Giveaways

[SPONSORED] Comment to Win $188 in Fragrances From i smell great and the Maker of CLEAN Perfume

November 25th, 2014 by Karen 232 Comments

The following post is sponsored by i smell great. From the creator of CLEAN perfume, the scents you love, extracted, encapsulated, bottled. Isn’t that great? Learn more at ismellgreat.com.

Too bad mixing and matching things isn’t always as easy as it is with the new i smell great fragrance line.

Like when it comes to mixing and matching prints… I start out trying to create a cool-girl outfit but usually end up looking like I created my wardrobe in the dark.

Or cooking! Note to self: randomly throwing things from the fridge into a pot, and then praying that it turns into something edible, is not a legit food philosophy. I can tell you first hand that it works less than half the time.

But when I mix and match and layer any of the four gentle fragrances in the new i smell great line, totally different story. Every concoction I try turns out fantastic.

New from the creator of CLEAN, i smell great currently has five products and four fragrances. I’ve just started using them and like every one.

Beach Babe, Candy Crush, Angel Cake and Wild Honey — the four scents — are gentle, surprisingly long-lasting and very light, so they aren’t overpowering, and they’re designed to be mixed and layered together to create unique scents (of course you can also wear them individually).

i smell great: the four fragrances

beach babe: Ah, take me away to a land of tropical breezes, coconut cream and golden suntan oil…

candy crush: Mouthwatering candied flower petals, rose syrup, icing sugar and candy hearts to tempt and tease you.

angel cake: A comfy, cozy scent with notes of pink icing, powdered sugar and candied almonds…with a touch of sweetness.

wild honey: A soothing synthesis of honey, brown sugar, Tahitian vanilla and sweet nectar make this intoxicating aroma irresistible.

Which brings me to this…

It’s giveaway time!

Want to explore i smell great for yourself? You, my friend, have clicked on the right blog. 🙂 Enter now to win an aromatic prize package worth $188, featuring all four scents in the line. In no time you’ll be mixing and matching like a graduate of Givaudan!

The prize

One (1) lucky lady or gent will win a prize package valued at $188, including…

Eau de Parfum in Wild Honey ($68)
Wellness Water Mist in Angel Cake ($32)
Soft Body Whip in Candy Crush ($28)
Hair Fragrance in Beach Babe ($32)
Reactive Lush Lip in Candy Crush ($28)

To enter, leave a comment below, and your comment can be about anything at all. Tell me about your favorite scents from real life (fresh laundry dried with fabric softener, baby powder or the inside of a Starbucks at the crack of dawn perhaps?), if you plan to go shopping on Black Friday and what you plan to get, or what you’re preparing for your feast on Thanksgiving.

Seriously, any topic you want.

Terms & Conditions
Enter by leaving a comment below about anything at all.

Deadline to enter is Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific). Entrants must enter using a valid email address to win.

The giveaway is open to individuals in the United States who have reached the age of majority according to their local laws (18 in the United States with these exceptions: Alabama and Nebraska, 19; Mississippi, 21).

Tabs and I (heretofore referred to as “T-Money and K-Dawg”) will select one (1) winner at random from the entries left in the comments at the bottom of this post.

Void where prohibited by law.

Sending you my most fragrant wishes of good luck. 🙂

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 22nd, 2014 by Karen 269 Comments

Good morning, buddy! So, Mockingjay last night. El Hub and I went, and while some of the reviews out there haven’t been kind, I liked it…which I know is probably a HUGE surprise.

But seriously, some of the reviews are calling it the worst of the three movies, boring, just a real stinker, but I didn’t think so at all.

It definitely has a different feel than the other two films, yeah, but so did the third book. The filmmakers split the last book in half to squeeze out another movie, but that’s sort of par for the course these days with successful franchises.

It’s darker than the first two films, literally. Not as many long sequences outdoors in thick forests and jungles, but that’s because this one is a wartime story, and it looks the part. I can’t say that I enjoyed the movie quite as much as the other two, but I did like it, and I think it holds its own in the greater Hunger Games film canon.

