beauty – Page 2

#SweatYourStory On International Women’s Day

March 8, 2015 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

Today is International Women’s Day – a day to celebrate women’s achievements and call for greater equality. Awesome, right?! What’s even more awesome is GRACEDBYGRIT’s #SweatYourStory campaign.

GRACEDBYGRIT is a company “that creates workout gear for women that’s designed with a purpose, made of functional, yet luxurious fabrics, and most importantly, makes you look good and feel good. From land to sea, their multi-purpose apparel is graced with endless possibilities.” Disclosure: The company asked me to share my story, and as a thank you, I received a GRACEDBYGRIT headband. No monetary compensation was received, and all opinions are 100% my own.

In honor of International Women’s Day, GRACEDBYGRIT is sharing how they sweat their story through this video:

You know a video is powerful when the message is known without any words. I love it!

How do you #SweatYourStory? Let me share with you how I sweat mine:

My story is one of struggle, pain, persistence, adventure, and a search for confidence. I was a dancer in high school; that’s when I began using motion to express myself. Fitness not only became a necessity for my physical health, but it was also an outlet for my emotional/mental health. After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and cervical cancer within a 6 month period (2008-09), my entire being was craving some sort of control and release. That’s when I started strength training and Pilates; I was ready to sweat out the negative energy in my body and mind.

Fast forward to 2013. I left Ohio and moved to Los Angeles. It was incredibly liberating, but at the same time, extremely difficult. Once again, my body, mind, and soul needed an outlet, a release. I took a yoga class and was instantly hooked. Yoga isn’t just about being flexible and sharing your poses on Instagram; it’s a way to challenge yourself. I had lost my strength in every aspect of my life. When I needed to feel strong, I’d push my limits with new poses. When I needed to release my emotions, I did a flow based on the heart chakra. When I wanted to embrace my happiness, I’d do a faster yoga flow. Two years later, this is still how I sweat my story! I have since added in hula hooping and my ActivMotion bar, which have both made fitness much more fun. I can’t think of any other way to truly embrace and share my story than through movement!

As a thank you for sharing my story, GRACEDBYGRIT sent me a headband and hair tie. The headband is wide and super comfortable! I highly recommend it.

Share with me how you #SweatYourStory in the comments below! Celebrate International Women’s Day with GRACEDBYGRIT on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Thank you so much for reading my blog! Find me on Twitter | Facebook | Insta 🙂

[subscribe2]

Nutrition Reviews

Superfoods Made Simple With Skoop Nutrition + Discount Code

October 16, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

The past few months have been so crazy busy, it’s been challenging keeping up with my social media life. From being sick, to BlogFest, to being sick again, to babysitting, and now my new puppy, it’s been nonstop. Don’t get me wrong, I love being busy! It can be stressful, but it actually helps to keep me stable and happy. During this time, my nutrition was put on the backburner. I didn’t completely fall by the wayside, but it’s harder to eat healthy when I am always on-the-go.

Lucky for me, I was contacted by Skoop to try out their products and provide my honest feedback. Full disclosure, I received a free sample of B-Strong and B-Lovely, plus a full-size of A-Game. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

What Is Skoop?

“Skoop is a line of powdered, whole-food sourced super nutrition. We created Skoop to be a real solution to our national nutrition problem. For everyone. Not just those who can afford a personal nutritionist or have ready access to organic farm land. We needed to make it simple to use, quick to prepare, and affordable, too. Thanks to plant-based phytonutrients, we found our solution. Skoop blends are all whole-foods derived and full of the nutrients missing from our standard diet” (website).

They have three amazing products! B-Strong, B-Lovely, and A-Game.

B-Strong, is a plant-based protein powder that promotes a three-stage process for manufacturing strong, lean muscles and all-over health. It’s designed to help your body absorb nutrients, build muscle and recover quickly. Unlike most protein powders, B-Strong also contains prebiotics that promote a happy belly, as well as amino acids such as essentials, non-essentials and BCAAs, and even Mediterranean fruits. It’s gluten, dairy and soy free, and it contains pea and brown rice protein.
The fatty acids aid hormone function, healthy skin and cellular repair, but they also help the gut absorb macro and phytonutrients throughout your day. The BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) keep your muscles strong and happy throughout your daily activity or workout, so that you recover quickly and efficiently.
A-Game, a superfood formula, which is loaded with 41 organic and non-GMO ingredients, probiotics, adaptogens, and antioxidants.
B-Lovely, a beauty blend, that fights oxidative stress in the skin and promotes healthy cellular development.

They can be mixed with almond milk, coconut milk, water, in a smoothie, or however you want!

