IVF Lifestyle Overhaul: Clean Household Products

Never did I imagine the makeover that IVF would have on my life. Having to go through IVF unexpectedly was enough of an adjustment but flipping practically every aspect of how I had lived my entire life inside out was something no one really talks about. You hear about the grueling injections, the emotional roller coaster and possible weight gain. You don’t hear about how the tiniest most unsuspecting of items you use every day could be having a huge impact on your fertility. After my 1st IVF cycle failed, I hit the research hard scouring resources like the EWG website, IVF blogs, and the book “It Starts with the Egg” by Rebecca Fett to uncover things that could be impacting my egg quality and overall fertility. I even went as far as undergoing a thorough blood and urine analysis to find out which toxins I had exposed myself to. Looking back over the things I have had to switch out on my IVF journey in hopes of reducing as many environmental toxins as possible (of course, in addition to my dietary changes and added supplements), I started making this list of all the changes I made to hopefully help others in the same situation give their IVF cycle the best chance of success:

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Beauty Reviews: March 2018

Duo Eyelash Adhesive in Dark Peace Out Acne Healing Dots Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask Laneige Water Sleeping Mask Luxy Lash in #Bae Dr Brandt Skincare Hydro Biotic Recovery Sleeping Mask

For my trip to Amsterdam & London, I wanted to try out some leave-on masks that I could apply and leave on during the long flight so my skin would not look so dehydrated upon arrival.  I may have gotten a little carried away with my ordering but that’s where you all get the benefit! 😜  For the products that offered a travel or mini size, I like to go that route before committing to the full purchase.  Check out which products I loved by clicking the “Continue Reading” button below:

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Beauty Reviews: January 2018

Huda Beauty Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Smokey Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Dry Shampoo Smashbox Photo Finish Primerizer Cocofloss Tatcha Rice Enzyme Powder Deep Polish Laura Mercier Velour Extreme Lipstick Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisturizing Balm

Happy New Year!  I am starting off 2018 with a new focus… while I still plan to do my beauty reviews, I have so many travel posts that I have in the works that I want to share! As it is for all of us, time is limited so as much as I plan to try to continue with my monthly beauty posts, I will be shifting my priority to get in more travel posts this year.  Don’t get me wrong… I love reviewing all these beauty products, but I’ve had several requests for more travel posts and well, I’m a crowd pleaser!😜  With that said, here are the 1st of my beauty reviews for 2018! (click Continue Reading button below)

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Holiday Beauty Gift Guide 2017

Makeup Geek In The Nude Eyeshadow Palette Ouai OUAIsted Essentials Kit Stila Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeshadow Vault Drunk Elephant Volume 2: Come C About Me Urban Decay Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette Urban Decay Naked 4Some Palette Set Drunk Elephant Volume 1: Hot Date

For the 2017 Holiday Gift Guide, I opted to break it down into “Stocking Stuffers” for fun beauty finds under $50, “Fab Gifts” for gifts sure to please under $100, and “Splurges” over $100 for all those special babes on your list or to treat yourself! It’s time to get in the holiday spirit! 🎅🏼🎁🎀❤️ (click “Continue Reading” button below to see the full Holiday Guide & shopping links)

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Beauty Reviews: November 2017

Volition Beauty Turmeric Brightening Polish Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask to Clear Pores Volition Beauty Detoxifying Silt Gelee Mask Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Exfoliating Cleansing Powder to Clear Pores Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Foaming Wash Volition Beauty Oil-Control Mattifying Mist Huda Beauty Desert Dusk Eyeshadow Palette Volition Beauty Oceanene Youth-Boost Gell

Last month I had tried out the eye gel from brand new line Volition Beauty and absolutely fell in love with not only the product but also with the company’s philosophy.  They call upon all their customers to become their next product innovators by encouraging wannabe beauty product designers like myself to submit their ideas for what they would like to see created.  Thousands of people vote and the best ideas get created in their labs.  Genius!  Why try to guess what your customers want?  Just ask them to create the products of their dreams!  Each product comes with the story of their innovator adding a great personal touch of inspiration. My fascination with this company sent me on a buying frenzy at Sephora as I wanted to try all of their products.  With lots of excitement, here are my reviews of the Volition Beauty products (and a few others):  (click “Continue Reading” button below to see the beauty product reviews)

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Beauty Reviews: October 2017

Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye Cream Kevyn Aucoin The Exotique Diamond Eye Gloss Volition Beauty Helix AM/PM Eye Gel Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask Kiehl's Ultra Facial Overnight Hydrating Masque Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer Clinique Pep-Start 2-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser

After doing 12 months worth of “Beauty Obsession” posts, I realized that in almost every post, I had come across a product or two that fell a little short. This month I decided to change the title of my monthly beauty posts to “Beauty Reviews” since it felt more apropos. So, here are the beauty products I tested and reviewed for October:  (click “Continue Reading” button below to read the product reviews)

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Beauty Obsessions: August 2017 – Drugstore Edition

Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Removing Wipes It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion St. Ives Nourished & Smooth Oatmeal Scrub & Mask Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture Combination Skin Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm

For this month’s beauty obsessions, I wanted to share all of my favorite drugstore products.   I have gone through a lot of trial & error with drugstore products to extract my go-to gems.  While there are many lower priced products that fall short of expectations or even cause skin irritations in my case, there are quite a few that works wonders!  Here are some of the drugstore beauty products that I can’t live without: (click Continue Reading button below)

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