Arvazalia Color Care System

Arvazalia Color Care System

I was born with blonde hair that got darker as I got older. I never liked my natural hair color so I have been dying my hair since I was 11. Yes, I was young. I started with Sun-in and then over the years I gradually moved to bleaching my hair platinum.


A headshot taken in 1992 as a platinum Blonde. Can you say Kelly Bundy?
While I don't have platinum hair anymore, I still love experimenting with different hair colors and I have gone from blonde, to black, to red, and now it's currently burgundy. Not only do I abuse my hair with chemicals, but I also flat iron it too. And I have no plans of stopping any time soon. But years of this abuse has really taken it's toll and my hair is a fried out frizzy mess. So when I had the opportunity to try this Arvazalia Color Care System sulfate free shampoo and conditioner kit complimentary for review, I was really excited.


First off, can we talk about the box? The packaging itself is gorgeous. The box is huge (and heavy). Receiving this kit was like getting an early birthday present! Then upon opening you are greeted by the site of 2 gigantic bright bottles - one of shampoo and one conditioner. And then to top it off they even throw in a hair mask.


On my first use, I tried opening the shampoo, and when I squeezed the bottle nothing was coming out. Then I realized that there was a seal over the shampoo. Doh! Once I got it open, I poured about a nickle size amount into my hand. The shampoo has a opalescent color and a pleasant floral scent. It is sulfate free, so it doesn't lather very much. But it still did a great job of getting my hair clean. Then I followed it up with the hair mask from the jar. You don't need to use that much. A little goes a long way. I left it on for the time required and then rinsed it out really well. After my hair was dry I flat ironed it and it made it super smooth and shiny. See the before and after pics below.


Before: My frizzy, fried-out mess
Then my next use, I used the shampoo and the conditioner by itself. Like a dolt, I tried squeezing out the conditioner and nothing came out. That too, was sealed. I should have probably remembered this from the shampoo incident, but I am old and my memory is starting to fail me. But now you know so you won't make the same mistake I did. And if you do, then you're a dolt too. :-P

But anyway, the conditioner is very light and has the same floral scent as the shampoo. It has made my burgundy hair more vibrant and has been helping the color stay true. And since red shades fade to quickly, it is definitely a necessity.


Smooth, shiny, vibrant tresses

Needless to say, I think this is a fantastic product. It holds up to any other popular and pricier brands that you could find at salons. It is worth the price. And because the packaging is so lovely, it makes a great gift!

You can find the Arvazalia Color Care System on Amazon for around $40

Disclosure: These products were received complimentary in exchange for my honest review, but all opinions are my own. I was not compensated for writing this post, but it does contains affiliate links which means I may be compensated a small amount if you click through and purchase. Full disclosure policy here.**

Great Health Freebies from Tomoson

The freebies from Tomoson.com just keep coming! If you haven't signed up yet, what are you waiting for? To learn more about how Tomoson works please click here.

This week I am going to be reviewing some awesome health products received complimentary in exchange for my honest reviews.


First up this week is NuYou Labs Garcinia Cambogia Liquid Drops. There has been a lot of hype and talk about Garcinia Cambogia lately and how it's not like HCG diet drops and I've been interested in trying it. I'm not a huge fan of taking pills or supplements, but when I saw that this came in a liquid form, I thought why not give it a try?

Garcinia Cambogia Weight Loss Drops

According to the manufacturer this product is recommended for rapid fat burning and is a quick weight loss liquid. This product also contains green coffee bean extract also which I understand is also supposed to help with weight loss and acts as a natural appetite suppressant.

I read the ingredients and it says that it is 100% Aloe Vera combined of 50% Garcinia Cambogia and 50% Green Coffee Extract. The directions state to use 20 drops. When you extract the liquid into the dropper, it only filled it half way. I wasn't sure if it was enough. But when I counted the drops, I realized that I needed to reload the dropper twice to get the full dosage since it doesn't completely fill up all the way. The taste is very pleasant. Tastes like sweet lime. This makes it very easy to take.

