wellness – Kristen B. Buchanan

I Received My First Ever Influenster Voxbox!

March 22, 2021March 19, 2021by Kristen BuchananLeave a Comment

O- M- G! The Love In The Air Voxbox from Influenster has arrived. I am so excited and grateful to have been chosen for this amazing opportunity to test products. This post will contain product reviews about the products that were sent to me for free, in exchange for my honest review.

What is Influenster?

Influenster is a product discovery and reviews platform for consumers and influencers. There are hundreds of thousands of brands looking for honest feedback in exchange for free products! Influencers are surveyed and matched to campaigns or a voxbox to test, review, and share with their audience on social media. The Influenster app is free to download and free to join! Click here to sign-up and learn more on how you can join.

Love In The Air Voxbox

The box that I received in the mail came with four products

Coach Dreams Eau de Parfum
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Body Cream
Goop G.Tox Salt Scalp Scrub Shampoo
Mont Blanc Legend Eau de Toilette

All items are available for consumers to purchase online (brand website, Sephora, Ulta). The fragrances that I received were not full-size. The Voxbox also came with details on each product included in the box.

Coach Dreams Eau de Parfum (2020)

I will be shopping for a new perfume after sampling this fragrance from Coach. Coach Dreams evokes the freedom and adventure of a road trip across America. The scent combines radiant bitter orange with the sensual warmth of gardenia, cactus flower, and Joshua tree. The fragrance is light and long-lasting. My only wish is that I could have received a larger size to sample. The Coach Dreams Eau de Parfum retails $28.00- $102.00 online.

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream (2021)

This is body cream is amazing and is my favorite product of the four that I received. This luscious body cream is whipped with a vitamin-rich watermelon seed butter, naturally smoothing hibiscus AHA, and multi-weight hyaluronic acid for deep moisture and ultimate comfort. I applied this body cream after an AM shower and felt hydrated instantly and throughout the day. It didn’t take much effort to rub and absorb into my skin. Watermelon Glow Pink Dream Body Cream will leave your skin baby-soft and with a healthy glow. This product is the newest out of the four and retails online for $28.

Goop G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scrub Shampoo (2018)

I had no idea that this product is from Gwyenth Paltrow’s skincare line. I didn’t even know that she had a skincare line! This salt-enriched whipped-mousse shampoo removes product buildup, dirt, and oil, and leaves hair looking healthy and shiny. The scrub did not cleanse my scalp as much as I would have liked. I do have thick and coily hair, and I believe that I did not use enough of the scrub (6oz) on the first try. I do like that the shampoo has rose hip oil and peppermint to leave the hair feeling purified and cleansed. I will give this product another chance, as I’ve heard great reviews from other influencers! G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scrub retails for $42.00 online.

Mont Blanc Legend Eau de Toilette (2011)

Influenster sent some amazing fragrances! Mont Blanc Legend is a masculine and iconic fragrance for a charismatic and unforgettable man. It has key notes of bergamot and pineapple leaves and is subtle but striking and masculine. I gave this mens’ fragrance to my husband to test and we were both impressed with how light and enduring the scent is. My only takeaway here is that this was another sample just as the Coach Dreams Eau de Parfum. Mont Blanc Legend is the perfect gift for the special man in your life and retails for $75.00- $120.00 on Ulta.

Love is definitely in the air with my Influenster voxbox. I am happy overall with the products in this campaign. I would recommend any of the items in this box for self-care or gifting someone that you love. I’m excited to have partnered with Influenster and look forward to bring you more reviews just like this one.

Leave a comment and let me know which product(s) you’ve used, are currently using, or look forward to using after reading this review.

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health, lifestyle, Uncategorized, wellness

This Meditation Checklist Will Help Any Beginner Become Successful In Practicing Mindfulness

February 19, 2021February 18, 2021by Kristen BuchananLeave a Comment

In 2018, I made a commitment to learning how to meditate effectively due to high stress levels from working a job that brought me much misery and grief. I wanted to find a release, an escape, something that allow me to relax and be at ease. When I started my journey into meditation, I had no direction and no clue about how to meditate, how to determine it to be effective, and what it all meant. I’d just heard it as “a way to practice mindfulness” and I’d given myself a thought that it sounded like an option to explore to relieve stress. Two years later, I am a firm believer in the practice and I meditate every week.

My journey has allowed me to become fond of breath work and having a “guide” to helping me achieve inner peace has made things 100% easier. I’ve shared and documented my process on social media often and since then I’ve gotten lots of questions from others about how should they begin meditation. Honestly, there are a lot of people interested in meditation but feel that they’re not sure that they are doing it right or have absolutely no clue what they’re doing period.

You are NOT alone! You are NOT the master!

Yet.

