Hello and Happy Sunday!

Today’s blog post is dedicated to 3 products I’m trying out that you have probably heard ads for if you’re a podcast junkie like me! Sometimes it’s hard to get all of the information you could want on a product just by listening to a 30 second commercial summary, so I thought I would list my pro’s, con’s and prices of the products to help give you some more information before you place an order for yourself.

Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins

You may have seen my Instagram story awhile ago when I shared that I had started a new hair care regimen including Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins. I’m trying to grow out my locks and anyone that’s been on that journey themselves knows it requires patience and discipline. Since early September I’ve been pretty strict about limiting the damaging habits I subject my hair to. In the past I’ve really stressed my tresses with bleach and chemical color, heat tools, high ponytails, tight buns, and an imbalanced washing routine. I’ve done really well over the past 3 months with allowing my natural oils to work their magic by shampooing less often and conditioning more, embracing my natural curly hair texture and color, and then adding in a dietary supplement.

Pro’s:

1. Sugar Bear Hair Vitamins taste GREAT! Seriously I look forward to taking my vitamins daily and I never forget a dose because they are a delicious sweet treat that taste like candy!

2. The supplement has all of the ingredients recommended for good hair maintenance as well as ingredients that should be specifically included in a women’s daily multivitamin such as biotin, folic acid, and Vitamin D.

3. I really am seeing results. I’ve gone through 2 bottles, so 2 months of this regimen along with other changes to my routine and my hair is shinier, I have more hair growth and thickness, and my skin and nails are seeing improvements too! Less breakouts and more trips to the nail salon are a huge bonus!

Con’s:

1. From my research and experience the vitamins must be ordered online. I did see that select Ulta Beauty stores would be stocking them soon so I will keep an eye out for them! I order mine directly through their website https://www.sugarbearhair.com and shipping time is pretty quick and the product gets to me in less than a week but I definitely need to order in advance so that I don’t run out of medication in between refills!

2. Although the vitamins are advertised as cruelty-free, vegan, and gluten and dairy-free, each gummy contains a good amount of sugar, syrup, and other fillers and additives to give them the appealing flavor and consistency of candy. Those ingredients aren’t the healthiest choices in a daily supplement and aren’t exactly conducive to healthy hair growth since it is known that sugar is an inflammatory ingredient that also can cause hair follicles to shrink and thus should be limited and/or avoided in people dealing with hair loss.

Price:

$29.99 for a one month (30 day) supply of 60 chews.

You can also order a 3 month supply at a discounted price of $79.99 and that package includes a fun hair brush too!

Bonus: each time I’ve received my shipment the company has included cute gummy bear promotional items such as damage-free hair ties, a key chain, stickers, car air freshener, and sample sizes of their daily multivitamin that is supposed to work cohesively with the hair supplement. Who doesn’t love free S.W.A.G.?!

Quip Toothbrush

So my husband actually decided to order these toothbrushes for us pretty recently. Both of us are diligent about good oral hygiene and fortunately have never had any real issues with our teeth and gums. Anything to continue caring for our pearly whites and keeping us on the right track is welcome. Quip ads promise to refill the toothbrush head every 3 months which is actually how often it is recommended that you change toothbrushes. The system is also advertised to promote good brushing habits. Our starter kit came with the wall/mirror mount that doubles as a cover for traveling, the brushes themselves, and a tube of anti-cavity toothpaste.

Pro’s:

1. The toothbrushes are slim, battery operated, and completely water proof. They also come in a variety of colors. He picked gold for me and silver for him.

2. The toothbrushes are simple to operate with one vibration setting started by one button. It is self timed for 2 minutes and every 30 seconds a guide pulse goes off to indicate it is time to switch quadrants of your mouth for an effective brushing routine.

3. The vibration of the brush is gentle and the brush head is small and flexible. I actually have very sensitive teeth and gums and I often bled during brushing because I was using too much pressure and too fast of a brushing motion with my regular toothbrush. The Quip toothbrush serves as a great guide to the perfect pressure and speed to use and I feel like I’m improving my habits and my oral health.

Con’s

1. My husband was slightly disappointed that the toothbrush only vibrates and that the brush heads don’t have their own motion like a lot of electric toothbrushes do to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning. That being said, Quip doesn’t promise a powerful brush for cleaner teeth, but simply better habits like new brush heads and brushing guides to improve overall oral health habits.

2. The toothpaste that came in our starter kit is no different than any other anti-cavity toothpaste available at the store. It’s a mint flavor which is fine, but I prefer a whitening toothpaste as well as a fluoride toothpaste for cavity prevention so I’m just using my preferred Sensodyne Complete toothpaste with my new brush.

Price:

$40 with free shipping for each of our starter kits. Our first brush head refill is also free in 3 months but then each refill after that is $5. Toothpaste refills are also $5.

For more information or to order go to: https://www.getquip.com

Rocks Box Jewelry

I previously had a monthly subscription to Rocks Box jewelry as well as Stitch Fix clothing. I am not at all an advocate for Stitch Fix for a number of reasons if I’m being completely honest. But some of the items that came in my Rocks Boxes I ended up keeping and I still wear on a semi-regular basis.

Pro’s:

1. You get a new box filled with 3 fun surprise jewelry pieces that you get to try out before you decide to purchase. You can also wear them for awhile and then ship the pieces back for a refresh of new pieces.

2. The jewelry that came in my boxes were intended to be tailored to my style and preferences based on a wish list I created. I would say the stylists did a decent job of selecting pieces that fit my style and were on trend with what I was wearing that season.

3. The monthly subscription fee is applied towards the item or items that you choose to purchase from each box so if you end up liking something that subscription fee doesn’t go to waste.

Con’s:

1. Since the pieces of jewelry are designer pieces by Kate Spade, Sophie Harper, Kendra Scott, etc. they can be on the pricier side if you want to purchase something indefinitely.

2. This sort of goes along with what I mentioned above but a lot of the pieces have really good dupes that are easy to find at a fraction of the designer price. Imagine my frustration when I purchased the ring from my Rocks Box for $59 and I see an identical style at Old Navy for $12 soon after. Granted, the quality is a lot better but for the amount I wear certain pieces of jewelry I just decided to cancel my subscription and shop for jewelry on my own again.

I hope you found today’s blog post helpful when it comes to some of the products and services you see and hear advertised so often now. I’ve loved trying these and I’ve used others such as Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Dollar Shave Club, etc. so please feel free to send me a message if you have other questions! Have a great week!