Front Desk Essentials #2 - Tazo Refresh

There are always times we are at work and just start feeling under the weather or maybe need a bit of a pick me up but without any added caffeine. My go to is to brew myself a cup of mint tea. The mint is soothing to an upset stomach and can help if you happen to feel nautious. I also brew a cup for a nice all natural headache soother. It is also awesome to have for when you have congestion and a stuffy nose because it really helps open up your sinuses.  It doesn't cure any these problems but it sure makes them easier to handle. 

There is also a nice peppy feeling I get from drinking a cup of mint tea and is a good caffeine free way for me to zip through that very last hour of the day because no matter how much I love my cups if caffeine, I do need a break from it sometimes. 

You can buy any brand you wish but I really like the Tazo brand because it contains a little bit of tarragon in the mix so it adds a bit of interest to your cuppa tea. 

So what's your favorite tea to drink at work? Are there any herbal blends you reccomend for an all natural pick me up? 

XOX

EOS shave cream review

Okay, this is a bit silly to me but for as long as I can remember in the history of me shaving, a shave cream is just a shave cream. It doesn't matter which one you get because essentially they're all the same. Well, EOS has proved me wrong on this point. I really picked this up on a whim because I had never heard of the EOS brand introducing a shave cream and thought they were just about those alien egg lip balms. I picked it up at Target for about 3.50 I think which I a huge splurge to me. I am normally all about getting a can of the cheapest one I can find and stocking up on it but really thought I would get out of my comfort zone on this one.

This is a non foaming shave cream that has shea butter, aloe and vitamins C and E for super moisturizing effects. It also says you can shave both wet and dry with this cream. It also does not contain any parabens and is Phthalate free according to their website. I would say the texture is similar to the Whish shave cream and would say it is a cheaper alternative to that brand. I remember getting a sample size of the Whish shave cream from Birchbox in a blueberry scent which I hated. The smell just reminded me of the cheap gift set I got when I was 13 for my birthday. I hated it then and I hate it now. The scent I picked for the EOS was the Vanilla Bliss and I just love it. It really reminds me more like the vanilla scented things from Bath and Body Works. They also had a raspberry scent there but I really don't like smelling like fruits.

The packaging I say is very nice and has awesome indents to place your fingers. I would say I have some pretty small hands and the positioning was a bit off for me. I had to stretch them a bit to keep my hands in the groves and pump at the same time but that may be a good thing because my fingers are always hunched over a keyboard blogging and at work. The packaging is plastic and it says you can recycle it so I might try to take it to get recycled once I am done with it. Also the best advantage of the container being plastic is that it will not leave that unsightly rust ring on your tub. The pump does screw off so if you're one of those people who always make sure they use every bit of product you can this is perfect for you.

As for the actual shave of the product I would say I was blown away by it. I did a test of one leg being dry shaved and the other I shaved wet. I also made sure I didn't moisturize that day at all and boy oh boy I sure looked like a shedding snake! I also used an razor I used maybe 3-4 times before so it wasn't super sharp but not super dull either. The dry shaved leg took multiple strokes to get the hair off and feeling them this morning I would say I got a close shave but not as close as the leg I shaved wet. The wet shaved leg took just oneeasy stroke from ankle to my knee and everything was off and this wasn't normal girly everyday peach fuzz hair either. This was thick "I haven't shaved in 3-4 weeks because winter is cold" leg hair.

So yes, I am truly impressed with this product. The odds were stacked against it with the thick long coat on my scaly dragon like dry legs with only a semi dull razor to fight it off. I would say that it is moisturizing but definitely rub some lotion on your legs afterwards anyways because the actual act of shaving will always dry out your skin no matter how moisturizing the formula is. So if any of you ladies out there have super dry skin and want to shed the winter coat from your legs I highly recommend this product.

So I hope I gave you some good insight into this product

Front desk essentials

Working at the front desk of an office can  be rewarding sometimes but other times you want to scream and pull your hair out. One definite things that makes my pull hair is the state of my cuticles from all the filing and cold mornings. The paper really can suck the moisture out of your hands and fast! Just imagine each paper is an oil blotting sheet sucking all life from your cuticles. It's not very pretty. 

So I have been revisiting an old favorite beauty product of mine to remedy this issue. Introducing Smith's Rosebud Salve! It's a nice smooth jelly formula that works for lips, cuticles, diaper rashes, detergent burns and blemishes. I must admit I haven't worn a diaper in years and cannot tell you how well it works for that application but it's a real help with being my secret little multi tasker. I really love how I can get a nice sized glob of it on my fingers then apply to my chapped lips then be able to use the excess to rub into my cuticles. Along with it comes a nice light rose scent and a light glossy look that doesn't make it look like I ate a whole bucket of fried chicken. 

I would say it is a comparable texture to the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream (which isn't a cream, it's a jelly. Go figure!) but with a better scent to it. I will say I think the 8 hour creams formula feels thicker and lasts a bit longer on the skin but the Smith's Salve is a bargain at $6 for a .8 oz tin and has just a cute all around vintage feel to the packaging. 

So if you're in the market for a good desk multitasker I think this would fit the bill. Does anyone else out there have any great desk job beauty tips and favorites out there to share? Or maybe a similar post because I'd really love to see! 

Until next time lovelies 

XOX 

New year, new post

Ah, a new year is here and along with it comes with the "new year new me" tag line for I say...about the next 3-6 weeks. Now I know you may be thinking I'm a horrible Debbie downer but you know what? I'm just trying to be realistic here for my own sake. Too many times I have tried to set unrealistic goals for the year ahead and failed so I quit. Honestly I think that's how a majority of us resolution setters work.

So this year my only resolution is to be happy by this year's end and in order to do that I will set mini goals for each month. Small attainable goals that won't be out of reach where I can look back and say "Hey! I accomplished a lot this month, let's see what I can accomplish next month.". It's not that I don't desire to dream big but because I feel that the smaller pictures make up the bigger pictures in life and the goal in life is happiness. 

Think about it, athletes train and train all year to reach the finish line. So why shouldn't your goals and aspirations be treated the same way? So hopefully I didn't discourage anyone from their resolutions they've set but maybe implanted an idea on how to obtain the ultimate goal they set. 

So let's all get crackin' and set these monthly goals! 

January goals 2014: 

1) Blog at least once a week on a set schedule. Do more if I can.

2) Drink more water because there's more to drink than coffee 

3) Try to do something new

4) Leave more comments on other blogs