InstaNatural Youth Express Eye Serum Review!

I recently was given the opportunity to try out a great eye serum from Instanatural. If you've been reading for awhile, then you know that I'm a BIG fan of their products, and this one is no exception to the great ones I've already tried! Here's a photo for your reference:

Key Ingredients:

+ Vitamin C
+ Plant Stem Cells
+ Astaxanthin
+ Kojic Acid
+ Passionflower
+ Caffeine
+ Hyaluronic Acid
+ Niacinamide
+ Matrixyl 3000

As you can see, this serum has TONS of awesome, good for your skin ingredients in it. I really enjoy it. My favorite thing about it is that after you apply it, it makes your eyes feel more awake and like... super charged and invigorated. I think it might be the caffeine. It also makes my dark circles completely nonexistent. I'd definitely buy this over and over again. The ONLY thing I don't really love about it is that it is a BRIGHT neon orange color. If you don't rub it in completely then you'll be left with a bright orange neon looking weird circle under your eyes... so be careful and you'll be okay!

If you'd like to find out more about this product, CLICK HERE!

Xx Ashley C.

*I received this product complimentary for review.*

Gymboree Red Balloon Sale! Up to 75% off!

Hey guys! I have another end of the year sale for you just in case you're interested! Right now Gymboree is hosting their Big Red Balloon Sale and you can get up to 75% off! When my daughter was younger I shopped at Gymboree ALL THE TIME and really love them! Here's the details!

Offer: Gymboree Big Red Balloon Semi-Annual Sale: Up to 75% off
Valid: For a limited time, while supplies last

Make sure and check it out!! And if you'd like to sign up to work with Gymboree and become an affiliate you can CLICK HERE!

Xx Ashley C.

*This post contains affiliate links.*

HelloFlo Signature Period Kit Review + Tis the Season Giveaway Hop!!

Recently I was given the opportunity to review a Signature Period kit from Hello Flo! They offer a kit that you can order every month that contains everything you might possibly need for your time of the month needs. Here's a picture of everything you might receive in your box, and what I got in mine:

So if you are a regular reader of my blog, you already know that I kind of LOVE subscription boxes. They're basically my favorite thing ever to get because I like surprises, and I hate going to the store. I especially hate buying tampons and pads, and my husband does even more, so this is a pretty awesome solution for me.

What did I get?

• 1 Box Regular Tampax Pearl Tampons
• 1 Box Always Infinity Pads
• 1 sample package of Olay makeup remover wipes (I LOVE THESE)
• 1 sample package of feminine wipe things
• 1 package of blood orange candies (LOL I just realized this is totally appropriate)
• 1 jar of shea butter lotion (unscented, but highly moisturizing)
• 2 hairties (the twistband kind, I usually just wear them as bracelets)
• Mint chapstick (LOVE IT)
• A zippy pouch for my purse
• A really cool fabric box to organize everything in

Overall, I'm really pleased with the kit I received. The extras you get every month can vary according to HelloFlo, but I really like the extras I got. The candies taste awesome, and I love the shea butter lotion and lipbalm.

You can purchase these kits for $29.95 on Amazon HERE.

ALSO I'm giving away a kit as part of the Tis the Season Giveaway Hop!!! If you'd like the chance to try one of these fabulous kits out for yourself, you can enter below!! And make sure and enter everyone else's giveaways too!! :)

This is open from now until 12/23 at 11:59 EST and is open to US only at this time. GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the 'Tis the Season Giveaways Hop, brought to you by The Hopping Bloggers & Up All Night Blogging! We are a group of bloggers that specialize in giveaway hops - so stay with us and you will have many chances to win some amazing prizes! Each blogger participating in this hop has a giveaway with a prize value of at least $15 - and some are much more than that! Be sure to visit them all - there is no limit to how many prizes you can win! Good Luck and Have Fun!

Xx Ashley C.

** I was provided this kit for my honest opinion and review.**

Body Merry Retinol Surge Moisturizer Review!

Tonight I'm bringing you a review of a great moisturizer that I was given the chance to try out. It's from a company called Body Merry that makes a line of skincare products. I have reviewed some things for them in the past, which you can find HERE and HERE. :)
Here is their Retinol Surge Moisturizer:

Price: $23.49

This is the first Retinol based moisturizer I've ever used. It contains a ton of awesome ingredients like 2.5% retinol, hyaluronic acid, green tea, and vitamins e and b6! Since retinol can be a little drying when you first start using it, these extra ingredients really help to make sure your face doesn't freak out and dry out after you start using it. I love any moisturizer that contains green tea, as it leaves my face feeling super refreshed.

