color Reveal Eggs & 11 Accessories
Butterly and Spinmaster sent me this Hatchimals Neon Rainbow set to review. I let kiddos do this since I’m clearly not the target demographic 😂 This set comes with 5 eggs to hatch in the plastic egg carton. You remove the wings from the egg... +
Butterly and Spinmaster sent me this Hatchimals Neon Rainbow set to review. I let kiddos do this since I’m clearly not the target demographic 😂
This set comes with 5 eggs to hatch in the plastic egg carton. You remove the wings from the egg, add water to the hatching zone and place the egg in it. The surprise creature emerges very quickly and comes with some cute accessories too. In total this set comes with 5 surprise creatures and their accessories. The girls loved playing with these and thought the concept was cute.
My (non-sponsored) adult thoughts: Marketed as appropriate for all genders and all occasions. Good for kids with short attention span or as an immediate reward since the hatching process is very quick. There is quite a bit of packaging/ garbage. There are many different creatures to collect and some are “Rare” to try to get kids to try to collect them all. Small educational value (if you teach your kids about how some animals are hatched) from the hatching process but none in the toy creatures themselves. It’s cute, it’s fun but definitely gimmicky.
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