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  1. I should have added that if the Yes to Tomatoes products usually work for you, you might try going straight to the source and just using a fresh tomato on your face, sprinkled with some superfine sugar if you want a bit of a scrub, or tomato pulp mixed in with your aspirin mask. I took a look at the product line ingredients and in addition to tomato extract, they're using other fruits — pumpkin, watermelon, avocado, red pepper — in addition to aloe and sometimes olive oil. Just keep in mind that the fruit acids could be a bit harsher on your skin when applied directly without the buffer of kaolin clay, glycerin, etc. Be sure to use sunscreen afterward.

  2. It was so great to meet you!!! Your blog is fantastic!!! Next time you come in, find me so we can chat more and try some more samples! 😀
    Take care!
    Liz

  3. In a box somewhere I think I have a VHS tape of you and Abby on “The Norma Goodman Show,” sitting quietly and politely while Shanwe and Aaron Albright talked about “The Fourposter.”

    One of my most enduring memories of Cyrano’s is driving there and back every. single. day. in the summer of 1992 (or 1993?) because Abby had a gig as stage manager for “Dr. Meisterfeister’s Medicine Show.” And yes, Jerry decreed that the show would go on even if only a couple of tourists wandered in.

    Were you there when Jerry played the doughty old English lady in “The Importance of Being Earnest”? When talking about the eyebrow-plucking and the corset-wearing and the shoes that pinched his feet, he said to me in all seriousness, “It’s hell being a woman.”

    • Bless him.
      At least my mom had to be there most of the time anyway – although I’m sure she was thrilled about having to go BACK every night and pick me up after she’d already been there all day!

  4. I delivered the pie today. Cappy and I gathered with a large group of Cyranoids, regular and other, in the empty space that is almost unrecognizable, except for the black box. There was shared food and a casket and a skull (of course) and your essay posted prominently on the wall with a smaller-than-usual accumulation of other printed material. There were toasts and tears and then, finally, there were stories shared around a large circle in the theatre. Funny stories and inspiring stories and more tears and laughter. It was a good day. Sad, but good.

      • Thanks for your reply! I’m a member as well and all I recall getting is a $2 off coupon as a birthday gift. I will probably send an email because I’m curious to know what it may be and will update if I get a response.

      • Here is the response that was sent to me, “The Welcome Package is an email you receive when you first sign up for Worth It Rewards. This email will tell you a little bit about the program and it has a coupon you can print.”

  5. ughh after this I wish I lived near an Ulta. Honestly, I get so annoyed with Sephora and their points program, your points go towards samples and if you want something thats going to last you more than one use, you have to save up thousands of points (thousands of dollars essentially) and pray that you get your hands on one of the limited amounts of redeemable prizes. Its so frustrating that you dont get discounts on actual products you purchase, thank you so much for sharing this. I might consider making the 40 min drive to my closest Ulta for these deals

    • Right? So much better than the Sephora rewards. You can earn rewards on Ulta.com, too, which isn’t quite as much fun, but saves you the drive, at least!

    • You could always have product from Ulta delivered to you. Once you hit 50$, delivery is free … and then once you hit diamond status, deliveries are free on any orders over 25$. Might make that 80 mile round trip unnecessary!

  6. If you were previously unaware, They Might Be Giants have a few kid albums. I highly recommend “NO!”, it saved my sanity more than a few times.

  7. I entered my RiteAid card but RiteAid doesn’t appear in the available list of stores. I tried entering my receipt under Walgreen’s since that company owns a lot of RiteAid stores, but I’m sure it will be rejected. Sent an email to the company asking about all this; will be surprised if I get a reply.

    • I’m really surprised they rolled out something so clunky — and that it remains clunky after such a long time.

  8. […] around my house and worry about all the Chicken McNuggets that could have been healthy vegetables lovingly prepared by me. At least once a day I am deeply concerned about the extent to which I may be screwing my kids up […]

  9. I only used LUSH bath bombs, and my daughter had ones with a little toy inside. I had no idea there is also a version for adults with a ring inside. Nice ring you got!

    • Thank you! There are SO MANY of these jewelry bomb companies out there, as it turns out. I’m having a blast (and staying very clean) trying them all out.

    • It is fun! I don’t harbor any fantasies of scoring a valuable ring, but worst case scenario is you get a relaxing bath and a fun piece of jewelry. As I’m trying lots of different brands, I’m finding there’s a wide spectrum when it comes to quality, although it seems like every brand has some dedicated fans.

  10. Loved the review! I too am an inner circle member and I think you’re spot on about the benefits except I didn’t see you mention one that I think makes it most valuable: you are getting free shipping. If you just order from the site you’d have to spend $50+ to qualify for free shipping and your Inner Circle membership is only $32ish a month.

    Also, to address your thoughts on the “most wanted items”: I emailed support and was told you can swap out your set before it ships if you’d rather pick something other than what they have selected for you, but it MAY be out of stock in your size – what they pick for you will always be in stock each month.

