Leather Nova Cleaner, Conditioner & Restorer Review

I was selected by Leather Nova to try their Leather Cleaner, Leather Conditioner & Restorer, AND Leather Conditioner & Cleaner.  I was so thankful to be chosen to review these products, because I never have really put much attention into my leather sofa and ottoman and I feel it shows.  When I got my furniture about 3 years ago, it came with a free little bottle of leather cleaner (that looks and smells like water) and that's all I've ever used to clean - and I've never conditioned them.  I knew my couch was in much need of some cleaning and conditioning!

When my package arrived, I was excited to see that each product comes with it's own applicator.  Since I received two different cleaning options, I decided to use the Cleaner followed by the Conditioner & Restorer on my couch and then just use the Conditioner & Cleaner on my ottoman.  This way, I would be able to compare the two processes and see if the 2-in-1 is just as good as the two step option.

Although my couch didn't have any specific stains that I was trying to remove, I was sure it could benefit from an all-over cleaning.  My first surprise was that you spray the cleaner directly onto the leather surface - in my past experience, the cleaner is always applied to your applicator first.  I went ahead and sprayed the entire couch generously with cleaner, and then used the provided microfiber towel to massage the cleaner into the leather to loosen any dirt.  After that was done, I went back with another dry cloth to wipe away any dirt and oil that was lifted to the surface.  My clean, white towel definitely came away with some dark marks from what was removed!

A freshly cleaned couch!

I allowed my couch to dry for awhile (while I tried the other product out on my ottoman), and then came back to finish up with the Conditioner & Restorer.  Surprise #2 came when I read the directions that stated, "You may also use your hand [to apply]"... This stuff is greasy, oily, and goopy.  There was no way I was putting it directly onto my hands!  However, it was nice to know that I had that option.

Like I mentioned before, I've never used any type of conditioner on my couch before - and boy, I think it needed it.  The leather just sucked this stuff up like crazy, I had to keep re-applying the product to the applicator every few inches, as it would go dry that quickly.  The good news is, after the entire couch was done, I only had used about 1/4 of the bottle - I assumed over half would be gone!

Wet and oily - but hopefully conditioned!

 Once all of the conditioner was applied, the couch was incredibly oily and wet looking.  The directions say to leave it sit for 1 hour, so I went back to working on my ottoman.  After the hour was up, I used a dry cloth to buff the entire surface of the couch - and wow, what a difference!

Before & After - Using Leather Nova Cleaner, Conditioner & Restorer

The couch officially looked cleaner and shinier!  It felt incredibly soft to the touch - something I continue to notice every time I sit on it.  The entire process took about 2 hours including drying time, but it's obvious that the products work!

It was then time to check out my ottoman...

Now, my ottoman did have a couple stains on it where it appears someone took a marker (wonder who could've done that?) plus, some leftover frosting or another food-like substance.  After applying the formula to the applicator pad and rubbing it thoroughly into the leather, I immediately noticed that some of the stains were lifted.

Stains - Before & After using Leather Nova Conditioner & Cleaner

I allowed the entire ottoman to dry for about 40 minutes, and then used a dry cloth to buff the surface.

Before & After using Leather Nova Conditioner & Cleaner

While the Before & After pictures for the Conditioner & Cleaner aren't as extreme as the 2-step process, I still noticed a difference in the shininess and softness of my ottoman - plus, this process took me less than half of the amount of time.

In the end, I was impressed with all of the products that I received - and I feel they all worked as claimed.  In the future, I will probably use the Conditioner & Cleaner when I need to quickly clean the furniture, as it doesn't take as long.  For dirtier situations, or for a more impressive result, I will definitely use the Leather Cleaner / Conditioner & Restorer Combo.  I plan on reapplying this to all of my leather furniture in another month or so to keep it all protected.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Terry Treetop Finds New Friends eBook Review

Our family was selected to read and review 'Terry Treetop Finds New Friends' in exchange for receiving the ebook free of charge.  After browsing the other reviews on Amazon, I feel many others here also received the book for free, and automatically gave it 5 stars because of it.

Tali Carmi seems to be a very passionate author who loves what she does.  Each book comes with a personal thank you note, telling you of her inspirations and dreams.  There just are some people who probably shouldn't be children's authors - myself included.

Immediately upon seeing the book, I was a little confused as to why Marie from 'The Artistocats' was on the cover.  Turns out, it's not Marie, but a kitten named Kitty.  The fact that the illustrator had to steal artwork from Disney is a little off-putting - they could have at least changed the color of the bow and collar in an effort to not directly copy it.

Once we started reading, the format was completely off in our e-reader.  Every other page is just a run-off of words, leaving my daughter bored and restless with nothing to look at.  Another immediate complaint was the fact the author has inserted links into the story to advertise her other books.  It just seemed gimmicky.

As we continued reading, I continually got caught up on the words - the way the sentences were put together were just awkward.  "Terry was so happy that he climbed that tree to go to his new house,"  or "He didn't want to be alone, so he decided to go on a journey to find new friends to invite to his tree house."  Not to mention, there was a sentence that began with "But."  I personally don't feel comfortable exposing my daughter to poor grammar if I don't need to.

The best part of this ebook is the author provides a free activity for the story on her site at http://www.thekidsbooks.com/terry_friends/card_game.pdf

Kirsten loved playing the card game, over and over. It was definitely the highlight of her experience.

