Everyday Cori By Corine Ingrassia

Look, Feel and Live Your Most Well-Lived Life

beauty

Drybar: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Your First Visit

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Experiencing a blowout at The Drybar has been on my list for some time– I mean who wouldn’t want their hair professionally styled before an event, big meeting or date night?

So often I’ve seen friends with swoon-worthy hair, credit their gorgeous locks to getting a Drybar blowout that day – or in some cases– a few days before that.

And while I’ve used a few of their products for while, I’ve never actually had the opportunity to step foot in one of their salons. So I was super excited when I was contacted to attend the Grand Opening of the new Summit, NJ location! 

I grabbed one of my oldest and bestest and headed out for a little Friday night pampering!

My stylist Melody was as bubbly as this mimosa and just all around awesome. If you’re visiting the Summit, NJ location– ask for her!

From the welcome mat complimenting your shoes, to the bright yellow and white decor, I knew as soon as I walked in I was going to be hooked because if “Me time” and “Girl’s Night Out” had a baby it would be The Drybar. They’ve truly thought of EV.ER.Y. THING – even USB outlets at every chair… which yes, this blogger gal noticed super quick.

And while amongst my NYC friends, I may very well be the last person they know to hop on the Drybar train, as the brand continues to grow and expand  (now over 40 locations and counting!) there are still a lot of us who have yet to experience (and in some cases heard of ) this holy grail of good hair days– so I thought I’d share with you a few things you might want to know before your first Drybar visit.

10 Things You Need To Know Before Your First Visit To The Drybar

Everything is “bar” themed

When you grab your seat at the bar you will notice that everything from the hair products to hair styles is themed around cocktails and mocktails. The branding is truly genius and speaks to you right away!

Complimentary drinks

To make your experience extra sweet, upon checking in at the front desk, you are offered complimentary drinks! Whether there are alcoholic options or not depends from location to location, butI can tell you that the Summit, NJ Drybar offered mimosas, champagne, and white wine!

Style menu is short, sweet + no-fuss

The style menu consists of 7 popular blowout styles + a few fun braided styles (perfect for summer!) all starting around $45

The choices are all beautiful and the menu has just enough variety that there is something for everyone and every occasion, and yet simple enough that it is not overwhelming (for those like me who struggle with too many options. I’m a LIBRA. What can I say, every decision feels life or death).

My friend and I both chose the Mai Tai.

They have a menu for kids too!

In addition to their regular menu, they have a “Shirley Temple” menu consisting of 4 or 5 styles for kids! I know my daughter would go bananas for this. It’s the perfect girly-girl treat for parties, special occasions or a fun Mommy and Me day!

Hair washing is included

Getting your hair washed at the salon is the most relaxing part of any salon visit, am I right?

Each blowout at the Drybar includes a hair wash and conditioning treatment that is a custom “cocktail”, tailored to the individual needs of your locks.

So for instance, I have a lot of light blonde highlights that can sometimes turn a little brassy over time, so my stylist, Melody used Drybar’s Blonde Ale Brightening shampoo and conditioner.

Which brings me to my next fact….

All of their products are Ahhh-mazing– for realz

As I said in the beginning of this post, I’ve used some Drybar products prior to my visit– namely, the Mai Tai Sea Salt Spray and Dry Shampoo– both of which I love and highly recommend.

But until my visit, I had never even considered or heard of some of the others that were used on me. Each top notch with a swoon-worthy scent– and that brightening shampoo?? It is THE BOMB DOT COM, you guys.

Not kidding.

The first thing my husband said to me when I came home was “They color your hair there too? Your hair looks lighter”. Then after posting photos on Facebook and Instagram, I was contacted by several people complimenting my hair color– my hair color that is about 5 weeks old, you guys!!

Here are a few of the favorites I’ve found so far:

Products from Amazon.com

Travel size products available at the “Minibar”

There are travel sized products available at the “minibar” and in addition for being perfect for travel,  they are perfect to purchase to try out at home, if you’re like me, you find yourself having a hard time deciding which product(s) to invest in first.

Complimentary umbrellas on rainy days

Although some styles are more “rain friendly” – like braided up-dos and messy Mai Tais– the dry bar does include a complimentary umbrella to save the day & your hair.

credit: Tumblr

There is a monthly club that can save you $$$

If you have special events multiple times a month or are just blowout obsessed, you can sign up for a “BarFly membership“ which can save you money on month on your blowouts + gives you perks– like 10% off products + Free birthday blowout!

