Giveaway: Pure Fiji Bath and Body Products!

Pure Fiji products are perfect for when your holiday wish list includes a tropical spa vacation, but your budget unfortunately does not.  Luckily, with scents like Starfruit, Passionflower, Frangipani, and Coconut, this collection of bath and body goodies smells just like an exotic island.  The entire line will bring an element of luxury to your daily routines.  I was lucky enough to try two of them, the Coconut Milk Bath Soak and the Hydrating Body Lotion.

I've never been a big fan of lotion, so for me to say that Pure Fiji's lotion is now one of my go-to products is a once-in-a-lifetime deal!  The formula is incredible: smooth and creamy without being greasy.  It absorbs into my skin quickly like an oil, which I looove.  Best of all, it eliminates my dry, itchy winter skin (and is much more glamorous than anti-itch drugstore cream!).  The coconut scent is alluring and exotic.  Even my mom, who is a lotion fanatic, swiped this from me one more than one occasion!  She's just as impressed with Pure Fiji's Hydrating Body Lotion as I am.  I dare you to find someone who wouldn't be!

 If you can believe it, the Coconut Milk Bath Soak is even more wonderful.  It will literally transform your bathtub into a luxurious spa.  Thanks to the variety of moisturizers and nut oils, my skin has never felt so soft!  Soaking in a hot bath is one of my favorite indulgences, and this soak makes it that much better.  I found that it doesn't mix well with bubble bath and the creamy formula was unlike anything I'd tried before (like bath salts, it doesn't foam or fizz), but after one relaxing soak I was hooked.

You can buy Pure Fiji products online and in fine spas around the U.S....
 

OR!  You can participate in my giveaway and win your very own!  There's no liking, tweeting, or following necessary.  Just leave a comment here or at the original giveaway announcement post with your email address to enter!  It's that easy!

A set of Pure Fiji products would be perfect for holiday gifts or a relaxing escape from holiday stress for yourself!  You deserve it!

Full disclosure: Although these bath & body products were sent to me gratis by Pure Fiji's very nice PR department, the opinions are, of course, my own.  And I'd never recommend a product I wouldn't pay for myself.  The giveaway is also sponsored by said very nice PR department.  Thanks Stephanie!

Giveaway: Batiste Dry Shampoo!

Confession time: being an artificial red head means that I shampoo my hair as little as possible (like, once or twice a week) to keep the color from fading.  Therefore I rely on lots and lots of dry shampoo.  Remember the dry shampoo showdown I wrote about a few months ago?  Yeah, I've developed some pretty exacting standards, and let me tell you: Batiste wins hands down in every single category.  This is one fantastic product!

It made my hair look much more clean than any other dry shampoo I've ever used, had very minimal residue that brushed out easily (no gunky buildup!), and the brand new Fresh scent is fantastic.  I'm keeping a small arsenal of this in my bathroom, I never want to run out!  You can purchase Batiste at Ulta and a variety of drugstores.

OR!  You can participate in my giveaway and win your very own!  There's no liking, tweeting, or following necessary.  Just leave a comment here or at the original giveaway announcement post with your email address to enter!

Batiste is perfect for refreshing your hair before holiday parties, on trips out of town, during finals week, or any hectic morning when you just don't have time to wash your hair!  It will still look fresh and amazingly clean.

Full disclosure: Although this dry shampoo was sent to me gratis by Batiste's very nice PR department, the opinions are, of course, my own.  And I'd never recommend a product I wouldn't pay for myself.  The giveaway is also sponsored by said very nice PR department.  Thanks Stephanie!

Super Awesome Announcement: GIVEAWAY WEEK!

 

Pop the champagne!  Throw some confetti!  We've got a LOT of celebrating to do!

First, duh: it's the holiday season!  Whether you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Festivus (or all three!), it's definitely time for generosity, laughs with friends and family, and drinking too much hot chocolate.  Yay!

Second: Applied Glamour is one year old!  This grand anniversary officially took place at the end of October, but hey, a fashionably late celebration is better than none at all, am I right?  

So!  Here's the deal.  ALL the products I review this week will be yours for the winning!  How amazing is that?!?

Since three prizes are up for grabs, there will be three individual winners! The products will be reviewed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back to enter and see what you could win.  The contest will end Friday, December 16th and the winners will be chosen at random.

The best part?  No liking, tweeting, or following required!  All you have to do is simply leave a comment with your email address to enter.

It's like three contests in one, and three chances to win!  I hope you enjoy this as much as I have!  Thanks for one incredible year, I hope there will be many more to come! 

Summer Beauty Essentials! (plus a giveaway!)

When the weather heats up, you may need to make a little adjustments to your beauty routine.  Here's how to do it seamlessly and in style!  Applied Glamour presents everything you need for your ultimate summer enjoyment.  Toss everything in a striped tote bag like this one by Kate Spade and you'll be ready for any adventure!