According to Body Merry, this moisturizer can help to revive the youth to your skin! It can help to even out your skin tone, and visibly reduce the signs of aging. Hyaluronic acid is added to provide a boost of moisture to your skin, which like I said before, my winter skin really needs right now. It is supposed to leave your skin feeling plump, younger, and refreshed. 

Overall, I really enjoy this product. It doesn't really have a scent to it, which is really great if you have sensitive skin on your face like I do. It leaves my face feeling super refreshed, and definitely tighter and younger. I can't wait to see what it does for my skin after long term use! The container is also quite large, so I expect this will last me at LEAST 6 months. 

If you'd like to find out more about this great product CLICK HERE. 

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Sweetsation Therapy Bio'Sensiya Rejuvenating Nighttime Serum Review!

This evening I have a review of a GREAT nighttime serum for you. I've been looking for a good serum for night use for awhile now, as it's rare that I see them available to try and review! This Rejuvenating Multivitamin Nighttime Serum is from a company called Sweetsation Therapy, and it is GREAT!

A picture for your reference:

Price: $32.00

First of all, this bottle of serum is MASSIVE! You don't have to use that much of it either to cover your whole face, so it will last a long long time, making it well worth the price. Here's a rundown of the product:

• This serum contains Vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, as well as Hyaluronic acid and Ferulic acid.This is a POTENT serum and each vitamin has awesome benefits for your skin. Vitamin A helps your skin pigmentation, texture, and tone, and can also be helpful for acne. Vitamin C is added because it's a powerful antioxidant, and can make your skin tighter, and look significantly younger over time. Ferulic acid is added because it's a great stabilizer for Vitamin C and also has great antioxidant properties. Hyaluronic acid is known for being a GREAT moisturizer, and I find it really helps with my winter dryness. Vitamin D helps prevent moisture loss, so all of these great ingredients can stay put!!

This serum has a really nice, tea like smell to it. It smells kind of like you would expect a Vitamin C serum to smell. I use it like I would a regular Vitamin C serum, after I've cleansed my face and before a night time moisturizer. I really enjoy this serum, and have noticed a little bit of improvement with dryness and my acne. I could see how this would really tighten your skin up after long term use. I actually haven't seen a serum yet that had this many awesome ingredients all at once, and I really love it.

I highly recommend this to anyone looking to add a nighttime serum to their skincare regime, and if you'd like to find out more you can check them out on Amazon HERE!

Later!

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Oleavine Beauty Kojac Sponge Review!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try out a Kojac sponge with activated Charcoal from Oleavine Beauty. I LOVE kojac sponges and was super excited to try it out!
Here's a photo for your reference:

If you've never tried a Kojac sponge before, or don't know what they are here's some info. These sponges are 100% natural and made from kojac fibers. They are super gentle on your skin and super soft once wet. They provide an excellent way to gently exfoliate your face without harsh fibers or chemicals. This sponge contains activated charcoal, which helps to remove all the toxins and excess oils from your face. I LOVE charcoal products so this is awesome for me. You can also use these with OR without soap. 

This product really stands out to me because it's so large. It has a really nice teardrop shape to it that makes it easy to hold, but has a small end so you can still clean the areas around your eyes and nose with ease. All the other Kojac sponges I've tried have been ALOT smaller, and I like this bigger one ALOT better. I usually use mine with some kind of cleanser and it makes them foam up really really well and does SO much better at cleaning my face than just using my hands alone. It does an amazing job at gently exfoliating my face and would definitely be a great product for you to try if you've never tried one of these amazing sponges before!

For more information or to purchase, you can CLICK HERE!

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Kiss Me Organics Ceremonial Grade Matcha Review!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE Matcha. Ever since I worked at Starbucks years ago, I've been obsessed with making Green Tea Lattes and frappuccinos with Matcha. It makes for a stronger, better tasting latte in my opinion vs steeped green tea, and has so many health benefits! I was given the opportunity to try and review this Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha powder from Kiss Me Organics, and here are my thoughts!

Price: $28 for Ceremonial Grade $25 for Culinary

This matcha powder comes in the cutest little tin. It comes sealed in a little package and I just dumped it into the tin and it's adorable. I decided to make a hot green tea latte with my matcha. As for taste, you can definitely tell it's a high quality powder. It doesn't taste cheap like some of the powders I've tried that are made in China. It has a smooth, not powdery or overpowering taste to it that I really enjoyed. 