I, too, can relate to the feeling of being really excited to do or learn something new and not knowing where to start or where to begin. It can lead to an overwhelming feeling and sometimes the passion or desire to complete the action has left the building. This is why I created a Mindful Meditation Checklist to help beginners feel comfortable with learning this new skill. The checklist has the basic tools that you will need to successfully complete one meditation session and will need to be repeated frequently to see results. This checklist is able to hold you accountable when you’re wondering if meditation and mindfulness is effective for you, like it is for me.

Click here to download your free checklist today to begin your first meditation session!

lifestyle, Product Reviews, wellness

Who Else Wants a Free 7- Day Gratitude Journal Workbook?

Featuredby Kristen BuchananLeave a Comment

What do you have to be thankful for right now?

When was the last time that you felt appreciated? Did you make someone else feel the same?

How often do you reflect on festive moments in your life?

I asked those questions to myself this week and was able to realize what aspects I wanted change to achieve a higher level of happiness. How did I figure that out in three questions? I made a list of goals and tasks by keeping a gratitude journal. I created The Gratitude Journal to encourage myself to appreciate and value the things and people that fulfill me vs. being fixated on what’s not fulfilling or of value to my purpose in life.

Three of my personal wellness goals for the year are to explore how to change my mindset, practice mindfulness, and to practice letting go of negative thinking. I started my groundwork in January when I wrote an article for Blk Girl Culture, breaking down the benefits of keeping a Gratitude Journal and some key reasons why people begin journaling:

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health, lifestyle, wellness

No Stress Just Self- Care Everyday

Featuredby Kristen Buchanan3 Comments

Whenever I neglect to practice personal care, it has an effect on my anxiety and general mood. We all know that stress is not the easiest to manage and can often be easier said than done. How many of us have started one thing that we’ve gotten motivated to do for ourselves, but have not stayed committed to the journey? Felt defeated. Discouraged. How often is your mood affected by your health? It’s time to change your self-care habits! You can manage stress, you can become stress-free. I’ve found that with regular practice with these six self-care activities has helped to improve how often I tend to personal care, how much I enjoy practicing self-care during each of these acts, and keeps me motivated to do meet my goals.

It’s almost like I’ve discovered a hidden message all within my mind, body, and soul, and I’m finally finding the courage to crack the codes. Yes, I’ve mentioned before that I am a full-time working wife and mother of one. Of course my life is hectic! Most often, there’s too much on my plate (even though I’m passionate about EVERY thing on my plate). What am I doing? I’m sitting at a table trying to finish all of my food, but truth is, I’ve been overwhelmed and full a long time ago. Whenever I get like this (and I’m sure I’m not the only person that does this), I have to remember to get up and go relax. To lower my risks of burn out, anxiety, and depression, I try to engage in things that I enjoy to rekindle the balance in my life.

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lifestyle, wellness

8 Beginner Yoga Poses to Ease Anxiety and Depression

August 7, 2020December 12, 2020by Kristen Buchanan2 Comments

If you have been following me on social media, then you know that I have been practicing yoga. My practice method is 2-3 times a week, and sometimes I’ll post the transitions I’m practicing on IGTv (Check my Instagram for “Self-Care Sundays”). I’ve been enjoying getting to learn more about how it can help improve my physical and mental health. Regular discipline and practice have increased my ability to find inner peace and salvation. Oh, and did I mention that I’m not an expert at this? Although I am not as trained as some, I’ve still gained a bit of knowledge about the art of yoga. We all don’t have to be Yogis!

Being at home for five/six months has taken a lot of adjustment for all of us, and it steadily affects my mind and body. Yoga has allowed me to escape to find release. I’ve learned eight poses or transitions that have helped me to relieve tension, stress, and anxiety. These eight yoga poses are great for beginners like me and are steps in the direction towards allowing yoga to heal your body.

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beauty, health, wellness

8 Relaxing Aromatherapy Blend Must- Haves

Featuredby Kristen Buchanan9 Comments

Essential oils are one of the ways that we combat stress and anxiety while allowing us to relax and take a load off. Each blend is unique with helping decrease chronic pain, tension, headaches, and even sinus pressure. People find ways to incorporate aromatherapy into their daily life to improve health and general wellbeing. Plenty of men and women have purchased electronic diffusers that can illuminate your home with your favorite scent for hours! Aromatherapy roll-ons are an easy application tool to try using on the body or a pillow before bed. I use them all of the time whenever I make Kreative Bath Bombs! They are one of the best features of a relaxing and rejuvenating bath bomb. One of the questions that I receive a lot is, “how do I know that I am picking the right scent to help me relax and unwind?” and I am so happy that I can finally answer this question for you. Essential oils have different aromas and all derive from a combination of different things such as fruit or plants. Depending on what tickles your fancy, you may not enjoy citrus or a pine fragrance. That’s okay! I’ve come up with 8 essential oil blends that are perfect for achieving relaxation and relief and I want to share them with you today. Let’s make this easier. I have options for anyone looking to find the aromatherapy fragrance for them.

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