Bring The Spa Home For Less This Valentine's Day

One of the things I'm sure many moms can agree on is that we never take enough for ourselves. We are constantly trying to shuttle kids around, cook, clean, tackling mountains of laundry, and we tend to feel frazzled by dinnertime. Going to a spa sounds like a great idea, but the reality is that it's just not doable for most of us. Besides the cost involved, there is that time issue. Well why not bring the spa home to you? 

By having some simple items, you can feel pampered and relaxed without stepping foot outside of your home.

The Home Spa Treatment System by Instrumental Beauty is a great first step. This amazing tool is a 4-in-1 and is made for your body, face and feet. It has 4 attachment heads that include an over-sized rotary brush for the body, smaller one for face, a micro-dermabrasion sponge and a pedi smoothing stone.

This tool come with 4 AA batteries and packs a lot of power. It is a great way to feel like you had a mini spa session. It scrubs away dead skin to reveal your natural glow and to restore smoothness. I keep mine on the side of my tub for daily use, because why not! This home spa system can be purchased for only $30. I know you or someone you love is worth that. I'm sure you will not get any type of spa service for that price. Also to go along with your spa system, you need a good bath and shower gel. The Yardley Lavender and Rosemary is perfect! It is made with lavender essential oil and will calm your senses. At only $4.99, it's a great value. Definitely way less than the boutique brands, and just as effective. It's available at Walgreens, Rite-Aid, Publix and more.

Make sure you don't forget your lips. Yes, even your lips should be pampered. Lypsyl Ultra Soothing lip balm is a simple way to make your lips kissably soft and smooth. Formulated from all-natural, pure Swedish beeswax, and a combination of natural and therapeutic ingredients like organic Shea butter, coconut oil, Vitamin E and Vitamin A, Lypsyl provides unsurpassed moisture and lip protection. It’s only $2.99 and comes in Chamomile & Honey or Original Mint. You can purchase it at Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Rite-Aid and other retailers nationwide.

These items would make a great gift for Valentine's Day or as a just because gift. I'm thinking ahead of Mother's Day as well. Don't forget your co-workers, moms, sisters, girlfriends, teachers and YOURSELF!

I received product samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own as always.  

Prom nails made easy with KISS Salon Acrylic French Nails #Prom2015

I am absolutely filled with emotion these days with all of the upcoming events leading up to my senior daughter's big day; Graduation. Of course the months before she does graduate are packed with back-to-back events. One of the biggest and most memorable will be her Senior Prom. We already ordered her dress and have started looking around for the perfect shoes and accessories. Since our budget is limited to allow her to partake in additional senior events, we are going the DIY route for certain things. I will be doing her make-up and hair as well as her nails. Of course on prom day, the hours seem to feel like minutes and time goes by way too quickly. One shortcut we will take is by using KISS Salon Acrylic French Nails for the perfect 'manicure' in minutes. No worries about nail polish drying or trying to get into the nail salon on what will be one of the busiest days of the year.

KISS makes life so much easier and you get the exact look you want with minimal effort or skill level. And for the price of only $7.99, it is a very smart choice! These French nails come on 6 varieties: Halo Effect, Sugar Rush, Alter Ego, Dry Spell, Simple Life and Pet Peeve. The lengths are either short or medium and the thickness of the white part varies.

Details:
Acrylic-infused nails deliver a flawless French manicure that costs less than a salon.

Acrylic-infused technology delivers a flawless French manicure that’s 10X stronger than other brands. The easy-to-apply nails go on with a seamless cuticle line so they look natural, and have a perfect French smile line that’s consistent on every nail!

Brie has tried these nails in the past and loved them. They really do look like you went to the salon and spent a lot. The best part is you don't have to be worried about chipping your polish or breaking a nail. These are the perfect solution to having beautiful nails for prom. As a mom, I'm very pleased with the price!

KISS Nails are available at Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kmart and other retailers. See all of the products available at KISSusa and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to learn about the latest products.

I received products samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own as always. 

I swore I would never do it. I lied...

I have often talked about embracing my gray hair. I said I would never consider coloring my hair. I said I would let nature do what it wanted to. I lied. I am starting to freak out over all the gray hair popping up all through my jet black locks. Most people think I am crazy and don't notice my grays. I notice them. It looks like a silver fountain cascading at the top of my head. I don't like it. I just happened to qualify for a Klout Perk a couple weeks ago and it was for hair color by Revlon. I even got to choose the color. I am way too chicken to change the actual color of my hair so I chose black. I plan to cover my gray when I can get up the nerve to go through with it. I better check the expiration date on the package.

