Darphynia's Diary

I had seen advertisements for quip everywhere, and after visiting their website, decided to give them a shot.  Normally, I keep using the same toothbrush for ages, which probably affects its efficacy.  I have tried Sonicare, Colgate (my absolute favorite manual toothbrush is the Optic White ), REACH, you name it.  Most recently I had been using a bamboo toothbrush, which I bought as part of my Zero Waste challenge .  I loved it... but I love quip just a little bit more.  My only gripe, and this goes for most toothbrushes, is that the brush head is flat.  That makes it a bit more difficult to reach behind and around back teeth.  I wish the top bristles were angled a bit to ensure that every bit of the tooth is covered.  Quip offers electric and manual versions of their slim toothbrushes.  Each toothbrush is slim and comes with a holder that doubles as a brush head protector when you travel.  You can purchase sets or individual brushes ...

Image courtesy of AfterShokz.com Some of my favorite companies were at CES this year, and one of them is AfterShokz .  You can read all about my first experience here .  AfterShokz combines the safety of bone conduction with lightweight headsets that allows the user to run, walk, and do just about anything, all while hearing his/her surroundings.  Since some models connect via Bluetooth, there are no wires to worry about, and your ears won't get sore from buds or heavy headsets.  If you prefer a wired device, they also carry wired models .

I should start by saying that this post should have been up long ago... about four months ago.  So, I extend my apologies to Sun Bum.  I can't believe that (1) it's November, and (2) it still feels like summer.  Since it is, I've been spending some extra time at the beach.   Before getting into my beach day with Sun Bum, there are some [awesome] things you need to know about their company.  All of the information came from their website ( trustthebum.com ), so all credit goes to them: Sun Bum (est. 2010) has created a top-of-the-line suncare, made for those who love (and live) in the sun.  In order to minimize the risk of skin cancer, Sun Bum has a wide array of sprays, solids, and liquids to protect every inch of your body (including your hair!).  You can even get awesome gear. All suncare products are, "... tested, approved, and recommended by The Skin Cancer Foundation ," ( trustthebum.com ). Products courtesy of Sun Bum. Sun Bum at t...

Image courtesy of Facekins.com I was sent a sample of Facekins to try out, and I am in L-O-V-E!  For those of you who don't know, Facekins are washable, reusable fabric facial pads.  I took these with me while I worked camp, and they were such a blessing!  I didn't have to gauge the amount of cotton facial pads and cotton balls I would need, and the Facekins took up far less room in my kit!  Since I wash my face at least twice a day (morning, night, and in the shower of course!) and always use makeup remover and toner, I go through a ton of cotton.  Okay, not literally a ton, but you know what I mean.  It is one of the softest products to ever touch my face!  It reminded me of something that would be used during a luxury spa treatment.  I also found myself using less product.  At first, I thought it was too good to be true Facekins, but no.  I tested out how far one spray of toner would go on a cotton pad versus the Facekins....

Life n Soul , who brought the world the KiiTAG and amazing Bluetooth headsets, has something new up its sleeve.  While at CES, there were a number of inventions that would make daily life that much easier.   The KiiTAG 2, which is a CES 2015 Best of Innovations Award honoree, is one of those.   It is important to note that the item is not currently for sale.   Their Kickstarter has launched, and I sincerely hope they are able to reach their goal.   Image courtesy of Kickstarter & Life n Soul Developed by Founder/CEO Ronny Tsai, the KiiTAG 2 is an all-in-one that is equipped with a flash drive, key finder, voice memo recorder, mini power bank, and so much more!   He wanted to create an all-in-one, pocket-sized device that would provide several functions without weighing down one's pocket or purse.  Up to four shortcuts can be made on the KiiTAG 2, such as the “fake phone call” (which will give you an excuse to leave a date, for in...