Tuesday, May 31, 2016

How to Salvage a Dry Water-Based Foundation Or Make an Oil-Based One Less Oily



Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation cut down.jpeg
This trick can be a great save!
There was a time when my complexion was more oily than it is now. Being so, I eventually gravitated toward water-based foundations to best keep the shine away over the oil-based ones that only made the problem worse as well as cause me breakouts. This meant I always kept several bottles of foundation in my makeup bag.

With how expensive some of our foundations can be, I picked up a trick from a classmate in college that saved me from tossing out a water-based liquid foundation that had started to clump.  What she recommended was to add a few drops of an alcohol-free toner, then briskly shaking the foundation.  This was all it took to get my drying foundation back to a useable state!

What I suggest is adding one drop of the alcohol-free toner at a time to your bottle, shake and then test.  After all, you can always add more. 

More surprisingly was what I discovered when I tried this trick in an oil-based foundation because it also helped. There was no clumping problem, but what that little bit of alcohol-free toner did that I dropped in the same way was to sheer out the formula and cut some of its oil so I could wear it again.

I hope you try this little makeup trick because I promise that you’re going to like it!

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Father’s Day Gift Idea--L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection Box.jpeg
L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection ($75)


Buying the men in your life a gift can be difficult.  However, L’Occitane en Provence has some tempting fragrance and skin care product gift sets that might easily solve the problem of what to buy this Father’s Day. A good choice might be the Mer & Mistral Collection from their La Collection de Grasse by perfumer, Karine Dubreuil.  

L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection trio of products.jpeg
L’Occitane Mer & Mistral Collection trio of products

This is the time of year that everyone appreciates a lighter fragrance that won’t be cloying through the heat like this aquatic, unisex fragrance.   Think of inhaling ocean breezes mingling with pine, cypress and rosemary to enliven it and then freshened even further with brisk lemon and mandarin. This has the alluring air of the sea balanced against land, grounding it with an earthy, sexy appeal that completes itself in beautiful harmony from its fresh opening, stimulating heart to this scent’s soft, but evocative base due to its white amber, cedar and musk.

My guy thought it was more masculine of a fragrance than Cedrat and I agree.  In fact, he is quite fond of this fragrance ever since it arrived for this review and is wearing it now.

This Mer & Mistral Collection ($75) gift set has an Eau de Toilette (75ml), Shower Gel (175ml) and matching Body Lotion (175ml).  There are other great gift options L’Occitane has right now as well that start less than $25 from a Body Set Trio ($24) with three scents of soaps to lush shaving sets to other fragrances that would please.  Check this fragrance gift set out and other fine possibilities at L’Occitane online or their boutiques!

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Recipe: My Banana-Choco Chip Puffs Make Delicious Breakfast Treats!

 My plate of Banana-Choco Chip Puffs.jpeg
 My Banana-Choco Chip Puffs 


My Banana-Choco Chip Puffs are wonderful when you crave something sweet, but don’t want all the calories and yet something delicious without much work.  These little quick bread gems use rolled oats as well as flour, which also makes them rather filling while adding a ripe banana gives just enough of the fruit’s flavor to compliment the chocolate chips and spices without overpowering the taste.  

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Some Simple Ways to Help Your Hair Thrive!


Red-haired girl with long, shiny hair.jpeg
For hair like this young beauty, read these tips.
Despite a great cut and expensive products, there always comes a time when you feel your hair betrayed you.  If you want to increase your odds of having better hair days, then there are some simple tricks that you can do that really help to beautify it.

The first rule that should keep in mind involves shampooing. Whatever you do, you must avoid washing the hair in water that is overly hot since hair can become dry just as much as the skin. Another reason is it will make the hair absorb too much of your hair styling products that you later follow with, only leaving the strands greasy and weighed down. Instead, make it a habit to use just warm water.  

Just as important is how much and how you shampoo.  Using too much is not necessary and can only dull your hair or cause tangling from insufficient rinsing or over vigorous scrubbing.  Nothing is worse when you have a habit of rubbing the hair too hard than when concentrating on the ends, which are already vulnerable. Doing this will make them brittle.  Gently massage the shampoo on the scalp is enough to do the job without abusing the hair.

