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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Jingle in July

I can use some jingle (or a LOT) in my pocket in this hot month. 

Major giveaway:

Hellow Summer $1000 Cash Giveaway ends 7/24

Win $50 PayPal or Amazon from Face & Fitness. ends 7/31

Win $50 Visa from living smart girl. ends 7/26

Win $25 PayPal from IceFairy's Treasure Chest . ends 7/31

Produce for Kids has launched its annual Get Healthy, Give Hope campaign with 16 major supermarket chains across the country, including your local Price Chopper stores, to help raise money for local children’s hospitals. Win $25 Grocery GC from  She Scribes . ends 7/22

Win $25 Visa and Ice Age pack from Go Graham Go. ends 7/19
Win $25 Visa and Ice Age pack from She Scribes. ends 7/16 
Win $25 Visa from Cable Mover and She Scribes. ends 7/16 


Win $50 AmEx GC from  Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House and AMDRO. ends 7/1

Win one of two $50 Gas Cards from The Art of Random Willy-Nillyness and AutoZone ends 7/21

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Win $150 Target GC from BlogHer & 3M 0629

 

3M Family Movie Fun Sweepstakes

Win $150 Target GC

We invited 15 bloggers to try host a movie night using the 3M Mobile Projector. Visit the links below to read their reviews and enter to win a $150 Target gift card. 3M Mobile Projectors are available at Target. Check out the 3M Mobile Projector website to learn more and find special offers.
The BlogHer 3M Family Movie Fun sweepstakes run from 5/21/12 through 6/2912 and are only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here to read the official rules. Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!
Every Friday is Family Night, and this 3M™ Mobile Projector is going to be a regular part of our Friday nights from now on. This past Friday, I was at my sister’s house working on her laundry room re-do. While I was working I hooked up the 3M Projector to my iPhone and put it on the dresser in the guest room. The 3M Projector can be plugged into an outlet for power but it also holds up to a two-hour charge.
We have so many plans for it! We have a big party planned for the neighborhood soon. And we used it in our bedroom when one of our kids wasn't feeling well. He was quarantined so he watched a movie on our wall. But the idea I am sharing today is a homemade drive-in movie theater!
But before the 3M Mobile Projector made its way to the Father and Son camp-out we played around with it at home. We projected it off of our walls and our ceilings, which was incredible. We have high ceilings and the detail and color of the picture was great! We were able to gather around and laugh at funny YouTube videos rather than have all five of our heads squished together around the small iPad screen.

Two Hours of Quiet

So we (meaning me!) nixed that idea and instead got creative. We bought a movie through iTunes and projected it onto our basement wall and created a little movie theater for the kids, and they loved it. (They loved it not only for the novelty of it, but also because I've been in strong no-TV-mode for the last few weeks and they were having major screen-time pangs.  
When it arrived, the kids and I all had our own ideas on how to use it. In fairness, we decided try it together as a family. We grabbed some snacks and gathered in the boys' room to watch a photo slideshow of our recent Disney vacation. It was a really fun way to view our vacation photos on the "big screen." The kids were so excited when they realized now they can watch movies anywhere, even outside. 
But all that has changed with the new 3M™ Mobile Projector. It's a small mobile projector that allows big-screen viewing of your content just about anywhere. It projects onto walls, ceilings, anything you can turn into a big screen. You can watch YouTube videos, slideshow photos, TV content and movies via iTunes. I can't wait to use it all summer long for slumber parties and outdoor campouts. The kids can all get in their sleeping bags and I can project a movie right on the side of our house.
We have an outdoor movie party every year at the end of summer. We provide every kind of topping you can imagine and our guests bring their favorite kinds of ice cream. In the past we've borrowed a projector, but now we have the 3M™ Mobile Projector! It's small and portable and hooks up to an iTouch, iPod, iPad or even my laptop -- amazing!
This fun gadget is going to be getting a lot of use. Movie-theater-themed parties, photo slide shows for birthdays, keeping the kids entertained before bedtime while the adults have a game night. And because the projector is completely portable and can be charged ahead of time, I am not limited to having these fun activities inside my home where an outlet is available. I could even take it camping and watch a movie on my tent wall! Now that is my kind of camping! It is like having my own mobile movie theater. 
Wow! That was so much fun! We need to do that again. Those are the things we were saying at the end of the night last night. We had just finished enjoying an entirely new experience. We watched a movie on a huge screen in our own backyard.
I think we may need a bigger treehouse. Or perhaps it's just right, nice and cozy, where everyone is touching at least 2 other people, or more, if that person's name happens to be momma. I put Drummer to bed, Ryan whipped up a big plate of chocolate pancakes to be eaten without fork OR plate, and we shooed the baby dills up the tree with pillow and blanket where a movie projected on a pillowcase was waiting for them: Treehouse Movie Night

