Every College Girls' Dream: Free Clothes!

Hello Ladies!
I recently joined this website called Influenster that allows consumers to learn about and review all kinds of products. I joined because I had heard about the VoxBox, a package of samples and testers of major brands sent through Influenster to get consumers to try their products. I mean, FREE STUFF! It was a no-brainer for me. Since then I've written reviews for products and taken surveys and such.

Last month I took a fitness survey. I was asked how often I work out a week, where I buy my fitness clothed, etc. The exciting thing about it though, was that I qualified for a complimentary gift from Victoria's Secret Sport! (Although I just assumed it was a coupon)

The next week I got an email from the site asking if I had received my FREE Victoria's Secret Sports Bra yet. I was just about freaking out! Sure enough, I had a package waiting for me at my campus post office. Not only did I receive a beautiful Sports Bra, but super comfortable workout pants as well!

Why I'm posting about it:
My job, after receiving the complimentary gift, is to review the product and tell all of you about it!
I love LOVE how supportive it is and the softness of the material. I had been wanting the Sports Bra for a while because my roommate just bought one and raved about it, but I decided that, being a poor college student, I shouldn't spend the money quite yet. Well the Lord has blessed me! I wear my Sports Bra all the time: working out, to bed, lounging around.... it's so comfortable! My old sports bras don't even compare. I feel soooo good in it!

Alright, here is my all new Victoria's Secret workout gear


I might even wear my new #VSSportsBra to my 2nd Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Party in December!


This is a sponsored blog post. Influenster provided me with complimentary Victoria's Secret products to test and review as part of a contest



 Thanks for reading!
XOXO Miranda Louise

Homemade Makeup: Foundation!

I've done it ! I have been telling everyone that makeup is the hardest thing to convert to All-Natural. If  you're someone like me, you have hundreds of dollars worth of makeup from every store. It's really hard to make the switch because I really really wanted to use up the makeup I already have. I've decided to compromise and keep my old makeup for special occasions and formal events for when I need some extra coverage or glamour (thankfully I use Alima Pure Cosmetics so the ingredients are safe and pure).



Why I decided to make my own-
I was talking to my life long friend, Robin, and was telling her about my newly found love for natural products. Her face lit up instantly and told me she only uses Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, and Cornstarch on her face. I was blown away! Her skin looked beautiful! I immediately went home and researched recipes!


Here's The Ingredients I Used!

• Arrowroot Powder
• Ground Cinnamon
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Coconut Oil (other Oils work fine)

Why Arrowroot:
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from several tropical plants. It's a light, white powder similar to cornstarch and keeps the foundation soft and fluffy as well as light on the skin.
       *My local grocery store only carried one brand of it. It was $9 for 2 oz.!!!! OUCH! I bought it in bulk at my health food store for $3 for 1 lb. !!!

Why Cinnamon & Cocoa:
Cinnamon brings a natural glow to the foundation. Combined with the cocoa powder, you can experiment with the proportions to find the right shade.

Why Coconut Oil:
I use the coconut oil to make the mixture more compact. If you like the more loose powder look and feel, you do not have to use any kind of Oil. I melt it down and add small drops until it is the consistency I want.

However, if you use too much coconut oil, the solution will harden the way room temperature Coconut Oil does in the jar. For that reason, I recommend finding another oil that you can trust (I am desperately wanting to try out avocado Oils for different things, but that's off topic)


NOTE: For lighter skin use mostly Arrowroot powder with more cinnamon than cocoa.
For darker skin use more cocoa and cinnamon than arrowroot. Just play around until you reach your desired color!! I didn't need hardly any cocoa powder because I have a slightly more yellow undertone.

The finished Product

The Powder on the left has more Coconut Oil, which causes it to be more compact, firm, and appear slightly darker. But it has slightly more stick.

The powder on the right has only a small amount of coconut oil. Just enough to hold the powder together. It is much more loose, has less stick to the face, and appears lighter. It is super soft to the touch though!


I love telling people that I make my own makeup. After asking me what I use to make it, the follow up question is ALWAYS: "Are you sure that's good for your face??"

HONEY... do you know what is in your makeup? Every last ingredient? Well I know what is in mine and they are all God given ingredients. Are you sure YOUR makeup is good for your skin? I'm not sure that it is...

Hope you enjoyed! With Love,
Miranda Louise <3

I'm Back!!

Hey! So I have not posted in over a month....why? I moved out of my home in California and into my college dorm! So excited to be here and can't wait for classes to start (TODAY)! I had soooo much fun moving into my dorm with my roommate and love the final product so much that I thought I would share a post about it!

I will soon be back to posting about my new natural findings! I have a bunch of posts planned that include a new brand of haircare that I am trying out, as well as a new natural makeup source, AND my most anticipated post about formulating MY OWN makeup! I'm so excited to share my new secrets with you soon. I will have to juggle being a full time college student, working at Starbucks, making time for God, and finding time to blog BUT I will make sure I keep the posts coming!

Here is the final product of my dorm room!
      *My roommate Morgan is on the left

It really does help if you know your roommate before move-in day. Morgan is really good friends with my brother, which is how I met her, so we were able to talk a bunch before we moved in to discuss how  we wanted to design our room.

