St. Ives Two-in-one Scrub makes Skin Cleanliness Easy

Often times, it's a pain in the butt to buy so many and micromanage all the skin products and their specific functions. I think I speak for most women I say why not create a product which acts as a two-in-one? In the long run, you'd save a ton of money and get the best results possible for your skin. Well, my dearest ladies, you prayers may have been answered in St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask facial scrub. The scrub that asks as a face cleanser for on the go and a mask for your pampering "me" times.

On the go clean...

Because of my naturally oily skin, I am very prone to clogged pores which result in acne and other skin conditions. During the day whether before work or during the day if I'm working outside in the yard or if I am expected to be somewhere at the drop of a dime, I like to give my face the best cleansing but in the quickest of time. St Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask cleanser is my answer for that particular situation. Using only a drop the size of a nickel, I can clean, nourish, and buff my skin clean all in a ten to twenty-second scrub. Afterwards, my skin appears smooth, refreshed and ready to continue on with my day without worrying about increased chances of acne.

"Me" time clean...

There are times in a girl's life when she has to do the full pampering session to restore her body to beauty it was born to be. Mine consist of shaving, washing and conditioning my hair, a deep clean lathering with shower lotion (thanks to Nivea) to end a perfect shower, and lastly, a face mask to put the cherry on top. This mask consists of a dollar coin size of St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask. I spread the scrub over my face evenly and continue on with other pampering activities as the mask does its work. After washing the scrub off, my skin is brighter, smoother, and cleaner just as I expect it to be. Nothing says beautiful like clean skin and St. Ives delivers just that inside their scrub. 

If you are unfavorable of oats on your skin, St. Ives has created a complete line of different scents and flavors of scrubs that help provide the same wonderful look at the oatmeal scrub and mask. Try it out today and let St. Ives know how much you enjoyed their product! 

TIMELESS SKIN: St. Ives Affordable Fountain of Youth

If you live in a big city like I do, then you know the risks your skin takes as it is continuously exposed to the pollutions in the air. These harsh pollutions cause your skin to age prematurely making thirty the new fifty. On top of that, products that claim they can reverse this process are far too expensive. Luckily for us, St. Ives, a trusted beauty product for years (or since I was a teenager) has come along with a product that helps to hydrate and restore skin regardless of the conditions it is exposed to. 

To do or to not do...

I'll admit, at first I was skeptical about using a product with collagen in it because it was a product with a chemical that would tamper with the natural shape and chemistry of my skin. I've used many "moisturizers" and they were either too thick or didn't last long enough to see any real results. I began with St. Ives Timeless Skin once a day just so I wouldn't push it though the directions stated to apply to face and neck twice a day for better results. 

The first time trying St. Ives Timeless Skin, I liked how thin the product was, in fact, it almost felt like water on your hands. All you need is a dime-sized dab in the palm of your hands. It spreads very well and covers your entire face and neck. At first, there is the wet look of the moisturizer but when it dries, it blends and leaves no residue or dried streaks.  

Two weeks later...

After a week or two, I decided to bump it up and follow the instructions. I bought another jar and put it on the nightstand for night time and kept the original jar in the restroom for the day. I kept myself on schedule and followed it to the T. The other night I decided to take a couple of fun selfies for my social media page. I was surprised by the way my skin looked in the images. My skin looked brighter, smoother, and little more even. It wasn't perfect since I still suffer from enlarged pores on my cheeks, but most of my blemishes were gone and my skin appeared naturally hydrated.

I am overall happy with the results and continue to use it twice a day every day. St. Ives Timeless Skin not only gave me healthier looking skin but a small boost of confidence when taking my selfies knowing that I won't need much help from photoshop features. 

St. Ives has gone au naturale...

St. Ives is proud of their new campaign of using all natural moisturizers and other ingredients to continue to improve their lines of skin beauty care. For more information on their products and natural campaign, visit St. Ives website here.

PANDORA RADIO: The Perfect Daily Life Playlist Maker

I discovered Pandora Radio back in 2008 when I started my freshman year in college. My roommates kept urging me to get it and I eventually created a profile and has been using it ever since.

At first, I used Pandora just for distraction music. But now, I use the music for so much more. The creation of different playlists or "radio stations" allow me to be forced to listen to whatever music pops up, which is a great thing. In the past couple of years, I have discovered more new artists to listen to than I would have just simply listened to my iPhone's playlist.

