Reviews Archives - Coffee and Sweats

November 12, 2018 by: Nusrat

AuRate – The Jewelry Brand with a Conscience

Disclosure – I received credit towards a purchase to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Women want jewelry.

Anytime I have a friend ask me what they should buy for their friend/mother/sister/girlfriend/fiance/wife, the answer I give is the same.

Women want jewelry. Not a vacuum cleaner. Not a gift card. Just something sparkly – we’re really not that complicated.

It doesn’t have to be a 59 karat rock that we need to hire bodyguards for, but it should be more than the trendy accessories we buy from retail stores.

When I was asked to partner with AUrate fine jewelry I fell in love with their clean and minimal pieces. I found out that AUrate doesn’t just use conflict free materials, every handcrafted piece is designed and created in New York City, with fair pay and suitable working conditions. AUrate’s direct to consumer sales model also means that all this fine jewelry is not marked up and will not cost you a few months rent.

AUrate review — AUrate Instagram – Proud Pearl Earrings with White Diamonds

AUrate’s two (millennial female!) founders believe in giving back to their community and combined a charitable component to their company. For every piece of jewelry sold, AUrate donates a book to a child in need. Do you get why I’m in love with them?

It’s difficult to choose. They have collections of earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces. They also have unique pieces like anklets and ear cuffs. What if you really can’t decide? Choose 5 pieces to try on at home. Absolutely free. Seriously, they’ve thought of everything. Even down to the Lifetime Guarantee.

When it comes to earrings I have a penchant for big and dangly. These flower earrings that cascade down behind the ear lobe were so unconventional I couldn’t resist. As you’re shopping for your loved ones this holiday season, consider the understated, quality jewelry that AUrate offers and pick something for yourself too! What do you think of AUrate? Which piece would you choose for yourself?

September 14, 2018 by: Nusrat

Teeth Whitening for Coffee Addicts

Disclosure – I received a complimentary kit from Smile Brilliant to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve thought about it. And if you have your daily cup of coffee I know you’ve thought about it too.
Are my teeth getting discolored by all this coffee drinking? And tea, cola and wine drinking? What else is staining my teeth?

I noticed that my teeth are not as bright in pictures as they used to be. I begin to pay attention to the commercials, the magazine ads and all the many different ways to whiten your teeth.
Do they hurt? Are they expensive? Should I jump on this too? Yellowed teeth make you look older than you are and my diet is definitely not helping my smile.

But I was scared – I have heard of people trying whitening treatments and complaining of nerve pain or sudden teeth sensitivity and was the money even worth it? I want that celebrity smile but I don’t have that celebrity cash!

So when Smile Brilliant reached out to me to try their at home whitening kit I was curious and excited to do it!

How do you whiten your teeth with Smile Brilliant?

It’s super simple and easy. You create an impression of your teeth. You send the impressions off in a pre-paid envelope. Less than a week later Smile Brilliant will send you a customized tray that fits perfectly on your teeth.

Smile Brilliant provides instructions on how to create the impressions. Basically, you have some soft putty that you squish and play with. Then you spread it over the little blue tray that is provided and sink your teeth into the putty. A few minutes later, impressions made.

I mailed them off in the prepaid envelope and in less than a week I was holding my custom made whitening trays that came in their own storage box. It was really simple.

What’s next?

The kit comes complete with whitening gel, desensitizing gel and instructions for the whole process. Squeeze some gel into the trays and fit the trays over your teeth. Then you hang out for some time. Anywhere between 45 minutes to 3 hours.

Yes, you can still talk with the whitening trays in your mouth without drooling everywhere! It’s barely noticeable, to be honest. I wouldn’t recommend going out and wearing them in public but at home, I had no issues carrying on a conversation with them on. Oh.. yes one more thing. Try not to sneeze with the trays in! Maybe I’m just a violent sneezer but those trays came flying out of my mouth and it was hilarious!

What are the Cons?

Yes, there were some cons. I started noticing a stinging sensation on my gums after the first few times I whitened my teeth. I called up Smile Brilliant for some advice because I didn’t think that was normal. They advised me to use less whitening gel in the trays so the gel wouldn’t reach up to my gums. I tried that along with some oil (I used coconut oil) rubbed on my gums to prevent the whitening gel from touching my gums. Great advice because it worked! I no longer had any issues with gum sensitivity.

