**REVIEW** Forskolin Extract (from Bioscience Nutrition) ***UPDATED***

**UPDATE** Cannot say how very glad I am that I got to try this. Barring any future problems (I don't expect any), I plan on using this for life. Seriously. This morning, my BP reading was 122/93. That's is the lowest I have been in over 10 years. I have not been taking my regular BP RX either. I plan on talking with my doctors about permanently substituting this for my THREE prescriptions. In my initial reviews, I mentioned that I had not noticed other significant changes. Since then, I can report that I am (for the first time in years), having very regular bowel movements (sorry that there's no more sensitive way to say that), and I am noticing a bit of an energy spike. Weight loss changes are slight, but any more weight loss could be due to the cinnamon-honey drinks I am doing.  I will update again as I hear and learn more. I am so happy about the improvement in my blood pressure readings that I could cry. I wonder if some of my fatigue was due to the high BP??? At any rate, this is such a positive change for me that I'm only upset that I didn't hear about the supplement sooner.




I very rarely apply to review supplements like this Forskolin extract.

 The reason I'm wary of supplements is because I take prescribed medications and infusions for existing medical issues. I'm not trying to create more problems for this aging body of mine! So why did I want to give this supplement a try? Not so much for any of the claims made:

1. Sustained and safe weight loss
2. Improves metabolism
3. Fat burner
4. Curbs appetite

Okay, truth be told those are some attractive claims. Lots of products make those same claims though. I wasn't really drawn in by any of that. What got me was what I'd read elsewhere about Coleus forskolii root extract - commonly called Forskolin.

Normally when I look up info on supplements, I don't find anything supporting the claims I want to believe in. Most times, I find that there is just a lot of hype from people selling something, but only "insufficient evidence" from respectable sources. Not this time. I was interested in the claims that this supplement might lower blood pressure and my trusty standby source (you know, until I can check with my personal physicians), WebMD was all over it:

On how it's used...

"Forskolin is a chemical found in the roots of the plant Plectranthus barbatus (Coleus forskohlii). This plant has been used since ancient times to treat heart disorders such as high blood pressure and chest pain (angina), as well as respiratory disorders such as asthma."

... and how it works:

Forskolin works on muscles in the heart and in the walls of the blood vessels. It produces a more powerful heartbeat and widening of the blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.

Still, this caveat was also  part of the article:

Herbal product manufacturers are now producing Coleus forskohlii extracts that contain high levels of forskolin. These preparations are being promoted for the same conditions for which forskolin has been traditionally used. However, currently there is no reliable scientific information that shows Coleus forskohlii extracts taken by mouth are effective. (my emphasis)

I wanted to give this a shot anyway. I'll run down what the Pros and Cons as of just 3 days use.

I can't tell you that I've experienced any boost in energy. I still use my 'strap molasses and my various honeys for that. The first day I took the Forskolin, I was really beat. I was still beat by the end of that day. (I noticed that the extract is supposed to be "good for insomnia" so not sure how that matches with boosting energy???)

The claim about this particular supplement curbing the appetite also is falling flat for me so far. I'm not eating more, but I'm surely not eating (or craving less). Maybe the metabolism part with help me with any weight loss. I've weighed myself so that I can do a comparison when I've finished this bottle, but it's way, way too early to tell anything yet.

None of the claims highlighted on the product page for this particular brand has been happening for me. Still, I am really so happy that I am giving this a try because, guess what? The claims made in general about the extract lowering blood pressure are being proved out for me.

I'm certainly not giving medical advice here (and if I was, you'd be crazy  to take it from me!), but I can tell you how this is working for me.

I currently take up to 3 different meds to try controlling my blood pressure. Sometimes, they work, sometimes, they don't. If I eat ZERO sodium and drink gallons of water, my meds work okay. If I get any kind of stressed out, or eat wrong, well then, my numbers go crazy. I'm always in a struggle to keep my top number under 140, but I've recently had trouble with my bottom number being high.

