My oldest loves putting everything in her hair, literally! But she loves hair clips, hair ties and anything else pretty that she can put in her hair. When I told her she was getting something new from Qoileez she was very excited!

About Qoileez

Qoileez! are multipurpose, trendy, and affordable accessories that can be used as color-coding identifiers, organizing and storage solutions, hair accessories, eyeglass charms, pencil grips, knitting needle holders, clothing and shoe fashion, wine glass marker – your creativity is the limit!

Qoileez! A simple and affordable solution to everyday problems while adding fashion fun! With a simple stretch and twirl – Qoileez! has endless use.

What we thought!

I really love the idea of Qoileez! They come in great colors and have so many uses! We have mainly only used them for our girls hair, but they have used them around their fingers, around certain toys an so much more! They have endless possibilities and are so much fun for the little ones!

My only issue was that they were somewhat a chore to put them into my girls hair, but once they were in they stayed there which was nice and after a few tries it got easier and easier to put them in. Putting them on other items was actually pretty easy, easy enough that the girls can do it!

I think Qoileez would be a great gift for any kid and I think they would make amazing stocking stuffers! They definitely kept my girls entertained and I’m sure they will continue to do so for quite some time. Be sure to check them out on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

Qoileez

I love candles, but with my two girls running around sometimes having candles isn’t the best idea. Whether they almost knock them over or sit there and try to dig into the wax, it seems like candles just can’t win around here. We have tried candle warmers and all kinds of different things, but there always seems to be some kind of drawback. I was very excited when I found out that I was able to review Lumizu from Modgy.

About Lumizu

Lumizu™ uses innovative LED tea lights and strong, thin transparent votive containers which are decorated with the modern, sleek graphic designs Modgy is known for. Designed for indoor and outdoor entertaining, Lumizu™ luminaries have the look of glass but are completely shatterproof, which means they are safe to use beside the pool or hot tub, on the lawn or patio, in the bathroom or bedroom or anywhere else there are bare feet. The water-activated LED light turns off once removed from the water, and unlike a burning candle, it can’t be blown out by the wind, catch anything on fire or drip hot wax on furniture or unsuspecting skin.

What I thought

I love how these are designed! Not only are they easy to set up, but they are easy stored as well! They come with battery operated tea light candles that turn on when they touch the water and back off when taken out. They produce a decent amount of light and can be used for many different things. They can be used to light up walkways, light up a bathroom for a more relaxing bath, and so much more!

Since we live in a small town, our power goes out from time to time, especially during the winter. We don’t like to keep very many candles around because of our girls, so these are the perfect thing to store for a rainy day! I love the idea of having something around that can help keep our house from being dark this winter.

When I first saw Modgy I knew I had to try them out. It is such a unique design and is so simple! They also have a wide variety of designs that are absolutely gorgeous and I wish I had more! I got their two Holiday designs which are very pretty and will be great for any Holiday parties we may have this year.

You can find Lumizu on Modgy’s website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

As some of you may have noticed, I have a lot of skin problems. Between acne, oil, and everything in between I just can’t catch a break with my skin! I have tried BB creams, which seem to help, but they don’t cover well enough or work well enough for me to do a complete switch. When I heard I was getting the chance to review the Almay CC Cream I wanted to jump up and down for joy to try a new product that may actually help me!

I was very excited about this product, not only because it does everything a BB cream does, but because it also provides more coverage and after continued use correct many skin problems. I thought this would be perfect for me and I couldn’t wait to test it out. The first time I used it I noticed that not only did it cover better than any of the other creams I have tried, but that it did not make my skin produce more oil. So I decided to keep using it.

After using it for about a week, I noticed a great difference in the amount of oil produced in my skin as well as how many breakouts I was getting. It also seemed to help correct my uneven skin tone which was a must have for me! I loved that I could use this as a base or even a primer for my other makeup, or that I could wear it alone for those days that I just want to lay around the house and not waste a whole bunch of product but still look great.

I can honestly say that I LOVE this product and that it is way better than any BB cream or tinted moisturizer that I have used. It is great for just about any occasion and is very simple to use. It even has SPF built in! You can find this and other great Almay products on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

It is very hard to find workout gear that not only looks great but is something that will take your workout to the next level! I have a hard time working out for long, so I need something to help me get the most out of my workout routine! I was very excited when I got the chance to review Zaggora HotPants!

