This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I ordered this Paper Mate InkJoy gel pen pack as a birthday gift to myself. The bright colors and the retractable point are my favorite features. They write beautifully and look great in my Erin Condren Life Planner. I compare the smearing/smudging of the Paper Mate InkJoy gel pen with the Pilot G-2 pen in my review —>
New TakeNote Notebooks and Journals were recently released on ErinCondren.com — Create an account through my link for $10 your order. I’ve ordered the Erin Condren Notebooks in the past and I use them for keeping me organized at work. Now that new Notebooks and Journals are out, I wanted to do a review.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
The Unicorn Horn bubble bar is back this year as part of the Lush 2016 Valentine’s Day collection. I really loved the Unicorn Horn last year in its 2015 debut — so much that I made my own DIY Unicorn Horns! When I saw that they were back this Valentine’s Day, I picked one up at Lush.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
It’s almost a new year — 2016 is right around the corner! It’s the perfect time to start fresh and start thinking about a new planner to help you keep track of your goals and schedules. I absolutely love the Erin Condren Life Planner and I’ve been waiting patiently to finally start using my 2016 Erin Condren Life Planner!
There’s something really nice about beginning a new planner. I love the Erin Condren Life Planners because they are so colorful and fun. It’s easy to stay motivated and really use your planner when it is beautiful and exciting. I’ve lost motivation to use planners in the past and it ends up being a waste of a planner because the year is over and you can’t use it again. With Erin Condren Life Planners, each month is a fresh, new color and there are stickers included in the back of each planner that make you excited to plan and motivated to be organized.
I will be using the new, horizontal layout in my 2016 Life Planner for the first time and I can’t wait. You can read all about my 2016 Horizontal Layout Life Planner Review, but in this post, I wanted to share a few other “accessories” that I use to plan and to make my Life Planner more personalized and fun.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I absolutely love the Comforter Bubble Bar – hands down, number 1 favorite. I’m super sad they keep raising the prices, but I really love the smell, the pink, the bubbles — pretty much everything. Last time I was at LUSH, they gave me a sample of the Comforter Shower Cream but when I smelled it in store, I didn’t really care for it. Boy, was I wrong!!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I ordered my Polaroid Zip Instant Photo Printer from ErinCondren.com as a fun way to accessorize my new Life Planner which I am super excited about. I love photography and instant cameras — there’s something cool about having a picture you can hold rather than just swiping through on your phone. I love my Fujifilm Instax 210 Instant Camera and I already use those pictures to decorate my Life Planner, but this Polaroid Zip Instant Photo Printer is extra neat because you can print wirelessly (via bluetooth) any picture you want directly from your phone.
This digital printer is super small and compact — it reminds me of my portable battery charger at 2.9″ x 4.7″ x 0.9″ and only 6.6 oz. From the Erin Condren website, you can get $10 off your purchase by creating an account through my link. The printer comes in white and is $130. You can find the printer in a super pretty teal blue, red, or black on Amazon for the same price, but when you buy from Erin Condren, you get a cute sticker to customize your printer.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Erin Condren just released new Notebooks! So exciting! I love my Erin Condren Life Planners so much but I was really interested in one of the new notebooks for just jotting down quick ideas, making lists (I make a lot of lists), and planning larger events/goals.
There are two versions of the Erin Condren Notebooks — the Keep It Simple ($22) and the Deluxe ($35). You can choose to get the Keep It Simple version or the Deluxe version in either 7″x9″ or 8.5″ x 11″. Use my link to create an account for $10 off.
Both versions have a snap-in ruler, 66 sheets of college-ruled pages, and 10 pages of blank pages. They also have the aluminum coil that the Life Planner has and will accommodate interchangeable covers as well.The Deluxe version has a few extras — stickers, folder pocket, and a ziplock pouch.
I chose the 8.5″ x 11″ Keep It Simple version in hot pink with white lettering in the X Prism style.
The box was larger than the normal Life Planner size to accommodate my large notebook.
My Erin Condren Notebook was covered in bubble wrap and bright purple tissue paper.
I love the 8.5″ x 11″ size for my Erin Condren Notebook. It is a nice standard size that is easy to handle.
My Life Planner looks like a baby next to my new Notebook! They are both so pretty; I’m so excited to start using the Notebook.
