Monday, April 27, 2015

April 2015 Favorites

Here are my favorites for the month. I am so excited to share some of these!!! I have really made some great discoveries and pulled out some old products that I have fallen back in love with again.

Essie "French Affair" - this is a very light pink nail color, since the weather is warming up I've pulled out some more summer appropriate colors and this is one of my favorites

Sensationail LEP Lamp - does matter if I'm wearing gel color or regular nail color I use Sensationail nail kit, it works amazing and keeps your regular gel polish on long than normal

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops - I've seen a few reviews on this product and right away I knew I wanted to try it!! I picked this up at Sephora's sale, Cover FX isn't available at the store but you can order it online. I've only had it for a short time but I fell in love after my first time using it. Next week I'll have a full blog post dedicated to a product review because its that good and deserves its own blog post!!

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Waterproof Mascara - I've used this mascara before but not in the waterproof formula...I have to say I've used this almost everyday! It's just amazing and isn't that bad to get off either considering its a waterproof formula

tarte eyelash curler - I've purchase....oh about 4 eyelash curlers and they have all ended up in the garbage! I pretty much have given up on eyelash curlers because they either don't work for me or some of them have pinched my eye and it hurts. A girl at Sephora told me I wouldn't be disappointed with this one so I decided to give it a try...what did I have to loose? The store has a great return policy so I thought worst comes to worst I could just return it if I didn't like it. Turns out I fell in LOVE and I use this eye lash curler everyday!

Tell me what your favorites were this month? Should I try anything new in May?

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog!!!


Friday, April 24, 2015

3 Day Refresh | Results Update 3 Weeks Later



It's been 3 weeks since I've completed my 3 Day Refresh...where has the time gone?


Mainly I wanted to post and update how my results have been after I stopped. For those of you who haven't read my original 3 Day Refresh results/experience you can go to my blog post http://www.mspamblam.com/2015/04/3-day-refresh-results.html . Most cleanse or detox reviews you read people post their results right after they finish their cleanse or detox...what about after people are done? I find there aren't a lot of follow up posts.


I got amazing results after my 3 Day Refresh and I'm happy to report that I have kept off my 2 inches that I original lost around my chest, stomach and thighs. I have lost an addition 2 pounds and feeling full of energy! Immediately after my 3 Day Refresh I continued drinking Shakeology daily and I've been doing a combination of T25 & 21 Day Fix fitness programs at home.


I've been EXTREMELY happy with the way I've been able to maintain my results, I've heard from people who have tried juice cleanse and it seems that as soon as you go off a juice cleanse you gain back all the weight you original lost. I'm happy to report that was NOT the case with this program. In fact I continued to loss weight after the 3 days which took me by surprise.


The results you get are easily maintained but I have had to put in some effort to maintain the results. In addition to working out to T25 & 21 Day Fix I've been following the 21 Day Fix meal plan. In addition I've taken some concepts out of the 3 Day Refresh and incorporated them into my day to day routine for a healthier lifestyle.


Be prepared if you decide to attempt this program, the results that you get are AMAZING! But after the 3 days is over you have to make small changes to your lifestyle to maintain the results you worked so hard to achieve. I will say that they changes I have made aren't HUGE and it wasn't hard. All it takes is for you to be conscious and aware, create good and healthy eating habits and remember to add in some workout exercises.

Have you tried the 3 Day Refresh? Let me know what you thought of the program in the comments below!



