Becoming a mom did not diminish my fondness of beauty products, so trying out new ones is especially fun for me. If said beauty products include natural ingredients, do what they promise and are affordable, then I become a fan. Such was the case with the Nuance Salma Hayek hair and beauty line, which I got to experience recently during a very pampering and relaxing event at the posh Mandarin Oriental spa in Miami.

As I looked through the wide selection of nail polishes to pick the perfect one for my pedicure, I learned that the line’s creator, famous Mexican actress Salma Hayek, specifically left out of the formulations any chemicals that could potentially harm her daughter. My own little princess is obsessed with changing her nail colors frequently and I am always concerned about avoiding toluene, DBP and formaldehyde, so this is a huge selling point for me. The Nuance Nail Lacquers also are very affordable, retailing for $5.99 at CVS/pharmacy.

I ended up choosing Sienna Red, a bright coral that’s all the rage for Spring and Summer. My toes are now ready for the warm weather!

Next stop was the hairstyling station. There my curls were tamed and styled using Nuance Salma Hayek’s hair serum, sea salt spray (for texture) and finally, some hair spray to seal the soft waves without frizz. All of the products smelled delicious, were light and for me, it was great to learn they are sulfate and paraben free. I cannot wait to try the curling cream on those days that I let my curls run free.

Finally, I tried the Super Brightening hand cream ($9.99) and now I’m obsessed with it. It’s rich but also absorbs very fast, while leaving hands silky soft. Since I frequently wash my hands, my skin dries out quite easily, so from now on I’m carrying this hand cream in my bag at all times. It has shea butter, honey and evening primrose and also has a light and fresh scent.

The Nuance Salma Hayek hair and beauty line is sold exclusively at CVS stores. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out on high quality yet affordable products. Plus, they are not tested on animals.

Disclosure: Jeannette attended a CVS/pharmacy event for the Nuance Salma Hayek beauty line on behalf of modernmami.com. She received complimentary treatments and samples to try out the products. All thoughts and opinions are her own.

Photo © Jeannette Kaplun

It’s been two weeks since I attended the Blogalicious 2012 conference in Las Vegas and what a great conference it was! I may be a little biased since I helped the Blogalicious team organize the agenda and speakers, but overall and aside from that, I truly enjoyed this year’s conference. It was great to feel such a sense of community, reconnect with bloggers I hadn’t seen in a while, and meet new ones!

I was able to enjoy various aspects of the conference, including several sessions, sharing my views on the Community Jam session, attending sponsored events, and even some networking. Sometimes sitting in the hall near the session rooms chatting with fellow bloggers is just enough. Great conversations and ideas begin that way.

I also chatted with a few of the bloggers about CVS/pharmacy, a partial sponsor of my Blogalicious trip. After sharing that I had partnered with CVS for the conference, I asked them what they like about CVS/pharmacy. Here’s what a few of them had to say:

• Denisse Icaza from Ahorros Para Mamá said, “I love CVS! I like how easy it is to save money there using coupons and the ExtraCare Rewards program. The program is so easy to use and understand, that when people want to start using coupons I always tell them to start learning at CVS“.
• “I like the discounts I can get with my ExtraCare card. I also like the convenience of the MinuteClinic when I need it. It’s been a sanity saver more than once.” Christie Glascoe Crowder, {chatterbox christie}
• Dariela Cruz of Mami Talks shared: “I love to go to CVS because it’s a one-stop with a great range of products from pharmacy needs to household items or kids’ school supplies! I also love the fact that now they have ATMs!”

Personally, CVS is convenient, something that is very helpful when you have two young kids as I do. It’s really easy to stop in on my way home for a gallon of milk, a necessary product that we seem to run out of quite often due to baby boy.

Blogalicious had a great vibe this year and from what I’ve heard from other attendees, just about everyone felt the same way. When a group of people share an interest and work together to further a community and industry, it shows. But, more so, it renews people’s energy, sparks creativity, and promotes collaboration. I feel Blogalicious 2012 did just that for our community of bloggers.

Did you attend Blogalicious this year or follow along from home? What was your major take-away from this year’s conference?

Disclosure: CVS/pharmacy supported my trip to Blogalicious 2012 as a sponsor. As always, all experiences, stories, and views are my own.

All photos © Eric Payne Photography and Be Blogalicious

It’s been nearly two years since I visited the doctor for a physical or wellness check. I know this because baby boy will be two years old in December and I know that except for my yearly visit to the gynecologist, I haven’t seen a doctor since he was born. Shame on me, right? But, when was the last time you went for a routine checkup? I’m willing to bet it’s been a while too since I know we all get caught up in our everyday lives and forget to care for ourselves.

My husband is even worse than I am. He pretty much only visits a doctor when he believes there’s something wrong. I am constantly urging him to visit the doctor, but he rarely listens to me and mostly waits until he’s feeling really sick or the symptom is extreme.

The thing is that both of us have health insurance coverage and have no real excuse to not get checked up. I often think about this since there are members in my extended family that have no health insurance and the first thing they think about when they get sick is the cost of self-paying. So, routine wellness visits are pretty much non-existent for them. Fortunately, we do not have this issue.

Since August is National Immunization Awareness Month, CVS/pharmacy’s Project Health program (Proyecto Salud in Spanish) is offering free health screening events in various cities across the nation. These health screenings are focused on vaccination reviews, but also include glucose, blood pressure and BMI checks for individuals who have difficulty in accessing preventive care.

If you live in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC, you can visit a CVS near you to see about a free health screening. Additionally, every Friday in August is Flu Voucher Friday, meaning you can get a voucher for a free flu shot from your local CVS/pharmacy. I actually wish this program was offering screenings here in Orlando so that my parents and other family could take advantage and get themselves checked out.

When was the last time you had a routine physical or wellness check?

No compensation was received for this post.

Photo: Katy Warner/Flickr