No doubt, the best things in life are usually unplanned. Typically, many things I do on vacations aside from confirming lodging, train, and airline tickets are unplanned. That's how my family of four spent our vacation in Switzerland this summer. 

I remember our last night in the charming alpine village of Grindelwald, scrolling through Google reviews in our hotel suite at Hotel Spindle, searching for dinner ideas. Let's put the last night in a town after eating three restaurant meals a day for eight days in a row in some perspective for you. 

Food in Switzerland is quite expensive compared to restaurants in North Carolina. Entrees above $30 are what I consider high-end restaurant fare. In Switzerland, a McDonald's meal deal, which includes a quarter-pounder, fries, and a drink, costs 25 Swiss francs. That's about $30 in U.S. dollars. Once you visit a McDonald's in Switzerland, you gain a whole new appreciation for its trendy cafes and local, sustainable ingredients. 

THE PINTE RESTAURANT 

If you are a loyal fan of the clean beauty pioneer brand Beautycounter, then the 2025 relaunch of its revised brand, COUNTER, is what you have been waiting for over the past year.  Gone are the days of consultants building a sales team. Instead, its products are streamlined, modern, fresh, and better than ever under the leadership of original founder, Gregg Renfrew.  The award-winning clean beauty products are available exclusively on the Counter website, at a future pop-up store in Nantucket, and through affiliate and referral link marketing, including my website.  As a selected Brand partner, I am part of the company's commission-earning marketing team, and host the brand's website on HinesSightBlog.com 

Ready for Even Better Clean Beauty? Shop COUNTER

COUNTER LAUNCHES ITS NEW BRAND WITH STREAMLINED PRODUCT LINE  

The launch will contain reformulated formulas for some of Beautycounter's best-selling products. Some of the products I absolutely adore, like its clean mascara, are not part of the new launch —at least not yet.  Since Beautycounter's closing, I've had to branch out, seek out, and try other clean beauty products. I've discovered many products that I love and have shared with my readers. 

The first item I will put in my cart is the Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm, which I first wrote about years ago. I love it. I've tried other brands and hated them. One bottle also lasts forever. It's the product I'm most excited about in the relaunch. 

Andie MacDowell has been photographed in the Counter promotion, which confirms that the company is definitely targeting the over-50 beauty consumer. 

SHOP COUNTER 

You can also join the loyalty program for free and earn $15 for every $200 spent. As a brand partner, I direct traffic to their site and earn affiliate sales. I have no way of knowing who ordered the products or what specific products are being ordered. If you order through my referral link, you're more than welcome to email me at hinessightblog@gmail.com or message me on social media so I can thank you. 

On a whim this spring, I purchased Oliveda B20 Softening Foot Balm when I reordered my daily facial moisturizer. First off, no one really likes to talk about feet, especially how unattractive their own feet may look compared to others'. I'm going to spare you from looking at my feet, but sometimes I have wondered if an alligator has softer feet than I do. I have always had dry, cracked heels, as well as calloused areas on my feet. I've purchased many products over the years, and for some reason, I stopped using them or didn't see the results I expected. 

When the Oliveda B20 Softening Foot Balm arrived, I immediately liked the bottle because it featured a pump-style dispenser. I've been very inconsistent with hand, foot, and body cream over the years, but I have found that I am more likely to use lotion if it sits on my counter, and I just have to get a few pumps rather than picking up the bottle, opening the bottle then squirting lotion out. This means that the Oliveda bottle was more likely to be used by me, but I still wasn't expecting much, as I have stated, having tried numerous products with minimal benefit. ( I even bought Gold Bond Diabetic Foot Cream, thinking it would help. It didn't) 

Oliveda is a waterless beauty company where the water used in products is replaced with a natural olive oil elixer pressed from olive leaves, which provides a more potent formula without the need for harsh preservatives. You can learn more about their skincare ingredients on their website to get down into the nitty gritty of how it works and why it is used. 

I like the smell, and it doesn't feel greasy on my feet. I can't stand to feel greasy. When I first used the product, I thought it made a difference, but it wasn't until a few days later that my husband noticed and immediately said, 'Your feet seem softer than they used to be.' I was like, 'You are right, and here is why. I credit the new Oliveda foot balm I bought." 

The only con is the price, which is around $45 retail.  You may be hesitant to purchase because it is priced considerably higher than what you can find at the drugstore or even Sephora. When comparing to spa products and high-end beauty product lines, it is significantly less because you are not paying for that LeMer or Chanel name. This balm is over 8 ounces in quantity and requires only a small amount at each use. I use it a couple of times a week, or whenever I remember. In 56 years, my feet have never felt softer. I am a true fan of this product and will likely purchase a body balm or body cream next. I have my eye on the B16 Cell Active Body Serum to try in July after my summer vacation. 

You may like: The Happy Feet Gift Bundle

HinesSightBlog.com is a marketing affiliate of Oliveda and will receive commission from the company. All opinions are my own. 

****

I already knew that I prefer purchasing clean beauty products, but what I didn't realize is that I would like waterless beauty products. I've looked at beauty product ingredients for years. I never thought much about water as an ingredient because we know water is not harmful. Late last year, many magazines predicted that waterless beauty would be the new trend for 2025. Huh?  This article explains the reason why beauty consumers are going dry. 

Well, I'm 56 years old, and I don't give a flip about trends, but it piqued my curiosity. Let's sum it up quickly. Waterless beauty products require little or no preservatives, unlike traditional beauty products that often contain water. Not diluting with water makes the product more potent and more sustainable to the planet. Waterless beauty companies replace water with oils, butters, waxes, and oil-soluble actives. 

The waterless anti-aging face cream from Oliveda, which I've been using since September, replaces water with properties derived from olive oil. It's been just shy of seven months on my counter, and it's so concentrated that I hit the halfway mark of the jar this morning. It's either half-full or half-empty. You decide, but it's an essential detail because this cream doesn't have drug store prices, but it's not over-the-top expensive either. I've been using it regularly every morning and sometimes at night. 

 I won't bore you with the science, but take this fun online skincare test. I'm glad I did it. 

After you do that, then: 

Google: Hydroxytyrosol

Cheat Sheet: I googled and was educated by the following A.I. genius telling me that, and I quote, "Hydroxytyrosol is a potent phenolic antioxidant found naturally in olive oil and other plants. It is known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardioprotective properties. It may also have anti-cancer, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial effects." 

The skincare need test is interactive, suggesting products based on your input. 

Like most online publications today, referral and affiliate links can lead to commissions and earnings. However, most of my long-time readers are aware that when something appears on this blog, it means I like it.