The real test is how does it work? For the first week, I actually gained about 2 lbs and went from 115.4 to 117 lbs. I was very sad about this. But then after using the product for 3 weeks, my weight went back down and has been at a steady 115 for the past 4 days. One thing to note is, I don't exercise because I'm super lazy and I sit on my butt all day at work. So as far as burning fat, I have no idea. But I can tell you that when I take this twice a day, I haven't been getting my afternoon snack cravings, which has been very nice.

If you would like to learn more about this product or are interested in ordering, you can find it on Amazon here.

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The second product I am going to review this week is Joyal Beauty® Retinol Serum- BEST Anti-aging Serum

Joyal Beauty Retinol Correcting Serum

I have been testing out several different serums lately so I can provide my honest opinion about how well I think they work. This particular serum from Joyal Beauty actually contains 1% Retinol, which is actually a step up from the other serums I have been testing.

According to the manufacturer this serum is meant to improve skin tone and reduce dullness, brighten dark circles and age spots, and prevent deep wrinkles and cellulite. It is also 100% Fragrance-Free and colorant-free, Paraben-Free,SLS-Free, and non-irritating. I like that is is not tested on animals and made in the USA.

This serum is actually pretty thick. I found that it works best for me when I pump 2 small 1/2 pumps into my hand the serum into my hand before applying the product. I show you how I apply it in the video below (sorry you have to see me without makeup again). 

My husband, who shot the video, asked me afterwards "Why didn't you just use 1 whole pump?" That is an excellent point. And I don't really know why. But I think with the way the pressure of the pump action works, I get the right amount of product this way. Then I use my finger to apply the serum to my face. You can really feel it tingle as it dries. To be honest, I haven't noticed a ton of improvement. My jowls look better, and my crows feet look a little lighter. But I think you really need to use the product for a longer period of time to really start seeing the results. From what I understand, your skin has to get acclimated to Retinol. I'm still going to finish up the bottle and possibly report back after the product has been used up.

If you would like to learn more or order this product on Amazon, you can find it by clicking here.

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Have you tried Garcinia Cambogia for weight loss? What is your favorite beauty serum? I'd love to hear from you!

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for my next blog where I review free stuff for the home and family. 

It's like Christmas in June! Freebies from Tomoson - Part 1

Freebies for June Part 1...

I just signed up for Tomoson last month and the freebies are already rolling in! Since signing up I received 6 free full size health related products. Including 3 skin serums, 1 night cream, a wrist blood pressure monitor, and a fat burning supplement.

All the freebies I got in one week from Tomoson!

Now I love skin products, and when I applied for a lot of these products, I didn't think I was going to be approved for all of them. But boom, all of a sudden the manufacturers approved my applications and sent me the promotional links to get try all of these products in exchange for an honest review and I received three different types of skin serums. So I certainly wasn't going to say no!

But in order to provide a fair review, I need to allow a little time for the products to work, so I will be posting my reviews in a few blog posts so that I may try and review them separately.  At the end of this post I will explain how you too can get to try out products like these for free!

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180 Cosmetics Pure Swiss Hyaluronic Serum + Vitamin C Product Review

1. The first product I received was 180 Cosmetics Pure Swiss Hyaluronic Serum + Vitamin C from Expederm.com.

Pure Swiss Hyaluronic Serum + Vitamin C

I received this product complimentary in exchange for my honest review in my blog and on Amazon. You can see my review on Amazon here.

The product description of this Pure Swiss Hyaluronic Serum + Vitamin C from Expederm.com and 180 Cosmetics states the following:

"180 Cosmetics Pure Swiss Hyaluronic Acid Serum can be applied in the morning and again at night time. Only apply a thin layer (less is more) and be sure to use a good moisturizer immediately afterward. Formulated to assist cell renewal and collagen formation, and designed to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. You should expect to see results immediately, however we highly recommend to give the product at least 30 days to see the most optimal results."

