If you are part of the sisterhood that is combination/oily skin, then you'll want to learn more about Eumora, a facial bar made of moor and HmA. For as far back as I can remember, my skin has never been gifted as "normal" and transitions from combination in the Fall/Winter to oily in the Spring/Summer. This means I am forever trying out skin care products that will help keep my skin in check. Eumora comes in a small box that contains 4 facial bars. The bars have no fragrance to them and they are the average size of a traditional facial bar. The bar is comprised of moor clay, an ingredient they call HmA (hydration microAlgae factor), olive oil, chamomile extract and glycerin.  Eumora is natural, vegan and cruelty free. However, it does contain wheat, so if you have a gluten sensitivity, ask your dermatologist before using. The ingredient label is very straightforward and the ingredients themselves are few (less is always better!) With my understanding of skin care, I could tell that this facial bar would not only absorb oil, dirt and impurities via the moor clay, but would also be replenished with moisture from the olive oil and glycerin, provide antiseptic qualities (read: aid in decreasing acne) due to the algae and soothe skin with the chamomile. A deeper look into the two main ingredients: Moor and HmA: HmA (Hydration microalgae factor) is formulated and derived from microalgae cultivated in the fresh water lakes. It includes a component that is similar to the structure of hyaluronate 3D mesh structure, which aids in moisture absorption. With a unique concentration of natural active ingredients, extracted from the essence of microalgae, it is an effective hydrating agent and why your skin won't feel stripped after using it. HmA doesn't irritate, so it is safe for sensitive skin. Moor is a rare form of nutrient-rich peat from Austria created by the gradual transformation of herbs, plants and flowers which have been permanently submerged under water or underground. Free from the decaying effects of oxygen and in the correct climatic and biological conditions, the plant matter undergoes a 'ripening' transformation process over thousands of years to produce a homogeneous dark substance called Moor. Moor is an antiseptic, which is why this facial bar is great for those who suffer from acne or the ocassional blemish,  it's detoxifying, an anti-inflammatory and hypoallergenic. To use Eumora, simply wet your face, work the bar into a lather in your hands and apply the lather to your face. Let the lather lie on your skin like you would a mask, for about 3 minutes and rinse. I noticed right away how clean my skin felt (without that completely stripped of moisture feeling) and how soft it was. While the Eumora website says you won't need a toner, serum or moisturizer when using the bar, I don't really buy into that because you always need a second method of hydration. Bars are meant to cleanse, and can hydrate, but not in the same way a moisturizer would. Regardless, you always need to cleanse your skin, and I do like how this facial bar was effective for my skin type. Despite the bar's small size, it seriously lasts a long time when stored properly (aka don't let it sit in water.) Only needing lather to get the job done, each Eumora bar lasts about 6 weeks+. While I have combination/oily skin, Eumora is good for all skin types and can be used as part of your morning and evening beauty routine. If you go to TryEumora.com, you can request a free product sample, just pay shipping and handling ($4.95.) For a limited time only, visitors who request the free trial will also have the ability to get a 30% discount off their first box ordered of Eumora Classic plus get free shipping. Have you tried this product? Let me know in the comments! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

As a beauty blogger, I'm inundated in the months leading up to and during Breast Cancer Awareness Month with pitches for all sorts of beauty products. Each brand aligns itself with the goal of raising funds by donating a certain percentage to the cause.

I'm often discouraged when I see 10% assigned, or a vague statement and you're not really sure which charity the money is going to, or better still, that the money is going to a charity that spends more money on administrative costs than it does research and supporting the local community.

I get further disgusted when brands don themselves in pink ribbons with no identifiable percentage going to charity. It's all for the fanfare and targets uneducated consumers who will toss money at something in the name of a cause.

I recently watched a broadcast on my local TV station which was promoting the Susan G. Komen Race For the Cure. The spokesperson said, quite proudly, "100% of 25% of your donation goes to research." You got that, right? In other words, 75% of your donation does not support research for breast cancer nor does it go to support local women battling the disease.

As someone who knows plenty of women who have had breast cancer, as I'm sure you do too, it is disheartening. While I understand that administrative costs need to be paid, and 100% of your donation never goes directly to research, how can you find those charities that get very little promotion yet do the most for women with breast cancer?

I decided to dig deeper and came up with a list. This list is based on Charity Navigator's scores of the most highly rated. Highly rated means they are fiscally responsible and the majority of monies received go to research and supporting local branches. 

National Breast Cancer Foundation

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Lynn Sage Breast Cancer Foundation

Breast Cancer Alliance

Of the few listed above, I know that many have a love-hate relationship with BCRF as it was founded by Evelyn Lauder, who coincidentally passed away from ovarian cancer but was a champion of women battling breast cancer. Many lament that Estee Lauder products have toxic chemicals in them that contribute to cancer and other illnesses. However, I think the brand and the charity are two separate entities, in my personal opinion.

