DIY Silver Jewelry Polish

DIY Silver Jewelry Polish

Jul 28, 2014

I've had this amazing Tiffany's pendant since my friends gave it to me for my birthday many years ago but just like all silver items it falls victim to tarnish. My birthday is coming up and it'll be the first time I'm with these ladies in a very long time so I wanted to wear it but alas, it looked like this:

Egyptian Cartouche and Tiffany's Pendant

Of course the easiest option was to just take it down to Tiffany's and have them do a quick polish while I purchased a new chain for it but because I'm all about DIY sometimes (and saving a bit of dough), I decided to do some research and try to take care of this myself. These two accessories when from drab to fab in under an hour using products I already had at home. Saved me a trip and a little bit of cash. What's better than that? Check out my process below!

Materials

-Baking Soda
-Table Salt
-Vinegar
-Aluminum Foil
-Boiling Water
-Bowl

I don't measure and won't pretend that I did when I risked my good silver to do this. I also didn't read anywhere that apple cider vinegar was okay to use because everywhere I looked said white vinegar but thankfully it worked!

Steps

1. Boil water
2. Line a bowl with aluminum foil
3. Pour in the baking soda, salt and vinegar
4. Giggle like a little kid when the vinegar makes it all bubble
5. Pour boiling water into the bowl- enough to cover all items and make the powders totally dissolve
6. Impatiently wait

7. When you see that most of the tarnish is gone dump the mixture and refill the bowl with dish washing soap and warm water
8. Re-soak items for about 30 minutes

9. Gently rub the remaining tarnish off of your silver with a paper towel soaked in the soapy dishwater
10. Jump for joy and plan outfits that will compliment your silver!

After I took these photos I did all the steps again and this time the pendants were SHINING! This means that either I need to keep my silver in the mixtures longer or always do this twice. Either way it worked wonders for me and I love it. As a tip though if you've got some really valuable silver items use this method with caution!

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Rock On with Ardency Inn's Makeup Line

Rock On with Ardency Inn's Makeup Line

Jul 27, 2014

A few months ago I went on one of my Sephora trips and was drawn to a red lip gloss by Ardency Inn. I've never been fully comfortable with a bright red lip but it was calling me and I had to give a try. This brand claims to have been created due to the NYC music scene and their logo is a testament to that. Their products are made for women who rock "on and off the stage" and after wearing their gloss and liner for a few months I have to agree with that statement.


Below is a run down of the products that have made me fall in love with the brand:


1. Ardency Inn Americana Ultra Lightweight Skin Perfecting Primer- $34.00
 Like most primers on the market Ardency Inn's Ultra Lightweight Skin Primer is silicone-free and is super hydrating. It doesn't feel greasy like Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer (sorry Smashbox!) so it's perfect for mixing with your tinted moisturizer for a flawless summer look that won't have your products melt off your skin in the sun!

2. Ardency Inn Punker Original Smoky Shadow- $19.00
 I'm living these shadow pencils that have been on the market recently and the Punker Original Smoky Shadow is no exception.  This shadow liner is so thick that you can instantly create a smoky eye look with any powder shadow that you own. The intensity of this products pigment will give even the brightest shades that dark edge that a rock-and-roll look requires.

3. Ardency Inn Modster Long Play Lip Vinyl- $23.00
 The Original Mix is hands down my favorite of the lip vinyl shades. This gloss reaches its maximum color with just one application and will stay on your lips for hours on ends. I never have to use a clear gloss as a top coat because the multifaceted shine is intense. Whenever I don't want to be super glam (which is rare of course) I just dab a bit on the center of my top and bottom lip then spread it out with my finger that's got a bit of clear gloss on it.

4. Ardency Inn Modster Long Play Supercharged Lip Color- $25.00
If you're looking for a slightly more subtle lip color without all the extra shine this is the best option for you. This lipstick is really soft and unlike others that will only set you back about $10 these don't feather or bleed which are the biggest no-no's when it comes to a bold lip color.

5. Ardency Inn Punker Eyes Like Fire Shadow- $21.00
I've used creamy eyeliners and shadows but have never come across one that comes in a brush. This just raised the bar for me because I love new and innovative ideas in the world of makeup. Ardency Inn minimizes the risk of applying too much color (as if that's a thing?!?!?) by putting this in a click dispenser similar to Stila's lip glosses that will only let you distribute a little bit of the shadow at a time while you're perfecting your look.

6. Ardency Inn Modster Light-Catching Eye Powder- $32.00
Just like most powder shadows that cater to the rock-and-roll and gothy look lovers the pigments in these shadows are the real deal. If you go to bed with it on you will wake up with beautifully made up eyes and pillows that barely even noticed your face. These shadows have great staying power and when used with their Original Smoky Shadow you can guarantee to have the exact look the brand had in mind when creating their products.