I think the whole turning 40 this year is freaking me out just a little bit.

I haven't shaved my legs in 6 weeks

It's true, I am not lying. I haven't shaved my legs in 6 weeks!  Mind you, I usually shave 3-4 times a week. How is this possible? I started using VEET® Hair Removal Cream . I received a bottle of the VEET Gel Cream Pump to test out and have been using it once a week, for 6 weeks. I have noticed smoother skin longer compared to traditional shaving. It makes me wonder why I haven't been using VEET all this time! It is so easy to use and takes about 3-6 minutes. When you wash the cream off, all you feel is super-moisturized and smooth skin. I don't know if I will ever shave again!

About this product: 

Get touchably smooth skin for up to twice as long as shaving with VEET® Hair Removal Cream. Unlike shaving that can sometimes dry the delicate surface of your skin, the formula from VEET contains ingredients that can help restore skin's hydration levels. This formula is designed to work close to the root of the hair. Therefore your hair can take noticeably longer to grow back and your skin stays smoother for longer!* This specially designed Sensitive formula is enriched with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E to ensure maximum respect of your skin.
*Than shaving with your regular razor.

Stay connected with VEET on Facebook.

Influenster Holiday #VoxBox 2012 Review

I was so lucky to get chosen to receive the last Influenster VoxBox of 2012, the holiday edition! It contained a NYC New York Liquid Color Lipshine, Kiss Nail Dress, Goody Quikstyle Brush, Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+, SoleSociety discount offer and  EBOOST Natural Energy packet.

The first thing I tried (well more like my son tried) was the Quaker Real Medleys Oatmeal+ in the Summer Berry variety. I really liked how hearty this oatmeal was in comparison to the usual instant oatmeal. It was full of dried berries and the serving was really big. He really enjoyed it and kept going on about how full he was.  I will be buying these for road trips and even for my husband to keep in his desk at work as a quick breakfast option.

I was really excited  to test out the Goody Quikstyle Brush. It has these unique micro-fiber "bristles" that are supposed to help reduce blow-drying time. The brush is also supposed to be good for detangling. I can't be certain if it really lessens the drying time but it works so well for detangling! I think one of the best things is how big the brush is since my hair is so long. It really makes blow-drying easier. You can clean it by giving it a little wash with your regular shampoo and air dry it. This is something I would actually buy in the future.

Next up, Kiss Nail Dress. I was originally going to let one of my daughters try these out but I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and get a little crazy. Kiss Nail Dress is basically nail polish stickers that require no drying time and last up to 10 days. The application process is relatively easy except I had a hard time getting the stick edges to smooth out. I also did not like the strong odor that they gave off. I think my nails had a strong chemical smell for at least 48 hours. I almost took the darn things off! I found that after two days, the edges were smooth and the look really grew on me. I think this particular color pattern (called Shrug) was good for me since you couldn't tell if the tips were wearing down. I kept them on for 7 days and could have gone longer, but I had to remove them since I had one nail break and I was forced to peel off the nail strip. They came off easily but I feel like the surface of my nail looked rough, almost like it was stripped. Thankfully they looked normal the next day. I am still not sure if I would buy these in the future but they are a fun nail look without the hassle of drying time or using polish remover.

I really liked the NYC New York Liquid Color Lipshine in the color Nude York City. It was really smooth, shiny and creamy at the same time. It felt good on my lips and smelled almost like candy. It didn't last very long but I guess most lip glosses wouldn't. I would love to try a darker color in the future. They retail for about $2.50 so that's not bad at all.

The last two items were the EBOOST supplement packet and the $25 off a purchase from Sole Society. I know for a fact I will not try the EBOOST because it does not appeal to me. I looked at the shoes from Sole Society and was not impressed at all. Also, I am one of those people that needs to try on a physical shoes before I purchase them.

All in all, this was a really good VoxBox and I look forward to the next one! Thank you, Influenster!

COVERGIRL Blastflipstick Review #gotitfree

When I got the email that I would be receiving a few of the new COVERGIRL Blastflipsticks for review, I was so thrilled. Besides my love of all things food and cleaning products, I LOVE cosmetics! I received 3 COVERGIRL Blastflipsticks blendable lip duos in "Minx", "Stunner" and "Perky". Although all the colors were very pretty, I was really afraid they wouldn't be as pretty on me. Some of them were a bit different from my day-to-day usual colors. The only way to find out was to try them out.

