Keeping my Evian Facial Spray handy! (plus, a GIVEAWAY!)

Spring break is literally just around the corner so here I am panicking about what to bring. If you guys were wondering, I'm headed to Austin and Houston, TX for spring break. I'll hopefully be crashing some SXSW events (e.g. parties) during my short stint in Austin and most importantly, I'll be seeing my boyfriend! And then I'm headed to Houston to visit my best friend who goes to school in the area.

Anyway, the lovely evian® Facial Spray and Wilkes Group team sent over a bottle of their magical, multipurpose facial spray for me to use. Also, I've teamed up with them to give you guys a chance to win two bottles of your very own 5oz sized evian® Facial Spray! Details are going to be at the bottom of this post!

Why magical you say? well, for one, I've literally used this for just about everything! I've used it as a setting spray, makeup brightener, I've spritz this on my face to revive my makeup mid-day, and also as a super effective skin hydrator. For someone who has really oily (e.g. problematic skin) this stuff works wonders to keep my face hydrated AND my makeup in place.

That being said, I'm definitely going to be carrying a travel-sized (TSA friendly) bottle of Evian Spray on my carry-on (airplane cabin air is brutal on the skin and super drying. Plus, it makes my face super oily, so that's a definite no-no)

bag: marc by marc jacobs marchive hilli hobo | studded phone case: diane von furstenberg
sunglass case: rebecca minkoff | sunnies: forever 21

Here are some tips for using your evian® Facial Spray!

intensifying your eye shadow: Spray some evian Facial Spray on your eyeshadow brush before applying your eyeshadow to create an intense look without making your eyeshadow chalky, and to prevent it from creasing.

blending: Before blending bronzer with foundation, wet a Beauty Blender or other blending tool with evian Spray to create an airbrushed, flawless look. You can also use evian Facial Spray to blend foundation along the jawline and neck to eliminate unwanted foundation lines. 

setting your makeup: After applying foundation, powder, or eyeshadow, lightly mist skin in a circular motion with evian Facial Spray to set your makeup for a more natural look. A quick spray over the eyelids can set powder eye shadow without disturbing eyeliner or mascara.

reviving your makeup throughout the day: Using evian Facial Spray throughout the day can instantly revive color to help makeup look fresh and vibrant even hours after makeup was applied. For best results, lightly mist skin in a circular motion. Can be kept in the office, gym bag, or purse to freshen up makeup after work, before a party, or any time you need a quick touch up.

hydrating your skin: going bare faced without any makeup? Just mist some evian Facial Spray all over your face to hydrate your skin throughout the day and give it a bit of a (cooling) healthy boost!

For more info on this cool product, head on over to http://www.evianspray.com/ or www.facebook.com/evianspray

evian® Facial Spray giveaway time! 

evian® is giving away 20 two 5 oz Facial Sprays. Winners will be chosen at random. To enter the giveaway, just fill out the form below and you're all set for a chance to win two bottles of evian® Facial Spray! 

*note: the giveaway is hosted by the Wilkes Group and not by me. All winners will be contacted by evian spray representatives upon being chosen. Official rules are at the bottom of the giveaway entry form, so make sure to check that out!

**Sponsored post: Products mentioned are complimentary for review/testing. evian® Facial Spray provided by the exclusive USA distributor, The Wilkes Group. All opinions are my own.**

Try it: Amara Organics (Vitamin C Serum)

I don't know about you guys, but I'm almost positive I revamp my skincare routine every week. I've seriously been trying out so many products to see which ones work best for my super problematic skin.

Anyway, I've teamed up with Amara Organics earlier in February and they were kind enough to send me a bottle of their Vitamin C serum infused with Vitamin E & Hyaluronic Acid to try out. Okay, you're probably wondering... what the hell does Vitamin C serum do for the skin? Well, let me enlighten you all (as I've enlightened myself recently) about the powers of Vitamin C.

Vitamin C is known to be a potent anti-aging treatment for the skin as it protects the skin from free radicals. Vitamin C is also known to smooth/brighten the skin and prevent/reduce discoloration (which is great for me!) plus it helps facilitate collagen production to keep your skin's firmness and elasticity. Vitamin C is also really good for protecting your skin from the sun's harmful rays so it helps in preventing hyper-pigmentation. Like I mentioned, this specific formula is infused with Hyaluronic acid, which helps skin retain its moisture and keeps it healthy and plump. Hyaluronic Acid is also good for preventing fine lines and serums, so yes... this little 1fl oz bottle is packed with some good stuff

Now onto the Amara Organics Vitamin C Serum!
The bottle sent over by the Amara Organics team is a 1fl oz bottle containing 20% Vitamin C, which is a good percentage for a serum. The product is also infused with Vitamin E AND Hyaluronic Acid (which I normally find being sold as a separate serum). I expected it to be a tad irritated by this because Vitamin C is kind of notorious for that, especially with my sensitive skin. BUT the irritation didn't last long for me, after my first and second use my skin pretty much became comfortable with the formulation. It is a teeny bit drying. but a good moisturizer after you apply the serum should take away the dryness.

That being said, I don't use the serum every single day, only because I honestly don't think I need to. The key function of Vitamin C is to prevent aging.... and quite honestly, being 22 doesn't really qualify as "aging" to me yet LOL. So I use it once every two days or sometimes every other day (depending on my ever changing skincare regimen). Though, I think I've seamlessly and gradually incorporated this to my current skin care routine so it's become a regular, though not daily, part of it.

As far as results go... this stuff is actually really good at lightening my acne scars. My skin has been less flaky in certain areas, especially my jawline... and to be quite honest this stuff is pretty awesome. I would DEFINITELY recommend this.

Info on the brand from their website: Amara Organics 
Amara Organics is committed to using the highest quality natural and organic ingredients in our skin care products. Our cutting-edge formulations will deliver results. Each of our products goes through a careful selection process and extensive clinical testing before it ever reaches the public. When selecting ingredients for our products, what is notincluded is just as important to us as what is included. Using organic, non-toxic ingredients in our skin care products is extremely important to us. Additionally, we never test our products on animals. Here is a list of ingredients that are NOT found in our products:

• No Petrochemicals
• No Parabens
• No Artificial colors
• No Sodium Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
• No DMDM Hydantoin/Diazonial Urea
• No EDTA
• No TEA, DEA, or MEA
• No Phthalates
• No Methylisothiazolineone

There's a lot to like about Amara Organics and their products, so they're definitely worth a try!

**Sponsored post: Products mentioned are complimentary for testing provided by Amara Organics. All opinions are my own.**

room inspiration: bedrooms

I have had the same french style wrought iron bed for about 7 or 8 years along with the rest of my black IKEA furniture in my bedroom... I mean I love my bedroom furniture combination in general so I never really needed to look into replacing it all and completely redecorating. BUT, I do love looking at different  bedroom decor and of course, the internet saves the day by essentially being a black hole for productivity. Sooooo, I went ahead and pulled some images of my favorite bedrooms to share.

I don't really stick to a particular style when it comes to choosing inspiring bedrooms, so y'all are going to get a good mix of everything.

Anyway, here they are. Enjoy!

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