Beauty – Building The Blancas

A Whiter & Brighter Smile with Avistar

Review of the Avistar activated charcoal powder and mouthwash.

Distressed Denim Shorts: Express | Black & White Peplum Top: Old Navy, currently out of stock, similar style top can be found here | Faux Pearl Stud Earrings: Shein

What is the first thing you notice when you meet someone? For me, it is always their SMILE! A big bright white smile goes a long way in today’s world. Honestly, I am crazy when it comes to my smile, I am always making sure my teeth look fantastic. Brushing multiple times per day, flossing, mouth-washing, you name it! That is why I was so excited to team up with Avistar and try out their Activated Charcoal Powder and Mouthwash. I had been wanting to try out these types of products for some time now but never found the right ones to purchase. I am so happy that I tried Avistar. Let me tell you guys, this stuff is good! I have been using the products for a few days now and my teeth look and feel amazing! So clean and bright, I just love it.

So, in order to use the powder, just wet your toothbrush, dab it in the powder and then brush your teeth for one to two minutes. Simple!! You can use toothpaste with it as well, I chose not to mix them together. I just brush my teeth after using the powder to get them extra clean before bed. Side note, this stuff is tough, I mean it is basically doing a deep clean on your teeth, so be careful brushing along your gum line. I brushed my gums a little too hard the first night and they were sore the next day. Other than that little mishap on my part this stuff is great. My teeth feel so clean and they look much brighter now. The mouthwash is pretty amazing too! It has this very minty flavor, which I totally love!! Makes my breathe taste and smell so good. It is so important to take great care of your teeth, using these products has been so beneficial to my smile. Definitely would recommend giving it a try. See if you love it as much as I do. Can’t be unhappy when you have a big bright smile on your face!

Shop the activated charcoal powder and mouthwash on Amazon by clicking on the links below, enjoy!

Natural Teeth Whitening Charcoal Powder With Organic Coconut Activated Charcoal And Sodium Bicarbonate: Eliminate Bad Breath And Whiten Your Smile: Mint Flavoured, Made In USA $19.97, prime shipping available.

Natural Activated Charcoal Mouthwash: Purify, Detoxify & Freshen Your Breath! – Peppermint Flavor (Made In The USA) $11.97, prime shipping available.

6 Everyday Beauty Products Under $5

Talking about my favorite beauty products under $5.

This post is coming at you guys super late in the day! When its summertime my family spends all of our days (after work) outside enjoying the summer sun. Beckham NEVER wants to come inside, he loves being able to be outside and play. The winters in Ohio are terribly cold and long so when we have the chance to get outside and enjoy the fresh air we don’t miss the opportunity. Which means I am never inside with my computer getting to write up my posts. I work better late at night anyway, always have been like that. I used to stay up until 3 in the morning writing my papers for college because the quietness of nighttime really helps me focus. So my point of this is… sometimes these posts may come pretty late but don’t worry i’m still here writing!!

Today’s post is all about my favorite everyday beauty products under $5. These are 6 items I never leave my house without. I refer to them as my every day staples. All of the items are listed out below with links to shop the items.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Pads, click here to shop this product. I have talked about these makeup remover pads in other blog posts because these things are amazing!!! They can remove a full days worth of makeup in a just a few seconds. They never irritate my face, my skin never feels oily or dry from them either. They are honestly one of my favorite products. I’ve tried other makeup removers in the past but nothing compares to these. My mom and sister are just as obsessed with them!
Mini Hair Brush, click here to shop the Conair style or here to shop the Wetbrush style, both listed under $5. If your hair is anything like mine it gets tangled up within a few minutes after brushing it. Long hair can sometimes be a curse, no matter what the weather is like my hair is doing something crazy. That is why I always carry a mini hairbrush in my bag. It only takes a few minutes to rebrush my hair during the work day or in the car and once I do I feel a lot better about my appearance. These brushes are great for every day use.
TRESemme Mini Hair Spray, click here to shop the link. I love this hairspray, I think it is the perfect hair spray to carry around in your bag. I’ve been using this spray for years and it holds my curls so well. It is definitely lightweight and doesn’t way my hair down like other sprays I’ve used in the past. I do use love the Big Sexy Hair hairspray when I need a lot of hold for a big event or party, however for my everyday wear I always use this mini hairspray.
ChapStick, click here to shop the link. Please tell my I am not the only one who is obsessed with the generic old ChapStick that you can find at basically any store. I swear by this stuff and I love the strawberry flavor. I have tried probably every chapstick out there and I always go right back to this one. I put this stuff on all the time and my lips seriously feel great. I usually have a few of these babies in my purse, obsessed!
Nail File, click here to shop the link. Lately I have been trying to stop biting my nails, it has been my worst habit ever since I was little. Now that my nails are growing out I always make sure I have a nail file in my purse. It is awful to break a a nail and not have a file around (a new and not so great experience for me!). The one I have listed above is older from Bath & Body Works, however when I searched their website to link it above nothing came up so instead I linked a file from Target. Thank goodness for Target, am I right?!
Hand Cream from Bath & Body Works, click here to shop the link. My sister and I both have a sick obsession with Bath & Body Works, everything there is so great! My hall closet is literally filled with everything from this store, candles, lotions, body washes, you name it it’s probably in there. I use their lotion every night when I get out of the shower and I use this hand cream all day every day at work. Every single time I wash my hands I go and put this hand cream on. This stuff is like butter, it is so soft and creamy and smells like heaven. Seriously, the mini hand creams are only $4 and you can usually get them on sale. I stock up overtime I go because I never want to run not, this stuff is that good!!