I really enjoyed all three products! A-Game is perfect for making sure I get my nutrition in the morning (I mix it with almond milk). I’ll admit the taste takes some getting used to, especially because I am not generally a plant-based type of person. The great feeling I have after drinking my A-Game is well worth dealing with the taste. I will say, though, that it’s much better than other superfood powders I’ve had! B-Strong was really good, and great as a post-workout. I love that it contains prebiotics and is safe for most people with food allergies/restrictions! As a woman in her late (gasp) 20s, B-Lovely is a saving grace! I definitely need to fight oxidative stress for better skin.

Each purchase also comes with a “life instruction manual”. It’s pretty awesome!

Buy One, Give One

“We partnered with The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that provides real, fresh fruits and veggies to public school lunch programs all over the country – programs that currently need to classify french fries, tomato sauce, and ketchup as vegetables in order to meet FDA standards. For every serving of Skoop sold, we donate one serving of free, fresh fruits and veggies to a school lunch program. You buy a serving, you give a serving” (website).

Discount Code:

You can use code BALANCE10 for 10% off your order at healthyskoop.com!

Interested in trying out Skoop for yourself? You can purchase it online here, or become a seller here!

You can find Skoop on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Have you tried Skoop products?
Do you follow a plant-based diet?

Thank you for reading my blog! And thank you Skoop for allowing me to sample your products!

[subscribe2]

XO

Lyndsay

Twitter | Instagram

Beauty Holistic Living Reviews

Shape + Firm With Erbaviva Organic

October 3, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 2 Comments

I think most women can agree that shaping and firming our skin is something we are into. Especially for ladies like me who live in Southern California where it’s “beach weather” 10 months of out the year! Sometimes, we need a little more than great nutrition and exercise- we need outer nutrition for our skin. That’s where Erbaviva comes in!

First let me share a little background of who Erbaviva is:

In the defining spirit of voyagers, Robin and Anna were among the very first to seek out and source the highest quality organic ingredients possible for their original organic baby skincare line in 1996. Desiring the healthiest, safest and most natural products for their newborn, the couple developed distinctively pure products, consciously crafted with ultimately nourishing living herbs and botanicals and free from harsh detergents, chemical fragrances and other unhealthy additives. Erbaviva was born (website).

Credit: David Jordan Williams – Williams Studio

In addition to having amazing skincare products, Erbaviva was also founded in Southern California! Being that I live in SoCal, I find this extra exciting. 🙂

Disclosure: I found Erbaviva through Twitter, and connected with the company via email. They offered to send me the entire line of the shaping and firming products in the hopes that I would write an honest review on my blog. No monetary compensation was received. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Here’s some information on the shaping and firming line:

An exquisite custom-blended collection of USDA Certified Organic spa-grade salts and essential oils brimming with active botanicals and enzymes that effectively absorb into the skin and inspire your body’s natural ability to firm, shape and tone. These USDA certified organic skin care products bring spa quality treatments to your home. Therapeutic grade pink pepper, ginger and sandalwood stimulate circulation and tone while frankincense and helichrysum encourage cell regeneration and promote skin elasticity. Erbaviva’s Shaping and Firming line is presented in two dynamic phases for greater efficacy (website).

Products:

For the first two weeks, you start off by using the shaping line. There’s the shaping salt, shaping oil, and shaping essence. There are a few ways to use them: put the salt in your bath water, then use the oil and essence after you get out; rub the salt and oil together on your skin after your shower, then use the essence; or (if you only take showers and don’t want salt everywhere) rub the salt on your skin in the shower, then use the oil and essence after the shower.

After the two weeks, repeat this process using the firming products. Simple!

I’m super impressed by these products. They smell and feel amazing, plus they not only shape and firm my skin, they moisturize it, too! For someone who goes through a ridiculous amount of lotion a day, Erbaviva is a saving grace. I used the products for four weeks to see how they worked, and they work great! There’s definitely a difference in my thighs and stomach/love handles. My skin is smoother and looks more refreshed! Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos because my camera broke. 🙁 I’ll have to do this process again when I have a working camera, and add the photos to this post!

Erbaviva also has skincare for moms-to-be, babies, everyday essentials, bath and body, and aromatherapy! There’s so many different products, it’s almost impossible to choose which ones to get! You can check out the shaping and firming line here, and the rest of the products here.

You can also find Erbaviva on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Thank you Erbaviva for the amazing opportunity to try your products, & thank you to my readers for checking out my blog!!

[subscribe2]

XO

Lyndsay

Instagram | Twitter

Beauty Holistic Living Reviews

Benefits of Genuinely Simple’s Comfrey Cream + A Discount

September 6, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

Disclosure: I received free samples from Genuinely Simple in exchange for an honest review on my blog. I did not receive any monetary compensation. As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

When I found Genuinely Simple on Instagram, I was instantly intrigued. Before now, I had never heard of comfrey cream. I try to use alternative medicine as much as possible, and this includes natural lotions and salves. The comfrey cream made by Laura at Genuinely Simple is absolutely amazing!

