samplingnaturally
Member Since: January 15, 2021Reviews
Sambucol Black Elderberry Immunity + Cold and Flu Relief Gummies
I like that these immunity gummies are in gummy format, and have a good flavour. It tastes like elderberry and is pleasant. The gummies are a good size, about the size of a fingertip. The only thing that surprised me was the texture. It’s not... +
I like that these immunity gummies are in gummy format, and have a good flavour. It tastes like elderberry and is pleasant. The gummies are a good size, about the size of a fingertip. The only thing that surprised me was the texture. It’s not chewy. Rather, it’s the type of gummy you bite and chew through so it kind of sticks to your teeth. Once I got used to that, I quite enjoyed the gummies. I like the idea of taking vitamins via gummies because it tastes better and is way more enjoyable than swallowing pills.
- Product received for free from Butterly.com in exchange for an honest review.
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Zarbee's® Children's Cough + Mucus Syrup (118ml)
I tried this myself and I enjoyed the flavour. It was sweet, tasted like honey, but berry flavoured. I personally liked taking it. But unfortunately my toddler was not as keen about it as I was! This package arrived just in time, as he is currently... +
I tried this myself and I enjoyed the flavour. It was sweet, tasted like honey, but berry flavoured. I personally liked taking it. But unfortunately my toddler was not as keen about it as I was! This package arrived just in time, as he is currently suffering from cold symptoms including runny nose and cough. I quickly opened up the package, and found the bottle to be super cute as it is shaped like a bee hive. It seemed the bee hive cap was for pouring the syrup, but I didn’t see any volume indicator. Overall, I like the product but unfortunately my son doesn’t. -
NOMA SurfaceElite™ + High Power Bagless Carry-off Corded Upright Vacuum Cleaner
There is a lot to like about this vacuum, but for me there are also some downsides. Packaging: I found the packaging to be super. The vacuum parts were fit into the box like tetris, with barely any space wasted. Assembly: There were only a... +
There is a lot to like about this vacuum, but for me there are also some downsides.
Packaging: I found the packaging to be super. The vacuum parts were fit into the box like tetris, with barely any space wasted.
Assembly: There were only a handful of parts, so it made assembly super easy. I followed along with the instruction booklet but found I barely needed it. Within minutes, I was set up and ready to use the vacuum.
Suction: I tried the vacuum on both hardwood and carpet. There is a red button that you choose “I” for hardwood and “II” for carpet. It was easy to switch back and forth the modes, when going from one type of flooring to another. The suction was absolutely fantastic. I was super impressed by how clean the hardwood and carpets were afterwards. And although my floors didn’t look super dirty before vacuuming, I could tell there was a lot of dirt not visible to the eye, from the amount that ended up in the large canister of the vacuum.
Ease of use: Here is where I found there were some downsides. Firstly, the vacuum is corded, and the cord is super long. You wrap it around the side of the vacuum. I found when I vacuumed it got in the way, and got tangled, making it frustrating to vacuum. Also the cord wrap is located on the right side, and I would have preferred it to be on the left side since I am right-handed. I hold the vacuum handle with my right hand, and ideally hold the cord with my left (to keep it up off the floor). Another thing about the vacuum that I found inhibitive was the weight. It’s heavy enough that my arm got tired after a few minutes of vacuuming. The swivel head was great though, and it was really easy to manoeuvre around furniture legs.
Other functions: The vacuum had some other functions that I thought were fantastic. One is the carry off function. You can take out the canister part, and carry it around without the rolling base. That made it easier to bring it to tighter spaces like behind the couch to vacuum the drapes. Another neat function was the anti-tangle roll brush, which is a must have if you yourself sheds a lot of hair, or have a pet that does. I like that it has a hepa filter too which is the gold standard.
Maintenance: Maintenance of the vacuums seems decent and not too onerous. To empty the canister, you just eject it. And for cleaning other parts, they can be rinsed off with water and fully dried before putting it back in. When any of the filter or parts start to get less effective, the instruction manual provides a link for where to purchase replacement parts.
Overall thoughts: I love the suction and power of this Noma vacuum, but I also see myself using it mostly for big vacuum jobs because of cord (needing to plug it in, and the cord gets in the way). It’s enough of an inconvenience that I would avoid setting it up for small jobs or spot vacuuming. I think a retractable cord could help with the tangling issue. Also if you have kids, this is something to consider - I had babyproofed my wall outlets, so every time I needed to move the vacuum to another room and plug it in, I first had to remove the babyproofing, before I could plug it in.
