Completely Empty Beauty Products

I love trying new beauty products; there are only a few items that I am in a serious long-term relationship with at this time. One of them being my skin-care routine! When you find something that works, stick to it! Am I right? Today I am going to review three items that I completely emptied this month. I can't wait to see what you think!

1) Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Gel Cream
I have extremely oily skin (it's a blessing and a curse). This moisturizer came into my life a little over four years ago. After applying this gel cream, my face instantly feels ready to take on the day! It makes your face feel moisturized, refreshed and rejuvenated. The only downside to this product is that it does not contain any SPF. Currently, my foundation and BB cream both have SPF, I feel confident that my face is protected from the sun's harmful rays. Think of SPF as your BFF!

2) Kate Spade's Live Colorfully Perfume Spray
If you are in the market for fun and fresh new scent, take this one for a spin. I am not sure if I will purchase this fragrance again. I did enjoy it, but I got tired of it after a while. Since college, I have been on a quest to find my new signature scent. This one for me seemed almost too youthful. I do love the packaging of this product. Each morning when I applied a few sprays, it brought a smile to my face! I love bright colors and let's be real--bows make everything better!

3) Living Proof's Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo
I am not one to usually stray from my hair products. I am a fangirl of both Redken and Pureology. I have seen so many beauty bloggers gushing about Living Proof dry shampoo! I put an Ulta Coupon to good use and took a bottle home. This dry shampoo makes your hair feel clean without weighing it down. I am very impressed with this stuff. If you haven't found the right dry shampoo for you, try this one. The only thing I don't like is the price tag. I would wait until you have a coupon (but that's just me). I believe that this dry shampoo would work well for all hair colors.

I need your help! I want to know what your signature scent is. I am in the market for a new perfume. I want to find something that I loved as much as Juicy Couture (back in my high school and college days). I tend to go for flirty and feminine, but I am open minded.

Embrace Your Inner Pineapple

Let's have an honest and frank conversation. I am about to open up about something deep. Buckle up, buttercup! The world is a scary place, and there are some awful people out there. Each time I turn on the news I am almost brought to tears! With each day that passes, it seems like there is some senseless act of violence taking place fueled by hate and intolerance.

I just finished up "Called To Be A Keeper" a Bible study about being a woman of God. We can hear a particular passage numerous times and not think twice about it. As our seasons of life change, we can see and hear things differently. Below is a verse that really stuck with me and I try to live by each day.

Honestly,  I cannot imagine if I didn't have the love of Jesus in my heart. It would be very easy to feel all alone in this big and frightening world. I know no matter what God has my back! It's my prayer that you know the peace of mind that only God can provide.

Here's the deal, I am a Christian. It's my understanding that God called me to love everyone regardless of race, gender, and our other differences. I think back to the song that we sang as children, "Jesus Loves The Little Children."

Jesus loves the little children

All the children of the world

Red and yellow, black and white

They're precious in his sight

Jesus loves the little children of the world

Okay, I am off of my soapbox! Now, let's talk about good ol' southern hospitality. The world could use an extra dose of the good stuff right about now! Am I right? I am talking about compassion and kindness! The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality. What's ironic, I am allergic to pineapples and oranges (yes, I will never know the love of bottomless mimosas). Over the next week, I encourage you to show the world that there are still nice people out there. If we come together, we can make our communities a better place!

10 Simple Ways To Show Kindness

1. Greet a stranger with good morning and hold the door open for them
2. Purchase the coffee for the person behind you in line
3. Give you mail person a cold bottle of water
4. Send a note of thanks to an old friend
5. Say please and thank you (and mean it)
6. Pass along a great book you just finished
7. Surprise a friend by transferring your unused frequent flier miles
8. Bring a box of doughnuts to your early weekend activities
9. Give a friend a hug when they need it
10. Smile

What are some ways that you show random acts of kindness to others? I would love to hear your ideas!

