Beauty

From Lackluster to Luscious; How Joico’s Defy Damage Line Transformed My Hair

August 8, 2019 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

My hair is usually a huge mess. It’s summer in Las Vegas, which means daily temps are over 100°F. Take that heat, add in humidity during Monsoon Season (AKA now), and like I said, my hair turns into a HUGE MESS. My long hair becomes frizzy and unruly. I have dry, damaged hair, yet I have oily hair at the same time (what?!). Not to mention, the sun strips my hair dye at alarming rates. I need a really good shampoo, conditioner, conditioning masque, and heat protectant to manage my long locks. Luckily, I discovered the Joico Defy Damage hair care line!

Disclosure: I received a sample of Joico’s Defy Damage hair care line, in exchange for an honest review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% mine.

I wasn’t familiar with Joico, so I was excited to do some research on this amazing company, and their life-changing hair products (that are sulfate and paraben free!). I was generously offered the Defy Damage Protective Shampoo, Defy Damage Protective Conditioner, Defy Damage Protective Masque, and Defy Damage Protective Shield. I’M IN LOVE!

I’m pretty picky about my hair care products. I don’t like greasy heat shields, oils (usually), and well, okay, I don’t really like any hair products besides shampoo and conditioner. However, I need a masque and heat protectant. I’m being totally honest: these products are PERFECT, especially because they smell so, so good!

I use the masque once a week (at night), and it leaves my hair SO SOFT. Even my boyfriend noticed the difference (he’s been brushing my hair lately, because I had neck surgery, and my shoulder is essentially useless). The protective shield gives my hair the perfect amount of protection from my straightener and the sun, in addition to strong, shiny hair, without feeling oily or greasy.

Look how gorgeously smooth and soft my hair is in this picture!

From the Joico website: “Protect all hair types from the ravaging effects of daily heat styling, UV exposure, and environmental pollution that lead to dry, dull, lackluster locks with Joico’s NEW Defy Damage haircare system. This damage-defying breakthrough helps protect and strengthen hair bonds for a healthy-hair transformation you can instantly see and feel.” Defy Damage products have SmartRelease technology. They continually release Rose Hip Oil, Arginine, and Keratin.

I’m really glad I’ve been introduced to Joico’s Defy Damage hair care line; I’ve easily become a regular customer! I bet you’ll feel the same way, too. 🙂

Buy a Joico DD Trial Kit at Ulta! And don’t forget to visit Joico’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Have you used Joico products?
What do you look for in quality hair care? Comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Keep in touch on Instagram 🙂

Beauty Health

What It Takes To Feel Confident In Your Own Skin

May 9, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

Feeling confident in your own skin can often be something that takes a lifetime to achieve. We all want to feel confident while we’re young and in our prime, but there are so many things that make us feel bad – like magazines only showing super slim, photoshopped women, and the media telling us we’re too much/not enough constantly. Yes, being confident in your own skin in 2019 is hard. However, it’s not impossible. Below, we’ll talk about what it takes to feel confident in your own skin so you can finally hold your head high and have a healthy self image. Take a look!

Become Aware of All Of The BS

Start becoming aware of all the BS out there. Ever noticed how magazines will give you great cake recipes on one page and then show you pictures of celebrities on the beach on another page, commenting on their shape and size? Magazines are designed to make us feel like we’re not enough so we buy stuff. They are full of contradictions. Many of us pick up insecurities from here that we wouldn’t have had otherwise!

Ever looked at a picture on Instagram and felt that jealous twang in your stomach? There’s a good chance that this picture was tweaked and photoshopped in some way. Not every beautiful person photoshops their pictures, but many celebrities do. It may be only slight sometimes, but it’s still not what they look like. Even regular people use Facetune and filters to change how they look. Things are not all they seem online, on TV, and on social media. Don’t pay too much attention to it.

