family + travel + lifestyle + wellness
Here are some beauty products I’m loving lately! I love that they’re affordable, easy to find (like in basically drug store, Target, etc) and effective.
1. Gold Bond Ultimate Radiance Renewal lotion
2. Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer, SPF 15
3. Batiste Dry Shampoo
4. Rimmel Lash Accelerator Serum
I’ve been using this 100% natural teeth whitener, Carbon Coco. It’s a charcoal whitening powder that you brush on followed by a charcoal toothpaste (which is black in color but mint flavored). This product is easy to use, doesn’t require a lot of time (the same amount of time it normally takes to brush your teeth) and it has great results! I also like that it’s a natural product, not tested on animals, free shipping and the provide great customer service.
How to Use:
Wet a soft-bristled toothbrush (the kit comes with one or you can use your own as long as it’s soft-bristled)
Dip wet toothbrush into charcoal powder. Brush your teeth like you normally would. NOTE: your teeth will look black, don’t be shocked! Your spit will also be black. Also, since it’s a powder it’s a little messy. I brush over my sink to catch any loose powder. It doesn’t stain sinks/counter tops but can be a little messy.
Brush for 3 minutes. Rinse off brush and rinse mouth.
Apply charcoal activated toothpaste on brush. Brush for 3 minutes. Rinse.
Results:
It took about 8 weeks of consistent use to see results for me. I’ve used other at home teeth whitening products in the past and had a great experience with Carbon Coco mostly because it’s super easy and fast to use.
black charcoal powder ^
I love a good beauty product but also love a good deal. I’m not and never will be the type of person that drops a lot of money on a thing, I’d much rather save it for travel! To each their own for sure and I’m excited to have found these beauty products I’ve tried and love that also happen to be pretty good deals.
($7)- This oil (mixture of avocado, almond and vitamin E) is an awesome conditioner for cuticles, nails and fingers. While it is an oil, I feel like it absorbs pretty well — I usually use it at night right before I go to bed and my cuticles and nails feel great and refreshed the next morning. I especially like this oil after painting my nails a lot of using nail polish remover. I find my nails can become more dry, thin and brittle and this oil helps replenish them.
($8) – I’ve tried SO many skin toners for my face! Witch Hazel has been my favorite so far as far as keeping my skin in good condition, refining pores and maintaining relatively acne free 😉 I like that it’s a natural product, feels clean and isn’t too harsh on my skin. I use it morning and night.($8)- I’ve written about this product before and am still pleased with how it works. It’s affordable, easy to brush on your lashes and has great results! Like most lash growth products, your lashes will go back to their regular length when you stop using the product. I use this product at night after removing all my makeup.I’ve never had full, long lashes but I’ve never had the desire to pay a lot of money for that look. I do love how lash extensions look but it seems like a big cost and maintenance. There’s lots of serums and products out there, I found this one by Rimmel
Before: 
After:
The serum is super easy to use, you just brush it on the base of your lashes and use the lash stick or the brush. I use it every night before bed and have used about half the bottle as of now. I definitely saw results and feel my lashes are longer. It’s not the same volume you would get with extensions, but for $8 I am super happy with this product!
11/29/17 – I’m now about 75% finished with the tube of lash serum. I’m still loving this product and here are some recent results:
One of my favorite things about Tessa is her curly hair! Right after she was born, one of the nurses exclaimed, ‘She has so much hair!’ Guess the old wives’ tale about heartburn and the amount of hair a newborn has is true, ha, ha! We’ve never cut her hair because I love it so much and it’s grown out pretty evenly. People always think I curl and style it which is nice since it just dries in nice ringlets! I can’t remember where I first saw an ad for the Wet Brush but as Tessa’s naturally curly hair is getting longer and less easy to untangle, I decided to try it.
We found a 2 pack on Amazon
I’m thankful today to celebrate and remember those who have died to allow use to enjoy the amazing freedoms of this country. We have many freedoms and rights that citizens of other countries do not have. Sometimes I feel that politics (especially in a two party dominant country) can be divisive so I’m extra grateful we have days like today to remind us that we are all Americans.
Today is celebrated in lots of different ways – the beach, vacations, family time, etc. We don’t have anything special planned today as Dave is going out of town tonight for work in Phoenix. Something I always love about Memorial Day (and the other American holidays) are the flag decorations that dot the neighborhoods and businesses. The Red represents ‘valor’, the White ‘innocence’ and the Blue ‘vigilance, perseverance and justice’.
There’s an old saying that you can’t wear white until after Memorial Day – not sure where this originated or if it’s truly observed! I tend to wear more black and gray but also love white. For a lot of people, Memorial Day also signals the beginning of summer and summer colors. Here are some of my white picks:
I’m happy to partner again with Smile Brilliant who help you achieve your best smile from the comfort of your home! I first used their custom made teeth whitening trays in December and had a great experience. The whole process is easy to follow and use. Smile Brilliant is offering you $25 your whitening trays with the code: jamtartmd25 . With this code you can receive their teeth whitening system for lightly stained teeth for $104!
You can also win $50 off a teeth whitening kit by entering this Rafflecopter giveaway. Contest ends 6/5/17 and winner must use discount code by 6/23/17.
dress/Birkenstocks
I’ve used quite a few daily and deep conditioners throughout the years – various brands, high end, low end, etc. I first tried the Eva NYC Hair Mask
Even though I received this product (travel size) as a sample, I will definitely be buying it when mine runs out. In addition to the results, I also like that it’s not super expensive and that it’s easy to find/purchase.
Also wearing this limited Great Lash Royal Blue Mascara
Looking for a new dry shampoo?
So many health apps! I’m still using Achievemint and slowly but surely earning those $10 (after accumulating 10,000 points)
I exfoliate my face once or twice a week but have never thought about body exfoliation.
Happy Earth Day (tomorrow)!
My usual breakfast is a granola bar as I’m running out the door, ha, ha! Here are some solid reasons you should never skip breakfast!
Getting fit for the right reasons 🙂
One of my nails randomly broke this week which has never happened! I found these tips very insightful and helpful!
It’s started to feel like Spring this last week (even though it’s been our most mild winter in 10 years ha!) and it’s especially nice because my skin is less dry. I received these Farmhouse Fresh masks for my birthday and they are so awesome. The green is avocado butter (a super hydrator), the white is tapioca (to improve texture) and the orange is pumpkin (to boost radiance) and smells exactly like a delicious pumpkin pie! All three of them smell so good and feel very gentle on your skin.
I also got this avocado cuticle oil from a local beauty supply store and I feel like it’s definitely helped soften and moisturize my cuticles. I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t sure how oily it would be or how well it would absorb. Luckily, it absorbs well and doesn’t leave your nails or fingers feeling oily. I was going to post the Amazon link but it was $8 — I found it locally for $1.95! So if you’re looking for it, hopefully you can find it for cheaper. While I was out, I also found this pineapple hand cream at Bath and Body Works ($3) which is my favorite flavor!
And…a Spring haircut! I normally prefer my hair long but every few years get in the mood to cut it shoulder length. The first cut it always scary and I feel like it’s always shorter than I imagine but luckily hair grows back 🙂 One of the challenges with moving so much is not having a regular hair stylist. You have to find the right people to get recommendations from, finding a good price, and salon aesthetic that suits you. I found this stylist off Yelp recommendations based on the fact that I wanted someone right in Chino Hills as opposed to driving downtown or to Orange County. The layers were a bit too choppy for my style, but it’s nice to have a fresh, light cut. 
Jen Holtkamp 