The first day, I took the supplement, I didn't notice a huge difference in my BP readings. I certainly didn't make any special notes about it in the tracking app I use. 

On Day Two of using the supplement, I checked my BP only because I was stressed. My reading was 140/87. This is a huge thing for me. Normally, the only way my numbers look that decent is if I am completely chilled out and haven't had my coffee yet - or any "forbidden salts" for several hours.

My BP numbers for Day Three were especially good. Not only was I mildly stressed (trying to do some freelance work that's driving me bonkers), but I also hadn't yet taken my prescribed meds. I wanted to check my BP after taking the Forskolin and before taking meds just so I don't get bottomed out. My numbers? 134/97.

Shut the door. Get out of here. Drop the mic.... All that. I'm checking my BP before I even dare take the prescribed meds. It would be so not-funny if I passed out from LOW blood pressure.

I can't wait to see my doctor so we can talk about this. I have some questions for the medical professionals: if this works, why isn't it being used more to treat blood pressure? Are there good reasons that it's not even being experimented with as a solution???? 

Anyway, I will update this post as I use the supplement more. I'm so happy about my blood pressure that I'm not worried about the other claims, but I will follow up on the weight loss thing.

Peace

--Free

DISCLOSURE:

In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.

Hauntings and Hemorrhoids

I was talking with a friend about crazy things that have happened to us. I had a story about the time I spent in a haunted building (and later injured myself in that building). I guess that counts as two stories, but my friend topped me with her one story. First, my stories:

I worked for a company that had the brokerage contract for a major shipping/transport company. My job was to run training classes for employees. The employees worked at one site and the training was done in an off-site building where we had a classroom, an HR office, and a small team of technical workers. There was a warehouse attached to the building. We used it for storing the thousands of paper files we had to keep on hand for 5 years.

At the time, I was younger and more energetic. One of the things I liked most about my job was the freedom to be creative and the need for a crazy schedule. I might work a two-week classroom schedule from 9 to 5 - am or pm - it all depended on the schedule of the employees being trained. Usually, there would be two weeks of classes, then a two-week lull. The "lull" was when I'd put together materials for other classes and I could work any hours I wanted.

For the lull time, I preferred working graveyard because I'd have the building (and copier, office supply closet and break room) to myself. The only downside was that the building was supposed to be haunted.

Now, I don't believe in ghosts. I believe that when you're dead, you're dead til Judgement Day. I believe that I have more to worry about from the living. That said, I do believe in hauntings. I've lived in a house that had some crazy things happen that couldn't be explained by The Amazing Randy. And I worked in that building that was either haunted or just caused people to hallucinate.

One time (and this is before I knew the building was supposed to be creepy), I was working alone, putting together materials for a class. The classroom was huge, with about 12 sets of tables and chairs so that four people could be seated together at each table. Along three walls we had set up computers on other long tables. That was for Data Entry training. My desk was at the front and off to the side, I had a a tall standing fan set up. I kept the fan unplugged when not in use. The door to the classroom opened up to a hallway running straight southward. Another hall to the left of the classroom ran north to the rear of the building where there was an office for a staff of auditors.  Outside the classroom, A couple of feet into the hall was the doorway into a small office that I shared with another trainer. Across from that office was a tiny bathroom. Further down from the trainers' office was a small alcove with  a copier and fax machine. Stairs leading down the to first floor were at the end of this hall.

I was inside the classroom collating material into several notebooks that would be given to each of the 10 trainees I expected for the next class. If I looked up, I could see part of the north hall because there was a small window above one of the computer tables. I wasn't looking because I was concentrating on gathering the next set of material I needed to copy for the notebooks.

Do you know how it sounds when kids are running down a carpeted hallway?  Out of nowhere, that's what I heard. At around 2 in the morning. In an empty building.

I looked over at the window that showed the north hallway. Nothing.

When something weird happens, the mind tries to un-weird things.