Favorite Products 2017

Sharing 7 of my favorite products from 2017, everything from head to toe.

Hello, friends! Hope everyone had a fun weekend. We spent a lot of time around the house cleaning and getting laundry done. Not very exciting but needed to get done. This weekend really flew by, can’t believe I have to head back into the office already tomorrow. For today’s post I wanted to share some of my favorite products from 2017. These are 7 of my go-to products that I could not live without! You can click on the name of the product and it will take you directly to the link to purchase it.

Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer

This bronzer is heaven and it smells like chocolate milk which makes it even better! I started using this bronzer a few months ago after I ran out of my current bronzer from Smashbox and wanted to try something new. I am in love with it! I’m decently pale so I opted for the lighted shade but there are two shades darker than this one if you need a darker tint. It looks fantastic, smells fantastic and only costs $30. What more could a girl ask for? The link above takes to the Too Faced website, however this product is also available at Sephora and Ulta.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

I have tried a million different mascaras to see if there is one better than this one and let me tell you, there is not!! This mascara is my all time favorite makeup product. My whole family is obsessed with it. If you want long, full looking lashes than this is the mascara you have been looking for. Before getting my eyelash extensions I wore this mascara every single day, it made me feel so much better about my short lashes. When I am going out with my hubby or friends for the night I will put this mascara on my extensions to make them look even longer and more full. Too Faced sells it on the their website for $23, I have also found it in store at Sephora and Ulta. I promise you will love this product!

Arbonne Liquid Sunshine Tinted Self-Tanner

Every girl can use a good self-tanner lotion and this one is always my go to. I stopped using tanning beds a few years ago because I really wanted to keep my skin looking young. Spray tans are great for special occasions but they fade fairly quickly and you would have to keep going back almost weekly to keep up with your tan. Again, I am pretty pale, I look almost ghostly during these Ohio winters, so I wanted to find the best self-tanner. I had tried a few that I found at Ulta but nothing that I loved, that’s when a friend recommended Arbonne. As soon as I tried the lotion I was hooked. The tan lasts anywhere from 4-7 days and the color is great. Once you put it on it takes about 2 hours for the color to start showing on your skin. The tanner costs $45 on the Arbonne website linked above.

Maybelline Dream Pure BB Cover-Up

I seriously love this cover up! It is not very thick but it covers up minor flaws and last all day long. I wear this makeup daily. The only time I wear a different cover up is when I am going out for the night and want more coverage. If you need a product that is perfect for the every day look, than I would try this. I am honestly obsessed with it and the best part is I found it at Target for less than $10! The product comes in 5 different tints and helps reduce blemishes, its an all around win!

Wet Brush

The wet brush is the best hairbrush ever!!! I used to struggle all the time with brushing my hair, especially after getting out of the shower. Long hair is no joke, the amount of tangles I would fight to brush through was ridiculous. Once I started using the wet brush I never had to worry about tangles again. This brush is so smooth and makes brushing out messy hair so much simpler. This is the only hair brush I use. I will use it on wet and dry hair. I can not explain how great this hair brush is, I even use it on Beckham when I get him out of the bath. This product is a must try! I found mine at Target for less than $10, I’m sure most drug stores sell this brush also.

