InstaNatural Dead Sea Mud Mask

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I received the Dead Sea mud mask as a promotion through Tomoson. 

As you can guess, the mud comes from the Dead Sea, it smells like it too. Smell is the first thing I notice before anything else and sometimes you can't help it. It can be the deciding factor between liking something or hating something. For me, unless it starts invading my other senses I can handle most smells, I am a mom with three kids after all. While the smell isn't pleasant, it's not the worst I've smelled, especially since becoming a product reviewer. 

With that said, let's discuss what I like about this product. To me, mud masks are the best! I would love love love to go to a spa and sit in a giant tub of mud. Maybe it's because it makes me think of when I was younger and my sister and I used to play in the mud or maybe it's because mud is a great exfoliator and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. Mud is the greatest thing to happen to beauty care. So you slather this mud from the Dead Sea on your face after you wash it. Avoid the eye area and mouth as much as possible! Leave on for 10-15 minutes until dry. Wash off with warm water and a wash cloth, you will need one, dried mud is not easy to wash off. I find mud masks are a great way to spend Saturday nights, I like to watch movies and listen to my fiancé snicker at me while the mud dries making it harder to talk. You only need to use it once a week so you don't have to completely rearrange your life to do it. 

The end result is clearer skin because the mud breaks down impurities that clog pores leading to pimples and blackheads. Softer skin because the mud exfoliates all the dead skin cells off leaving beautiful clean skin. 

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InstaNatural youth express eye serum

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I received this product as a promotion through Tomoson. 

I love beauty products! I love potions and lotions of all sorts! I love this eye serum! As you can see from the picture it has a lot of good ingredients in it, vitamin c, passionflower and caffeine. All it takes is a couple small drops patted onto the delicate skin under and around your eyes and crows feet lessen, fine lines start going away and years shave off the outward appearance. It's not sticky so you don't feel like you rubbed your eyes with a glue stick. It's got a light fragrance that you only really notice while applying it. I love using this, the worst part is remembering to put it on. 

 

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InstaNatural Retinol Moisturizer

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I received this product through Tomoson in exchange for my honest review. 

I really can't explain how much I love InstaNatural and their products. I love that they are natural, the top ingredients in this product are vitamin c, hyaluronic acid, jojoba oil, shea butter and green tea. It also has aloe Vera, sunflower oil and palm oil. 

I applied this product every other day after washing with my oil facial cleanser and usually at night. Anyone who has ever used a product with retinol in it knows it can increase skin sensitivity, especially to sunlight. Normally I have irritations to products with retinol in them because I have very sensitive skin. I didn't get any of that with InstaNaturals retinol lotion. What I did get is fine lines that all but vanished and wrinkles that are less visible. My skin is also softer and smoother. 

If you are in need of a lotion to help lessen the signs of aging I recommend this lotion to you. It's not heavy, can be worn under make up and isn't harsh. Plus, it works! 

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InstaNatural seaweed powder

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I received InstaNaturals Seaweed powder as a promotion through Tomoson in exchange for my honest review.

The smell is a little offsetting. It smells like the beach after seaweed has washed ashore and sat in the hot sun all day. That's the biggest downfall of this product. It comes with a couple recipes on the canister, I used the cellulite scrub which is a simple mixture of the powder, sea salt, Olive oil and essential oil if you choose. You mix it together, massage into the areas you wish to improve, mine was my thighs, then you just hop in the shower to rinse it off. I used it every other day for two weeks and have noticed quite the difference in the appearance of cellulite on my thighs. 

I also used the facial scrub recipe, again provided on the canister. This one uses the seaweed powder, coconut oil and sea salt. Using circular motions you rub it into your skin and rinse off with warm water. I followed up the scrub with my InstaNatural facial oil cleanser. My skin is so soft and smooth after using this a few times a week. This makes the cold winter air much easier to deal with. This time if year my skin usually gets so dried out because of the cold temperatures, this scrub makes it easy to beat the effects of the weather.

