Product Review: Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo

I've always wanted to use dry shampoo, but for some reason I never get around to buying it. That's why, this summer, I was thrilled when I finally took the plunge and picked up a bottle of Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo during my back to school shopping.

After a late night, or a long day, when I don't have time for a shower, dry shampoo is the perfect solution, especially since my hair gets greasy quickly. It can keep my hair looking, and feeing, fresh. When I got to school I tried out the Dove dry shampoo, and I loved it. Finally, my dreams are coming true!

But then, disaster struck. I went to use it again yesterday, and the bottle was completely empty! Baffled, I figured one of my roommates had used it and I was a little P.O.'ed. But there was no way they would have used it without asking, that's just not the relationship we have.

So I did some searching, and it turns out, other users have had the same problem. After just one use of the Dove dry shampoo, the bottle was completely empty! There were no leaks; it's as if the contents of the bottle had vanished in thin air.

This is totally not okay with me and I'm definitely not trying this dry shampoo again. When it comes down to it, I wouldn't recommend buying this dry shampoo, I wouldn't want you to spend your money on one use! Hopefully I won't have the same problem with the next dry shampoo I try.

Product Review: Garnier BB Cream

When BB Creams became all the rage at the beginning of the summer I was definitely intrigued. I'm not a girl that likes to wear a lot of caked-on make up; I like to keep it natural. So of course I headed out to the nearest store and picked myself up a bottle of Garnier's BB Cream. 

So what is  BB Cream? 

Basically, BB cream is a multi-benefit product that is supposed to renew radiance, brighten complexion, even skin tone, hydrate and protect with SPF 15. 

What I think: 

Pros: The price is cheap. I found my bottle of Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream in Light/Medium at Ulta for $12.99. A little also goes a long way, you don't need a lot of this product for full coverage; it's going to last a long time. It definitely evens out my skin tone. While it doesn't replace a concealer I love it for when I am headed outside for the day whether it be shopping or laying on the beach. It's a light even coverage and it also smells like roses, quite pleasant!

Cons: It leaves my face feeling a little greasy when I first put it on which I don't like since I have an oily complexion. So I tend to top it off with some of my Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil powder for a matte finish. Like I said, it definitely can not replace a concealer, the coverage is very light. 

Before (left) & After: It may be hard to tell (I tried to capture the difference!) but my skin is much more even after using the BB cream and it really reduced the red spots.

The pros outweigh the cons in this case, and I definitely am a fan of this product, although I would like to try other brands to compare. I am also interested to see what this does for my skin in the winter when it tends to get dry.

Have you used BB cream? What do you think?

Purification Day 21: It's All Over!

Check out the difference!

Hooray! Today was my very last day of the 21 day Standard Process Purification! I made it through 21 days of only being able to eat fruits, vegetables, rice, chicken and fish. It definitely wasn't an easy process but it was well worth it.

I killed myself today working out in honor of the last day of the cleanse (I'm going to keep working out!). I did four HIIT videos by Blogilates, I did this one two times, this once, and this once. I was dying and my legs are still like Jello! I also did three ab videos (told you I went crazy), you can check them out here, here and here.

Thanks to the purification I now feel great. I have so much energy and I'm never tired, not even when it's time for bed. I only did moderate exercise while on the program and it still made a significant difference.
Here are my final measurements:

Chest: Before: 32.5"
           After: 32.25"

Waist: Before: 26.5"
           After: 25.75"

Hips: Before: 34"
         After: 33"

I didn't even know it was possible for me to loose, but it goes to show that we can all improve ourselves. This purification has taught me how to eat clean and that I don't need processed foods and carbs to be satisfied. Yes, I missed having bread and dairy and chocolate terribly, but now when I eat them I am going to make sure to moderate.

I did have two lapses with the hot dog and fries and the popcorn, but other than that I adjusted to my new routine.

It's possible for anyone to do this cleanse. Of course it requires A LOT of time and energy and will power, BUT if you are willing to eat organically and challenge and improve yourself then it is well worth it. No improvement to yourself is ever easy, but you owe it to yourself to treat your body right!

So don't tell yourself "Laurel's so strong, I can't do that," because you can! I'm a college student who goes out and doesn't eat so well while at school. If I was able to find the strength to make it through the purification then you most definitely can do it.

Here were my meals for the day:

Cheers to my last shake!

Breakfast: Banana-Peach-Mango Shake
- 1 banana
- 1 peach
- a few chunks of mango
- orange-peach-mango juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

Lunch: Salad


- For my salad I used: mixed greens, strawberries, tomatoes, mushrooms, red peppers and avocado. For the dressing: pomegranate balsamic and olive oil.

Dinner: Turkey w/ Wild Rice & Sauteed Veggies 
- Pre-cooked turkey heated up with wild rice. Sauteed red peppers and onions and zucchini, then added roasted beats and spinach.

(Yum yum! What a perfect meal for the final day. I am in love with wild rice, I think it's my favorite of them all. And you can't go wrong with sauteed vegetables.)

Purification Day 20: The End is Near!

Wooohooo! Just one day left of this purification! I can't believe how fast it went. After all of my whining and complaining it actually did get better. Sometimes I still get frustrated but a lot of the cravings that I felt at work are completely gone. Sure, I would love to have some cheese fries, but am I dying for them? No.

I have to admit that I cheated today. I feel a little bad about it, but not really. I went to the movies and my boyfriend got a MEDIUM popcorn. I couldn't resist and I just had to help him eat it. I mean, my cheating could have been worse, right?

I also didn't work out today which is another strike against me. I was busy at work and then at the movies, but I guess no excuse is good. Tomorrow I am doing cardio!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Peach-Banana Shake
- 1 peach
- 1 banana
- orange-mango juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete

Lunch: Veggie Stir-Fry


- For this meal I sauteed peppers, mushrooms, onions and spinach in olive oil and tossed with brown rice. I want to have leftover fish tacos, but they were all gone so this was a delicious alternative!

Dinner: Chicken w/ Veggies & Asian Slaw


- The chicken and vegetables were grilled on the grill and for the slaw we used the same recipe as before.

(Delicious dinner! The chicken was juicy and tender and the vegetables were so flavorful.)

Purification Day 19: T-Minus 2 Days Left!

Today I did way better than yesterday. I actually ate all of my meals and I worked out after a full day of work. Thank god this purification is almost over though, I can't wait to eat some chocolate for desserts instead of fruit!

Even though I was tired and hot after work I did this jump rope video and this ab video. It felt good to finally get back into working out. Cardio really does wonders!

Here were my meals for the day:

Breakfast: Mango-Banana-Strawberry
- few chunks of mango
- 1 banana
- handful of strawberries
- orange juice
- 1 tbsp of whole food fiber
- 2 tbsp of SP Complete
- 1 tbsp of Whey Pro Complete





Lunch: Rice Bowl 
- I had the same rice bowl that I had yesterday. It's a great way to fill up mid day and it tastes delicious!

Dinner: Fish Tacos & Sweet Potato Fries 


- For the fish tacos: I don't know what my mom did but they were delicious! She used cod and then made a mango-pineapple salsa along with the slaw from yesterday. Then instead of a taco shell I wrapped them with red leaf lettuce.

- For the sweet potato fries, she used the same recipe as before.

(Holy crap this dinner was so good! I wasn't even mad that I couldn't have a real taco shell because everything was so flavorful. I definitely want to have this again!)