Unreal41 Candy Coated Chocolates

I tried the Unreal41 Candy Coated chocolates. I have no idea why they are numbered “41.” It was an interesting experience. At first bite, they seem like M&Ms. Then you realize that they have a heavier taste than M&Ms. Then you get a strange aftertaste. And you are curious, so you eat some more. They are definitely a completely different taste than M&Ms, so you may be disappointed if you think that's what you are getting. But I think I could get used to them. I like the idea that these are candy that is better for you as candy goes. They have no artificial ingredients, no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, and no preservatives. I received some coupons from BzzAgent to buy mine, otherwise I probably would have never realized these candies were out there.

Philips SatinPerfect Epilator

I've shaved, waxed, depilatorated? and now epilated my legs. I have to say that I have the hardest time getting hair off of my knees.  Depilatory creams worked best in the past, but I hated having to remember to put it on before I got in the shower and waiting the prescribed amount of time as well as the smell. Shaving always cut my knees, and waxing is too expensive. But with the Philips SatinPerfect epilator, the hair comes off easily and stays off. I found it too painful to use on my whole leg, especially since shaving works well enough and quick enough for me, but I'm glad I have it for my knees now!  They are kind of expensive (the one I received from BzzAgent was valued at $130, but they do make a $50 version), but as long as it last several years, I would think it’s worth the investment. The hair stays off for at least a week, and it works quickly in the privacy of your own home.

Silk Soymilk and Almond Milk

I have had soymilk in the past – chocolate soymilk.  And I have enjoyed it – especially the Silk brand.  I used to drink it as an afternoon snack at work.  I tried the 8th Continent brand once because it was on sale and did not like it.  It did not give the same enjoyable experience as drinking the Silk brand and more like drinking something “healthy.”  Now, I have read that chocolate soymilk (like chocolate milk) is not that great for you.  So, when I was given the opportunity to get two half-gallon Silk products for free from BzzAgent, I decided to broaden my horizons.  I purchased Silk PureAlmond Vanilla milk first.  I tried it straight up in a glass at first.  It was a little thick and slightly bitter, so I cut it with my regular milk and found it much more palatable.  My three year old also enjoyed the “nut milk.”  I then tried it in my protein smoothies.  It performed very well and gave the smoothie and extra dimension of almond flavor – a very nice touch.  I finally tried it in my cereal (everything from Lucky Charms to Frosted Mini-Wheats).  I actually really enjoyed it in the cereal.  It’s thicker than regular milk, so the experience harkens a little of something my mother likes to do – add yogurt to her cereal.  I don’t like adding yogurt because that’s too thick for me, but I did like the almond milk. 

After I finished the Almond Milk, I dared to try Silk Plain Soymilk.  This was a little scary to me, since I had never tried plain soymilk before and the idea of nothing sweetening it was not my idea of something tasty.  I tasted a tiny bit plain and it was as I expected – unappetizing.  So I added some Hershey’s chocolate syrup and it wasn’t too bad.  I then tried it in my smoothies and found it an acceptable replacement for regular milk.  I only noticed a slight taste difference.  I tried in my cereal and the same thing happened there – tasted fine.  I was actually pleasantly surprised that I was able to finish the entire half gallon and happy to know I don’t have to buy flavored soymilk again.   Silk also makes a coconut milk and I look forward to trying that one next!

Bare International Mystery Shopping

I will not typically review a company, specifically a mystery shopping company, because I think that mystery shoppers should remain anonymous.  Which is why I find Facebook Pages of mystery shopping companies amusing, because that’s about as un-anonymous as you can get.  However, since I had such a terrible experience with this company, I must get it off my chest.  I did two shops for this company the same day.  One shop, I received a 10/10 rating, the other a 1/10.  They rejected my shop and said I refused to respond to any requests of further information.  I am not new to mystery shopping.  I have been doing this for seven years and perform over one hundred shops a year with several different companies.  I have never had the following happen to me and hopefully it will never happen again.  The shop I performed was a 45 minute drive and only one of the four venues they wanted me to evaluate was open.  So maybe that made me irritable about the whole thing anyway.  I submitted the shop on time and emailed the scheduler to let her know that everything was closed.  I checked the job board the next day (instructions said to check within 24 hours) and there were no messages. I went about my business and waited for an email if there was a question.  I find that mystery shopping companies do not usually work as fast as they like their shoppers to and often get back to you a week or so after the assignment is finished with questions.  I never received any email and eventually forgot about the assignment.  Now before you accuse me of losing the email in a spam filter, let me tell you I check my spam filter several times a day, whenever I see that there is a message in it.  I also have a special filter for my mystery shopping emails with a big red “Mystery Shop” box that pops up on it to flag them for me.  I NEVER received an email from them until they sent me an email saying I received a grade of 1 on the shop and it was to be excluded, I would not be paid, and that I would receive a citation for never updating my report.  I was furious.  I found the phone number to my account manager and called.  She was very nonchalant about the situation when I was obviously very upset.  When I realized she was not going to do anything, I asked to speak to someone who could do something and she sent me to another person’s voicemail.  I left my message and waited to receive an answer.  The next day, I received a phone call from the account manager asking if she reopened the shop, would I add the additional information that was requested.  Of course I would.  I would have completed it earlier if you had managed to let me know me you needed more information.  I raised the issue of not receiving the emails with her again, and she said, “This happens all the time.  People never respond to our emails until they get the shop excluded email.”  So I told her that it sounded like there was something wrong with their email system and maybe someone should be looking into it.  And she flat out said, “No ma’am, it’s not a problem with our system.  The emails are being sent.  People just don’t respond to them.”  Excuse me, but she just called me a liar.  Wow.  So I told her that if I could not trust the company to send emails, then I would not be working with them in the future.  She said, “That’s fine, you don’t have to.”  No sympathy, no “I’m sorry to hear that,” just a condescending tone.

