Ashley N. Barron

My First Influenster Voxbox!

Hello!

I am so excited to announce that I have received my first Voxbox from Influenster!

Let me quickly explain what Influenster is for some of you who don’t know.

Influenster is this amazing website/app that sends you free products! All you have to do in return is review the products and post it to the social medias that you have linked into your account.

It took me quite a while to receive my first voxbox. I would say that it took me two to five months to receive my first box, but that was because I wasn’t active on the website/app at the beginning. The more you review products and answer people’s questions the better your chances of receiving your first complimentary Voxbox!

Also, linking you accounts will help you achieve impact points, which will ultimately help you get a voxbox!

The box I received was the Shimmer Voxbox! It came with an eye/lip moisturizer, two different sample size perfumes, some press on nails, a dry shampoo and a delicious treat!

Nyakio Moisturizer: I received a sample size Line Smoothing Eye & Lip Cream by Nyakio. This product smells great and it is so easy to use! I especially love how it is both a lip and eye cream moisturizer, which I don’t often find! I definitely plan on purchasing this amazing product in the near future!

Perfumes: I love anything that has to deal with perfumes! I was so excited when I found out that I was going to receive not one but two sample sizes of perfumes! The perfumes are VeraWang Embrace. The scents I received were Rosebuds & Vanilla, and Marigold & Gardenia. The rosebuds & vanilla had a sweet delicate scent, while the Marigold & Gardenia reminded me more of a bright and fruity scent! I plan on purchasing the Rosebuds & Vanilla in the future, definitely one of my favorites!

Impress Press on Manicure: I have not tried this product out yet, mostly because I am not a fan of press on nails. I feel like they aren’t as reliable as acrylic nails, but I plan on using this in the future in case of a nail emergency.

Eva-Nye Dry Shampoo: I was so happy when I received this product! I was in need of a new dry shampoo! It is the Eva-Nye Freshen up Dry Shampoo. This product absorbs all the oil from your scalp and leaves a beautiful scent. It’s definitely a keeper!

Sour Punch Straws: Last but not least, my absolute favorite product from the whole box! These Sour Punch Straws consist of four different flavors: strawberry, lemon, green apple, and tangerine! The lemon flavor was not my favorite, but the other flavors were delicious!

I hope you enjoyed my post on what I received in my very first Voxbox by Influenster! Make sure you open an account so you could start receiving your very first Voxbox!

I must disclose that I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes.

– Ashley N. Barron

Here’s a link so you can join Influenster: www.influenster.com/r/3023422

Current Read

Day 5

Last day of my five day blogging challenge! I must say it was pretty hard to complete this challenge, but overall it was very fun!

I decided to write about the book I am currently reading, ‘The Power of Habit. Why we do what we do in life and business.’ by Charles Duhigg.

Habit-forming has been something I’ve always had a bit of trouble in. Whether it is waking up at 7 in the morning or making my daily visit to the local gym, I’m sure we can all agree that making something into a habit is a lot more complicated then it makes out to be.

The book is full of real life examples of how habits are formed, and they all have a particular, yet simple process in common!

This process revolves around three components, all of which need to be properly addressed if you wish to make a simple occurrence into a daily habit: the cue, the routine, and the reward.

My favorite example that was used was about how a man was able to make a million dollars by selling toothpaste by using this process! (This was before toothpaste was used.) He used this process in order to persuade people to buy their product. He begins by setting his cue, which is letting people now that their teeth isn’t clean. He states in the book, “Just run your tongue across your teeth. You’ll feel a film- that’s what makes your teeth look ‘off color’ and invites decay” People then begin to realize that he is right! Their teeth aren’t clean and that they want that clean feeling, which then leads to them purchasing their product, using it and achieving the reward of a clean mouth.

I’ve noticed that in order to make a habit the three step process is most of the time used.

I’m not quite done yet, but I definitely recommend this book. It’s definitely a good read!

-Ashley N. Barron

Mini Thrift Store Haul!

Day 4

Before I met my boyfriend’s mom, I use to never shop at thrift stores. I’m not sure why, but now I love shopping at them!

I recently went shopping at the Goodwill, and I found some amazing things. I wanted to share my thrift store finds!

I love anything that has to do with Nike, so after searching the cap section I was fortunate enough to find a Nike cap. It was a bit dusty, but with a good wash it is now as good as new! The original price could be anywhere from $18.00-$25.00. I purchased the cap for $1.50, which is pretty much a steal for such an awesome brand!

