Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Review. Show all posts

The Perfect Wrap Dress

Monday, September 17, 2018

Dress: c/o eShakti (similar)| Shoes: Wallmart | Headband: H&M 

Being a teacher I find that my style has expanded a bit these last few weeks, if anything it has definitely become more diverse in the styles that I wear on a daily basis. Before teaching I did love to put together fun and creative outfits for daily events, but not that I am in a field where comfort and professionalism are at the forefront in what I choose to wear, I find that I often reach for simple staple pieces to get me through the week. 
eShakti has always been one of my FAVORITE brands and through the years I have had the immense pleasure of working with them on a number of occasions. I always look forward to seeing the new styles they come out with or tweaking a style to fit my needs (because all of their dresses and various pieces are customizable) and this dress above is no exception. Over the years I have discovered that I quiet like wrap dresses! I sadly don't own very many, but the few that I do own are some of my favorite pieces because they are easy to wear, very comfortable, and quite versatile. 
When I stumbled upon this striped dress while browsing the selection on eShakti I was drawn to the classic wrap silhouette and the fun colorful stripes. I decided that it was the perfect dress to add to my collection and it has quickly become a new favorite! I can't tell you how comfortable wearing a wrap dress is, and with my somewhat high energy job it is the perfect dress for teaching:) 
I especially love the pop of color in the stripes, and like that they are actually a bit more muted colors which makes them the perfect colorful addition to my fall wardrobe. 
I decided to go "comfy" with this ensemble and paired it with my new favorite shoes, these slip on black loafers. I am all about the YELLOW right now and this gorgeous yellow headband that I picked up at h&m has been the perfect accessory to many of my latest looks, including this one (not to mention it reminds me of Noelle Downing and Steffy every time I wear it). 

Are you a fan of wrap dresses?

-Madison

Pearly Whites With Smile Brilliant (+Giveaway)

Saturday, February 4, 2017

I am so EXCITED to be sharing my review of Smile Brilliant with you all today. This review is perfectly timed considering I had been seeing a number of bloggers and people on Instagram talking about Smile Brilliant and always wondered for myself what it was all about, if it worked, and how it affected your teeth. 
Here's the thing....as an AVID coffee and tea drinker I have dealt with teeth staining and yellowing for years! I have tried multiple different remedies such as crest whitening strips, toothpaste, mouth wash, hydrogen peroxide, etc. and nothing seemed to give me decent results. The hard thing about it is that I LOVE coffee and tea to MUCH to give them up, so truth be told I would sometimes feel slightly self concious about my teeth when I smiled (and I love to smile) because I knew they were not as bright as I wanted them to be. Therefore, I wanted something to bring my teeth back to their natural white color. With that being said, I was fortunate enough as to be contacted by Smile Brilliant  to do a collaboration and try out their product. With that being said, I am so excited to be sharing a review today of my experience with Smile Brilliant and giving you the opportunity to try it for yourself
 (so keep on reading till the end for an exclusive giveaway). 

A few quick facts about Smile Brilliant before we get started: 
  • First off, all of their products are produced in the USA (super great right!).  
  • Their teeth whitening process actually opens up the pores in your teeth to remove years of stains and then allows them to naturally reminaralize & rehydrate so it is TOTALLY 100% safe and healthy for your teeth (you can checkout this video). 
  • The custom fitted whitening trays make sure that the whitening gel stays within every angle of your teeth and that they are receiving equal coverage and whitening.
  • DOUBLE BONUS is that Smile Brilliant is basically a private dental lab without the dentist and allows you to whiten your teeth professionally on your own time and you can save up to 70% off the normal price to whiten your teeth. 


The Kit
First off, before you can even start your teeth whitening process, Smile Brilliant sends you the kit with everything you will need, including trays and putty to take impressions of your teeth. One of the biggest things I love about Smile Brilliant is that they make custom teeth whitening trays that fit your mouth and teeth perfectly in order to get an even whitening change, and because they are fitted specifically to your teeth they are comfortable to wear and you can even talk in them if need be:)
Impressions
Once you receive your kit you must make an impression of your top and bottom teeth. This is one of the most important (and kind of fun) steps as it will affect the equal coverage of the whitening gel. The instructions explain all of the important steps, but overall each impression takes 5-10 minutes to take and let sit. 
After you have taken your impressions you then fill out the return slip that was included in the kit and place your trays along with the slip in the return package that Smile Brilliant included. Next up is to drop off the package at the post office and wait for your custom trays to arrive!

