sleep with this: Garnier Miracle Sleeping Cream review.

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If there’s one thing that I’ve learned to be more and more true in life, it’s that sleep can cure just about anything. And, as someone who just celebrated a 28th birthday, I’m learning that the amount of sleep I get can greatly effect not just how I feel, but also how I look. Oh, the joys of getting older 😉

While I wish I could say I get a full 8 hours of sleep every night, that just not always the case. As I’m sure most people can relate to, life happens, and sometimes 6 hours of sleep is more the reality for me. Living in New York City (AKA “the city that never sleeps”) definitely doesn’t make that much easier!

BUT - thankfully that doesn’t mean I’m doomed to have that lack of sleep appearance when I don’t get my full 8 hours. I was excited to recently be sent some Garnier Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream™ Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Night Cream to try out, and I’m so thrilled with the results.

Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream is a new hydrating face cream that fights wrinkles and signs of fatigue while you sleep for younger looking skin. The anti-aging formula reduces signs of dull, dry and tired looking skin. The cream is infused with Lavender Essential Oil, Rare Plant Extracts & Adenosine.

 

The scent is seriously amazing. I’ve always had issues with night creams in the past because I didn’t love the scent, but this one actually is pleasant to the smell as I fall asleep at night. The most common results reported are:
      • 1st Morning: 96% said skin felt softer. 85% said skin looks rested.
      • In 4 weeks: Wrinkles are visibly reduced. 81% said skin felt firmer and looked revitalized. 88% said skin felt smoother.

I’ve been using Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream for about 2 1/2 weeks. I definitely noticed my skin feeling softer and looking more rested after just the first few days. About 2 weeks in I did notice more of an overall firmness in my skin that lasted throughout the day.

Along with the Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream I tried Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream: Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Eye Cream. It’s an innovative gel-cream texture that combines the hydrating power of a cream with the light refreshing feel of a gel to visibly reduce signs of dark circles, bags and tired looking eyes. Infused with Essential Oil, Caffeine and Rare Plant Extracts, this anti-aging formula works nightly to reduce signs of fatigue to revitalize eyes. I loved pairing these two products for what left me feeling and looking much more refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning… even if I didn’t get an ideal 8 hours of sleep.

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Can’t get your nightly beauty sleep? Garnier has you covered with prizes that will make you look like you didn’t miss a wink! Enter the Sleep With This Sweepstakes now for the chance to win Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream, a Westin Heavenly® Bed and more.
 Plus receive a $1 coupon* to try Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream out for yourself. Enter daily for a chance to win a Miracle Sleeping Cream product prize package.

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Do you plan to try Garnier’s Ultra-Lift® Miracle Sleeping Cream™ Anti-Age + Anti-Fatigue Night Cream to help fight wrinkles and the signs of fatigue?

Tell me in the comments for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments. You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

      1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
      2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
      3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
      4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 4/8/15 – 5/10/15.

Be sure to visit the Garnier brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Garnier + BlogHer. All opinions herein are my own. Please note that I was compensated for this post. You can refer to my product review policy here. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

3 spring {CMA inspired} makeup looks with Mary Kay.

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A few months ago I was able to try Mary Kay® makeup products for the first time, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved them. I had never used Mary Kay® makeup products before that, but since then they have been a go-to favorite of mine. So when I was offered to try some more of their new makeup products, I was definitely interested.

This time they also sent me some really fun makeup looks - complete with step-by-step tutorials and a list of exactly which products to use. As someone who isn’t great with experimenting with makeup, I loved having that guidance for fun new looks for spring!

Since Mary Kay® is the Official Beauty Sponsor of the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, the looks provided were created to celebrate the show (airing April 19th!). Celebrity makeup artist, Moani Lee, created these three stunning country music-inspired looks, and I had so much fun recreating my rendition of them.

Queen of Country Look “This country beauty is sexy, confident, and loves to rock a bold smoky eye.” ~Moani Lee

Products used: Jet Black Eyeliner Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Sweet Plum Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Moonstone Mary Kay® Eye Crease Brush Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Coal Mary Kay® Lash Primer Mary Kay® Ultimate Mascara Mary Kay® Mineral Cheek Color Mary Kay® NouriShine Lip Gloss

(Click here to view the full tutorial) This look is perfect when you want to look glam - perfect for a night out on the town with your girlfriends. I especially love the smoky eye, with the help of Mary Kay® Mineral Eye Color in Coal.