Because other workers would come in to finish up tasks, I thought that someone from one of the other offices was in the building. Then, I heard that running again. It was as if a couple of kids were running partway up the hall toward the classroom, then back toward the rear of the building. (I don''t know why I thought it would be kids.)

To un-weird things even more, I pretended that I must be hearing kids that had come in with their parents and they were just goofing off.  At two o'clock in the freaking morning.

You know what, I just kept right on working. My mind was wonderful at un-weirding things.

Until I left the room to make some copies.

When I'd left the classroom, I'd left nice, neat stacks of papers next to each of the notebooks I was preparing. Maybe 80 pages of material for each notebook. I was almost done for the night. When I came back into the classroom, I saw papers wafting a little, like in a mild breeze. Then I noticed that the fan was on, blowing at the lowest speed.

I walked over and looked at that fan. I knew that it had been unplugged.

My mind went into protective mode for real now. It wouldn't let me think about why that fan was plugged in and turned on. My mind told me to just turn it off, unplug it, and don't even think. At all. I unplugged the fan and made sure the dial was turned to the Off position.

There was just a little bit more work to do, then I could leave, so I got on with it. I did secure all the loose papers into each notebook before I went back out to the copy machine. I refused to even look toward the other hallway.  I went straight to the copier, ran it, collected the last of the papers and went back to the classroom.

And that damn fan was blowing full  blast.

I was done. I got purse and keys and sailed. I still don't remember shutting off lights and setting the building's alarm. I do know that I was halfway home before I realized I had all those last copies I'd made sitting on my passenger seat.

So, no, I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe in things that turn on fans and run down empty hallways.

When I told everyone else who worked in the building about what had happened, they weren't even surprised. I found out that there was one lady who would not be in the building alone. It didn't bother me too much. I took enough crap from the living. I was damned if I was going to let the invisible push me around.

My other story is about the night I was working alone in that building and hurt myself. No, nothing invisible pushed me or anything like that. Like everyone I worked with, I was suffering from a really bad cold. While I was working one night to make up for time I'd lost when I was first sick, I sneezed and fractured a rib.

The pain was so bad that I could barely breathe. I called over to the hub and one of the other supervisors came and drove me to the ER.  Nothing could be done to fix my rib (except let it heal on its own), but I was prescribed something to help me not cough for a few days. End of story.

There you go. I had a "ghost" story and an injury story. When I finished, I told my friend that I'd been scared to sneeze hard for a couple of years. She said she knew what I meant. Then she told me her story.

She said that she was at a restaurant with a friend. She had just forked in a mouthful of pancakes when she felt a sneeze coming on. Of course, she held in the sneeze. A real bad idea, it turns out.

"I felt something inside me pop," she told me.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. "What popped?"

"My a*s, apparently."

My friend went to the doctor and found out that she had "popped" out a hemorrhoid.

"Talk about blowing out your behind," she said, "I've never tried to hold in a sneeze since then.."

Once again, I'm done with life...

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Isododecane

This is a cosmetic ingredient that I am using to "thin" out and moisturize some of my makeup:

The item is from Making Cosmetics, the same place I get my Wrinkle Blur from. While the Blur is easy to use, with this product,  I'm kind of experimenting.

Here is the description for Isododecane ("Iso" from here on out). This is straight from the product page:

"Description: Hydrocarbon that is most often used as an emollient and solvent in skin care products. Thanks to its low viscosity and density, it has a high spreadability. Colorless liquid. Water-insoluble, but completely soluble with silicones, hydrocarbons, isoparaffin & mineral spirits. CAS# 31807-55-3. INCI Name: Isododecane."  (my emphasis)

And some more info:

"Properties: Has a weightless feel on skin, enhances spreadability of products, helps prevent evaporation of water from the skin, excellent emollient and can be used as replacement to oils in emulsions. Compatible with silicones for imparting shine, slip, combability for hair care products, conditions hair & skin. Use: Can be added to formulas as is, add to oil phase, use level 2-15%. Storage: Stable when kept in a closed container at a cool & dry place. Application: Mascara, eyeliner, creams, lotions, hair care, conditioners, hairsprays, perfumes." (my emphasis)

What I plan to use it for is what a lot of laymen Cosmetics Kitchenistas seem to use it for. I'm going to be adding minute amounts to my foundations to help them spread better and also with my gel liners to help them not "clump". I also add a bit to the Vanilla-Grapefruit fragrance that I'm so in love with. I noticed that the Iso helps the scent "stay" longer. Maybe that's because of the whole evaporation prevention?

