Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation Review


Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation
$34 At Sephora


What is it?:  A high-pigment foundation for full coverage with a long-lasting, beautiful finish.

Pros:
·      Full coverage
·      Oil free/Fragrance free
·      You do not need concealer
·      Stays matte
·      For a “high end” foundation, the price is great
Cons:
·      Doesn’t cover up tattoos well
·      Non transfer resistant
·      Does not last the full 24 hours
·      Accentuate pores and fine lines
·      Dries quickly


How does it look?: The product comes in a pink box with black flowers all over the box. It is very aesthetic looking.  The actual product comes in a 1 fl oz pump bottle. The bottle comes with a cap, so it is very easy for traveling. Having a pump is convenient, because you don’t have to shake the products bottle to get the foundation out.

What does it feel like?: It is a very thick and non-runny foundation, feels like lotion.

Testing it out: When I use this foundation I only use one pump. A little goes along way with this foundation. I noticed that if you do start to use more than one pump your face starts to look ‘cakey.’ When people refer to ‘cakey’ in the cosmetic industry they mean they are applying their face with too much makeup, their face looks like it was decorated like a cake. I applied the Kat Von D Lock-it Tattoo Foundation with a beauty blender. A beauty blender is a sponge makeup applicator that is designed to leave your face with a professional finish and a flawless complexion. I had to put the foundation on quickly because it dries pretty fast. 

 I noticed when applying the foundation that it accentuates my pores, which I didn’t like. The bottle claims that it has a matte finish, which means that there is no sparkle or shimmer, just flat out color. From what I noticed after I applied the foundation to my whole face, that it is a matte finish. They also claim that it is a full coverage foundation, which means that it covers up all the blemishes and redness on your face, basically adds a layer onto your skin that's all one color, so it gives you a flawless finish. If you want the natural look, 

I wouldn’t recommend this foundation because you can tell you are wearing foundation. I also wouldn’t recommend wearing this foundation everyday since it is full coverage, which means it can clog up your pores and cause you to breakout. It is suppose to stay flawlessly on your face for 24 hours, but after 8 hours the foundation started to fade on my forehead. It wasn’t that noticeable, but for a product that claims it can last 24 hours, 8 hours wasn’t even close.  I would suggest this foundation to people who have acne scars because it really does a good job at a covering everything.

Covering up a tattoo: This foundation also doubles as a tattoo cover up. Since, I do not have a tattoo, I used it on my sister, who has a small cross tattoo on her ankle. Her tattoo has black ink mixed in with a little blue and green ink to make the tattoo pop out more and last longer. I found out before putting this foundation on her foot, that blue/green ink is the hardest to remove, so I needed to keep that in mind.  I started out by only using one pump of the foundation and used my finger to blend the foundation over her tattoo. After one coat of the foundation, the tattoo was still pretty noticeable, so I used another pump of the foundation. The tattoo was still visible after 2 coats of the foundation. So, I proceeded and used a third pump of the foundation. After 3 coats of foundation, the tattoo was still visible. Even though, her tattoo is very small, it didn’t do a good job at covering it up. I came to the conclusion that it is a way better foundation than a tattoo cover up.

Picking a perfect shade: When I went out to Sephora, the beauty store where this foundation is found, they had me using their Color IQ system with Pantone to find the best foundation shade for my skin. The system works like this: a trained associate holds an iPhone-sized gadget up to your cheek, under-eye area and forehead while it takes snapshots of your skin tone. About a minute later, it’s matched you with all the possible options in the store. So, I ended up with L48 as my color shade for the Kat Von D Lock It Tattoo Foundation.   

When ordering makeup online it becomes very risky especially with foundation because you want to make sure you are going to match the exact shade with you skin tone. Kat Von D made it really easy to pick the perfect shade for your skin tone if you are ordering the foundation online. The foundation comes in several different shades, when you first get on the page you need to distinguish if you have light, medium, or dark skin. So, for me, I picked the light color. And then your foundations get narrowed down to 4 shades. With the remaining 4 shades she has very good descriptions, so it is easy to decipher which shade would be the best match for your skin tone.

