Bio Seaweed Gel | Nail Art

This weekend I got to play around with some gel polish from Bio Seaweed Gel. The colors I picked is Ottawa & Montreal.

I highly recommend if you are thinking about buying some of these polishes that you check out some color swatches online. As seen in the picture above the actual color is slightly different than what's on the bottle. 

This is a very unique nail polish...this polish will actually cure in sunlight OR with an LED lamp. I have tried it both ways and it works! I actually really enjoyed taking my nail polish outside and painting my nails on the deck, it was a great way to spend some time outside this summer.

Unfortunately over the weekend here in Edmonton it rain so I used my LED lamp to create this look.

I stared by coating my nail with 2 coats of Ottawa and then I drew on a cute pink bow with Montreal. Here's a tip if you don't have any nail tools like me. To create designs like these use a fine point pen ( on that you don't care about using after or one that is out of ink) as your tool. Put a dollop of polish on a piece of paper and dip the pen in. Brush off any excess polish before starting your design. If you are a beginning practice drawing your design on paper before attempting it on your nails. The Montreal color reminds me of a Barbie pink so I though a cute bow design would be appropriate. 

If you like this nail art please go over to @bioseaweedgel Instagram page and vote on this nail art between Sept 14-16. There will be a nail art contest going on featuring looks done by members of CBB (Canadian Beauty Bloggers). The winner will get bragging rights and host a Bio Seaweed Gel giveaway on their blog! Please go vote so I can give you guys some awesome prizes from this company. 

If you are interested in trying these gel colors out you can use the coupon code "MSPAMBLAM" for $10 off at  http://shop.bioseaweedgel.com . 

Share below if you have tried out this polish and what color did you pick up?

3 Day Refresh | Round 2

I'T OFFICAL!! I successful completed a 2nd round of the 3 Day Refresh.

I am so excited to share these results with you...even I'm impressed with how things have turned out. So first off I want to share with you so information, my 1st round of the 3 Day Refresh if you are interested in seeing my results please go check out Round 1 3 Day Refresh Results

I completed round 1 a long time ago in April, my results were amazing! So good in fact that my wedding dress I was having altered no longer fit and I had to have major alternations done. I purchased my 2nd kit at the beginning of summer but I was too scared to do it before my wedding because I didn't want to pay for another huge alteration. I decided to wait and I did round 2 Sept 1-3.

From the time I did my 1st round (in April) to the time I did my 2nd round (in September) I am happy to report I did not gain back ANY weight I lost. I did not gain ANY inches I took off!!! I know there are a lot of detox or cleanse programs out there that will help you lose a lot of weight but as soon as you stop the program - you gain that weight back. That is not the case with this program.

I will say that I tried my best to continue to workout as much as I could, although I was busy planning a weddings so I was probably only worked out maybe 3 times a week. However, I NEVER stopped my Shakeology. I've been on my Shakeology for 9 straight months and it is really helping me with my eating/nutrition.

Between April and September here is what happened...

-my weight stayed the same

-I lost 1 inch around my waist

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

-all my other measurements stayed the same

So how did I make out doing my 2nd round? As you can see from the before and after pictures above you can tell a slight difference - or at least I can anyway.

Here are my results for round 2...

-I lost 4 pounds

-I lost 2 inches off my hips

-I lost 4 inches around my stomach

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

TRULY AMAZING!!! I thought with this being my 2nd round I wouldn't get as good of results but turns out I was wrong - and boy am I happy I was wrong!

This program just continues to amaze me and I can't wait to do round 3!

Of course if you are interested in an update in a few weeks I will be posting on my blog how things are going and if I gain back any of the weight. Make sure you subscribe to my blog so you get an update when my blog posts go live.

If you want to try this program please feel free to email me mspamblam@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to get you set up to do your own round of the 3 Day Refresh.

Happy Friday!



Product Empties September 2015

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Smooth Shave Gel with Soy Extracts - This was an OK shaving gel but the bottom of the container rusted and left a ring in my tub which I was not impressed with. I don't think I will repurchase this for that reason

Lancome Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover - This was a great eye makeup removed. I got these tiny samples from Sephora by redeeming some of my points. I am trying a new eye makeup removed but I don't know if it works as good as this one

Fresh Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream - This was my favorite eye cream...that is until I tried the Fresh lotus eye cream. This one is a very light weight eye cream and I wanted something a little bit richer. This really was a great cream and I did enjoy it while it lasted but I wont repurchase, I'll be sticking with the lotus cream (I've already gone through 2 jars)

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream With Super 7 Complex - I've gone through 4 jars of this cream...it's amazing. I have VERY dry skin so I do mix this with a beauty oil and my skin just drinks in the moisture. Highly recommend this face cream!

Cover FX Natural Finish Oil Free Foundation - I know a lot of people love this foundation but it just wasn't my thing. I found this sat on top of my skin and looked like I was wearing makeup, I prefer something more natural looking. I wont be repurchasing this

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream - I thought I could cheap out on my skin care and just pick something up from the drugstore....but I really didn't like this eye cream. It was greasy and just sat under my eyes. I had to wipe this off with a tissue before applying my makeup

NeoStrata Intense Anti-Aging Eye Cream Fruit Stem Cells - I got this little baby sample with the purchase of my Neostrata eye lash serum, this was an ok eye cream. I was using it as a night time cream because it was a little greasy. I didn't end up repurchasing it

Josie Maran 100 percent Pure Argan Oil - this is a great oil! I used it for a couple different things (mixing with foundation, on the ends of my hair, on my face, ect) This is such a versatile product the things you can do with this oil is endless and I think therefore makes it worth every penny!