Tinted moisturizer
Foundation is the last thing anyone wants to worry about in hot weather.  A tinted moisturizer will be your best friend during the summer months.  Laura Mercier makes the best of the best with a formula that's oil free, comes in a variety of shades to match any skintone, and is SPF 20.  One tube will last you through September!  Another great place to get tinted moisturizer on the cheap is to scout HauteLook.com for beauty deals.

Makeup setting spray
Urban Decay's All Nighter makeup setting spray is never more essential than in July.  It keeps your makeup from budging through rain, tears, and sweat, and is a face-saver at nighttime parties when you want to look polished.

A great pair of sunglasses
Not only are they incredibly stylish and useful for going incognito, sunglasses prevent you from squinting in bright light, which can cause crows feet and other fine lines around your eyes.   OC Shades has an incredible selection of sunnies priced at only $10-15!  Grab a pair that makes you happy and feel smug, knowing how stylish and wrinkle-free you look!


Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!
I can't stress the importance of wearing sunscreen enough.  I know too many 20-somethings who are all too eager to spend an hour in a tanning bed.  Please don't do this!  I don't particularly enjoy wearing sunscreen either, but I'd also rather carry a leather handbag when I'm 50, not look like one too!  There are simply too many self tanning formulas on the market today that actually work (see below) to spend another day in the sun or tanning bed without adequate sunscreen.  This concludes your public service announcement!  Now, on to the products...

I'm extremely picky about the sun protection I use on my face, which is why I prefer powder formats.  Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral sunscreen is ready to go, brush and all, perfect for stashing in your beach bag.   For body I really love Coppertone's Continuous Spray: no rubbing in, no greasiness, just amazing sun protection that's ridiculously easy to apply.  Be careful, though, this can burn if you have any cuts!

An amazing self tanner
Self tanning is honestly out of my realm of expertise; I'm about as pale as it gets!  I like it that way, but I know for some lovelies a summer without a tan is sacrilege.  Lucky for you, Elizabeth over at BeautyBets.com put together a guide of this year's best sunless tanning!  She's tried every product you can imagine and I completely trust her endorsements.  Her top pick overall: Clarins Instant Self Tanning Gel.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll pick up some myself!

A gritty exfoliator
I could probably live without Philosophy's Hot Salt Scrub, but I hope I never have to.  This is the best exfoliating scrub I've ever used!  Use it on dry skin right before you shower for the smoothest skin, the closest shave, and the most even self tanning application you'll ever have.  Plus it comes in all sorts of fantastic scents.  This summer I'm especially loving Coconut Frosting!

Insect repellent that isn't gross
Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellent is a blend of essential oils that not only smells amazing, but most importantly keeps bugs far away from your skin.  Rosemary, citronella, and lemongrass oils combine for insect protection that works better than the chemical stuff!  The oil blend sounds weird, but you won't smell anything like salad dressing.  Coating yourself with essential oils definitely beats coating your skin with toxic insect repellent any day.    

A hydrating face spray
There is nothing more glamorous than misting your face with a special blend of water and minerals when it's insanely hot outside!  It sounds decadent and a little ridiculous, but remember my review of the Infotone Face Mist?  It's way more than just water, it's a veritable skincare product!  It worked wonders on my complexion, not to mention cooled me off.  And guess what?  I'm giving one away!  Just for you!  


To enter to win your very own Infotone Face Mist, leave a comment and tell me about your summer plans!




For extra entries, you can do one (or more!) of these:
1. Follow Applied Glamour via Google Friend Connect (one extra entry) 

2. Follow @AppliedGlamour via Twitter (leave a comment here letting me know who you are!) (one extra entry)
3. Tweet about the giveaway!  Link back to this page and make sure to cc @AppliedGlamour so I can keep track :)  Spread the word! (two extra entries!)


GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  Thanks for your entries!  And congratulations to Kylie, you won!!!
            

Up for Grabs: Black Shatter!



A few weeks ago, OPI's much-hyped collaboration with Katy Perry arrived in stores.  Jewel tones and glitter are the mainstays of the collection just like in K.P.'s videos (and wigs!), but one nail polish stood out among the rest.  Yep, I'm talking about Black Shatter, and I'm giving one away!

In case you need a refresher from my previous post, you apply Black Shatter over any nail color you choose.  As it dries, the black polish will crackle to reveal the color underneath!  I was blown away by this concept and so were a lot of readers.  Now here's your chance to win your very own bottle!

To be considered for the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment with your name and tell me what color polish you'd wear underneath Black Shatter.  The lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced Monday evening, so make sure to check back here.  You've got all weekend to think it over, good luck!


UPDATE:  Congratulations to Kubu, you won!  Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, I loved reading your responses!  Look for more contests in the future!