Friday #DIY! Instant Luminous Glowing Skin!

I have recently become a fan of Radha Beauty after reviewing their wonderful skin care regimen. I'm impressed with their high quality products, so I was quite excited about testing out their Argan Oil for a review!

Product Description:

- Only one ingredient! 100% Pure Argan Oil!

- Cold Pressed Virgin Oil to ensure best quality and highest-grade oil for the ultimate healthy glow.

- High quality dropper and ebook included with purchase

- Natural, Unscented, and Lightweight Moisturizer that is perfect for hair, skin and scalp!

- Lifetime Hassle Free Money Back Guarantee!

What I Love about Radha's Argan Oil:

- Argan Oil has so many uses!  
 Apply as Moisturizer after Showering for All Day Moisturized Skin, and use in various DIY recipes for salt/sugar scrubs.

- I appreciate knowing that this is high quality Argan Oil from a company I trust.

- I love the beautiful, cobalt blue bottle that is both attractive and practical.  The dark glass protects the oil from light exposure.

- This oil has a very light scent of argan nuttiness, which is quite pleasant.

- I think that Radha's price for a 4 oz bottle of high quality Argan Oil is very good!





How I Use Radha Beauty's Argan Oil:

 Add to BB Cream for Instant Luminous Glow!

Mix a Pea-Sized Amount of BB Cream with 1 Drop of Argan Oil on your sponge/beauty blender/ blender dupe.

Apply and look effortlessly amazing!

Final Verdict: Yay!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Brandbacker and made possible by Radha Beauty.  Products were provided in exchange for my time in assessing their quality and writing an honest review about them. All product information is gleaned from the manufacturer's product description.  All opinions are my own based on my experiences with the product.  All photos are my own. 

#DIY Sea Salt Scrub with Pure Body Naturals

Well friends, its #DIY Friday Again!  I know I just posted a DIY project yesterday, but I'm having waay to much fun with these little projects.  So, I'm squeezing two into one week!  Double the fun, right?

So, before we get started on today's #DIY, I want to introduce you to the star of the show, Pure Body Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil!

Product Description:

- 100% Pure Natural Base Oil: liquid, ordorless, colorless, non-greasy, non-staining. 

- Botanical: cocos nucifera

- Produces a barrier on the skin that locks in moisture, but will not clog pores.

What I Love about Pure Body Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil:

- Readily absorbs to soothe dry skin!

- Perfect for Use with Essential Oils as a carrier oil or other DIY skin care projects!

- I feel confident recommending in this oil with Pure Body Naturals 100% Lifetime Money Back Promise if customers are not satisfied in any way!

- I think this fractionated Coconut Oil is well priced at $14.45 for 16 fl oz.

Verdict: Yay!

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How I Use Pure Body Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil:

Let's make a Sea Salt Body Scrub!

What we'll need:

-  1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (I used Pure Body Naturals Fractionated Coconut Oil)

- 1/4 Cup Sea Salt (I used Dead Sea Mineral Salts)

- 1/4 Cup Epsom Salts

- 10 Drops of your Favorite Essential Oils (I used peppermint, sweet orange & lemon since I love that combination in my sugar scrub)

- Container (I used an old plastic container that once held a hair conditioning mask)

What we'll do: 

1. In a mixing bowl, add your coconut oil.

2. Add sea salt & Epsom salts, stir until well blended.

3. Add Essential Oils

4. Pour mixture into your container!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tomoson.com and made possible by Pure Body Naturals.  Products were provided in exchange for my time in assessing their quality and writing an honest review about them. All product information is gleaned from the manufacturer's product description.  All opinions are my own based on my experiences with the product.  All photos are my own. 

Friday #DIY! Reviews + Minty Lemon Sugar Scrub!

I'm really excited about to share with you that one of my very favorite brands, InstaNatural, is launching a new line of Essential Oils!!

Product Descriptions:

- Lemon Essential Oil: extracted from the rinds of lemon, which lends its fresh citrus fragrance. This cold-pressed oil has a strong bright scent that is both refreshing and uplifting. Its astringent and purifying properties also make it a great aid to help cleanse and tone the skin, while delivering a boost of Vitamin C antioxidant benefits.

- Peppermint Essential Oil: a multi-purpose oil that cools, energizes and refreshes the body and mind. This steam-distilled oil is extracted from dried or fresh leaves from the Mentha Piperita herb, giving it a sharp, menthol fragrance. Its pleasantly sweet and minty aroma makes it a premium choice for aromatherapy to improve the mind and lift the spirits.

- These essential oils are 100% Pure Cold Pressed!

What I love about InstaNatural's Essential Oils:

- High quality Essential Oils

- Wonderful aroma!

