review Archives — Everyday Cori By Corine Ingrassia

BunToppers: Collectable Hair Accessories Little Girls Will Love!

March 15, 2017 By Cori

A little girl can never have too many accessories, am I right?

If we’re connected on Instagram, you may have seen that this morning Delaina and I were playing with fun new hair accessories while getting ready for school today.

These hair accessories are called BunToppers. We received them in the mail last week. Laina was obsessed INSTANTLY and waited patiently for me to give the green light to rock them.

Buns and ponies are go-to hairstyles on busy mornings (are there ever mornings that aren’t busy?)– but admittedly not the most exciting hair style. BunToppers are the perfect way to give an otherwise “ordinary” bun or pony, extraordinary flare.

Each BunTopper has their own look and interests. And what’s more is that these adorable little hair pins are collectable– there are 8 in total.

Laina documented her experience and hair style (which by the way she thought up all on her own. I’m merely her stylist taking orders these days) on her blog. You can see her kid-perspective there!
BunToppers can be found online and retail for $9 each (which includes shipping)

3/23 ETA new pricing

The Secret To Curing Your Skin Hangover

January 8, 2016 By Cori

The dark circles, puffy eyes, dull complexion– sometimes our skin can begin to feel a bit like a frenemy– always ready to spill the beans about our tiny off spring boycotting sleep, or that last cocktail we vaguely recall convincing us it was a good idea to stay out till 3am…

In short, we’re drained, feeling lackluster and blah and it is written all over our face.

Enter Skyn Iceland…

photo: Skyn Iceland

I first stumbled upon Skyn Iceland’s products while perusing the isles of my local Ulta in search of some new products to try out this winter.

The Skin Hangover kit immediately caught my eye for 2 reasons:

I’m always on the hunt for products that will help my dark, tired, eye baggage (The Louie’s I carry under my eyes are perhaps what I am most self-conscious about) and many of the Skyn Iceland products touted words like cooling, de-puffing, firming… Yes, yes, YES!
The package, priced at just $25 was a great way to tryout a variety of their products:

– Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels with Hexapeptide Technology 0.11 oz (2 pairs)

– Icelandic Relief Eye Pen with Glacial Flower Extract .14 oz

– The ANTIDOTE Cooling Daily Lotion 0.5 US fl oz

– Fresh Start Mask 0.28 oz (2 packets)

From the Skyn Iceland website:

Designed for all skin types, The Skin Hangover Emergency Relief Kit features four skyn ICELAND all-stars that work together to help revive and restore overworked, overstressed, depleted skin and eyes. Oxygenate and rejuvenate skin with the Fresh Start Mask treatment. Refresh and hydrate skin with the the ANTIDOTE Cooling Daily Lotion then de-puff tired eyes with our Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels and Icelandic Relief Eye Pen.

I started with the Fresh Start Mask before our big New Years Eve party, which is a two step mask…

I totally texted this to James “Waiting for my midnight kiss” hahaha

Romance.

Anyway, back to the mask.

The blue clay went on cool and when mixed with the AHA fruit acid gel it began to feel a little warm. I left it on for 10 minutes as instructed (I should note that unlike many other masks, this one does not harden) and washed it off with warm water.

My skin felt refreshed.

I followed it up with my own toner and then the cooling lotion and eye relief gel. These two products were cool to the skin and felt incredible.

The cooling products made my eyes feel more awake. I was energized.

SO much so, that when I was done I literally headed back to Ulta and picked up another Skin Hangover packet for my friend hosting the New Year’s Eve party that night.

I used the packet again 2 days later, after a late New Year’s eve and lazy day recuperating, and received several compliments that my skin was glowing .

I mean, how many times have you had a late night out and had someone tell you, you were glowing?

Hence why this is my very first Friday Fresh Pick of 2016.

Cannot wait to try more from this line!

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Friday Fresh Picks are hand-picked favorite items, reviews and highlights from the amazing women you see above.

Visit their websites to learn about other amazing picks from this week!

