Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk {Review}

Keeping my skin looking great and moisturized is always a priority to me, especially now that I'm in my 30's. My biggest skincare issues are dryness, fine lines and redness. Right now since it's still a little chilly in Wisconsin, my prirority is still finding a product that adds some much needed moisture to my dry winter skin. I had a feeling Josie Maran had something that could do the trick since I've loved all of the products I've tried.

Press sample 

About:

Josie Maran Pure Argan Milk
All the skin-saving benefits of Josie Maran’s 100% organic Argan Oil in an ultra-absorbent, micro-droplet format. Oil and water: the building blocks of healthy skin famously get along like, well, oil and water. To deliver the hydrating and skin-plumping benefits of water with the nutrients and skin cell protection of pure Argan Oil, Josie Maran has developed a propriety blend of both essentials. The innovative Pure Argan Milk Intensive Hydrating Treatment features the cleanest, purest water with Argan Oil micro-droplets that work deep within the skin to deliver anti-aging benefits at a cellular level. Price: $56.00, Sephora and sephora.com

My thoughts:

This really does look like a milk, hence the name! There is a dropper you use to get the product out and I usually use 3-6 drops, depending on my skin's needs at the time. A lot of times when I use a moisturizer, I'm also using a serum and a toner. With Jose Maran's Pure Argan Milk, I get enough hydration that I can skip the other steps if I want. I love applying this to slightly dewy skin, fresh from the shower. I've loved the other Josie Maran products I've used before and products containing real argan oil are always a favorite of mine. 

I noticed immediately after application that my skin felt soft, smooth and moisturized. There was none of that tightness I feel when my skin is still dry after some moisturizers I've applied. The only downfall would be I love it so much, I keep seeing the bottle level go down when I don't feel I've been using all that much. I will definitely be sad when I've used up this product and although I really do love it, I will have to debate whether a $56 price tag is something I can sustain.

Have you used this product or other Josie Maran products? Is this something that appeals to you? Comment and let me know, I'd love to hear from you! 

Hask Argan & Keratin Products for Healthy Hair

 I had the chance to test out Hask Argan & Keratin Shampoo, Conditioner, Deep Conditioner and Shine Oil. The shampoo and conditioners I tested were for the repairing and smoothing product lines. Since I have naturally curly hair which I color treat and heat style, I'm always looking for products which can help repair and smooth my wild curls!

About:
You don’t need a genie for healthy, beautiful locks when you have Hask® Argan Oil products! Also known as “liquid gold,” Argan Oil is a precious, time-honored beauty secret in its native Morocco. Loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, Argan Oil from Morocco repairs, strengthens and moisturizes hair, all while taming frizz and adding shine.

Keratin Protein is the stuff your hair, skin and nails are made of—so it’s no wonder it’s so powerful and restorative for your hair. Keratin revives, restores, calms and strengthens parched, frizzy locks—wiping out the effects of heat, humidity and over-styling and helping your hair look and feel its best. What can’t Keratin do, you ask? Hold the curling iron for you, but that’s about it. Making Hask® Keratin Protein products a part of your daily beauty routine can help to revitalize and condition that hair of yours, all while sealing in moisture and shine!

My thoughts:

The first thing I noticed about the product is that they smell amazing! There is almost a citrusy scent to it that is light and uplifting. I really loved the scent and I've gotten compliments that my hair smells great after using these. I had been heat styling my hair a lot this winter and I noticed it was getting really fried and dried out. I loved using the repair products and I felt that my color has been looking really good and my hair did feel more moisturized. I also noticed a difference with the smoothing products. I found my hair really did look smoother and less frizz prone. Whenever I had extra frizz or needed some extra moisture or smoothing, I used the shine oils and got immediate results. These are lightweight oils that didn't look greasy or weigh down my locks. 

The oils are 18 ml and retail for around $2. the deep conditioning masks also retail around $2. The shampoo and conditioners retail around $5-6. The place I've noticed these the most was at Walgreens and I believe I may have spotted them at TJ Maxx as well. I really enjoyed the adorable packaging and high end feel of the products which are truly affordable for all. If you're looking for some affordable high quality products with argan oil which an amazing ingredient, I highly recommend checking these out!

