A Season of Change...

Change {for me} is always hard.  

But I will admit, it can also open up the way for new & exciting opportunities.  

Because of that, I try not to fear change so much.

If you've been following me then you'll know that Brian and I have two furry babies who we love so so much.  Unfortunately, our oldest, Phoenix, started to decline after our move to KY and we had to say goodbye a few weeks ago.  It was probably one of the hardest things we have ever had to do.

The only thing that makes me feel better is knowing he is now at peace and not struggling anymore.

Going through this life changing event left Lexi, our little one, a bit lost and sad {us too!}.  She has lived her whole life {except the first 8 weeks} with Phoenix and we knew she would be lonely without him.  In time, we decided we wanted to get another pup to keep her company.

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Well, that day came last week when we brought home Harvey.

 

 He's such a sweet & spunky pup, and reminds us SO much of our Phoenix.  That's the main reason we just had to have him.  

He is getting used to his surroundings and even though it took Lexi and few days to figure out what he was..lol...they are now becoming fast friends.

We will forever miss our "Stinky" {Phoenix}, but we are looking forward to making new memories with Lexi and Harvey.

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Amidst all of this, I have been on the job hunt and just this past Monday I accepted a new position doing something a little different and {I hope} fun.

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If you're going through a hard time or a "season of change" as well, just remember to keep your chin up, think positively and know that there is a rainbow after every storm...even if it's not visible right away.

review // SheaMoisture Olive & Green Tea Body Products

I've been using these products for quite some time now, about the same time I started using the SheaMoisture Facial Moisturizers (about 9 months ago), and I've wanted to share them with you all after the first use.  For one reason or another I kept putting it off, but no more... my review is here!  ;)

PACKAGING

All of SheaMoisture's body products come in recyclable plastic containers.  The body lotion and wash comes in squeeze bottles with flip top lids and the body butter comes in a squeeze tube.  They are very substantial and sturdy.  I've been using them for months (even leaving one in the shower) and I've noticed no leaking or cracking of the plastic.  The labels are also very resilient and do not peel or tear, even with a lot of use.  I think the packaging is great except for one thing.  The squeeze top on the lotion bottle is pointless... unless you have robot hands.  After about the second use, you have to REALLY squeeze the bottle to get any product out.  For one, the bottle alone isn't easy to squeeze and the lotion is a thicker consistency and so it doesn't move fluidly in the bottle to get out.  I hope that makes sense..lol.  To fix the issue, I put a pump on the bottle instead of the flip top lid.  BUT... that only worked a couple of times until the pump couldn't handle the lotion's thickness.  After that, I gave up and now I just use the pump's dip (the piece that goes down into the product) to get lotion out.  Honestly, that's my only qualm, but it's not a deal-beaker.

 PRODUCT

"Blended with certified organic Shea Butter, this collection deeply moisturizes and repairs dry skin, while helping prevent early signs of aging."

+ Olive Oil is high in vitamin E and fatty acids, which helps to hydrate, repair and heal skin.  
+ Avocado Oil is rich in vitamins A, D, and E, lecithin and potassium, helping to regenerate skin cells and deeply moisturize skin. 
+ Antioxidant Green Tea Extract helps protect skin from free radical damage. 

Overall, this collection promises to leave skin soft and youthful looking.   And don't we all want that!?

Olive & Green Tea BODY WASH w/ Avocado - 13 oz. - $8.99

 The body wash is a translucent green and has a loose gel-like consistency.  This wash is super concentrated and lathers very well, so you only need a tiny bit to wash your whole body.  I use a bath loofah and it works great.  It has a very light, and somewhat sweet, citrusy/herbal scent.  I find it really nice and non-offensive.  The BEST part of this body wash is that it doesn't leave my skin squeaky or stripped feeling after I rinse.  It actually moisturizes so effectively that in the summer I don't really need to apply lotion when I get out of the shower.  That's pretty amazing for my dry sensitive skin.

This wash does NOT contain parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance or color, DEA, or sulfates, plus it isn't tested on animals, which is awesome.  They do use cocamidopropyl betaine as their soap component, which is naturally derived from coconut.  It's still synthesized, so it's not the most natural option, but I think it is a better option than the fully-synthesized, skin irritating sulfates.  So in that regard, I'll take it.   

Olive & Green Tea BODY LOTION w/ Avocado - 13 oz. - $8.99

The body lotion is an opaque off-white and has a medium thick consistency (it actually melts and thins when on skin).  Becasue of this, it sinks in quickly and fully absorbs in just a couple minutes.  This is important to me becasue I hate the sticky lotion feel, especially when it's time to get dressed... yuck!  Like the body wash, the lotion has the same light, and somewhat sweet, citrusy/herbal scent.  This lotion is great all over and the scent fades nicely, so it won't overpower my natural perfumes. 

The lotion also does NOT contain parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance or color, DEA, or sulfates, and isn't tested on animals.

Olive & Green Tea BODY BUTTER w/ Avocado - 6 oz. - $9.79

The body butter is VERY similar to the lotion but just a bit thicker.  It's also an opaque off-white color and melts and thins when applied to skin.  Even though it's a bit thicker, I still think it fully absorbs in just a few minutes.  Again, it has the same scent.  I think this butter would work all over, especially in the winter, but I really like to use it on my hands and feet before bed.  I love waking up to moisturized, soft skin.  :) 

Again, the butter does NOT contain parabens, phthalates, paraffin, gluten, propylene glycol, mineral oil, synthetic fragrance or color, DEA, or sulfates, and isn't tested on animals. I did notice that the ingredients on my tube differ slightly from the ingredients on their website... looks like in the past several months they've removed & added a few things, so if you plan to get this be aware of that.  One of the additions is Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, which I've had bad reactions to in the past (on my face).  But they've also added mango butter, which is great for skin.  I am about halfway through my current tube and if I do repurchase, I'll update this post if I notice any major difference.


SheaMoisture has over 10 different collections (scents), but the Olive & Green Tea is definitely my favorite.  I have tried the Raw Shea Lotion, which is nice, and the Super Fruits Lotion, which worked great too, but I didn't care for the scent.  If you're interested, check out all of them on their website.


PRICING

$ out of $$$

 I think the body wash and lotion are a great deal.  You get a lot of product for under $10.  The butter is a bit more expensive... I guess because it's supposed to be more luxurious and moisturizing.  Not sure if I 100% believe that, but if you want to give it a go, it definitely won't break the bank.

PURCHASING

Unfortunately, you can't purchase from the SheaMoisture website yet, but you can find their body products at Target, Ulta, your local drug stores and Drugstore.com.

 CONCLUSION

 Overall, I really love these body products and I can say with certainty that I will definitely keep repurchasing the lotion and body wash (I'm on my second one of each).  They naturally nourish my skin and I can't help but feel like they also keep my skin looking young and firm.



Let me know if you have tried any SheaMoisture products and which are your favorites!!