Sarah from Finnegan & The Hughes

Sheila from Pieces of a Mom

Hilary from A Fancy Girl Must

Tina from Life Without Pink

Corine from Complicated Mama

At Home Microdermabrasion With The Silk’n Revit

August 15, 2015 By Cori

Recently, I looked in the mirror and the reflection staring back at me was begging for H.E.L.P.

My skin looked tired. My skin tone looked – all over the map– blotchiness, and *gasp!!* were those sun spots, I was seeing??

Maybe you’ve noticed the same or found your pores are clogged, fine lines popping up.

If so– read on, my friends.

Microdermabrasion is a non-invasive skin care treatment that can help with all of those things and something I’ve been curious to try for a while now.

Earlier this month, I was introduced to the Silk’n Revit– an at home microdermabrasion kit that exfoliates your skin using a light suction and diamond tip peel (a technique typically only found at spas) and my experience thus far has been a great one.

You can see the Revit in action in my YouTube video below.

In the meantime, here are some of the highlights:

– The diamond tip peel exfoliates your skin

– The suction on the device increases blood flow and increases collagen

– The treatment is perfect to treat: fine lines, skin discoloration, acne scars and clogged pores

– Each area should be treated for 5 minutes, twice a week

– Results can start to be seen as early as after one week

– The device is easy to clean and is a fraction of the cost of microdermabrasion at the spa.

Disclosure: This post was written in a partnership with ReVit. However, all thoughts, opinions, fine lines and blotchy skin– are my own.

Refresh Your Car! In Under 5: Say Goodbye To Those Musty Odors + Bacteria

August 11, 2015 By Cori

When we entered into summer, for some reason I had this (crazy-town) idea that life would slow down for a little bit.

The reality however, has been much different.

Although the kids are having a blast keeping busy and having fun– it’s also been slightly exhausting too as our days are spent ping ponging from one place to the next– hardly any of that dreamy downtime I was envisioning.

We go from camp, to the track, to the pool, to cheer and to playdates… and yes, sometimes all in the same day.

I calculated the other day and I am averaging around 3-4 hours of drive time a day– A DAY!

And do you know what joins us as we cart around town in our trusty- Traverse?

…. All kinds of sweaty-kid-funk and bacteria.

The crushed up goldfish on the floor, lollipop sticks in the cupholders, miscellaneous sweaty socks that magically pop off my sons feet the second he enters the car….

And friends, let me tell you, that you have not smelt anything more distinct, than the lingering smell of sweaty tween-age boys crammed into an SUV after an 8 hour day at basketball camp.

Oh. Em. Gee.

Cleaning and deodorizing our whip has become my full time job.

So when the team at Refresh Your Car! reached out for me to try out their products, I nearly wept tears of joy!

Refresh Your Car! has a variety of fresh-scented products that eliminate foul odors (like sweaty sporty little boys and sour milk bottles), kill bacteria*, and leave behind wonderful, clean scents.

When it comes to ridding the car of the bacteria, my favorite of these products by far were the leather wipes.

Did you know that your steering wheel alone can be covered in NINE times the amount of bacteria as a toilet seat??? (GROSS)

These wipes are perfect to keep in the car and use at any time for a quick interior clean and refresh – which as I already said, I have to do practically daily.

If you have leather interior I highly recommend these as they are gentle on the leather and leave it looking great too!

My second favorite product was the oil diffusers. I found that these lasted the longest (some up to 90 days!). The oil diffusers have a lot of nice light smells to choose from, but my personal fave was this dual scented one– fresh strawberries and cool lemonade!

You can release the scents one at a time or blended. I love the blend.

Another product that has a “cool techy factor” is the electric air freshner/USB:

Check this out– the future of fresh smelling cars:

Refresh Your Car’s refillable Power Plug plugs into your car’s 12-V adapter and provides great fragrance whenever your car is on. Powered by a built in heat source and illuminated with a colored LED light, the scented oil capsule can be replaced with a refill when a new one is needed—without having to purchase a new device! And new for 2015, Refresh Your Car plug in with a USB – the same great device consumers love but with a USB charger so you can charge your phone or tablet while still enjoying a delightful fragrance experience in your vehicle.

Bottom line? Our commute around town has been much more enjoyable thanks to Refresh Your Car!