The pages are lined with cute colorful accents on the corners and borders.
The blank pages in the back also have super fun boarders and colors.
Are you getting/have you already gotten one of the new Erin Condren Notebooks? I’m loving mine!
Also, the Life Planners are now 40% off. If you are interested in trying them out, they’re only $20 when you use my link to make your account! See my Review of the 2015 Erin Condren Life Planner.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Like the Fitbit Flex I had before, The Fitbit ChargeHR is a fitness band that mainly tracks your steps and is a motivational tool to help you be more active throughout the day. The Fitbit app for the phone and the main dashboard on the website are very user-friendly and make it easy to monitor your progress during the day.
I’ve had my Fitbit Charge HR for just over three weeks now and I’m ready to give my review! The Fitbit ChargeHR comes with a USB charging cable and a wireless syncing dongle.*
The Fitbit ChargeHR has textured wristband that is soft and smooth underneath. The band is .83 inches wide & has a watch-clasp closure that feels very secure. 
The display is larger than the Fitbit Flex display and will show your daily activity stats and real time heart rate.
I got the Fitbit ChargeHR in size Large. There is a sizing guide on Fitbit’s website to help you determine the best size for you. I picked the Large size because Fitbit recommends wearing the ChargeHR higher up on your wrist for a more accurate heart rate reading. They suggest about 2-3 finger widths above your wrist bone which is pretty comfortable to me. I probably could have been great with the Small size band — I’m wearing the Large at the 3rd to tightest hole in order to wear it higher on my wrist.
The Fitbit ChargeHR was about 50% charged out of the box. I fully charged it before using it and the battery lasted about 4.5 days before I got an email to let me know the battery was low. I’ve consistently gotten between 4-5 days between charges. Charging the ChargeHR takes about 1 hour. The charger plugs into any USB power source and then into the underside of the Fitbit ChargeHR display.
There is a small button on the left side of the display which lets you toggle through the time display, daily steps, distance walked, calories burned, stairs climbed, alarms, and heart rate. You can customize what categories are displayed and in what order they appear. You can also set a shortcut for a specific display by double tapping the Fitbit ChargeHR. I have mine set to display the heart rate since that was what I was most interested in purchasing the ChargeHR.
I really thought the sleep tracking data from the Fitbit Flex was great, and I think it’s even better with the ChargeHR. The ChargeHR automatically records your sleep without having to do anything. With the Flex, you had to tap it to tell it you were going to sleep, but the ChargeHR detects it on it’s own & it’s super accurate. The ChargeHR will tell you how long you slept for and how many times you were restless in the night. It’s awesome.
The heart rate monitor is accurate. I compared it with a pulse counting app and each time it is within 10 BPM which is great for me. The Fitbit ChargeHR uses LED lights to reflect off your skin to detect changes in your blood. When your heart beats, your capillaries expand & contract, the ChargeHR measures those changes with special algorithms to display your heart rate.
The display shows you live heart rate monitoring and what “zones” you’re in while working out. The three zones — Fat Burn, Cardio, and Peak — are calculated based on a max heart rate of 220 BPM minus your age, but you can adjust it and make your own custom zones. I like to check my heart rate and see how intense my workout is.
If you press and hold the side button, the Workout mode will begin and track your exercise activity. I like to review the workout data because it isolates your heart rate data for the workout and helps me stay motivated throughout the day. My workouts are mostly jogging/running so the Fitbit ChargeHR is tracking my steps as well.
Overall, I love my Fitbit ChargeHR. The heart rate monitoring is the main reason to get this fitness band; it’s accurate and easy to view your data. The band is comfortable and it has good battery life. The sleep tracking feature is better than before and also very accurate.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I am loving all of the limited edition Lush Valentines Day products. The Lush Heart Throb Bubbleroon is no exception.
This red, heart shaped Bubbleroon is so pretty. With shimmery gold glitter in between these two heart halves. I only used one half, but you could probably use just a third or even a quarter and have a great, bubbly bath.
The Heart Throb Bubbleroon smells so wonderful. With Ylang Ylang Oil and Vanilla absolute, the bath was full of bubbles and so fragrant. The bubbles last forever and the water turns a rangy-red color.