I started my Smile Brilliant process towards the middle of December and would use the treatment 2-3 times a week. Typically the average person only needs 7-14 treatments to get accurate results, so by the time I was ready to share my review I had completed 14 treatments and went through 3 syringes of the whitening gel. 

After just 3 applications I began to notice a difference in the color of my teeth, and every time I would complete a treatment I noticed them gradually loosing their yellow color and stains (cue inward happy dance). I was quite impressed by the results I saw after only a week of using Smile Brilliant, as well as how it made my teeth feel. 

In the past whenever I would use a whitening toothpaste or mouth wash I would experience some sensitivity, and therefore have always assumed that I had sensitive teeth. Therefore, I was a bit apprehensive as to how my teeth would react to the Smile Brilliant system. However, the great thing about Smile Brilliant is that they actually take teeth sensitivity into account and include a Desensitizing Gel as part of the treatment. Therefore, throughout the course of using Smile Brilliant I never experienced any sensitivity in my teeth which completely shocked me! 

When I would do the treatments I liked to do them 1-2 hours before I went to bed. This worked out well because I wouldn't be tempted to eat anything (which you are supposed to avoid for at least 1-2 hours). Also, when it came to the length of each Whitening Treatment I started off with a shorter time and would use the whitening trays for 45 minutes followed by 15 minutes of desensitizing gel. However, after two weeks I bumped up the  time to 1-1.5 hours followed by the desensitizing gel. The great thing about the Desensitizing Gel, is that it rehydrates the pours in your teeth and builds up the minerals. 

The only thing I did run into while using Smile Brilliant, was that at one point I experience a bit of sensitivity in my gums (not my teeth), but I realized that was because I had used the Whitening Gel every other day that week and because of that I switched to making sure I always had a minimum of two days in between applications. After that I didn't experience the problem again. 

Overall I was HIGHLY impressed with my Smile Brilliant experience and loved working with their helpful team. I can now personally say that Smile Brilliant really does work and is great for people (like me) who have experienced sensitivity to teeth whitening products in the past. While Smile Brilliant might be a bit of an investment their products will last you until you get the achieved results and are definitely your best choice for getting a professional teeth whitening experience from the comfort of your own home, have custom fitted whitening trays made just for you, and at the same time keep your teeth as healthy as possible. 

Now it's your turn! Follow THIS LINK to enter an exclusive Giveaway with Smile Brilliant for a change to win a $139 credit towards your very own custom whitening treatment. The giveaway is open for two weeks for all USA, UK, Canada, and Australia residents

However, in the meantime you can use my code: minniemuseblog5 to receive a 5% discount on your purchase. 

Have you heard of Smile Brilliant before?
Have you tried other whitening products that didn't work?
Would you consider using Smile Brilliant?

-Madison



Whitening Teeth At Home

Coffee + Jesus With Texas Sweet Tees

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Skirt: Thrifted
Shoes: 
Socks: Forever 21
Flannel: Old Navy
Watch: Sam Moon
Nail Polish: Revlon "Vixen"

One more final and my semester will be successfully over! I honestly can't believe this semester is coming to a close, but boy am I ready for Christmas! 
When it comes to this past semester there is one thing I have learned.....one can only conquer college life with coffee and a whole LOT of Jesus to start the day and keep you going! That is definitely one reason why I LOVE this shirt from Texas Sweet Tees that perfectly describes my daily routine. 
When the lovely creatives over at Texas Sweet Tees contacted me and asked if I would like to feature one of their shirts on my blog I knew that I had to pick the one centered around coffee and Jesus (even though all of their shirts are to die for)! Plus....I think we can all agree that shimmery gold letters are one of the greatest things ever and if I were to go even further I would say that the gold even matches all of my gold monogramed mugs (which is a LOT). In all seriousness though, I have been on the lookout for a new graphic tee and this one fit the bill perfectly! 
I typically love to wear a cute graphic tee (a coffee quote is a bonus) with jeans and an oversized cardigan on lazy days, and one requirement for that tee is that it be super soft and comfortable. Therefore, if the uplifting message and gold lettering wasn't enough this shirt is definitely the softest tee I have had in awhile and is constantly on repeat when I don't have anything to do except stay in my room with a book and large mug of coffee. 
If you are on the lookout for a soft, comfy, and cute graphic tee I would highly suggest checking out Texas Sweet Tees, and if you are a Texas girl like me I know that their southern charm will be a bonus!