One of my most favorite discoveries was the artist Matt Wertz. I created a new radio station I nicknamed "Coffee House Radio." This station would consist of a collection of music and artist you would normally hear in a cafe or Starbucks. My key artist was John Mayer. Pandora formulated similar artist on the radio and Matt Wertz popped up with one of his songs. My eyes popped at the sound of his voice and I've loved his work ever since. I've discovered other artist through Pandora in this way and it's great because you're exposed to talent both mainstream and non-mainstream.


My greatest use for Pandora is the different ways I use my radio stations I have created. For example, I've noticed that when I'm studying or writing one of my screenplays, my Trance of Dance Radio (consisting of trance and EDM music) helps me stay concentrated. The constant electronic sounds and light vocals keep me focus and entertained at the same time. If I'm working out or dancing, my Spanish Rose Radio (all Spanish music) is perfect because of the great beats. If I'm cleaning my house, taking long drives, my Chicks Rules Radio (all female artists) and My Men Radio (all male artists) are great to listen to.

Pandora is more than just an app for creating collections of music, it's a tool that can help you organize your life by the music you play. 

Always Discreet, the Best Friend Bladder Leaks Need

Two years ago I had several "accidents" that forced me to keep a change of clothes in my locker at work and always keep a jacket around to tie around me in case I had something showing that I didn't want to be seen. I later found out that I had an overactive bladder.

According to Medicine Net website, they defined an overactive bladder as, "a condition that is characterized by sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle in the wall of the urinary bladder" (MedNet).

After knowing the condition I was dealing with, I immediately went to the store to buy Poise pads which were designed for women who dealt with overactive bladder. At work, I had more confidence because I knew I was protected. Unfortunately, my Poise pads caused me to have more accidents because of its slow absorbing technology. I noticed that the urine rolled over the surface of the pad to the bottom of my pants causing a wet spot, which was embarrassing.

About a month or so later, Always introduced their new line of Always Discreet liners, pads, and underwear for bladder leaks. The company sent out coupons for people to try them so I thought it was worth a shot. I had already used Always pads during my "time of the month," so I was familiar with how well their products work. Anyway, one day at work, I wasn't able to go to lunch. I had to use the bathroom extremely bad and I could feel the urine just flowing out onto the pad. I freaked out thinking that it was going to overfill and start rolling down my legs.

When I finally got to the restroom, I check myself to see what damage was done. My panties were dry as a bone, no damage was done. The pad took on about 3-4oz of leaked urine without overflow. It was that moment I knew I could rely on the discreet pads just as I rely on their pads for my "other" situation.

What makes Always Discreet better than other pads or underwear?
The most important factor that makes this collection better is the reliability and the absorption technology. The pad can hold a great amount of fluid without overflow. This is important because you never know what kind of accident you'll have. An overactive bladder is unpredictable. There are times when I can somewhat gain control and be able to hold my urine and other times where it just flows like a river no matter how I try to stop it. Because I work on a job where the only break I really get is my one-hour lunch, these pads are a Godsend.

What would you suggest for improvements for this brand?
I would say a good improvement would be better odor control. Because the urine is absorbed fast and sealed, there is a little odor, but a scented pad could help. Off that note, I would say a travel size pack of scented wipes would be nice. Something that could fit right in the purse for easy access.

For more information on overactive bladder and how you can treat and prevent it from happening, visit Medicine Net or Web MD.



References:

Overactive Bladder: Medications, Causes, and OAB Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2016, from http://www.medicinenet.com/overactive_bladder/article.htm#what_is_an_overactive_bladder 

UNDEFEATED: Why Dove Remains the Champion In the Shower

Dove body wash has been a part of my family for years. The way my skin felt after I got out of the shower became my obsession and I knew I didn't want to use anything else. 

Unfortunately, over time, I began to venture out to other body washes like Olay and SoftSoap, but none of them could do what Dove had done for me. For the longest I continued to use SoftSoap and began to tell a difference in my skin. My skin became drier and now even water dries it out too badly.   I could tell that SoftSoap body wash didn't have the ability to keep moisture into my skin, instead, it stripped it of moisture causing me to rely heavily on lotion to keep the soft skin. 

One day I saw an ad for some new technology Dove added into their products called NutriumMoisture, supposedly helping to better retain the skin's natural moisture. With the help of a coupon, I bought my favorite Dove scent and after one shower I could tell the difference.

