Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle
Who’s ready to discover a new nail polish line??
Not only is this line made in the US and is kid-friendly, it’s also natural, vegan, and “5-Free” (if you are just as lost as I was on what this phrase means….click here to have it explained! 😉 And the line has a lot of really fun colors — and glitter polishes, too!
If you didn’t already know, I married a Navy doctor last April and have been living in California since. My husband was trying to get into a Radiology residency this year, and not too long ago we found out that he was accepted — so we are going to be moving in a few months back to the other side of the United States. *happy dance*
So with all that said, a few weeks ago Bobee sent me this beautiful ‘Family’ wall decal. While I am REALLY tempted to put it up in my house right NOW — I am holding myself back so that I can use it to decorate my new house in a few months. 😀
Even though I can’t share the finished results of using this wall decal with you right now, I thought it would be lots of fun to tell you my plans and then — after the move — show you how it actually turned out and how working with this sticker was. So this will be like a two-part review. What do you all say? Sound like fun?
I am not pretending to be an interior designer or anything — oh no! I hop on Pinterest to get any sort of inspiration and guidance when it comes to that! 😉
Sorry for my absence the last week — Dan and I flew back home for my older brother’s wedding! 😀 Everything went very well at the wedding — it was so beautiful! I enjoyed the time I spent with my family SO much! But Dan and I are back home in California now, so just trying to get back into the groove of things. 🙂 I hope to do a post with pictures from both weddings very soon, so keep on the lookout for that! 🙂
But for today, I have a fun first-impression review to bring to you. 🙂
About the Adovia Mineral Lift Facial Serum…
Firms and Tightens skin with a visible lift that can be felt immediately
Highly concentrated serum infuses skin with Dead Sea Minerals, Green Tea, Seaweed, Vitamin C and much more.
Protects skin from pollutants and weather damage that can clog pores and cause wrinkles and breakouts.
Feeds skin the nutrients it needs to look youthful and naturally beautiful
Use as a base under your moisturizer or anti wrinkle cream for maximum anti aging effect or use just the serum.
Imagine taking all the legendary beauty properties of The Dead Sea
Minerals and salts and concentrating them all into a highly potent
serum. Now imagine adding to that an advanced formula of anti-aging
ingredients and vitamins including Bearberry, Green Tea, Seaweed,
Vitamin C and more. What you get is our highly concentrated, mineral
rich serum designed to effectively smooth and firm the skin.
This deep absorbing, light gel is formulated with natural ingredients
to reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing your skin’s elasticity
and firmness. Based on a unique formula of Vitamin C, Evening Primrose
Oil and Dead Sea minerals, it instantly moisturizes to improve your
skin’s texture – giving you a radiant, smooth and even complexion. Amino
acids combined with Green Tea extract and Vitamin C help your skin
naturally regenerate – creating a firmer, more youthful appearance.
Additionally it protects skin from daily pollutants and weather damage
that can clog pores and cause wrinkles and breakouts.
All these natural, age-defying ingredients are what make this serum
so powerful and effective. A little goes a long way with this highly
concentrated product; just a tiny bit every day will make your skin look
fantastic and revitalized. This unique, light gel will absorb deep to
reduce signs of aging and your skin’s elasticity and firmness.
With amino acids, essential vitamins, and Green Tea, it moisturizes
and softens skin. Just apply a few drops to the skin on your face and
neck; be sure to reach the areas around the eyes and mouth where
wrinkles develop. Using the Mineral Anti Age Serum daily will help skin
naturally restore its youthful health and appearance.
My First Impression Review…
Packaging…
I’ve been able to review a few of Adovia’s products and I like how they package all of their products. It’s very clean and polished looking. The Adovia Mineral Lift Facial Serum was in a smoky-glass bottle with a pump to dispense the product. I love liquid products that come with a pump, as it allows the product to stay clean and bacteria-free, so that was a major plus with this item. The bottle came encased in a really attractive box that ensured it arrived to me undamaged – and it did. They were really fast about shipping out this product, which is another bonus!
Product & Ease of Use…
For some reason, the pump on my original bottle wouldn’t work, which was unfortunate. But I contacted the company, to let them know of the error, and they were quick to offer my a replacement bottle at no extra charge. I really appreciate good customer service, so definitely loved how quickly they solved the problem. 🙂
The product itself is a very light-weight and thin in consistency. This allows for very easy application, and it doesn’t take long for this serum to soak into your skin and be dry enough to put another product on. I really like that! It can be irksome to have to wait several minutes between each step of your skincare routine as you wait for something to dry, so I always appreciate and love products that don’t take a lot of time to dry into the skin. 🙂
Any Major Likes & Dislikes…
Well, the fact that the bottle came broken might be seen as a dislike, but I can’t really make that claim — it was probably just a fluke, and since they were so quick to offer me a replacement, I in no way thought this downgraded the product. I liked the way the serum felt on my skin. I’ve never used a serum of any kind before this, but I certainly like having it in my routine now. 🙂 The price for the Adovia Mineral Lift Serum is on the high-end side — $49 — but if you are the type who wants to spend the money on worth-while skincare products, then this might not be so steep for you.