These pants are comfortable and light, which is perfect for summer weather! I’ve been obsessing over these for quite sometime now. I have been wanting to find the exact same ones, but this time in a creme color! The brand is Charter Club and the original price for these is around $60.00! I was so lucky to have purchased them for only $6.00!

My all time favorite thrift-store find was a beautiful black trench coat by New York & Co. This coat is so beautiful, and I can’t wait to use it this fall/winter! The original tag price for this coat is around $75.00! With a little looking, I ended up purchasing this beauty for only $12.00!

It’s tempting to resort to shopping for name-brand clothing at high end shops. But I highly recommend for all my readers to visit a thrift-store near you, and just take a few minutes to look around. You’d be surprised (even shocked!) at the pieces of clothing you can find, all for a fraction of the original price. So what are waiting for? Get shopping!

-Ashley N. Barron

Our Trip to Las Vegas!

Day 3: I’m midway of my five day blogging challenge!

Our trip to Las Vegas was definitely one for the books! It was our first solo trip out of Texas. It was definitely an exciting yet scary experience.

Let me begin by saying that our trip was postponed. We initially had our trip scheduled for June 26th through June 30th, but our flight got canceled last minute. We ended up rescheduling our trip for the following week. On the bright side, our airlines provided us with extra flight vouchers and a cash settlement!

I was surprised when we arrived to the airport, because I wasn’t expecting to see slot machines. I thought ‘Man, these people take this gambling thing seriously!’ I was tempted to play a little, but we were following some people from our flight in order to find where the baggage claim was.

I was amazed by how much walking we did! I even reached a new personal record on my Fitbit! I would definitely recommend to anyone who is planning on going to Las Vegas to take a pair of comfortable shoes! Not sandals! Shoes! I learned my lesson the hard way!

We decided to stay at the Bally’s hotel, being that it was both affordable and in the center of the strip. We spent most of the evening gambling, until Hector started feeling a bit sick. We then picked up some food/medicine and called it a night.

We did what most tourist do. We visited the botanical garden (a beautiful site, definitely recommend!), went to the m&m store, Hershey’s store and the Coca-Cola store!

I was surprised by how much we got asked to show our ID’s! We were literally getting asked every thirty minutes! There was even a security guard that asked us for our ID within ten minutes. He had forgotten that he had just asked us!

I believe I am pretty good when it comes to taking heat, since I live in the Rio Grande Valley. It is always hot here, but not as hot as Vegas! It was so hot that I had trouble breathing through my nose. I could even feel the heat through my shoes! No wonder there were less tourists during the day! Everyone is inside trying to stay away from the heat!

The beauty about traveling is that you’re always learning something new! We are currently planning on visiting Vegas again in December, hoping to avoid the summer heat and experience things we did not get to experience the first time around. All in all, traveling was certainly worth the expense, and something I think we should all strive to make time for ever so often!

-Ashley N. Barron

My Top Five Favorite Makeup Products

Day 2:

It is day two of my five day blogging challenge, and I decided to write about my top five favortie makeup products.

My obsession with makeup began in the middle school. Most of the girls at my school had already started using makeup. My dad had strict rules when it came to wearing makeup. He thought I was too young and that I didn’t need it. My idea of makeup in middle school is completely different from now.

I use to think makeup was just mascara and lipgloss. I’ve learned now that it is much more than that. I have to give credit to all the makeup gurus on YouTube. If it wasn’t for them I’d probably still be using just mascara and lipgloss. I’ve learned how to contour, highlight, apply eyeshadow, etc. There’s always something new to learn within the makeup world, and new products are always popping up.

These are my current makeup favorites:

Christian Dior Nude Air Foundation: Finding a good foundation was hard enough for me, but this product is amazing! I absolutely love everything about this product. It goes on so smoothly and the coverage is phenomenal! It lasts a long time, especially if used with a primer. I’ve never actually had a foundation that smells good, but this foundation has a uniquely beautiful smell. This foundation is on the pricey side. I believe it can be purchased for fifty dollars. Nonetheless, it is worth every penny if you’re a makeup lover!

Mac #130 Brush: My favorite foundation brush is the Mac #130 brush. It is on the pricey side, but if properly taken care of, this brush will last you a long time. It blends your makeup very well and doesn’t leave it looking all cakey! I purchased this item for forty dollars, but it has last me three years or so!