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Spring Forward with Spring Fashion & Makeup

I'm having one of those days where I'm really liking how my outfit, makeup and hair came together and thought I'd share. Spring is officially here but if you live in Wisconsin, you may not quite believe it yet! We've had temps of 16 this week, snow and rain. Today is much brighter out and I thought I'd celebrate with a cute outfit and a little bounce in my step!

About the look: 

Today I'm wearing a black and white stripped sweater with skinny blue jeans. I've paired it with black flats with some detailing and my vintage Dooney & Bourke red leather briefcase I inherited from my beloved aunt. I've paired this look with some very curly crazy hair and a simple makeup look with a pop of color on the lips.

About the products: 

Maybeline Barely Branded is the perfect slightly shimmery neutral eyeshadow color for work or a simple look. This really brightens my area and is crease free and long lasting.

NARS Lipstick in Full Frontal is my new favorite orchid lip color for Spring. I've been getting a lot of use out this and I've gotten compliments as well. I think the light orchid color is definitely wearable and blends well with my fair skintone and green eyes. The application is creamy and wear is around 3 hours.

My curls don't always turn out perfectly and sometimes need some help. John Frieda Volume Curls 1 1/2” Curling Iron comes in. I either pick strands and curl just those strands and loose then with my fingers to blend in with the rest of my curls or I curl my entire head of hair and break apart, pull too loosen and lightly brush through.

Clinique Ginger Pop Blush is a newer obsession for me. Although all four color selections are gorgeous, I just had to have the ginger one as it wasn't quite like anything I own. It provides a gorgeous pop of color that's natural and very fitting for Spring.

Lancome artliner has been a long time favorite of mine that I use nearly every single day. This is the easiest liquid liner I've ever used. I'm able to create thin lines, thicker lines or cat eyes with ease.

Rimmel Moisture Renew {Review}

I receieved the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in As You Want Victoria as part of a Influenster Voxbox. Anyone can sign up to be an Influenster.com and get free products to test out, so be sure to sign up! I was immediately taken by the gorgeous color and I could't wait to test it out!

About:
Lips so cared for, true colour is maximised! Innovative formula with 3 super Moisturisers. Lips feel up to 70% more hydrated and up to 60% smoother! SPF 20, Vitamins A, C and E for protected lips. Available in 18 shades. Available at Walgreens, Walmart, Target and others!

My thoughts:

I was so impressed with the application, I actually said "oh wow!" outloud to myself when I first put this on. It was so creamy and so pigmented, that I was definitely impressed. And I've tried a lot of lipsticks! This feels really moisturizing on the lips and has a really nice shiny finish which does start to fade and look more matte after a couple hours.

This is also incredibly long wearing for me, I had to remove this in order to go to bed, so I didn't get an exact count on how long this lasts. I'm wearing this today and it's been going strong for hours. The only thing about this which I could see some people not liking is that it does have a noticeable scent. It is almost a powdery floral type scent. It's noticeable immediately when you open the package, but I didn't notice it lingering after application. These retail for around $6-$7 and I will likely be picking up some more in the future! 

Coolway True Smooth {Review}

If you have frizz prone hair and it takes awhile to get ready in the morning, then you're like me and constantly on the hunt for a product that can really help. Coolway has a new True Smooth product which acts as a heat protectant while giving you smooth frizz free results.

About:
True Smooth™ contains °Coolway’s groundbreaking Amino Lock MAB molecule, which is activated by your own blow dryer to hold your style from the inside of the hair as you are drying it. You’ll get the same smooth, frizz-free results you would get from a flat iron without the damage and actually using one. True Smooth™ customers are calling it “a blow-dry bar in a bottle.” It is even clinically proven to strengthen hair up to 4Xs and reduce breakage by 75%!

I picked a day where my hair was incredibly frizzy as my hair likes to be on difficult days and put Coolway's True Smooth to the test. It noticeably reduced frizz and smoothed my curls. I used this on dry hair to see what the effect would be and it definitely made a difference as you can see above. This also helped with heat styling. I had been using heat a lot this winter and my strands were really suffering. This has a coconut beachy type scent and the only issue I had was that if I sprayed too much, the scent did become a little irritating to me. 