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - I know a lot of people love this mascara but it just wasn't for me. This was a little baby sample from Sephora, I used it up but I won't be repurchasing the full size. I didn't find anything amazing or spectacular about the formula or brush...it just seemed like a regular mascara so I'll save my money  

 

August 2015 Favorites

Here are my favorites for the month of August:

Sephora Eye Mask - There are 8 different eye masks each with their own unique benefits. My 2 favorite are the Pearl and Rose - I know, I know, the rose isn't actually in the picture above but that's because I just used my last one

Fresh Sugar Nourishing Lip Balm Advanced Therapy - Right now this is my favorite lip balm, it's something that is very moisturizing and I find I only have to apply it 2-3 times a day. With other lip balms I am typically applying them every hour and even though they are also moisturizing I don't want to be applying lip balm all day! 

Caudalie Moisturizing Toner - LOVE this toner, it is very moisturizing for my dry skin. My skin feels amazing after I apply this, my skin feels very fresh and hydrated 

Becca Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Champagne Pop - What can I say about this highlighter that already hasn't been said? Probably nothing but this really is a truly an amazing  highlighter for fair skin gals. I wear this everyday and I wore this on my wedding day, it showed up great in pictures

Z Palette - In the past I've only really gotten pre made palettes like the Urban Deacy Nacked Palette. Just recently I've started making my own palettes and it has been so much fun! I love customizing and perfecting a palette that suits me and my taste and my skin tone

What was your favorites this month?

Living a Fit & Active Lifestyle

Going to the gym. Losing weight. Following an eating plan. Doing an at home workout. Sounds easy right? Well sometimes it can be easier said than done!

ETB Fitness got in contact with me at the end of July asking some great questions which inspired this blog post! They wanted to know what foods you you eat pre workout? How do you switch up certain routines daily/weekly to stay motivated? What do you eat or do after your workout to make sure you got the most out of your workout? Basically what fuels me for an AWESOME workout and  a GREAT day! So here are some tricks, tips and personal advice on how I stay motivated to continue my fit & active lifestyle.

I've always been a fitness enthusiast....ALAWAYS! I guess I can thank my parents for that. When I was in grade 4 I got my first taste of running by joining the cross country team at school, I begged my parents to let me quit piano and start running. Since then I've NEVER stopped.

It's not easy living an active & fit lifestyle, it takes work, it takes dedication and it will also takes sacrifice. Staying motivated to live this sort of lifestyle can be the biggest challenge some people can face. In my opinion "being fit" isn't something that happens overnight, it isn't something you can do for 10 weeks and then go back to your old habits....this is a lifestyle change! This is something that you need to commit to and work towards every day. I know, I know, it can be a struggle and some days are easier than others.


Let's start at the beginning...getting in gear to do a workout! Most of the time YOU are the only one holding yourself back. I know that on those tough days when I don't want to workout it takes some time to talk myself into getting my butt moving. So what motives me to GET MOVING? I think about my past accomplishments and what I hope to achieve in the future.

Let me explain.....I have competed in 67 running events. Don't believe me? I have kept every completion number to prove it, they are all pinned and displayed on my "race wall". I look at those numbers and it fuels me! I think about every race that I've ever competed in and what it took to get there.

Once you're put yourself in the right mind set you're ready to move onto fueling your body. This is SO important, you don't want to be stopping halfway through your workout because you've run out of gas. You have to find something that works for you, you want to eat enough so your energy lasts for the whole workout but don't eat too much to the point where you feel like there's a rock in your stomach. Your best bet is to look at and try some preworkout energy drinks, bars or other supplements. You'll have to try and test what works best for your body.

Also remember to eat afterwards....it's best to eat within 30 min of completing your workout for recovery. If you've traveled to your workout location grab a bar and eat it in the car on the way home. If you've worked out close to home have something ready in the fridge to grab when you're done.

How do you stick with a fitness lifestyle long term? Mix it up! Do something that interests you. For me...I'm a runner. I love running so that's my main fitness goal, however, running is a high impact sport so I'm big on cross training. How do I do that? I use Beachbody works which can be done at home. I switched from the gym to Beachbody in 2011 because I found they gave WAY better results. My training plans for running usually stay pretty consistent...a marathon training program is a marathon training program BUT I can do my marathon training program+Beachbody Insanity or marathon training program+21 Day Fix. I like to keep it interesting and switch up what I'm doing for my cross training.

I truly feel like if you can find an active that you enjoy participating in you will stick with! But also remember to mix it up and always try new things....who knows you might enjoy it.

So how do you get started towards your new active & fit lifestyle, just go for it! Start small, maybe going out every night for a walk, finding a drop in class near your house, or start following an at home workouts. Only you can take that first step towards your new lifestyle. Are you ready? Get set. Go!