I will definitely not be using this to try getting more mileage out of my old and dried out cosmetics. It's not good to use old cosmetics - eyeliners and shadows, etc - simply because they can cause me skin issues. I won't try to tell you guys what to do with your old products, but I will suggest you be careful of them. I've read of people getting eye infections and having serious skin breakouts from working with their ancient makeup. LOL.

So far, I've had good results.

With my fragrance, I added the smallest amount I could manage. I put one drop into a 4ml vial of the fragrance.  As far as using with my makeup, I have some concealer that I use the Iso with. I will dampen only the very tip of my smallest makeup brush with the Iso, then run the brush across the concealer before applying to my skin. It really does help with diluting the concealer and making it spread better. This works for me because, even when I want more foundation coverage, I never want a heavily applied concealer. Pretty sure this might work for thinning out other creamy cosmetics. Haven't tried that yet.

The one way that I absolutely love using the Iso is when I have over-applied my mascara or get clumps on my lashes. I take a clean mascara wand (you can get these at beauty supply stores), dab on some Iso, then run the wand through your lashes to "clean" them up a bit. It also works to thin out heavy lipsticks. I have a couple of lipstick shades that I like to blend together on the back of my hand before applying to my lips. The Iso makes this easy.

I did have to get used to handling the Iso. It's very, very runny and it only takes a bit to work with. I find that best way to use it is with a clean dropper.

I haven't used the Iso with hair products yet. I'm going to experiment with it though. I know that I want to try thinning out some of the hair gel I use sometimes. What I'm thinking about is the moisture and evaporation factor. Wonder if this would help my hair retain more of the moisture I get from some products? Hmmm....

As you can tell, I'm still playing around with uses for this stuff. If any of you have used it before or have tips for using it, let me know. I'll try to keep you updated from this end.

Of course, there's a bunch of info online about the Pros and Cons of Isododecane. It's not one of the "natural" products, so I get that a lot of people might not like that. For myself, this is one of those cases where I'm going more for control of my beauty products - natural or not.

Peace
--Free

**REVIEW** Super Enriched Honey

My brother and I were having a discussion about this one the other night:

We both like honey, but he is allergic to bee stings. I know that he eats honey, but I wanted to ask if he knew about any of the other by-products (?) of honey and if he uses them. He told me that he still loves and eats honey (and even has a friend who is a hobbyist beekeeper!). He did not know about any of the stuff that is in this product: pollen, propolis, and royal jelly.

Ingredients

Each of those things is in this enriched honey, but I wanted to break down what they are and how I could use them so I did some online research:

pollen

• Bee Pollen (according to WebMD) is basically pollen that collects on the bodies of bees and might also include bee saliva. I was surprised to learn that honey, honeycomb, royal jelly, and bee venom don't contain bee pollen. It is known to be used in skin-softening products and dietary supplements. It's not safe for pregnant or nursing women and, of course, could cause severe problems for people with pollen allergies. (I'm going to mention something about that in a bit.) Other sources mention that bee pollen is rich in amino acids and protein. (Here are some more claimed benefits.) 

propolis

• Bee Propolis (and, again, I'm going to steal straight from the info source) "is a resinous material that bees use to seal small cracks and gaps in the hive (beeswax seals the larger gaps). It’s made when bees collect resin from trees and other sources and mix it with a little bit of honey." Wow. I recently saw something about propolis being used to "accelerate" hair growth.

royal jelly

• Royal Jelly, according to WebMD, "is a milky secretion produced by worker honey bees." The "royalty" comes from the fact that it's used for the queen bee.