7. Ardency Inn Punker Smoky Eye Kit- $39.00
This is pretty much an Ardency Inn starter kit for those that are just joining the smoky eye bandwagon. The kit contained the smoky eye basics: the deepest black mascara, super rich and wet looking eye liner and a highly pigmented black shadow with tons of staying power. These three items are the perfect base for a nighttime smoky eye look and are best mixed with blues, greens and purples to make you stand out more than the average rocker chicks that stick to basic black.


Overall I think Ardency Inn has the staying power of their products and I'm excited to see how the brand will expand as they develop more products and expand their range of colors. This is a brand that looks very promising in delivering the edgy look I always default to and try to get everyone to embrace!

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Workout Confession Time

Workout Confession Time

Jul 15, 2014

Confessions are the hardest thing to do but sometimes they're for the best.

 I've been working out for weeks in preparation for my upcoming trip to NYC. Spin class, 30 day shred and hours upon hours on the elliptical. My weight has been going down--albeit slow--but my old clothes have been fitting me like a glove. I have my absolute favorite shirt dress from H&M that I purchased in 2008 that I haven't been able to wear in years. Last summer the buttons and holes were so far away from each other I didn't even know if they were aware of their purpose. Last week I was able button it all the way but didn't dare to breath but today something happened. It fit perfectly and I wasn't afraid to walk, bend or sit with it on.

 I've been eating well on and off. I had ice cream for breakfast yesterday, a burrito from Chipotle a few days before and wine has been my best friend but since I've been working out I don't beat myself up over it. As long as I'm consistent with going to the gym and hopping on the elliptical for 1.5 hours a day or taking a spin class I can do all that.

 Now it's time for my confession. I've wanted a boost and didn't know how to get it. Speed is out of the question, as is starvation because I love to taste food and I just won't do it so I remembered this ridiculous thing that my brother made me buy last year at Walmart when we started working out together:

Behold the sauna suit!

This is the ugliest thing in the world and I made sure to always tuck it into my socks so it wouldn't accidentally peek out of my yoga pants. I also never wore the top part because I worked out in t-shirts. This piece of plastic made me sweat so much that my socks were always soaked and forget about using the bathroom without drying myself off. I'm pretty sure I almost slid off my toilet on more than one occasion.

After using this for a few days and sweating bullets I did some research and saw nothing but negative reviews. People said it was dangerous, that the weight lost was just water weight, etc etc. But then I did some more research to find out exactly how fat left the body and discovered through many sites, including Mayoclinic.com, that it left through our urine, when we breathed and EUREKA: our sweat!

I came to the conclusion that this wasn't the worst thing ever especially if you're working out as hard as I do. If I'm not taking a spin class or doing the 30 Day Shred I push myself on the elliptical to burn 12 (machine) calories a minute which means I am working my butt off super hard for almost 90 minutes a sessions. Without using the sauna pants I was always dying, drenched in sweat, and drank 2 large ice cold Smartwater bottles during the workout. PLUS I always go to bed with two bottles of water: one for bedtime and another that I chug as soon as I am up. I am constantly drinking water just like I'm constantly burning fat which means that wearing these hideous sauna pants under my regular workout ones just help me sweat that fa out a bit quicker. And it also reminds me to drink more water!

The one I purchased was at Walmart for I don't remember how long but I figured I'd share this bit of new with the masses. I know not everyone is serious about getting in decent shape but fitting into my clothes and not feeling so lethargic all the time because of excess weight just doesn't work for me. A six pack will never be in my future because I have zero interest in never eating carbs, fatty foods or having to workout 5-7 days a week for it but it feels amazing to fit into all of my old clothes with room to eat an extra slice of pizza and not worry about losing my buttons!

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Adovia Exfoliating Facial Sea Salts

Adovia Exfoliating Facial Sea Salts

Jul 13, 2014

Part of washing my face every day includes using a really good exfoliator to sloth off all the dead skin cells that will make my skin look uneven when I apply makeup. I also like to exfoliate before using serums or treatments because getting rid of excess helps the products penetrate as deep as possibly into my skin.

A few days ago I received a large jar of Exfoliating Dead Sea Salts from Adovia and I was pretty impressed with how overflowing it was. I was almost afraid to move once I opened it because I didn't want it to spill everywhere.

Now even though I exfoliate my face often I'm a bit hesitant to use this on my face. It's really just sea salt with no binder which is good and bad. Good because you can add it to whatever cleanser you have and bad because you don't want to overdo it and rub something so harsh on your face.