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

BedVoyage Eco-Luxury Bamboo Queen Sheet Set Review + ($159.99-$174.99) Giveaway!–Ends June 12, 2016

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**


BedVoyage Eco-Luxury Bamboo Queen Sheet Set.jpeg
BedVoyage Eco-Luxury Bamboo Queen Sheet Set ($159.99)



What can be more inviting when you are exhausted that the sight of a beautiful bed waiting for you to drop into?  With all the time we spend sleeping, the best bedding should pamper our bodies with satin-like softness and do more than just look fresh and pretty like BedVoyage’s Eco-Luxury Bamboo Queen Sheet Set that I got to test for this review and giveaway.

I had never slept on a bamboo sheet before and was surprised at how luxuriously soft that rayon from bamboo felt against the skin compared to my old cotton and cotton blend sheets that may have been made with petroleum-based microfibers or cotton treated with formaldehyde.  The fact that BedVoyage doesn’t treat their linens with harsh chemicals, formaldehyde or flame retardants also is wonderful for allergy sufferers like myself, not to mention the planet sleeping on eco-luxury bamboo sheets.

Another interesting point that I learned is bamboo sheets have some amazing qualities like moisture wicking in case you’re hot all the time and need to stay cool.  Just as appealing is that rayon from bamboo also is thermal regulating to adjust to how warm or cold you get sleeping, which is really an advantage.

Furthermore, rayon fabric won’t hold odor or mildew. 

As you might imagine, I was excited to get my new BedVoyage bamboo sheets on my bed. Once unpackaged, you’ll notice the size of the sheets are slightly bigger than what you expecting by about four-percent or so.  The size difference is because bamboo does shrink the first time you wash it so don’t give it any thought.  My queen set, with its deep pockets, fit like a glove once it was laundered. 

However, I do want to stress unlike cotton varieties, bamboo sheets are more delicate and should be washed in cold to warm water with milder or eco-friendly liquid detergent if you want the fabric to last and avoid pilling. Don’t use any chorine bleach, fabric softeners, dryer or washer balls.  In case you’re wondering, this fabric doesn’t need hot water since rayon is resistant to bacteria.

If your washer has a center agitator like mine, then instead of throwing in sheets at the same time what you want to do is add them separately without wrapping them around the agitator for the best wrinkle control. And once the washer stops, it’s best to dry them as soon as you can also help lessen wrinkling.

Removing my bamboo sheets from my washing machine to transfer them to the dryer, I noticed they seemed rather stiff almost like a lighter canvas fabric.  Yet, once they finished drying the fabric really softened up.  On the same note, don’t worry if you notice extra in the lint trap, which is normal at the beginning for a couple of washes.

I can’t wait to see how these sheets feel when the hot temperatures finally kick in or during winter for sleeping.  Honestly, I really am impressed with them already and want to try more from BedVoyage bamboo bedding like a quilted coverlet or a duvet, perhaps, next!  

If you’re hoping to improve your sleeping experience or need towels, blankets, shams, or crib bedding, visit BedVoyage and try their bamboo bedding so you can do your own comparison test.   

Thanks to BedVoyage, one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the continental United States win their choice along with color of a Queen ($159.99) or King Sheet Set ($174.99)!


Giveaway details and how to enter–


Prize: One (1) winner from the continental USA will their choice of color and size of a BedVoyage Queen or King Size Eco-Luxury Bamboo Sheet Set ($159.99-$174.99 value!)

Dates of entry: 05/26/16–06/11/16 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Eligibility: Open to the continental USA.  No PO Boxes.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

How to Enter:  Please use the Rafflecopter widget if it works.  You can also enter by clicking this link or try to enter using another browser. You can return daily and log in again with your email to tweet or to vote daily for Nuts 4 Stuff on Picket Fence Blogs.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Every Woman Needs This DIY Cellulite Massage Oil If You Intend to Win the War Against Cellulite!

Woman in shorts without cellulite holding a camera.jpeg
This beauty knows how to manage cellulite with her perfect body--and you can too!


Women, let’s face it, we all have the same problem of cellulite.  Regardless how fit a body can be, cottage-cheese lumps called subcutaneous fat come with the female territory due to our unique hormones. Unlike our male counterparts, we also were gifted with larger fat storage chambers on our backsides, thighs and hips where all that fluid along with fat and trapped wastes turn into cellulite.