 
Transfer resistant: This foundation claims that it is transfer resistant, so I took a white t-shirt and started dabbing my face (after the foundation dried) very lightly to see if the foundation would transfer onto the shirt, and it did. I then thought, “who would actually dab themselves with a white t-shirt.” I then decided to see if the makeup would transfer onto my gray sweatshirt if I took it off. After I removed the gray sweatshirt, I noticed that there were foundations marks left on the sweatshirt. All in all I would say that this foundation is indeed not transfer resistant.

Conclusion: Overall, I would buy this product again. It is a full coverage and covers any blemish or beauty mark you might have. You do not need a lot of this product to cover your entire face, so the foundation lasts a long time, so you get your money worth.  It is more than just a foundation; it acts like concealer as well, so you get both in the bottle, which is an added bonus.

Jawbone JAMBOX Mini: Little Speaker, Big Sound



Jawbone JAMBOX Mini: Little Speaker, Big Sound



 $99.99 via Amazon
 $129.99 via Jawbone


With 10 hours of audio in such a small package, it's hard not to be excited about the Jawbone JAMBOX Mini. Released in September 2013, the Jawbone JAMBOX Mini instantly became popular because of its compact size and quality sound.


Pros
  • Convenient and compact size
  • Many colors and designs
  • Wireless
  • 10 hour battery life
  • Sturdy and quality build 
  • Quality sound for size
  • Jawbone app that works with Spotify, Rdio, and iTunes
  • Connects to any Bluetooth device

Cons
  • Fairly expensive 
  • Limited Speaker Volume 
  • Jawbone app required
  • Protective cover sold separate 
  • Overall speaker package lacks against some competitors 

Having such a small stereo is very convenient, although the speaker only gets loud enough for someone to just listen to it in their room or in a larger space. Even though the speaker does not get too loud, the quality of the sound is simply amazing. It is crisp and clear, and I've never had a problem with the Bluetooth connection as long as I keep my phone or computer within reasonable distance.

When I first was installing the Jawbone app I had some troubles with it simply because it was very confusing, since then Jawbone has updated their app and made it more user friendly. One of the other cons was that the speaker did not come with a protective cover or case like their other bigger models do, which is a strike against them when competing with other Bluetooth stereo rivals.


Key Features

Although there are other competitors of the Jawbone JAMBOX Mini, there are some cool features that help make this speaker stay in the race for one of the best small Bluetooth Stereos.
Not only does this speaker have Bluetooth 4.0 with BTLE, a 3.5 mm stereo input, and a Micro-USB port for charging, it also has simultaneous multipoint, which can connect two devices at the same time. Personally, I love that I can hook my laptop and my phone up to my JAMBOX Mini and it's very easy to do.

Other features include:
  • 9 color options (Graphite, Red, Blue, Silver, Aqua, Purple, Orange, Green, and Yellow)
  • Wireless rage at least 33 feet (10m)
  • Bluetooth Smart Ready 
  • Type 1-compliant microphone



Comparison

With technology changing as fast as it does these days, it's hard for the Jawbone JAMBOX Mini not to have any competitors. One of the Mini's, along with the rest of the Bluetooth speaker's, competitor is the Beats Pill by Dr Dre. Holding the spot for one of the best compact Bluetooth stereo, the Beats Pill also comes at a larger price, ranging anywhere from $130-200. The Beats Pill can get noticeably louder than the JAMBOX Mini, but you get what you pay for in this case. 


Conclusion

Overall, this speaker is worth the price. For such a small stereo it displays a high quality sound and gets decently loud. The only major downfall of this speaker is that it does have a limited volume when compared to some other speakers, which you should expect from the size, and if you are someone who wants a very loud speaker than you should invest in a larger stereo. Although, coming in 9 beautiful colors with different styles makes this stereo unique and separates it from its competitors. Made of aluminum, this speaker does not feel or look cheap, and in reality is quite durable. I would know this after dropping my very own Mini from my bathroom counter and picking it up with not a dent or scratch. In conclusion, if you are looking for a reasonably priced and quality sounding Bluetooth speaker, the Jawbone JAMBOX Mini is a great choice. 




