Foxbrim Facial Toner & Seaweed Complex Lotion

Foxbrim sent me two of their products to try and review for you all!  As always, I am so thankful to the companies who are willing to send me their products in return for an unbiased review - that alone shows that they truly care about what their customers think!

First up is their Natural Facial Toner.  I recently had a facial done at my salon and loved the toner she had used on me during the process.  I made a mental note to myself that I had to find a toner that I loved to start using, as well!  When I was younger, I would always use the Seabreeze toner, but I feel that's just so harsh on your skin - which is why I was pumped about trying Foxbrim's all natural option!

I loved that this came in a spray bottle - it makes it so much easier to apply than when you have to wipe it on with a cotton ball.  I used the toner after I was done cleaning my face and neck, before applying any moisturizer or other products.  It feels light-weight and refreshing on my skin, giving it an extra boost of freshness.  However, because of the scent, I've had to stop using it.  I might be fussier about scents than others, but this smells like I am spraying the bath water after washing my cat onto my face.  After spraying, I'd walk around the house quickly, as to let the breeze dry the product as quickly as possible and hopefully leave the smell behind - but this was just too much of a hassle to continue using the product.

The next product that Foxbrim sent me was their Seaweed Complex Lotion.  I was also stoked about this one, as I have been looking for a new moisturizer ever since leaving my last favorite one with my mom!  I used this moisturizer both in the morning and at night before bed to try and combat the dry skin that winter has been causing around my nose.

The moisturizer went on smoothly, without any greasiness.  It absorbed into my skin quite quickly, allowing me to continue with my daily facial routine without needing to wait around.  I was surprised by the smell of this, as it was very strongly scented - at first it reminded me of a bar of soap, but after having a friend smell it, she made me realize that this smells like men's aftershave.  I am very surprised that something that is all natural can have this level of fragrance in it.

I will mention this one more time - I am very fussy about scents, and in this case, I just do not feel comfortable putting something so highly-fragranced onto my face.  I'm sure it's just fine, but after years and years of telling myself that fragrances don't go above my neck, this just goes against everything I know.  I really, really feel this would be an excellent product for a guy who needs a good moisturizer, but doesn't want to feel too "metro" about it.

The fantastic thing about Foxbrim is that they offer an amazing guarantee.  If for any reason you are unsatisfied with any of your purchase, they will refund all of your money.  No questions asked.  If you are less of a fussy-head than I am about your scents, I definitely recommend you give these two products a try!

Unboxing my ModaVoxBox

I was so excited when I received my #ModaVoxBox from Influenster - there were so many goodies to try!  After putting them to use over the past few weeks, I wanted to pass on my thoughts on each,

Rimmel London sent the most products, including their Moisture Renew Lipstick, Moisture Renew Lip Liner, and Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara.  At the moment, their Scandaleyes Retro Glam mascara is my all-time favorite go-to mascara, so I was pumped to give Rockin' Curves a try.

The wand on the Rockin' Curves is unlike any mascara I've ever seen before - almost "S" shaped.  I loved it for reaching the outer- and inner-most corners of my eyes, though - I feel I put mascara on lashes that have never felt mascara before!

Before & After Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara

Although it doesn't give me huge lashes like the Retro Glam does, the Rockin' Curves makes applying mascara to my lower lashes SO simple.  My new everyday makeup routine has me using Rockin' Curves on the bottom, while I use Retro Glam up top.  It's the best of both Scandaleyes worlds!

Next up was Puff's SoftPack.  I love, Love, LOVE having this SoftPack on my couch for whenever I might need a tissue.  It's soft, so I don't have to worry about leaning into it and getting a sharp corner in my side - and it's great to just toss across the room if anyone else needs a tissue.

Recently, Clairol released a new hair product line at Target called Hair Food.  While Influenster sent me their Moisture Hair Mask, I took my coupon straight to Target and also bought one of the shampoos (combined with cartwheel to save even more!)  I love how pure these products are, with none of the stuff that gunks up and stays on your hair, weighing it down.  I also love the salon-style pump on the shampoos, which makes using it in the shower a breeze.

When I first used my hair mask, however, I found my hair to feel super greasy and oily.  Afterwards, I spoke to my hair stylist about it, and she told me that when using any sort of conditioner or deep conditioning treatments, to always avoid applying it to the first few inches of hair near the scalp.  Unless you have a super dry scalp, your own natural oils do an awesome job themselves at keeping that immediate hair conditioned and healthy.  I had no idea, but it makes perfect sense!  Since then, I've only used the Hair Food Hair Mask on my bottom half of my head, and there has been no more greasiness!

Swiss Miss has came out with this new cocoa line called Simply Cocoa, and it is AMAZING.  I hate companies who think the more products they use, the better their final product will be.  I prefer purchasing natural, simple products so I know exactly what my family is eating.  Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa is just five ingredients - sugar, cocoa, nonfat milk, salt, and natural flavor.  Nothing artificial, nothing you can't pronounce, and it tastes fantastic!  The only slight downfall is that it must be made with milk, not water optional like most cocoas.  This was also on sale at Target, and paired with a coupon and cartwheel was only around 50 cents.

I also received Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer.  This stuff is rich and is definitely for dry, dry skin - and it leaves your skin feeling super nourished.  My issue was that it didn't fully absorb into my skin, so it made it near impossible to put on skinny jeans or leggings afterwards, because my legs were so sticky.  I've had to stick to using this lotion only before bedtime, so that it has all night to properly absorb!

