AHAVA Hand Cream

I had the opportunity to review a very nice product from the AHAVA brand through BeautyStat. At first I was skeptical of "just another hand cream" but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

I was first taken back by the attention to the packaging. The pretty color of the orange bottle and the gold foiled speck design made this lotion very appealing to my eye, and me excited to try the lotion.

The thing that I love most about this lotion is the scent. It is absolutely HEAVENLY! it is labeled as a mandarin cedar wood however I don't smell either of those. It is just a fresh, clean, but slightly warm and comforting scent that is VERY pleasing to my nosebuds.

The lotion is pretty average in consistency and is a plain white color, it absorbed quickly into my skin even though it felt like it was leaving my hands greasy I decided that was the intense moisture shock that it immediately gave my hands. They feel smooth, and moisturized and did I mention how GOOD they smell?? :)

If you are in the market for a good hand cream, I recommended this. You will not be disappointed.


This product can be found http://www.ahavaus.com/mineral-hand-cream-mandarin-cedarwood?
 and it is $23.00 for 3.4fl oz. I was sent this product free for review and the opinions are my own.

Making things a little Sweeter ...

Fall is my favorite time of the year for makeup because that is when all of the new holiday sets come out. And let me tell you, you are bound to find one that suits your fancy no matter what kind of makeup girl you are. This year has been no exception for exciting palettes! When I first saw this one I KNEW that I had to have it. I am a sucker for blush palettes, and you don't usually see them often in fact I have not seen one at all from Benefit.

The Cheeky Sweet Spot Palette features 6 of Benefit's most popular blush/bronzer shades. Hoola (Bronzer), Dandelion (Blush), Sugarbomb (Blush), BellaBomba (Blush), Rockateur (Blush) and the ever so famous Coralista (Blush). While these are all permanent in the Benefit collection it is very convenient to have them all in a cute little holiday themed palette. It also includes a brush, and a watts up highlighter. For $36 this palette is a great deal. It would even make a great gift for the holidays as well! Also, if you know anything about Benefit blushes, you know just how wonderful these smell with their signature Benefit florally scent.

Do you have a favorite blush from benefit? What holiday palettes are you excited for this season?

Top Row

Bottom Row




Thanks For reading!!

It's Snack Time! (A Naturebox Review)

So if you are anything like me you love your snacks. I am the kind of person that would much rather snack all day than eat meals. I like all kinds of snacks, I do not discriminate, however I am more a salty chip/cracker kind of person. My body just craves the salt, and the crunch makes me feel thoroughly satisfied.

However, if you are an avid snacker like me, then you also know that most "snack" type foods are not the healthiest. Lately I have been on a hunt for healthier snacks and I came across Nature-box. Yes, I know ANOTHER subscription box. Well, I figured that I would give it a try. Nature-box is $19.99 a month (I got the first month 50% off) and you get 5 snacks. You can pick the snacks you want to try, or you can be suprised. I was blown away by the many options that they have for snacks, and how you can customize to what you are looking for (low carb, low sugar, gluten free etc.). I decided to choose my 5 bags this time around. You can choose as any times as you want. You can also add extra snacks into your box if you want more than 5 (for a small fee). I also would like to say that shipping was super fast. I order on October 1st and I received the box on October 6th.

I think that pretty much explains the subscription service..so let's get into the snacks!

I ordered. Cashew Power Clusters, Honey Mustard Sesame Sticks, Country Ranch Sunflower Seeds, Sour Cream & Onion Almonds, and Country Ranch Peas. 

I am going to be talking about these in my order of most favorite to least favorite. 

1. Cashew Power Clusters (3OZ bag)

These were surprisingly my most favorite of the bunch. Little bits of cashew heaven with some added sweetness to hold the clusters together. What I liked the most was the basic ingredients which were cashews, cane sugar, and sea salt. If you are a nut lover, and enjoy cashews these will definitely satisfy you.