- Fantastic for DIY Projects

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I am also really excited about GoPure Naturals' 100% Fractionated Coconut Carrier Oil & Massage Oil!  I have recently become very excited about essential oils, and many projects using essential oils require carrier oils.  I am thrilled to have the opportunity to utilize and review this coconut carrier oil today!

Product Description:

- Premium Grade (Grade A)

- Lightweight emollient that smooths and hydrates without clogging pores or causing breakouts.  Never sticky or greasy.

- Highly Cost Effective, because it does not go rancid!  Plus, it works well with other carrier oils!

- Great for #DIY projects at home: soaps, lotions, hair care, ointments, etc.

What I love about GoPure Naturals' Coconut Oil:

- Very affordable at $15.95 for 16 fl oz!

- Feels great on my skin!

- PERFECT for use with essential oils!

- The bottle is attractive with a lid that makes dispensing the product easy and mess-free!

- It has no smell.  So, if you don't like the smell of coconut like me, this should be a great coconut oil for you!

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How I Use InstaNatural's Peppermint and Lemon Essential Oils with GoPure Naturals' Coconut Oil:

Make A Minty Lemon Sugar Scrub!

What You'll Need:

- Jar (Container with a twist top or a glass jar.  I repurposed an empty, clean body butter jar.)

- White Granulated Sugar (1 1/4 cups)

- Coconut Oil (1/2 cup): I used Coconot Oil from goPure Naturals

- Peppermint & Lemon Essential Oils (10-12 drops of each): I used Essential Oils from InstaNaturals 

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together sugar and coconut oil.  Then add drops of Lemon and Peppermint Essential Oils.  Put the mixture into your container.  If you're giving this as a gift, one batch will fill a few small containers.

Finally, I added a label to my container with permanent marker and allowed the writing to dry completely.

Verdict: Yay!

I love how these ingredients mix well and easily.  The scrub gently sloughs off dead skin while leaving skin feeling fresh, clean, and moisturized.  Even hubby enjoys this one for his hands!  I'm thrilled with the idea of making presents of this in the future.  

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Easy Links to Amazon for all products used in this #DIY Friday project (affiliate links):

          

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tomoson.com and made possible by InstaNatural and GoPure Naturals.  Products were provided in exchange for my time in assessing their quality and writing an honest review about them. All product information is gleaned from the manufacturer's product description.  All opinions are my own based on my experiences with the product.  All photos are my own. 

Joining with 1000 Voices for Compassion: One Simple Way to Embody Compassion

I am so excited about the opportunity to join with other bloggers to write about compassion today!

For me, compassion begins as something intangible, a slippery thought that draws me beyond my normal mode of operating, and invites me to consider the creatures around me in a new, kinder, and more gentle way.

It is very important to me that those moments of compassion become embodied in some way.  Whether compassion takes the form of kind words to another, giving myself the time and space to relax in a bubble bath, or simply smiling with understanding at the father calming a crying baby in the grocery store, I want to be a living expression of compassion in the world.

Hubby and I moved from a suburb of Atlanta to a suburb of Chicago in 2008.  I had never seen homelessness in such stark, harsh reality before reaching Evanston, IL.  There were usually one or two men of various ages who waited outside my local Jewel-Osco to ask for food, money, basically anything others were willing and able to spare.  

I remember the first of many times I shared what I could spare with one particular gentleman.  I rarely carry cash on me, and so I had intended to get him something from my cash back option at the checkout line.  But, after my long trek through the store, I completely forgot.  I felt horribly.  So, I frantically dug about in my parcels, and pulled out several oranges.  His ability to ask and willingness to express genuine gratitude astonished me.  I remember him commenting on how helpful they would be fighting off sickness in the oncoming winter.

Through our years of graduate school, and early marriage, Hubby and I have been reliant on the compassion of family and friends more than once.  After surviving an apartment fire in which we lost everything, I clearly remember what it is to go to sleep in a foreign bed with nothing more to my name than the clothes on my back.  In the financially tight moments since that apartment fire, I am eternally grateful that I have never had to know the coldness of sleeping on concrete, the hunger of not knowing where my next meal is coming from, nor the harshness of untreated mental illness.

I'm writing about compassion and homelessness, because I believe that it is an invitation to move beyond our society's judgement that we ought to "pull ourselves up by our bootstraps."  I believe that it isn't even about generosity.  It is about knowing what I can spare and what I cannot spare.  John the Baptist had a simple, yet practical, teaching about love: if you have two coats give one to someone who does not have a coat.  

