Dre Does Friday Favorites

It's been too long since I've shared some Friday Favorites so I thought I'd give you a taste of what I've been really enjoying lately.

First up we have a fall themed favorite that I discovered when looking for something else! I'm a huge fan of greek yogurt and it's the only dairy I consumer besides the occasional addition of cheese when I'm cooking. I heard that Chobani had Pumpkin Spice Yogurt and even though I didn't think I would like it I set out to find some. Luckily I came across the last one while grocery shopping last week and right next to it was an abundance of the Cinnamon Pear flavor. I grabbed a few and it turns out I ended up hating the pumpkin spice one and being OBSESSED with the Cinnamon Pear flavor. It's so delicious. While they are higher in sugar than I like (15g of sugar and 12g of protein), if you're looking for a healthier option to having dessert at night, I highly recommend trying the Cinnamon Pear flavor as an evening snack!

 Even though I'm already more than halfway through the 20's I really enjoyed reading this article from Emily, one of my favorite fashion and lifestyle blogger's from Cupcakes and Cashmere. It's filled with some great reminders so take a look when you have a second.

I have been obsessed with the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight in Opal (the liquid version of the Shimmering Skin Perfector family). It came in a kit of four mini's from Becca that I purchased about 6 months ago. While I fell in love with two of the four really quickly, this one kind of got thrown into a drawer and for some reason I decided to pull it out last week and start using it. Not sure what compelled me to do so but thanks to whatever intuition I should thank for my now glowing skin! It has a nice, flat applicator that makes it really easy to dab one side on one cheek, flip it over and dab the other side on the other cheek! Then I use my beauty blender to blend the product well into my skin so I have no harsh edges (I should note that I always apply it after my under eye concealer as my last liquid product. I then set my under eye concealer with powder and finish my face with my other powder products). I love how dewy and healthy it makes my skin look. The nice thing about the full size version of this product is that it comes with a pump so you can mix it in with foundation or moisturizer to give you an all over dewy illumination. It will definitely be added to my beauty wishlist.

While I haven't mentioned it for awhile here on Dre Does I reach for my Aveda Beautifying Composition often especially as the weather starts to get chillier. Recently I've been noticing some random dry patches around my nose and eye area so I pulled out my trusted friend and have been adding a drop here and there to combat these random flaky spots. I love the aroma and the versitility of this product and will never be without it. Click here to see a post I did on it more than a year and a half ago showing 11 uses for this magical product!

Cycling or spinning (depending on what you call it...haha) used to be a huge part of my life. When I was a senior in high school my mom dragged me into a class with her and I was hooked! I am super competitive by nature and loved being able to push myself every class. I started going multiple times a week and it became a huge part of my workout routine. I slowly got out of it as college and life got busier and it had been years since I have done it. A few months ago though, the gym at my apartment complex got a spin bike and I couldn't have been more excited. I dusted off my spin shoes and have been spinning at least 4 times a week since! I forgot how much I truly love the workouts. You can find great spinning workout ideas on Pinterest if you need some inspiration. If you're not the biggest fan of running and you've never tried it I highly recommend giving it a shot! I think it's really important to find a class in your area to get started so that you can learn proper form and technique from professionals before you try it on your own.

Dre Does Skincare Tips for the Active Woman

It's no secret that living an active lifestyle means you probably spend a portion of your day sweating. This can lead to breakouts, excessive oilliness, etc., so I've decided to share with you some tips on how I keep my skin clean and reduce my likelihood of breaking out. 

1. WASH YOUR FACE: I always head to the gym with a clean face which also means that I never wear makeup. I personally hate the feeling of makeup on my skin when I'm hot and sweaty in the gym so instead I do my usual morning skincare routine (since I normally workout every morning) and make sure to use a mattifying moisturizer to help combat some of the excessive oiliness. 

2. HEADBANDS ARE YOUR FRIEND: I like to wear a headband always when I'm working out. Not only does it help keep flyaways out of my face but it catches some sweat from dripping on my forehead. If you use hair products they can travel down your face and potentially clog your pores, so I like to prevent some of that with headbands (This also works well if you have bangs that could spread sweat and bacteria while working out). My favorite are the kinds with the rubber grips on the inside so that they don't move anywhere. 