About Zaggora Atomica HotPants

Dynamic Atomica HotPants get you hot in a whole new way, with a super-comfortable adjustable Lycra waistband that lets you highlight or hide your middle. A new ventilation panel between the legs keeps you feeling fresh and cool. The waistband’s energetic printed atomica design is another Zaggora first!

What I thought

I love the way these pants look! They are very flattering and are pretty comfortable. At first I thought that they would be extremely tight and would be uncomfortable, but I was impressed by how well they moved with me! I was very surprised that they made me look great even though they look relatively simple. While I do love having bright colors and crazy outfits, it is nice to have something a little more simple that makes me feel great.

What is extra special about this product is that they have ThermoFit Technology that is a multi-layer fabric technology harnessing the body’s natural heat during exercise to help you burn more calories. So the more you workout the more calories you burn. At first I didn’t notice much of a difference, but after wearing them for a little while and moving in them I could really tell how much heat they created! So whether you are wearing them during a really intense work out, or just wearing them around the house while you do your daily chores, you will burn more calories than you would without them! I love wearing them while cleaning because I can “work out” without having to take time out of my normally busy day to complete an actual work-out routine.

I absolutely loved these pants! The only issue that I came across is that they are pretty noisy while walking around. It is not anything horrible, just odd. I’m pretty sure it is something only I am hearing and it has gotten better over time. It is well worth it to wear these pants! I have noticed that I lose weight a lot quicker with these pants than I would wearing other work out gear.

I highly recommend these pants to anyone that wants something nice to wear while working out, or for anyone that has a hard time burning those calories with their normal workout routine! You can find Zaggora and all their great products on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

I love having a good foundation, but I hate having to have multiple foundations for when I want a different look. Even though my favorite would have to be a liquid, I still love having a powder for days that I want something light. I was recently introduced to the new Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder and it is my new favorite foundation!

This new foundation is not only a great powder, but if you add water to the puff applicator it turns into a liquid! It is an oil-free formula that is long wearing and is waterproof! I put it on in the morning for a conference and it lasted until we got home that night. I couldn’t believe how long it lasted, or how well it covered!

Using it as a powder does not give you as much coverage as it does when used as a liquid, but either way it is light and creamy all day! I cannot believe how soft and silky it feels! You can tell immediately that it will feel great on your skin! I have wearing makeup that I can feel all day because I end up touching it and messing it all up. So light weight foundations are a must for me. Not only that but I must have something that won’t further break out my skin or cause any extra oil production. It is very hard to find anything that covers well but doesn’t make the problems I am trying to cover worse.

Another great thing about this makeup is that it comes in 20 different shades. I have very light skin and my skin does not do so well with any foundation that has too much orange in it. I swear that their is too much orange foundation out there! Of course with Laura Mercier I am never let down with the quality or the shades of colors. They are always right on target!

Also, check out my vlog about the Becca Cosmetics One Perfecting brush while using this foundation!

You can find this and other amazing Laura Mercier products on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

I never realized how great it was to have headphones for my girls until we had a pair. It is very hard to get our youngest to sit in one area for very long. She is constantly getting distracted by everything around her. I was very excited to see how she reacted to wearing headphones and I was very happy when I was told that she was getting the chance to review a pair from Kidz Gear!

I was so excited when we got these headphones! I have been wanting a pair from Kidz Gear for over a year now and I was not the only one excited about them! At first I thought that my daughter would freak out about having something on her head but even though we didn’t have anything to plug it into she still kept them on for hours. I think that she loved that they made everything quiet when she had them on.

Since we live in a small town, we have to drive at least 20 minutes to really do anything. We have little DVD players with TVs in the back of our car for the girls but either we can’t hear the radio, or they can’t hear their movie. Either way someone isn’t happy in the car. The first time we plugged the headphones into a device it was on one of our driving trips and our youngest was amazed that the sound was coming from her headphones and not the TV. She kept pointing at her ears and then back to the TV like it was magic. She still gets excited every time we plug them in while in the car.