Kiss Me Organics provides high quality, first harvest matcha powder that is imported from Japan. It contains 137x the antioxidants than steeped green tea and has TONS of health benefits. It does contain caffeine, but isn't overpowering. It is also stated that it is supposed to help boost your metabolism, as green tea is often used for weight loss. :) PLUS it can also help your skin! What more could you want from a tea?!

The directions state to mix like 1 tsp with 3 oz of water then add more to taste. I ended up using quite a bit of matcha powder to get the desired taste I needed for this latte. Overall, I liked it, but I did have a little bit of trouble getting it to dissolve all the way. The first time I tried to just whisk it in, as per the directions, but was left with little green clumps, so I switched it over to my Jax shaker bottle. Once I did that I reheated it for like 30 seconds and shook the hell out of it to get it smooth. I wish it were easier to get it dissolved, but overall I like this powder and will definitely be using it again.

I make my green tea lattes with matcha powder, sugar, hot water, and milk. This one had whip cream on top because I was feeling fancy. I just add everything to taste. :)

If you'd like to find out more about this matcha, or purchase, CLICK HERE!

Anyone else LOVE matcha?! 

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Instanatural Vitamin C Toner and Dead Sea Mud Mask Review!

Most of you who have been reading for awhile already know that Instanatural is one of my all time favorite all natural skincare lines. They provide high quality, all natural products that I have never been disappointed with. Tonight I bring you a review of two of their newer products which I absolutely LOVE, their Vitamin C toner and Dead Sea Mud Mask!

Up first, Vitamin C Toner!

Price $17.49

Okay so first of all, I might be a little biased, because I love any and all toners. BUT this one is different. Never have I ever ever seen or used a toner than comes in a spray form. This seriously makes it SO SO SO much easier to use this stuff. Usually when I use toners I'm like UGH 1. Cotton Ball, 2. CRAP too much, 3. Ring out cotton ball on face. 4. Toner dripping everywhere. WELL this is like the solution for me. You just spray it on your cleansed face and THEN grab your cotton ball and remove all the nasty junk off your face! SOLVED!

Aside from packaging, this product is all around wonderful in general. It's supposed to tighten your pores, and I genuinely believe that with regular use it does. My skin seems less oily overall, and has WAY less blackheads than usual. It also kind of doubles as a Vitamin C serum, so when I use this I don't even really feel like I necessarily need to use mine, leaving me more time to use other products on my face. The added Vitamin C to this toner works as an anti-aging agent for your face, boosting collagen and leaving your face feeling refreshed and tighter than when you started. Witch Hazel is added for it's astringent properties, making this the PERFECT, yes perfect, toner. OH, and it kind of smells like Orange Juice too. :)

If you'd like to find out more about this product, CLICK HERE.

UP NEXT, Instanatural's Dead Sea Mud Mask!

Price: $25.95

I love mud masks, and I love reviewing them, so I was pretty excited when I found out Instanatural had launched one. This mud mask comes in a HUGE container, for a pretty good price. It has a nice consistency to it, and isn't heavily scented like some of the mud masks I've tried out. Here's some ridiculous pictures of me with it on:

When this mask is completely dry, you simply wash it off. I think I left mine on a little bit too long so I had to kind of scrub the hell out of my face with a Kojac sponge to get it off. :) But that's okay. It left my face feeling SUPER clean, refreshed, and awesome. I love mud masks. :) Especially all natural ones. Dead sea mud has all kinds of awesome minerals in it that are great for your face. These kids of masks can help with acne, blackheads, and all around yucky skin. I'm probably going to use this like once a week for the next month or so to see how it helps out my complexion.

If you'd like to find out more about this one, you can click HERE! Again, I highly highly recommend you try out this company! They have EXCELLENT customer service coupled with EXCELLENT products. You will not be disappointed!

More reviews later tonight, once Ryan stops watching football on my computer!

Xx Ashley C.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Birchbox December 2013 Unboxing!