Do you like wearing graphic tees?
What do you have to say about Jesus and coffee to start your day?

-Madison

The Perfect Sunglasses With Eye Folds

Tuesday, November 15, 2016


Sunglasses are one of those accessories that not only have protective benefits, but can also add so much to an outfit. Have you ever worried about breaking your sunglasses in transport? I know that when it comes to carrying around my sunglasses, I often worry that they will break in my purse. Sunglasses can be so fragile and often times we will invest in a pair of shades for their fit, style, and brand and hope that that will be durable and last us awhile. 
That is why I was so excited to partner with Eyefolds Eyewear, a company inspired by the idea that eyewear should be easy to carry around, thus creating their iconic folding eyewear! I must say that their folding frames are quite brilliantly engineered to be expertly folded into a compact shape while still keeping with fashionable styles. I was able to pick out three styles, and while I was surpriesed at the variety of options, I chose three styles that reflect a more vintage look. The great thing about their glasses is that all Eyefold frames come in a variety of style options such as AviatoryWayfarerClubmaster, and even Readers (which I can't get over because they are the most stylish thing ever). 

Countryclub-Tortoise Gloss Gold


Countryclub-Tortoise Gloss Silver


Countryclub-TortSilverMatte Flash


If you have ever worried about breaking your sunglasses (or glasses) or maybe you are one of those people with the gift of breaking things :), then I highly suggest you consider trying out Eyefolds! If you are blow away by these revolutionary sunglasses (just like I was) you can hop on over to their site and take a browse for yourself! 
If you see something that like you can use the code:
MUSE16 for $20 off your purchase till November 30th! 

Have you ever seen folding sunglasses?
What do you think about Eyefolds?
Do you like the 3 styles in this post?

-Madison

Refined Elegance with eShakti

Monday, November 7, 2016

Dress: c/o eShakti
Shoes: Thrifted
Clutch: Vintage (thrifted)
Earrings: Old

With its flowy fabric, midi length, and ruffles, this dress is a dream! As soon as I put it on I was imagining myself attending an elegant evening event such as a theater performance, fancy party, or even a lovely dinner at a classic Italian Restaurant! A girl needs a fancy dress every now and then, and a wonderful excuse to wear it proudly like a lady! 

Sadly, I don't have many opportunities to dress up ("fancy"), but that doesn't stop me from creating my own excuses to pull out a fancy dress, apply lipstick, choose a sparkly pair of earring, slip into heels, and grab a vintage clutch for a photo shoot! With my imagination and a lovely picture spot anything is possible:) 

However, lets get back to this dress! I was so thrilled to partner with eShakti again for a style collaboration and review because I truly can NEVER say enough about this brand! Not only do they have an array of unique styles, but they have a wonderful customer service and it is always a pleasure working with them.Whether its a specific style, print, length, or design, eShakti always has something that I LOVE. However, even if I can't find what I am looking for, I can always create it with their customization tool! That's right....with eShakti you can actually customize any dress specifically for your taste, whether that is changing the sleeves, altering the length, picking a different neckline, or even submitting your own measurements, eShakti has something for everyone! 

Some things I have learned through working with eShakti: It is typically a good idea to size down...for example, this dress is a size 2. I typically can't fit into size 2's but with eShakti a 2 is the perfect fit for me, especially if I get princess seams, which typically have to be fairly accurate sizing to fit right (stick with the closest sizing even if it is an inch less). Also, I will say that since every piece is customized for each person, it does take a bit longer than normal to receive your package, so be patient.

As soon as I saw this dress when browsing their styles I fell in love! There is definitely something so classic about polka dots, and I can't help being drawn to the dark color and ruffles. Originally this dress came with cap sleeves, but when I saw it I immediately thought of the 1930's and decided to swap the cap sleeves for a flowy ruffle sleeve....BEST choice ever! Surprisingly I didn't change the length of the dress as it was already mid-calf (usually most dresses are to short for me) and it fell right into the midi styles that I so love!

Do you like or create excuses to dress up?
Have you ever ordered from eShakti?

-Madison