I remember when I was younger and my parents would always get upset with me for playing my music so loud in my headphones. Sure it was fun, but they knew that playing something that loud could damage my ears. Now that I am older and have my own children I know why they were so worried about it. Kidz Gear headphones are equipped with KidzControl Volume Limit Technology that only allows about 80% of the maximum volume output capable from audio devices in the market today. So not only do they love the colors and the design, but I can feel safe letting them use the headphones whenever they want to.

I love how many different bright colors they have! They are definitely not your average, plain, boring headphones! You can find Kidz Gear and their amazing headphones on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

I know it has been a couple weeks since we went to the iFabbo conference in San Francisco, but I figure it is finally time to share with you what we got in our goody bag! We got a whole bunch of amazing products to share with you and I can’t wait to start! So here is what was included in the bag!

PRAI Beauty

We got some products from PRAI’s 24k collection. These products are for wrinkles, fine lines and many other skin problems. Of course this is not something I would normally need, so I gave it to my mom and she LOVES it. She said that it was the best skin cream she has ever used and will buy more when she runs out!

Dermalogica

I am in love with Dermalogica Products! I got some samples in my bag and I have been using them constantly. They truly are a great company and I hope to get more products from them in the future!

DermOrganic

I think that these are one of my favorite sets out of the gift bag. They smell great, they work great, and they are just plain amazing. I definitely recommend trying out DermOrganic products!

NYX

You guys know that I love my NYX products. I absolutely love this palette and the lip balm is amazing! I will always be a fan of NYX!

Makeup Geek

Yay! My first ever Makeup Geek product! I am in love with this color and have used it multiple times since I got it. I even swatched it for you guys

ELLISFAAS

This is definitely an interesting one. It is a lip gloss (you can kind of see the color on my hand below), that is pretty great! It’s not sticky and does put some very pretty color on my lips.

Susan Posnick

This is another one of my favorites out of the group. One end is a beautiful purple eyeliner and the other is a light purple eye shadow wand.

Lashem and NaiLUV

I have tried some products from Lashem before but I LOVE this mascara. It really does make a huge difference in my lashes and it is now my go-to mascara. I have yet to use the gel polish, but from what I have heard, it is wonderful. The color is gorgeous!

Lilly Brush

This is the Fabric Pill Remover from Lilly Brush. I have tried to use it a few times and it seems to work pretty well. I will have to put it to the test this winter though!

Beautisol

This is a wonderful self tanner. I might test it out soon, but I am afraid of using self tanners! I have heard great things about this company though!

Becca Cosmetics

One of the best products in the bag was the One Perfecting brush from Becca Cosmetics! It is really great and can be used for so much! Hurray for getting rid of unnecessary brushes!

Of course we had to do a video of us using the brush, so here is out vlog about Becca Cosmetics!

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out some of these awesome sponsors!!

I swear that I can never have enough energy. Lately it feels like I am always tired and that I never get enough done. Sure, I drink the occasional energy drink, but I always feel bad later on. Whether it be because of the headaches I always get from them, or just how much junk is in them. Coffee sometimes help, but after so many cups I am back to square one with the energy drinks. Too much sugar and not enough benefits. Of course I still love my coffee and my energy drinks, but I am always on the lookout for a new way to get that energy without all the sugar. Recently, I was told about a new drink called HYDRIVE Energy Water. I was so excited about being able to review HYDRIVE that I could not wait for them to get here.

These drinks are great because not only do they not have as much sugar, but they are only 30 calories each! They have 7 great flavors including: Lemon Lime Rush, Citrus Burst, Black Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Triple Berry, Kiwi Strawberry and Grape Fusion. Some of the flavors weren’t amazing, but I definitely have some favorites that I will be buying more of. I think my absolute favorite was the Citrus Burst! It reminded me of my Orange AMP energy drink, just without the carbonation. I thought it was great! My second favorite was the Lemon Lime Rush. It reminded me somewhat of a Lemon Lime Gatorade, not exactly but close enough to make me think of it. Overall we loved them and drank them all pretty quickly.

I was very surprised with how much energy these drinks gave me. After drinking them I didn’t need to have extra coffee or an energy drink. I was perfectly content with just drinking one bottle. These probably wont completely replace my energy drinks or coffee, but I do like that they are a great substitute and I will definitely be buying them in the future!