All-American Girl “This country cutie prefers pastels and a rosy glow to highlight all her best features.” ~Moani Lee

Products used: Cream Eye Color in Pale Blush Precious Pink Mineral Eye Color Eyeliner in Deep Brown Lash Love Lengthening Mascara in I ♥ Black Strawberry Cream Mineral Cheek Color NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Fancy Nancy

(Click here for the full tutorial) This look is perfect for spring. It’s natural, feminine, and I love the light touches of pink.

Boho Beauty “A free spirit at heart, this Bohemian country beauty opts for a sun-kissed look.” ~Moani Lee

Products used: Cream Eye Color in Apricot Twist Eyeliner in Deep Brown Lash Love Mascara in I ♥ Black Bronzing Powder in Light/Medium True Dimensions Lipstick in Berry a la Mode NouriShine Plus Lip Gloss in Silver Moon

This is the look that I loved the most. The boho trend is one of my favorites as we go into spring and summer (even with my hair, fashion, etc.), so I was excited to experiment with the Mary Kay® products for this look.

I followed this tutorial for the Boho Beauty makeup, and it was surprisingly easy. I love the natural, sun-kissed look it gave me. It enhanced my natural features, which is something I really like to embrace in the warmer seasons. I especially loved the Bronzing Powder. It was the perfect shade of bronze to give me that sun kissed look - it wasn’t at all orange-y, and applied light and smooth on my skin.

For more information about Mary Kay®, you can visit their website marykay.com, Facebook page, or YouTube Channel. Follow/tag them on Instagram (marykayus) and Twitter @marykay.

Which of the three Academy of Country Music Awards-inspired looks do you like best? Leave your answer in the comments section to enter for a chance to win a Mary Kay® gift basket!

Brought to you by Mary Kay. All opinions are my own.

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 3/30/2015 – 4/30/2015

Be sure to visit Mary Kay’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

my favorite spring {prom!} hair looks with Sexy Hair products.

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Oh, spring. The season where we reintroduce florals, sundresses and sandals into our wardrobe. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to put my winter clothes into hibernation!

A couple of weeks ago a GML reader (hi Alyssa!) reached out and asked about something I haven’t thought of in years - prom. She said she was going to her first prom this year and wanted suggestions for what to wear and how to wear her hair. She said she wants to look fashionable without having that over-the-top “prom look” that tends to get a bad rep. Her question came at the perfect time and I actually just received a handful of Sexy Hair products to try out.
Sexy Hair products I’ve also recently gotten excited to experiment with fun new hairstyles for spring. I’ve been seeing so many fun and girly looks on Pinterest, and I can’t wait to try them out for myself. Not to mention that there are some trends I saw this past award season on the Red Carpet that I want to recreate as well. So, with the help of Sexy Hair, here are some of my favorite hairstyles and trends for spring - whether you’re looking for a fun prom look - or just wanting to try something new this season.
Braids
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen that braids are everywhere lately. I don’t know about you, but I’m hoping it’s a trend that stays around for a while! I’m especially loving this simple yet chic braid crown look (click the image for the how-to).

Retro Hollywood
This look will never go out of style.

(Click the image for tutorial!) This look is great to finish with Sexy Hair Spray & Play - it’s the perfect hair spray because it holds everything in place while adding volume and staying flexible. Not to mention it protects your hair from damaging UV rays (pretty awesome).

Sexy Hair products

Classic Ponytail
Think the ponytail is boring? Think again. This was a huge trend during award season this year (as seen on Dakota Johnson below), and I think it’s one that’s here to stay.

The ponytail is also a great look for the day or two after you’ve washed your hair. That’s where I love dry shampoo! I carry this Sexy Hair H2No around with me pretty much at all times. In addition to taking away that greasy look and feel, it provides shine and prolongs the time between shampoos, resulting in color vibrancy and reduction of chemical damage to the hair.

Sexy Hair products

Natural Tousles
I know what you’re thinking - tousled hair for prom? I know that up-dos are usually the norm for special occasions, but I personally love standing out and embracing chic, natural-looking tousled hair.

For this look I’m loving Sexy Hair’s Full Bloom. Full Bloom Long-Lasting Thickening & Refreshing Spray can give your blowout up to 3 days of volume. It also prevents heat styling damage by providing thermal protection AND humidity protection to help fight frizz.
How to use Full Bloom: make sure to shake the bottle first. Apply to damp hair and then blow dry. Tousle hair throughout the day to release the fragrance.