Our estrogen causes more fluid to build.  What happens is when this particular hormone is released, the more it breaks down our bodies collagen and elastin fibers.  In turn, those stretched out fibers and collagen gets pushed from their original spots and more outward against the skin, causing those unsightly dimples and puckering where there was none previously. 

Monday, May 23, 2016

Mineral Fusion Hydrating Primer Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Mineral Fusion Hydrating Primer.jpeg
Mineral Fusion Hydrating Primer 


A beauty staple that every woman needs to assure her makeup appears flawless is the right face primer. If you are trying to limit the chemicals in your life and are gravitating toward vegan brands and natural skin care, then you would be interested to hear about the latest one I sampled with Mineral Fusion’s Hydrating Primer.

This nourishing formula is extremely kind to any complexion with its bounty of natural antioxidants for anti-aging, including collagen boosting peptides for help with fine lines.  It also has mineral water for hydration as well as botanicals like aloe, lavender, thyme and rosemary to calm as it works to form a protective film before makeup.  This is a gentle, 100% vegan primer that is free of parabens, phthalates, artificial color or gluten.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Pearlesque Box June 2016 Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Pearlesque Box June 2016.jpeg
Pearlesque Box June 2016 features four Farmaesthetics products.


When it comes to discovering excellent natural skin care, Pearlesque Box really knows how to zone in on some of the best organic beauty products out there whether in the states or abroad. This monthly natural skin care subscription's current box is a prime example with the June 2016 assortment of four Farmaesthetics award-winning and noteworthy green beauty items from Rhode Island!

Pearlesque Box has organic products like above that are intended to work together for maximizing your beauty.  This month has three full size and one travel-size item.  However, you can always count on one or two full-size products and anywhere from one to three travel size items in each box.  The cost for a monthly subscription is $39.95 with free shipping within the USA. International shipping rates apply for those wanting to subscribe in other countries.

Saturday, May 21, 2016

Fuego Box May 2016 Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Fuego Box May 2016.jpeg
Fuego Box May 2016 


If you ask me, nothing perks up some dishes more than an excellent hot sauce.  The amount of flavor multiplies beyond expectations through what a well-thought out blend of spices and flaming peppers can add.  As you probably have guessed, I am passionate about the stuff and Fuego Box because this subscription box knows how to scout out the most extraordinary, artisan hot sauces from all across the country in each monthly box.

You might think how could anyone get so excited over hot sauces when you can buy them locally.  Sure, you can find some big brands along with a few others, but your options are limited, not to mention experiencing the constantly evolving variety that Fuego puts out. 

You may think that I’m going overboard with my love of Fuego Box, but I assure that I am not.  Honestly, anyone that loves that hot and spicy taste really would appreciate a subscription like this that brings three of the most uncommon hot sauces home to you for just $29.95 per quarter with free shipping or $12.95 for one month with a $5.00 shipping charge if you want just one box at a time.  A card with details on each product and suggestions on the best ways to enjoy that particular hot sauce also is standard.

Hot and spicy afficionados, listen up, because here is what May 2016 Fuego Box has in store.

The Bronx Green Market Hot Sauce is a nippy, but won’t burn your tongue off blend of serrano peppers, garlic, onions and apple cider vinegar well suited to any foods that you normally add hot sauce to.  Do try some of this green hot sauce in tuna salad because it is really good.  

The Isabel Street Heat Fatalii Hot Sauce is fermented and uses a type of pepper called fatalii pepper that has a twist of citrus flavor, which I never tasted until being introduced to it through Fuego Box.  This is a scorching sauce reinforced with orange and lemon juice along with garlic, onion and some awesome spices to give it a flaming deliciousness that is memorable.  Add some of this Fatalii to nachos in your cheese sauce for dunking and you will really love it.  Just be careful that you don’t pour too much because this stuff is devilishly hot.  You can always pour in more like I did because you want to feel your tongue.  Tomorrow, I will be experimenting with this on pizza.