For this reason I've been using this for my body. I split this jar in two in order to add coffee grounds, lavender and lemongrass oil to create a super body scrub and I have to say that the results are pretty amazing. My legs are now soft 24/7 and I can really see my tan develop a lot more even than it was before I was scrubbing my legs to death with this mixture. I'm not sure if this is a product I'd ever use on my skin but it does amazing work as a body exfoliator.



***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.

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Angled Kabuki Brush By Simply Essentials

Angled Kabuki Brush By Simply Essentials

Jul 12, 2014

  Makeup brushes are a very important part of someones makeup collection because there are only so many things that we can apply with our fingers! This is why I am constantly buying more and more makeup brushes to ensure that I have enough for every set of shades (light/neutrals, blues, purples, and greens) as well as a different set for the shimmery and non shimmery ones. I have TONS! Having said that I also like having kabuki brushes for my shimmered and non shimmered bronzers.

  Recently I received the Angled Kabuki Brush by Simply Essentials and it was easy to fall in love with. It's really dense which helps the brush hold on to makeup until it's ready to be buffed onto my face. Another awesome thing about this brush is how soft it feels against my skin. I can see myself having to spend a bit more time making sure its 100% clean but I'm totally fine with that.



***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.

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Exfolimate Review

Exfolimate Review

Jul 10, 2014

I was given this product by Exfolimate for review and have to say that I wasn't crazy over it. To start it claims to be better than loofahs or scrubs because they "only rub the surface of your skin without removing the problem" but I find that statement to be false. A good loofah and grainy scrub will get rid of dead skin cells and leave you with a quick polish just fine and that's really all you want from an exfoliator.

Exfolimate is basically just a different kind of exfoliating tool that claims to be better than the rest but I found it to be a bit more work. The edges aren't super sharp but I still had to concentrate a bit more when using it because I didn't want to give myself any cuts if I went to deep or miss too many spots. It left me in the shower a lot longer than if I had just used the body brush I keep in my shower and even used it after because I wanted a bit of a post exfoliating buff.

Skincare products are always changing and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all but in terms of this product I think I will have to stick to my body brush and homemade exfoliating and cellulite busting scrub!

***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.

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Pimsleur French Level 1 Gold Edition

Pimsleur French Level 1 Gold Edition

Jul 9, 2014

 A few weeks ago I was given the chance to try out and review the Pimsleur Approach Gold Edition French Level 1 lessons and I became instantly hooked. I adore the French language and Paris is my favorite place in the entire world so keeping up with my French is very important to me. Living in the US and only having Spanish to turn to when I need to speak another language makes it a little tough for me though. I try to watch tons of French movies but I feel like it's not enough because once I know the story I ignore the words that are being said.

Back in 2005 I used Pimsleurs Quick and Easy French and I loved it because it helped me with my pronunciation. Before I started working on how words sounded I was very self conscious about my French because I felt that even though I knew the words and how to ask questions or express myself, it just never felt like they sounded right. The Quick and Easy lessons helped a lot but I lost them, stopped and back to pahr-lay-view I went!

This new Pimsleur Approach totally changed that for me and now I'm back to emphasizing words with my throat and rolling my r's the non-Spanish way.

The lessons begin with an introduction reminding the user what will make this approach successful. They tell us to speak out loud, to be consistent and to not rely on any outside sources for help. These lessons are not designed to teach us how to spell and read in French because once we know what we're saying we can read and write them without wanting to do so in English.

Once the lessons began I did find it very similar to the Quick & Easy version at first but as I got further along it intensified. As a person who can already speak, read and write in French but lacks confidence in their pronunciation I have to say that these lessons are great. I would recommend them for anyone in my shoes, for a total beginner or for someone who learned it later on in life and doesn't want to lose it because they just don't use it enough.






***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.

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Splash Tags Review

Splash Tags Review

Jul 4, 2014

Every party goers has had to deal with the loss of their drink at least once in their lives and it's a really sad experience. We never want to waste a good drink but we also don't want to share one with a complete stranger.

That's where a product like Splash Tags comes in. Unlike wine charms, Splash Tags are reusable stickers that can be placed on any type of cup and not just wine glasses. They come in nice themed designs such as worldwide cities, words to identify ones personalities in a funny way and designs.

A great thing about Splash Tags is that no two designs per pack are the same and when you remove them there is not sticky residue left on the glass. Aside from using it for wine glasses and cups I've already put one on the back of my iPhone so that I never grab the wrong one at home or when I'm out with a group of friends. For $2.75 a pack and multiple uses this product is a must have.





***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.

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