I’d also add a sprinkle of Powder Play for some extra volume (because let’s be real - you can never have too much volume). I’ve actually mentioned Powder Play a handful of times here on GML - it’s been a favorite of mine for a few years.

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Get these products in a compact kit, the Sexy Hair Prom Posh Kit, for just $19.95. Available online only at sexyhair.com. Full size products are also available at sexyhair.com and at Ulta or JCPenney. Free shipping on orders over $25 and free sample with purchase at sexyhair.com! Check out the Sexy Hair blog for more great prom looks.

Sexy Hair products

What’s your favorite of these prom/spring hair looks? Tell me in the comments to enter for a chance to win $100 worth of Sexy Hair products!

Sweepstakes Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 3/30/2015 – 5/31/2015.

Be sure to visit the Sexy Hair brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sexy Hair. All opinions herein are my own. Please note that I was compensated for this post. You can refer to my product review policy here. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

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what i’m loving right now.

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loving lately

1) fun leggings. Mesh, patterns, cutouts - I love it all. Ever since I started working out more, cute workout clothes are all I want to wear! Both of these are from Lululemon (Rachel’s to the left, mine on the right - my first ever Lulu purchase!).

2) MAC Burgundy lip liner. I love wearing bold lip colors, but I always get nervous that it’s going to be on my teeth (rightfully so, because it often does). So what I did was start wearing lip liner over my entire lip, which works like a lip stain, but even better. Then I just go over it with some clear lip balm to smooth it out.

3) Nespresso VertuoLine. I’ve swooned over my Nespresso before, but I really can’t swear by their new VertuoLine enough. I actually did the math compared to when I was buying coffee every day, and I save so much more money now - AND I get an even better, more decadent cup of coffee. It’s a win-win.

4) Gluten Free Banana Pancakes. I’ve been making these babies almost every day for breakfast recently. They’re so ridiculously good - you’ve got to try them! Super fluffy and the perfect vessel for melty peanut butter 😉 I’ve been throwing some dark chocolate chips in there too. You can find the recipe here.

5) Scandal (Netflix). What the EFF took me so long to get into Scandal?! I started it a little over a week ago and am already on season 3. I’ve heard a lot of fans saying they don’t like it going into season 4, which is a bummer, but I’m still 100% loving it. Olivia Pope is my new idol.

6) fringe. Definitely one of my favorite trends going into spring. I love anything hippie/boho, and this new cross body from Dolce Vita Handbags is a great way to add the perfect amount of fringe to your look.

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What trends are you loving going into spring? Any breakfast/meal “kicks” you’re on lately?

beauty: redefining perfection {with bareMinerals Complexion rescue}.

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I’m going to be a bit vulnerable with you for a sec. That okay? Cool.

Growing up, I had a major insecurity. It wasn’t my weight, height, shyness, or intelligence.

I was insecure about my freckles.

My freckles have faded as I got older, but they were pretty apparent when I was a kid. Up until about the end of middle school, I absolutely loathed them. It didn’t help that my best friend growing up had a smooth, tan complexion with a perfectly placed “Cindy Crawford” mole above her lip. I felt as though I paled in comparison (literally) with my fair skin, light eyebrows/lashes, and freckles covering nearly my entire face.

Thankfully, as I got older I got over this insecurity 100%. I really credit my mom specifically - she always told me how beautiful I was (inside and out), and in general I was raised in a environment that affirmed me in so many ways. Somehow I went from hating my freckles to actually LOVING and fully embracing them!

Now that I’m in my 20s, my freckles aren’t nearly as apparent. They come out more in the summer when I’ve spent time in the sun, and I actually get excited for that now. Over the years I’ve really loved using makeup that allows me to embrace and highlight my unique features, rather than trying to cover them up.

A few weeks ago bareMinerals was kind enough to send me a ton of their products, and I was excited to take the opportunity to play around with natural makeup looks.

Bare Minerals

I got a few different eye shadow palettes - I couldn’t decide which I loved most! They were all great neutral shades that still adding a hint of glam and shimmer. My favorite was probably the Sexy Neutrals.

Bare Minerals

Bare Minerals

But the product I love the most (seriously - I can’t speak more highly of it) is the Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. Complexion Rescue is a smart new form of liquid lightweight coverage that actually improves your skin as you use it. How cool is that?

