3 Things I Bought from Social Media . . . and How They Actually Worked Out

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Spring Camo

If I see a thousand or so positive reviews about something, that is pretty much the first jumping off point that piques my interest level. I may not even know what the product is, but if a ton of people are into it I swiftly want to explore it for myself.

Oddly, even after hearing that some sketchy brands will PAY people to leave positive reviews (I heard this on a podcast recently. . . I believe it was Reply All?!), I’m still influenced by the swarm of interest in a new or viral product.

And sometimes, I take the plunge.

I’ve gotten sucked in to a few products/items recently thanks to very frequent facebook ads, and I thought I’d share my experience with them here!

Brooklinen

I’ve been looking for comfortable sheets for a long time and found some wonderful ones at Belk. They are the Biltmore collection and I still love them. I wanted to try Brooklinen, though, just to see what all the hype was about. I bought the luxe sheet set and they are truly wonderful. I’m so happy with my purchase. In fact, I was so happy I bought a lightweight duvet and a duvet cover and it may be the best bedding purchase I’ve ever made. My husband and I tend to get hot when we sleep and this light duvet is perfect for us. Naturally my dang cats (looking at you, Grits) have already ripped holes in it so I need to purchase a back up when this current duvet gets too shredded for my liking.

Virtue

I saw a few ads about this haircare line on Facebook, then met someone who works at Virtue at a Madewell event a few months back. She really sold me on the product line after explaining the new keratin molecule they discovered and infused into their haircare products. I bought the volume line and the recovery line and I really like both! I get a bit of extra static electricity in my hair after using the volume conditioner, but I did find it to be a nice, light option for those looking for extra lift!

I am looking to explore more of their line once I run out of my sample sizes of shampoo and conditioner!

Flamingo

I had seen a few ads about this razor on facebook, and then I saw it displayed in beautiful packaging at an end cap at Target. I quickly snatched it off the shelf and couldn’t wait to shave my legs with it.

Ultimately, it left much to be desired. I was looking for a smooth, buttery soft finish but I found I had to really drag it against my legs a few times to get a clean shave. I had previously used a Venus Comfortglide that has the built in shaving cream around it. I used shaving cream with the Flamingo razor but it just didn’t blow me away.

I’ll stick with my 12-pack from Costco of the Venus refills for now!

I’m curious, have you bought anything from a facebook or IG ad that lived up the hype?! 

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Katharine Steele says · 04.17.19

I liked this content idea! I hope you do more!

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Michele says · 04.17.19

I second this! Such a good thought.

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Lexie says · 04.17.19

Agreed!its always nice when someone else takes the plunge first. Haha!

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Kathy says · 04.17.19

Third! 😊

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Ericka says · 04.17.19

Agreed!!

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Cheryl says · 04.17.19

Agree! Great content!

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Jennifer Hepola says · 04.17.19

I bought Bombas socks and Tommy John underwear after seeing many Facebook Ads and they BOTH live up to the hype. I am a fan for life!!

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Lynnetta says · 04.17.19

Bombas are fantastic!!

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Laura says · 04.17.19

LOVE my Bombas socks!!

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Nicolw says · 04.17.19

My hubby and I both wear Tommy Johns. Expensive but so worth it! Life changing as my hubby says! Been looking at Bombas recently. Think I’ll check them out.

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Amanda Bumgarner says · 04.18.19

I literally just went and bought some Bombas after reading this comment. LOL!

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BP says · 06.25.19

Agree on the Bombas (and haven’t tried Tommy Johns yet), but for truly no-show socks that are also totally worth the social media hype, try Invisisox! They are extremely comfortable no-show socks that don’t hurt the top of the foot after a couple hours and don’t slide down into your shoe. I’ve had mine for a year or so and just ordered a new batch (because my teen daughters have been stealing them!)

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Juli says · 06.25.19

I have wondered about
these. Thanks for sharing.

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Mackenzie says · 04.17.19

Loved this, thanks for sharing! I see so many ads on my social media feeds and sometimes it’s hard to decipher which products would be great or not. I haven’t tried Flamingo, but I have tried Billie. It’s kind of a similar concept, but it’s all online and a subscription. I’ve absolutely loved it and have found that Billie razors are the only razors ever that have not given my sensitive skin razor burn! They definitely leave with the buttery soft feel you mentioned, and for a really good price.

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Mallory says · 04.17.19

I loveeee Billie razors too. Affordable, easy and cute. Definitely recommend.

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Lynsey says · 04.17.19

I second this! I love Billie!