I think I'm going to try the body wrap next, I just need to get more plastic wrap! All in all I am yet again extremely happy with InstaNatural and their products! I'm constantly raving to friends , family and coworkers about this company and their products!

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KissMe Organic Ceremonial grade Matcha green tea

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I received KissMe Organic Ceremonial Grade Matcha Green Tea powder through Tomoson in exchange for my honest review. 

I am a huge fan of green tea! I've been drinking it for many years for the health benefits associated with it. Whenever I am sick, green tea is my go to remedy, usually with some honey. I was really excited to try Matcha because I've heard so many great things about Matcha compared to other green teas. Matcha is a fine powder instead of ground up tea leaves in a bag. You add a scoop to boiling water and whisk until you develop a froth. The thing to remember is that Matcha is definitely stronger and slightly more bitter than store bought teas. I tried it at first without any sweetener and decided I liked it much better with a teaspoon of organic honey. I have been drinking it several times a week and I absolutely love it! It's perfect for a warm drink on a cold afternoon and a much healthier option than hot chocolate. 

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One Direction Makeup tins

I tried out the One Direction Makeup Collectible tins and I thought they were alright. My young daughters are big fans of the band and went absolutely crazy when they saw that I had received these. I loved the colors of the eye shadows, especially the green one! The only downfall is it didn't last. It produced creasing after just a couple hours of wear. The eyeliner lasted but not the eyeshadow itself. The lip gloss was aimed more towards younger people as none of the colors appealed to me. My girls on the other hand absolutely loved them as well as the glittery over coat. I didn't get to try out the nail polish but my daughters used them and loved them! I think this would make a great gift for younger girls. Powered by BrandBacker

Dr. Song whitening and remineralizing kit

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Im a big time coffee drinker and smoker, my teeth are not as white as they could be, even though I use a whitening toothpaste twice a day, every day. 

I need some work done on my teeth that will involve white fillings. My dentist said I have to get my teeth whiter and cut back on coffee, yikes! 

I received the Dr. Song whitening kit in the mail in exchange for my honest opinion. I've only used it a handful of times but I'm seeing results. I'm sure with continued use my teeth will get whiter. 

Here's the deal with the kit, you get two teeth trays, a little blue light that helps with the whitening process, syringes of whitening gel that you paint on your teeth using a little brush, syringes of remineralizing gel and of course the brush.

So you take the trays, form them to your teeth, stick them in recently boiled water, put them back in your mouth and reform them again. Then you brush and floss your teeth. Carefully apply the whitening gel to your teeth using the brush, you don't want to get it on your gums, there is a warning on the website about the type of bleach used causing discoloration. Now, the whitening gel is recommended for about 15 minutes but can be left on for a couple hours. The blue light can be used for the first 15 minutes of whitening, it didn't last that long with me, it's a little awkward to use.

Seriously awkward! So, after whitening your teethe they recommend you brush your teeth again and wash out the trays. Then add the remineralizing gel and pop the trays back in your mouth for 15 minutes to 4 hours. I found the best way to get full coverage with the remineralizing gel is to gently brush it on your teeth using your toothbrush, squirt a little extra in the tray and then fit over your teeth. After however long you choose to leave this treatment on you wash the trays and brush your teeth again. It's a little bit of a process but I guess if you want shiny white teeth you need to make some sacrifices. Myself in particular since I love my coffee and cigarettes. I will continue to use the Dr. Song teeth whitening system since it has been working. I would probably see more dramatic results if I left it in longer or used it more frequently. I'm happy with the results so far! I've noticed quite a difference in the color of my teeth! 

This is after 4 times of using the whitening gel for only 15 minutes each time. I can't wait to see how white I can get them and hopefully before my dentist appointment next month!

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Kiss Instawave

I have never had much luck with curling irons, flat irons, any kind of product that uses heat to style your hair. I'm accident prone, I've burned myself using these products more times than I can count. I have naturally semi-wavy hair that changes depending on how long I keep it, more wavy when short, less wavy as it grows longer. I love waves, curls, tight or loose. I love being able to change the appearance of my hair as I please.

