body – Happens For A Reason

HASK Exotic Hair Oils to the Rescue

April 28, 2017April 28, 2017Posted in Beauty, UncategorizedTagged Beauty, body, conditioner, hair, hair products, HASK, health, lifestyle, products, reviews, shampoo, trends, womenLeave a comment

Hi friends! HASK recently launched three new and exciting Exotic Oil Collections, and I had the opportunity to try their new Orchid & White Truffle Collection. I love HASK products because they are made right here in the USA and they do not test any of their products on animals, which is really important to me. Their products are also safe on color-treated hair and all hair types and textures, whether straight, curly, wavy, long or short.

Living in the Northeast, the winter months are very drying to my hair, which makes it look dull and lifeless. Lately, my hair also looks overworked and damaged from overusing my curling and flat irons. Because I have been overworking my hair, I knew these products would be perfect for me! The HASK three-piece set includes shampoo, conditioner, and a deep-conditioner that are moisture-packed and designed to instantly rehydrate your hair and leave it looking nourished and revitalized.

HASK uses only the finest ingredients in their formulas. With the orchid extract sourced from Belgium, and white truffle from the South of France, this set works to strengthen the proteins and to re-balance and restore your dry, overworked hair. HASK’s collections are packed with replenishing nutrients and concentrated amino acids to restore your hair to its natural beauty. The end result is lush, shiny and healthy-looking hair! Not to mention, these products smell amazing!

I used the shampoo and conditioner as I normally would #LatherRinseRepeat. Post shower, I tried out the moisture rich deep conditioner. As directed, I applied a generous amount of the conditioner on my clean, wet hair, and then I massaged it into my hair, focusing on the damaged areas (specifically my dry split ends). I left it in for 10 minutes and then rinsed it out. After letting my hair air dry, I could see and feel a huge difference in the texture of my hair. I couldn’t believe how smooth and radiant my hair looked. My hair felt so healthy after this three-part treatment! It was super shiny and I felt like I had a hair treatment at a salon!

I strongly recommend using these products for your dry, dull hair! You will be happy with the results and your hair will thank you for it! HASK also makes a Coconut Milk & Organic Honey collection for curly hair as well as a Blue Chamomile & Argan Oil collection for blondes! Click here to learn more about these products!

Thank you for the sponsorship, HASK!

Xx Marisa

Chakra Balancing: Root; Muladhara

March 9, 2017March 20, 2017Posted in TravelTagged Beauty, body, Chakra, Chakras, Fashion, feelings, health, life, lifestyle, love, Miami, model, quote, quotes, red, reflections, relationships, root chakra, spirituality, style, thoughts, womenLeave a comment

Hi friends! Over the summer I began learning about the chakras, or the seven energy centers of the body. Having an interest in health, wellness, and spirituality, I knew studying the chakras was inevitable on my journey.

Having taken all of these photos in Miami with my new favorite red swimsuit, I thought a post on the “root” or “Muladhara” chakra would be appropriate, as the color of this chakra is red.

Although very skeptical at first, as soon as I began reading “Chakras For Beginners” by David Pond (given to me by a very good friend of mine), everything began to make sense. After about five pages in, the first thought I had to myself was, “Damn, all of my chakras are unbalanced.” I knew this book fell into my lap for a reason.

Chakras are energy centers, meaning energy flows through these points of the body. If these points are blocked, energy cannot flow through. Blocked chakras are said to lead to illness, both physical and psychological. Story has it that you must balance all of the chakras in order, starting with the root (followed by the sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown chakras). If there is anything I learned in life thus far, the root of the problem must be fixed in order to fix the rest. There aren’t any shortcuts here, and each may take some time to balance.

“The 7 Chakras for Beginners” by MindBodyGreen is a very helpful cheat sheet for beginners who are interested in learning about all the chakras. Click here to read this article.