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Tell me, what are some of the funkiest smelling things you’ve found hidden in your car?

Disclosure: Refresh Your Car is a paid sponsor of Complicated Mama. As always we only partner with brands we truly believe in. All thoughts, opinions, and smelly examples are our own.

The Diva Hotel | A Modern Boutique Stay In San Francisco California

September 14, 2014 By Cori

The Diva Hotel (part of the personality hotels in San Francisco), was the first stop on our California road-trip adventure.

This ultra-mod boutique hotel is located in the heart of San Francisco and welcomes it’s guest with concrete squares donned in handprints and signatures of Hollywood favorites.

It’s like a miniature version of the walk outside Mann’s Chinese Theater (which we did later visit) and the photo op was not lost on our little selfie king.

We stayed in The Diva’s Kid Suite, which was chock-filled with toys and video games to keep them busy.

/ photo credit: personality hotels

This was especially great because when we were unpacking the car, we realized we left our camera (and lenses) ON. THE. PLANE.

{Insert panic attack here}

James immediately got back in the car and headed back to the airport where by some miracle of God, was able to recover the camera

{exhale…}

While he was on this wild chase for our camera, the baby caught up on some Zzz’s and the big kids explored their room of toys.

The Kids Suite

Mostly catering to people traveling solo or as a pair, there are only two kids suite in the hotel.

The kids suite consisted of 2 bedrooms: master suite with a king size bed and the kids suite with bunk-beds, a small bathroom in between the two rooms, 2 outside-of-bathroom sinks… and toys! Lots, and LOTS of toys.

From dress up clothes to video games the kids were never bored.

Some board games and such were missing pieces– which as a parent, I imagine the upkeep of pieces is a near impossibly task for the hotel– I mean we lose game pieces in our home on a daily basis.

The kids loved having a space of their own and exploring the new-to-them toys in the room, however it was a bit of tight quarters for our family of five.

The Recommendation

With its modern vibe, reasonable prices and prime location, The Diva Hotel is one I would recommend for business travelers and couples looking to explore the city.

Window coverings in the master bedroom of our suite. //credit: Trip Advisor

Various stores and take-out places are in walking distance and for my fellow Starbucks addicts, an added perk is that there is a Starbucks CONNECTED to the hotel!

photo credit/ trip advisor

{high fives!}

As for the kids suite itself, the idea of having a room supplied with all things play is a great concept and I think with a few adjustments, it has the potential to draw in more families staying in the city.

That being said, it was undeniably nice to have the kids occupied for the time we were in the suite.

Note: This hotel is located on a busy street, so if you are looking to stay here and are a light sleeper, be sure to ask for a room towards the back of the hotel so you aren’t kept away by the hustle and bustle of the city below. The kids suite we stayed in was at the back and quiet at night.

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Thank you to the Diva hotel and staff for hosting us for a portion of our trip!

Great Length Hair Extensions Review

January 9, 2014 By Cori

I am almost embarrassed that this video has been sitting in my iMovie for well over a month. Being more active on YouTube was one of the goals I set for myself for 2014, and clearly I’m not off to such a great start….

I blame the baby… that’s totally a legitimate excuse, right? 😉

Below is my video review of my experience with my Great Length Hair Extensions, including footage of getting them removed and a cameo by my super fab and adorable hairstylist, Regina.
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I had heard horror stories about breakage so I was border-line neurotic about caring for these extensions and brushed them twice a day with the soft bristle Great Lengths brush (that I’m holding in the video but somehow edited out. le sigh.).

Pros and cons are pretty simple.

Pros

Amazing quality hair

Easy to style without worrying about revealing the extensions (the keratin beads are fused to your hair and are practically invisible)

Can lighten the color by one or two (?) shades

Lasted 5 months before the matting (for me) got too much to bear

Cons

8 long hours in the chair to get them put in

The price tag (They are considered the “Rolls Royce” of hair extensions, and the price tag reflects it)

Oh, hey! and PS? My hair grew probably 3-4 inches while the extensions were in!! You have to LOVE pregnancy hair-miracles! 🙂

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