3. BLOT YOUR FACE: While working out, I like to use papertowels to blot the excessive sweat from my face so that it stays clean. My gym luckily has a paper towel dispenser so I use those to get rid of sweat so that I don't have to touch it with my hands. Think of all the bacteria that your hands are touching from the machines to the weights. It's much better for your skin to use something disposable that you won't keep reusing like your hands or your shirt. 

4. KEEP YOUR GYMBAG STOCKED: I like to make sure to keep my gym bag stocked with some necessities to make sure I can always keep my face clean. It's crucial to have cleansing wipes because if you don't have time to immediately hop in the shower or wash your face again, you can at least clean your face quickly and remove sweat and impurities. Also if you're someone who gets excessively oily, I recommend keeping oil blotting sheets on hand to mattify your skin on the go. 

5. DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE: This may seem a little obvious but some of us need to consciously think about it to stop doing it. Our hands carry so much bacteria around as we go from machine to machine at the gym, so make sure to keep your hands off of your skin. This is a tip for anyone trying to reduce breakouts, but it's expecially crucial when you're sweaty and in the gym.

6. DRINK WATER: Always make sure you rehydrate your body after working out. It's important for your skin's health to drink plenty every day but it's even more important when you workout because you are sweating so much. 

I hope these tips help you maintain cleaner skin while being active. Remember, your skin is your body's largest organ so while it's important to be active and healthy, we can't forget to take care of our skin as well! 

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Dre Does an Influenster Go VoxBox Review

So you might be wondering what that little Influenster Button is on the side of my blog. Let me tell you a little bit about Influenster before I get into the amaaaaazing products they sent me to try out. Influenster is an online community of reviews basically. As a member I can review products I already own that I love, take surveys on products I've tried, and share all of my lovely opinions on various types of social media. Depending on how involved with the site you are (they have a point scale to determine this), what your interests are and what your expertise is in, you can qualify for various VoxBoxes that they send out from different brands. Beauty, health related, food, etc...the diversity of products they have on the site is awesome! As a blogger I naturally like sharing my opinion on products I like and dislike, so I obviously I quickly got addicted to the site. One day, I got an email saying I might qualify to receive a free VoxBox so they asked me to take a quick survey, and said I would be notified if I was chosen to receive some free products. I ended up qualifying and here we are with a review of the Go VoxBox.

Below is a picture of all of the products I received (Disclaimer: while yes I did receive all of these items for free, all of these opinions are my own and Influenster does not require you to blog about it or say how awesome everything is. 100% honesty on my blog ONLY)

From left to right, starting on top we have: the Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Shaker with the little Jaxx mixer, 3 sample packets of The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Fit N' Full Shake, Aqua Spa relax Body Creme in Lavender + Camomile, the ProFoot Pedi-Rock, Playtex Sport Tampons, a coupon for a free Müller yogurt, Blue Diamond Blueberry Flavored roasted almonds, the ProFoot Triad Othotic shoe inserts, and lastly a coupon for $5 off my purchase at the Vitamin Shoppe until the end of May.

The Vitamin Shoppe Next Step Shaker and 3 Sample Packets of Fit N' Full Shake: I was really excited to see these come in the Go VoxBox because I'm always looking at different types of protein supplements. I've never tried anything from The Vitamin Shoppe so I was excited to be introduced to the brand. I love the shaker first off with the little Jaxx Mixer because it really doesn't make it so easy to shake up and dissolve the protein shake so you don't have any gross clumps of powder in your drink. I received the flavors Swiss Chocolate, French Vanilla, and Fresh Berries and while they were all great, chocolate will usually always win for me.  With 14g of protein per serving and only 1g of sugar, these shakes are meant to be used as a meal replacement to curb hunger and cravings. They do however contain milk, soy, and wheat so warning to those who avoid those ingredients. All you do is add them to shaker with 8 fl oz. of cold water and shake it up! I tried them out as meals every time and I have to say they really did leave me feeling satisfied. I really think I'll look into buying some of these next time I'm looking for protein. You can get a 16 serving tub of the powder mix online at www.vitaminshoppe.com for $24.99 or buy a 14-pack of individual packets for the same price. Overall opinion: HUGE thumbs up on this yummy product.