Make ‘I Am Enough’ Your Mantra

The whole idea of being confident in your skin isn’t thinking you’re better than anybody else. It’s feeling like you’re enough. When you feel enough as you are, you won’t worry about what anybody else is doing, or what anybody else looks like. You won’t want to change this or that about yourself. You’ll feel totally content. It can be a tough place to get to, but it’s possible! Stop comparing yourself, and when you start thinking that you need something else to be whole, whether that’s nail extensions, a new outfit, or even a new hair color, remind yourself that you’re enough just as you are. It doesn’t mean you can’t have those things you want, it just means you’ll get them from a more confident, informed place rather than a place of not liking what you see.

image

Practice Self Care Regularly

Self care is crucial to feeling confident. Show yourself some love! Take baths. Do things you enjoy. Eat your vegetables and fill up on food that you love. Look after your skin. If you have skin issues, such as psoriasis, see if you can get prednisone treatment prescribed to you. Skin issues don’t make you less worthy, but if they affect your self esteem then see a professional.

Don’t Let That Negative Voice In Your Head Take Over

We all have a negative voice in our head, but you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s not your own. You don’t have to listen to it! Like a radio station, just don’t tune in. Think of something else. If you wouldn’t stare at your friend or call them fat/ugly, don’t do it to yourself. You’ll feel much better very soon!

What do you do to feel confident in your own skin? Comment below!

This post was a collaboration.

Thank you for reading!

Beauty

10 Ways To Save Your Skin

February 1, 2019 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

Image Source. Licensed under Creative Come mons.

Your lifestyle can have a big impact on your skin’s health. If you want to keep your skin looking smooth and rosy long into old age, try taking some of these measures!

Moisturize

As we get older, our skin naturally loses its ability to create sebum (our skin’s oil). Without this sebum, the skin dries out and wrinkles more easily. Moisturising daily can help to replace this oil in our skin as we age. While it may not be necessary when you’re young, it’s worth starting early just to set up a routine and supplement your skin’s health. If you have naturally oily skin and are prone to spots, regular moisturizer could make this worse and you may be better of using a specialist non-comedogenic moisturizer.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is a method of removing the outmost layers of skin, which are often just dead skin cells, allowing the freshest layers to shine through. This can stop pores getting blocked, helping to prevent spots and acne. It can also prevent calluses from developing and prevent dry skin. The most common way to exfoliate is to simply scrub the skin with a sponge or loofah. There are also exfoliation rubs with a gritty texture that is perfect for rubbing off dead skin, as well as exfoliation face peels that take off the entire top layer.

Stay Hydrated

Drinking a lot of water is also good for your skin. When you’re well hydrated, your skin is likely to have more elasticity – making it less prone to wrinkles. Staying well hydrated also improves the flow of blood around the body, including under the surface of the skin, helping to maintain a rosier appearance. All in all, make sure you’re drinking enough liquids (coffee and alcoholics drinks don’t count as both of these can further dehydrate you).

Get More Sleep

Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons.

We all need our beauty sleep. Getting a minimum of 7 hours per night allows the body to go through its full healing and rejuvenation cycle. If this cycle isn’t completed, you could find that wounds, rashes, and acne don’t seem to heal. On top of this, the body may not have a chance to flush out toxins, resulting in the skin taking on a pale appearance. You can get more sleep by going to bed earlier and cutting out bad evening habits such as snacking heavily and looking at bright screens. You can also find ways to improve your sleep quality so that you’re not waking up as often – this could include upgrading your bedding and blocking out the early morning sunlight with blackout curtains.

Stay Active

Exercise is good for your entire body, including your skin. By increasing blood flow, exercise allows nutrients and water to get around the body faster, helping to nourish the skin more quickly. Any type of physical activity that gets your heart rate up will achieve this.

Protect Yourself in the Sun

Sunburn doesn’t just temporarily make you look like a lobster – it can also permanently dry out and scar the skin, resulting in excess wrinkles. Not only that, sunburn is the leading cause of skin cancer. By protecting your skin while in the sun, you can reduce the risk of sunburn. One way to do this is to wear sunscreen – ideally anything over spf 20. Another option could be to simply cover up with clothing, or shelter in the shade. It’s also worth wearing sunglasses to protect your eyes – this will protect the actually eyes themselves and prevent facial wrinkles cause by squinting.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is terrible for the skin in a number of ways. The heat from cigarettes often helps to speed up facial wrinkling, while carbon monoxide and nicotine restrict the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the skin, making healing more difficult and causing skin discoloration. By quitting smoking, you could stop this damage from taking place (& giving yourself lung cancer). Vaping is a much healthier habit for the skin – with so many weird vape flavors to choose form, it can be an exciting alternative. You could also try nicotine patches and hypnosis.

