Product Review: Keurig K Select

I can vividly remember being a kid and boldly professing my disdain for the taste of coffee and telling my mom (who drinks at least one pot of super strong black coffee a day) that I would never drink it.

Fast forward 15 or so years and I have turned into a coffee loving adult who needs at least one cup in the morning to make it through the day. Life's funny sometimes.

Because I live by myself, I had only purchased a french press which makes a great cup of coffee, but is a pain to clean. Most mornings I would run out of time and resort to buying coffee on the way to work which adds up.

I've been considering alternatives to save time and money so when I was asked to partner with Keurig to try out their K-Select coffee maker, I jumped at the chance.

I've used Keurig's at friends' houses and even at work when there's an extra k-cup lying around, but didn't know how it would fit into my routine. I'm sure nobody who owns one is surprised when I say, it fit like a glove.

My morning routine is so much simpler now and with a set of reusable K-cups, I've cut out the part of Keurig I was most nervous about - the extra waste. The reusable cups are durable, easy to clean, and make a great cup of coffee. (I find some normal K-cups to be weaker than I prefer). 

My go-to coffee has been Equal Exchanges "Mama Tierra" which supports Catholic Relief Services' partnership with communities in Central America that farm coffee by "helping farmers create democratically run cooperatives, grow more resilient coffee and protect local streams from coffee waste."

Quick coffee. Great cause. Delicious pick-me-up. 

I think it's safe to say that my mornings have been better and brighter ;)

My mug is a few years old from Marshalls, but here are a few other cuties I'm eyeing:

*Thank you so much to Influencer and Keurig for sponsoring this post. 

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Product Review: MAKE Beauty Lipstick and Eyeshadow

One of my favorite parts of the blogging community is learning about new products and companies and being encouraged to give them a try. I'm still pretty uneducated about the fancier sides of makeup - contouring, highlighting, and all of that jazz - but two products I am familiar with (and also pretty picky with) are lipstick and eyeshadow.

So, when MAKE Beauty graciously presented an opportunity to be apart of the #MakeYourself beauty campaign, I was happy to try out two of their products.

First up is the Silk Cream Lipstick in Taffy

Pro: Color and Texture

I think it was about a year ago that I began to wear lipstick somewhat regularly and in that year I have become a bit of an addict. My younger, supper stylish sister is partially to blame. I do have some bolder statement colors that I use on special occasions or when I'm feeling particularly sassy, but I tend to stay on a more neutral side of colors. The taffy is a nice, neutral pink. What I love about this particular shade is that you can definitely tell that you are wearing a pink lip, but it's not overbearing and looks very professional.

The color goes on smooth and has a nice, matte finish and feeling which I prefer to gloss lipsticks. 

Con: Doesn't Last Long

While I found that the color went on smoothly, I noticed that after a short time of wearing it my lips were not solidly covered and needed a reapplication. Maybe I needed to use another product on top to ensure longer lasting coverage?

Matte Finish Eyeshadow - Alabaster

Pro: Smooth, Lasting Coverage

While the lipstick wasn't a huge success for me, I love the MAKE Matte Finish Eyeshadow. The color was so smooth and easy to apply. I also found that where many of my shadow fade or rub away by the end of the day, this eyeshadow stayed on, felt good and looked great. 

Con: Alabaster is a very light color

This particular color is much lighter than what usually use. Because of that I did have to mix in some of my normal shadows for different shading, but the product worked well with others :)

Overall, I was very impressed by MAKE Beauty products. The two I tried are well-made and felt terrific on my eyes and lips. I would recommend the eye shadow over the lipstick simply because I think the price of the lipstick is far too high for something that needs constant reapplication.

Another draw to MAKE Beauty for me is that they never test their products on animals. I've mentioned a desire to be a more intentional consumer on the blog before and that definitely applies to beauty products and how they are made.

Have any of you ever tried MAKE Beauty? Any tips for ensuring that lipstick lasts longer?

Peace,
Sarah

**A big thanks to MAKE Beauty for sponsoring this post. While products were supplied in exchange for a review, all opinions are entirely my own.

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Product Review: Royal Rose Hydrating Serum

When I was presented with the opportunity to review the Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I've used moisturizers and eye creams, but have never tried a hydrating serum and honestly was not even sure what that meant.

Basically, this is a product that is meant to increase moisture in your skin while calming it at the same time. It is made to moisturize, nourish dry skin, smooth skin and also boost radiance.

I've only been using the hydrating serum for about a week now and I honestly notice a significant difference in the softness of my face - and my skin is soft to begin with! I want to say there is an increase in smoothness as well, but think I need to continue use before stating that with confidence.

I do think I would like it more if they had a non-scented version. The rose smells lovely, but I prefer typically face products without scents.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a great, all natural product to help restore and cleanse your skin.

Have any of you used any of Valentia's other products? I'm considering getting True Glow Eye Cream their after having such a great experience with the hydrating serum.

How do you take care of your skin?

Peace,
Sarah

**A big thanks to Valentia for sponsoring this post. While products were supplied in exchange for a review, all opinions are entirely my own.

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