I find all that very interesting. One thing that alarms me a little is that I hear so many people talking about treating their pollen allergies with these bee products. I'm all about going natural and earth-central for healing and sustenance, but I also believe in caution and common sense. 

My brother is going to be checking this blog and doing some of his own research, but I have no known allergies, so...

Since I do care lots about my health, I budget out each month to purchase things that might be good for me. This enriched honey was one such purchase, but I almost got this one too:

The reason I decided not to get that one is because I can manage with the enriched honey for now. Maybe I will try that extract later. This is a comparison of nutrition labels:

propolis
extract

enriched
honey

Taste

Of course, nothing good for you will work if you can't stand using it. Good thing that I like the taste of this. 

mix of smooth and gritty

It's sweet, but not sugary-sweet. I'd say it's a nutty-flavored sweetness. The texture is a bit rough and gritty-like at first contact. Not bad, just not smooth like plain honey normally is. 

In general, I try to take in at least 1 tsp, three times a day. I'll generally do this just before I drink a lot of water.

Effects

Honestly, I thought that it would be a week or so before I would feel any of the energy I've heard other people talk about. That energy came on the first time I tried it. Maybe because I was a little bit tired when I took it? I probably wouldn't have noticed the added energy, but I was tired and dragging. I took about a teaspoon and a half, then drank some water. I'm not sure exactly how long it was - maybe half an hour - before I noticed that I was back up to speed. Actually, regular honey will give me a little boost, but this was a bit more intense. A nice surprise. 

I'm only on Day 3 with this, so I'll have to come back and update on whether or not the longer term effects are different. 

Because I have used honey on my skin (as a rinse-off mask) and hair (to heal damage), I want to try this out that way. I'm still debating with myself on that. The jar cost me about $11 at the local store. I'm not sure how much of this it would take to treat my face and neck. If I do try this out as a topical beauty treatment, I will sure post about it! LOL

I think I've hit my limit for honey products. I've tried it all at this point. Well, I haven't tried the Manuka honey and probably won't be able to afford to for a while, so... Maybe I will check to see if I can find the Manuka sold in tiny quantities. Oh well.

Peace

-Free

Disclaimer: I am not, of course, a medical professional of any sort. You should communicate with your healthcare providers and practice common sense and safety when using natural products. 

**REVIEW** Buram Flower Honey (with the comb!)

Okay, I have to admit that this isn't the usual type of 'review' but, since I do love honey, I had to share with you guys.

How can you not love this? I mean, if you like honey as much as I do.

Two things I don't know about this honey is what type of flower(s) it's from and how processed it is. I do know that this is an import from Turkey. From what I can tell from other online reviews, the brand is respected. From my own experience, I can definitely tell you that this tastes soooo good. (So, yes, +J.D. Hughes, I am eating the honeycomb! LOL)

You might remember that I talked about how super sweet Tupelo honey was. I only use it for certain things because of that. Funny thing is, this honey is just about as sweet as Tupelo, but it's a different type of taste. Tupelo is almost sugary-sweet and, to me, it has a wine-like taste. This one has a mellower sweetness. It's perfect for my honey-water drinks. Also, I finally tried it with some cheese. Nice. (I haven't done so yet, but can't wait to try this with goat cheese. Shout out here to one of my nieces-of-the-heart, Jamie!)

The whole reason I wanted to try this honey - because, Lord knows, I have enough stocked for now - is that it contains a piece of raw honeycomb.

From doing some general study, I know that honeycomb can be good but has to be eaten with some moderation. If you guys actually read my past posts, you know about the raw honey, honeycomb, and propolis.

I've had bits of honeycomb that come in the Really Raw honey that I buy, but I really love being able to break off a little gob of the comb and just.... Oh! It's tastes so good.