In comes the Kiss InstaWave. It's easy to use, I had my 7 year old do a couple strands of my hair. You don't put it close enough to your skin that it can burn you. It not only gave me pretty curls but it also smoothed my hair out while doing so, leaving the frizzy out of my style. It was so effortless and took me maybe 10 minutes to do my whole head, and I have a lot of hair. The best part? The curls lasted all day. I didn't even use any hair spray or other styling assistance. The curls just stayed, no matter how many times I ran my hands through my hair or how many hugs I got, the bouncy curls just stayed.

If you want to achieve easy lasting curls you need this product.

http://www.kissinstawave.com

I received this InstaWave iron free in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Elf on the shelf:the creepiest thing kids want

I am going to say it and I will probably have a lot of haters for it: I can not stand the elf on the shelf craze that has hit our country the last several years! It is my least favorite part of an already over commercialized holiday. I may be a Grinch but these are my thoughts. 

I have kids, 5 to be exact. Luckily, three of them are too old to believe in Santa. Unfortunately, because EVERYONE does this gosh darned elf on the shelf deal, my 7 year old is insistent that if we don't have one that means she is a bad kid. She is a typical 7 year old, she had her good days and bad. Why is she so worried? Because apparently the creepy looking elf is sent by Santa to watch over families and cause mischief? Apparently if you don't have an elf that means you are bad? The details are hazy for me as I could care less about this. 

Now, here is why I won't participate in this. First off, I posted something about this on Facebook and was met with the challenge of it being a way for kids to connect with each other and feel like they belong. Now, while I hope my kids never know the pain of being an outsider, I think connections that are worth making do not revolve around material things. Caving in and getting one, in my opinion is teaching my kids that you HAVE to be like everyone else. Keeping up with the Jones' comes to mind. I'm very much anti-fad. They are useless, I'm wagering that in a few years this elf crap will be done with. I have always worked hard to teach my kids to be happy with what they have, to not be envious of others and the only person they should ever be in competition with is themselves. 

Another reason I won't do it is because elves and even the jolly guy in red really have nothing to do withChristmas. Nothing. I'm not a religious person by any means but I try to teach my children of "proper Christian teachings." Christmas is my least favorite holiday. Let me tell you why I like Christmas first. With life as it is, we rarely have time to spend time with our families. I see my grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles *maybe* once a year, twice if there's a funeral. Second, Christmas is advertised earlier and earlier every year. It's over a month away and they already have Christmas crap out. Seriously people? Can I stuff my face with turkey and pie before you shove jolly St. Nick down my throat? Lastly, the bastardization of this holiday makes me sick. Every part of it. Jesus was not born on December 25th. St. Nick was originally based on a pagan god. And who came up with the idea of mortgaging your house to buy your kids gifts? Now they want to get this elf in my house? Nope! I work hard to teach my kids truths. Yes, I allow them the belief in Santa because frankly, my little one would become the enemy if the state. She can't keep a secret and I don't want or need a lynch mob showing up at my house because my kid spilled the beans about Santa. But more importantly I teach them it's not about gifts, it's not about other peoples traditions. You want a new tradition? We can celebrate Chanukah next year. 

Maybe I'm a Grinch but I would rather my kids try new things instead of own new things. I'd rather them be an outsider with convictions than a follower with none. Maybe the person was right, maybe Christmas is more about the kids but I can't help but feel that if you care about your kids you will give them knowledge, not objects. Besides, I really don't want that creepy elf in my house! That thing gives me nightmares!

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Venus Gillette Sensitive Skin

I have never shaved my legs and not had razor burn. I just accepted the fact that I have sensitive skin. Everything caused burning, bumps, pain...creams, razors even waxing. 

I received the Gillette Venus razor through Influenster and was honestly very skeptical. I've tried sensitive skin hair removers before and still had issues with my skin. 

So simple yet so amazing! From the first time I used this product I noticed the difference. A nice close shave without the irritation and burning from razor burn. I could even put lotion on my skin to combat dryness from the cold weather. No pain! I'm hooked. I think it's the only razor I'm going to use from now on. Why change what works?