You can find HYDRIVE on their website here.

**Disclaimer** Star Focal received samples of the above product in order to facilitate a review. However, we were in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.

So we have an interesting post for you guys today! A couple days ago I decided to Zombie nails! It was so much fun and pretty easy to do. I decided to create a Zombie Nails Tutorial for you guys!

Step 1:

I tried to take pics a long the way so I have a couple to help you recreate the look. First you find some press on fake nails. I used black because I wanted a darker effect on the ends but you can use pretty much any color since you will be covering most of it with polish anyway.

Step 2:

Next you have to “mangle” the ends of the nails (best if the nails are not on you). You can take nail clippers and cut angles or random cuts into the ends. These nails were a little shorter than I wanted so they looked a little funny when I put them on. I would suggest finding nails that are longer than your natural nail so that you don’t have them in awkward positions. The good thing about them being shorter is that they did make an awesome effect once they were all painted.

Step 3:

If you ending up having a gap in between like I did paint the extra in the color of the fake nail. Then pain your nail with a neutral color. I used Joshua Tree from Cult Cosmetics that is like a nude color, but I have seen others use light grey’s and it still comes out great. I just think the fleshy like color looks better. After you paint two coats add some texture by running a toothpick down your nails. Not all lines will stay to the end but even the little bit that do add a little extra to the design.

Step 4:

Next you take a dark red and paint where you are going to have the “blood” I painted mine on my natural nail in between the cracks (you can see above) and around the cuticles. The dark red gives the “blood” dimension and makes it look like some has dried over time.

Step 5:

This is where it starts getting fun! I used a couple different colors for this next part but you can use pretty much anything in the same realm to get the same look. First I started with a black. Take your nail polish brush and wipe the majority of the nail polish off of it. After, take the brush and starting from the cuticle sweep the brush down toward the end. You definitely don’t want every stroke to be perfect. Zombies don’t have perfect nails.

Repeat step 5 with your other colors as well. I went crazy and decided to use a dark silvery grey to make it different but most would say to use dark grey with no sparkles. I did step 5 again and again until I got the look I wanted!

Step 6:

Last but not least, THE BLOOD! I used a bright red for this step but you don’t have to go quite as bright. First you put a bunch of the red around your cuticles and in the mangled ends of the nail. Then you repeat step 5 but drag the polish from the tip of your nail.

Step 7:

If you want more than just your nails to be zombied out you can use eye shadow and other makeup on you hands to finish the look. I used greys, some black, browns and some tans.

I think it turned out amazing! I loved them and I even got to freak some people out in the process! Be sure to stay tuned for more great designs!

We are so excited that we are back with another Batiste Review! In case you missed out last review, Batiste is basically a powder in spray form that attracts the oil and dirt in your hair and helps take it out. The main reason you would want to use this kind of product is so that you don’t have to “wash” your hair as often. While you want to keep your hair clean, soaps can often strip your hair of it’s natural oil and further dry out your hair.

Since the last time I reviewed this product I decided to go out and buy some. I got a product that was similar in price to Batiste but it was no where near this quality! The other product left my hair and scalp feeling dry and itchy, while this product seems to improve my hair. Not only is the quality itself that much better, but Batiste also comes in different scents! I get migraines pretty easily and strong scented hair products seem to trigger them. I was very surprised at how great Batiste smells!

I love the spray cans they come in! They always have the cutest designs and I’m proud to show them off. I hate using products that have plain packaging just because I like having lots of color! But I’m sure you guys already noticed that!

Of course if you try another dry shampoo product you will get results, but they end up weighing your hair down and some even leave a strange film behind. As a mommy of two toddlers, sometimes it is just too hard to take the extra time to wash my hair and my hair gets greasy really quickly especially after chasing the girls around. It is so nice to still have great hair without having to rewash and re-straighten my hair!

If you have really oily roots, or if you just want healthier hair you should check out Batiste! Their products are great and they really are a life saver for your hair! You can find them on their website here.

**Disclaimer** I was in no way paid, or obligated to give a positive review, or a review at all for this company. If you would like to read my full disclaimer for reviews you can find it here.