Category: Product Reviews

We tried this product so you don’t have to!

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Smartbox Review

Send better gifts with SmartBox

Have you grown sick and tired of resulting to the typical flower or edible arrangement gift to send someone far away for a birthday or promotion? If you’re looking for something unique and fun to send that breaks the barriers without breaking the bank, look no further than SmartBox. 

SmartBox is a build-your-own snack box company that sources some of the most elite products using the best ingredients on the market, so you can be sure the gift your sending is of the highest quality and healthy ingredients. A true win-win for everyone! 

SmartBox also has a lot of values in their company that Brianna and I look for when supporting businesses. They utilize products that use only natural ingredients which means no artificial coloring or preservatives, and no refined sugars. These snack products are better for you and better for your body than chocolate covered fruits, trust us! Plus, as a company they are sustainably focused, supporting products that meet Fair Trade standards and are made from non-GMO ingredients. 

They have the cutest themed boxes that can work with just about every dietary restriction, including this gluten-free box which Meighan received. From coffee and tea boxes, to protein boxes, to keto boxes and more – you can find a gift for anyone, or you can subscribe for monthly boxes for yourself and get a gift that will make it feel like it’s your birthday every time it gets delivered!

Now, let’s talk budget. A lot of times gifting flowers and things tend to be upwards of $70 which is a steep cost. The great thing about SmartBox is that you build your own creation and the cost is very affordable. Each piece is under $2 if you are adding in your favorites to make it a personalized box, and if you are ordering a pre-made box, they run from $25 – $55 a box depending on the theme. If you are subscribing you get a 10% discount which is great. Plus, our followers get a special offer of 10% off their first purchase if you use the code “SIS10” at checkout!

For more product reviews and information on budget-friendly gifting options, follow us on Instagram or check out our blog. Let us know your thoughts on SmartBox or other companies you’d like to see us review as well. 

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✨ MUST-HAVE MONDAY: REUSABLE STRAWS✨

Today’s Must-Have Monday is an environmentally friendly one! Today we’re talking about reusable straws! Both of us use reusable straws and we LOVE them. They help to reduce staining on your teeth from coffee and soda (and even ? !) and don’t need to be thrown away after every use. Brianna especially loves her reusable straws because they help keep her teeth implants in great condition ☺️

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The brand in the picture is by Kitchen Up; you can get six silicone straws, two stainless steel straws, and two cleaning brushes all for $12 on @amazon! Head to our link to buy a set ?

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Who else loves reusable straws??

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✨ BUDGET BABES BARGAIN BRAND – SCOOP CLOTHING FROM WALMART✨

OK, full disclosure, I saw some other Insta-Influencers reviewing and raving about the Scoop clothing brand from Walmart. I see reviews about Walmart clothes pretty regularly on here, and a lot of times when I try those brands/products for myself I am totally underwhelmed or disappointed (that’s why you don’t usually see us review that stuff!). BUT, I decided to check out some of the products from Scoop and I was totally surprised!

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I got the Scoop Women’s Balloon Sleeve Crewneck Sweater that legit feels like wearing a blanket, and is only $19.99! I also got a staple, black knit turtle-neck for under $16 (upon further inspection, this is actually from a different brand, not Scoop, but steal great!), and the Scoop Women’s Boyfriend Blazer with Scrunch Sleeves for only $24! Check out our link-tree to buy these for yourself!

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Let’s Talk About Collagen

You’ve probably seen a lot of advertising for collagen supplements recently. So what is collagen? And more importantly, does it have any health benefits you may be missing out on? Good news, we did the research and tried a bunch of products to make the answer as simple for you as possible. Read on for more of what we found!