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Kara says · 04.17.19

Yes!! Billie is great! If y’all use my link we both get a pink tax rebate! Woo! http://fbuy.me/mzqvf

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Sarah says · 04.17.19

Same for me! I previously used Dollar Shave Club, but Billie razors are my favorite by far. I shave my legs so much more often now that I don’t get razor burn every time I shave!

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Jenn says · 04.18.19

Yes! The Billie razors are amazing!!

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Molly says · 04.20.19

Love my Billie razor too! Sooo good and affordable!

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Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says · 04.17.19

I guess it can be a hit-or-miss! I’ve heard so much about Brooklinen’s bedding before, so I have no doubt that it’s good! Thanks for sharing this, Kate! Such a fun read! 🙂

Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com

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Bethany says · 04.17.19

I bought Brooklinen sheets, as well, after seeing ads on Instagram. They are wonderful! Love them so much!

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Angela says · 04.17.19

Thanks for the feedback! I get suckered into buying hyped up products but it just leaves me more disappointed when they don’t work out and not everyone likes the same things.

Angela at Blush & Pearls

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Michelle Carter says · 04.17.19

Thanks for sharing! Always curious about those ads so please do more of these as you experiment. 🙂 I have purchase a Lange wand after seeing an ad and love it! It really works great. I have also tried my husbands dollar shave club razor and hate it. It definitely does not give a nice smooth shave. I am obsessed with lashes so I am curious if you have tried any of the fiber or other social media mascaras that have been floating around.

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Megan says · 07.12.19

Love my L’ange wand! It’s the best I’ve ever used!

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Courtney M says · 04.17.19

I also bought the flamingo after I saw you had purchased it (IG story maybe?) and had run out of refills for my Venus. I’ve been let down as well. I was so hopeful it would be similar to the Venus, but alas nothing seems to compare.

I have followed the hype for the L’ange hair products and love their curling wand. Not a huge fan of the actual spray products though. I’ve been intrigued by the charcoal toothpaste but haven’t tried it yet!

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Juli says · 04.18.19

I love the Native Charcoal toothpaste, Body wash, and Deodorant.

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Jen D says · 04.17.19

Native deodorant. I was very skeptical, but I LOVE it and the coconut smell is great.

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Jo says · 04.17.19

Yes! Love Native and definitely worth the hype, plus the subscription feature is convenient.

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Jess says · 04.17.19

Agreed!! Native is the best!

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Rachel says · 04.17.19

I bought the Type A deodorant & have been really happy with it!! I’ve tried a variety of other natural deodorant brands, and this is definitely one of the best. One product I see/hear about I kind of want to try is MeUndies.

But it is dicey! I bought some of the imitation Lego dinos & there’s a definite difference in quality & customer service was dicey.

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Hilary says · 07.12.19

Rachel-

I didn’t do MeUndies for myself, but I got my husband a subscription for Christmas and he LOVES their boxers. The material is suuuper soft and the patterns are adorable. I loved that we got to pick out the pattern from a few options. They hold up well to washing too!

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Laura says · 04.17.19

Native deodorant is SO good! My husband even converted after running out of his and using mine in a pinch. He hasn’t switched back to his old deodorant. HA! We love the vanilla coconut scent!

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Ashley Thomas says · 04.17.19

This was a GREAT post!!! I always wondered if certain items were worth the hype. Please consider making this a monthly feature. You could name it Trust it or Bust it. Hahaha! 😄 Just my thoughts. Love your blog content!

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Ranell says · 04.17.19

I bought a Burst electric toothbrush and I love it!

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Lauren says · 04.17.19

Agree re: flamingo blades. I won’t buy again. And I left a review on target’s site because the reviews there all seemed spammy.

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Krista says · 04.23.19

I HATED the Flamingo razor! It was probably the worst razor I have ever used. We went right back to the Dollar Shave Club.

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Katie says · 04.17.19

I tried Flamingo and hated them, too. They rusted in 2 days. I had been using Dollar Shave Club for the past several years and really liked them. I used Venus from Costco before that. I’d been seeing ads for Billie razors, so I tried them and and I LOOVE them. They are a subscription service (which I like), but my legs have never felt smoother! Seriously, they’re the best razors I’ve tried in years.

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Rachel says · 04.17.19

Jumping on the razor chain, I tried Billie and absolutely love it. Looks so chic and it the best razor I have ever used. I’m not on the men’s razor train. They irritate my skin. I used to use Venus embrace. I still like Venus, but prefer Bille

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Kathleen says · 04.17.19

The Billie razor (found it on a Facebook ad) is hands down the best razor I’ve ever used!!!! I’ve never had such a close shave before! Definitely worth trying!

