beauty Archives - Whitney Nic James

#WNJBeauty | OZNaturals Facial Serum Review

October 31, 2016 by Whitney 8 Comments

A few months ago I was approached to try a new facial serum from OZNaturals. Since I’ve become a fan of facial serums and oils this year, I was excited to try their Vitamin C serum. For about a month 1/2 I incorporated the product into my skin care regimen, day and night. Read ahead for my full OZNaturals review!

Purchase, HERE

What’s in the product?

Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Green Tea
Witch Hazel
Jojoba Oil

What’s NOT in the product?

Potentially harmful synthetic chemicals
Petrochemicals
Parabens
Phthalates
Sulfates

Check out this beauty review on the OZ Naturals Vitamin C facial serum. #wnjbeauty

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Pros?

Several natural ingredients
Easy to apply
Small bottle (easy to store/travel with)
No harsh smell

Cons?

Slight sticky after serum drys
Subtle improvements; nothing drastic

What was my experience with the product?

I used the serum after washing (and toning) my face and neck. The serum is a clear lightweight liquid that easily dissolved into my skin. While my face was smooth after applying, I noticed my skin was a little sticky after it dried. I wasn’t a fan of that aspect, but it wasn’t bad enough for me to stop using it. After using the product for about 3 weeks, I did notice a slight difference in my skin as far as it’s brightness. It wasn’t as noticeable or drastic as other serums I’ve tried, but I was pleased with the subtule positive improvemnt.

Would I purchase this product? Why or why not?

I might. I didn’t like the sticky after effect, but again it wasn’t unbearable. While it wouldn’t be my “go to” facial serum, I would use it as a backup. Becuase the bottle is small enough to fit just about anywhere, I might even pack it with me while traveling.

So tell me, have you used the OZNaturals Vitamin C Serum, or any other OZNatural product? Do you use facial serums? Let me know!

Thanks for reading and be sure to leave your comments below. I love reading and responding! Until next time, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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* Special thanks to OZNaturals for collaborating with me on this post. All opinions are my own. *

WNJ Beauty | 4 Carol’s Daughter Products Perfect for Fall and Winter

October 13, 2016 by Whitney 6 Comments

I’ve been a fan of Carol’s Daughter products for a while now. Late last year my good friend and I won a $100 Carol’s Daughter giveaway. So of course, I went crazy! I ordered my favorite items, as well as some other items I’d been wanting to try. After that experience I kept using my favorites and added 2 new products to the mix; the Mimosa Hair Honey and the Acai Foaming Face Wash. I’ve been using those 2 products, along with the others below, for months now and I couldn’t be happier. The products can be used year-round, but I find that I use them more during the fall and winter months. That said, here are 4 Carol’s Daughter Products to try during the fall and winter seasons!

Related: 11 Ways to Pamper Yourself at Home

1. Mimosa Hair Honey | Without weighing your hair down, the Mimosa Hair Honey is the perfect product for any style and any hair type. It keeps your hair looking healthy and shiny and it’s great for everyday use. I use the product to help smooth my edges, as well as to moisturize my scalp. It also smells really good!

2. Acai Clarifying Foaming Face Wash | I’ve never been a fan of foaming face cleansers until I tried this one. The foam is soothing, revitalizing, non-drying and a little bit goes a long way. After using the product my face feels super soft and refreshed. I used to think foam cleansers left your face dry, but that’s not the case with this product.

4 must have @carolsdaughter products for fall and winter. #wnjbeauty

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3. Almond Cookie Body Butter | The smell of the Almond Cookie Body Butter is simply divine! The scent is very warm and sweet and includes Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and other natural ingredients. My mother and sister love this product just as much as I do and we all agree that it’s perfect for all skin types. If you’re looking for a good smelling product that helps nourish your skin naturally, give it a try!

4. Body Jelly | You may remember this product from my Summer Beauty Must Haves post. I literally cannot go a day without using my Body Jelly. Right after I shower, while I’m still damp, I lather up. Afterwards, my skin looks and feels SO good. The product melts into your skin and leaves you with such an amazing glow. This product helps repair dry and itchy skin without leaving you oily and greasy.

So tell me, have you ever used these, or any other, Carol’s Daughter products? If so, which ones? Let me know!

I love Carol’s Daughter products and I especially love that the products work well for men too. My husband uses the Almond Cookie Body Butter and Body Jelly just as much as I do! As always, thanks for reading and be sure to let me know some of your favorite fall and winter beauty products. Until next time, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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#WNJBeauty | 11 Ways to Pamper Yourself at Home + a Giveaway

July 28, 2016 by Whitney 16 Comments

Taking a vacation sounds amazing, doesn’t it?! Feeling the sand between your toes, lounging poolside and luxuriating for hours at the spa sounds simply divine. But the truth is sometimes, for whatever reason, we just can’t slip away from “real life” to enjoy an actual vacation. In that case, pull out your robe and slippers and treat yourself! Here are 11 simple ways to pamper yourself at home.