They also advised I cut down on the coffee while I’m doing this whitening process on my teeth. Makes sense. Drinking coffee while whitening your teeth is like running on the treadmill and eating a donut at the same time. One thing is destroying the results of the other. So I also cut down on coffee drinking which isn’t really a Con but I’m addicted to coffee so it wasn’t easy!

The Results

I definitely noticed my teeth getting whiter and brighter. My friends noticed my smile and none of my friends knew that I was whitening my teeth. I got some compliments like “Your teeth look really great – I don’t know why I’m just now noticing them” and “You have a really nice smile” – these from people I have known for years!

Yup yup. It was my Smile Brilliant smile that’s what! When I admitted I had been whitening my teeth they realized that was it! My smile looked brighter.

Unfortunately as excited as I was to capture the results on camera I was disappointed that I didn’t see a difference in photos! Same DSLR camera, same lighting and no editing whatsoever. To me, my teeth look the same in the before and after shots. Tell me what you think?

Possible reasons why I didn’t see dramatic results on camera:

I.COULD.NOT.CUT.DOWN.THE.COFFEE!

I tried letting the coffee cool and drinking it through a straw so it would have less contact with my teeth. I did that maybe twice because I would keep forgetting.

I confess that I drank coffee pretty much as often as I did before. Was I whitening them and then staining them again and the overall net balance was enough to notice in real life but not enough to notice in pictures? Inconclusive.

Overall I’m extremely happy with my results. I’m sorry I couldn’t depict that in a photograph – you’re just going to have to see it in person or try it out yourself.

Want to try it out?

Go to Smile Brilliant and use coupon code: coffeeandsweats20 for 20% off! Or you could….

Enter the Giveaway!

Enter to win a $149 credit at Smile Brilliant! Check out their T3 Sensitive System complete with 1 set of custom trays, 9 whitening applications and 9 desensitizing applications. All you need to do to enter is provide your name and email address. Contest open to all readers in United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia. Giveaway expires exactly one week from today on September 21st 2018. Go enter! It’s time to #SmileFearlessly

GIVEAWAY LINK

Professional Teeth Whitening

October 14, 2016 by: Nusrat

Cadillac Road to Runway : Fashion X Dallas

Last year, I had a great time at Cadillac’s Road to Table event. This year I attended Road to Runway as a guest of Cadillac and experienced the final night of Fashion X Dallas – a spectacular night of runway shows featuring local DFW designers as well as emerging designers from all over the world. I grabbed my fashion-obsessed sister as my plus one and we headed out. On the way to Fashion Industry Gallery, I test drove the new Cadillac CT6. I don’t know how they managed to fit 34 speakers into that car but the surround sound system was awesome. The rear camera mirror took some time to get used to but my favorite interior feature was the wireless phone charger. I’m always losing chargers. Or getting them all tangled up or not plugging it in properly!

As soon as we walked in we were handed a glass of Prosecco courtesy of Chloe Wine and browsed through some pop-up shops. We ended up spending most of our time in the VIP Lounge before the show started. A couple of drinks and Snaps later I realized that my phone is on 1% battery. Blogger fail! I told you I have issues plugging in the car phone charger all the way! So I jacked my sister’s phone and took over her Snapchat for the rest of the night. The show was such a gorgeous eye-catching display of creativity by every designer. I’m always in awe in the face of pure talent, I loved every minute of it.

photo credit Todd White Photography

Clearly, I didn’t want it to end.

We were chauffeured by Cadillac to the afterparty at Bungalow Beach Club. What followed was what usually goes down when I’m with my sister; I forgot that I’m a thirty-something mom and reverted back to my early twenties and partied my ass off. My body did not forgive me the next morning because I was in pain! Despite the old lady hangover, I was grateful to a be a part of yet another great event sponsored by Cadillac.

For my outfit, I paired a sequined black tank top and a studded pencil skirt with a terry moto jacket. Affiliate links posted below. View my disclosure policy here.

March 9, 2016 by: Nusrat

Yoga Flow & Glow Event

Last week I attended an event called Yoga Flow & Glow. It was a glow in the dark yoga class suitable for all fitness levels. I had to check it out.

The event was organized by Mind & Body Complete to raise funds for a non-profit ladies retreat center and was kindly hosted by CrossFit Remedy. Once I had checked in, I made my way towards the table full of glow in the dark items.