Wednesday, April 22, 2015

5 Tricks to GO GREEN



Happy Earth Day!!! Try these 5 simple tricks to GO GREEN everyday

1) Stop buying bottled water – get yourself a water bottle and fill it up with tap water

2) Get receipts emailed – this option is available in a lot of stores, most of your receipts end up in the garbage anyway

3) Skip driving and walk or bike – you’ll get your exercise for the day and cut down on polluting the planet

4) Unplug electronics when you aren't using them – electronics such as phone chargers still suck up energy even if your phone isn't charging, save yourself some money and unplug them

5) Start an at home compost – not only good for the planet but also good for your garden



Friday, April 17, 2015

Sick With A Cold - Exercise Do's and Don'ts

Lately I've been a little absent from social media as a battle with a spring cold which inspired this blog! Exercise has been the last thing on my mind this week but light exercise can actually make you feel better while you have a cold….now there are some exceptions to that! Typically I will only workout when I have a slight head cold, anything that is more severe than that I skip my workouts all together.

Here are some simple Do’s and Don’ts for exercise when you have a cold

Do

Walk – Don’t stay cooped up in bed all day, it’s surprising how great this can make you feel. I’ve been out for serval walks this last week and it’s defiantly made a difference

Jogging – I skipped this one for this cold but you can go out for a light jog, nothing too intense or long

Yoga – Personally I love doing hot yoga when I’m sick but since I couldn’t make it to any of the classes. I just used “21 Day Fix” yoga DVD and did some yoga in my living room

Don’t

Endurance running – You don’t want to push yourself too hard, don’t do any running such as intervals or races during your cold

Machines at the gym – While you have a cold be courteous to other people, think about it. Do you want someone beside you who’s sick? Gym machines can spread germs when people don’t clean them off properly, stay at home to avoid getting other people sick

Lifting weights – During your cold your body is going to be weak, lifting weights during a cold can increase your risk of injury. You’re putting an extra strain on your muscles which can further worsen your cold….plus your spreading your germs to other people using weights





Friday, April 10, 2015

5 Tips on Boosting Your Metabolism

1) Eat just enough so you're not hungry - you don't want your body going into starvation mode so eat three meals a day plus a mid morning and mid afternoon snack


2) Eat Breakfast - jump start your metabolism in the morning and keep your energy up all day


3)Drink tea - the antioxidant in tea can help provide a system boost


4)Drink your water - make sure you are drinking water throughout the day, about 8 cups for the average person


5) Include protein - your body need protein to give you nice lean muscles, make sure you get protein in every meal




Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Sephora VIB Rouge Sale Wishlist

I was contemplating if I should post my wishlist or post a haul for the upcoming sale at Sephora. I figured a wishlist would be more helping if someone of you are planning on going shopping during this event...it doesn't last long.

I'm very excited to pick up some new items that have been on my wishlist for along time! I have been just waiting for this sale....I know it pops up sometime around Easter so I've been anticipating it's arrival.

I believe the official start date is April 12th, I am going to the "Beauty Before Brunch" event on Sunday which I am very excited about! Here are a few things I'll be picking up that day, I know not all of these items will be available in the store so I will be placing an online order after Sunday.

LIPS 
I've been having major issues with cracked/dry lips, really hoping these products help turn that around for me

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve

Rosebud Perfum Co. Strawberry Lip Balm

Sephora Collection Super Smoothing Lip Butter

Face  
Some of these are new products that I am excited to try and others are I am just repurchasing
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
                                                  (repurchase)

Smashbox Step-by-Step Contour Stick Trio

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
                                                   (repurchase)

Tarte Timeless Smoothing Primer 
                                                   (repurchase)

Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer
                                                  (repurchase)


Eyes 
All of these are repurchase but I am trying out the Dior & Giorgio Armani in waterproof formulas which is NEW!

 BareMinerals Lash Domination Volumizing Mascara

 Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Waterproof Mascara

 Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Waterproof Mascara

Skin Care 

This was recommended to me by a Sephora employee, since I have REALLY dry skin I need something very moisturizing. She recommend the serum in the kit, however, this kit is the same price as 1 bottle of serum....so why not buy the kit and try two bonus products!

  Caudalie Moisture Essentials Set


Have you made your shopping list? If there's something you think I need to either try or skip please let me know in the comments below.