As far as purchasing products that donate a portion of the proceeds to a breast cancer charity, I'm not really a fan. Again, a brand may align themselves with a charity like Susan G. Komen promising 10% of the purchase is donated to them. If what my local Komen representative said is true, then that means only 25% of 10% is then designated for research. I'm no math wiz, but I'm pretty sure that equals pennies. Wouldn't you rather take 100% of your money and donate it to charity?

That said, if you just so happen to be in the market for a new lipstick anyway and the charity is one of the ones mentioned above, then go for it. Why I won't be spotlighting BCA beauty products. I personally like to support my local community when it comes to breast cancer.

While the above charities are national, there are many worthy charities and support centers on a local level that do so much for people living with cancer. For example, The Center For Cancer Wellness, Candy's Place, here in Northeast PA is one of them. I strongly encourage you to look within your own community to find such gems who are focused on the health and wellness of your neighbor battling the disease.

So as the magazines and the media gear up for BCA, I ask that you share this post with others so that they can donate and get involved with charities that do the most for our loved ones battling breast cancer. If we give a spotlight to the charities that are lesser known, but doing more, I can only hope it will help more women. I'd love to hear your opinion! 

This is sponsored post for Nexxus through Condé Nast. All opinions and amazingly vibrant hair are my own.

For those of us who color our hair, there is one thing we can all agree on - watching the perfect hair color fade away is a sad, sad experience. I've tried a variety of hair care tricks to make my hair color last longer; from washing with cool water to washing my hair less in general to using sulfate-free products. Now Nexxus has developed a color-safe hair care system to take the guess work out of the fading hair color mystery and retain hair's vibrancy. The Nexxus Color Assure system includes a Pre-Wash Primer, Shampoo, Conditioner and Glossing Tonic. There are a few things about this system that make it different from the typical sulfate-free and color-safe hair care lines. For one, the key to this entire line lives within the Pre-Wash Primer. While yes, it does add an extra step into your hair routine, and yes, there is a learning curve, it does seem to make a lot of difference. The shampoo and conditioner, while sulfate-free, are also oil-based like the Pre-Wash Primer and Glossing Tonic. The Glossing Tonic is like the icing on the cake, providing a healthy and weightless shine to your hair. The Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer is a pre-treatment to shield hair in the shower. It helps to repel water, so color stays longer and more vibrant. The Pre-Wash Primer is sulfate-free and infused with a blend of clear oils, including almond, coconut and argan oil. • Almond oil is known to lock in moisture, nourish hair and reduce breakage. • Coconut oil is known to provide softness and elasticity. • Argan oil is known to improve shine and vibrancy. • White Orchid Extract is known to provide moisture and works to seal and protect hair by repelling water from humidity and keep it from entering the core. To use the Pre-Wash Primer the directions say to use 5-7 pumps and work through hair starting at your ends and working up to your roots. You shouldn't saturate your hair or else you'll be overdoing it. Think of it more like a serum that you would use for styling or to prevent frizz - you only lightly apply it to your hair and sparingly. Now that I've chopped most of my hair off into a bob, 5-7 pumps is way too much. In fact, the most I could use was 1 pump or else my hair would be really greasy. In addition to my hair being short, it is also very fine. If you have fine hair, you'd probably want to use a half pump. However, the Pre-Wash Primer is the most important step, so don't skip it! Once you've worked the Pre-Wash Primer into your hair, you then apply the Color Assure Vibrancy Retention Shampoo and Conditioner followed by the Glossing Tonic (once hair is towel-dried.) All of the products are fragrance free, which has been interesting since I'm used to having some sort of fragrance in my hair. The proof is in the before and after! I used this hair care line exclusively for a month and snapped a picture on the first day I colored my hair and 4 weeks after. As you can see, my hair is so vibrant, shiny and my hair even looks darker! It is kind of amazing. Not only do you reap the benefits of retaining your hair color longer using Color Assure, but shiny hair also gives the impression of healthy hair (even when you heat style it as much as I do.) Look for the Nexxus Color Assure Pre-Wash Primer, Color Assure Vibrancy Retention Shampoo, Color Assure Vibrancy Retention Conditioner and Color Assure Glossing Tonic in mass retailers, select drugstores and supermarkets nationwide. Nexxus is also cruelty free. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

You deserve to be pampered. Do you believe that? You should! In this video I talk about A Girl's Gotta Spa! Energizing Citrus Body Lotion, including the ingredients, how it works and what I was looking to achieve in order to meet your needs when creating this beauty brand. This isn't your typical shea lotion and I truly believe it is the best lotion for dry skin (or any skin!) Watch the video for more info: Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol (and) Polysorbate 60, Citrus Paradisii (Pink Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Phenoxyethanol (and) Caprylyl Glycol (and) Sorbic Acid, Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Latifolia (Lime) Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil. Facts: Vegan, 94% natural, certified cruelty free, and made in the USA. Where to buy: www.agirlsgottaspa.com/store, and Amazon.com. See our website for a full list of retailers. Sign up for our product newsletter and receive 10% off your first purchase: http://eepurl.com/ODuT1 (Can only be used directly on agirlsgottaspa.com) Please leave a comment if you've used it!

