Frosty VoxBox From Influenster

This Season I received an amazing VoxBox from Influenster, called The Frosty VoxBox. There were so many wonderful items that I’m going to share with you about! There was EcoTools Full Volume Styler, Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner, NYC New York Color Expert Last Lip Color, Boots No7 Protect & Perfect Intense ADVANCED, Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea, McCormick Gourmet All Natural Thyme, and Fruit Vines Bites Cherry.

 

Rimmel London’s Gentle Eye Make up Remover

 

I absolutely loved Rimmel’s Gentle eye make-up remover! It was gentle on my eyes and did not cause any burning or stinging at all. It only took a little bit to completely remove ALL of my waterproof mascara and eyeliner. It didn’t smear it across my face or leave an oily residue. I have to say that this has all other eye make-up removers beat!

 

 

 

Rimmel London’s Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Black Eyeliner

 

Rimmel London’s Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal eyeliner acts like no other pencil eyeliner. It’s ultra smooth, and creamy texture allows it to glide on smoothly and evenly, you can easily achieve the cat eye look with this pencil. It is long wearing, without cracking or flaking. The eyeliner was gentle on my sensitive eyes and is highly recommended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NYC Expert Last Lip Color

I was able to try New York Color’s Expert Last Lip Color in Frosty Sugar Plum #418 which was perfect since plum is my usual shade. I liked that it lasted around 6 hours without needing to be reapplied and that it has a nice creamy and moisturizing formula that didn’t cause my lips to dry out the way some long wear lipstick tends to do. I liked that it was a sweet, shimmery shade that was perfect for just about any occasion. Definitely worth buying.

 

Boots No7

I received a sample of Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Intense ADVANCED to try and while I didn’t have enough to give it a full trial I was able to use sparingly (as a little goes a long way) and used the sample over a week. This serum is powered by Matrixyl 3000 Plus™, a combination of the most powerful form of Matrixyl plus a next generation peptide that work together to help restore more youthful looking skin.

I liked that the formula was light and absorbed completely. I did not experience sensitivity, break outs or increased oiliness during my use. What I did experience though was my skin felt softer while I was using it.  It claims that it’s patented antioxidant complex helps protect skin from future signs of aging, keeping it looking younger for longer and that after 2 weeks skin looks younger, by 4 weeks deep lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced. I can not attest to these claims as I did not have the opportunity to try it for that duration.

 

Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Green Tea

I am already a big fan of Celestial Seasonings as their teas are always delicious and fresh. I like Celestial Seasonings for their values, fair trade ethics and sustainable packaging. I have a hard time finding Green Teas that I actually want to drink and enjoy and this was a great flavor. Now you can enjoy the great benefits of Green Tea with this wonderful Holiday flavor.

There are also many wonderful recipes you can try using their tea as well. One that I tried was Peppermint Hot Cocoa using the Candy Cane Lane flavored tea with some Cocoa powder, milk, honey and whipped cream.

 

EcoTools Full Volume Styler

Have you heard of EcoTools yet? EcoTools is 100% Cruelty free, uses recycled packaging materials as well as recycled materials for their brushes. This brush did an amazing job at blow drying my hair straight quickly, as well as providing volume. The Ecovent allowed for my hair to dry more quickly than my usual brush and it helped tame frizziness as well. It’s very light weight so it’s easy to manipulate with your fingers as well as allowing you to not get tired from holding your brush up during blow drying. Definitely my go to brush now when I blow out my hair… which I’m doing more often now as it doesn’t take as long as it used to.

 

McCormick Gourmet Thyme

 

The freshest ingredients really do make the difference when it comes to making your favorite dishes. Versatile thyme adds its warm aromatic flavor to stews, soups, and roasted pork, beef, chicken and turkey even add it to stuffing, vegetables, and beans.I use Thyme frequently in my cooking so it was really easy to incorporate and use frequently. It is a nutrient rich spice with many wonderful benefits to its use. McCormick’s Gourmet line of spices had nice bright color to it, which signals freshness and that it’s not over dried really enhancing the flavor of the spice as well as your food.

 

Fruit Vines Bites

I had the pleasure to try Fruit Vines Bites in cherry flavor and they were delicious! They are a new, soft, chewy fruit candy (licorice), from the Red Vines family, available in two fruit flavors – strawberry and cherry. Low fat and made with no preservatives makes it a great treat to satisfy that sweet tooth!

 

I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. These are my opinions and experiences with the products and I was not paid for my review.