Fiji Travel Tips

This past May, my husband and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Time is just flying by; I can hardly believe it! Each year to celebrate, we try and take a trip together somewhere tropical. Can you tell both of our love languages is quality time? When December rolls around, we start planning our beach getaway. Honestly, I never would have dreamed that we could afford to visit Fiji. After doing research and looking into other options, it was a great fit for us this year.

We live in somewhat of the middle of the country. We almost always fly out of Dallas instead of Oklahoma City. By doing this, we save a few hundred dollars and get a mini road trip out of the deal. From Dallas, we flew to Los Angeles and had a seven-hour layover. We decided to stay at the airport instead of renting a car and exploring. If you plan on staying at the airport, I would highly recommend purchasing a day pass to an airport lounge. During our layover we ate dinner, shopped, charged our phones, and visited a wine bar. From LAX to Fiji is an approximately 11.5-hour flight. Before our trip, I broke into a nervous sweat just thinking about sitting still that long. I had never been on an airplane longer than six hours before. Looking back, I can say the flight was not that bad. I took some ZzzQuil thirty minutes into the flight, put on my neck pillow, and took a nice long nap.

If you are thinking about visiting Fiji anytime soon, I have a few tips for you to keep in mind. We traveled to Denarau Island and stayed at The Westin Resort & Spa.

Fiji Travel Tips

Purchase a power adapter
Before you leave, visit Amazon and order this universal 2 in 1 plug adapter. We didn't even think to order one before our trip. Thankfully we were able to find one at our resort. You can save a little cash by ordering it ahead of time.

Review the dress code
If you are planning on visiting different dining establishments on the resort, make sure to check the dress code. While you are at it, make reservations if you have a special occasion dinner in mind. You will be able to pack according and dine with confidence.

Ask for early check in / late check out
Depending on your arrival and departure time, you might consider talking to the hotel when you are booking your rooms. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. Fiji time and asked for an early check-in, but we were not able to get into our room until 2:30 p.m. You will find that different hotels and resorts have different policies for arrivals and departures. This is why it is so important to have items in your carry-on bag to keep you entertained.

If you have to wait for your room, ask for a shower or breakfast
If you arrive early and are not able to check into your room, don't be afraid to ask for breakfast or a shower. The Westin was able to let my husband and I both shower at the gym facilities. After traveling for 30+ hours, all I wanted was a hot shower. It was an instant mood booster! I had a fresh change of clothes, sunscreen, and swimsuit in my bag. We were ready to lay out by the pool as we waited for our room. The hotel staff also provided us with free breakfast, even though we had breakfast on the plane. Even if you are not hungry, you could always use a cup of coffee or champagne, am I right?

Get the goods
The Westin and Sheraton have gift shops with snacks, water, sunscreen, and trinkets. During our stay at The Westin, we received two Fiji water bottles daily in our room at no additional charge. You can take them to the beach or dinner with you. I would recommend taking the Bula Bus into the port and stocking up on snacks and water. You will score some savings by doing that, and it gives you a chance to explore some additional shops and restaurants.

Creep on TripAdvisor 
If you are interested in doing an excursion during your trip to Fiji, you should take a look at TripAdvisor. I seek out the TripAdvisor "Certificate of Excellence" recipients. Most generally, the reviews are sorted with the most recent appearing first. You can get an understanding of what to expect for your excursion, what you need to bring (if anything), the price, and view photos from other users.

Currency
If you are a planner, arrange to visit your bank a few weeks in advance to order currency for your destination. Your bank can typically order currency for you cheaper than what you would pay at an exchange counter in the airport. If you find yourself in a pinch for time, you can visit a currency exchange station in your departing or arrival airport. You will need enough cash for a taxi, tips, and trinkets. If you stay at The Westin or Sheraton, almost everything can be credited to your room. You can take care of all of the additional charges when you check out which saves on international exchange fees.

I hope that you find these tips helpful for planning your next trip, even if it's not to Fiji. Keep your eyes peeled for another post about things to do in Denarau Island North!Location

What's your best travel tip? Share yours in the comments!

*Please note that I received #ZzzQuil for testing purposes via Influenster.