Review of Secret Outlast® Completely Clean Clear Gel

I'm always up for trying new things, if I like them or not.  I'll be honest that when I 1st signed up for the Secret Outlast® Clear Gel campaign through BzzAgent I was sure I was not going to be a fan of the antiperspirant/deodorant.  I'll always try everything once and I love beauty products, fine soaps, and things that smell good, so why would I pass this opportunity up?

Secret claims its Outlast Clear Gel is:

• Specifically designed with fast drying ingredients to evaporate in seconds.
• Has a water-based formula allows active ingredients to permeate sweat glands faster and more efficiently than invisible solid deodorant.
• Let's you bid farewell to white marks forever with rub-off resistant coverage that won’t leave a trail.
• Is clinically tested to help stop odor before it starts, continually working to detect odor and wetness.
• Has a pH that minimizes odor-causing bacteria for longer-lasting, 48-hour odor protection.

I've been pretty loyal to the Dove brand deodorant lately and I hadn't used a clear gel deodorant in years, and there was a reason for that. I've tried clear gel deodorants in the past and they went on wet, and stayed wet... for too long.  Some even felt sticky.  I had NEVER tried one that I liked.  Even with the Dove deodorants there's certain ones I like and dislike in the invisible solids (my preferred type of deodorant), but this post isn't about that.  So, when this came in the mail I was in the mindset it was going to be like the other clear gel I had tried and I was going to dislike it.

My thoughts on this product?

LOVED IT!  Also, seriously considering switching it to my main deodorant.  I found 1-2 clicks gave me enough coverage and though it has a nice, fresh scent to it, it's not too overpowering.  Putting it on right after a shower or bath I didn't notice it as much and it didn't give that uncomfortable wet feeling.  Even putting it on when completely dry, it dried quickly (around 15-30 seconds).  It was completely invisible, considering the invisible solids still pill and leave white marks sometimes, even though they claim not to.  It also lasts a good long time.  Not sure about 48 hours, but definitely over 24 hours.  This lives up to what it claims!

Clear gel has come a long way since I tried it last!

When I explained to people about how I had received a sample through BzzAgent and had coupons so they can save money to try it themselves, the conversation I had with most people about clear gel deodorants were how they didn't like the wet feeling of them.  I had this conversation about how it felt with the guys on my team (since 1/2 of the coupons were for Gillette® clear gel) and a few other friends at work.  I let them know the 1st (and last) time I tried a clear gel it went on wet feeling and stayed that way for a long time, so I didn't blame them. Of course this was many years ago and I hadn't dabbled in that type of deodorant since.  I explained my experience and that clear gel has come a long way from many years ago, so they may change their minds now, like I have.

Some coupons were given out at work after our discussions, and after I posted on my facebook how I had coupons I mailed a few to friends.  I also had a conversation with my doctor today about different sites I'm on and campaigns I do for them.  This ended up in a whole conversation about how she loves clear gel deodorants and Secret, so another coupon gone.  Didn't expect that to happen!  Haha!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

Something different. Review of Kashi Hummus Crisps.

I'm a member of BzzAgent & have been for a while though I haven't done many campaigns through them.  You sign up, fill out a bunch of surveys so they get to know you, then, if selected, they send you an invite for a campaign.  I've had ones in the past for products by Hershey's, Dr. Scholl's, and most recently, Kashi.  You don't have to join the campaigns, & really, if you're just looking for free stuff & are not going to get the word out about what they send you, this is not for you!  For the past campaigns I either didn't have my blog up or know what direction I was going with it and I wasn't really tweeting either.  So now that I'm doing more of these things & finding the fun in them, I hope to do more in the future.  There's no right or wrong with the campaigns either.  Write the good, the bad &/or the ugly about the product you get & see what others, or your friends say in comparison!  Best of all, try something new & maybe find a new product you'll end up loving.

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So for this one I got 1 full sized bag of Kashi Hummus Crisps in the Sea Salt & Olive Oil flavor & a bunch of coupons for $1 off a purchase of 2 bags.  I'll be keeping 1 & giving the others to a friend to pass around since I'm not back at work yet.  They also come in Caramelized Onion and Tomato, Basil & Feta flavors.

When I 1st took it out it looked like an ordinary chip.  Chip, crisp, cracker, usually they are all about the same to me.  They usually look a tad bit different, taste different, but they all crunch the same.  So that's what I was expecting, a crackery, crisp crunch.  That's not what I got!  They were very light & airy, almost like a rice cake, though not as chewy as rice cakes can be, & much more flavor than them.  The only problem?  You can eat & eat & eat these & they really don't seem to fill you up.  I could definitely savor the salt & oil flavor of them and I also got a bit of sweetness to them.

I also wanted to do a little comparison so I took their nutritional list against the one for Tostitos Multigrain Scoops (since I had that laying around).  If you click the above picture you might be able to see it better, or you can always go to the manufacture sites & look at the lists individually for the products you want to compare.

The Kashi serving size is 27 (YES, TWENTY SEVEN) crisps, compared to the Tostitos 12 chips!  In the Kashi crisps comparison there's 1/2 the total fat, no saturated fat, comparable carbs, (*Note what I wrote comparing 27 crisps to 12 chips!) more dietary fiber, a little bit of calcium and iron, more sodium (con) & (holy cow!) look at the ingredients list!  Oil is the 2nd ingredient in the Tostitos chips, where Kashi I think it's the 10th (?) but there IS sugar in the Kashi crisps listed as organic dried cane syrup.  This is where I was probably getting the sweetness from.  (BTW, read the link about the cane syrup.  Interesting!)

All in all you can indulge a little bit more & feel ok doing it.  I think I'll get another bag of the Sea Salt & Olive Oil and also try to Caramelized Onion one next!  Yum!

This is a sponsored post. I received these products for free via Kashi and BzzAgent to try, review, and supply my honest opinion.