Aqua Spa relax Body Creme in Lavender Camomile: Aqua Spa is another brand I had never heard of so I was interested to receive this parabens free body creme. First off, it smells wonderful and it's texture is nice and smooth. On their website, Aqua Spa claims that this body creme is "formulated to help stimulate cell renewal, enhance skin elasticity, strengthen skin, boost collagen, and keep skin hydrated" with the addition of the Marina Youth Complex. It also calms and relaxes with the wonderful aroma. While it's too soon to tell if it's actually boosting my cell renewal rate and collagen, it is nice and hydrating and calming so I like using it. This full size of 12 oz. retails for $9.99 on their website at www.aquaspabath.com (I received a generous 9 oz. size).

ProFoot Pedi-Rock: I am a very active person and with that comes calluses on the bottoms of my feet. I am obsessed with this product. My two favorite aspects of the Pedi-Rock are the shape and that you can use it dry. I love the shape of the rock because you can easily grip it to use it on your calluses. It can sometimes be tricky to hold pummus stones and use them on your feet, however the shape of the Pedi-Rock makes it really easy to control. I also love that you can use it wet or dry. While obviously it's better to soak you feet to soften the calluses, sometimes it's awkward to reach your feet and not fall over in the shower. Plus if I forget to do it in the shower and remember I'm going to be wearing sandals or heels where my feet will be seen, it's nice not having to jump back in the shower to get rid of those calluses. While you can't buy directly from the ProFoot website there are links to places you can the Pedi-Rock. I found it on Amazon for $14.99.

Playtex Sport Tampons: While most women probably have a good idea of what tampons they prefer, it's always nice trying out something new that I know I have to use. I've never generally tried any kind of Playtex tampons surprisingly. I always stick to either Tampax Pearl or U by Kotex and generally base it on which one is on sale at the moment I need them. I have to say I will probably add these tampons to the mix of comparison next time I'm at the grocery store because as far as tampons go I only require two things; they get the job done as hygienically and freshly as possible and they have plastic applicators. So these tampons did that and are good. The pack of 18 retails for about $7 depending on where you buy them. Also sorry if you're a guy reading this. Ew. Periods. Gross. Deal with it.

The Müller Coupon: I love Müller yogurt already so I was really excited to see this coupon for a free yogurt! They have really great flavors and mixes of greek yogurt so I highly suggest going to your grocery store and checking them out! I especially like the one with the mix in almonds!

Blue Diamond Blueberry Almond Sample Pack: I've always loved almonds and when cocoa roasted almonds came out I was all over those. When I opened up the VoxBox to find Blueberry flavored almonds I was really excited because I didn't know such a thing existed! They were so delicious and I will definitely be looking for them the next time I go grocery shopping. I got this convenient little sample pack that is perfect for snacking but I like that you can purchase them in a larger bag as well if you don't want snack packs! They also have strawberry and raspberry flavors so I'm interested in trying them all. These almonds make a great snack between meals because they have protein and fiber while only having 6g of sugar and being very low sodium as well. I highly recommend checking these out. I could only find these on amazon.com and they were $8.99 for the larger 4 oz. bag or about $16 for a pack of 12 of the snack packs.

ProFoot Triad Orthotic Shoe Inserts: As soon as I came across these in the VoxBox I ripped the packaging open and placed them into my work shoes. They are awesome and really comfortable. I like that they are squishy and can fit multiple sizes of shoes. They claim to improve not only the pain in your feet, but also in your legs, knees, and back. While I don't have leg or knee pain, I do think that these helped sooth some of my back pain when I was at work. I'm going to continue to wear them and let you know how it goes! Once again you can't purchase directly from the ProFoot website but I found them on Walgreen's website for $10.99.

Let me know if you enjoyed this type of a review and if you've tried any of these products before! Also be sure to check out Influenster yourself and get involved!

Have a beautiful day,

Dre

Julia Does a Guest Post!

Happy Monday friends! 