I gravitated towards the Minx duo because the chocolate and bronze were calling my name! I love dark colors, especially during the colder months. I usually wear lip balm before any lip color so I started with that. I then applied the chocolate color and loved it. I flipped it over to the goldy/bronze side and swiped a little over the chocolate color. It was gorgeous! I really do prefer the look of matte lip color over creamy and I was impressed by how long it lasted. I really like the fact that you can blend the colors or wear them alone. This gives a more unique and customized look.

Since then, I have tried the other colors and really was surprised how well the lighter and brighter tones looked on me. Unfortunately both teens stole 2 of my Blastflipsticks so it looks like I will have to go buy some more. I look forward to trying the red and gold shaded called "Tease". Thankfully I received a bunch of $2 off coupons in my kit. Now I just need to see which stores have them. So far the 2 places I have checked were completely out of them! Oh, before I forget... I am still using the COVERGIRL & Olay foundation and powder and it has been wonderful! I love how smooth and moisturized my skin has been as well as the light coverage it provides.

You can stay connected with COVERGIRL on the web and Facebook for products updates and savings.

As a BzzAgent, I receive free product samples for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are always my own. 

Dark and Lovely Beautiful Beginnings product line for girls (Giveaway) 4 Winners

Does your daughter have hard to manage hair? I know when my daughters were younger, it was a big struggle getting a comb through their super thick, curly hair. They would get so aggravated every time we had to wash/condition it and I can remember the countless tears! A great option for little girls with hard to manage curls is the Beautiful Beginnings line of hair-care products from Dark and Lovely. The relaxer kits come in two formulas: No-Mistake® Smooth Relaxer
No Mistake® Nourishing No-Lye Crème Relaxer and the No-Mistake® Curl Softener. Whether you want to straighten your daughter's hair or just loosen the curls a bit, Beautiful Beginnings might be just what you need! The full line of maintenance products include: shampoo, deep conditioner, detangler, conditioning oil moisturizer and curl cream. The whole product line is infused with coconut oil and Shea butter to help moisturize and protect your daughter's delicate hair.

I am so pleased that the folks from Dark and Lovely are offering up 4 complete sets of products including the relaxer kit and all maintenance products for 4 lucky Momfiles readers to win! Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on November 29, 2012. Four winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Be sure to follow giveaway rules in Rafflecopter. Good luck!

Dark and Lovely provided me with a FREE products to review and all thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.

Pert Plus & Infusium 23 for back-to-school {Giveaway}

Closed- Winner is Heather! Congratulations!

Back-to-school is in full swing and we are super busy around here! Both girls have their regular school schedules, volleyball and their extra curricular activities. Thinking about their hair seems to be an added stress these days. It is essential that they girls have the right products to keep them looking their best. Infusium 23’s Repair & Renew collection offers just a little more luxury to their usual haircare routine. This three-step system provides protection from daily elements and styling, leaving hair healthy, shiny and damage-free all year long. Repair & Renew Shampoo thoroughly cleanses to remove residue and buildup while nourishing from root to tip. Repair & Renew Conditioner seriously hydrates stressed locks, providing softness, manageability and shine. Repair & Renew Leave-In Treatment restores healthy texture and strengthens hair against future damage.These products work so well on both of my daughters' biracial hair. They have both been happy with how soft their hair has been since using the 3-step collection. I even tried a little of the leave-in treatment my 4 year old son's hair and it made a huge difference. His hair is less poofy and looks a lot smoother.

Now back-to-school is not only for the kids, but parents too! I am always ripping and running all over the place and have to do my best to manage my time. This is why I love Pert Plus 2-in-1. I am a wash-n-go kind of lady so this 2-in-1 works well for me. It gives me just the right amount of moisture and does not leave any residue. It's great for daily use and is safe for color-treated hair. I love the way it leaves my hair smelling. Pert Plus comes in 5 varieties so you can find one to suit your hair care needs. You just can't beat getting the job done in one easy step! 

How would you like to win some of the products featured here? One lucky Momfiles will win a Pert Plus and Infusium 23 gift pack. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on September 20, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

I received product samples for review and all thoughts/opinions are completely my own.