Some people in the Amazon reviews, questions and forums have talked about eating it all the time (and even swallowing it). I'm going to be more careful about that because of what I've mentioned before. What I've done since I got this comb is to chew all the flavor out of it, chew on the wax for a while (like gum), then spit it out.

One thing I've noticed since looking for honeycomb is that it can be pricey. That alone will keep me from eating too much. Plus, even a little piece of it is good enough. The fact that you get that crunchy bit of flavor is a nice morning pick-me-up. Chewing on the wax is soothing and I'm sure it's healthier than chewing regular gum. Since honey is so "anti" (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant...), I think of chewing on the comb and the wax as being really healthy for the mouth. Maybe? Probably?

At any rate, if you like honey - or have been wanting to try honeycomb - I can tell you that I am in love with this one. For price-sake, I think it's better to purchase honey with some comb in it instead of buying just the comb. I don't think that I will be going through the comb that fast.

Like I said, this isn't a typical review, but I had to share it.

Peace
--Free

P.S.: You all should know that you should never give honey to kids under a year old. I was taught by my mom that you didn't give honey to kids under TWO years old. I only recently learned the reason for that. It can cause infant botulism. So do be careful. Also, if you are allergic to bees or bee products, stay away from pollen, propolis and other products of that nature. Just saying.

**REVIEW** 3 Piece Set of Makeup Blender Sponges

This is what I have been using to apply my makeup:

Okay, I also had a sponge I picked up from a discount beauty supply when I was in Arizona.  It was a decent sponge and I use it just about every day (except, sometimes, on weekends). I had one other sponge but it began to fall apart after about a month. I don't remember what brand it was.

This is the set of sponges from Emax-Design that I was able to try out recently:

Ah...

I love these. First of all, they are a lot more pliable than my other sponge. Soft on my skin, but firm enough to hold up to pressure. I really like having this set. Before I got my other sponge, I basically used my fingers to apply my foundation. For the under eye area or for smudging my liner, I'd use those little foam tipped sticks.  Now, I just keep these sponges with my makeup to take care of everything. I feel like such a chick right now!

I know that everyone has their own routine for their makeup, but I try to keep things nice and simple: foundation, a little highlighting or concealer (depending on the day), eyeliner, mascara and lip stuff. (By the way, right now, I'm very much into stain-and-balm sets. More on that in a later post.)

Can I admit something here? Until now, I didn't ever think of wetting/dampening a makeup sponge. I was just using mine dry. Never did wet it until the first time I washed it. Anyway.

The big and medium sponge of this set was what I was dying to try out. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to use the small sponge for anything at all. But first, I wanted to see the difference in all three sponges when wet and when dry:

As you can see,  there is just the slightest plumping of the dampened ones.

Just so you can get an idea of the overall size of these, I took these shots:

The feel of them when dry is very firm, just as you'd expect. When dampened (wet and squeezed out), they are still firm, but there is a smoother texture to them. Live and learn, right?

largest

The biggest sponge is, of course, great for my foundation. I used the fattest end to do my cheeks and forehead, then I use the thinner part for my nose and around my mouth.

I was determined to give the smallest one a go and found that I really like using it for concealer/highlighting around my eyes. I learned a trick a long time ago of adding a touch of highlighter just above and below the brow line. When I look closely at my cleaned face, I notice that I have a natural lightening there anyway. The highlighting is to define (and even "lift") the brows. The blunt end of the small sponge? Perfect for that job. I use the tip of that sponge to smudge my liner so that it doesn't look too harsh and noticeable.

smallest

Depending on which foundation I'm using - and sometimes, depending on what mood my skin is in - I like to help "set" my finished face. I will either apply some of my Blur (from Making Cosmetics) or I just blot my face with a tissue. Well, that medium sized sponge is just exactly right for blotting. On the day that I applied Blur, I used the narrow end of the sponge (which gave me lots of control). When I remembered to test the sponge just for blotting (no Blur), I used the blunt end.

medium

I think I am now addicted to using sponges for doing my makeup. One day, I will have to try using brushes to do the job but, for now, I'm thinking that I like the control a sponge gives me.