When my husband heard that we were getting a 3M™ Mobile Projector for our movie night he was impressed. But when I let him get it out of the box and set it up, he was like a kid in a candy store. He kept saying "This is really cool, this is so cool." (Boys and technology!) But it is a really cool gadget (the whole room was pretty impressed).
My boys are so excited to use our 3M Mobile Projector this summer! Camping, slumber parties, and family movie nights just became that much more fun. If your kiddos (or husband, ahem) are into gaming, the projector will connect to DVD and gaming consoles with an additional 3M Composite Cable. With the right cable, you can also project angry birds from your phone right onto your wall! Keep it in mind for Father's Day, ladies.
Do you ever find a product that just takes you to another time and place the minute you use it? Where just turning it on brings a wave of nostalgia and gives you warm and fuzzy feelings? The 3M™ mobile projector did that for me! I may have squealed when I opened it, and again when I started it up. It just takes me back to days where people would sit around watching old home movies on a sheet hung on the living room wall. Fun times!
As a mother and family person I am excited to be able to share home movies, YouTube videos and slideshow photos with my family and friends.My kids love LOVE being outside. The 3M mobile projector is great for lazy summer movie watching while lying on the trampoline. We simply projected the movie from our iPad onto the fence. It was a neighborhood hit!

Well This Is Cool!

With the handy-dandy 3M projector we can now spread out on the floor or couch and project our 14-inch computer screen onto a 40-inch screen on the ceiling or wall. Come summer we will be using the side of our house! Oh how nice

Win $100 Visa from BlogHer & ZICO 0630

ZICO Reviews and Giveaways

 Each winner will receive a $100 VISA gift card and a case of ZICO Coconut Water- ends 6/30

This BlogHer sweepstakes runs from June 4, 2012 to June 30, 2012 and is only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older.  Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. To read the Official Rules, click here. Good luck!
I’ve always been a fan of Almond Joy chocolate bars, but not until recently did I realize that coconut was more than just something awesome inside of my candy bar. Recently, I’ve been using pure coconut oil as an overnight deep conditioning treatment on my hair twice a week. My damaged, color-treated hair feels smoother and more moisturized and my split ends are jumping for joy at the extra TLC the coconut oil provides.
As a runner who likes to DREAM BIG I am all about trying to find the next best thing that is going to help me get an edge during training. In order to achieve my dreams - I can't just rely on running miles to get there. I need to think about my nutrition and hydration strategy as a key component to realizing my 3:05 dream! No matter how hard I try to stay hydrated it is something I struggle with. If you want to read about what happens to me when I am not hydrated during a marathon check out my race recap from Boston Marathon 2011. After that race I took hydrating seriously.
It’s no secret that I live a pretty sweaty existence. Between teaching and practicing hot yoga, running and CrossFit, most days require multiple showers and outfit changes. But it’s not just staying clean and dry that I have to pay attention to due to my high activity level, I also have to be mindful of proper hydration and fueling. When you sweat as much and as long as I do it become important to also think about electrolyte replacement. I have tried many solutions from powders to tablets to sports drinks but lately I’ve been loving coconut water as a natural alternative.

ZICO - Juice of Winners!