 

 

 

Want to be apart of Influenster and try great new products?! Follow this link to get started today 🙂 www.influenster.com/r/120205

TLC VoxBox from Influenster

TLC VoxBox from Influenster

I was invited to try all the wonderful items in the TLC VoxBox from Influenster; which was geared towards us moms 😀

Avon Anew Reversalists Wrinkle Smoother

First, there was the Avon Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother. It comes in a handy compact and the top can actually be used as a mirror! How cool is that?! The Wrinkle Smoother is a balm that has a cream-to-powder finish to it and blurs the fine lines around your eyes and on your forehead. You can wear it over or under your make-up. I found the best results were when you placed it over your make-up (though, if you have large pores, you can dab a little on before your foundation. It does great to prevent it from pooling into your pores-but that’s my little secret and not one of its uses) I liked that it softened the look of fine lines around my eyes and that it had a nice light texture to it that was not cakey. I would highly recommend Avon’s Anew Reversalist Express Wrinkle Smoother if you would like to have those occasions where you would like to minimize the fine lines around your eyes or forehead.

Neo To Go, fits in small places to go anywhere

Mini First Aid kit with just the basics.

The next item I had the pleasure of trying was Neosporin Neo To Go which is a great antiseptic plus pain reliever in a nifty little package that is easy to take any where or even to fit into a small first aid kit. It’s great to know that while away from home you can quickly clean a scrape or cut; giving you infection protection along with pain relief. I would definitely recommend picking one up for your purse or diaper bag.

Ivory in its classic package

I also received a bar of Ivory soap in their classic look. We all love Ivory because it’s gentle on sensitive skin and even for baby’s skin, but did you know there are lots of things you could do with Ivory soap?

Blowing up a bar of Ivory soap in the microwave

For instance you can blow it up in the microwave for a cool looking cloud that the kids can enjoy watching and then feeling it. Clean up is minimal too which is awesome! Then afterward you can break it up to make laundry soap 🙂

Making bath crayons with Ivory soap

We also made soap crayons for the bath and the kids really enjoyed doing that as well. What can you do with Ivory soap?           Another Item I had the pleasure of sharing with my husband was Breyers Gelato Indulgences Tiramisu flavor. This was an amazingly smooth and creamy frozen treat that had a gourmet topping and sauce on it. Definitely a perfect date night treat to share and have the feeling of totally indulging. There are several flavors available; Tiramisu, Raspberry Cheesecake,  Vanilla Caramel, and Triple Chocolate. A must have treat!             Puffs to Go was a product given to me to try as well and love that this cute little pack is ready to fit anywhere you may need to keep it and was super gentle on your skin. Keep one handy the next time you have the sniffles or to share.             The last item I was given the opportunity to try was Shell Fuel Rewards Network Card. When you begin you save 3 cents per gallon on your fuel purchases. What I love is saving on purchases that I already must make, so that’s a nice perk. But, you can then earn rewards on purchases that you make while at Shell, that can be used towards savings on future gas purchases. You can also link other loyalty cards to your FRN card as well from places like your grocer. Then, you have the opportunity to actually save more on your gas too. Also, if you choose to link your card to your credit card, then other purchases you make such as at your favorite restaurant can also earn you rewards.         I really enjoyed trying these items out and even though I did receive them complementary to try, the above statements are my honest opinion regarding the products and I was not paid for my opinions.

 

Want to be apart of Influenster and try great new products?! Follow this link to get started today 🙂 www.influenster.com/r/120205

Curly Hair Woes?

When I was little I always wanted curly hair. I’d plead to get a perm, but was never allowed to.
Then all of a sudden, puberty hit and bam! I seemed to go from stick straight hair to crazy curls!
After a while, I found my curls not as wonderful as I thought they would be. They were unruly, frizzy and suddenly everyday was a bad hair day. Till I decided I would have to straighten it… daily.
Now, I just added an hour and a half to my morning routine
I found out the hard way what heat did to your hair…
I would then embark on my (long) journey to learn how to control, love and embrace my curls.

Unfortunately, growing up internet was not around for me to look up tips and tricks to try. My mom didn’t have curly hair, so she couldn’t really help me. Beauticians weren’t always helpful. First, they kept wanting to layer my hair, which I hated! I couldn’t pull it back (I played sports) because the front and top half of my hair wasn’t long enough to get in my ponytail holder, it was now super poofy and the front would always end up looking like Farrah Fawcet :S.
In high school I would be instructed to use mousse or spray gel and eventually (many years later) Biosilk Silk Therapy.
So I learn to live with crunchy curls… at least they were defined and for the most part under control. But, if it was a special occasion, I’d bust out the straight iron, douse my hair in Silk Therapy and hope for low humidity… while living in Texas, that’s a joke! But a girl could dream.