2. Honey Mustard Dippin Stix (5,5OZ)

I love honey mustard anything, and these little stix are the best crunchy snack to curb a craving. They have a powerful punch with flavor, however I wasn't too impressed that they were "sesame" sticks. I do not care for the flavor of sesame. But, if that does not bother you then they are worth a try. Obviously I enjoyed them however, as they were number 2. 

3. Country Ranch Sunflower Seeds (5OZ)

I love sunflower seeds but I hate the shells, so these were perfect for me. Also, they are low carb which is also important to me. The ranch flavor was just enough to add a little kick to the sunflower seeds and I found these to be pretty tasty. 

4. Sour Cream and Onion Almonds (4.3 OZ)

I was not very impressed with these sadly. I was very excited for them too as I have a hard time finding flavored almonds in the stores that appeal to me. The taste of these was okay, but they were more like almond slivers and pieces. That isn't to say that they weren't good, but I am still on the hunt for a delicious flavored full almond. These are also great because they are low in carbs as well. 

5. Country Ranch Peas (4.3 OZ) 

My least favorite, and biggest disappointment. I couldn't taste much ranch in these at all, but I did like the crunchy pea taste. I may opt for the more spicy ones next go around and see if I enjoy them more. 

One thing that I did not mention earlier was how each bag was a different size. I guess that makes sense considering the different type of snack/contents. I did not feel like I was jiped though out of any of these snacks. I would say they were plentiful in size. You may be asking "Why can't you just go to the store?" Well, I have yet to find such a variety of flavors in stores as whole foods, and trader joes. Over all I did enjoy this box, and I will definitely be choosing 5 more snacks for next month . I will be sure to review them as they come along. 

Also, for each box purchased Nature-Box donates one meal to help feed the hungry.

Have you tried Nature-Box? What are your favorite snacks? 

Thanks for reading! 

NYX Suede Palette. A tiny gem.

Fall is definitely the start of my time of year. I love the smells, the colors, the activities..and most of all I love the makeup! I love this time of year because every makeup company has been or is starting to release their seasonal selections and collections for us gals who can't resist darker, warmer colors perfect for the next 5 months.

The other day while I happened to be in none other than ULTA (Suprise, Suprise!) I happened to walk by a display of the new NYX releases. I have always liked NYX so I figured that I would check it out. I have never been drawn into their palettes, but for some reason this one called out to me. 

The NYX Suede Palette (Retails for $12.00 and can be found at ULTA, Ulta.com, and pretty much anywhere that carries NYX Cosmetics). 

I was immediately drawn to this palette because of the color theme. To me, it was like fall in a box. Golds, and  browns, and a green? How Unique! I was immediately drawn to the gold, but what really made me buy this palette was the reddish tones brown on the bottom right. 

As with all NYX shadows that I have encountered these were smooth and creamy. They were all greatly pigmented however I did find that the grey taupe color (top row 2nd from left) was the worst performing of them all. It was very light, and I really had to pack it on. The rest of the colors were beautiful, and I was impressed with the golden duo chrome in the green and brown colors. Such a perfect palette for fall. Sometimes when you have a palette it needs some extra side colors to make it wearable, however I think that you could definitely take just this one and be good to go. Whether you want a golden brown color for the daytime or a more dramatic smoky eye for evening. This palette has everything you could want. I love that it is a different group of colors, instead of your basic black, brown, cream etc. To me, it makes it unique. 

With Flash (No Primer)

Without Flash (No Primer)

I swatched these colors so you could see how pretty they are. I did not use a primer, however if I did it would have definitely brought the colors out even more.

Overall I would recommend this palette, I think it is a great value for your money and you can't go wrong with these colors! 

Battle of the Sea Salt Products ..

So, if you know me at all then you know how obsessed with sea salt I have been with this summer. I think its because my hair is long and naturally wavy and when I let it air dry it always has that beachy wavy look so anything that is going to amplify that is right up my alley. Also, being from the New England coastline, and living by the beach myself I think anything that is going to make my hair have that shiny wavy look on days that I can't get to the beach is definitely for me. So, over the summer I have bought a few different types of products.