Give your heart to the bath with this Heart Throb Bubbleroon. Skin-softening shea butter and beautiful ylang ylang and geranium essential oils will turn your bath into a silky haven while the bright red heart will make the water a passionate red – perfect for setting the mood! This bubbler also shares its intoxicating, delicately floral scent with our African Paradise Body Conditioner to leave skin delicately scented.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
There is something special about an instant photo camera. I have the Polaroid 600 and was so disappointed when the film was discontinued. I recently used the last pack of film I had and sadly, it must have expired because each picture had blotchy areas that wouldn’t develop. 
I started researching the Polaroid 600 film which led me to Amazon and to a whole new generation of instant photo cameras. I then discovered the Fujifilm Instax 210 which takes “wide” photos. The reviews were good and the colors looked so vibrant compared to the Polaroid 600.
The Fujifilm INSTAX 210 Instant wide Photo Camera is pretty large but really very similar to the Polaroid 600. It comes with 4 AA batteries, a shoulder strap, and a pop on lens to help focus for close up images (it even has a mini mirror so you can see if your selfie is centered).
The side has the Power button and controls to set the focus (3m to infinity or .9m – 3m). There are also controls to Lighten and Darken the exposure. And of course, the flash button — The flash seems to always go with every photo, even when I turn it off.
The side battery compartment holds 4 AA batteries that are included with the camera .The closure feels a little cheaply made. I haven’t lost any batteries yet, but I could see the case becoming loose if the camera was dropped or mishandled even a little.
The back of the camera is pretty basic. There is a pull down flap that houses the wide film.
Once your film is in the camera, you’re ready to point & shoot. The camera is super easy to use and the pictures come out so vibrant and clear with a slight retro feel. 
I really like having a “one of a kind” image that you can take with you. A lot of times, I’ll take pictures with my phone or regular camera and I end up having 20 of the same picture. I get to pick my favorites from the photo shoot and that’s nice too, but I’m not going to waste tons of film on the same picture with the Instax 210. It makes each picture seem more special even if it is just of an everyday thing.
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I recently picked up a few things from Sephora with my birthday gift cards and was super excited because I got a bunch of extra freebies and renewed my VIB Rouge status!
I purchased another bottle of the Purity cleanser by Philosophy. I really like how well it removes makeup and doesn’t leave my skin feeling dried out. I also bought the Lancome Regenerie Lift Multi-Action moisturizer — I use this as my morning moisturizer because it has SPF 15 and it is so smooth and hydrating. (It smells great too!).
And everything else was free!
I had to pick up two bottles of the 100-point perk – Lancome Genefique! I’m running low on my actual full-sized bottle and these are basically free, so I picked two!
I’ve never heard of DevaCurl, but the sample of this One Condition Daily Conditioner was huge and I have curly hair, so I thought it would be cool to try it out.
This Bare Minerals Best in Show set was free with $35+ purchase, and I really like Bare Minerals. It comes with a duo eyeshade with Mixologist, a light shimmery pink, & Cognac, a gold bronzy color; Speak Your Mind, a rose colored lip stick; and Beauty, a rose colored mineral blush!
You know I love all of the Josie Maran products, so I also got this free, 5-day sample set. It has five sample pouches of the Argan Cleansing oil, which I’ve never tried but always wanted to; the 100% Pure Argan Oil (which I LOVE); and the new Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47.
Since it was around my birthday, I also got the Sephora/Makeup Forever VIB Rouge birthday gift to really make this a true Sephora Haul. This little set comes with the MUFE Smokey Extravagant mascara, the MUFE Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in N9, and the MUFE Aqua Eyes eyeliner for VIB Rouge only.
And finally, since I re-upped my VIB Rouge status, I got this Formula X – X❤Rouge nail polish. Pretty cool for a free gift.
I am super excited about everything I received! YAY SEPHORA!
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I ordered the Jus by Julie 3 Day Cleanse because my cousin mentioned it to me and I’d been interested in a detox of some kind. I found a deal on Groupon and scheduled my delivery. This was my first juice cleanse and I was very excited to try it out.
The ordering process was very easy. What’s great is that you can select the date you want your juices delivered and they overnight the juices so they are super fresh and ready to go.
The Cleanse was delivered overnight through Fedex.
Inside the box was a large green insulated bag with 3 clusters of 6 bottles of juice and ice packs banded together (18 bottles total). My juices were cool feeling (not cold) by the time I was able to open them.
I put all of my juices in a cooler and was ready to start the cleanse the next morning. Information in the box said that one should freeze the juices if not able to drink them within three days.
Day One
Jus Lineup
Near the end of the day, I was feeling tired and kind of weak. I’ve seen other reviews where people feel very energized on the first day but I was seriously dragging.
Day Two
Jus Lineup
I was a little agitated all day and feeling tired and weak again by the end of the day. I did have some steamed broccoli to help calm me down and I felt instantly better.
Day Three
Jus Lineup
I felt pretty good in the morning; clean and “light”. I was feeling tired and annoyed near the end of the day and had a few almonds to tide me over. I wasn’t a fan of the Island Coconut. I wish I’d gotten another of the Not So Chunky or Choco-Nana instead.
Overall Cleanse
I liked this juice cleanse because it was very simple. I looked forward to the variety of the next flavor and the numbers on the bottle made everything very simple. My favorite juices were the Spicy Lemonade, Chia Berry and Spicy Pome-nade. The Choco-Nana and Not So Chunky were very welcome when it was time for juice #5.
I tried to wait 2-3 hours between juices and I drank a lot of water in between. Anytime I was feeling hungry, it was time for my next juice. I wasn’t really ever feeling “hungry” but I’d feel grumpy and irritated, which is usually a side effect of hunger for me.
One thing that was interesting to me about these Jus By Julie juices is that they are blended; not cold-pressed. I haven’t really seen any other juices that are blended and I thought it was cool because the juice feels more “substantial” with pulp and seeds included. The juices aren’t overly chunky, don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t strained juice like you may have seen from other companies so the texture might be a little weird to some.
Maybe it’s because they’re blended, but I thought it was weird that each juice contains water as an ingredient. There is already water in all of the fruits and vegetables so I don’t know why any would need to be added. Especially when the Cleanse + shipping was a pretty penny, I definitely don’t want to feel like I’m getting watered down juice.
I was a little disappointed when I found out that these juices were not Organic. I think it’s really important, especially with fruits, to be chemical/pesticide free. When I do another cleanse in the future, I’ll make sure to find one that’s only Organic.
I am happy with the 3 day Cleanse; it was the perfect amount of time and I do feel detoxed and “cleaner”. I think my skin is looking brighter and I feel encouraged to make better choices with diet and exercise.
If you are interested in the Jus By Julie cleanse, check out their website or if you’ve done the 3 day cleanse, let me know what you thought. 🙂
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
Matte makeup looks are supposedly really on trend this summer. I was really excited to get this matte color stick from NARS during the Spring Social Event at Sephora. I chose the color Altai because it looked like the perfect contour color for my medium toned skin. I had seen some pictures on Instagram & it either looked amazing or really orange, but I decided to give it a try.
I’m really happy that I did because it is not orange at all but instead, it’s an amazing natural bronze color that is perfect for contouring.
It is $40 for only .26oz, but it will last you a long time. Altai is very pigmented. You can apply it directly to your face or lips for a very strong color payoff or you can apply it with a wet applicator for a more sheer look. I use it directly in the hollows of my cheeks and blend out for a more natural contour.
The formula is very smooth and creamy; very easy to blend but not greasy at all. I love the consistency. It lasts all day for me and looks flawless over my Tarte Airbrush Foundation. I really like Altai and how it’s so easy to apply and blend in but for the price, I don’t think it’s worth a repurchase.
Have you used any of the Matte Multiples? Which colors are your favorite and will you be repurchasing?
This post may contain affiliate links; all opinions are my own. See Disclosures here
I told you I would keep you updated as I found the best Starbucks Refresher recipe, and I think I’ve found it! Since my last post, I’ve done a lot of research about the Berry Hibiscus Refresher and what goes in it. Sources at Starbucks tell me that it’s just “Berry Refresher Juice”, Water, Ice, and Dehydrated Berries. Seems simple enough — but what is in this Refresher Juice?
The first ingredient? WHITE GRAPEFRUIT JUICE! Yes! So, with that in mind, I set off to recreate this summertime (year-round) favorite!