* See Also: 7 Signs You Need a Vacation

1. Pop a bag of popcorn and enjoy a marathon of your favorite TV show.

2. Create a relaxing playlist and listen to it throughout the day.

3. Read a good book or catch up on your magazine reading.

4. Light some candles and take a warm shower or bath.

5. Wear your PJ’s or sexy lingerie around the house.

6. Have a glass of wine or a warm cup of green tea.

11 simple ways to pamper yourself at home. #wnjinspired #selfcare

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7. Binge watch your favorite movies on Netflix.

8. Give yourself a face/body/hair treatment.

9. Put on a sleep mask and take a long nap.

10. Give yourself a manicure and pedicure.

11. Schedule an in-house massage.

To help get you get you ready for your very own at-home pampering session, I’m giving away a few of my favorite at-home pampering products! I love a good face mask and I use an exfoliating salt scrub at least once a week. Check out the giveaway instructions below!

* This giveaway is open to those who live in the United States.

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So tell me, what do you do to pamper yourself at home? Let me know!

I often share beauty/pampering products on Snapchat so if you’re following, I’m sure you’ve seen one of more of these giveaway items before. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to enter for your chance to win. Until next time, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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Lifestyle | What to Expect this Season

May 2, 2016 by Whitney 7 Comments

It’s been awhile, huh?! Let’s just say the past few months have been extremely b u s y. Despite the business, I’ve been preparing a lot of content to share, as well as putting most of my energy into completing the Fearless Woman I am website. I’ve also used the past few months to spend much needed quality time with my family. As I mentioned in this post, the 1st quarter of the year was all about preparation for me. With the 2nd quarter in full swing, I’m now ready to spring into action and continue sharing and inspiring!

Photography Credit: Greg Hindman

During my brief blogging hiatus, I realized that I really enjoy sharing with you. I’ve created this online space and it feels like we’re family. Moving forward, I want you all to feel like you’re sitting around the kitchen table with me when reading my posts. Whether it’s providing tips on how to create your own personal style, sharing some of my favorite beauty products or books, showing you the latest affordable car on the market, or providing a bit of inspiration/motivation to help you through the day, sharing with you, my audience, brings me so much joy.

Plenty of useful style, beauty and inspirational content over on whitneynicjames.com! #wnjblogs

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Sure, there will be sprinkles of sponsored posts here and there, but my main focus is to connect and engage. If you’re signed up to my mailing list, you already know that starting this month I’ll be trying a Monday, Wednesday and Friday posting schedule. There may be weeks I post on a Wednesday or Thursday and there may be days I don’t keep up with the posting schedule at all. Life happens. But for the most part I plan to do my best to stick to the 3-day schedule. No worries; the content will continue to be useful, visually appealing and uplifting. This new schedule will allow the Fearless Woman I am project to flourish and fulfill it’s purpose, while I continue to serve you, my loyal WNJ Readers.

I’ll continue to update and engage daily over on social media. To make my content easier to find and share, I’ll be using the hashtags shown above. Some may look familiar, since I’ve been using a few already. As far as the newsletters, they’ll be arriving in your inboxes on a bi-weekly basis starting September 1st.

So tell me, what are you look forward to seeing on Whitney Nic James this spring and summer? Let me know!

Thank you for keeping up with and supporting the blog thus far – I’m extremely grateful! If you have any suggestions as to what you’d like to read, let me know. I’m here for you, so feel free to contact me anytime! Until next time, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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#WNJBeauty | Typical Wash Day + Irresistible Me Flat Iron Review

November 26, 2015 by Whitney 2 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving to all my readers celebrating! Hubs and I are in Delaware with his family and all I can think is, let’s eat! LOL. Before you go and enjoy the day with family and good food, I wanted to talk about my latest beauty product that I believe is a must have, especially for ladies with a short cut like mine. It’s the Diamond Flat Iron by Irresistible Me. I actually used this product to do my hair for today’s festivities. Check out my video review below!

As I’ve mentioned several times before on the blog, I’m a huge beauty product junkie. That includes hair products as well! Of course I was more than thrilled when Irresistible Me reached out in hopes that I’d review their product. At the time I’d just cut my hair short and was actually in the market for a new flat iron, so I said what not?!

The @IrresistibleMeO Diamond Flat Iron is a wash-day must have. #wnjbeauty

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I can honestly say I’m very pleased with the Diamond Flat Iron. My favorite feature is being able to set your own temperature. I don’t like using too much heat on my hair, so being able to set the iron temperature to the lowest setting is perfect for me. Here are all the features that impressed me:

– Multiple heat settings

– Does not cause hair to smell burnt

– Flat iron glides smoothly over the hair

– Easy to use & compact/easy to store

– Multiple heat settings

– Heats up quickly

– Easy to handle

So tell me, have you ever tried the Irresistible Me Diamond Flat Iron? What do you use to style you hair? Let me know!

