Influenced: 7 Recent Purchases + Honest Reviews

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I can’t deny it - I spend too much time on Instagram. As a SAHM sometimes it feels like the only people I get to talk to are the ones in my phone.

With that being the case, I am also subject to A LOT of targeted ads and sponsored content. Some of those ads have resonated with me enough to purchase the products.

Here are 7 recent purchases and my honest reviews of each.

Grillo Pickles (7/10)

Lauren McBride shared these pickles recently and raved about them. I am a pickle person so when I saw them at Costco, I gave them a shot. No doubt they are great pickles, but the plain flavor is only marginally better than typical store-bought ones. I do like how you can see all the herbs floating in the liquid. It makes the flavor more intense. I am excited to try the spicy ones - maybe those will blow my mind.

Buy them at Amazon, Target, or Whole Foods.

Gimme Beauty Hair Ties (10/10)

I struggle with losing my hair ties and also feeling like hair ties are pulling my hair out constantly. I had seen ad after ad for these hair ties. After visiting the site, I saw that one pack is $12 but with all the coupon codes available, it came to $8. I figured I would give it a shot.

These hair ties are AMAZING. I have tried them every which way - running, swimming, stretching them out, letting my kids play with them - and they still have great elasticity. I struggled to understand how these ties could be better than all the Goody ones I grab at Target, but it is the material that makes them great. If you have a baby girl, the elastic is kind of like the material that goes around her head on the tiny hair bows.

Olive and June (9/10)

I am a tried and true Essie gel couture kind of girl. That stuff lasts, and honestly it still reign supreme. Olive and June is a close second. Whereas Essie gel couture will last a full 7 days chip free, Olive and June will get me 5 maybe 6.

Where the Olive and June brand really stands out is the brush. It is the perfect width to control it easily and glide smoothly. In addition to that, Olive and June is “ 7-free which means [it is] free of the seven harmful chemicals commonly found in nail polishes including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, TPHP or xylene.”

If I see a color that I like only available in Olive and June, I wouldn’t hesitant to buy this again.

Available at Olive and June and a limited selection at Target.

THE Amazon Nightgown Dress (2/10)

The dress was all over the place. It was supposed to be chic but cozy. I beg to differ.

I tried to make this work. I tried to feel chic, but I couldn’t shake the bag lady vibes. I could see this working well on a very tall and very thin woman. I am neither, so it went back. But the quality was very good.

Boyfriend Jeans (6/10)

Same story here. I wanted to give off that nonchalant, cool mom vibe with the added bonus of not needing to shave my legs. I got these boyfriend jeans from Amazon, and all things considered it was a good experience. They had a good amount of distressing, enough elastic for me to bend to pick up kids, and no weird jeans smell.

My body just wasn’t made for this style. For it to look effortless and chic I would have to do my hair to make the look more feminine, and I’m just not ready to commit to that.

Again, very tall and very thin women - this may be for you!

DivvyUp Socks (10/10)

These are the socks that are advertised heavily around Father’s Day with all the kids faces on them. I thought, why not?! And they do not disappoint. The quality is good and the colors are vibrant. My kids get a kick out of seeing themselves and my husband loves to wear them. Win-win. Highly recommend.

You can also customize with your company logo or purchase some designs of their own too.

Equilibria CBD (9/10)

I have been dealing with enough anxiety that I wanted to try something, but not enough that I feel like I need to seek outside help. (Side bar: There is nothing wrong with seeking outside help. Always talk to someone if you need help.) After seeing ads highlighting the calming effects of CBD, I decided to use another coupon code to give it a shot.

I was torn between the oil and the soft gels but I went with the oil thinking that it would have a more immediate effect which is appealing to me as someone whose anxiety sneaks up and hits them on the head quickly. At the first sign of anxiety, I grab my dropper and take about half the dropper. (Equilibria offers guidance on determining dosage once you get your package.)

I wouldn’t say that I feel much relief in the moment. Where I do see A LOT of improvement is in my quality of sleep. I sleep far more soundly when I take CBD in the late afternoon or early evening than if I do not take any.

The only big drawback for me is that the oil irritates my throat a bit. If I purchase again (this is honestly a luxury product for me not a necessity so my budget will determine if I purchase again), I would opt for the soft gels.