Instanaturals Dead Sea Mud Mask Review

I was sent the Instanaturals Dead Sea Mud Mask for review via Brandbacker.  All opinions are 100% my own.

I am a huge fan of mud masks.  In fact, up until a couple years ago, I had never tried another style of mask.  Mud masks are usually purifying, meaning they clarify your skin and remove toxins.  I've tried a lot of mud masks, and this one is by far my favorite.

I have been using this Instanaturals Dead Sea Mud Mask While mud masks will make your skin feel tighten as it dries, this one does not feel uncomfortable in the least.  In fact, it's the most comfortable one I've ever tried.  This mask absorbs excess oil, dirt and toxins from the skin.  It will even expunge acne, pimples, and black heads.  It restores an even skin ton for a smoother complexion.  My skin feels incredibly smooth and looks very clear after I use this!  When used as a body treatment, this mud mask can soothe and relieve muscle aches and pains.



Most mud masks can be used 2-3 times a week.  This one specifically says to use only once a week. I've found that once a week is the perfect amount for my skin.  Every Sunday night, I use this during my usual evening skin care routine.





One thing that makes the process more enjoyable is applying it with a brush.  I have an old Ecotools brush that I don't use much for makeup.  It's been my designated mud mask brush for a while.  After I clean my skin, I apply a thin coat of the mask.  You really don't need much to feel a difference in your skin!  You leave it on for 10 minutes, and then remove it with a warm, wet wash cloth.  I follow it with my usual toners, serum, moisturizer, and (most of the time) a facial oil.  I like to go heavy with the moisture after a mud mask, because it feels so good to pamper my skin!

Linking up with Molly and Carly.

Biotin Bursts Review & Giveaway

I was sent these Biotin Bursts for review.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Any information contained in this post does not replace the medical advice of your doctor.  Please research any vitamin or supplement before you add it to your routine.



Ever since I saw Mimi from Luxy Hair recommend biotin for stronger hair, it's been on my list of things to look into.  My hair has always been dry, plus my heat styling and hair color doesn't help!  Also, my scalp is easily irritated and prone to severe dryness.   I've been slowly improving the products that I use on my hair, but I haven't been giving my hair's internal health as much attention as I should have.

When Neocell asked if they could send me a package of Biotin Bursts for review, I thought what perfect timing!  This is exactly what I've been looking for to improve my hair (and nails! bonus!).



So, the claims surrounding biotin all sound magical.  Stronger, shinier hair.  Reduction of hair loss.  Treatment of hair disorders.  They go on and on, really.  The truth is that it supports more than your hair.

I am not well versed in science, but what I understand is that biotin a B vitamin and is known as Vitamin H.  It occurs in food naturally and is found in whole wheat products, eggs and salmon, just to name a few.  It supports the health of many organs and functions in the body, such as skin, digestive tract, and cells.  There has been some early research that suggests it can treat certain aspects of diabetes and high cholesterol.  It sounds like a super vitamin, which made me wonder if it actually works.

I am so glad I gave it a chance, because I have seen some improvement in my hair and scalp.  For example, I rarely put conditioner on my roots because it weighs down my hair.  But, my roots and scalp are dry!  I just hadn't found a good balance of conditioner on my roots that would moisturize everything and yet not weigh it down.

Well, after I had been taking the biotin for two weeks I noticed that the roots of my hair looked shinier.  Also, before I started taking biotin I had severe dry patches on my scalp.  Those have disappeared.  And I don't say that to sound sensational in any sense.  The dry patches have literally disappeared, and the biotin is the only product I've added or changed about  my routine.  I can't tell you what a relief it is to not have itchy dry skin!

I wish I could say my nails seem stronger, but I have not noticed an improvement with them.  To be honest, they weren't too weak before I started using the biotin.  Either way, I am fully on the Biotin bandwagon.  In fact, I've already ordered another pack of them!

If you'd like to try the Biotin Bursts for yourself, NeoCell is giving away a box to one of my readers.  The giveaway is open to US only.  Please enter with the widget below, and good luck to all who enter!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

ClassPass & My Fitness Goals

ClassPass offered me a free membership for a month.  All opinions are, and always will be, 100% my own.



If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I did a little exercising this weekend. One of my goals this year is to exercise more.  I'm going to go into my fitness journey a little more on Thursday, but this weekend I went to a barre class for the first time!  In fact, it was the first fitness class I've ever taken.  I'm kind of shy about exercising, so going to a class has always made me nervous.

