Happy International Women's Day!

It's that time of year again!

Wait, what's that?

You hadn't heard that International Women's Day is coming up?

If you had, count yourself lucky - I just heard about it a few weeks ago. Which is sort of sad, considering how long the holiday has been around:

What a great idea, though - a day to celebrate the gains women have made, while recognizing that we still have a ways to go. There are some wonderful resources on the International Women's Day website: conversation-starter videos, a list of celebrations by country, and ways to join in through social media.

In high school, I remember once hearing a male classmate ask a friend "what did women ever invent...other than tampons? (hurr hurrr)." How nice it would have been to, instead of fuming silently, be able to direct him to a video like this:

 

Are you participating in some way for International Women's Day?

Head and Shoulders to the Rescue!

So, I am absolutely loving the Influenster programs I've been selected for! My favorite so far has been the Head & Shoulders box, which arrived with full-sized shampoos just like these:

Now, I've had scalp problems for years. The last time (almost a decade ago) that I tried using Head & Shoulders, the shampoo didn't stop the flaking and the conditioner made my hair all greasy. Instead I went to the dermatologist, who recommended an expensive, medicated products... that didn't stop the flaking and made my hair all greasy.

Fast forward to 2012, and I receive the NEW Head & Shoulders "damage rescue"shampoo and conditioner to try. Figuring I've got nothing to lose, I give them a whirl... and I am completely impressed!

The Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue system was developed specifically to nurture scalp and dry/damaged hair with intensive care, leaving hair up to 10X Stronger in Just Four Washes. Because of the carefully balanced combination of ingredients in the formula, Damage Rescue delivers both, intensive hair and scalp care with the proven anti-dandruff efficacy of Head & Shoulders.

Gone is the weird smell I associated with Head & Shoulders, replaced by a rather pleasant fragrance. My hair looked shinier and nicer than it has in ages; I got a bunch of complements that afternoon and the next day! Most importantly, it works!

I've been able to toss away the medicated formula - which I never liked because it contains steroids and isn't covered by my insurance - and I can just use this set every couple of days. Head & Shoulders Damage Rescue gets two thumbs up from me!

For a Happy Face

I love, love, love getting free samples! I judge companies based on the presentation (please don't just send me a sample in a cheap envelope; that looks unprofessional) and the content (you know what's cool? Including a coupon) of the freebies they send out to their current/potential customers.

A packet of samples arrived from Mario Badescu today, and I have to say that they passed with flying colors! I had filled out the MB questionnaire - not even that long ago! - on my skin type and issues, and the company sent me a bunch of recommended products for my skin type. The set even came with a list of every item and detailed instructions for use.

At first glance, the samples seemed awfully tiny. I remember thinking, "how is there even enough here for me to try everything once??" Now that I've used them, though, I see that there's actually enough for me to try each sample for about a week! How cool is that?

Roommate S and I decided to do our skin care routine together tonight so we could sit around and sip wine in our face masks. Here is my Mario Badsecu routine:

The Enzyme Cleaning Gel, which was nice and light and made my skin feel very clean.

The Cucumber Cleansing Lotion, which didn't sting like I expect most astringents to.

Followed by a 20-minute wine break for the Drying Mask to set. The mask smelled really strange, but my skin looked amazing when I rinsed it off!

Finally, I wrapped up by applying the Hyaluronic Eye Cream, which I was pleased to note you need very little of for one application.

Result: I like these products! My skin feels great, and my only real complains is the smell of the Drying Mask. I can't wait to do the morning routine they recommend tomorrow!