Product Review: Dessange Oleo Miracle Collection

Hey guys!

Today I'll be reviewing the Dessange hair care system I was lucky enough to receive in my latest VoxBox thanks to Influenster!

I received 3 different items in this box:

• Dessange Replenishing Shampoo
• Dessange Replenishing Conditioner
• Dessange Replenishing Oil

Here's a breakdown of the pros & cons, as usual:

PROS

• After using consistently, my hair feels and looks noticeably smoother, softer, and shinier.
• Feels clean after each use.
• I can go longer than usual in between washes, which I found interesting.
• Doesn't weigh down hair from moisture.
• Hair feels moisturized after using.

CONS

• Has a noticeable "mature" smell - meaning, I think of my Great Aunt when I smell these products.
• Higher price tag for being a product found at the drugstore. (I'll break this down below)

The shampoo and conditioner retail for $9.99 while the oil retails for $11.99. These prices are based on target.com. Like I said, the prices for these individual products are a bit steeper compared to other drugstore shampoos, conditioners, and oils. However, I believe it's justified since these are much better quality than said brands.

One thing I wanted to mention was the shampoo is 8.5oz while the conditioner is 6.7oz. I tend to use more shampoo than conditioner in an attempt to clean my hair thoroughly and avoid weighing it down from too much conditioner. Although the conditioner doesn't weigh my hair down in this system, I still like to wash my hair the same way. Therefore, I feel the products will run out at the same time which is convenient.

Another thing I wanted to mention is the colors of the actual products. The shampoo is an oily feeling orange while the conditioner is a moisturizing feeling off-white color. The oil however, is clear. I just found it interesting that the shampoo and oil have the same type of feel but completely different colors.

In a typical week, I wash my hair every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Sundays are my day to deep condition my hair as well. On the days I don't wash my hair in the shower, I keep it up and in a hair cap to keep dry then follow the shower by using dry shampoo to keep oil from building up. I find this system helps my hair maintain moisture, softness, and smoothness longer. I use the shampoo and conditioner once in the shower, then follow by using 1-2 pumps of the oil all throughout my hair after the shower.

Overall, I really enjoy these products. I'm really considering buying them again, despite the steeper price tag because of the great benefits they give to my hair. I haven't had as good of hair days as I have using this system in a long time! It's truly is a miracle when I can say this system alone has single-handedly dramatically improved my frizzy hair.

I hope you guys enjoyed this review and found it helpful! Make sure to watch the video below to check out my unboxing of the collection!

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

*Products featured in this review were sent to me for review purposes from Influenster*

Product Review: LUSH Golden Egg Bath Bomb

Hey guys!

I just finished enjoying a relaxing spa night complete with a LUSH Mask of Magnaminty Face Mask, L'oreal Total Repair 5 Damage Erasing Balm (hair masque), the Yankee Candle Marshmallow Chicks candle lit while reading the amazing #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso.

Oh...and let's not forget the LUSH Golden Egg Bath Bomb.

LUSH Golden Egg Bath Bomb

So after using this bath bomb for the first time, I wanted to review it as I had some pros and cons that I wanted to share with you guys interested in making this purchase before they disappear after Easter.

Their website calls this scent a "creamy honey-toffee luxury", which definitely fits the sweet scent description accurately. Here's the rest of the description off of the official LUSH website:

"You can stop hunting for eggs, because the hunt ends here! This spectacular invention has combined a Bath Bomb and a Luxury Bath Melt to create (drumroll please…) the Bath Bomb Melt! Its creamy, moisturizing cocoa butter exterior encases a fizzy Bath Bomb center, and the whole egg is dusted in a delicate golden luster. Even better? It has the classic honey-toffee fragrance of our best-selling Honey I Washed The Kids soap."

Here's a quick breakdown of the pros and cons:

PROS:

• Smells great (classic LUSH smell - if you like this, you'll love the smell this leaves!)
• Leaves a beautiful golden shimmer on your body, even after washing with body wash afterwards.
• Leaves your body feeling SUPER moisturized and soft.
• Nice moisturizing foam coating - this foam coating on the top of the bath water ensured that my skin would lock in the moisturizing effect from using this bath bomb, as all LUSH bath bombs are known for.
• Beautiful shimmer distributed throughout the bath water.
• Leaves a lingering scent on your body, even after using body wash and body lotion.

CONS:

• Doesn't break up easily like other bath bombs - after the overlay of gold shimmer soaked into the bath water, I had to physically sit under the faucet and break up the bath bomb under the running, hot water to have it distribute into the rest of the bathtub.
• Yellow bath water - maybe it's just a con to me, but sitting in yellow bath water isn't the most pleasant of sights.

I hope this quick review gave you a better look into how this specific bath bomb works and if it's the right purchase for you.

Keep in mind you can purchase this at LUSH stores or on their website for $8.95 for a 3.8oz one time use bath bomb.

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

My Erin Condren Life Planner: Week of 1/26-2/1 (2015)

Hey guys!

Time for another Erin Condren Life Planner weekly agenda post! Better late than never, right?