If you are placed with a random roommate, try to communicate on Facebook, Skype, or exchange phone numbers as soon has you find out who they are. You can talk about who has what, so there aren't duplicate appliances and such.

*My roommate Morgan

It was really important for my roommate and I to have a well put together room. We are both very social and wanted our room to be a place where anyone on our floor can come and hang out.

• The first thing we decided was to get matching curtains. Of all the dorms similar to ours on campus, the rooms with matching closet curtains looked the cleanest and friendliest.
• The second thing we wanted to match was bedding. However, we saw that other roommates pushed their beds together and the space they got from it was awesome! So we did the same and bought ONE large bedspread. I think it looks awesome!
• The most important element to a college dorm (or any room), is the color pallet. We settled on a color pallet months before move in so we could start planning and shopping for room décor. She really really likes pink and my favorite color is teal so we added some black and white to it and VOILA! Our color pallet was born.
• We are very fortunate to go to a school that has very large dorms (This one isn't even the largest on campus) so space isn't a huge problem. BUT storage is. SO, we decided to buy some really inexpensive shelves to put next to our beds, rather than a basic nightstand. They only cost $21.99 each at Target!! They added so much extra storage and they look expensive!
• We also wanted to get matching lamps. They look awesome! Ross has some very affordable lamps, as well as Target and Walmart. I really think they help to tie the look together. Combine that with some personalized décor, string lighting and your dorm is complete!

Hope you enjoyed! Tell me what you think!

XoXo, Miranda :)

Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Hair Care

 

Since going natural, I am much more aware of what goes into the bottles I am using. Sadly, this means I am throwing away most of my old products. But I am finally figuring out which ingredients strengthen & moisturize my hair, as well as which ones are destroying my precious locks.

THE PROBLEM: How are we supposed to avoid nasty ingredients if we don't know how to recognize them! Reading the ingredients label on the back of a bottle is like reading Icelandic (The Worlds' Hardest Language To Learn).
       *IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS

It may sound exhausting reading the label of every bottle you own (It does to me!) But all you have to do is find a brand that claims their products are free of these chemicals and check for the bad ingredients yourself. Once you find a brand that you can trust, it's easy to rid yourself of your old products!

Soak up the knowledge with my researched list of The Most Dangerous Ingredients To Avoid!


#1)   Parabens
This is number one on my list for a reason!! Recent studies have shown Parabens are heavily linked to breast cancer. They are inexpensive preservatives that are used for their antimicrobial properties and to prolong the shelf life of products.  Parabens are known to interfere with hormones within your body. They are not only detrimental to human health, but also destructive to animal hormones and development.

What to look for on the label:
Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben and Ethylparaben


#2)   Sulfates
Sulfates (SLS, SLES) are chemicals found in floor cleaners, and other cleaning products for their foaming/lathering properties. Sulfates strip the hair of it's natural oils that are essential to hair growth. SLS is a harsh detergent that strips color from your hair over time, leaving the hair dull, lifeless and brittle.

What to look for on the label:
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES), Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate, Ammonium Xylene Sulfonate,
TEA Lauryl Sulfate, Sulfur (in dandruff shampoos), Selenium Sulfide (in dandruff shampoos)


#3)   Ureas
Ureas are synthetic ingredients added to hair products for their antimicrobial and anti-fungal properties and are used in the production of many other products, such as teeth whiteners, baked goods and cigarettes(I need to find out which baked goods!!). I also found that these ingredients emit formaldehyde when heated above 10 degrees (not sure if it's Celsius or Fahrenheit!). Formaldehyde is a big no no, being  a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing) ingredient.

What to look for on the label:
Diazolidinyl Urea, Imidazolidinyl Urea


#4)   Phthalates
Phthalate is a common ingredient found in hair products that should be avoided due to their ability to disrupt the human endocrine system, possible link to cancer, and link to birth defects. Phthalates are "plasticizers": substances added to plastics to increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity. This ingredient is the hardest to avoid. Phthalates are used in the ingredient listing, ‘Fragrance.’ Because companies are not required to disclose what is in their fragrance, you may never know the exposure levels of phthalates in the products you are using.

What to look for on the label:
Most common will be Fragrance/Parfum,
Dimethyl phthalate, Diethyl phthalate, Diallyl phthalate


#5)   Petrochemicals
Petrochemicals are chemicals made from crude oil and natural gas. Initially it will leave your skin feeling smooth; however, it traps in toxins and keeps oxygen out. Petrochemicals and their byproducts, such as dioxin, are known to cause many serious health problems, including cancer and interferences with hormones within your body, which affects growth, development, intelligence, and reproduction.

What to look for on the label:
 PVP/VA Copolymer, Propylene Glycol, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Lanolin, Paraffin



Time to practice!
Can you spot the nasty ingredients in the label? Go ahead, feel smart.

What are in YOUR hair products?
Miranda

Best-Kept Secret: Bend Soap Co.

