Desert Hair and Somerfield Beauty

This post was written in collaboration with Somerfield Beauty. 

As usual, all opinions are my own!

(Ignore the fact that my hair is a mess- it's really hard to smooth it out when it's dried out!)

I love a good hair mask but it's SO HARD to find one that works really well more than once! I had seen the Somerfield Beauty hair masks on Instagram and was dying to try them. I loved the idea of a mask that would really set into my hair and not be messy at all. Something I could use without getting it all over my hands and something that wouldn't be super greasy and gross.

There are two ways to use the mask- the first would be to apply it immediately after washing your hair. While it's still wet, put the cap on and leave it for about 15 minutes. 

The second way is my preferred method and the easiest way and really does make this the least messy mask I've used!

On dry hair, apply the cap.

Blow dry to heat.

Let sit for about 15 minutes.

Heating it really allows the mask to soak into the hair and treat it- which is great because it seems no matter what I do, my hair is always SO DRY here in the desert. The Somerfield Beauty masks come in singles or in sets of three so if you want to just try one out, you can!

Somerfield Beauty recently came out with a shampoo and conditioner set and I really like them because they're moisturizing without being heavy or feeling like they leave behind a lot of residue!

My Favorite Sleep Products

Some of these item were gifted for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own! This post does contain affiliate links so if you make a purchase through the link, I may make a small commission. Even so, all opinions are still my own honest opinions!

Moving is weird. I hadn’t moved in about 15 years so it’s definitely been a struggle. Getting used to a completely new environment is strange and if I’m not motivated to actually fall asleep, I will lie in bed and stress. I invested in a few products to help me relax before bed- I don’t like wasting valuable sleep time! Here are the top things that help me sleep at night-

My new Voila Box mattress. The old one was so soft and foamy so I would sink into it and it didn’t feel great. Roger also had issues with it since his paws would sink in so I would have to carry him to his spot and back. He couldn’t move on it very well and would sometimes trip which was so sad. Our new mattress is super firm and not too thick so it’s easy to get in and out of (especially for me since my feet touch the ground when I swing my legs out). The saddest part is that the old one was over $2k when we got it and it’s so uncomfortable!

This Free People Starry Eyed Sleeping Mask. The cooling gel insert is amazing- especially in the summer heat! My bedroom only has one vent so it gets pretty warm which makes it hard for me to really feel like going to sleep. This mask blocks out all light and feels nice and chilly.

Everyone raves about This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray but I really love it. I got a sample a while back and ended up getting the full size right before the move. The smell is so therapeutic and relaxing.

This Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask. My lips crack and bleed a lot when the seasons change and this mask helped keep a lot of that at bay! It smells nice too and it’s not sticky or super greasy.

Another product I heard so much about- Lush Sleepy Cream. For some reason, it smells like gingerbread cookies to me and I don’t know why! I love the smell and it makes me happy which relaxes me so that’s good, right??

My skin gets really stressed lately so I've been loving my Pistache Skincare Lavender Divine Oil. It's great before bed and a few drops in the tub helps too!

Last- sometimes if I’m just really feeling off, I’ll have Alexa play me ocean sounds!

What helps you fall asleep at night?

New Move = New Mattress

This post was sponsored by Voila Box. I received product in exchange for an honest review; however, all opinions are my own!

I don’t sleep well. I’ve had insomnia for years and it’s often coupled with sleep apnea when my asthma and copd are really bad. Before we moved, I had a super old mattresss that had gotten really soft and squishy over the years. The attached topper shifted all the time and there were days I literally slid off the mattress and fell out of bed. To make matters worse- Roger (my puggle) is getting old and his joints aren’t grearnso having a super soft mattress was really rough on him too.

When we decided to move, I decided to get a brand new bed frame and one of those fancy new mattresses I’ve seen everywhere. I wanted something that would not only improve my sleep quality but my quality of life as well. After all- a good nights sleep makes all the difference.