I remember when I first fell in love with ZICO coconut water. I had the flu and was facing a marathon less than a week away. I felt dehydrated and weak so I stocked up at Whole Foods: herbal teas, healing vitamins and ZICO coconut water. The potassium and electrolytes had me feeling much better. I never got to 100% for the race, but I did finish it feeling hydrated and oh so much more alive. Since that race I've used ZICO coconut water any time I need to be at the top of my games or when I want a natural, refreshing treat.
We have all seen the scene in a movie a dozen times. Someone crawls up the beach, sunburned and in tattered clothes, dehydrated and about to succumb to the elements. Then they find a coconut and all is well. Until recently I just hocked that up to cinematic fiction, but, come to find out, coconut water (the liquid inside a you g coconut) is pretty amazing stuff. For one, It contains 5 electrolytes, which makes it a great way to stay hydrated on a deserted island or a hot summer day. But I know from personal experience in my kitchen that coconuts can be a huge pain to open!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Need to Cool Off

Too darn hot.  Need something cool. How about a Frosty from Wendy's?

Ice Fairy's Treasure Chest is offering a $10 GC to Wendy's. ends 6/20

Moms review it for you  is offering a $10 GC to Wendy's. ends 6/26

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Amazon is Amazing!

You can get almost anything there. So I keep wanting to win Amazon GCs.

Frugal Follies is giving away a $50 Amazon GC. ends 7/26

1st Prize- $50 Amazon GC and A $50 Walmart GC. 2nd Place- $50 Amazon GC  from Sarah's Blog of Fun. ends 7/25

Win a $20 Amazon GC from Hardly a Housewife. ends 7/22


JMan & Miller Bug has $100 Amazon. ends 6/18

Henderson Properties is offering:

$200 Amazon Gift Certificate Giveaway ends 7/20

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Win $100 Walmart GC from BlogHer 0615


Bloggers reveal their favorite summer moments and how Nestlé® Drumstick® cones are a classic summer treat to share with their family and friends.  Click on the posts below to read their reviews of the new flavors and enter to win a $100 Walmart gift card.
Check out the new Nestlé Drumstick flavors: Drumstick Pretzel Dippers and Lil’ Drums Caramel Delights in Vanilla Caramel Crunch and Caramel Graham cones!
The BlogHer Summer Fun sweepstakes run from 5/14/12 through 6/15/12 and are only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here to read the official rules Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

Summer in Texas: Ice Cream & Cannonballs

I don’t need a calendar to tell me that summer is nearly here. The days get longer, the electric bill skyrockets, we enjoy weekend lunches by the pool, evenings are capped with dinner and a beautiful sunset on the patio, and the neighborhood kids get louder with each passing day as they pile off the school bus. They know that there’s an end in sight.I totally remember those days. Nearly two years ago, we decided that we just couldn’t take another Texas summer without a swimming pool. We loaded up our 8 month old daughter and moved to the suburbs. 
Summer is by far my favorite season. There are just so many outdoor activities to be done, so many baseball games to be seen, and so many sprinklers to be run through. Also? A whole lot of ice cream cones to be eaten!Nestlé recently put out some new Nestlé® Drumstick® flavors and I could not be more excited about them. Their Pretzel Dipped Drumstick Cones might just be the best thing that's happened to me all year. They are just like the classic dipped Drumsticks but have pretzel pieces mixed into chocolatey coating! 

