Finding Balance for Your Skin Type


Has anyone tried Ole Henriksen products before? This skincare line was completely new to me so I was excited when I received 3 full-size products in the mail to test out. 

Although I have my tried and true favorites when it comes to skincare and hair products, I'm always keen on trying out new and possibly better products especially as ingredients become more organic or refined.


The Ole Henriksen Balance product line is specifically formulated for oily or combination skin so you can get that glow without the icky shine from oil-prone skin. The face moisturizer is particularly unique because it hydrates and mattifies at the same time.


I incorporated these three products into my AM/PM skincare routine over the past couple weeks with no breakouts, no redness, just healthier looking skin. The smell isn't my favorite but I think the natural ingredients keep it from being too fragrant plus these products contain no parabens, sulfates, or phthalates.


Key Ingredients
 Green tea, eucalyptus, algae (kelp) and Irish moss: extracts contain natural antiseptic properties which help to absorb excess oil and refine pores.

Salicylic acid + glycolic & lactic acids: help lift and loosen dead skin cells that clog pores.

Neem seed oil: a legendary ingredient in Ayurveda.

Rosehip fruit extract: helps reduce oil production and fights shine while minimizing the appearance of pores (only found in the face hydrator/moisturizer).

    Oil Control Toner
    A gentle astringent that removes oil and refines pores—without stripping your skin.

    Find Your Balance Oil Control Cleanser
    Deeply cleanses and purifies pores reducing excess oil.

    Counter Balance Oil Control Hydrator
    Hydrates, controls oil, mattifies and reduces the appearance of pores.



    I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions expressed in this post are true and honest based on testing out the products over a period of time.

    Weekend Happenings

      
    The weekend was a good mix of relaxing and fun with friends. That small time change for daylight savings gets me every time especially when you lose an hour of sleep so here's hoping this Monday goes by smoothly!

    On Friday night we started planning some upcoming trips this year. Unfortunately we came to the realization that the big Europe trip we had hoped to pull together this summer is just not in the books and will have to wait until next year. We did decide on something more feasible and affordable.


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    Playa del Carmen here we come! I've never been to Mexico so this is just as exciting with a lot less time off of work and little planning involved since we'll be staying at an all-inclusive resort.

    Most of Saturday was spent lounging around watching TV and catching up on some blogging. In the evening we headed out to Universal Studios to catch the Mardi Gras parade with friends and enjoy some Cajun food for dinner.









    We met up with the birthday girl and and our awesome neighbors also happened to be at the park so so we all went over to see the UB40 concert after the parade.





    Such a fun night out with the birthday girl and friends!


    The time change had me all kinds of confused on Sunday morning because we had brunch reservations but that time came earlier than expected.


    Brunching at a beautiful lakeside restaurant was the extent of our fun on Sunday. The bottomless mimosas and Eggs Benedict were wonderful but the service was horrendous and had me all kinds of hangry after waiting 20 minutes for a "bottomless" drink and almost an hour for our food since the waiter "lost our ticket". Anyways, after fueling up on some brunch and having a couple pineapple mimosas the frustration subsided and I was good again.


    Joining the lovely birthday girl Biana.

    International Women's Day & Fashion Faves


    In honor of International Women's Day this week I celebrate my beautiful fashionista grandmother who raised 6 strong women including my mother.

    Here's to strong women.
    May we know them.
    May we be them.
    May we raise them


    She is no longer here on earth but her love will never leave me and her sincere support and guidance has given me strength to be a strong, independent woman.


    Many of us, like my grandmother, have a love for fashion, shopping, and finding gorgeous accessories to compliment our outfits so I'm ending this week sharing some of my fashion lusts perfect for the beautiful and strong women out there.

    15 Fun Gifts from Amazon


    It would be an understatement to say I spend 75% of my online shopping on Amazon. I mean they have just about everything from Lola's dog food to my vitamins so I make full use of our Prime membership with free 2-day shipping. It's just so convenient.

    Amazon's Interesting Finds recently caught my eye to browse for unique and fun gift ideas and it's updated daily. These are some of the awesome items I've stumbled on so far...

    The Apple Watch Charging Stand






    Weekend Happenings


    We meet again on this Monday morning which means it's time to recap the happenings from the weekend. I hope you enjoyed yours!

    My weekend turned out to be more relaxing and productive than expected.  I'm usually too exhausted from the work week to do anything on Friday nights but somehow I had a small pop of energy so K and I met up at Carrabba's for a quick happy hour followed by a delicious dinner.


    Carrabba's is definitely one of my favorite Italian chain restaurants because of their Chicken Bryan dish which is topped with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes. That and the mussels are so good!


    I mentioned on Friday that it turns out I have Tendonitis in my right foot so I have to wear the boot of doom for two weeks. Right foot = driving foot so my mobility is limited or at least very inconvenient with this big bulky thing.


    Kate and I had plans to meet up with a girl friend on Saturday for a wine & apps picnic by the lake. Unfortunately our friend came down with a high fever and had to cancel so plans changed and I went out with K to do some shopping and errands.

    I restocked on some of my favorites from Bath & Body Works. We go through those foam soaps so quickly and I can't live without their small hand sanitizers to keep in my purse, car, and for traveling.


    Saturday evening I worked on so many projects from blogging to photography along with stuff for work and I finally made the Green Tea Body Scrub created by Alexis from the Chemistry Cachet. I like the idea of a natural body exfoliator and the rose water gives it a nice scent.


    On Sunday afternoon we went to a baby's 1st birthday party for our friend's son. It was nice catching up with a few friends and seeing everyone's babies as they grow before your eyes.



     

     




    Baby Jacob and Mom opening gifts.

    On Sunday night we tried our hand at grilling lamb chops for the first time. Lamb is one thing I've never attempted to cook but K whipped up an amazing marinade and the lamb with smashed cauliflower and caesar salad for the sides couldn't have been a better Sunday night dinner.



    Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.