Image Source. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Cut Down on Cosmetics

If you cake your face in make-up every day, this could be having an impact on your skin. Excessively using cosmetics like foundation, mascara, and lipstick can lead to clogged up pores and permanent skin discoloration. You should try not to wear make-up every day and you should always remove your make-up at the end of the day before going to bed. If you like to wear makeup, invest in good quality, oil-free products!

Consume Less Sugar

Too much sugar can also be bad for your skin. When we consume sugar, our insulin levels spike. This in turn can lead to greater skin inflammation – it could help to aggravate acne or make conditions, like eczema, worse. Soft drinks are some of the worst contenders when it comes to sugar, and by cutting down on these, you could find that you make a big positive difference.

Get More Vitamins

A number of vitamins are required to keep your skin healthy. Vitamin A is one of these – this vitamin is efficient at treating wrinkles and is found in foods ranging from sweet potatoes to eggs. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient in the production of collagen, while also serving as an antioxidant – it’s most commonly found in citric fruit, broccoli, and bell peppers. Other vitamins that are good for the skin include vitamin D, vitamin K, and vitamin B5. You can take these as supplements in many cases, and they could improve your general health, as well as your skin health.

I’ve been working hard on improving my skin (thanks acne & my 30s). It takes work, but it’s worth it! Let me know what tips and tricks you have for good skin- comment below!

This post was a collaboration.

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Beauty Reviews

How Science and Technology Can “Formulate” Your Personalized Hair Care [Giveaway]

December 12, 2018 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

My hair has always been a greasy, frizzy, flat and thin mess. Every single morning, I have to wash my hair, try to figure out the right products (I need oil but also dry shampoo but that doesn’t make sense ahhh), and hope that it holds up okay throughout the day. Spoiler Alert: it never does.?

Don’t even get me started on the ridiculously hot and dry weather we get in Vegas, along with those random days of 40+% humidity (humidity is my mortal enemy). I find myself looking at tons of shampoos and conditioners in the aisle at Kroger, trying to figure out the difference between this brand/color/ingredients/name/whatevenisthis. Yet, I never seem to find the right fit.

Well, it’s a great time to be alive, because a haircare company called Formulate creates CUSTOM shampoo and conditioner, literally JUST. FOR. YOUR. HAIR. They use science (gasp!) & technology (double gasp!) to figure out your specific hair type, based on your hair issues, your goals, your environment… basically everything that plays a role in your hair. A chemist (yep, like an official scientist in a lab and everything) creates the perfect formula for you. Your best ~~life~~ hair has never been So. Flippin. Easy.

Formulate Bottles, so chic!
white bottle: conditioner
black bottle: shampoo

*Disclosure: I received a set of shampoo and conditioner as part of a campaign with Formulate. No monetary compensation was received. All words & opinions are my own.

Here’s how the process of using Formulate was for me:

First, I took a personalized hair care quiz (found on their website). I answered questions about how my hair was dull, lackluster, thinning, had split ends, and so on. It asked if my scalp had any issues or sensitivity. I shared that I wanted to mend those issues to create shiny, healthy, thick hair without weighing it down. The quiz asked for my zip code, which I thought was strange, BUT, it’s so they can take into account what the weather will be like where you live for the next month. SO COOL! Environment plays a huge role in our hair, but lot of people don’t think about that. I was able to select the scent (I went with Shoreline), and the intensity of the scent (I chose Medium).

After finishing the quiz, I submitted my order for one 14oz bottle of custom shampoo and one 14oz bottle of custom conditioner. *Note: you can order a small sample bottle to give it a try before committing to the bigger bottles!

My pretty package with the hair products and a mini booklet of info about my hair (everything that was gathered from the quiz) arrived in less than a week. The mini booklet provides a list of ingredients (no sulfates, parabens, or any of that nasty junk) and instructions of how much to use (I appreciated this SO much).

I started using my personal shampoo and conditioner right away. I was so excited!