1. KMS Hairplay sea salt spray: adds fullness and texture like a day at the beach. 6.8FL OZ $15 ULTA. I bought this on a whim while looking for a different sea salt spray that I will get to later. This spray is also infused with peppermint and grape extracts which you would think would be a weird combination but I have to say somehow they work together. This is a very light spray, and adds just a nice wavy touseled look to my long hair. This spray I would have to say kind of is like a "my hair but better" spray. It adds some definition to my already naturally wavy hair, but at the same time makes it look more polished. It states that it has a semi matte finish, and I can say that I did not notice much of an added shine to my hair.

2. Wild Harvest Hair Surf Head Sea Salt Wax. Adds texture and control while it separates strands for that just a the beach look. Organic sea salt softens and separates. 4oz $6 Walgreens. I bought this texturizing wax on a BOGO with a hair detangler. The first thing I noticed about this wax is the incredible smell. Its fresh, clean, almost like a salon product and for the price who can beat it? The one thing I learned about this product however is how difficult it is to use hair wax. Unlike a spray this takes a bit more work, however if done right gives your hair awesome defined waves. What I did was take a little of the wax between my fingers to warm it up then wrapped my hair around my fingers and held it. Once I finished my entire head I began to separate it. Once it dried I had an awesome beachy wavy/borderline curly look however you have to be careful because if you use too much your hair will look heavy and sticky.

3. Redken Radiant Sea Spray: Time Touch Hair Fragrance Lightweight texturizer with time touch fragrance capsules releases a burst of oceanic scent when hair is touched. 3.4 OZ $17 ULTA. After reading that description who could pass this up? I have to say I am a pretty big fan of Redkin hair products, and this particular one hits it out of the ballpark. While it does not provide as much wave and texture as other products Ive used it I still like it because it does provide some, and it gives me hair the most incredible shine. I have dyed my hair jet black recently, and I feel as though particularly when it is this dark it looks much more healthy and beautiful when it has a shine to it. Whenever I use this I always get compliments on how shiny my hair looks, and also the time released fragrance does last all day. I play with my hair a lot, and I have definitely noticed that when I tousel my hair I smell a rush of the scent which is like taking in a deep breath at the beach. The Downside? it goes fast, and for the amount you get it is a bit pricy. However I will be buying it again.

4. Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. 9FL OZ. $6 Walmart. And last but definitely not least, the star of this post. I have been looking for this spray for months, and after a long night of traveling to every Walmart on my side of the state I finally found it. One word I have to use to describe this is amazing. This spray adds a great amount of texture to my hair, and defines and even almost volumizes my natural waves. It smells like coconuts which is a bonus because it makes me think of the Summer. It also adds a bit of a shine to my hair which I like. One thing I do have to say though is this one unlike the KMS dries my hair out a bit more. I realize when using salt products on your hair its going to dry out, but I feel as though I notice it a bit more with this spray. However, for less than have the price of the KMS I definitely think I will be sticking with this spray for a long while.

What are your favorite sea salt sprays? Or products you use for the undone wavy look?

Thanks for Reading!

Jenn xoxo

My Newest Obsession ..

So we all know how much I love makeup and beauty products .. but recently my newest obsession has been Jewelry. I have always liked jewelry but was never really into it .. until recently. I mostly blame my grandmother, whose love for jewelry has spread onto my direction.


I like to find different pieces, things that are unique, conversation pieces so to say. So I decided that I would give it a shot at making my own jewelry. Now, I am not that most creative person in the world, and for some reason when it comes to things like knitting, or paiting, pottery, even artsy jewelry design I definitely do not have the knack..but my friend Nicole suggested I give it a shot.


I decided to start with something easy that I have been wanting for a long time .. a wrap bracelet..however I did not realize how easy this was going to be. Actually, I think picking out the theme and the bead colors was the hardest part since we were in a store that had every bead and shape and color imaginable. I decided to play it safe with black..