Bed Head Curlipops 1” Tourmaline Ceramic Styling Iron

You guys, this curling wand only costs $29.99 and works like a charm! This is the only product I use to curl my hair, I absolutely love the way it makes my hair look! The wand heats up very quickly and it stays hot the whole time you are using it, unlike other wands and curling irons I have used. Honestly, you won’t need much time when curling because the product is so hot it can curl a piece of hair in just a few seconds. I was really worried about trying a product that was so low cost compared to some of the other wands similar to it but I am so happy I decided to try this one out. I saved my self a ton of money and I get the same if not better results every time I use it. I purchased mine from Ulta, however I think I saw them on sale at Target too.

Amope Pedi Perfect

So, this product was a birthday gift from my grandma last year and I love it! I feel like my feet are never as pretty as I want them to be. I love getting pedicures but I can’t always make it to the salon when my feet are starting to look a little rough. This product is perfect for keeping your feet looking pretty between pedicures. I never have to worry about wearing sandals again. It works great and is super easy to handle. My feet always feel so smooth after using the pedi perfect.

I love all these products and was so excited share how they have helped my every day beauty routine become easier. If you have some really great products that you love please let me know about them in the comments below! I am always looking to try new beauty products. Hope everyone has a great week, xoxo.

Makeup Favorites Fall 2017

Sharing some of my favorite makeup products out right now. First vlog post, be sure to check it out!!!

Hello, friends! Happy Sunday, hope you are all having a great weekend. For today’s blog post I decided to do a video post instead (attached below). This video is all about my favorite makeup right now. I have always wanted to do a vlog so I thought I’d try it out. There is a lot of background noise in this video and at one point I’m even yelling at Moose, our big brown lab, to stop scratching. But I promise these videos will get better in time, haha! Pease leave comments below or on youtube to let me know how you liked the video and if I should keep making them or stick to blog posts instead. I would love to hear your feedback. Hope you enjoy!!

Novalash Eyelash Extensions

Novalash extensions are amazing. Discover why I love them so much and why you will too!

To say that I am OBSESSED with Novalash eyelash extensions would be an understatement! About 6 months ago I decided that I was going to try out the eyelash extension fad. I have always been a little insecure about my lashes and would go to great lengths to make my natural lashes look longer. Most days I would wear 2 or 3 different mascaras at one time just to feel better about my appearance. Before getting the extensions I wasn’t sure if they would be worth it, could I keep up the maintenance, are they too expensive, would they bother my eyes? These were all the questions I kept asking myself but after a few months of debating, I finally decided I needed to try! And, you guys, from the moment I first looked in the mirror and saw the extensions I fell in LOVE!!!! They were perfect, so long, full and beautiful. I was so excited and the best part is… I no longer need to wear mascara! Since getting the extensions I’ve posted a few pictures online and have had a lot of people reach out to me with questions. So, for today’s post I really wanted to share some more information about the process and maintenance of the extensions.

The process of getting your Novalash extensions is extremely simple and relaxing. You basically get to lay down on a comfy bed with your eyes closed for a few hours, could a mother dream of anything better? I think not. I always catch myself falling asleep during the process, oops! The number of lashes you get is different for every person because each Novalash is glued to each individual eyelash you have. Your beautician will use two sets of tweezers, one to separate your real eyelash from the other lashes and the other set to glue the fake lash on top of your real one. Each of your real eyelashes will have one individual fake lash glued on top of it. The glue they use is black, so you don’t worry about it being noticeable once they are finished. This is pretty much the whole process. In my personal experience, the individual placing the lashes on yours will switch between eyes after every lash. Once the process is complete, they will fan your eyes to make sure the glue is set and then you are ready to go! The whole process from start to finish will take anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours for the initial set of extensions, this all depends on how many lashes you have and how quick your beautician is (refills are much quicker).

Here is a picture taken during my last refill session.

Maintaining your lash extensions is easy. After your first initial appointment, you will be given a Novalash kit which will include a special mascara, cleaning wipes and a brushing wand. I use the brushing wand multiple times per day, it really helps to keep your lash extensions from sticking together and after they are brushed out they look much better and fuller. The only time you need to use the mascara they provide is when you start to lose a lot of lashes. The mascara helps off set the missing extensions until you can get in for your refill. I personally dislike the cleaning wipes they provide and I never use them. Every time I would use them I would lose an extension or two. They always seemed to grab them and pull them out and it really irritated me so I stopped using them and have had no problems at all. There is really never a need to wash the lashes if you are not using mascara on them. During the first week or two the lash extensions may bother you but you will get used to them quicker than you think. I never realized how ofter I rubbed my eyes until I had the extensions. So, the whole process of getting the lashes and maintaining them is super simple. If you decide to try them out, I hope that you love them as much as I do!

My first ever before and after pics, such a HUGE difference!

My most recent set of lashes… in LOVE!!!!