About 2 weeks into the use of my formula, I noticed that my hair was feeling like I had left product in it. You know, that gross, weird greasy feeling, like someone put Crisco in your hair? I remember reading that the first formula may not always be perfect, and it may need tweaking. I contacted Formulate; they indicated it was coating my hair a little bit and they’d update my formula right away. I received the new formula quickly, and it was PERFECT! Six weeks later and my hair is shiny, full, thick, and easy to manage, without the oiliness. I am not joking when I say that I get compliments all the time. It’s a nice little confidence boost! ☺️

Before Formulate // After 6 weeks of using Formulate

I’m seriously so obsessed with my personalized shampoo and personalized conditioner, and of course my “new” hair. I’m no longer stressed when styling it, and it takes half the time it used to. I’m so happy Formulate exists; it’s my new haircare FOR LIFE! #FormulateForMe

GIVEAWAY! YAY!

Formulate has graciously offered to give away ONE FULL SET of personalized shampoo and conditioner ($49 value) to one of my lucky readers/followers!

It’s super simple to enter. Visit this link: www.formulate.co/u/lyndsinreallife

Enter your email address & click submit. That’s it!

*US only, 18 & over. Giveaway ends Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. The winner will be notified by Formulate through email.

Thank you Formulate for creating a great product & fixing my hair issues so quickly! #FormulateForMe

Find Formulate on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download the app here!

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Beauty Reviews

Getting My Confidence Back with Smile Brilliant Teeth Whitening + Giveaway

July 17, 2018 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

2018 is MY year (even if it’s halfway over). The year I really take control of how I look and feel. I’m tired of seeing pictures of myself and thinking, “ugh, who is that person?” I want to meet up with old friends and hear them say, “wow, you look great!” I want to feel confident when I’m out and about, whether it’s on The Strip, at the pool, or at my apartment complex. I just turned 30 and I want to look and feel my best!

So, I decided it was time to take charge and make a change. I want to feel confident and proud this summer.

I took up running, made healthy changes in my diet, purchased better skincare products, and I chose to #SmileFearlessly with the Smile Brilliant teeth whitening kit!

Disclosure: I received a free Smile Brilliant whitening kit in exchange for a review on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

I drink a lot of coffee (hello #NannyLife), and tend to eat acidic foods. My teeth seemed to become yellow so fast, and I guess I never really thought about what was causing it (colors from food are absorbed through microscopic pores). I realized I needed a way to make my pearly whites (erm, yellows?) sparkle, especially for those Insta-worthy photos. 😉

Smile Brilliant provides at-home whitening kits, complete with molds (to create custom whitening trays), whitening gel, de-sensitizing gel (depending on your kit), and a holder for your trays. It also includes a prepaid postage envelope to send the custom molds to the lab to create the clear custom fitted whitening trays.

With SB, you get the same results as you would at the dentist office, but for much less money!

There are 6 kits to choose from; ranging from heavy stains to light stains, and nonsensitive vs sensitive teeth. I have sensitive teeth, especially when it comes to whitening them. I tried whitening strips and trays from the drugstore in the past, and they always made my teeth hurt. Plus, they never fit my teeth well. The strips were always too small, and the trays didn’t feel comfortable. They were basically useless!

I’m happy to note that my teeth experienced very little sensitivity when using Smile Brilliant. The desensitizing gel is a life-saver!

CUSTOM WHITENING TRAYS

Luckily with Smile Brilliant, you’re able to make your own custom trays. The kit comes with 2 pastes: base and catalyst. There are enough to make 3 molds (mix the pastes together), which will become blue. These molds will be used to make impressions of your teeth to create your trays. A mixture of paste will go into 2 blue trays, which you will use to insert in your mouth to get your teeth impressions (for both your bottom and top teeth). There is a third paste mixture that can be used if one of the molds needs redone.

After creating your molds, you mail them back in the prepaid envelope. Your clear, custom trays will be sent back to you about a week later!

TEETH WHITENING

Before whitening, it’s important to floss, and then brush your teeth with only water. Continue as follows:

Dry teeth as much as possible.
Apply thin layer of whitening gel to the top and bottom trays. Make sure it’s directly in the middle along the front side.
Apply trays to teeth, trying not to smear the gel (it will cover the teeth on its own once pressed in).
Leave trays in anywhere from 45 minutes to 3 hours, depending on sensitivity. Start out at the 45 minute mark, and gradually work your way up.
Once the time is up, remove the trays and wash with water, then dry.
Brush your teeth as normal (with toothpaste).
If you have the kit with the desensitizing gel, apply the gel to the trays just like with the whitening gel.
Put on trays for 15-20 minutes.
Remove trays, spit out the excess gel (but don’t get your teeth wet), wash off the trays with water, then dry. Put the trays in the container provided in the kit.
Don’t eat or drink anything for at least 30 minutes.