The first thing I noticed was how small the actual bottle was. The box it came in made me think it was going to be bigger. But don't let the small size fool you. This stuff is thick! You only need a few drops to cover your whole face. After applying the product for the first time, I instantly felt it tighten up my skin, like a face lift. Not that I know what a face lift feels like, but my skin immediately felt firmer and more taught. The directions say to use it twice a day. I have been using it for about 5 days now, and have used up about a third of the bottle. Maybe I am using more than I need, but I do have concerns that I will use up the bottle very quickly. This product is good for all skin types, whether you have dry skin or oily skin. You will probably want to use a moisturizer on top of it. I love how it is cruelty free.

It currently sells for around $14 and change on Amazon (prices may vary) and you can purchase it here. You can learn more by going to 180cosmetics.com and expiderm.com.


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Forlan Skincare Night Cream Product Review

2. Another freebie received this month was this full size 2oz bottle of  Forlan Skincare Night Cream from Forlan Advanced Skin Care. I received this product complimentary in exchange for my honest review in my blog and on Amazon. You can see my review on Amazon here.

This is a night cream with Vitamin A, C & E, Collagen, Licorice and Hyaluronic Acid with Anti Aging, Anti Wrinkle Properties.

Free 2oz bottle of Forlan Night Cream

I have crazy skin. I still break out but then have patches of dryness around my mouth, and lots of fine lines. So I have been looking for a product that works with all skin types and will fight the signs of aging. I have been using this product as part of my daily regimen for the past week and I have started noticing some results. After washing, I apply a firming serum, then top it off with this moisturizer. In the past I have been using Olay Pro X Wrinkle Night Cream, so this is what I am comparing it to.

First off, I love the packaging of the Forlan Night Cream. With it's sleek, slim design, it doesn't take up a lot of room in my medicine cabinet. The pump action makes applying the moisturizer easy, unlike the jar of Olay which gets stuck under my fingernails. I find that so annoying. Also the scent of this night cream is extremely light and not even noticeable. This is important to me, because I don't like going to bed with the scent of moisturizer filling my nostrils all night long. For the longest time, I used to smell something burning before I went to bed. I thought it was my ceiling fan burning out and I was scared to turn it on because I thought it would catch fire. Then I finally realized it was the freaking Olay night cream that I was smelling!

But the most important thing is how does the product work? Well I can tell you that in the short time of using this product the dry patches have disappeared, and my make up goes on smoother and more evenly. If it works that great in a week, I imagine it will be even better after a month!

You can purchase this product on Amazon for around $24.95 (price may vary) here  (cheaper than Olay!) but you can save $7.00 on this product right now on by entering this exclusive code NC7OFFER.

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Easy At Home Medical Wrist Blood Pressure Monitor

3. The last product I am going to review this week was this awesome blood pressure monitor from Easy@Home Medical LLC. I received this product complimentary in exchange for my honest review in my blog and on Amazon. You can read the review here.

This easy-to-use blood pressure monitor comes with everything you see here!

My husband has high blood pressure and has to monitor it often, so I primarily got it for him to use. But every so often I like to monitor mine as well. We have tried other models that are larger and you have to have different size cuffs depending on the size of your arm. It is really inconvenient when using on more than one person. But this one is so easy and takes around a minute to work. You just slip it on your wrist, push the button, and wait for it to work. Here is a video of me trying it out for the first time. (I was too lazy to put on make-up to make this video. Sorry about that.) But I just wanted to show you how quick and easy this monitor works!

This wrist blood pressure monitor sells for around $27 on Amazon (prices may vary). You can buy it here.

If you want to learn how you can get stuff like this free, you can sign up for free on Tomoson.com.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of June freebies from Tomoson. Looks like it is going to be a very busy month!