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Evian Mineral Water Facial Spray Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

When it comes to my daily fitness routine, we can pretty much say it is non-existent. I walk back and forth to work everyday, and bike on occasion, so it I am not completely inactive. My all-time favorite exercise is swimming, and the biggest reason for that, besides it being a great workout, is because I am not a fan of sweat. I like stepping out of the pool and feeling refreshed and it gives me more satisfaction than any other workout.
Unfortunately, going swimming all the time is pretty hard for me to do, particularly due to the hair maintenance.  I have enjoyed dance workouts, like Zumba and Barre classes, and have liked yoga classes. I’ve struggled finding a routine I enjoy as much as swimming, but also something that doesn’t leave me feeling like a hot mess.

That’s where Evian Facial Spray comes in. I received a sample of it to review and it has already started helping me feel like less of a mess. It was really warm these past few weekends, and while I was working up a sweat for work, I used this facial spray to cool off and rehydrate my skin. How will this help with swimming? Well, this spray not only rehydrates skin and remove sweat, but it is capable of removing chlorine (or salt water) after swimming and is versatile enough to tame fly-away hair! I have yet to taste the chlorine removal to see how effective it is, but I am excited to try it for that.

But what am I spraying on my face (or hair) exactly? Evian is the brand behind mineral drinking water, and that unique water is what is behind their mineral water spray. No water has the same mineral content.
The 5 oz spray can is the perfect size to carry around, and I already know if I plan on visiting my sister in Japan, I’ll need to bring one of these to cool off and rehydrate me skin. This has definitely earned a permanent spot in my gym bag and now I just need to get myself back on a routine. One step at a time though.

What do you think of Evian Facial Spray and have you used it after a work out? Let me know!

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Evian and Brandbacker. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

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The Gift of Beautiful Brows – Billion Dollar Brows Best Sellers Kit Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Holiday shopping being over with, it is time to take advantage of items on sale that didn’t quite make it under your tree this year. One of my favorite things to buy once sales are over are makeup kits exclusively for the holidays. They are typically a great stocking stuffer, but they are also a great for you to try out a new brand of makeup for a great value.

Case-in-point, I had a chance to try the Best Sellers Kit by Billion Dollar Brows. Billion Dollar Brows is a company I have heard of before but never ventured into trying out their products. I knew of their Brow Boost, which helps grow out thin eyebrows, but I have always had thick/full eyebrows, so I never needed to use that. Now that I have bangs I never really pay attention to how they look except for the occasional reshaping. I was pleasantly surprised by the Best Sellers Kit because it came with items I could actually use for my thick brows.

The Best Sellers Kit promises to “work with all hair colors and skin tones,” but I would also add it works regardless of how thick (or thin) your eyebrows are. This kit comes with 5 pieces at a $73 value for only $34.99 and include: The Universal Brow Pencil, Brow Duo Pencil, Smudge Brush, Brow Gel and a Sharpener.

Here is a breakdown of the pieces and what their functions are as described by the Billion Dollar Brows’ website:

Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil – a unique product that will set you free from the headache of finding cosmetics that match your hair color. Universal Brow Pencil is a mechanical, self-sharpening pencil which goes on smooth and natural for all hair colors and skin tones.

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Gel Clear – an effective formula that will lock in your look, giving your eyebrows a long-lasting, radiant glow while keeping them perfectly in place all day. It’s the perfect finishing touch for giving your brows a polished, perfectly manicured look. Plus, it is a guarantee the Brow Gel never flakes. 

Billion Dollar Brows Brow Duo Highlighter – an amazing and unique two in one highlighter and concealer. With this innovative pencil you can get picture perfect brows. Brow Duo Highlighter allows you to highlight your brow bone to add gorgeous definition and warmth. Works with any skin tone. Plus, for those on-the-go touch ups, a handy universal concealer to the opposite end of the pencil. 

Billion Dollar Brows Smudge Brush – an essential item for applying Brow Highlighter. This flat, synthetic brush is the ideal mate for applying creamy cosmetics like our Brow Duo Pencil. Get your smudge on!

Billion Dollar Brows Pencil Sharpener – perfect for your Duo Highlighter.

Overall, the kit was a great value with some very useful products. My favorite was the Brow Gel because I know one of my bigger issues is having slightly messy eyebrows, but the gel keeps everything in its place. It was also light and did not feel super sticky. The Universal Brow Pencil was also very easy to use. The Brow Duo Pencil (concealer/highlighter) I have not had a chance to use yet since my eyebrows are in need of some tweezing before I decide to highlight their shape. The holidays can get busy, so I am hoping to find some time to shape them before New Years Eve. 
You can find the kit at Billion Dollar Brows website http://billiondollarbrows.com and you can enjoy Free Shipping since your order will be more than $30. Take a look at their other great products as well.

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Billion Dollar Brows and Brandbacker. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

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Beautiful Curls with the KISS InstaWave

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

I have naturally curly hair. Actually its more frizzy then anything else, but sometimes I wake up with some great bedhead. Unfortunately it is not always consistent and I never learned how to curl my own hair (with either a curling iron or flat iron.) Recently the KISS InstaWave entered my life and I discovered just how easy it is to achieve gorgeous curls with this device without hoping to just wake up to some great bed head.
If you have never heard of it, the KISS InstaWave is a fully automatic tangle-free curler that instantly creates beautiful curls. It was easy for me to learn to use from any angle, with any hand. It features a Curl Dial with left/right curl directions and has 2 heat settings with a low/high switch with maximum temperature of 420. (Yikes that’s hot!) Luckily, if you ever forget to turn off your Kiss InstaWave, it automatically shuts off after 90 minutes.