The root chakra represents our foundation and feelings of stability and being grounded, and it t is located at the base of the spine/tailbone. If your root chakra is unbalanced, you may feel insecure, unstable, unsure of yourself, anxious, angry, controlling, afraid, and have a lack of self confidence. You most likely have problems with your basic survival needs: food, housing, work, and finances. If you are balanced, you will feel confident (not arrogant or fearful), grounded, centered, and stable. Balancing your root chakra creates stability and a foundation for yourself.

So how do you balance your root chakra? Through food: red beets and apples, red meat and eggs, vegetables from the ground such as carrots and potatoes, and red spices such as cayenne pepper and hot sauce. You can also do certain forms of yoga and yoga poses to open up your lower spine and help ground yourself. What worked for me was saying daily affirmations including “I am safe and secure,” “I am stable and grounded,” and “I am connected to the Universe and to the earth.” Visualization is also an extremely powerful tool, and while sitting in a chair, feet on the floor, you can close your eyes and visualize roots growing from your feet into the ground. Sounds crazy, but it works.

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Balancing my Root chakra took about six months, as I wasn’t happy with my work situation and didn’t know who I was as a person. Now that I’ve counted these months, it feels like it’s been a long time, but finding myself and securing my foundation was worth the wait, dedication, and hard work.

In 2016, I made a commitment to myself. Discovering and becoming the person I was meant to be were my top priorities. This is something that people spend a lifetime trying to figure out, and I didn’t want to be one of those people. Although I still have my moments, I used to live in a world solely based on fear and anxiety. I was very insecure and had low confidence. I was unsure of myself, and this uncertainty was reflected across all areas of my life.

Having succeeded in my 2016 intentions, I now feel grounded, and I am certain of who I am. I have a concrete foundation to grow as an individual and balance the rest of my chakras from here.

***

Swimsuit: Asos

Hat: NineWest

Sunglasses: Missguided

Nip+Fab & Rodial Collab

January 30, 2017January 31, 2017Posted in BeautyTagged Beauty, body, Fashion, health, lifestyle, Nip+Fab, products, reviews, Rodial, skin, skincare, soho, style4 Comments

I love, love, love these brands! This is my third collaboration with Nip+Fab and Rodial. Nip+Fab sent me some more skincare goodies, along with an eyeliner sample from their sister skin care and makeup line, Rodial. I had the opportunity to try five more awesome products!

My favorite product from this collaboration is the Kale Fix Clay Mask (maybe because I love Kale so much)! This face mask both softens and decongests the skin. It is super packed with amazing ingredients including kale extract, watercress extract, and witch hazel. The kale extract contains vitamins A, C, & K to help reinvigorate the skin. The watercress extract helps to provide maximum softness, while the witch hazel works to draw away impurities without leaving your skin completely dry. My skin felt so smooth after using this product!

Ok, so, we are officially in the dead of winter, and my body is in hibernation mode and in need of some sculpting. The Bust Fix Night is an awesome night cream that seriously plumps and firms the area around the bust while you sleep. Although I am a member of the IBTC (lol), I tried it out a few nights in a row, and I can say that it really does it’s job.

The Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads are exfoliating facial pads that retexture and brighten the skin. The glycolic acid retextures and resurfaces while the hyaluronic acid moisturizes and refreshes. It leaves your skin feeling very smooth and calm. I love using these daily.

Nip+Fab’s Dragon’s Blood Fix Hyaluronic Shot is an intense moisture serum that immediately saves your dehydrated skin. The hyaluronic solution and dragons blood in this shot leaves your skin feeling fresh and plump. It locks moisture into the skin, comforts, and restores. With just two drops of this powerful serum, your skin will feel 100% hydrated- it’s a life saver during these dry winter months.

I never wear liquid eyeliner because I always struggle with putting it on. A simple winged look can turn into a catastrophe real quick, however, this Liquid Liner by Rodial is a game changer. It’s so smooth and easy to put on. I think I’ve used it every single day since receiving it!

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! Pick up some of these products for your sweetie or for your friends–what a perfect gift for Galantine’s Day! Click here and here to shop these products 🙂

Thank you Nip+Fab & Rodial!