Today I bring you a guest post by my beautiful friend Julia! She has a wonderful blog called 'Fit, Fat, and All That' that is about her journey with fitness, healthy living and most importantly self love. We decided to collaborate and write a post for each other's blogs so that is what you will read below! If you'd like to see my post on her blog go visit her link below, but most importantly take some time to read her posts because they are awesome and very inspirational! 

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Hi all! I am so excited to be doing a guest post for Dre! I absolutely love her blog...I mean come on, she's amazing at make-up and always looks flawless! I love how she talks about accentuating your best assists but also accepting your flaws. I think it's a great message, because no one is perfect. Not even those models in magazines, they don't even look like that, because they are all photoshopped! (Stupid if ya ask me...) 
Anywho.....
A little about me... 
My name is Julia and I write a blog called Fit, Fat, and All That! It's a blog about my journey to living a healthy AND happy life. I have always struggled with my weight, eating, and body image since I was a teenager. I've tried everything from binging and purging, restricting calories, and even tried using those awful diet pills...nothing was working because I wanted a solution fast! I wanted nothing more than to be skinny and all I did was bash my body. I felt awful in my own skin and was constantly worrying about how I looked...and then it finally all changed. My blog talks about my journey to accepting the body I'm in and how I finally started to love my curves and my strength. 

Today I wanted to write to you guys about self-love and learning to accept the amazing body you were given. Like I said, no one is perfect, we have flaws and things we don't exactly love, but you were given one body...and you should love it, no matter what. 

Of course, easier said than done, and I still struggle with it because it's a long process, but it's worth it. 

Here are some things that have helped me work towards loving and accepting myself, curves, cellulite, fat, and all!! 

1. Stop the fat talk! 
Every time I would look in a mirror I would pick apart my body. I hated this spot here and wanted to move that fat there... Of course it doesn't work like that though. I would say I looked fat and gross...and you know what... I started to feel that way too. I hated how negative I was and it was overflowing into other areas of my life. Instead of bashing your body, write down things you love about yourself and your body and put them around your mirror. Each day you will then be reminded of all the wonderful things about yourself! 

2. Find a workout regimen you love!
It doesn't matter if it's walking, dancing in your underwear (which I love!), lifting weights, yoga, swimming... Whatever! Find something that gets your heart pumping and those endorphins flowing! Exercise is not only good for your body but it's good for your mind. I've found I am way happier when I workout regularly. I recently started Crossfit and I AM IN LOVE! It's an amazing workout and I love the family I have become a part of! Find something you feel excited about it and don't give up! 

3. Throw out the scale! 
Not going to lie, sometimes I still weigh myself just to see that I haven't fallen off the wagon tooooo much... But I used to weigh myself multiple times a day, and it got crazy.  I actually am smaller than I was at my lowest weight but it weigh about 10 pounds more. I started lifting heavy weights and I am way more toned than when I weighed less. I try to focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit. I love to take pictures and compare them, it's amazing the differences you can see that the scale doesn't show. Do not let your happiness be defined by a number on a stupid scale, you are more than just a number. 

4. Find a healthy eating plan that works for you! 
Not every meal plan works for everyone and some people are more sensitive to certain foods. It has taken me years to find what works. I definitely struggle with my eating because I love naughty foods but I try my hardest to eat clean. I try not to eat processed foods because I always feel better when I don't! Also make sure you are eating enough! Lots of protein and veggies guys! Do some research and figure out something that works for you and stick with it! Buuuuut...if you do slip up, don't beat yourself up. We all do it, move on, drink some water, and eat healthy your next meal. Don't sabotage your day or week because of one slip up. 

5. Surround yourself with people who support you! 
This is a major one! If you surround yourself with negative people and people who don't support your journey to a healthier and happier you, then you're going to be a more negative person and it's going to be a lot harder of a journey. Find people who love you, support you, and embrace the true you!!! 

I hope that what I've written today helps you or at least makes you feel you are not alone. It's a long journey and it takes a lot of mental strength...but you can be happy in the body you were given. Everyone is beautiful in their own way and you need to embrace it! 

If you want to read about my journey, head on over to my blog! 

http://fitfatandallthat.wordpress.com

Have a beautiful day everyone. 

~xoxo, Julia

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Thank you so much Julia for doing this collaboration with me! 

Have a beautiful day friends! 

Dre