A Drumstick A Day

Growing up, my summers were spent with my family at the Jersey Shore. Long days at the beach ended with a visit to our condo pool. They were quite the enjoyable worry-free summers, to say the least. These days, though, life doesn’t let me escape to the beach or pool in the summertime as much as I’d like. As as young professional working and living in New York City, my friends and I have to find ways to bring our fun summer activities to us. Sometimes it’s going somewhere for brunch where we can enjoy our meal outdoors.
With summer quickly approaching, I thought today I would share my love for Nestle Drumsticks with you lovely peeps!! Lets be serious, this girl loves ice cream! And I prefer ice cream cones! I'd much rather grab an ice cream cone on the go than have to make a bowl of ice cream so I'm a Drumstick girl all the way! Drumsticks will forever remind me of summer and my childhood. Summers in Houston are miserably hot so for as long as I can remember, Drumsticks have been my ice cream cone of choice for a nice summer snack! 
We are inching closer and closer to summer here in Ohio. We keep getting little glimpses of it, an 80 degree day here, an 85 degree day there. It is just enough to break out the shorts, open up the windows and stick toes in the grass. This weekend, we did just that. Off we went to spend some time with the cousins. It was nothing special, just some time playing on the swing set and enjoying this gorgeous weather. We parents got to sit on the deck with the little ones and watch the boys having a blast.
Ice cream is an almost nightly thing in my house all year long. But in the Summer, it is an afternoon AND nightly thing in my house. As a kid, I always favored Nestle Drumsticks. There was always something magical about the chocolate coated scoop of ice cream, and the hidden chocolate in the bottom of the cone. I remember so many warm evenings when the ice cream truck came by, and I'd count my change in hopes that I had enough for a coveted Drumstick. I love to share nostalgic memories like that with my son.
Do you remember that period of sweet innocence - you know that period of time when your firstborn is too small to realize two things: 1. That the ice cream truck that drives by your home actually is carrying ice cream and isn't just the 'crazy music truck' that you sweetly explain that it is, and 2. That you hope that the toddler is sleeping soundly before the 'crazy music truck' comes by so you can go get a Drumstick for yourself and totally not have to share! Yeah, those blissful ice cream hoarding years clearly don't last long enough.  
When I was a little girl, my cousins and I would spend our days playing outdoors, anxiously awaiting the jingling melody which announced the arrival of the most important part of summer: the ice cream man. I have no idea what the ice cream man offered because creature of habit that I am, I always got the same thing: a Nestle Drumstick. Once, I fleetingly entertained the idea of a multi colored popsicle shaped like a rocket but didn't go through with it. My dollar was reserved for a drumstick.

The Sweet Taste of Summer

With the cold and rainy days never ending, and summer still a couple months away, to warm my chilly bones I like to daydream about summer memories from my childhood. My sisters and I grew up right down the street from my cousins and every year we looked forward to those three months of summer that we could run around outside and spend every minute of daylight riding bikes, swinging on swings, swimming in the creek, building forts and doing whatever else our little hearts desired.  
We consider Summer vacation pure magic around this house. Birthdays are great and Christmas is fun, but Summer is probably our favorite time of year. We have a lot of traditions that include staying up late, swimming everyday, and eating a lot of frozen treats. Nestle Drumsticks were a family favorite in my house growing up and the same went for my husband’s family, so they frequently make an appearance when we are enjoying summer fun.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Win $100 Visa from Simply Cranberry & BlogHer 0606

Bloggers are Sweet on Simply CranberryTM Cocktail. Enter to Win $100 Visa! ends 6/6

Get Creative and Assemble Your Own Delicious Drink!

I love to throw a party--a full-out themed birthday party or a simple dinner party. I love the creative process involved, and I love spending time with people I love with good food and drink. At our house good drink is non-alcoholic. At a party I recently hosted our good drink was fruit juice. I love having my guests get involved with the food, and so I love to do "food bars or drink bars" where the guests actually assemble their own food.
As you can see from the picture below, the only juice in the Steece household is from Simply Orange Juice Company. So when I was presented with the opportunity to review the brand new Simply Cranberry™ Cocktail ~ I jumped at the chance!
I recently got the opportunity to host a Girls' Night In party, so I asked my friend Tracey if she would like to help me out by having the party at her house. She has a beautiful dining room, and she was more than ready to get it spruced up for spring. The party was just the ticket to inspire her to bring out her spring accessories.
With the weather being so nice lately and the feeling of spring in the air, the kids and I decided to throw a fun "Spring is Here!" party for their little friends and mine too! This party was the perfect opportunity to try Simply Cranberry™ Cocktail as the color really made for a great drink presentation, and the simple nature of the ingredients (plus no added preservatives) made it perfect for me to serve it to all the kids who came. 
I love getting together for dinner with my extended family! We always have the best time catching up over some of the yummiest culinary creations. At our most recent family shin-dig, I was in charge of the cocktail hour.
As a busy and single twenty-something living in New York City, one of my favorite things to do is have dinner then hit the town with my girlfriends. Sometimes instead of going to one of our favorite restaurants, though, it’s nice to spend the evening at home and have a relaxing dinner before heading out for the rest of the night. Last week my best friends Jessi, Erica, and I did just that. We all met at my apartment after a long day of work, and I greeted them with a Cranberry Lime Mocktail.  

