Fashion Friday : Summer Splurge or Save??

I've confessed before that I'm a self-proclaimed product junkie {anyone who has lived with me would agree}.  After marriage, my poor husband quickly learned that I have first dibs on all available cabinet and counter space {don't worry - he has a small shelf in the medicine cabinet}.

Needless to say, I've tried a lot of beauty products.  Some good, some not so good.  Today, I thought I'd dish on my recent favorites {and I hope to hear of yours as well...from one product lover to another}.

Skin

Splurge

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Skincare System - My skin never looked better!  It's clear.  It's clean.  And it glows!  It's certainly on the pricey side, but if you have it in the budget, it is oh so worth it!  {It's rarely in my budget, but when it is, my skin is so happy.}

This is a swiss skincare system packed with vitamin C and other amazing anti aging ingredients.  They use only the best {and they leave out the harmful, not so healthy ingredients - hence the hefty price tag...most bottles average around $50 each}.

Save

Giovanni D:tox System - This is my wallet friendly alternative to Arbonne.  Around $8 a bottle, this system has a great {gentle, yet effective} cleanser, purifying scrub, replenishing moisturizer and purifying mask.  It uses volcanic ash, activated charcoal and antioxidants to pull out impurities.  

Summer Must Have 

Aveda Intensive Hydrating Masque - This mask is amazing.  Perfect for sunburnt or winter dry skin.  It's packed with healing aloe, soothing kelp, calming lavender and gentle rosewater.  Sometimes I put it in the fridge to soothe a red face, or in the past have left it on over night to hydrate dry skin.  It's something my cabinet never lacks.  {It's a little less expensive here.}

Hair

Splurge

Pureology Perfect4Platinum - This shampoo & conditioner is such a great source of moisture and strength to my color/heat treated hair.  When it's in my budget, I love to splurge on this set cause it leaves my hair feeling healthy, shiny and totally moisturized {without weighing it down}.  

Save

Umberto Beverly Hills - I stumbled upon this at Target while on the hunt for higher quality hair care without the steep price tag and decided to try the trial size {this is big for me, cause I NEVER use drugstore products on my hair}.  To my surprise I loved it {and got several compliments on my hair after my first few uses}.  About $9 a bottle, it's a great duo when money is tight.  It keeps hair lightly moisturized and silky without making it heavy or causing buildup.  Not bad Target, not bad.

Summer Must Have

Juice Organics Brightening Shampoo - With all of the chlorine in my shower water {and I even have a purifier attached, but I can still feel and smell it}, my hair loses its shine quickly.  It also causes my shampoos to build up no matter what I use.  This organic {& affordable - about $9 in stores, $7 here} shampoo is my once a week goto, giving my hair a fresh start.  Perfect after summer swimming & sweating.


Tools

All Around Must Have

SpaCell Body & Face Sponge - My neighbor works for the company that makes these sponges and he gave them to hubby and I as a gift.  I was skeptical at first glance {he claimed it helped reduce cellulite and regenerate skin cells} but after a week or two of use, I was a believer!  These have become my most used and most loved body tools.  Made from a light weight anti-microbial material, these sponges dry incredibly fast and never harbor yucky bacteria.  The Body Mitt is a great replacement for molding {and bacteria-loving} loofas and sponges, and it does exactly as our neighbor says it does - encourages cell regeneration thus causing cellulite to disappear.  {I seriously thought I was going crazy - after about 2 weeks of daily use, my legs were cellulite free!}  The smaller pink mitt is the Facial Sponge - the pink side is a tad thicker, acting as an exfoliant and the clear side is more gentle, perfect for removing makeup or cleansing in the morning.  {Thanks Steve!!}

This website wrote a great review on these two products if you'd like to read more.

  

These "tools" are a deal no matter how you look at it!

E.L.F. Studio Brushes - I try to replace my makeup brushes yearly.  Sure I clean them, but after 365 days of use and several cleanings, they begin to show their wear.  And I'm sure we all know that good brushes are expensive.  I've tried brushes from Bare Escentuals and Sephora, and while I loved them, it got expensive trying to replace them yearly.  After reading a review in a beauty magazine, I decided to order a handful of E.L.F studio brushes {averaging at $3 a brush - what a steal!!}.  The verdict?  I love them!  They're just as great as my expensive brushes and they're a fraction of the price.  I'll be a return user for sure!