    • Thank you! And great point — I totally overlooked the shipping cost, and that is a legit benefit.

      I didn’t know about the option to swap out… and I think that gets back to the general kind of opaqueness of the program. I didn’t learn until after I’d written this review about “rares” — if you know what’s going to be in the Inner Circle shipment and order it before your Inner Circle processes, they send you a “rare” bath bomb set instead of your IC shipment.

      But you have to join the Facebook group and learn all this stuff from other members because FJ doesn’t explain it all when you sign up for IC. That’s the part that’s strangest to me now that I’ve spent some more time looking at it. Overall, I get the sense that FJ has grown more quickly than they expected and they’ve got a lot of balls in the air. The products are great, though, and I’ve been generally pretty happy with my membership.

  11. That is aweful I purchased 3 and ordered 3 more. Seems a little hard on the company I think. I am sure we won’t get a 10k ring but heck it’s kind of fun and not going broke over it…I believe it actually is a very clever idea.

    • Hi Carol,
      Thanks for reading! If you follow some of the links to my other blog posts, you’ll see that I’ve reviewed a number of ring bomb companies, and I do enjoy the concept. It’s great that you have enjoyed your Bubbly Belle purchases. I wasn’t that impressed compared to the other ring bombs I’ve tried, and my promise to my readers is that my reviews are always 100% honest. These are my honest opinions about my experience with Bubbly Belle. Thanks for offering another perspective!

      • i was disappointed. two of the 3 rings i got were exactly the same. the fragrance of the bombs were the same and only 1 had a sticker telling me what it was for. not ordering from them again

  12. So the inner circle stuffs ships every month? Around what time of the month? How does one see what they’re sending and how do you swap out the set?

    • Every month on the same day — although different people have different days. My Inner Circle ships on the 24th, but other people apparently ship on different days, so I think it depends on when you join, maybe? There’s a Facebook group for members that I finally joined (they didn’t advertise it when I started Inner Circle; I finally noticed it on a postcard in one of my shipments) where they introduce what they’re sending for that month. They don’t really present options for swapping, but I’ve seen people in the FB group mention calling customer service to ask to have something else sent instead. And if you buy the IC selection for the month before your IC ships, they send you a “rare” set that’s not listed on the website. (There’s a whole unwritten system of stuff like this that isn’t advertised; I guess people have just figured it out? I need to do an updated post with some of what I learned from joining the Inner Circle FB group.)

    • I haven’t had any issue with discoloration, green shadow, etc., but that’s the kind of thing that can also vary from person to person. If you’re concerned, you can always paint the inside of the ring with a thin coat of clear nail polish before you wear it!

  13. It really does work. For me it was 8 or 9 days before anything happened and then the hard dry skin just started to fall off. I found that rubbing my feet rigously after a shower or bath helped and also the pleasure of soft feet encouraged me to moisturise more often.

    • Isn’t the feel of your feet just heavenly afterward? I have become such a fan of these peels. Rubbing your feet after bathing is a great tip, too.

  14. My baby (a former Cyrano’s colleague of yours) just turned 40 and I was a little startled.

    I just turned 61 and you know what? I’m happier than I’ve ever been, even if I do make funny noises when I get up out of a deep chair.

    Become more awesome with each year, ma’am, and let the rest of the world go pound sand.

    And yep, I called you “ma’am.” You’ll need to get used to hearing that pretty soon, too.

  15. Thank you for taking the time (and money) to research this company and their products. I have decided not to get involved…I already have enough annoying emails that inundate my mail and text boxes not to mention the super annoying calls I get on my cellphone. So good job and again, thank you.

    • Thanks, Ann! Part of my goal as a blogger is to help readers make the decision about how/whether to spend their hard-earned money on a product, so I really appreciate your kind comment.

  16. LOVE! Scrunchies are so great. I don’t understand why they ever went out of style in the first place. So versatile, as you point out – ponytail, bun, sloppy bun, wrist adornment. I’m so excited to build a new scrunchie collection. If YOU say it’s cool, I’m totes on board!

    And I love this:

    “Sorry, McKynzlee, but you know who invented that plaid-mini-with-an-oversized-crop-sweater-and-don’t-forget-the-chunky-shoe ensemble? Your MOM.”

    RIGHT??? I don’t know how many times I have had to tell my kids, “You know your generation didn’t invent that, right? You guys are copying off of MY generation.” They didn’t care. They had their faces in their phones, nodding and smiling, as they tried to appease me long enough that I wouldn’t notice them trying to get away from me.

    By the way, doesn’t McKynzlee have an apostrophe, or hyphen, or tilde, or something? I mean, just letters? That’s a little old-fashioned, isn’t it?