I found the barre class via ClassPass.  If you've never heard of ClassPass, it's a new service that just launched in the Raleigh area.  For a set fee every month (it varies from city to city, but it's from $79-$99), you can attend an unlimited number of fitness classes during your membership.  There is a limit of three classes per studio per month.  It gives you access to so many different classes.  Barre, yoga, martial arts, pilates, cycling... you name it, they've got it!

I took the barre class at a studio called Barre-Up!  It was a lot of fun and pretty much what I expected, which was pain and sweat.  Julie, the owner, taught my class and she completely put me at ease with being a newbie.  In fact, there were a couple of other students who were new to barre, too!

Now, this might sound contradictory to my fitness goal for this year, but I hate to sweat.  Sweating is the worst part of exercising.  But, the class was so much fun I'm going back for another one.  In case you missed that, I'll say it again: I am going back so I can sweat, people!  This is big news!

If you want to sign up for ClassPass, you can skip the wait list with this link.  There are so many classes and studios!  There really is something for everyone.

Let me know what you think!

BonLook Review: A Tale of Two Glasses

BONLOOK REVIEW: A TALE OF 2 GLASSES

This past month, I decided to order some new glasses.  I've had my Warby Parker Nedwins for a couple years, and I've been ready for a change.  Priscilla from The Readables has amazing glasses, and I saw on Twitter that she has the Socialites from BonLook.  After thinking on it for a few weeks, I decided to order them.  These are $99. So I decided I'd share my BonLook review with you guys today!

I was a little nervous, since I couldn't try them on prior to ordering them. However, their 30-day return policy made me feel better.  I could at least return them if they didn't work out.  The ordering process was very easy, since I already had my prescription from my last eye appointment.  I had to scan and upload a picture of it, and that was it!

I received an update when they shipped, and they were at my front door two days later.  I love them!

I took this picture after I received them (and there are about a million pictures of me wearing them in yesterday's post).

(iPhone pic.  sorry.)

So, when I was ordering these I took the style quiz that BonLook offers on the site, and it kept recommending the Glamazons to me.  The more I looked at those, the more I loved them.  But, since the Socialites had caught my eye first (pun intended.  womp womp.), I went with them.  Well.. a week later I decided to go back and look at the Glamazons on the site, and they were marked down to $79.  I decided to get them, too, since I like to switch up my glasses.

These are the Glamazons.  Please excuse the ridiculous pose.  I took this for a thumbnail of the video I uploaded last Friday.

 

Overall, I am pretty pleased with BonLook's service.  The minimal experience I had with their customer service was pleasant.  I am also pleased with the quality of the frames.  The only negative aspect was the smell of the Glamazons when I took them out of the box.  They had a heavy plastic scent, but that went away within in a day.

Have you ever ordered from BonLook before?  Any styles you think I should try? Share your BonLook review in the comments below!

p.s.  I am not affiliated with Bon Look in any way.  I paid for these glasses with my own money.  All opinions are 100% my own.

Makeup Monday: Recent Skin Care

In case you've never noticed, skin care is kind of my thing.  I absolutely love trying new products to see if they fit in my routine.  Today, I'm going to talk about some recent skin care products I've tried.




Michael Todd Blue Green Algae Antibacterial Toner

Spoiler alert: this toner is amazing!  This is really great for acne prone skin.  It is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.  My skin has been looking pretty good (if I do say so myself) since I started using this.

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Tone Perfect Eye Gel Creme

Well, that was a mouthful.  I love hydrated eye creams, and this one fits the bill!  It's pretty thick but absorbs quickly into my skin.  My under eye makeup has been looking better and staying on longer with this.



SOBO Skin Care ULTRA Age Repairing Cream with Resveratrol

This is the latest moisturizer I've tried.  This was sent to me by the company, via Brandbacker.  I've been using it for a little over a week, and I'm already sold on it.  This cream has resveratrol in it, which is found in grapes.  It promotes cell renewal.  In the past, I've had amazing results with products that contain it, so I was quite eager to try it.  It's quite heavy, and my skin loves it.  My skin is combination/oily and dehydrated.  It needs all the moisture it can get!

If you're interested in trying any SOBO Skin Care Products, you can get 25% off your entire first order with the code TRYSOBO.