Then, I found a new Beautician, Betsie. The first thing she told me was I needed to moisturize my hair, only use a diffuser to dry my hair, and throw away my hair brush *gasp*
At first I thought, this woman is trying to bank on me with weekly protein treatments! Next thought was she was insane! How is a girl suppose to live without her hairbrush?!?!
Betsie actually listened to me about what I wanted to achieve with my look. She took the time to help me learn to style my hair and gave me some amazing tips.
I went home and decided I’d try this no hair brush stuff and bought a wide-tooth comb to use instead.
I also quit using my hair dryer straight on (she gave me a tip to put a sock over my hair dryer until i could buy a diffuser).
Immediately, I noticed a big difference in how less frizzy my hair looked and how great my curls were.
After my third visit to Betsie I realized she knew what she was talking about and loved how she did my hair. So I started doing weekly protein treatments. Of course, initially I saw great results but after a month I saw total transformation in my hair. My curls were bouncy and full, my frizz was not so out of control… it was a miracle. Who knew that curly hair needed lots of hydration… apparently Betsie 😛

I move to a new city and along with other changes I was no longer going to the beauty shop for my protein treatments. I hit up Sally’s beauty supply and try out a bunch of protein and conditioning treatments and sadly was not getting the results I desired, until I tried Palmers Coconut Oil Protein treatments. Now, this is long, long before I even heard of coconut oil or had the opportunity to see the amazing things it was good for. I was buying it because it was the only one I had yet to try on the store shelf. Who knew that the treatment that was least expensive would be the one I fell in love with! I still use it all these years later (and if for some reason I’ve managed to forget to pick it up, I’ll use straight coconut oil that I have on hand).
Now, while in Houston, I met this sweet girl, Ann, and she tells me that giving up my hair brush was not enough. I had to not brush my hair when I get out of the shower AND I had to quit using a towel on my head (was this some crazy Asian secret or was she pulling my leg?)
Was she serious? She tells me to use a t-shirt instead of my towel and not to twist my hair, but scrunch the excess water out.
I couldn’t believe it initially, but hey! I’d given up the hairbrush ten years earlier, right?
Wouldn’t you know it? Now, I really had amazing curls. I did exactly as she instructed. When I put conditioner in my hair, I ran my comb through it then and not again. I used one of my hubby’s white t-shirts to scrunch my hair to remove the water. Voila! My curls couldn’t get better than this! I realized the key to absolutely no frizziness was the lack of manipulating my hair after I showered too.

During my journey I also came to find out that not all hair care products were created equally. Not all salon recommended products worked as promised neither did the ones on the super market shelf. But, these are the ones I’ve found to deliver just what your curly hair needs 🙂
First, Nexus was and still is great for providing hydration to curls. Last year I discovered Paul Mitchell’s hair care line for curls and love their Spring Loaded Detangling Shampoo. It’s sulfate-free (meaning out won’t dry out your hair) and even though it states cleans, conditions and detangles in one step, I couldn’t let go of using their Super Strong Daily Conditioner. Which totally moisturizes and I like the added SPF protection for my hair.
Paul Mitchell’s Full Circle Leave-in conditioner is great for providing moisture without weighing your hair down and controlling frizz.
Paul Mitchell’s Ultimate Wave Beachy Texture Cream-Gel adds control to your frizz while giving soft but defined curls.
I also am in love with Redken’s Curvaceous Full Swirl which is a cream and serum swirled together giving you a great shine, frizz control, and defined curls. I also found that mousse or gel wasn’t needed using this product, which is awesome.
Most recently I tried Pantene’s BB Creme for hair. Now, initially I wanted to run away from this product because there is alcohol listed as the third ingredient!
But I had a friend who was swearing it was a great, inexpensive leave-in treatment. Now, it makes ten different claims but I really only see three, softness, shine, and manageability. Wearing alone, I didn’t see hydration, frizz control, or tamed fly-aways. Maybe it’s not meant for curly, dry hair. But giving you three of ten makes it ok for those times you’re on a budget.
I’ve heard a great deal about Shea Moisture so now, I’m curious to try it and once I decide to take that plunge and give out a try I’ll let you know 🙂

To wrap it up; here’s the path to perfect curls:
1) Get rid of your hairbrush and towel.
2) Start with a hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. Curly hair needs lots of moisture.
3) Comb your hair while you have conditioner on your hair and don’t use it again. Rinse with cool water to close the cuticle, locking in moisture and shine.
4) Dry your hair using a cotton t-shirt. Throw your hair upside down, take the shirt in both your hands and scrunch upwards to remove excess water. Work in a small amount of leave-in conditioner and styling product. Scrunch again. If needed to define some ringlets wrap small individual sections around your fingertip and hold for ten seconds.
5) Air dry or diffuse.