It’s recommended to whiten at night, right before bed. This way, you give your teeth more time to absorb the gels, giving you the best results!

I’m really excited to share my results; just look at this before and after photo!

“From dental lab to your door. Our teeth whitening process is recommended by more dentists than any other procedure in America. We proudly produce our custom-fitted whitening trays right here in the United States for 70% less than your dentist and 3x to 5x faster. We ship worldwide & our customers trust our team’s honesty and experience.” (smilebrilliant.com)

Smile Brilliant has graciously offered to give away a free whitening kit (valued at $149) to one of my readers! Isn’t that amazing?! Simply enter through the link below:

https://www.smilebrilliant.com/g/lyndsinreallife

TERMS: Must submit name and email address on the giveaway page in order to enter! The winner will be selected and contacted via email 2 weeks after the post is live. Giveaway is for $149 credit and is open to USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.

You can also get 10% off any Smile Brilliant purchase by using coupon code lyndsinreallife.

Home Teeth Whitening

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Beauty Fitness Food Reviews

Holiday Gift Guide 2017 + Giveaway

December 20, 2017 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

The holidays are here! I love this time of year. I’m a huge gift giver, and I strive to make sure the gifts are as personal and awesome as I can. This Christmas (and all holidays!), I’ve put together a list of great gifts; for food, fitness, and beauty lovers!

Nuun Hydration Tablets: Nuun tabs create the perfect sports drink, without all the sugar. There are three categories: vitamins, electrolytes (my favorite), and Nuun performance.

Photo from nuunlife.com

Water enhancer includes:

better performance: the addition of non-gmo sourced dextrose helps the body to absorb fluids more efficiently while still containing 1g sugar or less.
clean ingredients: we used plant based sweeteners and ingredients to increase health benefits
gluten-free, dairy + soy free, safe for clean sport certifications

Each electrolyte tab contains:

sodium: 360 mg
potassium: 100 mg
magnesium: 25 mg
calcium: 13 mg
vitamin c: 38 mg
10 calories
1 g of sugar

2. Slim Clip Case (GIVEAWAY): The Slim Clip Case by Wonderful Things Factory is AMAZING for working out, especially running! I was sent two cases to try, and I don’t think I’ll ever get another case again. The back is able to clip onto your leggings, shorts, or jacket (or really anywhere that works!), and STAYS THERE. I am training for a half marathon, and I need my phone to be easily accessible. Plus, the case comes in different sizes (fits all phones) and colors. The Slim Clip Case is perfect!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This giveaway runs from 12/21/17 – 1/1/18. Two people will win a Slim Clip Case shipped directly from Wonderful Things Factory. Winners will be selected randomly. Open to U.S. residents 18+.

3. Fuego Box: Fuego Box is perfect for the die hard hot sauce lover. The goal is to bring you emerging hot sauces that you most likely haven’t heard of. It opens up a world of heat! You can buy individual bottles, curated single boxes, and a monthly subscription delivered straight to your door. Plus, they offer great gift boxes! Enter your email on the site and receive $10 off your first box!

4. DERMA⋅E: DERMA⋅E skin care is my all-time favorite! I use their cleansers, lotions, toner, masks etc every day of my life. The products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free, and do not contain parabens, sodium lauryl sulfates, petrolatum, mineral oil, or artificial colors. They’re gentle, yet effective! My favorite product is the Firming DMAE Moisturizer, which contains Alpha Lipoic Acid & C-Ester (affiliate link). Also, be sure to check out the holiday bundles they are offering right now, and at a discounted price!

I hope you enjoy the items I’ve recommended for this holiday season! What else would you like to see on the list?

Happy Holidays, & thank you for reading!