The NutriumMoisture technology made the soap thicker and it felt as if I were putting lotion on my body while in the shower! After I got out of the shower, not only the lovely scent remained on my skin, but my skin felt very hydrated and soft. I've recently discovered that it makes a great shaving cream as well!

The only negatives I could say about Dove body wash is the price. It does indeed holds the highest price on the shelves which would naturally deter people. But honestly, what price would anyone pay for better skin health? A couple dollars more is a small price to pay for the reward of long lasting healthy skin!

VASELINE: My Skin's Greatest Ally Against Winter

Vaseline always lived in the background of my life, as a jar filled with thick, greasy jelly you would only use as a last resort. Today, in my adulthood, it’s on the forefront; the general of my armies. In this case, my skin cells. Winter in Florida is mild compared to the northern states, but it affects our southern skin just the same.

I truly began to use Vaseline’s products a year ago when I discovered their new line of lip therapy. It was the cutest little jar and it came in four flavors. I even bought the set for a friend. Every day, I applied the Vaseline to my lips before going to work. In less than ten minutes, I could feel the health of my lips change. They are softer than any moisturizing lip balm could offer. Because of its greasy-jelly state, it lasts much longer. I wore it for nearly five hours before finally wiping it from my lips. Most lip care barely makes it two hours!

Last year when I decided to try Vaseline’s lotion collection, I was disappointed, it felt thin like water and did little to care for my dried out skin. I tossed the bottles and moved on the next best thing. It was until a month ago when my friend let me try her new Vaseline Intensive Care with aloe lotion, I saw a difference in its texture. It was smooth but just thick enough to help heal and care for my skin. Now I have my own collection of lotions. I keep one bottle each in my car, house and work locker.

One interesting use I discovered for Vaseline was through an article pinned on Pinterest. The article talked about using Vaseline and socks for great foot care. All my life I’ve had to soak my feet in lotion. The driest skin on my body is the bottom of my feet. If I go too many days without lotioning them, the skin between my toes split (quite painful) and the heal of the foot hardens. According to the article, all I had to do before bed was to rub a nice amount of Vaseline to my entire foot and pull socks over them. I tried it for the first time. The next morning, I couldn’t believe it; my feet were softer than a baby’s bottom. They felt both healthy and hydrated.

 Now with winter approaching, I have all my Vaseline products in order and ready for the cold. With Vaseline by my side, protecting and caring for my dry skin, I can look winter in the eyes and say, “bring it on!”

COCONUT OIL: The Ultimate Shaving Moisturizer

Shaving is a burden most women can relate to. Even with the best shavers, and the best creams, there remains the tedious duty of shaving itself. But when that job results in the smoothest legs, that work becomes well worth it.

In the past, when I shaved, I would get smooth skin, but would end up with dry skin. Even when I used shaving creams infused with all sorts of moisturizers and lotions, the dry skin would come afterwards. After watching a news segment on home remedies for beauty secrets, I decided to find my own remedy for my legs.

My experiment began with a jar of 100% organic Coconut Oil. I rubbed the oil onto my dry arms and legs. The oil moisturizes the skin almost instantly. Next, I took my favorite shaving cream and spread the cream over the coconut oil. It takes a little effort to rub the two substances together but eventually they’ll blend. Lastly, I used my shaving razor and shaved my arms and legs as normal. The results blew my mind.

The skin was smooth and soft like silk sheets, even an hour after shaving. There was no ashy white skin in need of lotion, and no rough skin surface from the previous shaving. My arms felt as if I had never grown hair a day in my life.

Amazed by the results, I decided to research why the coconut oil made such as difference to my skin, according to OrganicFacts.net, it’s all in the science. The website explains it best,

“Predominantly, these saturated fats (in the oil) are medium chain fatty acids or triglycerides. When applied on the skin, they keep it smooth to the touch. Due to the presence of these fats, coconut oil also retains the moisture content of the skin, as the fats eliminate moisture loss through the pores on the skin. When ingested through the regular consumption of coconut oil, these fats deposit under the skin, thus keeping it healthy and smooth, giving it an even tone and reducing the appearance of the pores” (Anonymous, 2009).

So there you have it, ladies, the secret to legs like Venus. Next time you run to the store, grab a jar of Coconut Oil and begin to enjoy the smoothest and healthiest skin you have ever experienced!

Sources:

Coconut Oil for Skin | Organic Facts. (2009, January 11).

 Hendricks, S. (2015, October 12). 18 Cool Ways You Never Knew You Could Use Coconut Oil - Gurl.com. Retrieved October 14, 2015.