Earth Day Specials & Freebies

 Origins is offering a special freebie on Earth Day, today Thursday April 22nd. It’s called their “Trade-in One Day” promotion & you can bring in any current skincare bottle (any brand & it can be full or empty) and they will trade it in for a NEW full-size bottle of their face wash or antioxidant cleanser for FREE.  You can choose from Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash (5 fl oz) or a Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser with White Tea (5 fl oz). You can go to any US Origins retail location or department store counter to make this exchange, while supplies last, on Thursday 4/22. 

Guess where I'm headed after work!

click HERE to go to Haute Look

and see all of their Earth Day Offerings, including those awesome steel SIGG bottles (including the kid-sized ones!) that last forever and ever and kick plastic's hiney!

BUMPITS!

Bumpits (light brown works in my auburn hair)  

The first time I saw these advertised on tv, I was awestruck. Now I too could have That Girl hair! While I was ridiculed by both the husband and a friend of mine who's a hairdresser for purchasing these, I just HAD to know if they really worked. Well slap my face and call me Shirley. These things RAWK. I have baby fine hair that sits flat dab on me noggin, but these gave me incredible lift without 2 cans of hairspray and enough backcombing to make me bald when brushing it out. The teeny one doesn't really do much more than give the appearance of a little extra body, I could do without that one. The other 2 are great though. The biggest one gave me Brigitte Bardot hair! I felt so sexy that I gazed lovingly at myself in the mirror throughout the night.

Now with my fine hair, I did have to do a little extra work with the (included!) comb and some hairspray to completely cover the Bumpit. It takes some practice to get just right, the first few times I tried it, the comb fell out. The video I'm attaching only shows styles where they pull the hair back to hold it in place, but I found that it stayed in for hours with only occasional adjustment without having to do that. On YouTube there are instructional videos to help you perfect your technique. For $9.99, these are definitely worth it.

(Though admittedly, the commercial is a bit cheesy.....)

Urban Decay at SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT off and MORE!

click HERE to go to Haute Look and see the 75% off Urban Decay. Seriously. I think I need the defibulator.

They also have Gucci Sunglasses at 50-70% off

Michael Kors at up to 75 % off

And my beloved Demeter at 50% off!

Solid Silver Monogram Necklace Contest

Etsy It Up is giving one lucky winner this monogrammed necklace! (with your own initials, of course....)

Anniversarypalooza

 What did I wear to my fancy pants dinner at The Old Warsaw in Dallas, you ask? With my black dress with satin violet straps and sash I used......

Lancome Sensational Effects Eye Shadow in

Drape 

Camisole 

The New Black

As always, Lancome shadows are as dependable as a Volvo. I love how the new black is really rich but not so much that it makes your eyes disappear. Drape is VERY light, so you really want to save this for a highlighter. The depth of Camisole really brings out the violet shimmer in it though. These three go together like milk and cookies.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Color in Flawless is purely a clear polish. I actually bought it on accident, meaning to purchase a base/top coat, but I decided to keep it after I decided that it was nice to go color free sometimes without my nails being totally bare. It gives you that shiny buffed nails look, like you're a mobster. Despite their claims of it being chip free, I find it starting to chip within a few days. If this were a color I'd probably feel a bit letdown.

Stila Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain

Oy, vey. This stuff is a mixed bag. While I know it's world renowned and everyone loves it, I find that it dries my lips out like nobody's business if I don't put a balm or gloss on over it. I adore the naturally rosy lips effect and the bee stung look you get, but I MUST put something on over it or I feel like I've got chalk on my mouth.

As far as cheeks go, you have to put it on a teeny tiny bit at a time because it dries almost instantly. I use this on purpose for that effect though for the occasional artsy china-doll-cheeks thing.

Sephora Glitter Lashes in Silver

Allright, I know the picture is of the gold, but I wore the silver. I love this applicator style, though I do think you get a bit ripped off on how much product you get- though in this case it's a moot point since Sephora sells these for only five bucks. I wore this as a liner on my top lid and with the black and purple eyes it looked FABULOUS! One problem- you have to keep your eyes closed until it dries, because it will get everywhere.  When I say everywhere, I also mean in your eyes where you will feel like you have demonic microscopic trolls doing a jig on your retinas. My eyes started watering so badly I was afraid I was going to have to start over. OUCH!
(As I have stated previously in regards to the gold- this doesn't work for crap on your lashes- stick to using it as a liner.)