We all know that nutritious foods are good for our overall health, but did you know that it can also help you achieve glowing skin? Fellow beauty blogger, Alexis Wolfer of The Beauty Bean, has written a book complete with DIY beauty treatments, as well as recipes that will be your true Recipe for Radiance. Alexis was gracious enough to share two, simply delicious recipes, which should serve as the perfect appetizer to wet your palate for more from her book! Age-Reversing Wine Mask Good for: All skin types In much the same way that red wine is anti-aging from the inside out, the antioxidants in red wine (including resveratrol) make it a great anti-aging skincare treatment when applied topically. Mixed with egg whites to tighten fine lines and retinol-rich egg yolks, this mask takes happy hour to a whole new level—albeit, one in which you may not want to leave your house. 1 egg 1 egg yolk 3 tablespoons red wine Whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer to your face, neck and décolleté, avoiding your eye area. Let dry before washing off with warm water and a washcloth. Roasted Watermelon Gazpacho Vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free Lycopene, found in cooked tomatoes and watermelon, helps defend against sun damage—and might even help both prevent and treat skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Keep this gazpacho in your refrigerator all summer long for a skin-healing soup that’s as refreshing as it is healing. Serves 2 to 4 3 vine tomatoes, chopped 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 3 cups watermelon, seeded 1 clove garlic 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1/4 cup roasted almonds 1/2 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika 1 medium cucumber, peeled and divided Salt, to taste Cayenne pepper (optional) 2 tablespoons diced sweet onion On medium heat, sauté tomatoes in the oil until fork-tender. Transfer to a blender. Add watermelon, garlic, lime juice, almonds, paprika, and half of the cucumber. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste and cayenne pepper, if desired. Refrigerate until chilled and ready to serve. Stir in the diced onion. Thinly slice the remaining cucumber. Top the soup with the cucumber slices. If you try either of these recipes, I'd love to know! And don't forget to grab Alexis' book Recipe For Radiance: Discover Beauty's Best Kept Secrets in Your Kitchen on Amazon! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure

Two of the most luxurious colors out there - whether jewelry, accessories, home decor or makeup - is silver and gold. I'm not the matchy matchy type and firmly believe you can mix and match these metals. Here are my top ten drool worthy silver and gold makeup products and some nail polish for good measure. 1. Milani Jewel FX Nail Lacquer 2. NYX Studio Liquid Eyeliner - Silver 3. Butter LONDON Cream Eye Shadow - Randy 4. Rouge Bunny Rouge - Highlighting Liquid - Sea of Showers (White gold) 5. Smith & Cult Nail Polish - Bridge & Tunnel 6. Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon - Champagne Diamonds For Blue Eyes 7. Jane Cosmetics Cream Eye Shadow - Gilded Gold 8. Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veil Gloss - Gold and Beautiful 9. Kre-at Beauty Silver Splash Lash 10. Too Faced Bulletproof 24-Hour Eye Liner - Silver Lining What are you favorites? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ Disclosure: affiliate links

Continuing to prove that nail art doesn't need to be difficult, I asked Nidia from Lit From Within to recreate a nail look with a tutorial.  For this nail art how to, Nidia took inspiration from A Nail Addict Named Sonia @badgirlnails. First, paint your nails with a fun glitter.  Go as blingy as you like, but if it's textured, you'll probably want to put down a thick topcoat before moving on with this look. When you're using striping tape, you need to wait for your base layer to be *completely* dry.  You can't fake this step.  Use a fast drying topcoat if you want to hurry the process a little, but putting tape on wet polish means that the polish will stick to the tape. The key is patience! Next, apply the striping tape in the pattern desired.  I'm doing accents on my ring and thumb, so I put the striping tape in a fan pattern for those, and more of a diagonal pattern for the others. After you've secured the tape (especially in the corners!) it's time for the coordinating polish.  Apply it in one thick layer, making sure that it's in all the nooks and crannies of your design. As soon as you're done with one nail, gently pull off the tape.  Don't let that polish dry, or it will come off in weird chunks! I like to clean up at this point.  My trusty $1 ELF concealer brush dipped in acetone is perfect for this. A topcoat fixes most mistakes, smoothes out the layers, and gives you a sticky surface on which to stick your rhinestones.  Use a little on the end of a dotting tool to help you move the rhinestones into place.  If you want the stones to stick better, apply another coat of topcoat over the stones. And, you're done! This is a great technique that can be used to create lots of different looks.  Use a base of neons under a coat of black, and you've got a laser light show! Change the direction of the tape and add studs to the center, and you can create a quilted look. If you liked this nail art, please feel free to stop by Lit From Within's Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, or check out her blog, Lit From Within. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