The organizers had thought of everything. Along with glow in the dark wrist bands, head bands, glasses, paint and paint brushes, they also supplied us with yoga mats, towels and bottles of water. There was a buzz in the air as everyone excitedly painted dots and stripes onto their bodies and posed for pictures. There was a steady stream of both men and women filing in and filling out their names on small forms for the raffle drawing later.

I had a few minutes before the class to look through the Lululemon showcase.

The room was getting warmer. It was being heated to between 80-90°F – not sweltering but warm enough to work up a sweat.

Shortly after, the lights were turned down and Yoga instructor Jennifer Dean promptly started the class. I know Jennifer from the CrossFit classes I take and knew she taught yoga but this was the first time I had her as a teacher. Though it was dark, her voice easily transitioned us from one position to the next.

photo credit Shannon Jamail

photo credit Shannon Jamail

As a newbie to yoga and not knowing the names of every position, I had no problems following along as Jennifer explained each step. I also loved her choice of music for the class – hello downward dogging it to Snoop Dogg! I was having so much fun, it wasn’t until the routine slowed down a bit that I realized my body was actually getting a great workout.

photo credit Shannon Jamail

What sets yoga apart from other forms of exercise is that it’s not just physical, but a combination of mental and spiritual disciplines as well. We ended the class with stretching and a meditation. Sometime while my eyes were closed, fragrant essential oils were sprayed around the room and the entire experience was extremely relaxing. The class ended and I felt completely renewed. Not at all how I’m used to feeling on a frantic weeknight!

After the class I got to chat with Shannon Jamail, the founder of Mind and Body Complete. She told me she had recently purchased land in Southern California and was raising funds to build a facility where women could attend retreats to focus on their health and wellness. Women too often, focus on everyone and everything else in their lives and don’t prioritize their own health. This resonated with me because I’m guilty of it too. The center would provide workshops for women to find balance and enable them to become better at doing amazing things. What a wonderful mission and I’m so glad I was able to help towards this goal. If you are interested in learning more about retreats being hosted around the country you can find them here. Also, figure out a way you can take me with you!

Have you ever attended a glow in the dark yoga event? I really enjoyed the class and I think I will be trying to make it out to a yoga class at least once a week from now on.

November 1, 2015 by: Nusrat

Cadillac Road to Table DFW

This post is in partnership with Cadillac

Pictures without the CoffeeandSweats watermark were taken by photographer James Edward, who was kind enough to let me use them for this post. Check out his talents here.

You know that moment when you have an event to attend but looking outside you see sheets of rain coming down? Well, when it’s the exclusive Cadillac Road to Table event that moment tells you to head out! Thankfully when we arrived at The Eberhard we were greeted with friendly smiles and big umbrellas. Cadillac had taken the weather into consideration and provided us with this extra service to get us in nice and dry.

The sixty-five foot bar at The Eberhard

Me telling Rambo to hurry up while smiling at the same time.

Me trying to smile while telling Rambo to hurry up.

Following registration, we were ushered outside to a parking lot full of Cadillac’s awaiting us.

2016 Cadillac Escalades on a rainy night

We experienced the 2016 Cadillac ATS Sedan as Rambo test drove it through town, all the way to our next destination – LOCAL restaurant. Once inside, I admired the sleek minimalist design, coupled with the comforting character of an exposed brick wall. A restaurant must please all of the senses not just taste, and LOCAL set the ambiance very well.

LOCAL restaurant

After we were seated at our table, Chef Tracy Miller came in and introduced herself and welcomed us to the restaurant. She prepared a delectable three-course dinner for us complete with wine pairings.

Chef Tracy Miller

Yes, this Honey Spice Cake deserves its own picture. I’m still thinking about it.

Our dinner companions were a lot of fun and we had a great time utilizing the selfie stick!

photo credit @ivynmcquain

After dinner, we were escorted to the after party in a 2016 Platinum Edition Cadillac Escalade. A few of my favorite features about this luxurious car:

Head up Display – where information like speed and navigation is projected onto the windshield in front of the driver so your eyes can stay on the road.

Wireless Charging – so you can charge your phone and other electronics on the center console anytime the vehicle is running without any cords to fuss with.

Ultimate Front Seat – Driver and Front Passenger seats with multidirectional massaging action. Basically, they are massage chairs! Who wants to ride shotgun?

The after party was back at the Eberhard at the overlooking Mezzanine.

View of Mezzanine from the DJ booth

It was a great night out with delicious food, fun new friends, and luxurious cars. I think it’s time to upgrade the minivan!