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Beauty Reviews

Beat The Winter Dryness with Maple Holistics Avocado Oil (+ Free Sample)

January 31, 2017 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Living in the desert during the winter can be brutal to my hair and skin. It’s cold and the humidity is under 10%, causing my hair to frizz and break apart, plus cause my skin to be incredibly dry. I’m always searching for a natural moisturizer that isn’t oily, but actually WORKS. Luckily, I’ve recently discovered Maple Holistics Avocado Oil!

Disclosure: I received a free bottle of avocado oil from Maple Holistics, in the hopes that I’d review it on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are my own.

Maple Holistics, a beauty and skincare company based out of New Jersey, prides itself on being:

Made In The USA
All Natural
Cruelty Free
Sulfate Free
Safe for Color

They have products ranging from shampoo, to body wash, to skin serums. I was really excited to try the avocado oil for two reasons: hair/skin therapy + I love avocados! I know avocados contain healthy fats, so I imagined they would help my hair/skin too. What’s great is that this avocado contains nothing but avocado oil! It’s 100% pure avocado oil. It’s also cold-pressed and refined.

The suggested uses for this avocado oil are:

Lightly massage into skin, especially dry areas.
Apply directly to scalp as a hair conditioner, or add drops to shampoo before applying.

I really like using this avocado oil on my elbows (really dry areas) and as a conditioner once or twice a week. It’s made such a difference! Mind you, I color my hair, and the avocado oil doesn’t strip the color at all (check out this article about their purple shampoo, which is great for colored hair).

My boyfriend likes to use the oil for his beard, which is usually super scratchy and coarse (but not anymore!).

Photo Courtesy of the Maple Holistics Website

Want to get a FREE sample?!

Maple Holistics offers free samples on their website to people who are willing to post an honest review on their website! You’ll receive your complimentary sample. You can currently you can choose between: Botanical Dry Hair Shampoo, Sweet Almond Oil, or Cedarwood Shampoo. Sign up to get your free sample here!

Have you decided the avocado oil is perfect for you (it definitely is for me!)? Order on their site or on Amazon, and you can get free shipping for orders over $25, or free shipping and a gift for orders over $35.

For more info + updates about Maple Holistics, sign up for emails on their website or like them on Facebook!

Have you used avocado oil? Did you like it?
What do you look for in a moisturizer (skin or hair)?
Are you going to apply for the free sample?!

Thank you so much for reading!

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Archie Beauty Fitness Lifestyle

Holiday Gift Guide 2016

December 16, 2016 By lyndsinreallife 1 Comment

The holidays are almost here, and if you’re anything like me, you’ve waited until the last 2 weeks to get gifts for your loved ones. I’ve made it simple to shop with my holiday gift guide for 2016!

For Fitness Lovers:

Katie K Active Fitness Outfit.

There are a variety of options, with sizes ranging from S-3X. Katie K Active is all-inclusive, meaning there is something for everyone! Their clothes are also incredibly comfortable and functional. I own at least 5 complete outfits!

Use code LYNDSAY40 at checkout for 40% off your order plus FREE shipping!

For Pet Lovers:

One Fur All Pet Candle. Scent: Holidays Fur All

As any pet lover will know, animals can be very stinky. From the natural scent to urine stains, One Fur All pet candles neutralize the odor with their 100% soy wax. The Holidays Fur All scent is perfect for Christmas time. Imagine what Christmas smells like, and it’s captured perfectly in this candle! These pet candles are the only ones that have been successful in neutralizing the odors in our home. Plus, they burn for 70 hours!

Get free shipping on orders of $45 or more. Plus, right now, you can get a FREE mini candle with a purchase of a regular candle with code MYMINI!

For Friends Needing Happiness and Support:

Caring Crate Monthly Mental Health Box.

Caring Crate is a subscription box that sends you little goodies every month, all designed for wellness! It’s designed for those with mental health and/or chronic illness, plus anyone who needs a little happiness/wellness in their lives.

In one of my boxes, I received a No Worries Journal, locally made blondie bar (from Vancouver, B.C.), relaxing bath salts, and stitch art! They’re all quality, full-size products that are designed to make us feel happier.

Shop 1 month, 3 month, or 6 month subscriptions here, and order now to get the Winter Indulgence Bonus Box!

For Beauty Lovers:

Believe Organics 3 Steps / 3 Giant Steps Skincare Set.