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Kate says · 04.17.19

REALLY? I need to try it!!

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Katherine M says · 04.17.19

Love this post! I’m also in the market for new bed linens, so I’ll be giving those a try. Also….the only thing I liked about the Flamingo razor was the packaging. Other than that…won’t be re-purchasing. My skin felt dry and the blades didn’t feel smooth against my skin at all. I also have the Billie razor which gives me a great, close, buttery soft shave.

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Melanie says · 04.17.19

My nephew takes a creative writing class at his college prep school part of their grade is writing creative reviews on Amazon products, products they have never used.
Totally blew my mind.

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Sarah O says · 04.17.19

You mean pretend reviews or they actually go online and post the reviews?

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Melanie Davis says · 04.17.19

I love Skylar! I’m not sure if I’m allowed to link here? If not, I’m sorry! https://share.skylar.com/x/L8T5Xg

It’s a natural scent line of layerable scents. They have a fun quiz to see what your scent preference might be and they also have a great sample packet deal with all their scents. I’ve at minimum sampled 100% of them (even as they come out with new ones.) And only not liked 1. I’ve bought full-size bottles of all but two of them, and travel rollies of 3 of them + am now using their subscription scents. Really the only thing I’ve purchased from them and not loved is a cupcake candle that was too strong. My faves are Isle, Capri, Arrow, and Meadow (in that order) and I’ve layered combos of all of those and love them. I’m wearing Meadow/Capri today. 🙂

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Karen Ward says · 04.17.19

I don’t know if it was so much social media hype or just hearing it on the radio but the Dollar Shave club razors are THE BEST razors my husband and I have ever used. I’ve always thought men’s razors worked better than women’s and these do not disappoint.

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1/2WayCrunchyMama says · 04.17.19

Same!!

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Mindy M says · 04.17.19

Yes!! I don’t usually do subscriptions, but Dollar Shave Club is awesome. Their shaving gel is also amazing. I get the closest shave. And it’s super affordable!

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Angie says · 04.17.19

I love the Dollar Shave Club razors and shave butter! They are seriously the best razors ive ever used. And they are so inexpensive.

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Becky says · 04.17.19

Tommy Johns advertise all over XM radio. I decided I would get some for my husband for Christmas. He said they live up to the hype & really are worth $36.00 a pair! I have been buying them a few at a time since they are an investment. I have also tried Thrive mascara on Facebook ads. It is amazing! Gives me incredible length! My teenage daughters also love it and asked for their own tube. A fail was True & Co bras. It gave me no support so I sent it back. I didn’t get a refund until I asked where is my refund ?

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Rose Johnson says · 04.17.19

Lan’ge, not sure I spelt it correctly?
But I’m SO over their ads, I bought their wand when it was 1st being advertised, and I have been so disappointed and they have awful customer service.
I tried a lip gloss your si add ter recommended and have loved it, and a mascara she recommended and loved it.

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Teresa says · 04.17.19

The Pony-O! A friend and I talked about it for a long time but thought it was crazy to buy one holder for $20. She bought me one for my bday as sort of a joke and well jury’s out and I love it! I do t use it every time I put my hair in a pony but it gives excellent volume and looks so styled.

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Shel says · 04.17.19

I’ve almost bought that a zillion times!

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Briana Smith says · 04.17.19

I’m currently trying Function of beauty shampoo and conditioner. I’ve been using it almost a week and I’m not super impressed so far. I’ll use it until it’s gone but right now, it’s not blowing me away.
I do love my Boie scrubber though and adore my Billie razor

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Shelley Chandler says · 04.17.19

Love this post. I agree that this would be a great recurring column. I tried Betabrand Yoga Dress Pants (with pockets) and Rothy’s shoes. Love them both!

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Juli says · 04.18.19

I’ve been wondering about Rothy’s shoes too. Good to know.

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Chelsea says · 04.17.19

Harry’s razors are the best razors for me! They are made for men, but give me the closest shave. And no razor burn. Pretty sure flamingo razors are based of of Harry’s. I also didn’t like the flamingo razor.

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Aimee says · 04.17.19

I too got sucked in by the cute packaging of the flamingo razor at Target 🎯 and it’s a hard no from me! Venus girl here too!

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Jennifer says · 04.17.19

I have almost gotten sucked in but then I read reviews of companies and decide not to. Also something to consider…. I use a double edged razor (I think it was $20) I got from Amazon (gotta love Amazon) and bought a 30 blade refill for $5 and it’s the BEST and closest shave I have ever had. I shave daily but could skip a day or two even , it’s so close!!!