The final sauce this month was Jersey Barnfire’s Black Garlic Hot Sauce, which happened to be the 2015 Screaming MiMi Award winner!  This dark sauce is a versatile one that has a bit of smokey sweetness for a nice balance to roasted peppers and black garlic that are so appealing.  I had this for the first time on scrambled eggs and it was fantastic.  You can also use this hot sauce in marinades to enhancing barbecue sauces as well as meats, eggs, fish, rice, and vegetables.

In my opinion, May 2016 was one of the best Fuego Box assortments yet.  With all seriousness, if you’re still debating what to buy Dad this Father’s Day, then I have your problem solved with a Fuego Box Hot Sauce subscription so Dad can spice up his snacks when he watches his games!  

Friday, May 20, 2016

Why Alcohol or Witch Hazel Could Make a Blemish Problem Worse

Woman with big sunglasses hiding her face.jpeg
This beauty is surprised to hear how she created a skin problem.

How many of us have been guilty at some point in life of trying to dry up a blemish with a loaded cotton ball of alcohol or witch hazel?  Perhaps, you thought an alcohol-based astringent would be better.  However, instead of helping your skin problem along those alcohol-based ingredients could be making matters worse.  

Alcohol and witch hazel can strip away the skin’s protective surface oil enough to aggravate glands into further producing even more oil, causing pores to clog.  You can end up with more blemishes than you started with.

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Laura Geller Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**



Laura Geller Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer.jpeg
Laura Geller Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer
Every face can benefit by using a primer. Even though I pride myself on having a nice complexion, I still have issues to deal with such as a few creases and the universal problem of pores where foundation likes to settle.  Therefore, I always like to prime for the added beautifying effect as well as the ability a quality product has to keep my face looking fresher longer.

Recently, I received a tube of Laura Geller’s Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer to put to the test.  This product is more water-based than heavy on silicones like many primers and meant to rest on the face like a second skin.  It also is infused with plenty of beneficial ingredients for hydration and skin care that are advertised to fade dark spots over time.  This two-oz. tube retails for $32.

Once I gave my moisturizer some time to settle into my skin, I went to prep my face with my Spackle Treatment.  I really loved the fact that this had a pale, gleaming peach tint that was designed to work for all skin tones. I found the texture is more gel like in consistency than any cream.  This stuff blended wonderfully into my skin and left a soft glow.

Also, this product sets without a long wait before it dries.  It was about a half minute and I was ready to finish my makeup.  My foundation seemed to glide on that much more easily.  At the same time, the Spackle managed to hide all evidence of pores.  

Something else that excited me was how the light coming through this product could steer eyes away from more noticeable problems like highlighter.  Being so, I dabbed just a tad more near my laugh lines and just to the sides of my eyes to help distract from under eye darkness, especially now with my allergies in full bloom.

Furthermore, my makeup held up like a champ without failing on me through the hours of my day.  Thanks to Spackle, my foundation didn’t seem to migrate to my creases, cause me to look greasy or disappear, which equates a good primer to me.  

If you’re looking for a quality primer, do check Laura Geller Spackle Treatment Even Tone Make-Up Primer because it can give you that facial perfection that might have escaped you until now.  Try it and I’m sure that you’ll agree once you do!

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

New Luminess Air Mystic Foundation Kit Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**


New Luminess Air Mystic Foundation Kit of seven cosmetics.jpeg
New Luminess Air Mystic Foundation Kit

I had never used an airbrush makeup system until Luminess Air reached out.  It does take practice to operate the stylus and know how to shoot that pen to get that foundation on just right.  Still, once you master your technique, you will love how close your face comes to near perfection just from spraying thin layers of foundation.  Therefore, when the company contacted me again about their new Mystic foundation that also has concealer and corrector in one, I couldn’t wait to try it out.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas and Granola Cookies Review + $215 Giveaway! (5 Winners!)–Ends June 4, 2017

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas Fruit and Nuts Lovers and Lemon Cranberry Gluten Free Granola Cookies and Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies.jpeg
Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas Fruit and Nuts Lovers and Lemon Cranberry Gluten Free Granola Cookies and Coconut Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies

Just by looking at Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas and Granola cookies that arrived for this review and giveaway you can almost sense how good they taste through their plastic packaging with all their wholesome ingredients of delectable dried fruits, nuts, seeds, and chocolates.  Yet, as I opened one of the bags and got a whiff of their delicious spicing, my nose only confirmed what my eyes already were telling me. 