{Use promo code "TAF20" at checkout to receive 20% off your entire E.L.F. order.}

E.L.F. Daily Brush Cleaner - Speaking of cleaning brushes, this spray cleanser is a great daily cleanser to use in between real cleanings.  A spray or two on each brush after I use it, keeps it fresh and bacteria free.  And at $3 a bottle, why not??

E.L.F. Makeup Mist & Set - And lastly, the makeup mist.  This is a great way to set or refresh your makeup application.  Just one spritz will do.  It keeps your makeup bright, fresh and in place all day.  This too is just $3.00 - who can resist??

That's it for the Summer Splurge or Save - hope it was helpful!  Would love to hear your thoughts on any of these products & would die to hear know your favorite summer products are!  

Happy weekend!

*This is not a sponsored post.  These are simply my own opinions.

Heart : Made to Give Life

{creepy shopping & texting moment}

So Saturday, hubby and I ventured out to the great land of Gilroy to hit up the outlet mall {oh. my. goodness.  Words cannot describe the mess it was! People people everywhere.}  Of course our first stop was In-N-Out for lunch {madness I tell you...we had to hover over people for 20 minutes just to score a table}, and then it began....

I've never been one to struggle in the weight department.  Thankfully I tend to have a naturally high metabolism, and have lived a pretty active life since I was a kid.  I was taught to eat well and take care of my body at a young age {thanks mom & dad}.  Like almost every kid, I went through that majorly awkward "ugly" stage of life - you know the years I'm talking about.  Middle school.  Those middle school years were just brutal {think pimples, unibrow (seriously mom?!), funky body odor, a bad haircut (I took a pic of Mary Kate & Ashley to my hairdresser as a kid and for some reason she had decided that was my signature cut. I couldn't escape it. No matter what I requested, I got the MK & A cut. My hair was too thick for the cut and it would flip and fall wherever it so desired. No good.) and weight that hadn't yet evenly distributed itself - oh!  And not to mention terrible and I mean just down right awful fashion sense.}. Side note - I've done my very best to hide photos of these incriminating years from hubby, but every now and then one will resurface {I really need to burn them} and he'll say things like, "I wonder if we would have been friends if we had known each other back then?" ha!  The beauty of middle school is ignorance.  I had no idea, until I stepped through the doors of my new school in 9th grade, that I was hideous.  Girls actually styled their hair, accessorized their outfits, wore makeup and drugstore deodorant (mom tried making my sister and I use these weird rocks from the health food store - I kid you not.  ROCKS!  You ran them under water and then rubbed them under your armpits. Did I mention I grew up in hot, sticky Florida?).  Hello awareness.

It's only by Gods good grace that I made it through those years without scars from insecurities.  It was my Freshman year that my true walk with the Lord began, and I know that intimacy with God {and not with boys} was what saved me.  I am forever grateful.

Twelve years later I'm more insecure now than I may have been in 9th grade.  I feel like I've got a pretty good fashion sense.  No more unibrow and {praise the Lord} I've got deodorant that does the job.  I've discovered passions and developed gifts {music, art, writing, homemaking, cooking, baking, etc.} and I'm much less socially awkward than I was back then.  So what do I have to be insecure about?  Those cute little dimples that grace the back of my thighs, the mid section that doesn't seem to be affected by tiresome ab workouts and the arms that flap when I wave.  I workout twice as much as I did in my "glory" days, I don't touch bread or processed foods and I eat plenty of fruits and veggies.  What's the deal?

A pregnant girlfriend of mine recently confided, "the hardest thing about being pregnant is watching my body grow. Clothes don't fit & everything I worked so hard at keeping toned is round."  Another friend recently showed marks that pregnancy left behind.  I thought of these two friends as I stood before a mirror on Saturday sulking at the more "mature" figure staring back at me.  "God, help me to love myself," I prayed.  I've never been through pregnancy, nor do I particularly look forward to that season of life, but I know that as a woman, the changes in your body, whether it be pregnancy or just a change in metabolism, can take their toll both emotionally and physically.

No one really prepares you to face these feelings and emotions.  I think that like my freshman year, intimacy with God is what will save me.  I may never be a size 2 again, I may not see cellulite free legs and I will probably have to work my tush off to stay "fit," but I'm reminded daily that through my flaws and imperfections my body is amazing no matter the size or shape.  Children or no children, we women are created to give life either through body & heart {or both}.  I'm determined to give life.  No more sulking over vanity.  I'm filling up on Jesus this week and ready to breathe life into those who are around me!

Hope you'll do the same.

Lots of love...