First Impressions | Vol. 1

In an effort to move toward using more natural beauty products, I recently purchased some new items to try out this month and I thought it might be fun to give some first impressions of each! I've only been using these products for a few days now and I'll be sure to update in a month or so with whether or not I'll continue using these products. I'm no beauty guru, nor do I have any bit of professional advice for you, I'm just an average girl looking for decently priced beauty products that get the job done well!

Seche Vite Top Coat Nail Polish: You know the super smooth, can't stop touching, extra shiny top coat finish we all want? Seche Vite is your girl. This top coat polish is a game changer in the best way possible, helping to achieve a gel-like finish to your manicure. My nails did chip a bit on day two but I think it was because I couldn't stop touching them to feel their smoothness, I should have just let them be :).

Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Serum: I had never used a face serum until I stumbled into Origins about a month ago where they introduced me to the Dr. Weil's line of skin care and educated me a bit on the benefits of a facial serum. Since adding this product to my skincare regimen I definitely see reduced redness in my skin and overall improvements to the way my skin looks daily! I use primarily drugstore skincare so I don't feel as guilty splurging on one expensive product that I know will be beneficial long term! But let's be real, if I could afford it, my entire skincare regimen would be and Origins lineup!

Botanics Shine Away Clay Mask: This mask left my skin feeling smooth, refreshed and hydrated. The Botanics line is a plant-based skincare line so I feel better about putting it on my skin! It was also fairly inexpensive for a drugstore mask which is always a bonus.

Botanics Night Cream Triple Age Renewal: We all want to preserve the youthful skin on our face and one of the best ways to do so is by using an age renewal night cream. Botanics promises results in five days and I'm only on day two, but so far so good. This particular one smells and feels lovely on the skin. My skin does feel a tad bit oily after putting this on, like maybe it isn't soaking in enough. So I may just try using less of the product tonight and see if that helps. But overall, the oily feeling doesn't really bother me because I'm asleep anyway!

Aquaage Strengthening Shampoo & Conditioner: I am LOVING this new combo shampoo and conditioner right now. My hair feels so light and deep cleaned after washing with this, and it smells like fresh ocean in a bottle which is probably my favorite part about it.

Are you trying out any new products this month or do you have suggestions for products I should try out next month? Feel free to let me know in the comments below!

Married: F o u r Y e a r s

Today is our four year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's already been f o u r  y e a r s! It's wild to think about all of the milestones we've gone through together in just four short years and how each of those events has shaped what our marriage is today.

Our first year of marriage was spent in separate parts of the world while Jeff was deployed in Iraq. Our second year of marriage we took the plunge into fur-parenthood and adopted our favorite little animal Turbo. Our third year of marriage Jeff landed a new full-time job and I began planning my inevitable escape from Starbucks. And finally, our fourth year of marriage we've made some of our biggest life decisions yet! I've gone full-time with my photography business and Jeff has decided to further his career in the Army, with songs of re-enlisting and becoming a pilot being sung through out our home. Yowza! I'm sworn to secrecy on details, but more on that in the coming months ;).

Thinking back to four years ago today, I didn't know what marriage at 22 years old would look like. I didn't think it would be easy, and I didn't think it would be perfect, but I did know that Jeff and I had the power to figure that out together and we were so excited to do so.

By no means have we figured out the formula to a perfect marriage and I know that we never will because perfection isn't achievable. But we have figured out what works for us and I am so happy to be doing life side by side with the man God had for me! I am so excited to see where God takes our marriage and our little story in the next four years because if it's anything like the first four, I know it'll be wild, beautiful, adventurous, full of laughing, big changes, and completely us.

Also, we had this conversation this morning:

Jeff: should we name our future son Maxwell?

Me: sure that's a cute name

Jeff: actually let's go with Maximus. Maximus Greenwald...gotta set him up for success.

I love a man with aspirations to further our nonexistent child's career.