Believe Organics creates all-natural, organic, and vegan beauty/skin care products. I’ve been using them for at least a year! The 3 Step Skincare Set comes with cleansing caviar, clarifying toner, & facial elixir. They come in glass bottles and a reusable linen pouch. Perfect!

Get free shipping on orders over $50 with code believe!

I hope this guide makes holiday shopping a little easier for you! I stand by all these products and your loved ones are sure to love them.

Happy Holidays!

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Beauty Reviews

I’m Getting Wedding Ready With This In-Home Pedicure Tool

September 12, 2016 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

I’m maid of honor in my best friend’s wedding this Friday, which is super exciting! I’ve been getting “wedding ready” … you know, figuring out hairstyles, deciding which makeup to use, spray tan, and of course, a pedicure! Pedicures are awesome. My favorite part is when they shave the dead skin/callouses from the bottom of your feet. It sounds gross (and kind of is), but if you’ve ever had a pedicure, you understand how great it is. This is where Emjoi’s Micro-Pedi comes in handy.

Disclosure: I received an Emjoi Micro-Pedi for product testing from Lipton Publicity. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Pedicures can be pricey. They generally last one month. If you have $40+ to drop that often, then that’s great! But if you’re like me, you don’t. So I choose to do my own pedicures. 🙂

First, I use a foot bath. I like the Conair Foot Spa with Vibration and Heat (affiliate link/photo shown below).

Then I use Earth Therapeutics Tea Tree Oil Footsoak (affiliate link/photo shown below).

I soak the skin on my feet with the foot bath, exfoliate with the tree tea oil scrub, dry off my feet, paint my nails, and then use the Micro-Pedi.

It’s incredibly easy to use, and my feet feel like a baby’s bottom when I’m done. It doesn’t hurt (though sometimes tickles); just make sure not to keep it in the same place for more than 3-5 seconds. You simply move it back and forth over the desired areas, and voila! It feels just like it would at a nail salon.

Also, it’s much safer than the metal scrapers they use at the salon. So that’s a big plus!

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association website, “Your feet must last a lifetime and most Americans log an amazing 75,000 miles on their feet by the time they reach age 50.”

Great looking, smooth feet are youthful, more alluring, comfortable and imperative for health, sports participation and grooming.

Here’s my left foot before using the Micro-Pedi, and after ONE USE!

Pretty amazing, am I right?

The Emjoi Micro-Pedi costs $39.95 on the Emjoi website (with free same-day shipping), or you can get it for $14.95 (with Prime shipping) on Amazon (affiliate link).

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Beauty

Nude Is The New Red In Summer 2015

June 18, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

I don’t often blog about cosmetics or fashion, but I was watching the new season of Orange Is The New Black and something caught my attention. I LOVE makeup; I have more eye shadow than I’ll ever be able to use in a lifetime. So when I saw Lorna’s new look of nudes and beiges, I was surprised at how much I loved it!

Nudes and beiges are in this season. Some say it’s to accommodate the 2015 runways and boho-chic trends. I am all about boho-chic. I remember loving that “no makeup” look in high school (flashback to Vaseline and foundation mixed to be a lip balm), so I figured I’d try a few new products and see if this trend is worth the hype.

Here are my fave five; you’ll find these beauties in my makeup bag or beach tote all summer long:

1. bareMinerals NUDE PERFECTION™ Lip Trio – $15

Sephora

Photo: sephora.com

2. Tarte Amazonian Clay Universal Lipliner – $18

Tarte Cosmetics

Photo: tartecosmetics.com

3. Neutrogena Long Wear Eye Shadow + Built-in Primer in Classic Nude – $9.49

Neutrogena

Photo: neutrogena.com

4. Lancôme Paris Miracle Cushion – $46.50

Lancôme USA

Photo: lancome-usa.com

5. Formula X The Cut – Summer 2015 in Supreme (latte nude creme) – $10.50

Sephora

Photo: sephora.com

If you want more nude essentials for this summer, Elle.com names a few great products for that perfect beach glow. With the change of season comes the change of color (or lack thereof), which means one thing: SHOPPING. My personal favorite!

Are you ready to go nude this summer? What are your must-haves for warm days and cool nights? Don’t keep those cosmetic gems to yourself; share in the comments below!

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