#ItsNotMe #Gillette #Venus #Free #Influenster

Fast acting Advil

I was highly skeptical with the claims of super fast pain relief. I thought I had built up such a tolerance to pain relievers since more times than not I would take 2 and have to take more a couple hours later. I got my first headache the other day, ripped open a pack, popped the pills and within 10 minutes it was gone. This is huge considering I have two young daughters at home. I really wish this came out sooner! I had suffered so many headaches that prevented me from enjoying a lot of things. With Advil fast relied I can get back to my busy life.

Beauty by Shea's raw organic shea butter

I received Beauty by Shea's raw shea butter as a promotion through Tomoson. I'll be honest in saying I love products with shea butter but never actually used it in it's raw form. I called in help from one of my friends who often makes lotions and such from scratch. She was very impressed with the quality of the shea butter, said it's very high quality stuff. We made a couple jars of lotion, mixing it with coconut oil and tea tree oil. This is seriously my favorite lotion right now! It leaves my skin feeling silky smooth and it smells amazing!! Unfortunately, as I write this we haven't had a chance to make more products with it but we will. A little bit of this goes a long way and I'm anxious to learn what else we can make out of this. If you want to start making your own beauty products I recommend using Beauty by Shea's raw organic shea butter to get the best results. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b00llpt4hi #BeautyByShea 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.

Children n Us stroller organizer

I received the Children n us stroller organizer as a review product through Tomoson. To be fair, I don't have kids young enough to use this so I had a dear friend of mine use it. She has two kids under the age of three so she uses strollers and would have far more use of this product than myself. This is what she had to say about it:

So hoping it was going to work on my double stroller as this is my FAVORITE stroller with 2 under 3 years old. But... not even in the slightest bit was it useful with this :( by the way, this is a combi cosmo double stroller.

Too bulky, too much material, too akward to fill up with 2 diapers, a pack of wipes, a water bottle, and a beloved coffee cup

I then remembered i have my single stroller (a britax nimble). 

It worked flawlessly. All the excess bulk and material just went away when it was used on a single stroller. It fit perfectly between the handles. It actually utilized the empty space behind the umbrella. 

To be fair, the double stroller has one cupholder and two giant pockets behind the umbrellas that made the organizer stick out akwardly. What has always been a flaw with my britax stroller was no cupholder, no spot for my phone or water bottle  except the basket underneath that actually held the baby stuff. Im sure that I'll  be going back down to a single stroller sooner rather than later, so it's good to know that now i can take the smaller stroller on a walk to dunkin donuts and be able to set down my coffee.

So while she wasn't happy with the organizer for her double stroller, she was extremely excited on how great it was for her single stroller. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b00kj6a1fe #strollerorganizer 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.

Sleep Number from Smiley360

This was a fun mission to do! We went into our local Sleep Number store, which happened to be at the Maine Mall. The sales associate was so very nice despite my girls being little demons. She showed us the different features of the different beds, answered all our questions and even did profiles for us. My fiancé and I both got our Sleep Number emailed to us. Now we get inside knowledge of big sales coming our way. Check them out today!

NuElle anti cellulite cream

I received NuElle anti cellulite cream as a free promotion through Tomoson. I didn't follow the directions completely, life gets busy between work and raising kids. It says to use twice a day everyday. Sometimes that's impossible. I did good for about 4 days with the directions but I was impressed. It made the cellulite on my butt and thighs less noticeable. My skin felt softer and smoother. Those nasty cottage cheese looking bumps were virtually gone. I will definitely continue to use this product in hopes of getting used to doing it as part of a daily routine. The only real downfall with this product is the smell. It's really no different than any other anti cellulite cream, which to me is similar to hair removal creams. I think the results outweigh the smell which is probably the main reason I continued using it. http://www.amazon.com/dp/b003ujhsui #NuElle 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.