Bend Soap Company

Alrighty... So the Second product I switched over to after deciding to go All natural (the first being Coconut Oil), was Bend Soap Company. Oh my heavenly heaven! I know about this amazing brand because it is owned and crafted by my very own First Cousins Once-Removed, the Fabulous Dwight and Marilee Johnson. My mother has the gift basket (pictured above) and I might have stolen all of it from her for my own enjoyment. Hehe. I messaged my lovely cousin the second I fell in love (which was another second after first using it) and raved to her about their fabulous Soap.

WHY IT'S SO AMAZING: It's primary ingredient is Goat Milk and does not contain any chemicals or genetically modified substances... Finally! COMPLETELY ALL NATURAL

Bend Soap Co. Was Born!
Dwight & Marilee formulated their Soon-To-Be-Famous-Everywhere Soap after trying to relieve their sons Eczema. They couldn't find anything that worked so they created their own!! Friends and family caught wind of the recipe and wanted a taste (not literally) TADA!

Family owned and crafted, their motto became (appropriately): "If we won't put it on our children, we won't put it in our soap." - Dwight Johnson, Bend Soap Company Founder, Father of 7

Bend Soap Company's 4 Pillars of Rejuvenating Skin Care are:
1. Goat Milk
2. Coconut Oil (*Sigh*You can tell we are family)
3. Olive Oil
4. Palm Oil

What I found in this Soap...
I love the way it makes my skin feels! I smell fresh and clean all day- Even after sweating. I use the goat milk Soap on my face in the mornings and at night as part of my daily routine. It NEVER dries out my skin, like most faces washes do, and clears my skin of blemishes (BONUS!)

I use the Pure N' Natural Bar on my face but my favorite natural scent (So Far) is the Eucalyptus Spearmint--- To DIE For!

I also love using the goat milk lotion (YES THEY HAVE MORE THAN JUST SOAP)
I put it on my arms and legs just before I climb into bed
   * Taking a break from my Coconut Oil so my sheets don't get oily!

I am so excited for their new products that are in the works and have yet to try the Milk Bath in a Bag but can't wait to use it!! Go check out the website and  place your first order with them NOW! and follow Marilee and the Family's Bend Soap Company Blog for updates on new products!

Ta Ta For Now,
Miranda

 

The Neverending Uses of Coconut Oil!

You've probably heard TONS of amazing things about Coconut Oil (my friends and family have heard my spiel a dozen times!) BUT, like many, you probably haven't been drawn into the hype of it. Well let me help you fix that! Coconut Oil is a miracle. No really. I don't even know where it comes from (Lies, of course) !

I buy my Coconut Oil at Costco in a two pack of 42 fl oz (Its Huge) for $20 to $30... I can't remember (Cuz honestly I don't care how much it costs lol) Newbies might want to start at a smaller size.

WHY IT'S SO AMAZING: I have yet to discover a product like Coconut Oil that can be used on your body, that is both safe to eat & safe on open wounds AND improves the way you look and feel.

I have compiled my top 12 favorite uses! I am completely obsessed with it and will never stop finding ways to use it further... here ya go:

#12) Mouth Wash: YES! Kills bacteria in your mouth for a fresher breath

#11) Bath Soak: Melt 1 cup or as preferred and add to a hot bath... Relaxation time.

#10) Body Scrub: Combine with a tsp of Baking Soda and Voila! makes your skin so soft!

#9) Make-Up Remover: put a small amount on a cotton ball and you have a gentle makeup remover that takes off even the toughest water-proof mascara! Just rinse with warm water for more ease of removal.

#8) Healing Agent: Apply to minor scrapes and cuts for protection against dust, bacteria and viruses

#7) Lip Balm: Apply to Lips for silky smoothness BONUS! It's safe to eat!

#6) Kitchen Must-Have: Replaces butter (1 to 1 Ratio) and oil! and can be used as a pan greaser (Won't Burn do to it's high smoke and boiling point!) Great for Popcorn and Gluten Free Recipes.

#5) Split-End Hair Treatment: For ALL ladies (and some Gents). Rub a small amount in your hands and work through hair to spruce up the dead ends. WARNING a little goes a long way.

#4) Leave-In Conditioner: Apply a small (don't use too much) amount to your hands and massage into bottom half of Towel Dried hair. Dry hair as usual.

#3) Overnight Conditioner: Massage palm-ful into hair to leave over night and wash out with hot water in the morning. You can also apply a more generous amount and rinse out after 20 minutes up to a couple of hours.

#2) Smooth and Shine Up Hair: Either before or after your styling, add a bit of shine to your hair by gently massaging the tiniest amount to your dry hair. Be careful not to add to much, it can look greasy.

and my All-Time Favorite use:
#1) Your New Favorite Moisturizer: I apply it to my entire body right after I shower so I'm nice and clean! I also like to apply it to my face just before my makeup. You smell great, you're skin feels smoother, it's great for all skin types AND it provides natural UV protection (Disclaimer: The actual SPF is still up for debate so make sure to protect against UV rays accordingly)

Helpful? Let me know what your favorite uses are! I would love to hear new ones or your thoughts on the ones I've shared!

Post again soon XO's,
Miranda