This small Miami-based company started by husband and wife team, Eric and Ellee Kaplan, developed as a natural result of some of Ellee’s granola baking masterpieces.  Before getting incorporated into granolas or their cookies, a mixture of oats, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds and two varieties of sesame seeds, cured in a mixture of virgin coconut oil and natural raw honey, are slowly baked for the base.  The taste of what I sampled I assure you is fresh, free of artificial preservatives and outrageously chalked full of flavor.  

The three varieties of Elle’s granolas ($8.99) that I received were the Fruit & Nut Lovers, Orange Blossom and their Tropical Blend choices.  Each new one that I tried seemed to tempt me more that it was hard to narrow just one that I preferred overall since each was special in its own right.  These were delicious for lunch in my yogurt.


Ellee's Gourmet Granolas (Fruit and Nut Lovers, Tropical Blend and Orange Blossom).jpeg
Ellee's Gourmet Granolas:  Fuit and Nut Lovers, Tropical Blend and Orange Blossom

Here’s what made my decision so impossible.  Fruit & Nut Lovers Granola was bursting with blueberries, cranberries, cherries, raisins, pecans, walnuts, and almonds.  Whereas, their Orange Blossom Granola had cranberries, pecans, and candid orange peel to further elevate that crunchy goodness into something else just as yummy. The Tropical Blend Granola with pineapple, papaya, toasted coconut, cashews, and macadamia nuts became one that you just wanted to keep eating straight out of the bag.  

Ellee’s makes regular granola cookies ($6.99) and gluten-free granola cookies ($7.99).  I found three bags of their gluten-free granola cookies with The Lemon Cranberry (moist and beautifully accented with lemon and tart cranberry) Espresso Chocolate Chip (chocolate flavor multiplied through its batter and chips)  and Fruit & Nut (moist and fruit-laden almost like no fruit was left behind).  


Ellee's Gourmet Granolas Espresso Chocolate Chip, Orange Chocolate Chip, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Cookies.jpeg
Ellee's Gourmet Granolas Espresso Gluten Free Chocolate Chip, Orange Chocolate Chip, and White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Granola Cookies

There was also three bags of Elles regular granola cookies with their White Macadamia Nut (white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts), Orange Chocolate Chip and Coconut Chocolate Chip granola cookies.

Besides what I described here, Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas has a lot of other appealing varieties of both their regular and gluten-free granola cookies that you should check out for yourself, family or to give as gifts. Give Dad something he’ll be sure to love this Father’s Day like a box from Ellee’s!  

Thanks to Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas, five lucky Nuts 4 Stuff readers in the continental United States will win their choice of two bags of granola and two bags of gluten-free or regular granola cookies ($43 value) for a total prize package of ($215 total value)!

Giveaway details and how to enter–


Prize: Five (5) winners from the continental USA will each receive their choice of two bags of Ellee’s Gourmet Granolas and two bags of their regular granola or gluten-free granola cookies ($43 ) for a $215 total prize value! 

Dates of entry:  05/17/16–06/03/16 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Eligibility: Open to continental USA.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

How to Enter:  Please use the Rafflecopter widget if it works.  You can also enter by clicking this link or try to enter using another browser. You can return daily and log in to enter.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, May 16, 2016

Terra Bella Box May 2016 Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Terra Bella Box May 2016.jpeg
Terra Bella Box May 2016


Often, the best approach to beauty is the simplest.  Giving your body, face, and hair only what it needs through natural beauty products instead of a long list of extra chemical ingredients is an alternative that health-conscious beauties are taking.  If you are one, then a natural beauty subscription like the Terra Bella Box can take the stress out of analyzing every beauty product label before you bring it home.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

My DIY Oily Salt Body Buffing Recipe for Silky Skin He Won’t Stop Touching!


Sexy legs in high heels.jpeg
You will be kicking up your heels with joy once you try this.
Whenever I get the chance, I love pampering myself with a fragrant essential oil that will keep my skin soft and as smooth as satin. However, when I can accomplish three tasks at once like using this body buffing recipe to exfoliate while I’m at it and improve my spirits as I go about it, then I am one happy woman.

