Holy Grail Items Every Girl Needs

Today to kick off this new "series," I thought I'd share with you my current favorites in beauty. This new series is called "Quest for the Best." Now, this will not be a regularly scheduled series. It will just randomly pop up when I think I've found the ultimate in an item (beauty, home, etc.), or I need help finding that because I'm getting super frustrated with not finding it!  

So, think of the Quest for the Best as periodic product reviews! 

Without further ado, here are my current holy grail items. 

Rosebud Salve 

If you haven't heard of rosebud salve yet, have you been living under a rock? This stuff is seriously amazing and now comes in different "flavors." They also come in tubes as well, but I prefer the original packaging. 

Why is this stuff so amazing you ask? Well, because its good for so many things! I mainly use it for dry/chapped lips and it works wonders. You can also use this for blemishes, diaper rash, lotion, as well as a soothing balm for your... uh... more sensitive areas. And it smells good! Think of it like Vaseline but better and better smelling. 

You can get it here.


Degree Motion Sense Deodorant 

So, I'm about to get a little personal with you... I have a b.o. problem when it comes to my armpits. Gross, I know. But, as I've been talking with people, it seems to me that I am nowhere near the only girl out there with this problem. The only thing that I've found that works well for me so far is this deodorant. It claims to work more the more you move so sometimes I flap my arms like a chicken to reactivate it! ha! 

But seriously, I only applied once this morning and I still smell pretty good. So, it lasts. That's been my problem with most other brands... they just don't last. This last (though, I don't trust the 48 hour promise), smells good and dries clear. I don't know what else to say about it other than it works. 

And no, I do not like Secret's Clinical Strength deodorant... I've tried it and it's just not for me... probably because I shower in the morning and you are supposed to put that stuff on at night so I end up washing it all off in the morning and reapplying and it just doesn't work like it's supposed to for me. 

You can get this at most drugstores.

Lavender Soap 

This is probably one that you can get any natural brand of and get the same results, but the one I am using is Aunt Linda's Lye Soap. (You can email her to order lindaweavesofc@gmail.com). I actually got this for Christmas and I have loved it ever since. Not only does it smell amazing, but it does wonders for clearing up skin. If I am consistent with using this to wash my face every morning and cleansing with toner at night then my breakouts clear up within a couple of days.

What's great about it is that it is completely natural. No harsh chemicals on my face = win!

Sugar Hand Scrub  

This is another product that you can get any brand of but, I've noticed its better if it has more of a homemade vibe (i.e. No sugar scrubs that have lots of perfumes). I've been using this not for my hands, though it is great for that as well, but for my arms. I read this blog post: How to Treat Red Bumps on Arms Naturally, and decided to try it! I've been using this scrub on my arms everyday for about a month now and my red bumps have gotten a loss less bumpy and red! They're still there, but definitely not as prominent! 

Look for some homemade ones at your local nail shop, farmers market, or hair salon! 

There you have it... I know this list is small, but hopefully it will keep growing! 

P.s. I'm not getting paid to promote these products (I kinda wish! ha). All opinions are my own. 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Influenster Uni Vox Box!

Hello, hello, hello!

It has been crazy busy over here! I'm dealing with a new schedule (if you don't know why, you'll see in my next Monthly Mayhem post.) and I've just felt completely drained by the end of the day. Although, to be honest, I've been feeling this way for quite sometime, no matter what my routine so, I'm thinking there may be some drastic changes in my lifestyle to try to up my energy levels (naturally, of course!). 

But, I've let my blog take the back burner for too long. I have a ton of ideas that I cannot wait to get started writing about! 

To get the juices flowing again, how about some product reviews? 

That's always exciting right? 

I recently received a VoxBox, courtesy of Influenster, with lots of lovely stuff in it. It's called the Uni Vox Box because it is supposed to be directed toward college students, though really, anyone could benefit from the stuff in this box. 

First, I will tell you that I did not try the Red Rose Real Tea Premium Water Enhancers... for two reasons. Reason one, I only drink herbal tea (no black tea) and I couldn't tell if this had any black tea in it... and two, I just really don't like water enhancers. It smelled really nice though! 

Now, it is time for:  The Good, The Bad and the Ugly 

The Good 

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse-  

I love this stuff. This "mousse" foundation gives light to medium coverage, and is very build-able. It does not look cakey or greasy at all which is why I tend to stay away from liquid foundations. The only suggestion I have with this product is to dot it on your face, and then use a sponge or a brush (I prefer sponge with this product to blend, otherwise it will be all over your hands and not your face!

Pilot Acroball Pure White 

I've always had a thing for Pilot pens... and just pens in general, so I was pretty excited when I saw this in my box. I remember in high school, everybody thought that Pilot G2 pens were the ultimate in a pen writing experience. This pen may just give it a run for its money, though it is not the same consistency. This pen has a more "professional" type consistency, like your average blue and black basic pen, but it writes so smoothly. I actually think my handwriting subconsciously gets better with this pen because I want to do it justice! I also love their #PenitForward campaign! Its great to see some positivity in social media for a change. 

Playtex Sport Fresh Balance 

If you haven't tried this yet, I just have one question for you... what are you waiting for? Where else are you going to get tampons that inspire you? Plus they are just all around good for protection. Much better than U by Kotex, in my personal opinion. Obviously, if you have a heaver flow, you'll want to go with super.

The Bad

Broadway Nails imPress Manicures 

I was super excited to try these, and sadly let down. The nails were easy enough to get on once I yanked the sticky part off. But they were way too easy to get off. So easy in fact, they kept popping off anytime I washed my hands! I kept trying to reapply but I eventually just got too frustrated and took them all off. They do have some pretty good designs, so I am willing to try again... but let me know if you've had a similar experience with these and I won't waste my money! 

The Ugly

NYC New York Color Expert Last Lipstick 

When I was first exploring the world of beauty and fashion, a la 6th grade, I absolutely loved N.Y.C. for its cheapness and fun colors. Seeing as it was a pre-teen favorite of mine, I was really hoping to like this lipstick. I thought it was a little bright but, I thought oh well! and slapped it on! Not only was it way too bright, it just wasn't that great of a lipstick. Its not just the wrong color for me (though, to be honest I don't know who could pull this off) but it has kind of a waxy consistency. It is not moisturizing at all and "expert last" is a joke. Though I probably will keep it around for a while and mix it with some of my more neutral colors to give them a bit of a pick me up. 


Well, this time there were a lot more good than bad or ugly so, that's always nice to see! I really enjoyed this VoxBox, and really any I get because I love reviewing things for you guys but don't have a ton of money to spend on products that I'm unsure of!