Lastly, Influenster sent me a bottle of Resource Spring Water.  Nothing blew me away about this water - I still prefer bottled waters that have the spout cap to drink out of when I am going to the gym.  If you want to get your water delivered, however, right now they are offering up to 50% off your first delivery at http://www.polandspringdelivery.com/resource.cfm?utm_source=influenster

Want to receive free products in the mail in exchange for your unbiased review?  Comment below or send me your e-mail address and I will send you an invitation to Influenster!

Body Merry Products Review + a Giveaway!

I've been wanting to host a giveaway for quite some time, and recently Body Merry sent me FOUR of their products to review - so I decided to combine this all into a product review + giveaway!  After reading about my experiences with the Body Merry products, please feel free to enter the giveaway below. :)

First off, was their Stretch Marks & Scars Defense Cream.  This was the product that I was most excited about, as my two children have left me quite the collection of "tiger stripes".  Now, some of my stretch marks are over 8 years old - which means nothing short of cosmetic surgery is going to get rid of them, but I still figured this product couldn't hurt!

When I first opened the product, I noticed that it looked like some sort of cream cheese frosting - and that's exactly what it feels like!  The instructions suggest that you use the product twice daily, and to gently massage the cream onto the desired areas until fully absorbed.  Let me quickly explain that this product is organic cocoa butter, shea butter, vitamins e + c + b3 + b5, and pure plant oils.  Just judging from my past use of vitamin e, there's no way it's going to "fully absorb".  After applying, skin is left quite sticky and greasy, but nothing that can't be managed.

I definitely felt that this cream did an excellent job at hydrating my skin, leaving it feeling nourished.  Before and after photos of my stretch marks, however, really don't show too much (if any) improvement.  I am sure if I had used this 8 years ago, I probably would have had different results!  Thankfully, I am comfortable with my 'love marks' from my kids and have accepted that they will probably be there for the rest of my life ;)

Next up was the 2 . 5% Retinol Surge Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid.  Lately, I've noticed a lot of dry skin around my nose area, so I've been searching for a new moisturizer.  The product comes in a pretty large-sized pump container.  I loved the pump and the ability to control exactly how much product I used, without worrying about bacteria unnecessarily getting back in.

The moisturizer itself was non-greasy and absorbed into my skin within moments.  In the past, I've had to wait a few minutes after applying moisturizer before I could begin putting on my makeup, but not with this!  It absorbs into the skin almost instantly.  This product was amazing and cleared up my dry skin after just one use!

I took the Retinol Surge Moisturizer with me to my parents house while visiting during Thanksgiving, and made my mom try it.  She also loved it - and I ended up telling her to keep it, and I would purchase my own!  This is definitely a product that I will keep in my daily routine.

Body Merry also sent me their Age Defense Eye Cream to try out.  Much like the Retinol Surge Moisturizer, it was very non-greasy and absorbed instantly into my skin.  It was more light-weight than the Retinol Surge, and had a pleasant scent that reminded me of citrus.

If you're a mommy, you probably get 10+ hours of sleep every night just like I do, but this product is fantastic for those "rare" nights where you may have not gotten quite enough.  It does an excellent job at reducing swelling under the eyes and making those dark circles less noticeable!  Considering it's called 'Age Defense', I'd have to assume this product will also help me in the long run! ;)

The last product that was sent to me was the Body Merry Hyaluronic Acid.  Before receiving this product, I did not know much about Hyaluronic Acid, so I did a little research - as the word 'acid' kind of made me nervous to be putting on my skin.  Hyaluronic is an acid that is naturally occurring in the body, specifically in our eyes and joints.  It works as a lubricant in our joints, but also has been linked to healing wounds and burns on the skin.  Some have promoted Hyaluronic Acid as a "fountain of youth".  A little scary fact, is that most Hyaluronic Acid found in medicines is derived from the combs of roosters (yuck!), but Body Merry only uses plant-derived Hyaluronic Acid.  All of this information made me much more comfortable to put it on my skin!

Since I was already using the Retinol Surge Moisturizer and Age Defense Eye Cream during my morning routine, both of which already contain Hyaluronic Acid, I decided to save this product for my bedtime routine.  I loved the little glass bottle with dropper, which made it so simple to apply the product onto my face.  My skin just soaked this stuff up - I am not sure if that's normal, or if I am that much in need of hydration, but I barely got the chance to rub it in before it'd all be absorbed!

It definitely gave my skin a fresh and dewy appearance, without making it look greasy at all.  The only downfall is how much product I used each time - maybe I used too much but I can't see this bottle lasting me much longer than a few weeks.

The wonderful thing about Body Merry is that all of their products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  If for any reason you aren't happy with the product or your results, just contact them and they will send you all of your money back!  There's no reason not to try them with that kind of assurance!

Now, onto the fun stuff!  I've been compiling quite the assortment of products to use in a giveaway.  This prize pack contains 2 travel sized tubes of L'Oreal's Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Eye Smoother, L'Oreal Color Riche Extraordinaire Lip Color in Rose Melody, Rimmel Scandaleyes Precision Micro Eyeliner in Black, Rimmel Show Off Lip Laquer in Big Bang, and a year subscription to Redbook - all of which courtesy of L'Oreal Paris, Rimmel London, and Redbook, respectively.  To enter, just follow the tasks in the Rafflecopter below! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received 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.