  17. BEWARE! This site is designed to confuse, and scam. It has timers counting down on the “offers” and then after the first offer it takes you card info, and then with another timer offers a subscription promo and a couple different half off rings, so I am thinking if I buy one I am subscribed and I can pick which one. So I click SUBSCRIBE and next thing know I am looking at the order summary for $161.00 of which they just charged my CARD! The subscription was 70, the rings (it makes you do all scents mentioned) were $20 each and the initial rings that appeared to be only a 1 are $14. So to get this strait, you only know your order total and summary AFTER they charge your card.

    • Yikes! I hope you’re able to work it out with them or dispute the charge. My experience with the site wasn’t quite that expensive, but I totally agree that it seems designed to be confusing and even misleading. Thanks for sharing your experience.

      • i also was charged for more than i bought. they enrolled me into a newsletter and charged me $39.99. when i contacted them, they refunded only $34.99. very scamming company. want nice jewelry. go to walmart. same quality

  18. Wow I have had very good luck. And if I make a mistake I called the company and they immediately refund my money and or change the order however I want it. So far all the Rings I have received have been very simple and beautiful. I certainly have not had any problems with the size I’ve ordered or getting the same ring over and over. I actually have a very nice collection and in other sizes which I intend to give out as Christmas gifts Easter gift 2 my granddaughter. I’m sure she’s going to love the bath bombs I know I certainly have.

  19. I honestly just want to know what kind of metal they are made of, there is no stamp or label showing

  20. I ordered the trial bath bombs off of Facebook. Not only did they charge me full price they collected another months payment. I will never ever deal with this company again!!

  21. I’m a Waldorf teacher, the big dress code things I promote with my families is barefoot style shoes, wool underlayers, wool socks and good weather gear all the way through the grades. I have some kids who have David Bowie as their wardrobe gurus and still manage it within the dress code 🙂 Have you discovered softstar shoes yet? My princesses and fairies all get the metallics 🙂

  22. I don’t get it either…but not because of the sugar. The only coffee I truly like is a white mocha with a shot of raspberry syrup, so…

  23. That was a truly delightful description of this weird and frightening phenomenon. Why? WHY?! Must everything have pumpkin spice? Just eat a good old-fashion pumpkin pie for goddsakes! Thank you for calling out the elephant in the pumpkin spice room.

  24. I’m onboard with everyone here on this topic, but in the interest of transparency you really should ask Maia how she feels about pumpkin pie….

  25. YES! This is exactly why I shop Ulta over Sephora. In my area, I can’t say whether Sephora associates are more knowledgeable, but I definitely find Ulta associates more approachable. I like and use mostly high-end products, but I also like some of the products from some drugstore lines, which I can pay a little more for at Ulta, because sometimes it’s worth the convenience of not having to drive to another store to pick up one item. I also feel comfortable enough to run into Ulta in workout clothes after hitting the gym, with no make up, to grab something. I feel judged in Sephora the moment I walk in, even if I’m dressed appropriately for “mall shopping”. But I’ve not shopped at these stores all over the country, so I only have my local stores to compare. I also love that the manager at our local Ulta hires male store associates who wear makeup. I like to support management that supports people being themselves. (Not saying that Sephora doesn’t; I’ve just never noticed this specific example at Sephora.) Being able to save up hundreds of Ultamate Rewards points for a rainy day, when I don’t feel like I should be spending money on myself but need a little pick-me-up, goes a long way in my decision of which store I frequent. I’ve walked away with an entire haul from Ulta, purchased with all points. I will say, I am not a fan of Ulta brand products. I don’t think their make up has as much pigment or staying power as some of the high end products. That said, Ulta brand is very affordable. Thanks for this post!

    • Totally agree about Ulta brand makeup — it’s pretty meh. I buy the bath and shower gels on sale for my husband, though! And I will say that the employees working the Benefit Brow Bar are generally pretty knowledgeable, since they tend to be licensed estys.

  26. DON’T BUY HERE, THEY WON’T SHIP YOUR ITEM… THEN THEY WONT ANSWER YOU, THEY WONT EVEN ANSWER PAYPAY. STAY AWAY FROM THIS SHADY PLACE. AFTER I OPENED A CASE WITH PAYPAL, THEY ASKED ME TO CLOSE IT THEN THEY WOULD REFUND ME OR SHIP IT LOL WHAT A SCAM. BUT THEY NEVER ANSWERED ME WHEN I ASKED WHERE MY STUFF WAS FOR 2 WEEKS. PLUS THEY NEVER ANSWERED PAYPAL BUT THEY WANT ME TO CLOSE THE CASE THEN THEY WILL SHIP MY STUFF LOL. WHAT JOKE STAY AWAY…..

    • I see your comments everywhere on the internet lol! Do you troll websites just hoping you’ll make them look bad? Problem is….this makes YOU look bad. I’ve seen your comments on like 15 different products from 15 different companies. Give it a rest “Andrew” lmao

  27. I paid over 40 dollars for fake rings. What a waste. The rings arent even pretty enough to wear.

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