I still rarely carry cash.  I'm a graduate student on a tight budget, and I would definitely give away more than we could afford if I carried cash in my pocket.  However, I saw a YouTube video HowTo about Backpacks for the Homeless, and I was inspired.  So, I carry little kits with me in the car so that when someone asks, I can offer what I do have to spare!

I keep one kit in the car at a time.  After I give one away, its time to make another.  Every kit is a little different based on what extras I have on hand when its time to make a new one. 

This kit Includes:

- Lotion, Shampoo, Conditioner, Bath & Face Soaps: from a recent hotel stay.

- Washcloth: purchased as a bundled pack of 10 from Target for $3.

- Toiletries Bag: purchased from the $1 Spot at Target.

- Paper and Pen: from a recent hotel stay.

- InTouch Magazine: encouraging reading material.

- Quaker Chewy Dipps: took a few from a box I bought for Hubby's lunches.

Total Out of Pocket Cost: ~$5

I give out of my home what I can spare for someone who does not have a home.  This is one way I embody the compassion I want and need to be more present in the world around me.  I hope that this contribution to the 1000 Voices for Compassion helps to inspire you to consider how compassion is a part of your every day life!

What does compassion mean to you?  How do you embody it in your life?  When are you most in need of compassion from others or from yourself?

#DIY Friday: Aromatherapy for This Beginner!

Okay, so I've been having a difficult time staying focused and awake while working on my comprehensive exams (as I'm sure we're all aware by now).

So, as part of my latest reviews, I've been becoming increasingly interested in essential oils and their benefits!

My first serious project was to create a home fragrance that I could put on my desk to help me focus, concentrate, and feel a little bit more upbeat than I have lately.

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I gathered all my materials:

- Small Jar: I found this diffuser set on clearance at Marshall's for $2.99!  It came with an oil in a separate container so I'm using this set for my own!

- Reeds: Mine came in the set I found on clearance, but you can find them either on Amazon, Pier 1 Imports, or likely any boutique that specializes in essential oils. ( I struck out at my local Target, as a side note).

- Lemon Essential Oil: this is supposed to relieve depression and anxiety, which is great for me!  I struggle with anxiety based depression, which tends to disrupt my ability to concentrate, stay on task, and be productive.  Since I received some for review, I figured, this would be the perfect place to start!

- Mineral Oil: simple baby oil helps to carry the solution up the reeds

- Alcohol: Either vodka or rubbing alcohol.

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Then I Put Them Together:

- Mix 1/4 cup of Mineral Oil and 2 Tbsp. of Alcohol

- Add 1 1/2 Tbsp of Essential Oil

- Pour mixture into small jar and add reeds

Final Product:

Perfect for my desk! 

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Care & Maintenance:

- Flip the Reeds every few days

- Refresh with more essential oils as needed

- Replace reeds when they become completely saturated with oil

I hope that you've enjoyed this little DIY post!  What other DIY projects would you like to read about here?

The Dead Sea is in my Bathtub!

I am a huge fan of bath salts, and baths involving salts.

I first learned of their magical qualities the first summer I was a full time reading teacher.  I had to haul all of my materials for 2-3 classes to various sites all over Atlanta Metro in the dead heat of a southern summer.  After 10 hour days of being on my feet, instructing (read: listening to myself teach), navigating 1 class of 1st & 2nd graders, followed by 4th & 5th graders, and ending the day with grumpy 9th-12th graders, left me exhausted, sore, and headache-y.

That's when my now-husband introduced me to Epsom Salt Baths.  I seriously wondered how it had taken 22 years for someone to introduce me to these magical little crystals.

From then on, I've been hooked on bath salts!

So, when Adovia invited me to use and review their 100% Dead Sea Salts, I was overjoyed!

Product Description:

- Dead Sea Salts have a much higher concentration than Epsom Salt!

- This sea salt is finely ground for faster dissolving

- It arrives in a resealable bag for easy storage

- It is formulated with over 26 essential minerals the body needs for natural soothing and relaxation!

- Provides relief from Psoriasis, Eczema, and Arthritis Symptoms

- Provides relief from aches and pains when used as a bath soak.  Plus, naturally rejuvenates, exfoliates and softens your skin while soothing your body!

- Contains no additives, no added colors, no scents.

How I Use Adovia 100% Dead Sea Bath Salts

I enjoy particularly hot baths.  So, I put 4 generous tablespoons of Bath Salts into a tub of very hot water along with several drops of essential oils.  I soaked while listening to Tina Fey read Bossy Pants for about 30 minutes.

After my long bath, I felt extremely calm and refreshed.  My muscles felt significantly relaxed.  I've noticed for the past few days that my skin feels more moisturized and softer.