Again, I wish you all a happy and fun-filled Thanksgiving! Until next time, be blessed and stay safe!

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#WNJBeauty | My Best Box Review & Video

October 14, 2015 by Whitney 4 Comments

It’s no secret that I’m on a quest to live a happy, healthy and GREAT life. Simply put, I’m on a journey to becoming my best self. So when I was approached to review products from My Best Box, I did some research on the company and products and was quite intrigued at what they had to offer. I decided to purchase and try the My Best Skin Box and I was pleasantry surprised at how satisfied I was with each item.

I’ve purchased and been sent several boxes over the years, but the My Best Box ($35) was literally a mega-box. There were 12 items included in the box and each item I’m able to use, or have used in the past. The (12) items in the My Best Skin Box included were:

BPA-Free Glass Juice/Smoothie Jar

Hypo-Allergenic Satin Silk Pillow Case

Alba Botanica Hawaiian 3-in-1 Clean Facial Towelettes

Exfoliating Facial Brush w/ Cap.

4 Premium Cotton Facial Towels

Eco Lips Mongo Kiss Vanilla Honey Lip Balm

Zesty Lemon Rooibos Tea

China Pai Mu Tan White Tea

Eos Hand Lotion

Check out the latest #wnjbeauty video review ft. @mybestbox!

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The My Best Box philosophy is, “Happiness is the highest form of health“. I appreciate that and 100% believe that with each box, costing a fraction of the cost of the quality products included in each box, their doing a great job promoting happiness and healthy living. Some of the boxes available are My Best Oils, My Best Kitchen, and My Best Body. I honestly can’t wait to try each box, especially the one filled with delicious and health cooking oils. How unique and convenient is that?!

So tell me, do you think you’d try the box I reviewed or the others mentioned? In what ways are you living your best and healthiest life? Let me know!

Enjoy the video and thanks for watching! Until tomorrow, be blessed and stay safe…XO!

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Lifestyle | Self Care & Inspirational Giveaway

September 16, 2015 by Whitney 31 Comments

Before I jet off to enjoy my blog break, I must share my Self Care Giveaway with you! Yesterday I shared my plans for a well needed break and it seems like many of you think breaks are indeed necessary. In keeping with the self care theme, I figured it was only right that I share a few of my favorite things with you that keep me relaxed, organized and taken care of. Here’s what you can win, take a look!

Sephora Honey Mask (Nourishing & Balancing)
SpaLife Cocoa Butter & Vitamin E Hand Gloves
Baboo Spa Tea Tree Face Wipes
EOS Hand Lotion (Fresh Flowers Scent)
“Keep Calm” Bookmark
Blank Journal
Things to Do & Reminder List Packet (With Pencil)
2016 Hanging Wall Calendar from Easter Seals

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Great giveaway, right?! Be sure to enter, comment below and tell others about it as well. Again, I’ll officially be on “blog-cation” (blog vacation, lol) starting next Monday. So until tomorrow, be blessed and stay safe….XO!

#WNJBeauty | curlBOX Body Review

August 26, 2015 by Whitney 8 Comments

I’ve been a fan of curlBOX founder Myleik Teele for quite sometime. From the #mytaughtyou journal to her always timely and motivating podcast episodes, I’m a true fan/supporter. So it was only natural that I tried the curlBOX Body Box. Because I don’t wear my hair in it’s natural state all the time and I’m always “doing stuff” with my hair, I haven’t purchased purchased a curlBox yet. However when it came to the Body Box, I thought it was definitely something for me to invest it. I’m a huge beauty product junkie and after reviewing the brands I knew this box wouldn’t disappoint. I was right! Plus you can’t beat $25 for full size products. Check out my review below.

According to their site, curlBOX is an affordable, exclusive and effortless way to explore new hair products every month. The items included in the curlBOXBody Box were:

Olay Moisture Outlast Sap Bar (with Shea Butter)
Palmers Coco Butter Formula (with Vitamin E)
- Eventone moisturizing sunscreen balm
- Eventone moisturizing sunscreen for face
- Eventone moisturizing sunscreen lotion
Shea Moisture
- Superfruit Complex Hand & Body Scrub
- Superfruit Complex Bubble Bath & Body Wash Sample (with Mango Butter & Green Coffee Bean Extract)
- Superfruit Complex Bath, Body & Massage Oil (with Mango Butter & Green Coffee Bean Extract)

The @curlbox Body Box is worth it! $25 for FULL SIZE products?! YES, please! #wnjbeauty

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So tell me, have you tried the curlBOX or Body Box? What do you think about my recent goodies? Let me know!

Thanks for reading and watching and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel. More videos coming next month! Until tomorrow, be blessed ad stay safe…XO!

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