Review Draft - Revised

The Gathering Grounds Coffee House

There’s no doubt that coffee is a necessity in the life of college students. Finding a coffee shop that looks and feels like home can be hard to find, but people in and around Menomonie, Wisc., are in luck. Nestled right outside of UW-Stout’s campus in a little white cottage is the Gathering Grounds Coffee House. 

Owned by husband and wife, JJ and Michelle, this coffee house was created in the same space as The Painted Picket. The Painted Picket is Michelle and a few friends’ business for up-cycling furniture and selling novelty items like scarves and art.



The Coffee
Gathering Grounds serves Douwe Egberts coffee and a variety of hot, iced, or blended espresso drinks. The coffee menu contains many typical coffee house drinks, such as lattes, macchiatos, and regular coffee. They also serve creative, from-scratch seasonal drinks. Some examples are their summertime drink – iced coconut/almond milk over espresso – and their gingerbread and pumpkin pie lattes for fall.

The prices of the drinks are a bit lower than the average chain coffee house. I ordered a blended iced Gingerbread latte. The owner, JJ, explained that all of the ingredients are made from scratch with no artificial flavors or sweeteners. I was also very pleased that this place serves almond/coconut milk as a non-dairy option. My favorite drink I have ordered there is a dirty chai tea latte - their homemade chai tea blend with steamed almond/coconut milk and a shot of espresso. Pictured below is a blended pumpkin spice latte.



I have been impressed with the quality of the drinks at this coffee house every time I have visited. The espresso is always freshly ground for your drink, and JJ usually chats with you about making your drink while he creates it, so you know what is going into it. I have never felt the need to add extra cream or sugar into any drink - they came to me ready to drink and delicious just as they were made. I have never had to wait in line and have always gotten my drink quickly. Cash is a little easier and quicker if you're in a hurry. Credit/debit cards have to be manually scanned through an iPhone attachment instead of a professional machine, but it doesn't take too long. 



In addition to the coffee menu, this place also sells baked goods. Fresh raspberry scones and chocolate mint brownies are a few examples. On Wednesdays, they have fresh muffins imported from a local bakery. They also have packaged all-natural energy bars for those who need a gluten free food option.

The Service
From the moment I walked in the door to the moment I left, the service was excellent. I was greeted with a warm welcome and a handshake from JJ. He was able to answer all of my questions about the menu and different ways I could have my drink made. He was extremely enthusiastic and happy to help.



The Gathering Grounds has punch cards for the customers – offering a free 10th drink after 9 punches. They keep the punch cards in a little file box by the cash register for the customers to find their card each time they visit. Customers get two punches on the card for their first visit.

My only complaint was being charged two different prices for the same drink on separate visits to the coffee house. I was not sure if they are raising their prices or just mischarged me, but I was a little disappointed that my drink had nearly doubled in cost my next visit.

Another small inconvenience is that they are not always open. In the fall and winter, Gathering Grounds is open from 7am-3pm Tuesdays through Fridays, and 9am-3pm on Saturdays.



The Atmosphere
The atmosphere of this place is every coffee house lover’s dream. Having the shop be set up in a cottage gives it the perfect amount of privacy and openness. 



There is a large open area where the coffee bar is, and a large seating room. There are two more private rooms off of the main areas, which allow a quieter atmosphere for customers who want that. The rooms all have bright, unique furniture and artwork in them, giving the place a homey feel.


Nearly everything in the store is for sale via The Painted Picket, so customers can leave their visit with something more tangible than just coffee in their bellies.



The Conclusion
I was very impressed with my experience at The Gathering Grounds. I used to frequent the chain coffee shops pretty often, but recently stopped because I was not impressed by their extremely expensive, sugar and syrup filled drinks. They also do not have the same homey atmosphere that a small coffee shop has, which is important to me. 

The Gathering Grounds fulfilled just about all my wishes for the perfect coffee shop – from the location, to the drink menu, to the service and the atmosphere, I would certainly recommended stopping by next time you’re cruising near Menomonie and are looking for a place that feels like home – and tastes like it, too. 