Want to try this? Use code BeautyStat14 to receive a 10% discount on all°Coolway purchases at www.coolwayhair.com (not including shipping revenue and taxes).

This item was provided for review courtesy of BeautyStat.com

Radiant Orchid: My Product Picks

I've been really obsessed with everything purple lately and I've found some great products out and about. I don't know if it's because Pantone named Radiant Orchid as product of the year and there are more orchid products out there or if I'm just noticing them more recently. Either way, I'm really loving being surrounded by purples and have been unable to resist these gorgeous purple products. Keep reading on for my top picks!

Sephora + Pantone: Rush Luster Cheek Sweep

I noticed this at Sephora and I just had to have the Rush Luster Cheek Sweep because all the colors were gorgeous and I don't already have an orchid powder blush. I love switching things up and this is an atypical color for a blush, so I just knew I had to have it. It certainly didn't disappoint.

About:

An exclusive, limited-edition blush in the Sephora+Pantone Color of the Year—Radiant Orchid—and two coordinating luminizers. 

The innovative formula of this light powder blush provides a flawlessly smooth blended effect. Top the limited-edition Radiant Orchid hue with either of the two specially chosen luminizers for a shimmery iridescent glow. The colors are enclosed in a Radiant Orchid ombre case complete with a mirror for ease of application. Retails $25, Limited Edition. 

- Blush in Radiant Orchid 

- Luminizer in Bridal Rose 

- Luminizer in Spanish Villa

I applied the Rush Luster Cheek Sweep using the Radiant Orchid blush with Spanish Villa as a highlight and a touch of Bridal Rose on the apples of my cheeks. Eyes are L'oreal Infallible Burst Into Bloom and Too Faced Poison Orchid. 

NARS Cinematic Lipstic in Full Frontal 

I paired this with a gorgeous NARS lipstick called Full Frontal. The application was creamy and the finish is matte. The wear was around four hours. This felt really moisturizing on and was a pigmented gorgeous easy to wear color. 

About:

Delivers intense color saturation with a gorgeously glossy shine. Creamy and comfortable, featuring an innovative blend of lip conditioners and antioxidants known to hydrate, nourish and protect lips. Limited Edition, Retails $26. 

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Burst Into Bloom

For eyes, I used my newest favorite eyeshadow which is L'oreall Infallible Burst Into Bloom. The formulation is great just like the other infallible shadows which I'm a huge fan of. It is pretty much a pressed pigment shadow. I use my fingers and either lightly apply one swipe or a couple layers for some built up color. The application is easy, there is limited fall out and the color is long lasting. This is an absolutely gorgeous orchid color that I've been reaching for a ton lately. I paired this with a long time favorite with is Too Faced's Poison Orchid. It's a deeper orchid color with a lot of sparkle to it that packs quite the punch. 

Benefit's Lolli-tint 

A smudge-proof lip and cheek stain in a candy-orchid tint. This lasting lip and cheek tint adds a beautiful flush of pink to lips and cheeks with true staying power. Smudge-proof and smooch-proof, color lasts day to night. Retails $30.

I'm a huge fan of Benefit's products overall, but I've really loved their iconic liquid blushes and highlighters. I tried the newest shade, lollitint on and again I just knew I had to have it. It wasn't like anything I already owned and I know the quality of Benefit's products and liquid blushes. I thought it provided a gorgeous sheer flush of color that I know will be long lasting. 

So there you have it, all of my favorite product picks for Radiant Orchid, which is Pantone's color of the year. Which is your favorite? If you have any other recommendations, comment and let me know! 

Love2Love Fragrance Collection {Review}

Love2love is a fragrance collection which came to stores in February 2014. The Love2love collection features four fragrances; each containing two perfectly paired scents, inspired by a spectrum of colors that express a woman’s joy and sheer happiness.

Scents include:

Fresh Rose + Peach, Jasmine + Sparkling Mimosa, 

Freesia + Violet Petals, and Orange Blossom + White Musk

About:
The Love2Love collection is enclosed in feminine and sophisticated flacons with juice that is tinted in soft shades of pink, green, lavender and orange. The white flowers on the front of the cartons and on the bottles were incorporated to capture the spirit of the unique floral notes in each scent. The packaging is scratch n' sniff!  Each fragrance is available in an EDT ($9.98/3.4 fl. Oz) and Body Mist ($6.98/8.0 fl. oz.) at Walmart stores and Walmart.com.