Back in 2011 when attending the first Lucky Fabb (Fashion and Beauty Blogger) Conference, Joan Rivers was a guest speaker. Prior to this event, all I knew of Ms. Rivers was what I saw on TV. I have to admit, I was more excited about hearing Tory Burch speak than I was Ms. Rivers because it was my belief that she would be rude, crass, obnoxious and basically full of herself. She changed my mind that day. When Ms. Rivers began to talk about her life, her career, and her family, what began to emerge was a very real, and down to earth person. I was taken aback. I wasn't ready to see her as a human being. I wasn't ready to see her as a mother, who clearly made her daughter, Melissa, a priority. I was prepared to hear endless rants, bullying comments and insults intermixed with a lot of cursing. Believe it or not, in the 35 minutes she spoke, she only cursed about 3-4 times.  She didn't pick on anyone, she didn't make rude or disparaging remarks...essentially the "persona" was off for that time she spoke, and the woman, Joan Rivers, was very present. What I saw before my eyes was a self-made woman who encouraged the women in the audience to keep pushing forward, to let go of pride, to find humor in everything, to value the bad times as much as they do the good times, to love and be there for your family, and to understand that life is cyclical and nothing is forever. She spoke of struggles, bother personally when her husband committed suicide, and professionally. I became so enchanted with her as she spoke, that I got up the confidence at the very end to ask her how she balanced motherhood with her career. She admitted that it was hard, but said that no matter what, every day in her schedule book from 6-8pm was dinner with her (late) husband and daughter, Melissa. As a celebrity, Joan Rivers belonged to the world, but she wanted her daughter to know this time was only hers. While some may say, "That's only 2 hours a day?!" I could relate. As someone who is self-employed and CEO of my own brand, it's easy to be "present" but not always easy to be "there." And while I was already having daily sit down dinners with my 4 boys prior to this, it reinforced it as a treasured time with my sons to listen to them and have them share their day. Once Ms. Rivers' time was up, her entourage wanted to quickly escort her out. However, she told them to wait and took the time to take pictures with many of us and talk, including myself. Now that Joan is gone, I am so grateful that it was when we snapped this picture that I honestly admitted to her with a smile, "You changed my mind about you today." Clearly understanding what I meant, she smiled back, said, "Thank you," and gave me a squeeze as we smiled for the camera. On an episode of Joan and Melissa back in 2012, there was a point before surgery where she told Melissa that if she died she had no regrets about her life. Her life was amazing because she lived every second of it. There is no doubt that Joan Rivers lived her life to the fullest, a lesson we shouldn't take lightly because you never know when your time is up. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+

My addiction of a good scrub goes beyond just body and facial scrubs. I adore lip scrubs and Treat Beauty's newest organic sugar scrub is one you'll want immediately. First and foremost, I love that this scrub comes in a handy tube. This makes it easy to bring with you when traveling, and even easier if you are using it in the shower because your fingers won't get messy and slippery. It also means there's basically no chance of getting water into the tube as you would with a jar. This lip scrub is also pretty big! It's jumbo in size and not your typical small lip tube. To use, simply twist up a little scrub (don't worry, it won't fall out), press to your lips with your mouth slightly open and rub in a circular motion. If in the shower (which I found easiest), simply rinse your face. If at the bathroom sink, just use a wet washcloth to wipe away the sugar. It doesn't leave any greasiness behind, just super soft lips. Aside from exfoliating well, this lip scrub smells and tastes delicious! Not that I am one for licking scrub off my lips when I just exfoliated the dry skin, but at least when I first apply it, if it happens to get in my mouth it's no biggie. Stop by www.treatbeauty.com and get one for yourself! Treat is cruelty free. Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too! Shannon on G+ *Disclosure

If you're looking for some simple abstract floral nail art, here’s a tutorial to get this floral look in three easy steps, using only a couple colored polishes, a striping brush and dotting tool! Step 1: Polish your nails with a base color.  For this look I used Morgan Taylor One and Only. Step 2: With a striping brush, add some “grass” lines to the tips of your nails. For this look I used Precision Lacquer McDreamy. Step 3: With a dotting tool, add colored dots to represent the flowers; you can use any number of colors for the flowers to get a different look every time. (You can see a similar look I created with 3 flower colors here.) For this look I used Morgan Taylor Get Sporty With It and Morgan Taylor Lip Service. Top with your favorite topcoat and Voila! a simple abstract floral look. Tip for Fall: You can switch this up for fall by using orange and red toned polishes for the flowers and/or base color! Let us know if you try this look! Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!