Dior Addict 2 Eau de Toilette

Oh, baby! This is the cat's pajamas! I am so in love with this scent. It's perfect for a romantic evening and subtle enough to wear to dinner and not gag on the taste. It lasts a really good long time on me- when we were going to sleep that night the hubby commented on how I still smelled amazing hours after application. LOVE LOVE LOVE this.

Dior Addict 2
Dior Addict 2 begins with a sparkling, alluring burst of fresh femininity, like a sweet bubble of optimism and energy. Crisp, clean notes of bergamot, grapefruit, and orange mingle with fresh floral notes and ripe fruits, soothed with warm sandalwood and white musk - this is Dior's baby doll. Notes:
Bergamot, Grapefruit, Orange, Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Lotus Flower, Pineapple, Watermelon, Grenadine, Sandalwood, White Musk.
Style:
Free-spirited. Feminine. Glamorous.

Win A Pair Of Earrings that are ALL the Hollywood rage!

Mom's Best Bets

is currently giving away a pair of earring to die for! 

"Kyler by Joy O creates sustainable designer necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with eco-friendly incentives driving material choices, and so, design. Her contemporary style and focus on nature in her design and shape, brings life to her collections."Designing her jewelry is an intricate art—while Joy lets the materials guide her, her meticulous workmanship is also architecturally influenced"
Joy finds inspiration from the materials she uses, from nature, and from the ongoing life of her jewelry. Her pieces have an evocative aesthetic, as Joy allows the small details of objects in life to guide her design. Using recycled stainless steel, black zinc, recycled sterling silver, recycled 14 karat gold fill, and 24 karat gold plating along with recycled artisan glass accents ensures the durability, sustainability, and heirloom quality of all of her pieces.

All Kyler designs are made 100% in the US. Their plating vendor uses cyanide-free chemistry and eco-friendly processing. Their designs are accented with partially recycled glass, a virtually infinitely recyclable material, and made by trained artisans in fair trade working conditions.

Also, their packaging products are made from reusable and recyclable recycled paper, and shipping boxes are certified cradle-to-cradle. Kyler designs strive for all aspects of their business to be sustainable. Kyler by Joy O supports charitable causes such as environmental rehabilitation, women's heart health, breast cancer awareness and research, and alleviating hunger in the US"

 

 

Earth Week beauty FAQ

What it Means
100% Natural means the products are sourced from plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Check the seal to be sure, but most likely if it’s natural you’ll be avoiding ingredients such as synthetic chemicals like parabens, pthlatates, sulfates, petrochemicals, GMOs, fragrances and dyes.

What it Means
Certified Organic is one step beyond 100% Natural. So they’ve got those Natural ingredients as mentioned above, but have also passed the test of a regulatory agency which means the only ingredients included are grown organically. No pesticides. No fertilizers. To make it easy on yourself, make sure to look out for the seal of approval: 

70% Made with Certified Organic Ingredients
A USDA-accredited certifying agent grants this seal to products with at least 70% organic ingredients. May contain some synthetic ingredients.

95% USRDA Organic
When you see this seal, you can be assure the U.S. Department of Agriculture has guaranteed that this product contains at least 95% organic ingredients. 

95% U.K. Soil Association
When you see this seal, this means the U.K. Soil Association has certified these products also contain at least 95% organic ingredients. The U.K. Soil Association Seal certifies products contain at least 95% organic ingredients. 

What it Means
If your skin is sensitive to preservatives like parabens, then you may want to choose products with paraben-free formulas. These products do not contain any parabens, including methyparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, isobutylparaben, isopropylparaben, benzylparaben and their sodium salts. Look for the seal to easily identify these products. 

What it Means
If a product is deemed Vegan, you can be positive that there are absolutely no animal-derived ingredients in the product. Animal or insect by-products to avoid are lanolin, shellac, honey, beeswax, musk, and squalene.

What it Means
A note about “Certified Cruelty Free” – those words aren’t always proof positive— the only way to be sure is if the brand is gifted by the seal of Leaping Bunny or PETA. 

Leaping Bunny
For a product to be certified by Leaping Bunny, it means absolutely no new animal testing is used in any phase of product development by the company, its laboratories, or suppliers.

PETA
A PETA seal ensures that the companies do not conduct or commission any animal tests on ingredients, formulations, or finished products – and never will. 

What it Means
The practices of Environmentally Responsible brands include using sustainable ingredients, packaging from managed forests or recycled packaging, alternative energy, fair trade or co-op farms. The greener the operation, the cleaner the air and healthier the planet.