Bare Minerals

Complexion Rescue is not only a thirst-quenching cure-all, but it’s also available in 10 natural-looking shades to provide effortless sheer-to-medium coverage for both workday and weekend wear. Providing just the right amount of coverage, Complexion Rescue enables skin to appear more awake and even-toned due to its imperfection-diffusing properties and naturally radiant color.

Complexion Rescue combines the best of BB and CC creams & tinted moisturizer, complete with skin-loving humectants and mineral electrolytes. It applies easy with a smooth and natural coverage, while drastically improving skin hydration and texture at the same time (a very California chic aesthetic). It really is a whole new way to think about makeup.

Bare Minerals

I want to be clear that I only speak highly of products that I genuinely do love *and use* myself, and Complexion Rescue is one of those products. I definitely suggest checking it out/learning more by visiting bareMinerals.com.

Be original. Be natural. Be good.

Bare Minerals

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of bareMinerals. All opinions herein are my own. Please note that I was compensated for this post. You can refer to my product review policy here. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

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Have you tried bareMinerals products? What is a “flaw” of yours that you’ve learned to embrace?

4 ways to bend the rules with my favorite beauty hacks + HP Pavilion x360.

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I have to admit something. For way too long, I had seen the word “hack” all over the internet, but had zero clue what it actually meant.

Eventually I sort of just figured it out, and when I did I realized that I personally have a handful of life hacks that I think are pretty darn useful. And, I don’t know about you, but as a girl that’s definitely the case when it comes to my beauty routine.

Here are my top 4 beauty hacks that have made a huge difference in my own life, and I think you’ll find them pretty life changing helpful too.

top 4 beauty hacks | GirlMeetsLife.com

1) Ice water facial/ice packs. I mentioned this (new) trick of mine recently, and I can’t rave about it enough. If you don’t feel like dunking your face in ice water (it can be sort of annoying), I’ve found that just placing ice packs directly on your face for a few minutes can have the same effect. I find it helpful to tighten the face overall, and especially to diminish under-eye puffiness.

2) Dermablend. I first started using Dermablend years ago when I had to cover up my wrist tattoo for an acting gig. When I saw that it was thick enough to cover up an entire tattoo, I realized it would probably work wonders on covering up blemishes on my face. So now, whenever I have one of those “OMG how am I going to cover this up” blemishes or under-eye circles, Dermablend is my go-to. It can seriously cover up everything and anything. I actually have their Leg & Body cover, but they have a concealer as well.

Dermablend

3) Use eyeshadow as eyeliner. A makeup technique that I’ve been using for years and often get compliments about is my smokey-yet-natural eye look. My secret? I often skip the eyeliner and instead “line” my eyes with a smokey layer of dark brown eye shadow. This is especially good for the daytime when you don’t want a sharp lined look but still want to make your eyes pop. I suggest getting a brush like this one, and then using the eyeshadow of your choice! Like I said, I love a dark/chocolate brown shade.

4) Tease on-the-go. When it comes to hair, I fall in the bigger is always better category. Even when I’m wearing my hair straight, I need at least some sort of volume at the root. After after a great blowout and using volume products, sometimes my hair can start falling flat when I’m out and about. So I found a super simple (and cheap) way to fix this - I carry a thin comb around with me all the time. I got this little comb at the drug store for just about $1, and I use to tease the roots of my hair. In under 20 seconds it adds instant volume!

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In that same spirit of bending the rules, this post has been inspired by bending the rules of technology with the HP Pavilion x360. When I was first sent the HP Pavilion x360, I didn’t know what to expect. To my surprise, it was nothing like I anticipated…in a good way. I couldn’t believe all of the ways it could twist, turn, and invert. I got nervous that I was going to break it, haha. It’s unlike any device I’d ever seen!

HP Pavilion x360

The HP Pavilion x360 is designed with a detachable keyboard, which lends to four awesome “modes” to play in - Laptop, Tablet, Tent and Stand.

As someone who works in blogging and social media, the versatility of the HP Pavilion x360 definitely comes in handy.

In addition to the everyday use of a laptop, the stand mode makes it really easy to watch my favorite TV shows or have video chats with friends, family, and even clients. The tent mode created a great angle to film videos for girl meets life, as well as present slide shows. And then there’s the tablet mode, which is extremely convenient (instead of having to choose between using/carrying around a laptop or tablet).

(HP is on also tour right now with the “all about that bass” girl herself, Megan Trainor. Check it out here.)

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of HP. All opinions herein are my own. Please note that I was compensated for this post. You can refer to my product review policy here. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

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What’s one of your beauty hacks?