Morphe 35N Palette: This palette is my all time favorite. The colors are beautiful and very pigmented. I believe I purchased this palette for twenty dollars. It comes with thirty-five beautiful matte colors. Depending on what look I am going for, like smokey eye or a more neutral look, this palette will do the job.

Revlon Gray Suede Nail Polish #705: I’ve always had trouble finding the perfect nude nail polish. If you’re like me, you’ve probably have gone through several different shades of nude nail polishes to find the right one. I believe, I have found the perfect shade of nude nail polish. The Revlon Gray Suede nail polish is perfect. It’s been my top favorite beauty product for a long time. The price range for this nail polish is about seven dollars, but it will last you a long time.

The Colossal Volume Express Mascara by Maybelline: Last but not least, my absolutely favorite mascara. This mascara has been my favorite since I can remember. It is only five dollars, but can do the job just like any other high priced mascara out there. This is one product I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a mascara lover!

These are my top five favorite makeup products! I hope you enjoyed reading my post as much as I did writing about it!

-Ashley N. Barron

Five Facts About Me

Day 1:

It’s day one of my five day challenge and I am so excited to get this ball going!

I decided to write five facts about myself. I feel like it would help people know a little more about me.

Let’s begin!

Fact 1: I am working towards my Bachelor’s in Science.

Since I plan on one day going to medical school, there are certain prerequisites that need to be obtained. I decided that majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry would be the best choice for me. I would be able to complete all the prereqs, for ceratin medical schools, without having to take additional classes.

Fact 2: My birthday is June 22, 1996.

Which means I’m a cancer baby, and that I just turned 21!

Fact 3: I am a substitute teacher!

I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to this job. I mostly hate it because we never get called into work the first three to four months, which means no money for us! When the end of school comes though, we are getting job offers left and right! I love it because it gives me the freedom of making my own scheduel and making my own choices. I especially love working with the kids. I’ve come to learn that not all kids are the same.

Fact 4: I am a black belt in the style of Goju-Ryu karate.

This fact comes to a shock for most people when I tell them. I started martial arts when I was seven, because I was bullied on a school bus. I recieved my black belt when I was fifteen! It took a lot of hard work, but I am so grateful for my parents who consistently took me to practice and pushed me. I know this might be shocking what I am about to say, but I am so thankful that I got bullied that day. I know weird, but hear me out! If I hadn’t gotten bullied then my parents would of never enrolled me into karate classes, which means I would have never met my current boyfriend.

Which brings me to fact number five!

Fact 5: I’m in an amazing relationship.

It’s true, if I hadn’t been bullied I would’ve probably never met Hector. I feel like everything happens for a reason and we just have to wait to figure it out.

We currently turned four years and a month about three days ago. He is the most amazing, funniest, dorkiest person I have ever met! He is also a black belt, just in case you were wondering.

Let me say that it took him three different tries to get me, but I am so happy he persisted and never gave up.

These are some facts to help you get to know me better. I hope you enjoyed my post/day 1! If you have any tips for a new blogger, feel free to help a girl out!

-Ashley N. Barron

Five Day Blogging Challenge

Hello! For my second post, I decided to take on a challenge! This challenge will consist of me blogging for five consecutive days. I know this isn’t much of a challenge for most of you, but since I am new I decided that this would be a good way to get the ball going!

For the next five days I will upload one blog post each day. I currently have a list of potential ideas for my blog posts:
1. Top Five Makeup Products
2. What’s in your bag?
3. Ten things you don’t know about me.
4. Share some of your favorite travel adventures.
5. What are my goals for this school year.
6. Five things I want to learn to do.
7. Favorite products of the month
8. Product Review
9. Typical day of your life in ten photos
10. Outfit of the day post

These are some ideas that I thought were pretty interesting. Hopefully all goes well with this challenge. If you have any tips for a new blogger please let me know!

– Ashley N. Barron

Introduction!

Hello! My name is Ashley Nicole Barron. I am 21 and currently a student at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. I am finally a senior and plan on graduating in a year! Fingers crossed! I hope to one day attend medical school and accomplish my dream career of being a physician!

I wanted to start a new hobby, but I couldn’t figure out what to do. While scrolling through Pinterest I started noticing pins on tips/topics for blogging. After doing a couple hours of research I decided that blogging would be a pretty interesting hobby for me to do.

My posts will mostly consist of lifestyle, makeup and pretty much anything else that pops into mind. I hope you enjoy this blogging journey as much as I do, and I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors or miss spelled words. Lol

-Ashley N. Barron