They have a private room for groups

Now this may vary from location to location, but the Summit, NJ Drybar has a private room for groups that is spacious and includes a gorgeous tuft wall– perfect for your post styling selfie!

 

Disclosure: I received a complimentary blowout at the Summit, NJ location

 

Sanity Saving Subscription Boxes For the #MomLife

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Subscription boxes seem to be all the rage these days. There is one for just about everything–  and I mean who doesn’t love to get surprises in the mail??

Yesterday I visited the folks over at Better Connecticut to share a few of my favorite subscription boxes that specifically make the #MomLife a little easier– and in some cases, dare I say…  a little more fab! 😉

[ Full Video At The End Of Post]

You can get the full details on these boxes below along with some exclusive coupon codes for Everyday Cori readers and Better Connecticut Viewers!

BEST SUBSCRIPTION BOXES FOR MOMS

Vine Box

Create a modern day wine tasting in your home

Pricing starting at $25/ per box

James and I strive to put date night on our calendar at least once a month– but if I’m being honest, the struggle to find the time, and the babysitter is sometimes a challenge. I know we aren’t alone in this.  But I’m here to tell you that date night at home can be just as much fun– and Vinebox brings that “Napa”-like experience right to your doorstep.

Unlike your standard “wine of the month”, this one has a modern twist– they send you 3 glasses of freshly sealed wine from all around the world! The wine is curated by a professional sommelier ( fancy word for wine-expert ) and based on your own wine preferences, which you let them know when you sign up for the service.

These wines are not ones you will find at your local wine store, Vinebox is all about the hidden gems making truly great wines at their small vineyards around the world.

These sleek, dare I say sexy, boxes also include information cards that give a little background of where your wine comes from and also a few light bite suggestions for pairing.

Fab Fit Fun

Perfect seasonal surprise

$49.95/per box or $179/annually

I order a lot of things in the mail– like… A LOT! But if I’m being honest, most of the boxes that come in the mail with my name on it, aren’t actually for me specifically. They’re typically things like school supply, paper towels, birthday gifts and kids clothes– don’t even get my husband started on my Zulily addiction.

FabFitFun is a seasonal surprise in the mail that is a little bit of all the things we love– beauty, fashion, fitness, home decor– you name it and everything is FULL SIZE .

In the spring box I showed on Better Connecticut, there was a gorgeous rose gold necklace I LOVED, a super cute circular boho beach blanket and a body wash infused Spongelle sponge– that I had no idea I needed in my life until I opened the box and smelled it–soooo good! You can actually purchase it on  TheGrommet.com, a site that very coincidentally was also on the same episode of Better Connecticut. They have some really unique stuff, totally worth checking out.

While most items in the Fab Fit Fun box are a bit of a surprise, the company did add some new customizable features this spring. Members can now personally select one item in their box and also add additional items to their box for up to 60% off retail price– making this seasonal surprise even SWEETER.

FAB FIT FUN $10 OFF COUPON CODE!

You can still order your Summer Fab Fit Fun box

get $10 off  your first box use code:

BETTER10 

Gwynnie Bee 

The Netflix Of Style

Pricing starting at $49.99 for 1 item per month to $95 for 3 items per month

Give a Gift! $10 off of a gift subscription at Gwynnie Bee. Valid until 5/19/18 

Remember when Netflix use to send DVDs to your house? (Am I aging myself here?) You would add DVDs to your list and they would send a few of them to you at a time & when you sent those back, they would then send you the next ones in your cue. Well, this box-o-style has been called the Netflix of fashion (sizes 2-32)  because it operates just like that.

You log in, sign up and curate a “virtual closet” filled with stylish clothes from some great brands, such as: Rachel Roy, Vince Camuto, Eliza J. Then depending on which plan you choose, they will send 1-3 items per month right to your door step. You can wear the items as many times as you’d like. When you’re done, you pop them back in the mail in a prepaid envelope, send it back to Gwynnie Bee (they even take care of the dry cleaning!) and they then send you more fabulous items from your online closet.

And if you really find an item that you love so much that you don’t want to part with it? They give you the option to purchase it at a discount!

Home Chef

Confession: We dial up the pizza place so often, they know us by name. I’m not proud. It’s not that I hate cooking, I’m just reeeaaalllly bad at meal planning. I’ve tried (and failed) at “Meal Planning Monday” so many times, it’s just embarassing– but I have to admit when I do plan, we always eat and feel better.