Monday, April 6, 2015

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water


Gimmicky or worth the money? I thought in the past that setting sprays were gimmicky....and some of them are. You have to be careful about what you pick up!!

So this particular spray is unlike any other that I have tried before. Most of the sprays that I have tried are for after you have finished your makeup application. This claims that you can use is as a primer spray, refresh spray and setting spray! 

It's supposed to be infused with electrolytes and claims to be silicone free, alcohol free and oil free. 
I don't know if I can tell whether or not electrolytes are in it but it is very light weight and doesn't feel like you've dumped a bunch of water on your skin.

I feel like this would be a great product if you are someone who likes to spray their face while traveling. I think I saw at Sephora there is an option to buy a smaller bottle. This was pretty expensive but I haven't used that much product and I've had this bottle since February.

I use this daily, mainly before and after my makeup application. I don't typically spray my face throughout the day to revive my makeup. I've also used this to wet my eye shadows and the glittery ones seem to stay on FOREVER!!! Its really been amazing.

I didn't have high expectations but its been amazing so far!!! Have you tried this product? Let me know how you have used it and what you think?


Friday, April 3, 2015

3 Day Refresh Results

I JUST COMPLETED THE 3 DAY REFRESH!!!! On Tuesday I never thought I would be able to say that. I wanted to share my experience on how things went, how I found the program and of course my results. Now I know from the picture above you may or may not be able to see much of a difference...I know I sure can! My results weren't huge or drastic like the commercial portrays the program BUT I was slightly skeptical and I never expected these kinds of results so quickly from any program. Remember that everyone has a different starting point so everyone's results will vary.  

I have never completed anything like this before. I have always wanted to do some sort of juice cleanse...I even bought two books which had the juice cleanse program in them but I never did it. I was nervous to try them and go without food just juice for any period of time. I'm a busy person and I don't have 3 days to dedicate to a juice cleanse. I know people who have done juice cleanse and they are all so tiered and grumpy during the three days they are on their cleanse, I didn't want to be tiered and drag around the office. I was skeptical they wouldn't work and always talked myself out of even trying. 

So why did I try this one? Because it was advertised as a cleanse with NO STARVING, sounded like something I could do!!! So why did I do the cleanse? I wanted to break some bad eating habits I had and kick start my system.

First off lets talk about the kit. This program comes from a company called Beachbody. The kit nicely lays out everything you need for the refresh and comes with a program guide. Now when doing this program you will need to use Shakeology, Beachbody has an option for you to just buy the kit by its self or buy it with Shakeology.
 Each day you will need to drink a Fiber Sweep and two Vanilla Fresh drinks. Okay I just want to take a minuet and tell you about the Fiber Sweep....IT WAS HORRIBLE!!! By far this was the worst part of the three days. Now I don't want to scare you away from doing this but I just want you to be warned! It's slightly chunky and has a lemon taste which I didn't like. It doesn't really dissolve in water so I would recommend using a blender to help dissolve the powder and drink it REALLY fast....that's how I did it. Now the Vanilla Fresh on the other hand was amazing! It smelled so good and tasted yummy, I also put this in a blender with water and some ice....it was delicious.
 In addition to the kit and Shakeology you will also have to do some grocery shopping...yes you do get to EAT during the 3 days. In the program guide it will tell you what you can eat and how much. Stick to the program!! It was a little tough because it's a lot less food than I was used to eating but it's only 3 days. The book gives you a couple optional choices, some days I did the options and some days I didn't. I'll take you step by step what I did each day.

Now I did this program Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday....so I tried really hard to plan ahead but I failed a little bit. My tip is shop ahead and buy more than you think you will need. I didn't buy any of the option food and had to run back to the grocery store on Tuesday (which I was trying to avoid) and pick up some of the option food. Also make sure you take you before pictures and measurements before you start, I know I'm sure glad i did.