Xx Marisa

Nip + Fab Round 2

December 28, 2016December 28, 2016Posted in BeautyTagged Beauty, blog, body, health, lifestyle, manhattan, new york, new york city, products, reviews, skin, skincareLeave a comment

Hi friends! Hope you are enjoying the holidays!

A few weeks ago, I partnered with Nip+Fab and reviewed some of their products! Check out my first post here.

They sent me some more skincare goodies, along with an eyeliner sample from their sister skin care and makeup line, Rodial. I had the opportunity to try five awesome products!

The winter months are upon us, and my body is already in hibernation mode and in need of some serious sculpting. Luckily, Nip + Fab sent me two body gels: one for my bust and one for my booty. The Cellulite Fix is a body sculpting gel for fast action against the appearance of cellulite. The Bust Fix is a light serum that plumps and firms the area around the bust. I’ve been using these products for about a week, and my skin feels much firmer. I haven’t gone to the gym in two weeks because I have been sick, but my skin (especially my booty–a problem area of mine) feels tight thanks to these products.

The Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing pads are exfoliating facial pads that retexture and brighten the skin. The glycolic acid retextures and resurfaces while the hyaluronic acid moisturizes and refreshes. It leaves your skin feeling very smooth and calm. I can definitely see myself using these on a daily basis.

The pores on my face are visibly huge and suck up any makeup I put on, leaving my pores to be constantly clogged. I tried Nip + Fab’s Viper Venom Micro Blur Fix, which is a priming gel that transforms the look of your skin, minimizes pores, and controls the production of oil. It definitely does it’s job–my pores are visually smaller. You should apply it before putting on your makeup.

Last but not least, I am also in love with my Smoky Eye Pen from Rodial! I have been in the market for a new black eye pencil, and I have found it! I love how it leaves a matte finish. Now if I could only wing my eyeliner perfectly!

Thanks Nip+ Fab & Rodial!

Nip+Fab Skincare

November 10, 2016November 10, 2016Posted in BeautyTagged Beauty, body, face, health, lifestyle, new york, new york city, products, reviews, skincare1 Comment

Hi friends! I recently partnered with Nip+Fab and reviewed some of their products! Nip+Fab is a natural and affordable skin care line created by Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder of Rodial. They have products for both your face and body, and they even have a line for men!

I had the opportunity to try four awesome products!

The Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Serum is designed to moisturize dehydrated skin while leaving your skin looking plumper. Sap from the Croton Lechleri tree (Dragon’s Blood) helps to reduce redness and plumps skin. Ingredients include hyaluronic acid to hydrate for plumper looking skin, amino acid to brighten the skin, and dragon’s blood which comforts and restores through skin hydration. My skin felt more hydrated and looked brighter after using this product for just one week!

The Dragon’s Blood Fix Plumping Mask is a hydrating gel mask that intensely hydrates and plumps the skin (to avoid those nasty wrinkles) to refine the skin’s appearance for a brighter complexion. My skin has been so dry from these weather changes, and both the Plumping Mask and Serum seriously hydrated my skin. This mask is not too heavy, and it has a nice, light texture and scent. It leaves your skin feeling very refreshed!

The Glycolic Scrub Fix is a triple action mico exfoliant with glycolic and salicylic acids to refine, brighten, and renew the skin. The glycolic acid (3%) gently exfoliates and retextures while the salicylic acid cleanses pores. It leaves your skin feeling so smooth!

The Glycolic Fix Night Pads is a super-strength treatment that targets oily and congested skin. These pads contain 5% glycolic acid which aids natural skin exfoliation and refines the skin’s textures, salicylic acid that helps unclog congested skin, and lactic acid which gently weakens the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. It really helped decongest my problem skin areas. These pads are a life saver for problem skin or occasional breakouts. I always break out after I eating dairy and these glycolic pads keep my pores really clean and clog free.

I give these products an A+ review. They also smell so good and are very lightweight. You can shop these products and more here! Don’t forget, they also have products for men here!