Final Thoughts…
I haven’t been using this product enough to see how much of a difference it made to my skin. I don’t really have skin that needs a ‘lift’ yet, but appreciate that those ingredients are in this serum — you can never start too soon on your anti-aging products, so I’ve heard. 🙂 All in all, this is a really wonderful product. If you are in the search for a moisturizing serum that will give your skin the vitamins it needs, I would recommend looking into this product, for sure!
Question for my Readers: How much do you spend on your skincare? Does drugstore do it for you? Or do you shop more high-end for your sensitive skin? I know I do a fair mixture of both for my picky skin. 🙂
My Review…
Packaging & Appearance…
I was really excited to get the opportunity to try out the Kitchen Guru’s Glass Top Kitchen Food Scale. When I first pulled it out of the box, I really liked the edgy, sleek design that makes it both nice to display on the counter and easy to store in the cabinets — whichever you want to do. I received the black one and love the appearance of it! It’s really thin and compact, and the digits on the screen are a good size so that you can easily see them.
Ease of Use…
It was pretty easy to figure out — there aren’t any buttons you can press, so it’s all touch/heat-sensitive, I guess. It has two buttons to tap on either side of the digital screen. One says “zero” and has the power sign and the other says “units”. I like that you can easily switch between seeing it in ‘ml’, ‘g’, ‘oz’, ‘lb&oz’. I really like everything about this scale and know I will be getting very good use out of it in the near future. 🙂
Any Likes & Dislikes…
There is honestly nothing about this scale that I consider a ‘dislike’. The price is normally $35, but right now it’s on sale for only $25. Which is a pretty good price on a high-quality scale that will last you forever! My biggest ‘like’ for this is definitely the design. I LOVE how sleek and smooth it is!
Final Thoughts…
I love it! It works well, I can easily see the digits, it’s thin and easy to store! All around, an awesome product and definitely worth the price you pay. I would highly recommend that you check this product out on Amazon. If you are in need of a scale, The Kitchen Guru’s Glass Top Kitchen Food Scale is the one to go to! 🙂
Hey strangers! I am so sorry that I have been away much longer than I ever imagined. Being married has kept me much busier than I ever imagined, but it is starting to slow down a bit, so this next week I hope to get back into my normal blogging routine — and do my last Hairstyling with NuMe post where I show you how I did my hair for my wedding! 😀
But for today, I just realized that I have two reviews due this week. So I’m going to be sharing one f them with you today. I also have, on my ever-growing “To-Post” list, to do a post with pictures from my wedding and also let y’all know what I’ve been up to since my wedding on April 26th. Would y’all be interested in seeing some pictures? If you would, I’ll definitely get it up ASAP. 🙂
I’m so glad to be “almost” back into blogging again. I really missed interacting with you guys on here!
Anywho, let’s dive into this review!
About Lavishy Paris Journals…
Paris journal made with recycled wood free paper
Designed by LAVISHY to match our unisex bag and accessories
collection Viaggio–Italian for Travel, this journal is made with
recycled wood free paper.
-Material: Recycled wood free paper
-Size: 21 x 15 x 1.2 cm / 8 x 6 x 0.5 inch
-144 lined pages
-23 lines per page
-Elastic closure band
-Handy internal pocket
From Lavishy — “Our designs are our points of view how the world and our life can be. Be good, be beautiful, be creative, and have fun.”
My Review…
Packaging & Appearance…
I really love the look of these journals! Lavishy sells many different designs, but this is the one that stood out to me the most, and seeing it in person is even better. I love the warm tan/brown/black color of the background and I think the bird (a swallow, I believe) is so pretty! And there are other cut little decorative items randomly sprinkled on the front and back cover — from a 10 cent stamp to the tips of a leaf. I love everything about the look of this journal!
Ease of Use…
The journal has a really nice strap around it that helps keep the book closed. I like that little”protective” touch to the journals. I know it doesn’t do a whole lot (it’s not like it locks it away from prying eyes), but I always like some sort of closure on my journals. And the strap/band isn’t super tight or anything, letting you easily slip it on and off whenever you want to open the journal. The spine of the journal is pretty tight, so this definitely isn’t the journal that will just flop open and stay open, so keep that in mind. I don’t mind that fact at all.
Any Likes & Dislikes…
There’s a little pocket included in the back, which is really neat. I like the idea of being able to put little pieces of paper back there and know it’s secure. I always tend to stick random papers in my journal, so this aspect of Lavishy’s journals is definitely a plus! I am not sure how well the spine of this book will hold up over time, but that might be the only negative part to these journals…maybe. 🙂 The price is pretty good — $12 for a journal. But the fact that they are journals made from recycled wood-free paper is pretty neat. Especially if you like to buy more Eco-friendly material — this journal would definitely be something worth checking out.