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate

This is a recent Birchbox sample.  Shiseido is a brand that I hear a lot about, but I haven't tried a lot of their products.  This is one of those products that you have to use for a while before you see results.  I can report that it smells good, feels good, and it hasn't broken out my skin.  It's supposed to protect your skin from stress (internal and external).  Two thumbs up so far!

Indeed Labs Hydraluron

I've mentioned this before and wanted to mention it again, since I recently started using this every day.  This is hyaluronic acid, which basically attracts all the moisture to your skin.  My skin absolutely loves it.  Like I said before, my skin is dehydrated so I moisturize it as much as I possible can without looking like a shiny oil slick.  This helps my skin to absorb my moisturizer even better.

What skin care products have you been enjoying lately?  I am such a skin care junkie, I'd love to hear about your faves!

Linking up with Molly and Carly.

Thank you so much to SOBO Skin Care and Brandbacker for supporting my skin care addiction and sending me the face cream sample!

Rocksbox: August 2014

This month (and for a couple months more), I am trying out a new-to-me monthly subscription box called Rocksbox.  The concept behind Rocksbox is neat.  It's a jewelry subscription box.  For a $19 monthly fee, you will be sent 3 pieces of jewelry.  You are essentially renting the jewelry, and you can keep them for the entire time of your subscription if you want!  When you're ready for different pieces, you just send them back and they send you another 3 in the mail.  You could also purchase the pieces, at a 20% member discount.

When you set up your account, you take a style quiz.  To me, this is always the best part of subscription boxes.  My jewelry arrived very quickly, which is definitely a plus!

And now, on to the jewelry!




The jewelry comes in a beautiful box that looks like a gift.




For my first box, I was sent the House of Harlow Sunburst Button Earrings in White ($28 after the 20% discount), a Gorjana Buckley Tiered Necklace ($68 after discount), and a Nakamol Mixed Crystals Leather Wrap Bracelet ($44 after discount).







My favorite pieces were the earrings and the necklace.




I loved the bracelet, but it didn't look good on my wrist.

Although I loved the necklace and earrings, I will be sending them back.  The price of the necklace was a little too steep for me.  I've been wanting to purchase some of these House of Harlow earrings for a couple years, but now that I've tried the white ones I know that I want the black ones.  I will be asking my stylish to find these earrings in black for me!




For this first month, I've enjoyed trying Rocksbox.  I am not adventurous when it comes to jewelry, and it was lots of fun having someone pick out styles for me to try.  One might say I was dressing out of my box?  (terrible pun, #sorrynotsorry)

Have you tried Rocksbox yet?

DISCLAIMER: I have been given a complimentary 3-month subscription to Rocksbox, for purpose of review.  I am a fan of monthly subscription boxes, so I am happy to try out this one!

Friday Faves: Maxi Dresses

Today's Friday Fave post is all about maxi dresses.  When I went shopping with Molly and Angela recently, Angela commented that she has lots of maxi dresses but no maxi skirts.  Well, I am the opposite!  This is my first maxi dress, sent to me by the Mint Julep Boutique.

If you've never heard of Mint Julep Boutique, you seriously need to go check them out.  And prepare to get lost in all the clothing.  When they asked if they could sent me an item to review, I had the hardest time deciding since everything is so dang cute.  So, yeah, go check them out.  If you sign up for their newsletter, you will receive a $10 coupon!

My original opinion of maxi dresses was that they are not remixable.  And you all know how much I love to remix.  I gave myself a little challenge -- I chose a dress based on how much I liked it, not the outfits I could foresee.  And then I got to mixing and matching! I pulled out quite a few different pieces to put with this dress, but these were my faves.

Dress: Templo via Mint Julep Boutique (c/o) // Cardigan: Old Navy (via thredUP, similar)

Sandals: Target (old, similar)

This first outfit is casual.  Another assumption I had about maxi dresses was that I wouldn't be able to wear them with heels.  I am so glad this dress can be paired with flats, because that has been the most comfortable way to wear it!  I love the matchiness of the cardigan with the silvery contrast of the sandals.  This is perfect for the summer!

Belt: Thrifted (similar) // Shoes: Rue 21 (thrifted, similar)

Earrings: Local boutique (similar) // Ring: Belk (similar)

This second look is more appropriate for a date night.  I love these shoes with this dress.  The belt adds interest to the shape, and of course I had to go with gold accessories for a special evening out.

This dress is going to be in high rotation this summer.  It's so comfortable, flowy, and cool.  Thank you, Mint Julep Boutique, for making my summer wardrobe more colorful!  And don't forget to sign up for their newsletter for your $10 coupon.