I gave this set a 5-star Amazon review because of the versatility, the ease of using them, and the fact that they feel sturdy without being rough on or irritating to my sensitive skin. Now I want to get the 2-piece set so that I will have extras of the large size that I got in this 3-piece set.

So, it's official, I'm more of a girlie-girl in my middle age than I was as a teen. Go figure.

Anyway, I want to mention that I found another to-die-for foundation brand. I've been using these sponges to work with it. I'll review it in an upcoming post.

Now, if I could find makeup, a sponge - anything - to help with my attitude of late...

Peace
--Free



Disclosure: I received the items mentioned in the post at a discount or for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

**REVIEW** AMZ Review Trader (for businesses & reviewers)

For the longest time, Tomoson had been my fave place go-to spot to find products for reviewing. I still like Tomoson, but I'm fast becoming much more attached to another source: AMZ Review Trader.

AMZ is an Amazon Review Group. The products that Sellers/Businesses put out to be reviewed come from Amazon. It's perfect, really, because I love and use Amazon for almost everything anyway.


What I like most about AMZ is the ease of using it. Tomoson has gotten a little complicated and I sometimes find the businesses/brands are too particular. Some of them want a lot of work out of a reviewer in exchange for not very much return on that time investment. Still, I really discovered a lot of my favorite brands that I continue to buy from, separate from review obligations.

If you are a blogger, reviewer, "influenser" - or whatever label you use, you might want to check out AMZ. Let me run down specifically what I like so much about the site (as a reviewer):

• Easy to apply for review opportunities
• Opps are shown with a countdown to the expiration date
• Easy to track what you've applied and been accepted for (or not)
• Allows you to control whether or not to accept an opp up to the last minute
• Has lots of variety and categories
• Reporting problems is super easy
• Let's you sort the promotions in various ways
• Your obligation is very to-the-point
• Verifying your completion is so easy

Of course, every site or program has glitches. Until recently, there was no way to page back and forth between the lists of items. That was just fixed and adds another plus in their favor. Sometimes, the Search feature doesn't work well. You have to be very specific in searching or you pull up all kinds of non-relevant items.

There's really nothing big to go on a list of Cons and, when there is, it's due to a Seller or business and not AMZ. Even in the case of a problem like that, that reporting system is on point. I love that.

As a blogger, I try to learn from other product review bloggers. When I see that another blogger is structuring their posts in a way that makes it easier for their readers, I will copy that. No shame in my game. Matter of fact, that's one of the reason I started using numbered and bulleted lists. That's called flattery by imitation. I wish the product review groups and sources would learn from each other.

I have to say that when I check between the different sites. looking for possible items to review, I usually go with AMZ. Basically, they make it easy for the blogger to view and review items, then they make it even easier to verify the review. 

If you are interested in getting into doing reviews, I'll repeat what I've said in the past: start by building up your profile as a reviewer. Use Amazon to review things that you've bought and can speak about with reasonable knowledge. Find all the various places that want you to review things. Actually, there's really no system for getting started except to just start. Check out SheSpeaks, BzzAgent, Influenster, etc. (I've posted before about these different places.) 

By the way, most of the product reviewers I personally know of are female. Are there lots of men getting in on doing reviews? I hope so. If you don't know, there are a ton of products that would be of interest to almost anyone, regardless of gender. For example, I pretty much stick to cosmetics, kitchen and natural health/beauty items. Every day, I skip over a lot of cell phone accessories (though I have done quite a few of those), foods and beverages, clothing (maybe when I get back to my fighting weight!), gardening tools, work tools, books, automobile accessories, medical items and aids, and toys. Some lucky person got to try a counter-top washing machine. I saw the photos on Instagram and was just salivating for a chance at anything as cool as that.

Let me know if you know of other places. Let me know what you men think of product review.

Peace

--Free