WARNING! Lots of pictures!
So I've been ever so patiently waiting for my very first Birchbox to arrive for over two weeks and IT FINALLY CAME TODAY!!! Hooray!! :)
For those of you who don't already know, Birchbox is pretty much the first beauty subscription box there was, and has been around for awhile. Like one of my favorites, Ipsy, for just $10 a month they send you 4-5 samples of higher end products to try out before you buy them. I like the idea of having both Birchbox and Ipsy because most of the time they do very different brands in their sampling. Plus Birchbox sends out special treats in their boxes, that so far, I'm pretty impressed with. I think these cheaper sub boxes are a GREAT way to try out products that you normally wouldn't buy on your own. I've already fallen in love with one of my items I received!
Another great benefit is that when you review your items you build up points that you can redeem in the Birchbox store for fullsized things that you love. You also get points for purchases and referrals. Every 100= $10 in the Birchbox store.
If you'd like a referral to Birchbox, please use my referral link HERE. :)
Keep reading to see what I got!! Spoiler alert!

Julep Maven December Glitterati Collection Unboxing!

I am thrilled to say that Julep finally has an option to upgrade to an ONLY polish option. I've never upgraded in the past because I never 100% LOVE all of their beauty products, so when I saw this month's box full of glitter beauties PLUS a polish only upgrade, I jumped at the chance.

For those of you who have never heard of Julep before, they are an independent nail polish company that offers a monthly subscription box with various "style profile" options tailored to your tastes. The box costs $19.99 a month for either two polishes and a beauty product, two beauty products, or three polishes. I love Julep because they give you the option to skip entirely if you don't like the collection. They also now offer Polish only upgrades for $44.99 in which you get all 9 colors! :) I think the regular upgrade is 50$.
Check them out if you love polish like me! And use my referral link HERE, so they know I sent you!

Who's ready for some swatches!?! My apologies in advance for the photo quality. I was so excited when I got my box that I didn't charge my phone and my flash stopped working halfway through the polish!

Everything was boxed up really nicely this month! The new boxes are super cute, although I think they're a waste of paper. It also came with a 40% off code and 2 twistband hairties. I will wear them as bracelets only.

From left to right:

Mia, Jillian, Cara, Celia, Evelyn, Shoshanna, Andrea, Joelle, Misti

Visit Julep's Website HERE to purchase these amazing colors

I'm going to describe Cara and Evelyn for you because I sold/traded them and I forgot to take pictures of the bottles first :/

Cara - I thought this was going to be a pink shimmer polish. That's what the Julep swatches looked like. However, it looks pink in the bottle but it's actually a really nice red frost color. Julep describes it as a "cranberry frost".

Evelyn - A "Magenta purple cream". I'm so tired of Julep's cream polish. This color was so/so for me. It's a nice color if you don't already have a bunch of purples I guess.

First up is Misti. It's a pretty smokey blue cream that will be perfect for more snowmen. This is two coats over my existing Rebel for full opaqueness.

Meet Jillian. This is supposed to be a "deep eggplant with bronze molten" I think it's more brownish red.

To me it looks like a dupe of Sephora by OPI I'm with Brad

It went on amazingly though. That swatch is just one coat over my existing polish.

This is two coats of Joelle over my Rebel. This is the most amazing silver holo full coverage glitter. I am absolutely in love with it. 

This is Shoshanna. I will have to wear it this weekend and post another picture because this does it no justice. It's a beautiful yellow full coverage holo glitter filled with green and red glitters as well. Love it!

EDIT: Here's an additonal photo of Joelle and Shoshanna over Julep Nicolette for your viewing pleasure.

I love these colors! Not so much over the white but this is a much better picture to give you an idea of what they really look like!

Andrea is a really pretty full coverage bronzey/gold color. This is two coats over Rebel. Went on really nicely for a full coverage and wasn't too difficult to take off!

EDIT: On my ring finger and thumb is Andrea in all it's glittery glory. I love this color so much it isn't really bronze to me, definitely more gold, but it is absolutely beautiful!

This is Mia. I'm not totally amazed. It reminds me of if Julep Stefani and Zelda had a baby. It would be this polish. It's supposed to be a greenish silver, but I only see silver.

EDIT: As it turns out, I used Mia again and it is actually a pretty greenish silver color. What I love the most about it, is how metallic and wonderful it is. This is Mia paired with Shoshanna on my thumb and ring finger. LOVE THEM!

Saved the best for last!! This is Celia. It's an amazing Green metallic that is perfect for winter and christmas. This picture is just ONE coat if you can believe that!

And here are my nails. Using Celia with Joelle on top and Rebel for the Christmas Tree. :)

And here's a bonus mani picture of what they looked like before I did the swatches. :) That's Rebel. It's my favorite.

Again, sorry for the lame pictures. I will take better ones I swear. What colors did you get this month??? Love or hate them?!

Until next time,

Xx Ashley C.