Home Chef is a meal subscription service that takes the stress out of meal planning – and grocery shopping– because if you are like me you are always forgetting at least ONE ingredient– usually its things like shallots or fresh basil. Home Chef never forgets your shallots and basil ;), all ingredients are included, portioned out so no measuring needed, just a little chippity chopping and cooking and in around 30 minutes for $9.95 you have a truly amazing meal.

If you follow me on Intagram you may have seen how quickly Avery (my 3 year old) gobbled up those Korean Pork Medallions I showed on Better Connecticut. You guys, he asked for seconds and no I am not kidding!

Play! By Sephora

Sephora is a guilty pleasure for so many of us– but how hard is it to shop around for new beauty products when you have kids in tow?? IMPOSSIBLE!

For $10 a month, Sephora will send you 5 deluxe size samples, plus a fragrance – TO. YOUR. DOORSTEP.

The subscription also includes exclusive access to video tutorials of ways you can use those products, as well as a cute makeup pouch and …. drum rolls please…. 50 additional beauty points towards your next purchase!! Sephora-holics, you KNOW how much we covet those beauty points!

EasyKicks

Kids Nikes on demand

$20 per month/ per child

I first discovered EasyKicks a few months back, and as a mother of 3 kids who seem to be growing at rapid speed (including a tween who is particularly sneaker obsessed!), I instantly fell in love with this unique (and quite GENIUS) box subscription.

EasyKicks is a partner with Nike and for $20 per month/child you can select a pair of Nike or Converse sneakers for your kid (sizes 4C-7y), which they can then wear until they outgrow, wear out, or just want a new pair of kicks.

When they’re ready for a new pair, you can just ship them back to Easy Kicks in a prepaid envelope and select a brand. new. pair!!! – Doesn’t have to be the same style – or brand. You can go from Nike to Converse, high-top to low top… unlimited exchanges!

And the part that I really love about this service is that it also gives back! When they receive your kid’s used sneakers, those used sneaks are donated to kids in need OR if they are really beat up, they recycle them to make playgrounds for kids through Nike Grinds program!

EasyKicks Promo Code

 Get $10 off your first month with EasyKicks

Code: Morning 10

Kiwi Crate

Fun and educational boredom buster

$19.95/per month

This is one that my daughter is particularly smitten with and can truly be a lifesaver on those summer days when the “I’m boooooorrred” crys begin to ring throughout the house.

Kiwi Crate sends monthly STEM crafting projects based on your child’s age. There are Kiwi crates for every kid– ages 3 all the way up to 16!  These boxes come with easy to follow directions and all the supply necessary. I love that there is little to no waste and also no need to run out to the store– because there is nothing worse than scouring Pinterest, deciding to tackle an adorable craft and then finding out you are out of glue!

Smashbox Photo Events: Picture Perfect Beauty For The Everyday Woman

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– Sponsored content –

Every woman deserves to experience her very own professional photo shoot that makes her feel like a celebrity and at least one professional photo that she feels captures her beauty– especially when her makeup is on point!

This weekend I had the opportunity to partner with The Menlo Park Mall here in New Jersey to take part in its Smashbox Photo Event, an event that gives everyday women the red carpet treatment and the opportunity to feel like a star.

Smashbox travels around the country hosting these live events throughout the year.

Menlo Park Mall hosts them with Sephora once or twice a year– and I highly recommend checking them out!

During the event, customers who make a minimum purchase of $75 worth of Smashbox cosmetic products have the opportunity to be transformed by a senior makeup artist and have their photos taken by celebrity photographer, Steven Kahn.

So 9:45 Saturday morning, I arrived fresh-faced and ready to let my Sephora senior artist do her thing.

I didn’t have my morning cup-o-joe (which is unheard of for me) but the high-energy atmosphere quickly perked me up– and Starbucks was just a quick escalator ride away.

My Sephora senior artist, Kiara ( who by the way, had the fiercest purple locks and eye make-up!) started our sesh by asking what my make-up style was (bright, glowy and natural/nude hues– always), and getting to know my skin type (currently still grossly-winter-dry) and made her selections for me from there.

(Do you see Zara there in the background? Yep. I did some serious damage there after the event. Zara obsessed!)