Fresh Rose + Peach: Juicy notes of peach nectar, lychee and fresh cassis buds. The middle notes of geranium and Bulgarian rose oil infuse innocence and femininity into the fragrance while the blend of musk and orris at the base.

Freesia + Violet Petals: A delicately sweet mix of peach blossom, lily petals, lavender blooms, with notes of sheer musk, heliotropine and cedarwood at the base.

I tested out the Love2Love Orange Blossom + White Musk Eau de Toilette which is a musky scent with a light sweetness.

Top notes: a refreshing cocktail of sparkling bergamot and juicy orange notes opens up this fragrance.
Middle notes: orange blossom and soft peony at the heart of the scent create an element of femininity.
Base notes: the trace of orris, white musk and cozy sandalwood adds an intriguing, sensual aspect to the mix

I was really impressed by this product. I love that it is affordable for all at just $10. The packaging is elegant and makes you feel like you're really purchasing a nice treat for yourself or a great gift for someone else. I am sensitive to fragrance, so I love to find lighter scents that I'm actually able to wear without any irritation and this was definitely one of them!

Which scent would you most like to try? Have you seen these or tried these yet?

Contains press sample

Prevent Allergy Issues with Well at Walgreens

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its client. All health related suggestions and opinions expressed in this post are all my own. #CollectiveBias #WellAtWalgreens

Winter is by far my least favorite season, but there is one major benefit to winter and that is my outdoor allergies are significantly reduced. Although I'm looking forward to Spring, the melting of the snow, warmer temperatures and green grass, this also means there are a lot of sneezes to come! A lot of people can just enjoy Spring, stop and smell the roses and enjoy walks outside. However, if you're plagued with allergy issues, you know how debilitating they can be at times. The green grass that you once longed for seems to now be mocking you. I have pretty severe allergies to grass, trees, weeds, mold, cats and well pretty much everything! After 7 years of allergy shots, medications, alternatives and pills, I seemed to find some products and solutions that can significantly help with my allergies.

So what all can you do? Besides stay indoors and miss out on a lot? This is usually when I turn to Walgreens to stock up on allergy products to get me through the allergy seasons. Right now for the month of March, Walgreens has buy one get one 50% as well, so it is a great time to stock up in preparation. Dealing with my allergy issues often includes focusing on relieving pain with ibuprofen which can reduce the swelling in your sinuses and also vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin D to keep me healthy and active. Walgreens really has a variety of products to meet your every allergy need and most importantly to prevent some of these symptoms so they don't impact your life negatively!

For years I went back and forth trying different allergy medications. Taking an allergy pill daily, despite the season is just a must for me and is the #1 necessity in my allergy kit. For the past few years, I consistently have purchased the Wal-Zyr 24 hour tablets. These are more affordable than the name brand products, but they work just as well. They help with indoor and outdoor allergies and I love that I only have to take 1 a day. My #2 necessity would probably be ibuprofen to reduce sinus inflammation and swelling and a cold ice pack on my head certainly doesn't hurt!

My allergy survival kit includes:

-Multi-Purpose Cold Compress for sinus headaches
-Wal-Zyr 24 hour release allergy pills to take daily
-Allergy Eye Drops for those itchy eye days
-Wal-Born Effervescent Health Formula to keep me feeling healthy
-Wal-Dry Severe Allergy & Sinus Headache for the really bad days!
-Ibuprophen to reduce inflammation

With Walgreens you'll be able to get outside, enjoy nice weather and yes even stop and smell the flowers!

You can not only help yourself and your family by shopping for allergy products at Walgreens, you can also help others with Walgreens Way to Well Commitment which runs through December 31, 2014. One cent from the purchase of every Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness product, up to $3 million, annually, will support bringing preventative wellness services to local communities. 

favUlash 100% Human Hair Lashes

Have you ever bought false lashes from the drugstore but just felt they didn't look quite right? Sometimes synthetic lashes can look just like that, synthetic. I was thrilled to get to try the new favUlash 100% human hair lashes. These enabled me to create a dramatic yet a natural look!

