Influenster Skin Care

Hey there! It's been quite a bit since I've talked about Influenster and this time I'm here to talk about a type of skin care. I received Active Botanicals from Olay for free. One thing I loved about this product was that it never made my skin feel greasy or get dry. I always notice that lotion can give an odd feeling to my skin after wearing for awhile and I was pleased to find out that this was not the case with this at all. Another aspect I liked about the product was the smell. It was so pleasant and not overwhelming that wearing it all day did not give me a headache in the slightest! I would definitely recommend this product as one worth trying. Give it a chance if you're trying to mix up your skin care routine and want to try something new. I have loved it so far and will probably go out of my way to find more products from Olay!

Influenster: NYC New York Color

As you guys have heard many times before, I live for Influenster. Recently, I was given the opportunity to test the NYC New York Color mascara and eyeliner. When I choose makeup I am usually not that picky unless it comes to price; I like it cheap. But I was super excited to give this stuff a try! The first thing I noticed about the mascara was that it hardly clumped at all. The biggest fault I find in mascaras is clumping and so I was pleasantly surprised at the lack thereof. The mascara was also long lasting and held up throughout the summer heat of the day. It also didn't make my eyelashes look freakish which was a plus.

The eyeliner was also a plus for me! What I liked about it was how smooth it was going on. It was dark which was awesome and also held up for the whole day.

Overall, I would definitely recommend that you give these products a try. They are worth it for the price and you can't beat the quality!

*I received these products courtesy of Influenster for testing purposes only

Hiking the Days Away

If you guys are anything like me, you get the winter blues pretty badly too. It is so difficult to stay motivated during the colder months. Once it warms up though I want to spend all of my time outside! This last weekend I was sitting in the cafeteria with my best friend and we were contemplating what to do for the day. It was slightly chilly and overcast so we weren't too keen on being outside. However, we both a text from a mutual friend wondering if we wanted to go hiking with her and another friend of ours. It was the perfect opportunity!

Where we were headed, I had been to my freshman year and it is one of my favorite spots. There is a broken down castle, a cave, wildlife, and this one spot where you have to climb over 300 steps! What was amazing about the day is that the sun came out when we arrived and it turned into a gorgeous 70 degree day; perfect hiking weather! We were lucky enough to see beavers and several turtles sunning on the rocks.

The next day, I was asked by my good friend, Baylen, if I wanted to go to the same park and hike with him. This time we took different trails and I was able to see another part of the state park that I had never been on before. Again it was a gorgeous day and I got to see otters for the first time in the wild.

I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such great friends and be able to see different parts of the country. Missouri has become my home away from home and I cannot believe the semester ends in thirteen days! 

The Kind Word Challenge

Over winter break I went through a bit of a withdrawal from just about everything. I needed a break from school and people and kindly enough my family let me. For the entire month and a half I was able to relax and prepare for the last stretch before summer break; it was heaven. Right before I was meant to fly back to school, my dad pulled me aside and I was able to have a heart to heart with him. One of the things he reminded me was that kind words can fix just about everything. One of my worst bad habits is how awesome I am at comebacks. This however means that I can hurt people pretty deeply with very few words. Over the years I have been able to tame it immensely but every now and then it slips out. Because of the stress of last semester, this habit had been creeping up on me and I was becoming overwhelmed.

My dad is pretty great about bringing me back to earth. He gives me the space I need and then lets me talk it out. Usually, he can get me to see something from a different angle than I had previously. It is pretty easy to notice when other people are treating you badly. It's harder to see how you are treating other's badly. Every now and then I just have to remind myself to take a step back and look at the situation differently. Just because I feel like I'm not being treated fairly does not mean that I have the right to attack. Kind words have done wonders for me in diffusing situations.

One thing I want to challenge you to do is to take a step back. Are there any places in your life that you can lend a kind word? When I walk into my cafeteria, I always try to hold a conversation with the student working the front desk. One of the girls stopped me one time after I asked her how she was and told me that she appreciated the way I always conversed with her. To me, it was of little importance but it made an impact on her. I never realize how much of an impact I can have with just a few words. Angry words are not the only words that stick with people. So my challenge for you is to lend a kind word. Tell the stranger on the street that you dig their sweet sweater. A classmate got a new haircut? Maybe they're self conscious and need someone to tell them how much they rock their new hair. Kind words may seem insignificant to you, but little words here and there could make a huge impact on the world.

Influenster Product Review

So if you have been around here long enough, you would know that I swear by Influenster. My latest VoxBox contained these three beauties! I absolutely love when I don't have to purchase hair products since they can be so costly. 

I was asked to try out and review the Dessange Paris Oleo Miracle Replenishing shampoo, conditioner, and oil. At first I was a bit skeptical because the smell was quite strong. I'm sure it was just the oils but once I got used to it I quite enjoy it. I'm used to floral scents but this has become a new favorite! 

My hair routine is pretty basic. I have long and thick hair so I shampoo twice and condition once. That's it! I don't usually put anything extra in because I can't stand greasy or heavy hair. I was impressed with both the shampoo and the conditioner. After my shower my hair felt lighter and much softer. I have strayed away from straightening or curling my hair so often, but you can definitely still see damage! I really enjoyed the way that these products softened that damage and made it less noticeable. The oil however was not what I expected! When I think oil I immediately think greasy. The oil however made my hair feel even softer and gave it a shine that was much appreciated. 

I would definitely recommend this product. It can be a bit pricey but the results are worth it! 

*Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing and reviewing purposes. 

#JadoreDessange @DessangeParis @Influenster