Day 1
I found the morning of day 1 pretty easy but as lunch approached I was getting a little hungry. Now I get food cravings right away when I smell food so I decided to leave the office during lunch just to make things easier on myself. After lunch I was good for the rest for the afternoon until dinner. During the day you are allowed two optional teas and I took advantage of both. Around 5 I was getting slightly light headed and was CRAVING food but this went away after dinner and that was the only time I felt light headed...the cravings went away after day 2. I was able to go about my normal day at the office but not when I got home. Normally I workout every night but I was REALLY tiered to I skipped my workout for the full 3 days.

Around 7 I started to get hungry again and there is an option to have some vegetable broth at the end of the day which I wasn't planning on doing so I didn't buy any...since I was getting hungry I decided to run out to the grocery store, which I tired to avoid but I'm glad I went and got it. By the end of the day I felt exhausted and it was hard to get off the couch and do anything.

Another tip I will add...clean off your counter! It never even occurred to me how much food we have just sitting around. On the weekend we had made some garlic bread and the leftovers were wrapped up on the counted and it really bothered me. The day before you start the program just go through your kitchen and tuck any food you have lying around away in a cupboard so it wont even tempt you!


Day 2
I woke up with energy! I was shocked, I expected to be really tiered and dragging but I wasn't. Now day 2 was really busy for me at the office, I had a hard time sticking to the eating schedule and I had to stay at my desk and work though my lunch. I had to skip the optional tea because I was too busy to run but I was able to fit everything else in. I found that I had a ton more energy than day 1 and even though I had some slight food cravings around lunch time it wasn't as bad as the first day. Even when I got home it didn't bother me when my fiance ate his dinner in front of me and I even packed his lunch that night. Normally I pack his lunch everyday but on day 1 I told him he had to do it himself because I didn't want to be digging around in the fridge tempting myself.


Day 3
I was a little tiered and hard to get out of bed... but that could also have been because I was up late! As soon as I got out of bed and had my first glass of water had a ton of energy again! Now day 3 was almost an epic FAIL...I was driving to work when I realized I forgot my fiber sweep and vanilla shake at home. Everything else I had but I forgot those two things on the counter. I really wanted to finish the full 3 days I was SO close to being done. I rushed home mid morning to get them so my food was slightly out of order on day 3 but I still fit everything in! I did have the optional tea on day 3. I had absolutely zero food cravings and I had a ton of energy....I don't think I've ever felt that great!


Results
Now for the part you've been waiting for....or you just scrolled down to the bottom to read and skipped the rest. Either way, from the picture above you can tell a slight difference in my before and after pictures. Over the three days I lost 4 pounds, my start weight was 149 and went down to 145. I lost 2 inches around my stomach, chest and thighs! After doing this I was expecting to lose weight and I was expecting to lose weight around my stomach but what really stocked me is loosing fat off my legs...for about 6 years I ran track and field and developed large thighs, which were muscle when I was training but when I stopped running track it turned into fat that I could never get rid of. I stopped track and field in 2006 so I've had this fat around my legs for 9 years!! I know it's hard to tell in the picture but in person I can tell my legs are skinnier. Plus I've also developed a more defined hourglass silhouette!

Would I do this again? Absolutely! I don't think I'll be doing it again right away but now I'm very curious to see what kind of results I could get doing this a second round.

How do I plan to keep off the weight and keep my results? I'm instructing a T25 challenge group starting April 6th which should help, if you don't know what T25 is it's a Beachbody at home fitness program that also comes with a eating plan. I also will be more aware of my eating habits and of course continue drinking my Shakeology!

How do you buy this program? www.beachbodycoach.com/mspamblam or send me an email mspamblam@gmail.com

I took a couple pictures during the 3 days I was on the refresh program and posted them on my Instagram account, if you want to check those out head over to https://instagram.com/mspamblam

I hope you found this review/results on the 3 Day Refresh helpful and interesting. If you have any questions that I didn't answer please leave them in the comments below and I would be happy to answer them!