These lashes retail at $5 each, but the more you buy, the more the individual price decreases. For instance if you purchase 10-19 lashes, the price per lash is $3.49. So if you wear lashes fairly often, you might as well stock up and have some on hand!

Style: 4699 El Nido 

There were a couple things that I noticed that were different about these lashes. The first was that they really felt natural on. When I've tried synthetic lashes, I'm aware that I'm wearing them every time I blink. The favUlash lashes felt lighter on and I barely noticed that I was wearing them. The other thing is that these are long in both height and width. You can easily clip them to fit the shape of your eye as well. I also liked the longer height to these lashes. I felt that the human hair meant these lashes could still look dramatic while still looking natural which is hard for a false lash to achieve, but fabUlash does it!

Be sure to browse favUlash's website as they have a ton of different styles to meet exactly what you're looking for! 

Contains Press Samples

Tarte Spring 2014 {Review}

Tarte Cosmetics has been one of my favorite brands for years now. Their natural color selection always seems to be a good fit with my fair skin tone and I like that their products live up to their claims. I was beyond thrilled to get to test out the cheek stains in a new packaging and the new LipSurgence Power Pigments which match the iconic cheek stains. Keep reading for product information and my final thoughts and review.

Press Samples

ABOUT: 

Cheek Stain ($30):
The stain that started it all. Tarte’s award-winning and best-selling cheek stain gives you a gorgeous, natural flush in a gel or cream consistency. Apply this to the apples of your cheeks. Unlike traditional stains that are hard to apply, this goof-proof tint melts into skin easily and gives you 20 seconds of blending time before it sets in place for all day wear.

Powered By: t5 super fruit complex™: a proprietary blend of the five most active antioxidant-rich superfruits (maracuja, goji, açaí, acerola, and pomegranate), this complex delivers anti-aging and skin-restorative benefits to skin with each application. Maracuja: rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) known to replenish, rebuild, and brighten skin; high dose of pure Vitamin C gives the appearance of brighter skin; powerful anti-aging elixir promotes active skin recovery and rejuvenation; maximum hydration quenches dry skin

Power Pigment ($24)

Inspired by our newly designed cheek stain, these punched up lip tints impart bold color and shine for a perfect smile all day long.

Product Performance: A burst of moisture hydrates lips while imparting rich, highly-pigmented color in new, skin brightening, vibrant shades, and the antioxidant formula with just a hint of refreshing peppermint nourishes and invigorates lips for a more plumed up appearance. The sleek, “skinny” packaging allows for the most precise application of your favorite color while minimizing waste and your carbon footprint.

Tipsy: Sheer Coral 

Exposed: Nude Pink (formerly Awakening)

Blushing Bride: Rosy Pink 

Blissful: Warm Peach

True Love: Sheer Watermelon 

Flush: Sheer Berry 

Natural Beauty: Sheer Rosy Red 

Fearless: Pink Coral

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Cheek Stains

• I love the new design of the cheek stains which is perfect for Spring. These retail at $30 each or you can purchase all 8 in a collection called The Vault for $150 ($90 savings). 
• I found these to be easy to apply and they were long wearing. These definitely wore throughout the work day. 
• These have a pleasant fruit scent to them. 
• I dabbed this on the apples of my cheek and up to the hair line. I blended this in with a stiff blending brush or a regular blush brush. 

LipSurgence Power Pigment

• These have the same slightly tingly mint feel to them as the other LipSurgences I have tried. 
• These are moisturizing but more like a regular lipstick than the other LipSurgence products I have tried. 
• These are thinner than the other LipSurgence products. 
• Matte finish with a gorgeous color selection. 
• Wear was around 3-4 hours. 

Overall, I'm a huge fan of all of these products. There really wasn't a color that I didn't like, however, I would have to say that my favorites are Blissful and True Love. I found that all the colors were really wearable and easy to apply. Even the darker reds would be a wearable red for most women. I would definitely recommend checking these out, I don't think you will be disappointed. 

Contains Press Samples