I got really lucky and started chatting with Voila Box early in my search. At the time, I didn’t know much about the company but I liked what they stood for and I LOVED the rep’s enthusiasm about their product. To me, it says so much when an employee doesn’t just use the required talking points but sounds passionate about what they sell. That made a huge difference to me.

A day before I got the keys to my new apartment, I put in my order. I picked the firm mattress in a queen size. It was easy and fast and the email notifications kept me updated throughout. A few days later, a large rectangular box showed up at my doorstep. The box was quite a bit smaller than I expected and honestly, I was a little wary of how a legitimate mattress could fit inside the box.

My mom and I spent that afternoon unboxing the mattress and watching it pop and unravel like a giant tube of cinnamon rolls. Unboxing it was probably the most fun thing we did for the entire move. Roger was fascinated and frankly, so were we. It was hard to believe that firm but nicely padded mattress had just come out of that giant tube. After it was laid flat, we left it alone for the requisite 48 hours. 

Actually- we left it alone but Roger did not. As soon as it was flat, he was running up and down the mattress and rolling around on it. This made me so happy because the last mattress was nearly impossible for him to even walk on. Now I have a fantastic mattress that he (and I) can move around on with ease. The top is soft and cushiony but lying down, the mattress is very firm which is what I really wanted. It's comfortable and doesn't dip in too much so neither of us has gotten lost in it.

The first night took some getting used to but the next morning I woke up with noticeably less back pain. I know it takes at least a month to really evaluate a new mattress but that was a great sign. I slept deeper and more comfortably as well and it seemed to take less time to fall asleep.

Over the past month, I’ve noted several great things about my Voila mattress-

It doesn’t dip when I move around. I’ve balanced nail polishes on this mattress with very little support and they haven’t spilled.

Roger sleeps like a log on this mattress.

My back feels a lot better. My neck doesn’t ache as much. I have the same pillows as before too. The occurrences of severe back pain are almost nonexistent now (unless I've done something highly abnormal like sit on a bus for 12 hours). 

I don’t need a topper. The top of the mattress has a great texture to it so I don’t feel the need to cover it with something fancy.

It’s a cute mattress. I know that sounds dumb but if you’re going to take photos of a mattress you hope it’s not ugly, right?

Once my eye mask is on (more on that another time), it takes me less than 10 minutes to fall asleep.

A huge thank you to Voila Box for the amazing mattress! I've never slept better!!!!

Rest & Relaxation- My Favorite Products for Unwinding

Hey guys!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

I know it’s been a while but trust me, I have a lot of great excuses! We had a pretty huge family disaster which is still ongoing so things have been rough to say the least. Also- I moved! Downsizing a home of fifteen years kind of sucks because I’m not great at throwing things out but we did it!

I have to say- 2018 has been a really strange year but not always in the worst ways. There have been some great accomplishments too! More on those later!

Since it’s been a pretty stressful year, today I’m sharing some of my favorite things that help me destress!

Scented candles. I've never been a huge fan because I got a lot of burns when I was younger but now that there are so many pretty ones, they're hard to resist. There's nothing like a nice lavender or rose scent to help me unwind quickly! I really like this one from Kendra Scott- it's a very light scent.

Okay, maybe anything scented. These Glamorous Roses are just like the Venus et Fleur ones you've seen everywhere and they smell delightful. They're just so pretty too and perfectly apartment sized!

I'm kind of loving these cute Hallu goodies I've been finding at Wal Mart. They're ADORABLE and they all smell nice. The bath bombs are HUGE and take forever to dissolve so it's not like a blink and you'll miss it kind of fizz. 

Scalp massages. I love my Milk and Sass macaron brushes so much. I have them everywhere- I travel with them, I keep one at work, they're all over the place. They're seriously my favorite brushes ever. 

My new mattress from Voila Box. A detailed post is coming up very soon! It's amazing!!!!

What’s your favorite way to destress and unwind?

Some of these items were gifted in exchange for honest reviews. As always, all opinions are my own!