TADA! BEAUTIFUL CURLS!!

* Moisturize with a deep moisturizing treatment every week. (This is my Sunday routine.) I saturate my hair with my treatment, put on my shower cap and let it sit for 30 mins. Every other week I’ll add heat over the shower cap, using my hair dryer for 10-15 mins for deeper hydration.

** If you’re just starting out with moisturizing hair care products give them a few weeks to really work. Your hair is so super thirsty so it’ll take some time to hydrate. If after a month they aren’t working, find something else until you find what works for you.

Note: products mentioned are products I personally use and buy. I’ve not been given samples or received any type of compensation for mentioning them here.

Get a Trendy Mani at Home

Do you like to flaunt the latest trends when it comes to nail art? Maybe you are going out with the girls or have a Holiday party to attend… or like me, like to have fancy fingers everyday 🙂
I have always enjoyed doing my own nails since I was a preteen. I liked showing off my artistic talent as well as wearing the hottest trend. It was like an extra way to show off self expression or to go above and beyond dressing up my everyday wear or special occasion.
Flaunting your Mani and Pedi is the ultimate girly thing you can do, I think.
Kiss Nails has given us a way to achieve that trendy Ombre look, at home, in under thirty minutes with their new Gradation Polishes.
The kit includes three colors to give you that great faded look. There are four colors available, pink, blue, gold and silver for $6.99. Which, I think is a steal because you can’t get a manicure for that price and you definitely can’t get three quality nail colors for that price either.
I received the silver set complimentary from Influenster to try and its definitely a great evening color. I’ve seen the gold worn and I think it makes a great evening or holiday color too. I’d like to try pink as it’s one of my favorite colors to wear, second to neon green 😉

To achieve this look you will first apply two coats of the lightest color, which is step one (conveniently the bottles are labeled too).

You want to apply each layer thinly.  I know it may seem translucent, but the final look will be amazing still.

Make sure that each layer for the first two coats have dried completely before you go on to steps two and three.

Now that step one has completely dried we can go onto step two and three.
I can’t explain enough how important it is for the first step to be completely dry. Ultimately, in the end you will have four layers of polish that will take forever to dry if you don’t. That is also the rationale for applying thin layers.

Apply step 2, which is the very dark color, to only two finger tips at a time. This way it is still wet when you apply step three, the glitter, and it will give you that blended look.

Apply Step two to the top 1/3 of nail only.

Step three, glitter and blend. Applying only to the top half of fingernail (from middle of your fingernail to tip).

Tada! Now we have the trendiest nails anytime we want!

The nail polish lasts about three days before chipping (I wash dishes frequently too.) On my toes I can get an entire week from these polishes.

I would definitely recommend Kiss Gradation Polishes if you are looking for the latest nail fashion this season.

 

I received this item complimentary of Influenster for testing purposes. I was not paid for my opinions.

Want to be apart of Influenster and try great new products?! Follow this link to get started today 🙂 www.influenster.com/r/120205

Homemade Anti-Wrinkle Skin Care

I love making my own skin care products!
I like the fact that I’m using all natural items in my skin care routine. For instance, I make my own lip balm and I can tailor the ingredients to fit my needs. I like to make my own lotion, and facial skin care too.
Today, I’m going to share my anti-wrinkle lotion bar… It’s so much easier than you’d think!

You’ll need:
1 part Coconut Oil
1 part Pure Beeswax
EssentialOils (Optional-i like to use orange, vanilla, calendula and lemon balm most often. But you can choose based on desired scents too) 

Directions:
Heat coconut oil and beeswax together in a saucepan over low heat.
It helps if you grate the beeswax because otherwise it’ll take a while for it to melt.
Once the beeswax and coconut oil are melted pour into your desired tins or containers.
Add essential oils-only add a few drops and stir with a toothpick
Let them sit until cool a few hours. These can make awesome Christmas gifts!

RetroMania with Rimmel London’s Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara

How many times have you purchased mascara on the built-up hype of offering the longest lashes possible, only to find yourself still longing for more? Do you hate the lumps and clumps that most lengthening mascara gives you?

Well, you can say so long to those days!

Rimmel London has outdone themselves with their new Scandaleyes Retro Glam Mascara. You get the most amazing clump free, scandalously long, boldest lashes ever! The wand has an hourglass shaped brush that really fans out your lashes, giving them a bold, fanned out look.  It only took three coats to achieve a long false eyelashes look, that withstood an entire day without flaking or smudging.

Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara from Rimmel London just hit the shelves November 2013 for an unbeatable value of $5.99! So grab one today to flaunt the sexiest cat eye look that can’t be beat!

Note: I received Rimmel London Scandaleyes retro glam mascara in Black 001 courtesy of Influenster and Rimmel London in my RoseVoxBox to try free.

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Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream

It’s summer time! What do we girls want more than anything?! Fresh looking, beautiful, skin that looks natural.
Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream is a tinted moisturizer that provides you with SPF15 protection.
Now, if you’re like me and like to have a natural looking glow to your skin and a foundation that isn’t heavy, this would be perfect for you!
Now, it only provides light coverage, so you can’t use this to conceal blemishes… but, it does help even skin tone, and brightens your face. You’ll have a smooth, even finish and moisturized skin along with sun protection.
It lasts great all day but if you are looking to maintain sun protection you’re going to need to reapply every two hours (as with any sunscreen) but the benefit is that if you’re at an outdoor event this summer you don’t have to walk around looking greasy from sunscreen and stay picture perfect all day 🙂
It comes in a tube that is easy to squeeze, so do so gently and making it easy to tote with you should you choose to reapply. The only thing is its not a small tube for that itty bitty purse 😛
Overall, I thought it performed great! I had beautifully smooth, radiant looking skin throughout the day and it was perfect for hot summers-feeling light on your skin.

Note: I received this item complimentary of Influenster and Olay to review from my SunkissedVoxBox

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation

Covergirl released their Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation, which has your foundation, primer, and concealor all in one bottle!
I like the glass pump that It comes in allowing you to easily see and match your shade; which if you’ve used Covergirl in the past the shade name is the same and true to its color still so it should be easy to pick out. The pump makes it easy to deliver just the right amount of foundation wether you use your fingers, sponge, or brush.
Covergirl 3-in-1 delivers full coverage for blemishes and gives you a smooth even finish. It blends easily and lasts the entire day without needing touch-ups.

Note: I received Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation complimentary of BzzAgent for testing purposes.

Upcycled Terrarium

I like planting Hibiscus flowers in my garden, not only do they look beautiful, they attract butterflies into your garden too.
Hibiscus is relatively easy to grow but I find better success starting them in a terrarium.
What I do is recycle a used juice container to make my terrarium. What you’ll need is an empty juice container that you’ve cleaned, scissors, tape, potting soil and your hibiscus seeds.

Cut the top portion of your juice container off.I used to cut it completely off, but now I find its easier to leave one side attached. Either way you choose is fine, it’s mostly a matter of what’s easier for you.
Add your soil, place about six to eight seeds on top then cover with a little more soil.
Water your soil just till it’s damp.
Then tape the lid back on and place in a sunny window.
When they have their second set of leaves transfer to your favorite spot in your garden.

Note: the only reason rocks were placed in this one is because my toddler loves rocks and added them 🙂 they are not necessary

Creative Gardening

It’s time to start my spring garden. 🙂
This year, I decided with the extra time I’ve been spending at home and my goal to try upcycle as much as possible and leave very little to waste; I’ve decided on a neat project for myself and the kids. That is starting my seedlings in eggshells.
Eggshells provide lots of nutrients to your plants. I used to watch my grandmother use the water from boiling eggs to water her plants with and she’d tell me “who needs miracle grow when you’ve got eggs!” As I started having my own plants I did the same thing. In fact, I’d take it a step further and any eggshells I had after cooking or baking would be cleaned and then broken up and sprinkled into my plants.

So, I’ve saved my eggshells I’ve used, washed them and stored them in their egg crates until I was ready to use them.
Now that you’re ready to start planting your seeds this is what you’re going to do:

Gather Supplies: Eggshell halves, potting soil, seeds, egg crate with lid removed

1) place your potting soil (I just use what’s least expensive from my local store) into the eggshells, only filling about 2/3 of it.
2) place a seed into each shell
3) cover with a little bit of soil
4) water using a teaspoon and add slowly so you don’t cause water to over flow from the eggshell.
5) store the egg shells in the egg crate in a sunny location

This is great to do with the kids because it’s easy for them to do and they love to watch their seeds grow.
Once they have their first set of leaves and are about 2″tall transplant them to their garden space. All you have to do is placed the eggshell into the ground and cover. The eggshell will continue to nourish your plant too. I think this is the easiest way to start your garden, as there isn’t any transplanting from containers! Just dig, place, and cover.