Do you love maxi dresses?  How do you style them?

Confessions Wednesday

Top: Everlane // Pants: Gap // Scarf: Gertie & Baxter (c/o 9th and Elm)

Shoes: Target (old, similar)

I have a couple confessions for you today.

One, I own a lot of scarves.  Why is this a confession?  Based on the outfits here on my blog, you would never know it.  I have an entire bin of scarves (and quite a few that don't fit in it) that are rarely worn.  This is a problem, and I need to rectify it.  Even though it's hot here right now, I have quite a few that are light and airy and very appropriate for summer.

Second, I love flash sale sites.  You've probably heard of Hautelook, Zulily, and Rue La La, amongst others. I was recently introduced to 9th & Elm, which caters to handmade, designer, or otherwise cool items. Think Etsy, only with bargain deals and items are sold even faster.  You will absolutely love this site, if you love handmade and independent designers.

With the credit they provided me, I purchased this Gertie & Baxter bike scarf and one other item that you will see next week.  I was extremely impressed with how fast my items were shipped and arrived.  Within one week, I had both items directly from the designers.  If you've ever shopped on a flash sale site before, you'll know that that is fast.

I was very happy with my entire experience on 9th & Elm, including their customer service.  I had originally ordered a different scarf, which had been sold out by the time I placed my order.  They quickly got my second choice to the designer, at which point she mailed my scarf to me.  I love supporting smaller businesses, getting a deal, and receiving fast service.  It's a win, win, win for me!

Do you love flash sales, too?

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy and Shanna.

Makeup Monday: L'Oreal Infallible 24-Hour Eye Shadow

Happy Monday!  Today, I'm back with my Makeup Monday post on some of L'Oreal's gorgeous eyeshadows.  These are from their Infallible 24-Hour eye shadow line, and I am extremely impressed with them.

l to r: Eternal Sunshine and Bronzed Taupe

These eyeshadows are actually loose-ish pigments.  I say loose-ish, because they come with a little stamper within the container that keeps the pigments from going everywhere when you open it.  For the most part, they're stamped down but it is possible to loosen them with your eyeshadow brush.  They're highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way.

As far as the 24-hour claim, I have no idea.  I really don't desire to test it out, either.  Thinking about having eyeshadow on my eyelids for 24 hours makes me feel gross.  I've never tested these without eyelid primer, either, because I have oily, creasey eyelids.  So, pretty much nothing stays on my eyelids anyways.  These lasted all day in the humidity with primer, though!  And the color pay off is gorgeous.  The only downside to this line is that there aren't a ton of neutrals.  If you enjoy bright, non-neutral colors then you would love these eyeshadows, too!

Here's a look that I created with these two and another one from the line (Iced Latte, which is a highlight shade).  I used Eternal Sunshine across my lids and Bronzed Taupe along my lash line and lightly in the crease.

These eyeshadows retail for $7.99, but I bought mine buy one, get one 50% off.  They're super affordable and I can't say enough good things about them!

Today, I'm linking up with Carly and Molly for Funday Monday!

Makeup Monday: Rimmel Showoff Lip Lacquer

I am so excited to be writing this post.  These lip products have been long awaited by yours truly.  That sounds so stupid, but it's true.  In the UK, these are known as Rimmel Apocalips.  But, over here in the good ol' US of A, they're called Rimmel Show Off Lip Lacquer.

Blah, right?  I know.  My mind immediately went to cultural comparisons.  Why are Americans described as show offs?  Also, have you ever noticed how the UK has a lot of zombie apocalypse movies?  These were just a couple of nonsensical reasons I came up with for the difference in the names.

Anyways, if you've been living under a beauty world rock, these are one of Rimmel's recent products.  These lip lacquers are very highly pigmented and really pack on the color.  If you are tired of lip glosses and sheer lip colors, you have got to try these!  The shade names for the Apocalips and the Show Offs are the same, and they are all astronomical themed.

Top to bottom: Luna, Celestial, Big Bang

In the picture above, it's difficult to tell the difference between the two lighter shades.  I think it was just the lighting in that particular picture, because you can see the difference in the swatches below (they're in the same order in the swatches).

I did my standard 3-color initial buy - a nude, a pink, and a red.  All three are equally pigmented.  The lacquer is a bit thick and slightly sticky.  It's not so sticky that it gets annoying, though.  They last longer than a regular lip gloss, but I don't find that they necessarily stain my lips.  The red shade, Big Bang, does stain but the others do not.  I find with some lip glosses or products like this, the color wears off unevenly and kind of settles around the outer lines of my lips.  I'm glad to report that these do not do that.  