I mean, you know…if you’re a fan of the Hunger Games, it’s not like you’re not gonna see this movie. 🙂

In other news, it’s giveaway time!

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- Do you ever hang out with your neighbors?
- What would you like for Christmas?
- Are you good at fixing things around the house?
- Cowboys or rockstars?
- Do you have any brothers? What are they like?
- What did you have for dinner last night?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 24, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 15th, 2014 by Karen 324 Comments

Beyond the Lights. I think it just came out last night. El Hub and I went, and I really enjoyed it.

I just caught myself because I almost wrote a spoiler… Don’t worry, I won’t. 🙂

It was directed by the same woman who directed Love and Basketball, Gina Prince-Bythewood, which I also liked, so if you liked that, I think you’d also like this. It’s about a young, hyper-managed pop star whose every action is spun for the tabloids or gossip blogs, or covered up, and everything has PR implications — who she’s dating, where she’s going for lunch, what she’s wearing. It exhausts her.

She also has no creative control over her career either, at all, and the things she wants aren’t compatible with the manufactured image that her manager (her mom, in this case, played by Minnie Driver) and her record label are trying to create.

She starts to unravel until… Cue the romantic part of the story!

It sounds like it could go Lifetime movie in a second, but it doesn’t. Not really. It’s a little cheesy, but it’s not super cheese. You get a very clear sense of who these characters are, and they don’t seem wooden or one-dimensional. They feel like real people.

Go see it and have fun!

It probably won’t win any awards, except maybe for a couple of acting performances (Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Minnie Driver are great!) or set the literati ablaze, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

After the movie we just came home, read a little on the couch and went to bed. I woke up early this morning because El Hub was tossing and turning, so I read for about an hour, and now I’m here with you. 🙂

Good luck in this weekend’s giveaway, my friend. Hopefully I bump into you in the comments or social media somewhere along the way.

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What do you think is your most unique attribute?
- What would your drag queen name be (mine would be Kitty McDiamond)?
- What’s one piece of makeup you wear every day (or almost daily)?
- What’s your favorite month?
- How good is your penmanship/handwriting?
- What time did you go to bed last night?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 17, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 8th, 2014 by Karen 289 Comments

Kaw, kaw! So, Birdman… Seemed like a long movie to me, but I thought it was interesting and different. The whole thing plays out like one long camera shot, so the scenes sort of flow into each other. I’ve seen that effect before, but I liked the way it worked here.

In the movie, Michael Keaton’s character plays an aging, washed-up actor everyone knows as the man who formerly played Birdman, a comic book superhero he stopped playing in movies many years earlier (kind of autobiographical in that way, since Michael played Batman in the late ’80s and early ’90s). Now he’s producing, directing and starring in his own Broadway play, after investing his life savings into it, and most of the movie is about the shenanigans backstage before opening night. Oh, and he’s also losing his mind… Or something like that.

I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite movie of the year so far, but I liked it.

In related news, TWO WEEKS TILL THIS!!!

Your nephew and I are very excited. 🙂

How are things going in your neck of the woods? Do you have any plans this weekend or for Veteran’s Day?

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What’s your favorite dish to order at a restaurant?
- What are your current favorite shoes?
- Are you more sinister, seductive or sweet?
- A makeup look or hair style you’ve been too afraid to try?
- A product you would love much more if it were smaller?
- Does it bother you if your friends don’t like someone you’re dating?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 10, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

November 1st, 2014 by Karen 343 Comments

Greetings and good morning! Happy caturday/post-Haloween! 🙂

So, I learned two valuable lessons last night…

First, I learned that tiaras should be worn much more often than once a year, and second, I learned that Jakey-poo can look like a total psycho, and I know this because I saw Nightcrawler last night, which I liked, but yeah, it’s intense and disturbing. Jake plays a lowlife Los Angeles petty criminal (with more than a few screws loose) who realizes that he has a penchant for driving muscle cars and filming violent news.