Smashbox’s O-gloss (a magic-like gloss that goes on clear and transforms into your own shade of pink based on your skin chemistry) has long been a favorite of mine, but during the Photo Event, I discovered a few other great products as well. My favorite new find– the Brow Tech pencil in Matte Taupe. It matched my brows perfectly and the point on the pencil is so fine it is easy to fill in your brows with small, natural looking strokes.

When make up was done, Kiara provided me with a list of the products she used (linking to some of favorites at the bottom of this post) and then it was time for my close up!

Steven Kahn was a true professional and made me very comfortable right away. He gave great direction on how to position myself, tilt my head, etc. and quickly snapped about 20 shots.

In total, the photo shoot lasted 5 minutes– maybe– and I’m not going to lie, I was skeptical. Not that I doubted Steven Kahns skill, but more doubted myself to have nailed a great professional picture in such a short amount of time– I’m known to be a blinker– ha.

The hi-resolution photos are emailed to you via a download link later that day. I got mine about 3 hours later and I was amazed!!

That is some serious “Mariah Carey approved lighting“, am I right?  I would pay big money for that to follow me around!

You can really see how what a great job Kiara did on my eye makeup in the pictures.  The reddish brown colors from the Photo Matte Eye Pallet really complimented my brown eyes.

Below are some of my all time favorite products as well as the ones that Kiara used on me at the Event.

Local friends, Menlo Park Mall hosts a lot of events through out the year. You can find upcoming events here.

Psst! And don’t forget to sign up to be a Simon Insider and earn rewards back for your shopping hauls. For my serious shopping friends,  the parking perks are AH-MAZING.

If you are interested in attending a Smashbox Photo event in your area, you can see their full schedule here.

 

 

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with The Menlo Park Mall

Beauty Sent With Love– PR Unboxing Video

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Happy Monday, Friends!

We’ve had quite the busy weekend here. One of those where you are hopping from one thing to the next, tagging each other in and out of errands –but also one that was filled with friends, fun and a grand champion title for Laina’s cheer team– so all worth it! 🙂

I’m just coming up for air and wanted to get a video up on the channel so I’m doing a bit of a different video today– a PR Unboxing of sorts– where I am sharing a few things that were sent to me to try out…. oh. and one amazing sample from Sephora or Ulta that I somehow just recently unearthed and fell in love.

This video is more of a first thoughts kind of video since I haven’t really tried a lot of the products more than once or twice, but if I do become obsessed with any of them, you can be sure you’ll be seeing them again with more details! 🙂

Click here for the full video

My Smile Makeover Story: Before and After Veneers (PHOTOS + VIDEO)

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Corine IngrassiaI was self-conscious about my teeth for years.

It feels like my whole life, but that isn’t true. I remember clear as day the moment I realized just how crooked my teeth were (because yes, there was a point that I actually hadn’t noticed).

I was in my high school’s production of “A Chorus Line”. We needed to get headshots for the moment our characters would confidently strut down stage to take their place on “the line” holding up their head shots proudly in front of their face.

(We are all super besties now that I shared this photo with you, by the way. It still makes me cringe.)

When we received ours back– black and white, up-close and laminated– my teeth seemed to jump out at me. Out loud, in shock, I said “Oh-my-God. My teeth are so crooked!!” My friend who was standing next to me, kinda chuckled and said matter of factly “Yea. You’ve never noticed that before?”

I hadn’t.

But I knew in that moment, she had. Had everyone else noticed too?

Embarrassment swallowed me whole.

From that moment on, my open mouth smile ceased to exist in pictures as much as I possibly could control it–and I must say that throughout the years, I mastered the closed-mouth smile pretty damn well if I do say so myself.

But after countless hours of looking at celebrity teeth before and afters with veneers, I finally decided to get my own smile make-over– and that decision totally changed my life.

Several requests have been made for me to share this story, and I wanted to give a real step by step of my experience, for you guys.

So here it goes– finally… 

Corine Ingrassia- smile
**Updated  3/22/2017 with video and awesome 90s throwback music.

[[ FULL VIDEO HERE ]]

Veneers Vs. Braces

I know a lot of people might wonder why I chose veneers instead of braces.  I actually did consider braces after I had my oldest son. I scheduled a consultation and asked all of the questions, but a variety of reasons– including the fact that I’d have to have 4 teeth pulled– I decided against it. That being said, that was just my own decision. There are lots of pros to doing a smile makeover with braces, but because I wanted it done as quickly as possible, I decided to do my smile makeover with veneers.

How Do Veneers Work?