Photo Courtesy: Instagram

Breakdown of Week 1/26-2/1, 2015:

• Work (Daycare): Same sorts of split shifts like the last few weeks. Notice Tuesday, though? We ended up having a snow day due to the blizzard. I'm happy because paid snow days are part of my full-time benefits!!
• Makeup Gig: I got another makeup gig Friday in between shifts with one of my favorite photographers! So excited!
• School: Honestly, I don't know if I'll have class Wednesday night or not due to the road conditions. But it's there in case things go as planned!
• Friday Night: I'm hanging out with my cousin I haven't seen in soooooooo long! I get to see his new apartment so I'm excited!
• Saturday Night: Going on a double date with a special guy (whaaaaat? Hehe more details to come) and my best friend and her boyfriend! Dinner and duckpin bowling, woohoo!
• Sunday Night: I'm going out to lunch with someone I like to refer to as the little sister I never had. Looking forward to catching up!

Color Coding:

• RED: I use this color for anything work related. That could be the daycare, babysitting, and business events.
• ORANGE: I use this color to indicate when I have makeup gigs.
• PINK: This color stands for any videos and blog posts I'll be uploading and sharing!
• PURPLE: This color means FUN! Whether it's a girl's night out, date, or family dinner, I write it down in purple.
• GREEN: This color is used to indicate errands. This ranges from birthday gift shopping to planned couponing trips.
• BLUE: This color indicates when I have class.

Decorating:

• I went with a rainbow theme this week! I was feeling fancy and colorful, hehe.
• I used striped rainbow/glitter washi tape on the sides and rainbow splatter mini duct tape for the bottom border.
• All different colors of shimmery smiley face stickers galore!
• I put snowflake stickers on the days it's supposed to snow. Looks like I was right about 2/3 so far!

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! See you next week! xoxo

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

My Erin Condren Life Planner: Week of 1/19-1/25 (2015)

Hey guys!

I'm back with another look into how I organized my weekly view portion of my Erin Condren Life Planner! You can check out last week's post by clicking HERE.

Photo Source: Instagram

Breakdown of Week 1/19-1/25, 2015:

• Work (Daycare): Just like last week, I work the split schedule at the daycare so I split it into the morning and afternoon boxes.
• Board Meeting: We have a mandatory meeting with the board on Tuesday night. At least I get paid to attend!
• Makeup Gig: I'm working with a local photographer on a boudoir shoot Wednesday during my break from work. Woohoo!
• School: It's time to get back into the swing of school and knock out this last semester! Luckily, I only have class for my Student Teaching Wednesday nights from 7-9:40pm. More focus on work than school, finally!
• Friday Night: My friend Emily and I are planning to go out for dinner and drinks after work. She also works in child care, so it'll be a nice way to end a stressful work week by blowing off some steam.
• Saturday Afternoon: We're going out to eat at the Cheesecake Factory to celebrate my sister's birthday!
• Sunday Afternoon: I'm going to see The Wedding Ringer! I heard it's supposed to be really funny, so I'm excited!
• I'm looking forward to a productive week and fun weekend! :)

Color Coding:

• RED: I use this color for anything work related. That could be the daycare, babysitting, and business events.
• ORANGE: I use this color to indicate when I have makeup gigs.
• PINK: This color stands for any videos and blog posts I'll be uploading and sharing!
• PURPLE: This color means FUN! Whether it's a girl's night out, date, or family dinner, I write it down in purple.
• GREEN: This color is used to indicate errands. This ranges from birthday gift shopping to planned couponing trips.
• BLUE: You'll see this color used next week, which indicates when I have class.

Decorating:

• I stuck with a green theme this week. I used that cool patterned duct tape to create borders. I have to cut a piece to fit on the side, which is why it doesn't look completely perfect.
• Sticking with the green theme, I used green themed stickers such as the smiling apple, sparkly 3D dots, excited smiley face (which also indicated pay day!) and a green-lined cupcake.
• I used a green write-on sticker to indicate when I need to pay my car payment.
• My sister's birthday is the 20th and my mom's birthday is the 21st! (See what I meant about so many birthdays all at once?!) I used blue to indicate their birthdays since they prefer the color.

I hope you guys enjoyed how I put together this week's spread! Make sure to check back next Sunday for next week's weekly view!

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

Influenster Frosty VoxBox Review

Hey guys!