Here’s a bit of background information about comfrey (from genuinelysimple.com):

Comfrey is a medicinal botanical plant. It has been used for centuries to treat problems of the skin, bone and muscles. Genuinely Simple infuses comfrey into olive oil along with calendula flowers. The herbs sit for weeks, allowing the nutrients to flow into the olive oil. Afterwards, they are strained out of the oil and the plant matter is composted. The infused oil is than mixed with shea butter, and candelilla wax for a thicker consistency.

Photos: The comfrey plant (courtesy of GS) | Peppermint comfrey cream from Genuinely Simple

This comfrey cream is definitely a new favorite! It comes in original, lavender, and peppermint. I use it as body lotion, hand lotion, a conditioner on my split ends, and to even out calluses on my feet. My boyfriend uses it for his joint pain on his knee. It’s something that you need to use over time to get the effect on the joints, but for simple skin care, it’s instantaneous!

I emailed back and forth with Laura, the owner of Genuinely Simple and creator of the comfrey cream you see here. She is fabulous! We both have mood disorders, so we instantly clicked. She told me a little bit about how she started making comfrey cream, and why the plant is so special to her:

“When I was 20, everything started to fall on top of me. I [took] myself off all medications, against doctors orders, but I knew this was not the answer. I struggled with insomnia when I would get “manic”. I always said, “I could not shut my brain off but my body was so tired.” During the time period I started studying natural medicine and diet, which led to adopt a strict vegan diet, exercise, and natural remedies for healing purposes (no pharmaceuticals).

i went to Australia to intern under a Naturopathic doctor, Barbra O’Neill. It was life changing. Although, I had been vegan for almost six months at the time, I learned so much on natural medicine that I felt the need to share it with everyone I knew. While I was in Australia, I took a keen to the comfrey plant. I worked with a lot of the clients and noticed how amazing comfrey worked on their backs and stiff joints. It was love and I knew this was my ticket in sharing the health message. That is why I make and sell comfrey cream.”

Photos: All the GS products from Laura | Original comfrey cream (photo from genuinelysimple.com)

The lotion bar is super cool, too! I thought it was a soap bar at first, but it’s actually lotion that you apply after you bathe or shower (it contains comfrey as well). I’m always in a hurry, so it was awesome being able to use a lotion bar as opposed to liquid lotion. It was much faster to use! Plus it’s great quality.

Photo courtesy of genuinelysimple.com

Discount Code:

Laura at Genuinely Simple has graciously offered my readers a 15% discount on all Genuinely Simple products! Isn’t she amazing?!

Check out her website at www.genuinelysimple.com – enter code BALANCED15 at checkout for your discount. It’s that simple!

You can follow Genuinely Simple on these social media platforms:

Have you ever used comfrey cream or the comfrey plant?
What do you currently use for skin ailments?

I want to thank Laura at GS for the wonderful opportunity to review your products!

[subscribe2]

Lyndsay

Fashion Reviews

Batiste Dry Shampoo Review

August 7, 2014 By lyndsinreallife 5 Comments

Confession: I have super oily hair. It’s such a bummer, because I’m not one of those girls that can go a day without washing my hair. While this might be because I wash my hair daily, I just can’t not do it! But as a fitness enthusiast, my hair gets oily even faster because of my workouts. I’ve never found a dry shampoo that I liked, until I tried Batiste Dry Shampoo!

This dry shampoo is “fruity & cheeky cherry” scented, which is awesome. It’s for all hair types.

To use:

Shake vigorously before use.
Keeping nozzle about 30cm from hair, spray into roots.
Massage with fingertips.
Brush and style.

Batiste dry shampoo is perfect for in between washes. It smells awesome. And it works great! Check out my before and after:

Before. Oily hair. Sad face.

After. Fresh hair. Happy face!

You can check out all Batiste hair products on their website, and follow their updates on Facebook!

Do you use dry shampoo?
Have you ever tried Batiste products before?

Disclosure: I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review. I received a free sample of Batiste Dry Shampoo in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. Thank you Batiste for the opportunity!

Personal

The Power of Intention

January 4, 2014 By lyndsinreallife Leave a Comment

It is a BEAUTIFUL Saturday morning in Los Angeles, and I just watched a powerful sup school via Ustream!! There are some frustrating things happening right now, BUT I started my day off perfectly and positively, and those intentions that you set first thing in the morning are how your day will go!!

I AM loving.
I AM beautiful.
I AM strong.
I AM powerful.
I AM a leader.
I AM a vessel for health and change.

What are your intentions for today? Share with me by posting below! 🙂

« Previous Page