My daughter sat through the story, but wasn't interested in talking about it or the prospect of reading it again.  At the end of the book, it advertised getting another Terry Treetop book for free.  This time, it was Terry Treetop and The Lost Egg.

Once again, reading this book was just awkward.  It's written in rhymes, which gave me hope that it would be an easier read - regrettably, the rhythm continued changing and extra words were added and removed each line, causing the flow to be off.  Also, attempts at rhyming words such as 'alligator' with 'water' left me stumped.

I am thankful that we received these ebooks for free, as it was nice, quality time spent with my daughter.  However, I do not plan on purchasing any of Tali Carmi's additional ebooks.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Bella Naturals Firming Cellulite Cream Review

About a month ago, Bella Naturals sent me a jar of their Firming Cellulite Cream to try.  They claim that this product will "smooth those lumpy bumpy cottage cheese thighs and firm that jiggly butt!"  Quite an interesting claim that I, for one, did not want to pass up!  Ironically, two different manufacturers sent me cellulite cream for review at the same time, so I used each on a different thigh to compare the results.  This was officially my "Left Thigh Cream".

Before even receiving the cream, I received an e-mail from the manufacturer with some hints and tips on how to use the product once I receive it.  I appreciated that they reached out like this and was already impressed with my experience.

Sticky and gooey - after 3 weeks, there was barely any left.

Upon first opening the product, I was surprised by a somewhat minty glue/paint scent.  Bella Naturals informs users that there might be a "menthol" type fragrance, which is the peppermint left extract and peppermint oil, used to reduce inflammation.

Much like the smell, the product also felt like glue.  It was gooey and slimy.  After application, it didn't seem to really soak into the skin - rather sit on top and leave a sticky residue.  I once tried to continue rubbing the product into my skin to see if it just took more "elbow grease" to make it absorb, but the product ended up drying and peeling off, leaving chunks of what looked like dried glue all over my legs.

Once dried, the product does show immediate (although I am sure temporary) results.  My thigh looked sleek and silky.  After three weeks of use, my skin definitely felt softer and smoother, but I was under the impression that this product was basically for immediate results and probably didn't do much long term.  However, I then compared at my before & after photos...

Before & After - look at the disappearance of the lumps and bumps!

I can't be sure of it's actual effects on my cellulite, but my gosh it sure looks like it helped!  In the after photo, my skin looks so much smoother and the lumps towards the front of my leg have almost disappeared!  (These photos also made it apparent to me that I need more sun!)

After 3 weeks of application, once per day, on only 1 thigh, I used up my entire jar.  Therefore, I would suspect a jar to last less than a week of the recommended, twice daily application.  At $20/jar, this could be quite costly.  I personally don't plan on re-purchasing any additional product.

(I received the product mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.)

Body Merry Cellulite Defense Gel-Cream Review

I was lucky enough to be selected by Body Merry to try out their Cellulite Defense Gel-Cream with Caffeine and Retinol for free!  Body Merry claims that this cream will "visibly reduce the appearance of unwanted bumps and lumps and [give you] skin that feels and looks tighter, smoother and younger!" Obviously I was skeptical, but I don't think many women would turn down the chance at getting those results!   Ironically, two different manufacturers sent me cellulite cream for review at the same time, so I used each on a different thigh to compare the results.  This was officially my "Right Thigh Cream".

Very hydrating, not greasy at all!

When I first opened the product, a strong minty smell overwhelmed me - quite similar to Vicks vapor rub.  The manufacturer describes this as a 100% natural mint - green tea - lime fragrance.  The scent didn't bother me, but it was something that I could see others having issue with.  As a bonus, I liked to tell myself that it was a great way to clear my sinuses every morning.

It's very difficult to describe the consistency of this product, and I feel "gel-cream" really does it the best.  It's not at all greasy and leaves absolutely no residue behind - everything absorbs into your skin almost immediately, leaving your skin feeling soft and hydrated.

Then, the magic begins!  I began feeling my leg get goosebumps because of it's cooling effects.  Then, without warning, the product began heating up - leaving my thigh tingly all over.  A word of caution - the first time I tried this product, I might have applied it carelessly and gotten it on some more "sensitive skin" areas.  It BURNS on sensitive skin.  I think anyone who has ever used IcyHot on an more sensitive area knows exactly what I am talking about!  Therefore, be very cautious about where the product is applied!

Then, after 3 weeks of application...

Before (Please, ignore the cat toy!) & After

My skin definitely felt noticeably softer and smoother!  I can't be sure of it's actual effects on my cellulite, because I had to pose my leg differently in the Before & After photos.  It sure looks like it helped, but who knows.  (It also made it apparent to me that I need more sun!)

After 3 weeks of application, once per day, on only 1 thigh, I have about 1/4 of the jar left.  Therefore, I would suspect a jar to last about 1 week of the recommended, twice daily application.  At $20/jar, this could be quite costly.  I personally don't plan on re-purchasing any additional product once this jar runs out.

The amazing thing is, Body Merry offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee - if you don't like the results you get, just contact them and they will give you all of your money back - you don't even need to return the product!  With that kind of customer service, there's no reason not to try this for yourself!

(I received the product mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.)