Cranberry and Kumquat Cocktails - Simply Yummy!

I am sure it has to do with the fact that it is made with not-from-concentrate cranberry juice, has no added preservatives, and is kept chilled from the time it's blended until you pick it out of the refrigerated section of your grocery store, but my kids don't really care why it tastes better, they just enjoy the mix of sweet and tart that makes for one great glass of cranberry juice cocktail. 

Cranberry Pineapple Sorbet Recipe

A few weeks ago I had a cranberry party. The Simply Cranberry Cocktail people (through BlogHer) contacted me and asked if I'd like to throw a dinner party and use their new Simply Cranberry Cocktail as a springboard for the menu-planning.

Celebrating Spring with Cranberry Goodness!

My craving for cranberry juice peaks as the daffodils start poking through the snow each spring. Its refreshing tartness was my beverage of choice after both of our girls were born in the early springtime, and I can't help seeking it out this time of year. Sometimes I mix it with lemon-lime soda for a bubbly spritzer. But mostly I drink it straight-up, in all its bright puckery goodness.  Read more
It was nothing extravagant, but time with family is always special and my family, in particular, is fun. And because I'm not known for my cooking and baking skills, my husband went to our favorite Cupcakery, Velvet and picked out a dozen of our favorite flavors. With the deliciously rich cupcakes though, I decided to add Simply Cranberry Cocktail to the champagne to give our taste buds a little lift.

Win $100 Target GC from BlogHer & Target 0630

Sonia Kashuk and Target partnered with BlogHer - ends 6/30


The BlogHer Beauty Designer Reviews Program Sweepstakes run from 6/4/12 through 6/30/12 and are only open to individuals who, at the time of entry deadline, are legal residents of the United States and are 18 years or older. Click here to read the official rules.  Winners will be randomly selected from all eligible entries. Good luck!

Read the Reviews:
Another great thing about these lipsticks is that the color at the end of the packaging matches the color in the tube. There is nothing worse than purchasing lipstick thinking it's one color from the tube and then opening it only to discover that it's completely different. You won't run into that issue with these lipsticks. I love the Pink Punch as a bright "punch" of color. It's absolutely perfect for summer, and very feminine without being another boring version of traditional pink. It's a vibrant enough pink that makes it on-trend without being too neon. 

It gets better as you go.

The best thing about Sonia’s new Satin Luxe Lip Color line is the way they wear. When first applied, they are smooth with a silky glide. They feel light but moisturizing. Within an hour they change and behave more like a stain, but with a satin finish. The colors are incredibly pigmented. For those of us who love applying and reapplying lip colors, good news: it gets better as you go. Because they set and absorb into lips, they provide an amazing base for reapplication. After three hours of wear, apply again for the look of a liner, lip color, and subtle gloss, all from one product.  Read more
The first day I used it, no joke, Ryan told me I looked really good. (He didn't even know I was testing the bronzer for this post!)  It gives just a touch of color without looking like I'm trying to look tan, more like I just got back from a brisk walk in the sunshine! 
I think the product that I have enjoyed the most are the Eye Quads. These are something that I can wear on an everyday basis. They all have a shimmery shadow in them and more of a matte shadow as well. The colors in each quad compliment each other very well and give you the option of building them on top of each other. You can go from day to night with these easily! 
I always walk by the Sonia Kashuk makeup section because she has fashion-forward beauty products. She doesn't do those corny collections that I tend to see with various budget beauty brands. Come on, did you see the Escape to Paradise face palette? It was SO good! And I reach for her eye shadow, powder and slanted liner brushes more than I realized.  
I've been using the bronzer to get a very lightly sunkissed look, like what would happen if I spent a few hours outside gardening on the weekend or something. How I apply bronzer: 1. Start at the temple and apply down to just under your cheekbone in one arc. 2. Apply another arc from under your cheekbone to under your jawline. You’ve made an “E.” 3. Repeat on the other side. 4. Now hit areas the sun hits you the most: the middle of your forehead, down your nose and the chin. I apply to this central area just a little bit lighter than to the E area.