I love the resealable bag! The bag is made of rather sturdy plastic.  I do wish that the bath salts had come with suggested amounts to use for baths, foot soaks, etc.  Since I know these bath salts are more concentrated, I think that guidelines would have been helpful.  

I'm definitely impressed with these bath salts!  You can find them on Adovia's website or Amazon for $2.25/lb.

Verdict: Yay!!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tomoson.com and made possible by Adovia.  Products were provided in exchange for my time in assessing their quality and writing an honest review about them. All product information is gleaned from the manufacturer's product description.  All opinions are my own based on my experiences with the product.  All photos are my own. 

DIY Friday: Relax & Recharge!

So, at the end of a long week, how do you recharge, relax, and unwind?

Its so easy to forget to take care of ourselves.  Our lives are incredibly busy, and filled with stresses.  We have to learn to take time to stop and rest.  And, no, I don't mean sleep.

I mean rest.

I took this off the coast of Kawaii in 2010; its the point that is farthest away from any mainland in the entire world.  So, it felt very much like escaping the entire world!

We need time to tune out the rest of the world, and retreat into a time and space that belongs only to us . . . even if its only for a little while.  Its in those moments when we can rest, recharge, and take the opportunity to just breathe.

In appreciation of the calming effects of the ocean, and the health benefits of sea salt, I will share my tips for relaxation that are filled with connections to the Dead Sea!

My DIY Relax & Recharge Friday Night Recipe:

1. Favorite AudioBook: I'm currently listening to Bossy Pants by Tina Fey.  (Audio, because Paper + Me + Water = Trouble). Nothing better for the tired woman than listening to Tina Fey!

2. Bath Salts: You can use plain Epsom Salts.  I used 100% Dead Sea Bath Salts from Adovia (I felt so fancy!).  Salts help soften skin, exfoliate, and relax tired muscles!

3. Essential Oils: I used several drops of Peppermint and Sweet Orange Essential Oils.  Peppermint Oil is supposed to help relax tight muscles, boost energy, and improve mental focus.  Sweet Orange Oil is supposed to alleviate depression & anxiety, relieve inflammation and muscle spasms.  I just wanted to try something new and thought they smelled good!

4. Pampering Moment: Apply a facial mask, shave your legs, play in the bubbles, anything!  I decided to apply a Dead Sea Mud Mask from InstaNaturals.

5. Set the Mood: Before drawing my nice hot bath, I made sure that my bedroom was tidied up, my new robe was laid out for when I was finished, and I lit a candle.  Its the little things that help you feel like its your moment to escape!

What is your favorite way to relax and recharge at the end of a long week?  What other DIY tips would you like to read?

Lovely Lemon Oil! Perfect for DIY!

I am having so much learning all about essential oils and what I can do with them!  I can't wait to share more posts with DIY tips!

But first, I need to introduce the company that really got me hooked: Majestic Pure Cosmeceuticals!

Majestic Pure Cosmeceuticals is based in California.  Their focus is on creating the highest quality botanicals, including essential oils, carrier oils, clays, toners, and serums.

I thoroughly enjoyed the quality and usefulness of Majestic Pure's Peppermint Oil earlier this month!  So, I was very excited about reviewing their Lemon Oil to compliment it!

This 100% Pure & Natural, Therapeutic Grade Lemon Oil has a pleasant aroma that will fill a room, making it perfect for aromatherapy!

I found a great DIY tutorial for a homemade diffuser recipe!  This blogger calls for Mineral Oil, Vodka, Essential Oil, Glass Jar & Reeds.  I substituted rubbing alcohol for the vodka, as other bloggers suggested, and it works wonderfully!  I'm very anxious while working on my comprehensive exams, and this light scent in the apartment helps me feel calm & focused.

Lemon Oil has several other uses as well!  I'm always impressed what I find when I search for blog posts on essential oil uses.  They seem to be limitless in their abilities to be amazing!

For example, I added some to my shampoo one morning when my hair felt especially gross to cut the grease and product build-up.  Worked like a charm!

Lemon Oil also works wonders as a cleaning agent!

 A tip from one of my DIY friends was to add a few drops to Baking Soda + Dish Soap to make your own bathroom scrub.  It worked really well!

You can find Majestic Pure Cosmeceuticals' 100% Pure & Natural Lemon Oil on Amazon for $14.95 for 4 fl oz!  After doing some hunting online, I'll say that I think this is a very generous amount for such a great price!

Verdict: Yay!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Tomoson.com and made possible by Majestic Pure Cosmeceuticals.  Products were provided in exchange for my time in assessing their quality and writing an honest review about them. All product information is gleaned from the manufacturer's product description.  All opinions are my own based on my experiences with the product.  All photos are my own.