FAST FACTS ABOUT COLLAGEN:

  • WHAT IS COLLAGEN? It’s a protein which helps hold many of the body’s tissues, like skin, tendons, and bones, together. When your body has more collagen, you can better support and protect your joints.
  • SO YOUR BODY NATURALLY PRODUCES COLLAGEN? Yes! But as you age, the amount of collagen your body produces naturally starts to decline (there are also some things like UV rays that expedite this process- stay out of the sun!). The effects of collagen deficiency can be seen by way of wrinkles or saggy skin.
  • SO DO COLLAGEN SUPPLEMENTS HELP? Maybe… the reality is there is little science to confirm if and how collagen supplements help the body. BUT, the science that does exist looks promising! The evidence shows that collagen, either from animal proteins in food or in the form of supplements, are processed and absorbed by the body in the same way and do assist in rebuilding tissues. And although the FDA does not regulate collagen (the FDA doesn’t regulate ANY dietary supplements, but that’s a conversation for a different day…), there’s plenty of more subjective evidence showing that those who increase their collagen intake, by food or supplements, have positive health effects such as more increased skin elasticity.
  • WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS? Luckily, there really hasn’t been any severe negative side effects recorded! However, it is worth noting that taking a collagen supplement will need to be a lifelong commitment. There have been studies that show that once you increase your body’s collagen intake/production, your body begins to produce less naturally, so the effects of collagen deficiency will accelerate.

SO WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS?

Both of us have been adding collagen to our coffees regularly each morning for the past several months, and we’ve both noticed a difference! It has helped both of us with our skin/acne and our nails look and feel much stronger!

But after trying several different collagen supplements, we can confirm that not all collagens are created equal! Our favorites include Vital Protein Collagen Peptides, Orgain Collagen Peptides, and Sports Research Collagen Peptides because they’re flavorless and dissolve/mix easily.

Hopefully you’ve found this information to be helpful. If you take a collagen supplement, let us know what your thoughts are in the comments!

  • Written by Brianna
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✨ MUST-HAVE MONDAY: POND’S DRY SKIN CREAM✨

Today’s Must-Have Monday is for anyone who is suffering from winter dry skin! Brianna has long had issues with dry skin, and washing her hands so frequently because of the pandemic has exacerbated the issue of dry and bleeding knuckles. She has tried many creams, but her personal favorite is the Pond’s Dry Skin Cream- especially the Facial Moisturizer!

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Brianna loves Pond’s for two main reasons:

  1. It is EXTREMELY budget friendly and easily found in drug stores.
  2. Brianna uses the Facial Moisturizer, which is hypoallergenic and lighter than a regular hand cream. It causes no irritation or burning on her sensitive skin PLUS it leaves her skin moisturized but not greasy or loaded with residue cream. 

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What hand creams have you guys been using?

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Product Review – Revlon Hair Dryer Brush

Ok, many of you guys have probably seen a ton of other influencers review this product, but we’re giving you our unsponsored, unpaid thoughts on the Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizing Hot Air Brush! In short, we LOVE it!!!!

We have both had amazing results with this brush/hair dryer combo (see picture for an example). It’s super easy to use, GREAT for traveling since you don’t need to bring multiple styling tools, AND it’s healthier for your hair than a flat iron since it’s not compressing your hair between two hot plates. On top of all that, it gives you great volume! It’s perfect to use quickly to refresh a blowout that’s a few days old or that’s gotten a little flat.

Need more convincing? Here’s a testimonial from our friend Kayla:

“I have one of those and they are great!!!! It works on black people hair too! I straightened my moms mini Afro with it!!”

Where can you get one? The Revlon Hair Dryer Brush is currently on sale on Amazon for $41.99! And to make shopping easier, we have it listed in our Amazon storefront under Budget Beauty Finds at the link in our Instagram bio!

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Product Review: European Wax Center Body Wash

Brianna has been using the EWC Clarify + Renew body wash for over a month now and absolutely LOVES it! It smells amazing, it lightly exfoliates to help prevent pesky ingrown hairs, and it contains hair growth minimizer, which has not irritated her skin at all! Brianna has noticed a clear difference and would definitely recommend giving this body wash a try!