Today I'm going to be sharing my thoughts of the items I received recently in the Frosty VoxBox from Influenster! Let's take a closer look at what I received:

• Red Vines Fruit Vines Bites in flavor "Strawberry": I'm not big on chewy candies like these, so I ended up giving these to my family to enjoy.
• McCormick Gormet All Natural Thyme Seasoning: I have yet to find a recipe I wanted to make that included Thyme in it, but I'm working on it since I love trying new recipes and flavors!
• EcoTools Styler & Smoother Hair Brush: This hair brush couldn't have come at a better time. I was just saying how I needed a new brush since mine had been on it's way out. I love how this one doesn't pull at tangled hair and glides smoothly through, leaving my hair feel soft and smooth.
• Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane Green Tea: I actually ended up giving this to a friend of mine since I'm not big on mint flavors.
• Rimmel Just Let It Go Gentle Eye Makeup Remover: This makeup remover is a good one for being from the drugstore.
• NYC Expert Last Lip Color in "Sugar Plum": I love how this red/plum lip color looks on me. It's not too intense for my pale complexion and I'm a fan of the "shiny" look it gives. However, this lipstick has the most awful "cheap" taste to it that makes it a big turn-off for me. Knowing me, I'll probably suck it up now and then just because I love how it looks!
• Rimmel Scandleyes Waterproof Eyeliner Pencil in "Black": This eyeliner is as great as I had hoped it would be! Super smooth and super black and it stays on all day!
• No. 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum: The tricky thing with serums and skincare products that come with a one time use sample are that you get to see what it feels like on your skin, but not much else happens since most skincare products need to be used for a good month to see a difference. So all I got out of this sample was that it felt slimy like any other serum.

I hope you guys found these little on-the-spot reviews helpful and if you're interested in seeing what everything looks like and my first impressions, be sure to check out my unboxing video below! :)

Check out the video above for an unboxing of this box!

Pssst: If you'd like to see some other blog posts about my previous Influenster VoxBoxes or thoughts about their website in general, take a peek at all the beautiful links below:

• Influenster Dean's List VoxBox Review!
• Influenster Jolly VoxBox Review!
• Makeup Review: NYC Big Bold Lip Gloss
• Product Review: Goody Ouchless Ribbon Elastics
• First Impression: Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream
• Influenster Review

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,
Lauren

*Items were sent to me for review purposes courtesy of Influenster*

My Erin Condren Life Planner: Week of 1/12-1/18 (2015)

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to give you a glimpse into how I decorated and organized my weekly calendar view in my 2015 Erin Condren Life Planner! As some of you may know, I received this 18 month planner as a gift in July of 2014. I've been addicted to using it ever since!

I've been wanting to start decorating it more as I've been collecting washi tape and stickers and addictively pinning away ideas on Pinterest! I just haven't had much time or patience to get down to it - until now!!

I'm inviting you into my life this week to take a glimpse at how I've slowly but surely started to make my busy and organized life just a little prettier!

Image Courtesy of: Instagram

Breakdown of Week 1/12-1/18, 2015:

• Work (Daycare): I'm currently working split shifts at the daycare. So I found it necessary to start using the weekly view instead of the monthly view so I could split the day up accordingly.
• Local Seminar: This is a quarterly event that takes place to keep me on track with my business.
• Babysitting: I'll be babysitting my 2 favorite little boys this Saturday night right after the seminar ends! This used to be a more regular form of income that has diminished some, but I'm glad to pick it up when I can!
• Beauty Videos: I like to post 2 videos on my beauty channel (LaurNmakeup) twice a week - specifically on Mondays and Thursdays.
• Blog Posts: I want to get back into posting more on the blog! So I've specifically written in that I plan on posting a review on my latest Influenster VoxBox Wednesday night as well as another one of these ECLP posts next Sunday night after I decorate and organize next week's schedule!
• Olive Garden: I was sick for New Year's Eve, so our family dinner got postponed. We're planning to make it happen sometime this week! We're playing it by ear, which is why it's in the side column instead of under a specific date.
• Birthday Gift Shopping: My mom, dad, and sister all have birthdays that happen within the next week, as you'll see with this and next week's weekly views. It's time to get shopping! Once again, I'm not exactly sure of when it will happen, I just know it's a priority this week.

Color Coding:

• RED: I use this color for anything work related. That could be the daycare, babysitting, business, and makeup gigs.
• PINK: This color stands for any videos and blog posts I'll be uploading and sharing!
• PURPLE: This color means FUN! Whether it's a girl's night out, date, or family dinner, I write it down in purple.
• GREEN: This color is used to indicate errands. This ranges from birthday gift shopping to planned couponing trips.
• BLUE: You'll see this color used next week, which indicates when I have class.

Decorating:

• I kept with a subdued, yellow theme this week as seen by the smiley face and owl stickers, as well as the custom made border on Saturday's day section. This little trick can be found on Pinterest!
• I used long strips of diagonal/metallic striped washi tape from Dollar Tree as borders.
• It's my dad's birthday on Saturday! I had to include a birthday sticker that's included with the planners in his favorite color, of course!
• We're supposedly getting some snowy weather Monday, so I decided to include a snow sticker as a festive indicator.
• The heart stickers on the 15th indicate a special day for me. :)

That's about it! This is pretty simplistic decorating and organizing compared to some people's hectic lifestyle and life planners. I'm sure as time goes on and life begins to get crazier again (the Spring semester is just around the corner!) I will get more into decorating and specific planning again.

Let me know what you guys thought of this type of posts in the comments section or through other social media platforms and I'll be happy to do more like it!

Remember to have a positive day! :)

Hugs,

Lauren