The recipe that I want to share is easy to create with just a few ingredients using equal portions (about three tablespoons) of oil to the salt followed by two drops of lavender essential oil for an added aromatherapy effect.  

Though you can use olive oil, sweet almond oil, I usually prefer grapeseed oil when I make this because of the extra intensive help it seems to give my skin due to its fatty acids and vitamin E. 

Another ingredient is sea salt.  It will be more expensive than table salt, but it is worth it since it is rich in minerals and trace elements for maintaining better cellular function for healing the skin unlike processed salt.  

You also will need a few drops of lavender essential oil, which is my favorite essential oil since you can use it a bit more freely without worrying how much carrier oil that you need to use safely. 

After you prepare your mixture, you will need to head to your bathroom because this ritual is a messy process.  Step into your tub with this mixture and rub it all over your dry skin, paying particular attention to your rough areas first, then rinsing off before showering or bathing as usual.

By the time you finish with some water droplets still clinging to you, hurry and apply a rich body lotion or cream while you're still damp.   Your body will be nicely exfoliated and silkier than you can ever imagine.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Placement is Everything for the Most Natural Looking Blush

Smiling woman with hands through her hair.jpeg
This beauty has everything to smile about.


Not so long ago, my face was rounder than it is now.  As you can imagine, finding my cheekbones was challenging to say the least without a chiseled, well-defined bone structure.  For a long time, I was under the assumption that the best way to uncover those cheekbones was to suck in your cheeks.

It took me a while to figure out that there was a better way to find the cheekbones.  However, I did notice that applying blush to the apples of the cheeks gave more natural results.

If you are uncertain as to the exact location of those apples of the cheeks, then the simplest approach is to stand in front of your mirror and smile.  The spot where you want to concentrate on is that round, lifted area for your blush.   This method will never let you down when you want to make sure that your blush is properly placed.

Don’t forget to make sure that the blush gets thoroughly blended up into your hairline to keep the look real. Any difficulty you might encounter blending  could mean that you are using the wrong shade of a blush. This problem is easily corrected by switching to a paler, more neutral blush color that will more easily blend into your skin.

For more helpful blush tricks, you might want to read a few of my earlier posts about blush blunders, how to use this product to subtract years from your face and repositioning.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Beauty Box 5 May 2016 Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**


Beauty Box 5 May 2016.jpeg
Beauty Box 5 May 2016
A wonderful way to feel recharged is with a new look.  With Beauty Box 5, a monthly beauty subscription that delivers five full and sample size items from makeup, skin and hair care to fragrances, changing your face like a chameleon has never been easier. The cost is $12 a month but can drop with a longer commitment.

This month’s theme is “Bait Some Beauty, Save A Mermaid” with four cosmetics and a hair product to help accomplish that goal for summer beauty.

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Heaven’s Honey Box May 2016 Review

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Heaven’s Honey Box May 2016.jpeg
Heaven’s Honey Box May 2016 Review


In my opinion, a wonderful way to find some instant bliss and pampering your body is with some lush natural body care products.  The sense of smell from these types of products can provide genuine aromatherapy without subjecting the body to a chemical soup of ingredients like what you can expect from Heaven’s Honey Box, a new luxurious, monthly natural body care subscription that recently hit the market. 

Each month you can expect five to eight full size, artisan-crafted natural products.   The cost of this subscription runs $49.95 with free shipping.  Finding healthier alternatives to commercial body care products takes time and research before you can find what you love.  However, this subscription does your homework for you.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Paleo Simplified Family Variety Pack Superfood Raw Energy Bars and Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola Review + ($53.44) Giveaway!–Ends May 29, 2016

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**


Paleo Simplified Family Variety Pack Superfood Raw Energy Bars and Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola.jpeg
Paleo Simplified  Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola and Family Variety Pack Superfood Raw Energy Bars


To get the most out of life, the body needs foods that can give it real nutrition.  Otherwise, your energy and overall health can suffer. Therefore, let me introduce you to Paleo Simplified Gluten Free Variety Pack Superfood Raw Energy Bars and their Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola that I had a chance to sample. 

Unless you make a conscious effort to fuel your body efficiently, then you’ll be sputtering through the road of life.  The correct foods can help reduce inflammation and supply the energy you need to maximize your potential.