So, I added the additional information and resubmitted the shop.  I got an email an hour later from the person I left a voicemail for saying that she had spoken with the account manager and that the shop had been reopened from me.  She also said that supposedly three emails had been sent to me regarding this missing information (again, that I NEVER received).  The first message was dated five days after I had originally submitted my shop.  These messages appear on the shop log, but five days is WAY out of the 24 hour time frame of my responsibility of having to check the shop log.  Since I work with so many companies, I rely on those emails or phone calls if there is a problem with my shop.  I cannot check every company’s page every day to see if an editor bothered to read my report yet.

This is an extremely large company and I know they will not miss me and I’m sure my post will have no effect whatsoever, but I hope to help out another dedicated mystery shopper in the future.  You can be sure that if I am not paid for my shops in the timeframe that is listed on the site, I will file a complaint against Bare International with the Better Business Bureau.  When I did some looking around today, I saw many complaints about them not paying on time.  I can only hope that a company that would like to get good information from a mystery shopping company would read this and pass on Bare International.  There are many other wonderful dedicated companies that provide an excellent service to both their clients and treat their evaluators with respect.  Perhaps my blood pressure can return to normal now.  Thank you for your time.  I know this was a long read.

Barely There Flawless Fit Microfiber Hipster

Est. Retail Price $9 or 3/$24.  I received the Barely There Flawless Fit Microfiber Hipster to review as a BzzAgent.  It is made of microfiber, has no seams or tags.  It is very comfortable to wear, stretchy, and very sheer.  It’s great to wear under breeches if you are an equestrian as it show no lines at all.  Also, the fact that it has no seams in the crotch area makes your sitting trot much more bearable.  I think the price is a bit high, but you may be able to find it for a good sale price in stores sometimes.  I would definitely purchase more of these at a lower price.  I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

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Dove Intensive Repair Daily Treatment Conditioner

 The Claim: Benefits of a treatment at the speed of a conditioner, leaving hair intensely nourished, significantly strengthened and silky smooth.  I received this product as a BzzAgent.  I have fine hair and have used it for a week and feel like my hair has gotten thicker.  I would not say that my hair is softer and would definitely say that I have tried other conditioners that make my hair softer.  But I feel that this one may be "repairing" my hair, and that's why it feels thicker.  It has not added any weight to my hair in the process and does have a pleasant smell.  Time will tell if it actually is helping out my hair.  So far, I think the product is average and wish it made my hair feel smoother.  I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Tomara Equestrian Full-Seat Breeches

These breeches are sold on Amazon.com and eBay by The Tack House.  If you want a pair, buy them off eBay - you can get them as cheap as $10 there, which is why I bought them.  Who has ever heard of brand-new full-seat breeches for $10?!  Well, when I received them, I saw why.

These breeches look like they are homemade.  They are advertised has having a Clarino seat and some say that is a lie, but I can't really tell.  What I can tell is that there is no backing to the seat - it's sewn directly into the rest of the breech.  All other breeches have the patches sewn on top of the original breech fabric.  So, the backing of the patch is directly against your skin, which makes it a bit sweaty.  The rest of the breech fabric is a cotton-lycra blend, so rather comfy.

As you can see from the picture, they aren't exactly as form-fitting as other breeches either.  They tend to be wide in the calf/ankle area and don't stretch very well vertically, meaning they ride up when you bend your knee.  There are no pockets, but they are zippered and buttoned.

I don't know how long these will last, but I own two pair and they have each lasted through at least one ride!  If I can get a year's worth out of them, the price I paid will be worth it.  Not bad for schooling and would NOT recommend at all for showing.  I give them 2 out of 5 stars - the extra star for being so darn cheap.