I'd like to touch on how easy they are to apply.  Now, bear with me, because I can hear you saying "Uhhhh, Rebecca, it's a lip product.  Just slap it on your lips and be done with it."

No, friends, no.  You can not do that with these.  They are slightly messy.  And by slightly, I mean you're probably going to get this mess on your hands and it ain't gonna be pretty.  I am the type of person who likes to apply lip products on the go.  I know exactly where my lip gloss is in my purse, and I grab it while I'm driving and apply it to my lips before you can blink your eyes.  With these, I have to concentrate on what I'm doing because one wrong move and I'll be wearing Big Bang as blush.

Left to right: Luna, Celestial, Big Bang

As far as the shades I purchased, I was most happy with a color that I got after this initial purchase.  That one is called Out of This World.  It's a pinkier, shimmery version of Celestial.  Celestial is my second favorite, followed by Big Bang and then Luna.  Out of This World is absolutely gorgeous, and Celestial is a "my lip color by darker" color.  Big Bang is a freakin' amazing red that is really POW! in your face.  Luna was pretty disappointing, because it was too orange-y for my skin tone.

Overall, I really (REALLY) like these lip lacquers.  Honestly, I wish they were named Apocalips here in the US, because that's just cool.  However, they seem to be exactly the same formulation and shades as the ones in the UK.

These are $4.99, and I found mine at Walgreens.  Have you purchased any of these?  Let me know if you have a different color that I should check out!

Today, I'm linking up with Carly and Molly for Funday Monday!

Makeup Monday: theBalm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer

I've recently gotten into highlighters.  We can blame one of Sephora's Favorites Kits, or we can blame Hautelook.  Either way, I had a weak moment and added this (and a blush) to my cart when I was perusing Hautelook's theBalm Cosmetics sale back in April or May.  This is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, which is a luminizer (or highlighter) for your face.

This one of theBalm's two luminizing products.  The other one is called the Betty-Lou Manizer.  That particular luminizer is bronze, while this one is honey-hued (per the website) or pale gold.  I have seen this used as a highlighter mostly, but you can also use this as a shadow or an illuminating all-over powder.  This would probably be too glowy for me to wear all over, but it's lovely as a shadow and a highlight shade on my cheekbones.

The texture of this powder is so creamy and smooth, which makes it a joy to apply.  A light hand is mandatory for using this powder, because it's easy to go over board and make yourself look like a Christmas ornament.  I'm also impressed with its staying power.  Working long hours does not help my makeup, but this highlighter stayed put all day.

What do you think of the Mary-Lou Manizer?  If you use highlighters, do you prefer bronze tones or gold tones?

Makeup Monday: Cover Girl Flamed Out Shadow Pots

Today's Makeup Monday post is about a new line of eye shadows that Cover Girl recently released.  This is part of their Flamed Out products, which you might have seen with Pink in the commercials.  They came out with mascara, eyeshadows, and eyeshadow pens.  These are the only products I've picked up from the line, mainly because I was attracted to the turquoise eyeshadow.

I recently saw a Pacifica eyeshadow palette at Target that contains an eyeshadow similar to this, but that particular palette was $17 for four eyeshadows.  When I saw this similar color for $4.99, I scooped it up!  And since they were buy one, get one 50% off at the time, I picked up the caramel eyeshadow as well.

The pigmentation wasn't outstanding, but it wasn't sheer, either.  The shimmer was just enough and not too adolescent looking.  I've included pictures of a look I created with both of them.

 Turquoise Gold along top and bottom lash lines; Melted Caramel lightly across the lid and in the crease.

I always use a primer under my eyeshadows, because my eyelids are slightly oily and a bit hooded.  With that being said, the eyeshadow lasted the entire day.  I can't speak to how it would last without primer, because it just wouldn't last long on me anyways without it.  The shade range of this particular line is gorgeous.  There are a few more colors that I would like, but when I went back to my Walgreens they were nearly sold out!  Apparently, they have become popular and for good reason.

I haven't tried a colored cream eyeshadow base, but I think with the right color underneath these shadows you could really create an interesting look!

What's your favorite way to wear eyeshadow?  Do you ever use it as liner?

Today, I'm linking up with Carly and Molly for Funday Monday!