For more information about The Gathering Ground's Coffee House, visit their Facebook page


Review - Brittany Holm


Doolittles Woodfire Gill Restaurant Review


Doolittles Woodfire Grill was founded in 1989 by owners Lynn Reimer and John Sheehan. The original inspiration for the chains name of Dootlittles comes from the owners’ fascination of aeronautics and the accomplishments of Jimmy Doolittle in the Second World War. The menu and mission is focused around serving quality food for all occasions including woodfired rotisserie chicken.

Atmosphere

Doolittles Woodfire Grill in Alexandria Minnesota starts hinting at its warm decor even before you reach the front door with the smell of the wood burning fire pit located on the outdoor patio.  The interior is centered around an inviting u-shaped bar with leather stools and both high top and booth seating surrounding. The dining areas around the exterior walls are mostly made up of booths with tables for larger parties. Overall it has a very elegant and sophisticated appearance but also casual enough that children are welcome. Besides the theme of woodfire cooking the restaurant is filled with vintage airplane murals and memorabilia.  One drawback about the atmosphere if you are looking for a place to have an intimate gathering is that there are no completely private areas to reserve for large groups.  Reservations can be made, but are not necessary to be seated. 


   Complimentary Bread)               (Woodfire Buffalo Wings) 

                                                           
Appetizers 

After ordering drinks the server returned with a basket of warm thinly sliced white bread topped with their seasoning blend accompanied by individual packets of butter.  One thing to note is that at lunchtime they will not bring you bread unless requested but at the dinner hour they will bring it automatically. Doolittle’s is known for its signature Woodfire grilling one of the most popular appetizers that the server suggested is their unique Woodfire Buffalo Wings.($9.95) There are fourteen different spices and herbs used in the rub and sauce that contributes to the smoky flavor.  Another appetizer that had a lot of flavor was the Grilled Tenderloin Skewers that is served with two fantastic dipping sauces.($11.75)  However the meat wasn’t cooked consistently throughout the dish some part were more well done than others.

      (Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich)     (Flying Tiger Chicken and Peapods)

Main Courses 

Doolittles offers a full gluten free menu and there are also kids menus available upon request. Another dish that falls within their realm of Woodfire cooking that I selected was the Rotisserie Chicken Sandwich. This meal is served with a choice of fires, coleslaw or mashed potatoes. ($10.95) When the plate arrived I was surprised that the substantial amount of meat that the sandwich contained. The potato bun was crispy and more dense then a typical white bun. The fontina cheese pared well with the chipotle aioli and completes the whole ensemble.   If you are in the mood for something more international inspired I would suggest the Flying Tiger Chicken and Peapods.  This stir-fried dish has some kick to it containing carrots, jalapenos, scallions, bell peppers, napa cabbage, peanuts dressed with thai peanut sauce and crispy wontons for a nice crunch texture. ($12.95 L/$14.50 D)


   (Chocolate Nirvana)                 (Key LimSemifroddo)

Desserts

At Doolittle’s there are specialty desserts that are offered seasonally. One dessert that is consistent on the dessert menu is Mudslide Pie. Mudslide Pie is mainly consisted of a creamy coffee flavored ice cream on an Oreo crust topped with a rich chocolate fudge layer and adorned with whip cream and sliced almonds.

Wines

There is an extensive wine selection at Doolittles Woodfire Grill, in fact the whole backside of the menu is solely consists of wine over fifty in total. Bottles of wine can range from $23 to $79 and glasses from $5.95 to $11.95. They also have a sampling option called Wine Flights if you are interested in testing a series of four different types.

Service 

When arriving at the first set of doors during the dinner service I noticed the hostess making a dash to open the second set of doors. Once inside I was greeted in a respectful manor and then lead my party to our table. Our server reached the table and greeted us within moments of us being seated and made suggestions for our drink order. The servers seemed well knowledgeable and checked back once our food arrived to make sure everything was to our liking. However, when coming in for happy hour around 9pm the servers were much less attentive and it was much more casual and there were no hosts to seat us. Overall I have had great experiences with the service and would highly 
recommend for the quality of the food at Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill.


Other Locations:

Eagan

Phone Number320.759.0885