Seemed appropriate for Halloween…

When we got home, I needed to soothe my soul, so some Gilmore Girls.

In other news, no trick-or-treaters for me. 🙁 They may have stopped by while we were at the movie, but on the bright side, now I have a tub filled with candy.

I hope you did something fun last night. Did you stay in or go out?

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- What did you do for Halloween?
- Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?
- Something you’d like to learn?
- Macarons or bonbons?
- Last time you wore false lashes?
- Dr. Pepper: yes or no?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, November 3, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

October 25th, 2014 by Karen 304 Comments

I know one thing this morning, my friend. I would not want to mess with John Wick.

Rise and shine, pal o’ mine! HAPPY CATURDAY! 🙂

So, the movie last night, John Wick — not too shabby, tabby. There’s something about Keanu Reeves… He’s gotten such a bad rap over the years for his acting, but I almost always like his movies. (Did you ever see A Walk in the Clouds? I really liked that one.) What more can you ask?

About the movie, though, yeah, violent to the extreme. Just words of warning, if you’re not in the mood for that kind of thing. Be prepared for an action movie a la 1980s Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In other news…I only realized at Trader Joe’s before the movie last night that the Giants are in the World Series, LOL! Goes to show ya how much of a baseball fan I am. I’m more into football.

Oops!

Yeah, the checker was ringing up my groceries when he looked up at me suddenly and asked, “Oh! Do you know the score of the game?” And I was like, “Uh…” Even El Hub didn’t know.

Then the checker said, “Last I checked it was 1-1, but the Giants looked like they were about to score,” to which I replied. “Yeah…I think so. That sounds about right.” 🙂

When I got home I found out they lost. Tabs was upset, of course, because he’s a big Giants fan, but he says the series isn’t over yet.

Have a great weekend, and good luck in the giveaway. I hope you’re doing something fun.

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being crazed super fan, how big of a baseball fan are you?
- What would be your idea of a perfect weekend getaway?
- When was the last time you bought shoes?
- Favorite Keanu Reeves movie?
- Best Halloween costume ever by you or someone else?
- And the award for “Cutest Makeup Packaging of the Year” goes to…
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

7 Ways to Win a $50 eGift Card From Sephora! (Ends Monday)

October 18th, 2014 by Karen 296 Comments

Heh! Guess who got out of seeing Fury last night. 🙂

Not that I’m totally against seeing it, mind you. I like Mr. Pitt, but I wasn’t in the mood for a heavy movie with a bunch of dudes.

Instead, I experienced the glory that is The Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake Pie. Picture it: a pecan pie with a pumpkin cheesecake layered on top of it and two huge dollops of whipped cream on the side…

YES! YES!!

After that we just came home, and I took a really long shower and did a body scrub and a hair mask. Then we watched some TV before bed.

Today I have half-marathon final details to attend to, like I have to paint my nails and straighten my hair, because I’ve discovered that I like running with straight hair. And I have to finalize my music playlist. I know this: the last three miles will be powered by Bloc Party.

Have a great weekend, my friend, and good luck in the giveaway. Your nephew says “mroww!”

One (1) Sephora eGift card containing $50 sent to the winner by email (international readers, you may opt to receive $50 sent by PayPal instead).

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Open to U.S. and international readers.
You must be 18 or older to enter (or otherwise an adult based on your local laws).
Your comment can be about anything at all, but here are some ideas if you’re stuck:
- On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being hairless and 10 being full-on Sasquatch, how hairy are you right now?
- Who’s the tallest person you know?
- When was the last time you made a toast, and what was it for?
- What are your initials? (Mine are KTAM.)
- Do you prefer to blend in or stand out?
- What do you want? Like really want?
You can enter in up to seven ways to boost your chances of winning.
The giveaway ends on Monday, October 20, 2014 at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time). 🙂
Full terms and conditions are available in the widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen