10 Workout Tips For Busy People

1) Make a schedule - plan ahead and note when you have time to fit in a quick workout

2) Utilize your lunch - make every minute count, take your lunch and head out for a  walk or head to the gym

3) Short works with maximum efficiency - even 20 min a day can count. Do short effective workouts, there are tons of DVD's to follow along at home. My favorite is Jillian Michaels, she has short workouts but she packs a lot into 20min and you can really feel it

4)Get your Z's - getting enough sleep and feeling well rested will help feel motivated to go workout

5)De-stress - use your workouts as a way to manage your stress levels

6)Set Goals - set weekly goals for how many times/how long you workout for. Try to better that goal every week, challenge yourself!!

7)Make it social - work out with others: coworkers, friends, family, workout group, ect

8)Be realistic - don't schedule too much every week. Be realistic with your goals, always set yourself up for success! Being successful during this process will help motivate you

9)Include your household - if you have kids, spouses, furry pets include them in your workout routine. Not only will you set a good example but you are promoting a healthy lifestyle for the household. Get everyone involved! It's fun for the whole family

10)Make your commute a workout - try biking or walking to the office if you live close enough, promote your coworkers to do the same

Nars ITA Brush Review

The Nars ITA brush was featured on my September favorites, I've had this brush since July and I've developed a love hate relationship with it. I really wanted to jump on the banded wagon, there have been tons of reviews on this brush done by bloggers and YouTubers (I'm sure most of them paid so they're not completely honest). I purchased the ITA brush directly from the Nars website and when I first got it I LOVED IT!!! However, as time went on the brush quickly started showing some signs of wear and tear. 

The bristles are extremely soft and have remained soft wash after every wash. It blends really well and keeps a sharp contour. I only use this brush when I want more of a dramatic look, it's not for everyday contouring (unless of course you like a dramatic day to day look). 

 The brush is extremely thin and is very easy to grip and work with. The handle does get pretty dirty, as most Nars packaging does.

Now for some of the negatives...after a few uses even before I washed the brush, I noticed that it started to shed. At first it wasn't so noticeable but after about a month it got really bad!! After putting on my contour I would have to go back and pick off all the little fuzzes it left behind. Every time I wash it I'm worried the whole brush will just fall apart. As you can see from some of the pictures the bristles are no longer even.

As I've said I know there are a ton of great review on this brush, now it is possible that these reviews aren't honest because these bloggers and YouTubers are getting paid. But there is the possibility that I received a defective brush. Maybe this brush really is amazing and there are other people out there who have the Nars ITA and theirs isn't falling apart like mine. However, for the price I'm not willing to re-purchase another one to test that theory. 

All & all I think this is a great brush but I am disappointed with the wear and tear. There are other great contour brushes that are more reasonably priced and more durable options. If you can afford to splurge on this brush then I would say go for it but just know it isn't worth all the hype.

Motivation Tips For Working Out

1) Plan ahead - schedule time to workout, it will give you something to look forward to and you are more likely to follow through. If you are a morning person wake early before work, if you're night owl workout at night

2)Workout with a friend - friends can help you stay dedicated and will motivate you during the workout when you get fatigued. Push each other to attend every workout and help one another during

3) Keep a Journal - keeping notes will help you look back and track the progress you've made. Keep notes on what you did and how you feel during/after

4) Set a goal - setting a goal will give you help you something to strive towards. If you want to do a race or competition plan ahead and gear your workouts to achieve that goal

5) Make it fun! - make sure you mix up your routine and do something you enjoy, you are more likely to stick with something that you enjoy

Alterna Hair Care

I am very excited to share some new hair products that have really been working out for me!! I've tried a lot of cheap drugstore items and I am always disappointed with the results it gives me. I finally gave up and started trying some more expensive hair product brands. I will say that just because you are dishing out more money on a product doesn't necessarily mean its good...I've learned that the hard way.

The brand is called Alterna and I've been having a lot of luck with their bamboo line.  

The first product I tried was the Alterna Bamboo Color Hold+ Rehab Deep Hydration Masque. I really wanted a masque that would fix my color treated and dried out hair. I was looking for someone that would leave my hair soft and feeling healthy, that's exactly what you get this!! The masque is supposed to help restore, shine and strength color processed hair.

I will say the jar doesn't last long but that's probably because I use the product twice a week and I like to pack it on!!! I feel that the more I use the masque the less product I have to use. I am hoping that's because my hair is getting healthier. This is my third jar and that's really saying something since I don't typically repurchase many products.

The consistence is very thick and creamy, it's recommended to leave it on for about 5min but I always try to go longer.

The next product is called the Alterna Bamboo Volume Plumping Strand Expand. This is a newer product for me, I've only had it about one month. The reason I tried it was because I have very fine hair and I've been trying out thickening products, but I always end up being disappointed. I thought I would give this a try and I've very impressed.

The packaging is great, it comes in a pump. It's supposed to plump and fatten thin strands which I can say it definitely does.

You don't have to use a lot of this product and I feel that it is very light. Most thickening products feel greasy and will weight your hair down. ...that's a big deal breaker for me!

Finally the last product is also new for me, it's the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Mist. I picked up this product because I ran out of my Alterna Bamboo Smooth Pure Kendi Treatment Oil. I liked the treatment oil, however, the oil mist I thought would be nicer since you don't actually have to touch the product.

The oil mist can be sprayed directly onto your hair which is really nice. After getting out of the shower I mist this through my hair and brush it to distribute the product. It is a great product and I've not completely convinced if I like the oil mist or the oil treatment better. They are both amazing products so I would defiantly recommend both.

If you're interested in trying this out for yourself you can go to Alterna's website to see if a local salon sells it or it's also stocked at Sephora.

5 Tips for Healthy Eating

1) Pack a lunch - bring your lunch to work instead of heading out to the nearest drive through

2)Eat before you grocery shop - when you shop on a full stomach you are less likely to buy impulse junk food

3) Out of sight out of mind - tuck your junk food in a cupboard or pantry. It's less likely that you will grad a sweet snack if you can't see it 

4) Start slow - don't rush your body into a healthy eating diet, start out slow and gradually build. Sometimes it's about adding healthy choices to your diet instead of cutting things out

5) Start with a good breakfast - remember to eat breakfast every morning. You will feel more energetic and alert. Starting out with a healthy morning will keep you going!

Olay Fresh Effects

I recently tried a new makeup wipe from the drug store that I thought I would share. Originally I bought the "Olay fresh effects EVERYTHING OFF!" and fell in love!!! When I went back to the store to repurchase I accidentally picked up the "Olay fresh effects S'WIPE OUT!" and didn't even realize I had picked up the wrong one until I tried using it....BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

Above are picture of each, on the left you have the S'WIPE OUT and on the right you have the EVERYTHING OFF.

 The EVERYTHING OFF is a deluxe make-up removal wet cloths. It claims to have honeysuckle and white tea. It has a nice smell and the cloths are very moist. The packaging doesn't always stay shut so I recommend putting in a Ziploc bag so the cloths don't dry out.

The S'WIPE OUT is a refreshing make up removal cloth. I don't enjoy the sent as much as the other one and I don't find these are as moist as the EVERYTHING OFF. My skin felt like there was a film or something left on my skin, I didn't every much enjoy how it felt and I had to deep clean every time after I used the cloths.

 Above is a close up of the S'WIPE OUT cloth

Above is a cloth up of the EVERYTHING OFF

As you can see the cloths look pretty much identical but amazingly they are  very different. I find with the EVERYTHING OFF it really does take everything off! My makeup comes completely off with one cloth (except mascara I use a separate makeup remover). With the S'WIPE OUT I usually use about 2-3 cloths to get all my makeup off for the night....HUGE difference. The cost is the same for each cloths, however, something else to consider is you get 25 EVERYTHING OFF cloths and only 20 S'WIPE OUT cloths. I'm defiantly going to stick with the everything off, it has turned out to be a time and money saver!