Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Influenster Review: Radiant With AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream

You know how there are brands out there that you just know are high quality?  You know that you can trust their products, and they never let you down?  Well, for me, one of those brands is AVEENO.  Because I have skin that is really sensitive, I have used various AVEENO products over the years.  Body bars, oatmeal baths, cleansers, moisturizers, you name it.  When I found out I had a chance to try a new AVEENO product, I was really excited.

 

As part of the Influenster program, I was selected to try the AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream.  I am a big fan of night creams for several reasons.  First off it forces me to take off my make up.  I have a terrible habit of sleeping in my make up, which is terrible for my skin.  In order to moisturize, I first must cleanse.  So, the whole process is making my skin healthier.  Secondly, night moisturizer helps keep my skin soft and smooth.  I moisturise during the day after I cleanse, and doing the same thing at night just makes sure my skin remains clean and nourished as I sleep.

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Some of the amazing things about AVEENO Positively Radiant Intensive Night Cream include the fact that it is oil free, which means my face left moist but not greasy; it contains B3 and soy complex to help nourish my skin; it helps even my skin tone and reduce blotchiness, which is problematic for me; it works at night, so I am getting real beauty sleep!

In terms of products, AVEENO is a brand I consider to be cost effective.  Priced moderately and available in most drug stores and departmental retailers, AVEENO Positively Radiant is available to a lot of women.

I am really pleased with the results so far, and I know the more I use the Intensive Night Cream, the better the results will be.  I use the Positively Radiant at night, and still look radiant in the morning.

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Maybe this cream will inspire my unconscious and motivate me to pursue a radiant dream.  My radiant dream? To finally write a book.  What would your radiant dream be?

Disclosure Statement:  I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.   

35 Day Project: Gifts for you

I have been putting off writing about the final day of the 35 Day project, even though it was nearly two weeks ago.  Part of the reason is I ended up getting the flu on my birthday (yuck), and another part of it was, by writing about it, I was admitting that the project was over.  I really did not want it to end, but it must, like all good things.

The final day of the project was my birthday, and it was bittersweet.  Hubby and I decided to go out to lunch, and mill around a nearby town, which presented the perfect opportunity to pull off my final act for the project.  Even though it was my birthday, I was going to be giving some presents.  To total strangers.

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I have a stash of small things to use for acts of kindness, so I dug into the stash, and wrapped up a couple of sets of stationery and matching magnets.  I then wrote small notes explaining that it was my birthday, and that I was celebrating by giving these gifts to people and telling them I appreciated them.  We left them at a couple of places during the day, including the restaurant where we ate lunch.

Since the project has ended, I have found myself missing the camaraderie that had been created through the Facebook group.  A few people have told me that they missed the daily posts.  And I have seen more posts about kindness than I have ever seen before on my Facebook and Twitter feeds.  I learned so much about myself, and about the amazing people in my life.  So, I am officially declaring this project a smashing success.

35 Day Project: Secret Revealed

Do you remember way back near the beginning of the project, I told you that I performed an act that remained a secret?  Well now I get to spill the beans!!

One of my fellow Pittsburgh bloggers told me about this awesome group on Facebook called the Art Ambush Project.  This group consists of a collection of artists who strive to make the world a better place through the gift of art.  The way the project works is people like you and me nominate others to receive a gift of art.  The nomination process includes telling a little about the nominee, their story, their sorrows, their joys, and talking about why you think they deserve this gift.  If the nomination is accepted, it gets assigned to an artist in the group, and then the artist has the freedom to create the perfect gift.

I chose to nominate my brother and his partner.  They are two of the most incredible people I know.  While they are quite different from each other in personality and style, they complement each other and create a perfect team.  Nearly two years ago now, my brother Dennis became a nurse practitioner, and Paul is an artist.  They recently bought a house as well.  I wanted to show them how proud I am, not only for all their accomplishments, but simply for who they are as people.  So, this nomination was my way of showing my love and admiration.

When I contacted the group, a funny thing happened.  I began talking to one of the founders, Lisa.  When I explained in depth who the nomination was for, she shared with me that she was familiar with Paul as an artist, because they live in the same state.  She said being asked to create work for him was like telling someone to send their crayon drawing to Picasso.  I thought that was such a cool "what a small world" moment!

Lisa kept me updated on the process, and the beautiful work she and her mom were creating.  Finally, the big day arrived, and the package was delivered.  It included a beautiful mosaic created by Lisa.  It was a yin yang, the perfect symbol for Dennis and Paul.  Lisa's mother also made them some beautiful soaps in the shape of yin yang.  The guys absolutely loved their art ambush!

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Photo courtesy of Paul Richmond
This was an amazing experience.  This group is doing something spectacular.  I really encourage you to check them out, and consider nominated someone for the gift of art!