Look. At. That. Gold.

Saved my favorite for last, Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour in Golden Ticket.  Look. At. That. Gold.  I’m a little bummed that the sun wasn’t out in full-force the day I wore this polish, but maybe that’s a good thing: full Southern sunlight might have blown up my camera lens.  These were shot on a sunny but slightly overcast day, and the color still shone like mad.   And I guess maybe what I like about it most is that it’s not really brassy or yellow; it’s a sort of cool-colored gold shimmer that looked fabulous from any angle. 
Since summer is almost here (it's definitely in full swing in Los Angeles) I figured now would be the best time to integrate fun colors on my tips and toes, and Sonia's fashion-forward polishes are just that. For my first time trying the polishes I used the vibrant, coral-orange Tango Mango on my ring fingers and the retro seafoam green Fairy Princess on all of the rest. Like any great nail polish, it was super easy to apply (even for a clumsy nail painter like myself) and the dry time was all of maybe ten minutes. 
During the day I’m always out running around the city for meetings and errands, and sometimes those days lead right into a dinner, happy hour, or nighttime event. Ideally I’d like to be able to stop at home and re-do my makeup, but unfortunately I don’t always get the chance to do that. It’s on those jam-packed days that I need to be able to go right into my purse and pull out a few key makeup items to freshen up my look and get ready for the night ahead.That’s why I was so excited when Target sent me three free Eye Quads from their Sonia Kashuk cosmetics line. 
The first time I applied the Illuminating Bronzer I immediately loved how easily it blended. It looks like a natural summer glow that goes on like airbrushed perfection. The color is multi-reflective, so it looks natural, like I've just been in the sun for a few hours. Another thing I immediately loved was that it didn't feel dry on my skin like most powder bronzers. It hydrated my face and lasted until it was time to take my make-up off that evening. Because the formula is ultra-soft, it further protected my skin against the dryness I battle daily.