Foxbrim Hyaluronic Acid

I received Foxbrim Hyaluronic Acid Serum as a promotion through Tomoson. I was fairly impressed with this product. The serum smells better than other serums I have used and it helped smooth out some of my fine lines and wrinkles on my face and neck. I am sure with continued use the deeper lines would become far less visible. I am very impressed with Foxbrim products, they also have been great at answering any questions I may have. http://www.foxbrim.com #foxbrim 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.

Adovia Sulfur Soap for Acne, Blackheads and Oily Skin with Dead Sea Salt - 100% Natural Review

I was sent the Adovia Sulfur Soap to try out and write a review. I like this product, I do, but it wasn't my favorite. First, it is unscented which is great! Second, it did a great job clearing up my skin. It looks fantastic! The only downfall, which for me, this time of year is the worst, is my skin felt dry after washing with this soap. I had to use facial moisturizers to compensate. Now, I am not saying this is a horrible deal breaker for me, like I said, really enjoyed the soap and the results with my pimples and blackheads, but maybe not for this time of year. I live in the Northeast so everything gets cold and dry up here this time of year, including my skin and scalp. I still recommend this product to people who are looking for a soap to help with blemishes. I will have to try it again when it starts warming back up and see if my skin feels different then. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b00mg962aa #adovia 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.

InstaNatural Argan oil hair mask

Can I start by saying how great this product is? I used it on my hair first. My hair has been dyed and permed more times than I can count. It's fried, dry and more often than not, just unhealthy looking. I've used various shampoos, conditioners and moisture treatments with out success. Then I received this hair mask through a promotion. I only left it on for 5 minutes, which is the minimum amount of time they recommend. Rinsed and dried and was stunned! Even my fiancé noticed the difference! My hair was softer, looked healthier and just plain awesome!
 Not 100% satisfied with that result, I tested it on my youngest daughters hair. Her hair is insane! Long, thick and super curly! On average, using a spray on detangler, it takes 15 minutes and lots of tears to get her hair tamed. I applied this to her hair the other day after her shower, left on for 10 minutes and rinsed. After her hair air dried I could run my fingers through it to remove any residual snarls. I have never been able to run my fingers through her hair without fear of it snarling up. Not a single problem! I'm happy! She's happy!
  If you have hair concerns I recommend using this product. I am definitely getting more when this jar is all gone. I can't imagine using anything else! I think my favorite thing about it is that it's made with all natural products. The main ingredients are shea butter, coconut oil and Argan oil. It smells heavenly! I'm hooked! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/b00mnk9r5y #InstaNatural


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.

Apothecary Extracts 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil and recipe guide

Recently I received Apothecary Extracts Tea Tree Oil to review. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to do with it. I've used tea tree oil shampoo in the past but that's about it. Thankfully, they sent me a recipe guide so I could do more with it. The number of everyday uses are amazing!    The first thing I did was add a few drops to both my conditioner and shampoo since this time of year brings about flaky scalps. So now not only does my hair smell amazing but no flakes!
Then I wanted to see how it works for disinfecting and cleaning. I had to be careful because I have a puppy and have heard it's not good for them to ingest. The first item I used it on was our kitchen trash can which had developed some mold while in storage for a couple months. I simply added some tea tree oil and hot water and let it sit. After a few minutes I rinsed it out and wiped it down. It still smells amazing and hasn't developed any new mold growth. I made a basic mix of baking soda, tea tree oil and hot water to scrub out my toilet.
The next project I called a friend in on because she makes lotions often. We whipped up a lotion using the tea tree oil, shea butter and coconut oil. It is the best lotion I have ever used. The combination makes for ultra hydration and long lasting soft skin.
I was impressed with the tea tree oil without a lot of knowledge of it's uses. My friend who works with oils often said this was the best tea tree oil she has ever worked with. I would recommend this brand oil to anyone who wants to benefit from the vast possibilities of having this oil in their house. The best part is that it comes with a guide so you can learn as you go and discover new uses for this versatile product.
http://www.amazon.com/Australian-Potency-Aromatherapy-Household-Cleaning/dp/B00GF1NZLY/ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1410041130&amp;sr=8-19&amp;keywords=tea+tree+oil

#teatreeoil
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.