In short, your teeth are shaved down and the porcelain veneers are placed on top of them to “rebuild” a straighter smile so-to-speak.

How many veneers are needed for a smile makeover depends on each person individually.

At my initial consultation, my dentist told me that due to the over crowding, she recommended 1 crown for my most crooked tooth and 11 veneers total for the makeover. It’s important to note that not every makeover calls for that many I just had a lot of crowding to correct.

How Much Is a Smile Makeover?

I feared seeing the total cost because I knew veneers generally came with a hefty price tag. They can generally run a few hundred dollars per tooth, however,  to my surprise though, my insurance covered HALF– yes, even though its cosmetic!

I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited, I didn’t even think twice. I immediately scheduled my first appointment for the next available date.

So, if you’re reading this and considering veneers, do your homework– you’re insurance company may cover part of it too!

In total it took me 4 appointments over the course of 8 weeks to complete the make-over.

Smile Makeover – Before & After – Step By Step

Appointment 1

Took an impression of my “bite” for the top temporaries and veneers. Teeth were prepped for the veneers (un-glam version: Teeth were shaved and shaped for the veneers. I try not to think about it). I know the needle is usually what everyone says is the worst part, but my dentist was gentle and it truly did not bother me. The numbing was very effective so there was little to no pain.

The temporary teeth were put in place. And I scheduled my next appointment 2 weeks later when the veneers would be in.

(My mouth was still partially numb in this pic. I took it as soon as I got home.)

The temporary teeth were a bit gritty feeling. I avoided biting down on anything hard with the temporaries, but in just 2-3 days I was more comfortable chewing. Gums were a little sore for a few days but nothing too bad (and I am a huge baby when it comes to pain). The dentist gave me to use and that seemed to help make brushing less painful.

Admittedly, the temps were a bit, “toothy”, but after living with crooked teeth for years, I actually felt like it was already a huge improvement.

Before:

Appointment 2

Temporaries came out. This was over-all the worst part of the procedure for me– not because of pain but because they literally crack the temporaries off (I had no idea) and the CRACKING sound made me want to jump out of my skin. Word to the wise: Don’t forget your headphones!

Next the crown and top veneers were put in place and shaped a little.

The front left veneer didn’t fit perfectly so I had to get a new temporary in its place until next appointment, 2 wks later.

Note: The color of the veneers was something I had to think about. I didn’t want them to look fake-white, but I mean if you can get your teeth pearly white, why wouldn’t you? You know what I mean?

In the end I opted to go with ultra-white porcelain veneers that are translucent, so they’re definitely white, but they don’t look “plasticky-white”. 

Appointment 3

Last top temporary tooth taken out and new veneer put in. That temporary tooth came out with just one tug- no crack, crack (which made my day), and the fit of the new veneer was much better.

Next, the bottom impressions taken, teeth were prepped and temporaries were put in place. Veneers were ordered and my next appointment was … you guessed it, 2 weeks later.

Appointment 4

FINAL appointment! Bottom temporaries were removed (crack, crack, crack…) Veneers put in place, Dr. Delessio spent sometime shaping them up a bit and viola!

The Final Results

I’m extremely happy with the results. It was like instant-braces.

Somethings took some getting use to once it was all complete. I was over-cautious eating, but after a few weeks they felt natural to me. Remembering I didn’t have to hide my smile in pictures took a little longer. I also noticed throughout the process I had a slight lisp– most said they didn’t notice– but I did. That also went away when my mouth adjusted.

In the end, it took a several appointments (for me anyway) and yes, nearly half my teeth are veneers (though not every smile makeover calls for that many) and yes it was an investment (there are several payment options available too) but being able to smile proudly has been life-changing and I would totally do it again if I had to!

Products from Amazon.com

Originally posted 11/11/2015

Ride Or Die– Best Everyday Makeup Products

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You know those makeup products you simply can’t live without? The ones that if you were to be stranded on a deserted island, you would try realllllly hard to smuggle them all in because it would be like trying to choosing a favorite child?

These are your ride or dies–

and today I shared mine on my YouTube channel!  

If a no-makeup-makeup look is what you’re seeking on the daily, you definitely need to check this one out because over the years I have uncovered some of the best of the best for you au’ natural– seeking ladies.

Trust – You are going to want these products in your beauty arsenal– STAT!

Here’s a little sneak peek you may have caught on Instagram–

Check out the full video on my YouTube Channel

Don’t Miss Out!

Ultimate Homemaking Bundle 2020