Hydrated Summer Lips with Nivea Lip Butter

Once summer arrives, I need everything to feel and be light, simple and effortless. From my clothing, to food to my beauty products, everything needs to have that summery carefree essence to it. Do you agree?

Which is why a few of my beauty products from winter, fall and even spring just do not make the cut for summer. During the cooler months I don’t mind feeling like there is a layer of protection between my skin and the dry, damaging chill of fall and winter. However, in the summer while I still need the protection, I really do not want to feel the products on my skin. I’ve had to retire a few of my lip products for the time being, especially my heavier lip balms and opt for lighter feeling, but still hydrating lip products. Read more

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Gail Lewis in bath and body, beauty, lip balm Leave a comment

Kiss My Face Liquid Rock Deodorant Review

An essential part of any summer body care routine is a deodorant that really works. With climbing temps, tons of outdoor activities and tank tops, a deodorant that goes on clear, but effectively fights odor all day is an absolute must.

For summer, I also prefer a deodorant with a very light to no scent; I just don’t like anything too sweet smelling when it’s hot out…for me it just gets nauseating. After reading about the potential awful side effects with a majority of deodorants, I’ve been itching to try a natural deodorant, but have been somewhat hesitant for fear of smelling like an onion. But I figured there was no time like the present to give a natural, fragrance free deodorant a try. Read more

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Gail Lewis in bath and body, beauty Leave a comment

Smooth Frizz-Free Hair with blowpro Straightening Lotion (Review)

On those rare occasions in summer when I choose to blow dry my hair, I need a product that can effectively banish frizz. Since my hair is naturally very curly, in the summer all it wants to do is to be curly, so blow drying it straight is an epic battle between me and my hair. A lot of the products that successfully calm and tame my hair in the cooler months just do not cut it in summer. I purchased blowpro while in Florida because a hair product that performs well in the weather there, is a pretty good indication of what I can expect it to do all summer (no matter where I go.)

The blowpro straight to the point straightening lotion that I purchased worked amazingly well in the Florida heat and humidity. I followed the suggested usage and applied the straightening lotion from root to tip on my freshly washed hair and blow dried in sections as usual. The directions also suggested applying extra product to the tips to help prevent fly-aways, which I did. Read more

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Gail Lewis in beauty, Hair Care Leave a comment

Summer Ready Nails with Emma Jean Scented Nail Paint

One absolute must-have in any summer beauty routine has got to be a bright, punchy colored nail polish. Even for me, someone who rarely deviates from clear or nude nail polish, summer is the time to let loose and have fun with my nail polish. For my adventures into bright, summery nail polish territory, I perused the Emma Jean Scented Nail Paint site and decided to go with a color called Jamaican Tango Mango. To me the name conjured images of tropical summer drinks, flip flips, sun, sand and everything summer!

The Jamaican Tango Mango Nail Paint is a gorgeous coral/pink color that smells like mangoes, my favorite summertime fruit. In addition to the gorgeous color and amazing scent the Nail Paint is also vegan and cruelty-free and does not contain harmful ingredients such as Toluene, Formaldehyde, Camphor, and Dibutyl Phthalates. Read more

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Gail Lewis in beauty, Nail Polish 1 Comment

Summer Ready Legs With Kiss My Face Moisturize Shave

In the summer, when it comes to keeping my legs fuzz free, I tend to opt for shaving instead of my usual waxing. This is mainly because waxing requires that your hair be a certain length before you can rip them out by their roots and summer just does not permit hair growth of any kind on anyplace but one’s head…unless you plan on sticking to maxi everything while you grow them out.

I just feel like my legs hide under enough thick layers during the colder months so the last thing I want to do is hide in the summer. Since I opt for shaving my legs during summer I tend to look for shaving products that are really moisturizing without being messy and that are also soothing to my skin since my skin tends to get quite irritated after shaving if I use the wrong product. Read more

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Gail Lewis in bath and body, beauty, Travel Beauty Leave a comment

A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Featured in Spry Living Mom Makeover

Don’t forget to enter our Mom: Get Glamorous Contest (entries taken until May 24th!)
Join our Twitter Party on May 15th from 1pm-2pm EST #momglamorous

When Spry Living Magazine asked me if myself and two A Girl’s Gotta Spa! bloggers would be interested in making over our moms, we didn’t hesitate to say yes. Myself, Ashley and Hillary all participated in Spry Living’s Take Year’s Off Your Looks Instantly (web and print) story and Making Over Mom with tips.

Each of our moms had challenges that prevented them from updating their look. My mom had hair loss/thinning hair, sagging skin, etc. all related to bariatric surgery she had two years ago. Ashley’s mom has nerve damage and a disability when it comes to the use of her arm. Hillary’s mom was nervous since losing all of her hair so long ago (but it has since grown back.)