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NOMA Advanced Evertough Christmas Lights, 70 Mini LED Lights, Warm White
I tried them out indoors, and they are a nice warm white, almost yellowish. They are easy on the eyes for indoor, but I think would also be bright enough outdoors. These evertough lights come with a 10 year warranty, and corrosion protection. They... +
I tried them out indoors, and they are a nice warm white, almost yellowish. They are easy on the eyes for indoor, but I think would also be bright enough outdoors. These evertough lights come with a 10 year warranty, and corrosion protection. They are meant to withstand the elements. I haven’t tried keeping them out in the rain or snow yet, but I am comforted by the 10-year warranty. The lights were super easy to set up, and pretty. -
AVEENO® Tone + Texture Renewing Night Cream
This tone and texture renewing night cream has a consistency that is slightly more viscous than lotion. It’s not a super thick cream. Instead, it applies readily to the skin and gets absorbed rather quickly. I love that it has no fragrance, and is... +
This tone and texture renewing night cream has a consistency that is slightly more viscous than lotion. It’s not a super thick cream. Instead, it applies readily to the skin and gets absorbed rather quickly. I love that it has no fragrance, and is good for sensitive skin. I used it before bed on my legs, since the product claimed to smooth out and gently exfoliate bumpy skin while sleeping. By the next morning my legs were definitely smoother. I didn’t notice exfoliation but I think that’s supposed to be more subtle. I enjoyed applying this night cream. I think given the not so thick consistency, it could even be on a squeeze bottle which would make it easier to apply. Overall this seems like an effective product, but it didn’t stand out to me that much (as opposed to other body creams/lotions I have used before bed). -
Aveeno® Calm + Restore Skin Therapy Balm
This is like some sort of miracle balm. It wasn’t what I was expecting from the packaging and the small opening that the balm came out of. With such a small opening (a few mm) and smaller bottle size compared to other lotions, I thought the... +
This is like some sort of miracle balm. It wasn’t what I was expecting from the packaging and the small opening that the balm came out of. With such a small opening (a few mm) and smaller bottle size compared to other lotions, I thought the consistency would be more like a thicker ointment. At least that’s what comes to mind when I hear the word “balm”. This one turned out to be more liquidy, like the consistency of a lotion. I was a bit skeptical at first, at how effective it could be at deep moisturization, but I used it on my son’s eczema and within a day I saw improvement of his rash. It was actually really surprising to me because I had been consistently using the Aveeno eczema night cream on the same rash every night, for months, and the rash wouldn’t go away. After just 1-2 applications of this balm, the rash seemed less pronounced already. -
Aveeno® Calm + Restore Nourishing PHA Exfoliator
This is such a gentle cleanser I can’t even believe it’s an exfoliator. Definitely not what I would have expected when using an exfoliator. This cleanser is so gentle, it is milky in consistency, and when applied, there is no abrasion at all. I... +
This is such a gentle cleanser I can’t even believe it’s an exfoliator. Definitely not what I would have expected when using an exfoliator. This cleanser is so gentle, it is milky in consistency, and when applied, there is no abrasion at all. I wasn’t sure it was doing any exfoliating, but then after I used it a few days, I noticed my dead skin cells were shedding more readily. My face feels great after using it, and it hasn’t irritated my face at all. Sometimes when I try new products, it flares up my acne but this one didn’t. I love that it is fragrance free and good for sensitive skin. -
Paw Patrol Aircraft Carrier HQ
Firstly, I have to say that this was the most epic unboxing my son experienced - the Paw Patrol Aircraft Carrier HQ comes in a big box, and the box itself is really fun with lots of paw patrol characters all over it. My son was so excited to open... +
Firstly, I have to say that this was the most epic unboxing my son experienced - the Paw Patrol Aircraft Carrier HQ comes in a big box, and the box itself is really fun with lots of paw patrol characters all over it. My son was so excited to open it. And the unboxing was great because you pull it out and you can see the aircraft carrier right away in all its glory. Upon taking it out my son was already playing with the car, while I attempted to figure out how to work the toy. Thankfully, it was pretty easy to figure out! My son and I didn’t really need to instruction booklet to figure out how to get the carrier to open up, and for the cars to be ejected. Once my son found all the pushable buttons, I think he spent at least half an hour ejecting the car, and the two projectiles at the side. A few times he flew the projectile into my leg and I was glad to know that it actually doesn’t hurt. The projectiles are really cool, you can aim them in all directions. As for the cars, you can do them one at a time, or press them both together and have them race. I tried some races with my son which was super fun. The top dome opens and closes, which is another feature. I think in terms of things I would have liked to see: For the AAA batteries to be included, for it to come with 2 cars (so that you can start racing them right away), and for the instruction manual to come in colour since the sticker-placing was a bit hard to see given the size and given it was black and white. Overall, a SUPER fun today, and a must have for any paw patrol enthusiast! -
PanOxyl PM Blemish Brightening Patches
I really like that these patches are thin, and they stick. I placed a large patch on a large pimple that had been bugging me for at least a few days. I kept picking it and it would bleed then scab over and then I’d pick at it again. I decided to... +
I really like that these patches are thin, and they stick. I placed a large patch on a large pimple that had been bugging me for at least a few days. I kept picking it and it would bleed then scab over and then I’d pick at it again. I decided to put one of these patches on during the day because I couldn’t wait until night. I was pleasantly surprised at how inconspicuous it was, and how well it stuck (considering it was near my lips and in a place of constant movement). After some hours, I noticed that under the patch there was white buildup, and it indicated to me something was working. I peeled it off and it was a nit painful because of how sticky it was. Overall, I was really satisfied with the effectiveness. -
PanOxyl PM Overnight Spot Patches
I really like that these patches are thin, and they stick. I placed a large patch on a large pimple that had been bugging me for at least a few days. I kept picking it and it would bleed then scab over and then I’d pick at it again. I decided to... +
I really like that these patches are thin, and they stick. I placed a large patch on a large pimple that had been bugging me for at least a few days. I kept picking it and it would bleed then scab over and then I’d pick at it again. I decided to put one of these patches on during the day because I couldn’t wait until night. I was pleasantly surprised at how inconspicuous it was, and how well it stuck (considering it was near my lips and in a place of constant movement). After some hours, I noticed that under the patch there was white buildup, and it indicated to me something was working. I peeled it off and it was a nit painful because of how sticky it was. Overall, I was really satisfied with the effectiveness. -
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