This device is simple to use and so are the instructions. All you you need to do to work some in some curls is follow these 6 steps:
1) Hold InstaWave vertically
2) Place a section of hair on the InstaWave curling rod
3) Touch the Curl Dial either left or right so the InstaWave instantly and automatically catches and curls the hair
4 ) Hold for 5-10 seconds (Hold longer for tighter curls and less for beachy waves)
5) Pull the InstaWave down vertically and let the hair out
6) Repeat (Switch between curling right and curling left to create the most natural looking curls)
Check out their video for a better idea of how to use it:

Before:

After:

It took some practice, but I am so happy with the results. I had washed my hair and let it air dry, but did blow dry my roots before using the InstaWave, so I would recommend having dry hair before using. After about a couple of tries, I got the hang of it. It took me about 50 minutes to achieve this look, but there was a lot of trial and error so I could only imagine it taking less time with my next attempt.
 I will be making an effort to incorporate this beauty tool into my routine for tight and loose curls. I might be sharing an outfit post with this look hopefully before the end of the year, so stay tuned for that. I would definitely recommend this product because it works and is super easy to use. The KISS InstaWave is available at Target for $59.99, so pick it up as a great last-minute gift. You can find more information and other tutorial videos on how to use the Kiss InstaWave here: http://www.KISSInstaWave.com

Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Brandbacker and Kiss InstaWave. All opinions and views expressed are my own.

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“Up All Night” Make Up by One Direction Review

Posted on by Brandy Saldana

Disclosure: I received makeup to sample from BrandBacker and Markwins International, but all opinions are my own.
I recently began experimenting with beauty products, so when I was given the opportunity to try out a new makeup collection by One Direction, I had mixed feelings about using it. I was psyched to try out new makeup, but what would a boy band know about makeup? Well, that question made me ask Google and I found out they already had makeup out as well as perfume, so this isn’t the boy band’s first time venturing into the world of beauty. (I will come out and admit right off the bat that I have listened to a few of One Direction’s songs, but I don’t even know all of their names except Harry Styles, because come on, who doesn’t know Harry Styles?)
The makeup came in a collectible tin, and there are 3 available named after their albums. I was sent the “Up All Night” Looks Tin and it has a removable plastic sleeve with the boy band and their signatures.  The “Up All Night” tin came with: the Little Black Dress mascara, Na Na Na teal nail polish, Taken pink liquilights glow gloss, I Should Have Kissed You lipstick, Stand Up Navy eye & body crayon, 5 eye shadow palette with colors More Than This, Save You Tonight, Up All Night, Gotta Be You and Another World. The set also included One Direction doodle stencils.  
My first impression of the kit was that it featured really bright, make up colors that are fun, but not what I am used to wearing everyday. I like to have fun with my clothes at work, but makeup is an accessory that I never want to have too much of. Some of the colors on the eye shadow palette as well as the lip colors seem like they are more appropriate to wear to go out at night, but I was able to incorporate a few of the eye shadow colors for everyday wear. They lasted all day, especially a few of the ones I tried with sparkle.  liked that I could wear the Little Black Dress mascara everyday. My eyelashes are pretty long and the mascara adds just the right amount of definition and gave the right amount of volume. It earned extra points for being fairly easy to remove at the end of the day too.
Out of all the items in the set, my favorite was the mermaid teal-green nail polish named Na Na Na. I shared a photo yesterday on instagram showing off the pretty color that this nail polish. I needed to apply 3 coats because it was slightly thinner than other polishes, but it dried really fast. I loved the color and experienced no chipping on the first day I had it on. 
The eyeliner was new for me, having only used liquid before. I had never seen a big crayon like the one in this kit before either, but I like that it is versatile and can be used on your body as well or as a dark shadow. The color is very rich and bold, and I wore it a few times for attention on my eyes. I am not sure if I would ever use the doodle stencils on myself with this body crayon, but it might be fun to try them out with my 9 year old niece. 
I was a little overwhelmed by the lipstick and liquilights glow gloss in the set. At first I was in love with how girly the colors were. Now in retrospect, I would have preferred the “Midnight Memories” tin only because of the more classic red lip colors. The Should Have Kissed You lipstick was a little too pale for my skin tone, and was not as smooth too apply nor long-lasting. The Taken liquilights glow gloss is very intense. It is easy to apply and is sickeningly sweet. It is practically liquid sugar on your lips. The sweet smell was a little too overwhelming at one point to me, but the color was great and it took awhile for it to fade. I might want to try out the two lip products together to decide whether I like them or not, but out off all the items I did not like the lipstick too much.
Overall, I would rate this makeup set as 3 out of 5. It is in a reusable collector’s tin, has products with clever names based on song titles ( or so I am told), and features some pretty trendy colors. It would make a great gift for any One Direction fan, but would not be ideal for someone who prefers subtler makeup. If you’d like to get your hands on a set, here are the scheduled released dates for participating department stores:
Macy’s – August 11thStage Stores – August 25thDillards – August 25thBeauty Brands – August 25thLord and Taylor – August 25th
You can also like this Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/MakeupbyOneDirection for more news and other makeup tutorials as well as announcements for when they are available at other stores. If you happen to snatch up one of these limited edition tins, don’t forget to share your beauty looks with the hashtags: #thelookscollection #makeup1D and #markwins so other 1D fans can discover this makeup set.
Hope you enjoyed my review and until next time,Brandy| BLOGLOVIN | FACEBOOK |  INSTAGRAM |TUMBLR | TWITTER | 

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