One of the stand-outs of her entire range are her eyeshadow quads (of which I have personally purchased seven). Fair and Square is no exception. The mix of satin neutrals with high-powered shimmers makes the product undeniably versatile. Two of the shades are beyond creamy (the taupe brown and peachy/pink). The pink shade is drier and more powdery, and not my favorite texture of the group. The final shade is actually a cream--a full-on shimmer in the best possible way. I find all the shades blend easily and work well together. 
Believe it or not, this is the first time I have ever tried Sonia Kashuk polishes, but it is certainly not my first Sonia Kashuk purchase! I have been obsessed with her brushes and her makeup bags since the line debuted at Target.  So I am very excited to have received three new polishes from Sonia Kashuk’s line to review, which will be available exclusively at Target this summer. First up is Tango Mango, which is perfectly on trend since the Pantone color of the year is Tangerine Tango!  It is a silky formula that applies like a dream.  
Now, I'm not one to typically wear lipstick, but the red/coral lips that everyone is wearing nowadays had me wanting to at least try to pull it off.  I was so pleasantly surprised because I LOVE this lipstick. Billy even said "whoa!" when I put it on (the good kind of "whoa"). The Pink Punch shade is beautiful and perfect for the summertime. Not to mention that it's so soft and smooth it doesn't even feel like I'm wearing lipstick. Huge plus. I'll definitely be wearing this lipstick this summer!
My favorite Sonia Kashuk product that I received was the Eye Quads. I’ve been noticing lately all the shimmering eye shadows that young ladies have been wearing and I’ve been wanting some for myself. It’s like “bling” for the eye! I only own one eye shadow product and it does not contain anything that glitters or shimmers. Now I have three wonderful Eye Quads that are absolutely beautiful..  
So that other new release from Sonia, the one that I can't believe I'm in love with? Her new Satin Luxe Lip Color in Pink Punch! For me, this pink is positively neon. It's no secret I shy away from these kinds of colors, but I'm trying to dip my proverbial toe into the shallow end of the neon trend pool--and this color is perfect. It feels ultra-hydrating on the lips, similar to a high-end Sephora brand. The case itself is pretty stylish. The wear is amazing and the color is wow. It's really bright. Especially on me (considering the peaches I normally fall for).
Sonia Kashuk's Satin Luxe Lip Color formula is luscious and anti-aging, with nourishing ingredients to plump up lips for added firmness. The paraben- and fragrance-free formula contains Brown Seaweed Extract to preserve skin elasticity, Ceramide 2 and Palmitoyl Peptide to visibly reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and SPF 16 to protect lips. They provide complete hydration while delivering a vibrant, totally wearable color. I don't know if you caught all that, but it means this lipstick doesn't just look good, it helps your lips stay looking good.
Other than the incredibly pigmented color, which you can see in the pictures of me above, the best thing about Sonia’s line of lipsticks is the way they wear. When first applied, they are smooth with a silky glide, but within about an hour they change and behave more like a stain, but with a satin finish. After about 3 hours, I reapplied and my lips looked fantastic. 

HELLO gorgeous nails!

Summertime really is the perfect time for trying out fun new colors on your tips and toes! Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour is chip-resistant, and its high-shine finish totally makes it look and feel like it was professionally applied. It also works great with or without a top coat or base coat. I found that out after I applied the first two coats, waited for it to dry, then went on about my day. A few days later I applied a top coat and HELLO gorgeous nails! It immediately looked and felt like a brand new application! Super shiny, too! 
This eyeshadow addict is in love. From the shadow colors to the sleek, white case, the Eye Quads are just plain gorgeous. These shadows are creamy and highly pigmented, and they blend beautifully. Each palette contains four complementary shades to create multiple looks: two neutrals and two party-ready shimmers.

I LOVE this lipstick!

If I'm being totally honest, I really did not have high hopes for the lipstick. I consider myself a lip gloss/tinted balm kind of gal for everyday wear. Lipsticks are just too high maintenance for me with their need for lip liner and precise application that requires a mirror, not to mention that they rub off 5 minutes later and your lips look blotchy and weird. Well, Sonia's tubes o' lips totally made me a believer.

Being Southern I consider blush a necessity like food and water.

I've been wearing the Illuminating Bronzer instead of blush, which is a pretty big deal seeing as I'm really Southern and consider blush a necessity along the lines of things like food and water. It's not orange-y at all either, which is another problem I tend to encounter with bronzing powders. It's like some companies think we all want to look like Snooki.
The nail polish came at a great time for me because it’s in the 90s every day here and sandal season is in full swing. I have been badly in need of a pedicure, but you know how it goes with money and daycare and groceries and purchases of onesies for my soon-to-be nephew. The pedicure kept getting pushed to the back of the necessities list. But with the Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour, the opaque coverage is so thick and shiny that it looks like I had a pedicure in just one coat of polish. Fo’ reals. Plus, it does not chip. At all. 
The Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour is under $5 a bottle, thank you very much! What a fun way to add color to your summer style without breaking the bank.It is the most affordable "3-free" on the market. What the heck is 3-free, you ask? Sonia Kashuk Nail Colour is free of the most common toxic chemicals found in nail polish: Dibutyl Phthalate (BDP), Formaldehyde and Toluene.