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Michelle says · 04.17.19

I bought quip toothbrushes for me and my son. They are great, and the kids watermelon toothpaste was a hit. I love that it automatically sends me new toothbrush heads on a regular schedule.

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Gretchen Main says · 04.17.19

Quip! I love my quip toothbrush. I’ve been using it for over a year and have had extremely positive feedback at each of my dentist visits since then. I switched from a Sonicare brush – love that the brush head refills are so much cheaper and you don’t have to charge the brush. Here’s my referral link if you’re interested: getquip.com/rf?referral_code=gretchen733019021462

I also love my Billie razor and Bombas socks – I need to order some more socks!

Thanks Kate and all for sharing, I love reading these comments to see what everyone else has had success with (or hated!).

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Cicily says · 04.17.19

I bought some makeup from Beauty and the Boutique. I love the veil skin kissed foundation, the veil complexion fix, as well as the blusher.
The makeup is great at evening out my skin tone, toning down my age spots, but still letting my skin Pre-K through. My spots are still visible, but I feel beautiful in their makeup. I’m a natural kind of girl, don’t like a lot of makeup, and hate for me to get lost in the makeup.

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Rebecca says · 04.17.19

I got sucked into Billie but I have a love/hate with them… I love the handle and the magnetic holder but it gives me razor burn way more often than I’d like. I also HATE the slimy soap bar that surrounds the blades. It’s gross on underarms. I did see an update that they are changing to a charcoal formula, so I’m going to give them one more delivery to see if I like that better. Right now, I’m debating the Overtone color shampoo/conditioner that keeps coming up for me on Instagram and FB (I have purple hair at the moment) and I think I might try it.!

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Jenn says · 04.18.19

I used Overtone when my hair was purple and loved it! There’s also a company called Vivid that makes a purple shampoo that I really liked.

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Emily says · 04.18.19

Overtone is amazing! My hair always feels great after using it. I use the extreme purple to maintain my color.

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Bella says · 04.19.19

I use a safety razor. I buy the tool once and then blades are about $3 every six months, maybe. No plastic, no waste, no fuss, no muss. No razor burn, no gross build up, no problems.

Y’all make it so dang complicated.

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Jenna says · 04.17.19

I’ve been using Function of Beauty for over a year now and I love it. The big bottles last me over four months! I also use a Quip toothbrush, and love it too. So much so I bought my boyfriend one!

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Laurie says · 04.17.19

Thanks, ladies! I just subscribed for the Billie razor. Can’t wait to try it. I have very sensitive skin.

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Wendy Wilson says · 04.18.19

Hi Laurie
I have sensitive skin and the Billie works great for me. I hope you like it too 😉

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Lynn says · 04.18.19

Love this post! I got sucked into purchasing Boll & Branch sheets from the ads on Sirius and absolutely love them! I should really give in and get rid of my other sheets because I wash the B & B sheets constantly just to use them again and ignore the other sheets in my linen closet.

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Caryn says · 04.18.19

My husband and I love dollar shave club! So cheap and the razors are WONDERFUL! My husband uses their shave butter too and really likes it. Plus they mail you 4 razors a month so we are set with that and 2 handles! You should definitely check them out! P. S. I wasn’t paid to say this! 😂

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Cicily says · 04.18.19

I just saw this the other day and thought about getting the sampler pack. I’m always leary of the reviews on the ad, as I wonder if a robot wrote them.

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Elizabeth says · 04.18.19

The Dollar Shave Club is awesome!

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Cicily says · 04.18.19

I too have a wand. I want to like it, but I think my next hair appliance will be the Babyliss that Kate uses. I bought a Lange straightening iron fro TJ Maxx and am not too impressed with it either. I have also seen Head Candy, and wondered about their products. I’d like to try the straightening brush so my hair isn’t so limp after straightening.

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Alyssa says · 04.18.19

I love this series! More please!

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Danielle Runyan says · 04.18.19

I bought the Blume acne oil that has been all over Facebook and it has been great for my pimple problem areas. I was presently surprised.

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Brandi says · 04.18.19

Oh my goodness, that picture ofGravy is everything!!!!! LOVE!

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Sara G. says · 04.18.19

I’m so glad to see your Flamingo review because I just about grabbed it off the shelf at Target the other day. It was so pretty! My cart was full of Easter basket goodies for my kids so I decided to save it for another day. It looks like I’ll be sticking with my Venus razor also! =)

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Janna says · 04.18.19

I tried Flamingo waxing strips based on a blog post. They don’t work at all!