Final Thoughts…
I really like Lavishy’s journals! I have always enjoyed keeping a journal, and even if you don’t you’d probably find these journals very helpful and handy. Such as for taking notes in class, church or a meeting. I like that they’re made from recycled materials, too. All in all, I give these two big thumbs up from me. 🙂
The count down is drawing ever closer to the 26th! It’s only 19 days away now, and things are starting to get a tad more crazy and busy for me. With that in mind, I am afraid I’m going to have to be more absent from the blog from now on. Just until after I return from my honeymoon. I will still continue to bring you the weekly Hairstyling with NuMe tutorials, but unless I have already schedule posts, I won’t be posting on Mondays and Wednesdays like I normally do. I hope you all understand my absence — I’ll miss interacting with you all! But I’ll be back in full swing, Lord willing, once I’m settled in my new home. 🙂
One more thing before we dive into today’s post. Sometimes companies send me products that they want me to then review right away. They’re looking for more of a ‘first impression and ease of use’ kind of review then a review after I’ve thoroughly tested it. So, to keep it fair to everyone, I’m going to start calling these reviews “First Impression Reviews” so that you know I’m only bringing my thoughts after trying it out a few times. If you ever want a more in-depth review after I’ve used something for a few weeks or months, all you need to do is let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to do an updated review for you. 🙂
Okay, on to the first impression review for today!
About Adovia Dead Sea Mud Mask…
My First Impression Review…
Packaging…
The mud mask is packaged really professional looking and the design on the tube is simple, yet attractive. Initially I was under the impression that this Adovia Purifying Mud Mask was rather expensive. But while it is $30 a bottle, you get a little over 5 fl oz of product in this tube. Which will last you quiet a while, as you don’t need much each application. And even less if you’re just spot treating a few areas.
Product & Ease of Use…
Because I already have a routine for my weekly face mask and I didn’t want to change it up so close to my wedding 🙂 I decided to try this mask out as a spot treatment. I’ve used this about three times so far, and really like the results I get. It’s a thick consistency, making it easy to apply over your face without making a mess.
I give it a good 20 minutes to dry, then wash it off. I get some cystic acne every now and then, and that’s where I used this mask. I noticed that it helped the redness go around and my pimple didn’t look as inflamed after I washed off the mask. And it resulted in the pimple going away faster than my cystic acne usually takes to run it’s course. 🙂 This, of course, is an awesome fact that really makes me like this product!
Any Likes & Dislikes…
Nothing really stands out to me as a dislike. The mud mask is a really dry, thick consistency, so it’s not as obvious when it’s ‘dry’ as some of the masks I’ve used in the past. There isn’t a big change of color. So I just tap it and see if any transfers onto my fingers. There’s no distinct smell to this mask — at least, none that I could detect. So that’s a great plus! I can’t stand to put stinky stuff anywhere near my nose. 😛 I really like the fact that this helps to draw out the impurities in my cystic acne, helping my skin to recover faster than it usually does. 🙂
Final Thoughts…
I really like the Adovia Purifying Mud Mask! I have very oily/acne-prone skin, so masks have always been a must in my skincare routine, and this is something I’m thrilled to add to my regimen! I’m really looking forward to seeing the long-term benefits of using this mask.
The company is great to work with. Really quick to ship, too, as I received my product in less than a week from when my order processed. I was impressed! This mask is recommended for people who suffer from acne, oily skin, blackheads, exzema, and psoriasis. So if you are issues with any of these, I’d encourage you to give this mask a try!
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.
I’ve been doing a lot of planning this week — I can’t wait to share with y’all what I have scheduled for LoaW this year! But for now, I have one more review to share with y’all this week. If you like statement piece and big jewelry, then you’re going to be really interested in this website! 🙂
These Teardrop Dazzle Earrings will look fabulous on you!
My Review…
I was thrilled to get these gold dangle earrings in the mail the other day! 🙂 On first impression, they seemed a big larger than what I am used to, but I was up to trying it out!
They wear really well in your ears. With them being about 3 inches long and looking heavy, you would think it would stretch and/or hurt your ear lobe. But they are actually quiet light! There are four teardrop-shaped pieces on each earring and, for me, it dangled down to hit above my shoulder. They wear very comfortably in my ears and weren’t loud or distracting at all. They do clank together when you move, but not very loud.
I, personally, do not tend to wear large earrings or statement necklaces, but I’m not opposed to trying the style out! Which is why I was very happy to get the opportunity to review a product from Majestical Jewelry. I feel that these earrings would be better if you had a matching gold chain necklace to go along with it. Pairing that with a solid top would look very pretty, I think. Unfortunately, I don’t have a gold necklace, but it’s now on my ‘to look for’ list and I look forward to wearing it with these earrings on some occasion.
So, my final thoughts on this product. At first appearance they seem a little clunky, but I think they grew on me. I like them and look forward to finding a necklace to go with them. And for the price — under $10 — these earring are pretty nicely made. They would be a great addition to your jewelry collection.
Majestical Jewelry has very affordable prices for their jewelry. I would definitely check out their website if you are in need of some statement pieces to go along with your outfits.
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.