Let me acquaint you with what the Paleo lifestyle philosophy is about.  The principle here is the nutrition that you take in works with your genetics to help you maintain weight, health, and energy. The Paleo way is mainly avoiding refined foods, trans fats and sugar because it contributes to quite a few diseases such as obesity, diabetes, allergies, etc. 


Paleo Simplified Pecan Pie Superfood Raw Energy Bar, Nutty Fruit Bliss Bar, and Chocolate Coconut Almond Bar.jpeg
Paleo Simplified Pecan Pie Superfood Raw Energy Bar, Nutty Fruit Bliss Bar, and Chocolate Coconut Almond Bar


Everyone gets hungry at times between meals.  Instead of turning just to anything that could be hurting you releasing these disease-causing chemicals, it’s a good idea to have a supply on hand of a healthy snack that also can pass for a small meal replacement like what Paleo Simplified has to offer.

Each variety of Paleo Simplified’s Gluten Free Superfood Raw Energy Bars is made with wholesome ingredients that will benefit your body, not cause potential future problems.  Take their Nutty Fruit Bliss Bar, which is crammed with dates, cashews, goji berries and tart-sweet cherries for a delicious, healthy treat that has 27 vitamins and minerals that keep your body in perfect balance.

Their Chocolate Coconut Almond Energy Bar can satisfy your chocolate cravings while supplying you with rich antioxidants and minerals like magnesium from its raw cacao besides zinc and iron.  You can still get your chocolate fix without going down the wrong path.

The Paleo Simplified Pecan Pie Bars have 24 Goji berries, spirulina among its pure ingredients to satisfy your hunger in each bar while giving you the energy that you need.

With the Paleo Simplified Family Variety Pack Energy Bars, you get 15 raw, moist-textured energy bars with five of each of those three flavors.

Though wonderful, my absolute favorite is the Paleo Simplified Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola, which couldn’t be more delicious. This stuff has health-giving ingredients such as toasted almonds, coconuts, banana chips, cranberries, pumpkin seeds as well as other good for you seeds and nuts sweetened with a bit of honey and brought to full flavor through artful spicing.  You can use this tasty mix as a topping from anything from salads, sweet potatoes, grass-fed yogurt or just eating alone.  

I am already hooked on this granola.  First, I tried just a tablespoon in my yogurt along with fresh fruit for my lunch.  It was fresh and chewy,  not hard little nuggets that may have sat on some shelf forever that really did something incredible to what I was eating.

However, the flavor of Paleo Simplified Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola was so scrumptious that I found myself trying to separate and scrape off the yogurt so I could fully appreciate what remained.  

The next time I made my same simple lunch of chopped fruit, only I left out the yogurt that was shorting that fabulous granola.  Instead, I sprinkled two tablespoons over my apple slices and grapes and feasted.  I was completely full until I sat down to dinner at 5:30.    

Honestly, I was amazed at how filling these energy bars and granola were. Now I am definitely needing to get more bags of that Paleo Simplified Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola because I am already starting to run low now that the family has attacked my remaining stash.  Trust me, you will too once that you get your first taste.  

I especially encourage anyone recovering from an illness or those with small children to visit the company’s website and stock up on these wholesome products like Paleo Simplified Gluten Free Variety Pack Superfood Raw Energy Bars and their Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola to keep on hand.  Imagine what a healthier future may await your child if you train them to eat healthier superfood snacks at an earlier age.  Do yourself and family a favor and check Paleo Simplified out.

Thanks to Paleo Simplified one lucky Nuts 4 Stuff reader in the continental United States win a Paleo Simplified Variety Pack of 15 Superfood Raw Energy Bars and a bag of their  Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola ($53.44 value)!


Giveaway details and how to enter–


Prize: One (1) winner from the continental USA will receive Paleo Simplified Variety Pack of 15 Superfood Raw Energy Bars ($43.44) and a bag of Paleo Simplified Honey Nut Fruit Crunch Granola ($9.99) for a ($53.44 total value)!

Dates of entry:  05/12/16–05/28/16 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

Eligibility: Open to continental USA.  The winner will need to respond to my email with name and shipping address within 48-hours or another winner will be picked.  