From skin care to hair care to makeup, here’s the breakdown of the products used to transformed our moms.

Paula (my mom): Read more

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, beauty, blush, bronzer, brows, concealer, DIY Beauty, eye shadow, eyeliner, foundation, highlighter, lip gloss, lipstick, Makeup, makeup tips, mascara, Nail Polish, Primer, salon, skin care 1 Comment

HARNN Asian Inspired Home Spa Products Review

From the packaging to the botanical fragrance, HARNN’s Asian inspired home spa products deliver an experience you’ll remember. HARNN is best known for focusing on the balance of body, mind, and environment through the use of natural botanical extracts with inspirations from traditional herbal medicine. HARNN boasts a handful of incredible collections and just welcomed a new member to the HARNN family … the Oriental Rose Collection. The Oriental Rose Collection is an antioxidant rich collection that really compliments the existing lines. I couldn’t wait to open the beautiful packaging when it first arrived.

The Oriental Rose Skin Purifying Body Scrub is a rich body scrub with all natural extracts from Certified Organic Rose Water, Apricot Seed, Shea Butter and Coenzyme Q10 to help replenish moisture, improve skin condition, and promote natural smoothness. I followed that up with the Oriental Rose Body Balm- a specially formulated body balm that truly absorbs almost instantly. The body balm also contains one of my favorite skin care musts, Certified Organic Rose Water! The Oriental Rose Collection is rejuvenating for both your body and your mind. The scent really did clear my over-worked, usually stressed out mind. Talk about aromatherapy! I was starting to see why HARNN prides itself on focusing on the balance of mind and body.

The neurotic moisturizer I am, I carried around HARNN’s Jasmine and Pomegranate hand cream until it was all gone. The first time I used it I kind of felt like I was in a dramatic television commercial because I literally closed my eyes and took it all in. I’m pretty sure, even though I was alone, I was smiling. Read more

Posted on April 8, 2013 by AmandaOnAir in bath and body, beauty, skin care Leave a comment

Beauty Blogger Essentials on NewBeauty

While I’ve had the opportunity to review a multitude of beauty products over the last 8 years, there are always certain ones that stand out and remain a favorite well past their posted review. These are products I continue to use and recommend to others.

Today those products are featured on NewBeauty.com in their Beauty Blogger Essentials post. When you have a moment, check it out!

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Shannon Nelson in anti-aging, bath and body, beauty, beauty interview, Hair Care, Makeup, Primer Leave a comment

Skinn Cosmetics Seduction Luxe Eye Shadow Palette Review

Dimitri James founded Skinn Cosmetics in 2002, after a long career in the cosmetics industry. His goal was to create high quality products while keeping them affordable. To that end, the packaging is basic and no-fuss.

Dark, smoky shadows, thick smudged liner and bold lashes are undeniable statement looks, but sometimes the best statement for your eyes is to bring out their natural beauty. Lucky for us, celebrity makeup artist Dimitri James has made it easy to achieve this timeless, effortless look with Skinn Cosmetics new Luxe Premier Eyeshadows in Seduction ($32).

Natural doesn’t have to mean boring. These neutral yet seductive shades give your look an appealing feminine confidence. The palette contains 12 shadows with anti-aging actives, anti-oxidants and collagen-boosting peptides to the eyelids. They are talc-free so even over 40 lined or crepey eyes can wear them! Read more

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Cindy in beauty, eye shadow, Makeup Leave a comment

J.R. Watkins Coconut Milk & Honey Body Butter and Body Scrub Review

Nothing says summer and vacation to me more than the scent of coconut. And nothing says swimsuit ready more than soft, smooth, hydrated skin. Now combine the scent of coconut with products that exfoliate and moisturize my skin leaving it insanely smooth, glowing and hydrated. Who needs 80 degree temps? It’s practically summer in my shower right now…or at least it felt like it about ten minutes ago. After I used the Coconut Milk & Honey Body Scrub and Body Butter from J.R Watkins.

The natural scrub is a combination of sugar, shea butter and natural oils and smells absolutely delicious. It effectively exfoliated my skin without feeling harsh and scratchy. I loved that the scrub is also moisturizing so I did not feel like I was stripping my skin of moisturize while I exfoliated. The body butter, like the scrub is also natural and has an amazing scent that is not overpowering. The scent is light, fresh and clean…perfect for summer. It felt decadent and luxurious on my skin and left it looking and feeling soft and radiant. Read more

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Gail Lewis in bath and body, beauty 1 Comment

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