I purchased all my goodies, and ventured on home with Nicole to see if I could actually do this. 4 hours, a couple broken needles, and a grilled cheese sandwich later .. I came up with this .. I actually have to say I really like it .. and I will definitely be making more. This has sparked my creative side, and I think I am going to be taking classes to try to make other types of jewelry.

What do you think?

Feel The Burn...

I am an Italian girl If you couldn't guess that already, and us Italian girls are hairy beasts. I am not exaggerating. Actually, now that I think about it .. I should just stop blaming it on my heritage because I would probably be a hairy beast even if I wasn't Italian..I have no shame..I will admit it. I think the worst part about it, is that my hair is dark. Which actually is a nice feature to have in terms of my hair style, however in terms of grooming it is such a pain in the butt! More specifically keeping up with the whole facial hair situation. Now, I know most girls will not admit that they get facial hair for fear of being looked at by guys as gross, or other girls just just manly. Here is a piece of advice ... just admit it .. you have hair in places that are annoying as a female. I'm not talking random obscure places, and for purposes of this post I am mostly talking about the dreaded upper lip hair. Now, I didn't realize that I had a problem with upper lip hair until about my 2nd year of college (I was a sheltered child). Actually, now that I think about it .. I used to be made fun of by these girls in marching band who would always look at me and then look at their friends and point to their upper lip. (I know that sounds like a silly story .. however .. this is my life .. true story) I used to think .. we are in marching band .. there is enough to make fun of .. why make fun of something else, but however because I realize I was a major loser in high school .. I just let it go.

I have definitely moved on since then, and grown up..and If I was the person I was now back in high school .. I probably would have told those girls to shove it. Needless to say, over the years I have tried many kinds of hair removal products. I sometimes will get my upper lip waxed when I get my eyebrows waxed but I think to myself .. $7 for that? That just seems a bit pricy. I have used facial hair removal creams such as NAIR which smell like rotten vomit, and the fact you have to put it under your nose doesn't help. I have also purchased one of those facial hair grooming vibrating little razor doohickies .. which was a complete waste of money. I have plucked .. and I hate to admit it but I have even quickly gone over with a razor in a pinch. So when I saw this product hanging in the beauty care isle at Wal-Mart I thought to myself .. this would be awesome. So for $2.49 I picked one up

Now ultimately in theory this product seems like it would make all my facial hair woes disappear. It looks quick, painless, stink-less, and practically fool proof. I couldn't wait to try this puppy out. I read the directions, which were easy. To take one of the buffer pads, peel off the sticky backing and attach it to the tool that you buff your face with. (Insert amazement here)!

I took it, and i started rubbing in light pressured circular motions above my lip as the directions suggested. I looked in the mirror, and no results. So, I pressed a little harder and I could see a few hairs buffed away. After about 10 minutes trying to get this (Supposedly Amazing) product to work I gave up after seeing no results. BOO! I thought to myself.

About 15 minutes later, I felt this intense burning on my upper lip. It almost feels like that wind burn you get if your upper lip is moist in the winter and the wind blows and then causes that almost wind burn/frostbite feeling. As time passed, it got more intense to the point where I had to go look into the mirror...and to my HORROR I looked like I had completely missed my lips with a bright red lipstick. The entire area of my upper lip was not only still hairy, but bright red, burning, throbbing, and almost looked like it was peeling and scabbing over. Because I know how my life is, it really does not suprise me that this happened. I took some ice and kept it on my upper lip for a while to numb the area, and then i put vaseline on it to keep it moist. It took about 4 days, and a lot of concealer in the morning for this reaction to go away.

Before you call me stupid or dumb for having this happen, I am going to reiterate that I did read the directions and did exactly as they instructed. I did not misuse this product in any way shape or form!

Needless to say, I do not recommend this product. It is not the magical solution to my lip hair woes. So if you see it, do not get sucked in like me. Keep on walking.. I guess it's back to rotten vomit scented products for me ...

Thanks For Reading!

Jenn
xoxo