How to Enter:  Please use the Rafflecopter widget if it works.  You can also enter by clicking this link or try to enter using another browser. You can return daily and log in again with your email to tweet or to vote daily for Nuts 4 Stuff on Picket Fence Blogs.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

How to Fake More Hair in a Thinning Head

Partially concealed face of blonde with thinning hair and red lips.jpeg
This beauty doesn't need to worry about her hair now that she found a better solution.


If you’re looking for some better ways to style thin hair, I have some suggestions that you might want to try. Though I don’t have thin hair, I have a friend that does that recently underwent an amazing transformation after her last visit to the hair salon.  Here are some helpful tips that she wanted me to share with anyone else that may have the same problem.

Monday, May 9, 2016

Laura Geller BB Cream Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 21 (Fair) Review + Swatches!

**Disclaimer:  This post has been compensated through a free product (s) or monetary payment.  Opinions are solely mine. All links are "no-follow" links.**

Laura Geller BB Cream Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 21 (Fair).jpeg
Laura Geller BB Cream Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 21 (Fair)


More and more, I have been turning to BB creams for their amazing multitasking purposes.  I really love how they can protect, moisturize and provide a lightweight, but glowing coverage all in one product like my latest find of Laura Geller's BB Cream Beauty Balm Broad Spectrum SPF 21.

The formula has a lot going for it from mineral sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide too anti-aging, skin saving antioxidants with the ginseng root, ginkgo biloba besides vitamins A and E.  Licorice root is also among the ingredients, added for its power to brighten and improve skin tone. 

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother's Day Bears with Mother's Day Wish.jpeg
These cute guys will put a smile on any mother's face.


To all the mothers out there, today is your day.  Let me wish you a happy Mother’s Day!

To mark the occasion, I will be taking the day off to celebrate and show my mother some extra love. However, tomorrow Nuts 4 Stuff will return to normal operation.

Until then, take care.

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Recipe: Try My Special White Cake With Cooked Fudge Frosting This Mother’s Day!

cut piece of my Special White Cake with Cooked Fudge Frosting.jpeg
Here's a piece of my Special White Cake with Cooked Fudge Frosting!



Today, I have a wonderful way to do something simple that will make your mother smile.  Imagine the joy on her face when you arrive this Mother’s Day with a moist white cake with a candy-like, cooked fudge frosting that you bake from scratch.  

Unlike practically all of my recipes, this one takes a bit more effort and more mixing bowls.  However, the taste of this delectable cake is worth it once you taste it.

You will be sifting the flour three times to make it extra light.  Also, you need to beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff like a meringue before you will later fold them into the cake batter.   Other than that, this is easy.        

For the frosting, use your favorite fudge frosting recipe. My mom prefers the cooked fudge variety that starts out with plain sugar, milk, corn syrup, unsweetened cocoa and butter that you boil before it turns satiny.
My Special White Cake with Cooked Fudge Frosting.jpeg
My Special White Cake with Cooked Fudge Frosting

However, top with your favorite frosting that your mom loves the most because you can’t ruin this cake. 




My Special White Cake

2-1/2 cups sifted flour
1-2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1-1/4 cups milk
4-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, leveled
5 egg whites
1 teaspoon of vanilla


Preheat your oven to 350-degrees.  

Take out two mixing bowls.  Sift your flour and baking powder together, then transfer to the other mixing bowl and repeat.  Do this until you sift them three times.

In another mixing bowl, beat your egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.

Next, cream your softened butter with the sugar thoroughly until fluffy.  

Then slowly add some flour, then some milk and vanilla and combine.  Alternate and continue beating until the milk and flour are all in there.  

Finally, fold in those beaten egg whites with your spatula until well combined.

Grease and flour two nine-inch layer cake pans.  I also measure the bottom and cut out wax paper to fit inside before adding my cake batter.

Divide into those cake pans and bake approximately in that 350-degree oven for 30 minutes.  The cake should feel springy to your touch.  Test with a toothpick or cake tester to see if anything sticks.

Leave in the pans for 10 minutes to give the cake a chance to cool.  Removing them too soon can cause them to break apart.

Frost with your favorite frosting.

ENJOY!