You can buy it at online at the European Wax Center website, or at one of the EWC locations! It’s $18 a bottle online, but Bri got her’s on-sale for $14 in-store. Has anyone else used the EWC products? What did you think??

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Word on the (Color) Street

We know, we’re probably the LAST people on earth to try Color Street. But, we just LOVE the experience of going to get a manicure. However, sometimes our schedules don’t allow for time at the salon, and neither do our bank accounts.

Enter Color Street – nail stickers made of real nail polish so they are supposed to be less damaging to your nails and last longer than polish. Well, we can tell you the hype may in fact be real! We have tried nail stickers before but none that have been as user friendly as these. Plus, one set is only $11!

While all stickers come with a bit of a learning curve to make sure your nails look flawless, they are pretty easy and there is no drying time. Just be sure you stretch it over the nail while pushing down to avoid wrinkles and air bubbles!

We chose a few fall colors so that our nails will look festive and we can save money on a manicure until 2021 at the earliest! Have you tried Color Street before? Let us know about your experience, or any other low cost manicure ideas!

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Meal Prep Monday

The beginning of the week calls for new beginnings, and sometimes that means recommitting to eating right. One of the best ways to do that is to meal prep for the week. However, meal prepping is so time consuming and…ain’t nobody got time for that.

That’s where Nala’s Kitchen in Wallingford, CT comes in. We love this little biz because its owned and operated by two bad ass women, who have been friends for over 20 years! Chef Becca curates a weekly menu of healthy, allergen friendly meals for you to choose from, and they get delivered to your door fresh, never frozen. Plus, if your in their service area in CT, they only have a $5 flat rate for delivery – way less than grub hub.

Meighan tried their chicken dish with rice and mixed veggies, as well as their Hungarian mushroom soup this weekend and it was delightful and delicious. The rub that is used is a collaboration with My Big Fat Greek Rub, and has no salt and no sugar, perfect if you are dieting and eating clean! Most of the meals are naturally gluten and dairy free, substituting coconut milk for many dairy products. Plus, you get all nutrition facts and calorie counts for your meals!

If you’re like us, working remotely has taken a toll on your meal schedule and you may be missing a lunch or two due to back-to-back calls. Instead of turning to Grubhub or Uber Eats, you can pop one of these full meals in the microwave for a minute or two and have a complete, healthy meal!

If you head to their website and decide to try them out, be sure to tell them we sent you 🙂

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Nail Hack to Save You Money

Who doesn’t love a manicure?! Especially after nail salons were closed for so long up in CT, our nails desperately needed a little TLC.

While we used to be proponents of all different types of nail treatment, we have been staying the course of regular polish for all of 2020. Don’t get us wrong – we have tried all the soak off gel, UV gel, Dip powder and acrylics out there. But our nails became so damaged and brittle from each one, we decided to take the year off.

Right before new years, we bought the Essie Gel Couture 2 step set. It has been life changing, and no, we’re not being dramatic. Together, these polishes will keep your nails colored for 10+days. Its really incredible. And it is so easy to get off – just use acetone like you would on regular nail polish.

But what if you don’t want to do your nails at home (or every time you do, they look like a kindergartner had a field day)? That’s where this hack comes in!

Head to your local salon and get a regular manicure. They should run you around $10-13 bucks, already a $22 difference from most soak off gel services. Make sure your nails are really dry before leaving the salon, or you will smudge them and that’s a no-no. Then, either right when you get in your car or as soon as you get home, swipe the top coat polish from the Essie set over your polish. Don’t worry, if your nails are really dry it wont take anything off!

Meighan’s nails 6+ days after her manicure

This will keep your color in tact on your nail and prevent any chipping, even if you are rough on them or type all day. Trust us, Meighan has been using this trick for over 6 months now and can usually get 7-10 days, sometimes more, of chip-proof nails. Honestly, with this hack (and the $264/year savings), we may never go back to gel!