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Wendy Wilson says · 04.18.19

I have bought lots from Insta and FB adds or recommendations from people I follow. My favorite thing is Living Proof dry shampoo. My other favorite is my Billie razor. I found it to be buttery smooth and they are cheaper than the Venus refills.

Thanks for sharing all the products you love and the ones that don’t quite make the cut 😉. I’m a huge fan!!!

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Nicky says · 04.18.19

Ugh yes I bought the Flamingo razor because it is just so cute! But not a great razor, unfortunately. Wish I had seen this first!! 🙂

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Chris says · 04.19.19

I’ve recently tried at least one maybe 2 things from social media ads. The one I KNOW was from ads was trying Thrive Causmetics. I’d gotten ads for months before I broke down and tried it and I’m in love. They are just as amazing as the pictures and videos make them look. Seriously the FIRST eyeliner I can put on my waterline without issue and it does stay on allllllll day no mater what! And the cc cream is like wearing a photo filter. I’m sold! LOL

The other one I’m not 100% sure was from an ad but I think so- Prose Shampoo and Conditioner, which is one of the customized ones. My go to Oaui was out of stock so I tried it. Not only am I hooked my hair dresser asked what I was doing differently because my lowlights were staying in so much better than usual. Totally worth trying! I’m now actually on the subscription program (I never subscribe) so I can save the 20%. I miss the smell of the Ouai but….my hair is in love with it’s customized shampoo and conditioner.

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Lauren says · 04.21.19

I bought my husband a Frankfurter Brett for Christmas last year after seeing them repeatedly in Facebook ads- we both really like it., and use it daily.
https://www.frankfurter-brett.de/en/

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Nora says · 04.21.19

I bought a lot of things from Instagram. Clothes, jewerely, shoes. Internet is a huge base of knowledge. For example, you can find a tutor for Math, Statistic or Biology. https://domyhomeworkfor.me/ the best online writing service.

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Kate says · 04.21.19

I always am a sucker for cute outfit pieces that people link. Most of the time I a not disappointed, but ever so often I will get an outfit piece that is not really how they described lol. Great post, thanks for sharing. Hope you have a lovely Easter!

-Kate
https://daysofkate.com/

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Crystal says · 04.23.19

I too was sucked into the marketing and cute packaging of the Flamingo razor and absolutely hate it! It’s like running a dry butter knife down your legs. I used a nice highly rated shaving cream and hated it!

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Leah says · 04.23.19

I bought a pair of leggings from popfit and really like them!

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Kellee says · 04.23.19

I don’t like this razor either!

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Kelly says · 04.23.19

Love Virtue haircare! Did you know it’s a Raleigh based company?? I haven’t even seen it advertised on social media but I stumbled upon it in Blue Mercury (in North Hills, Raleigh) a few months ago and I’ve been loving it!

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Robin Dickson says · 04.24.19

I’m curious about your kitties I wondered why you did not have them declawed? I know some people think it is awful and inhumane. I love my Lily probably more than my husband sometimes 🤣 but she is always, always indoors and we made the decision to declaw to save our sanity and she does fine. Of course I checked out about 20 places to make sure it was done correctly and would not hurt her. I also had 2 other cats my ex would not let me have and declawed them and they lived in a house with 3 big dogs and held there own🤣 just curious.
As for things I have been pressured to buy from social media the list is to long 🤣🤣🤣
Worst purchase was Crepe Erase it works lovely when you put it on as a quick fix.
Second Dr Brandt Under Eye Baggage I have used a product like this before for the life of me makeup never goes on over it cakes up looks awful.

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Carolyn Gavin says · 04.24.19

I recently bought the Billie razer and I love it! It gives me a really close shave that I actually would venture to say is even better than the one I get with my Venus razor. I also love the magnetic holder that comes with it too, it’s so convenient.

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Sarah says · 04.25.19

Yes! I was an early adopter of the Away suitcase about three years ago, when they were advertising primarily on insta. Have never been happier with a suitcase. Also I discovered the site Of a Kind via instagram and bought the most beautiful necklace. It’s a collection of individual artists and makers, and there are some wonderful, unique pieces.

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Kate says · 04.25.19

My sister and mom have an Away bag and I may have to follow suit! 😉

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Danielle says · 04.25.19

I replaced all of our loofah shower scrubbers with Boie USA body scrubbers. I kept seeing the ad on Instagram. It took me few days to get used to holding it but now i really like it. Not sure my husband does yet, but he has no choice! And of course my 3 year old loves to scrub in the tub! She doesn’t care what it looks like, as long as it makes bubbles. They sell toothbrushes too,…..not sure if i’ll try that one?

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