Tender Allure: January 2012

January 31, 2012

PacSun, Forever 21, Maybelline, Physicians Formula, ELF, Covergirl, Wet n Wild, and Hot Topic Valentine's Day Giveaway

If you watched my video where I announced the winner of my last giveaway, then you know that I am having a giveaway for Valentine's Day! In the spirit of the holiday, I want to give away some pieces that I think would be great for creating the perfect look for that special day.

I will be giving away the following items to one lucky winner:

PacSun With Love From California Gold Filigree and Rhinestone Earrings
Forever 21 Silver Rhinestone Heart and Ballet Slipper Charm Bracelet
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in #10 Pink Frosting
Physicians Formula Baked Collection Wet/Dry Eye Shadow in #2749 Baked Sweets
ELF Super Glossy Lip Shine SPF 15 in #2805 Malt Shake
Covergirl Stack-Ups All Over Color in #903A Bareblush
Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color in #214C I Red A Good Book
Hot Topic Eye Shadow Quad

To enter this giveaway, these are the rules:

Mandatory Entry
Follow Tender Allure via Google Friend Connect and comment on this post telling me your plans for Valentine's Day. Make sure to leave your email so I can contact the winner!

Extra Entries - Leave a SEPARATE comment for each additional entry:
1. Subscribe to Tender Allure on Youtube.
2. Follow Tender Allure on Twitter.
3. Like Tender Allure on Facebook.
4. Follow Tender Allure on Bloglovin'.
5. Subscribe to Tender Allure by email.
6. Subscribe to Tender Allure RSS Feed.
7. Tweet about this giveaway once per day and leave me a link so I can see it. Use the following tweet:
"Win @PacSun, @Forever21, @Maybelline, @PFCosmetics, @askelf, @COVERGIRL, and more from @TenderAllure #giveaway http://tenderallure.blogspot.com/"
8. Blog about my giveaway and leave me a link so I can see it. (5 Extra Entries)

If you want even more entries, then please watch my Youtube video for this giveaway! All of the rules will be in the description box under the video on Youtube :)

This giveaway is open to US readers only. I'm so sorry to my international readers! Contest ends February 7, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be randomly selected and given 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is selected.

Since I'm participating in a giveaway hop, you can check out the other participating blogs and prizes. Good luck!

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered or received for this post. I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way.

xoxo,
Linda

January 26, 2012

Free Makeup & Beauty Samples

I just discovered this great website, Free Makeup & Beauty Samples, that has a huge list of all sorts of different free samples you can get! Free samples are really a great way to try a product to find out if you like it before you invest the money to buy it. There are some really awesome opportunities so go check it out!

xoxo,
Linda

January 25, 2012

Winner of Lovable Labels Giveaway!

My blog has moved to http://www.tenderallure.com/. To keep up with my latest posts, outfits, giveaways, and more, check out my new blog! I would love it if you could joined me at my new blog :)

Image Source: http://lovablelabels.ca/

Congratulations to Lisa's Free Stuff for winning my Lovable Labels "Friendship Pack" giveaway! A representative from Lovable Labels should be contacting you soon via email, so be sure to be on the look out for that email! Please respond to their email within 48 hours.

I will be doing more posts and videos as soon as my exams are over! Thanks for being patient with me :)

xoxo,
Linda

January 21, 2012

Review of Julep Maven Box: Glycolic Hand Scrub and Nail Polishes in Catherine and Gayle

I recently received my first Julep Maven box (watch my video here or read my post here) and I wanted to share with you my thoughts on these products. Julep Maven is a monthly membership program where you get a box of over $40 worth of nail polish and nail treatments every month for $19.99. You can skip any month, and you also get 20% off and free shipping on all purchases made on Julep.com.

The Julep "Facial For Hands" Glycolic Hand Scrub retails for $32 on the site. This scrub is a mixture of glycolic acid and apricot seeds with a slight citrus scent that doesn't produce any lather when you're rubbing it on your skin. I really like how the small exfoliating beads aren't abrasive and gently work on my skin to remove all dead skin. Right after using this scrub for the first time, I noticed that my skin was significantly softer and smoother. Now that I have used this scrub several times, my hands feel as soft as a baby's skin. Julep claims that this scrub also makes your hands look younger by getting rid of age spots and fine lines on your hands. However, I don't think that my hands look particularly aged to begin with, so I'm not sure if this scrub actually does anything for me in terms of anti-aging. Another great thing about this scrub is how it doesn't contain parabens, sulfates, or phthalates. I like to use this scrub before putting on any hand lotion because I feel like it helps prepare my skin for moisturizing.

Since I had heard so many good things about Julep nail polish, I was really excited to try them out for myself. All of the Julep nail polishes retail for $14 on the site, which is kind of pricey. There are many benefits and disadvantages to these polishes in comparison to drugstore nail polishes. I didn't find that the Julep nail polishes chip any less than my drugstore nail polishes. For all of my nail polishes, I begin to see chipping around the third day. However, I did find that these polishes have excellent color pigmentation. 2 coats of these polishes are enough for a really gorgeous opaque color. On the other hand, some of my drugstore nail polishes require 3-5 coats to get enough color opacity. Just like some of my other polishes, the formula for this nail polish is fairly liquidy, so you need to make sure that you wipe off all excess polish on your brush before using it. If you don't wipe off the excess polish, it will run down your brush and make a mess on your nails. Also, since this nail polish takes a fairly long time to dry, you have the chance to fix any mistakes you might have made while painting your nails. Just make sure to find something to do that doesn't involve your hands while waiting for the polish to dry!

Without Flash With Flash

The Julep Nail Vernis in Catherine is a really pretty and wearable red color! Depending on how the light hits your nails, it can look like a really bright, classic red color or a slightly deeper red. I think that this nail polish would look fantastic with red lips and I will definitely be using it all the time!

With Flash Without Flash

The Julep Nail Vernis in Gayle is a deep plum purple color. I personally don't prefer to wear dark colored polishes on my nails. However, I did find that this color is pretty wearable because the color is brighter and more colorful than the really dark polishes. If you're someone who likes to wear polishes that are so dark that they are black with a tiny hint of color, then this is not the color for you.

I haven't used the gold star glitters yet since I'm not sure as to how I want to use them. However, I did use the Julep Hand Cream and the Julep Age Defying Hand Brightener samples. Both of these products have a good consistency and seem to work well. I would need to further try out these products in order to determine if they work as claimed.

You get a really great deal with the Julep Maven program and awesome products. So, go ahead and try out Julep Maven now! As a new Julep Maven, you can use a code to get an even better deal on your first box. You can use the code COLOR2012 to get your first box for only 1 cent! Or, you can also use the code NEW5 to get your first box for $5.

This is my personal invitation link to Julep Maven: http://julep.com/?r=18183515

I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know if you have any questions about these products or requests to review any other products.

Don't forget to enter my Lovable Labels giveaway! It ends on Jan. 24th. You know you want to get your hands on these amazing labels! :)

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way.

xoxo,

Linda

Winner of Maybelline, Forever 21, Revlon, Covergirl, NYC, and Wet n Wild New Years Giveaway

My blog has moved to http://www.tenderallure.com/. To keep up with my latest posts, outfits, giveaways, and more, check out my new blog! I would love it if you could joined me at my new blog :)

Congratulations to deb126 for winning my New Year's giveaway! Please respond to my email within 48 hours.

You will be receiving the following items:
Maybelline Baby Lips in #25 Pink Punch
Forever 21 Cascading Flowers & Chains Earrings
Revlon Custom Eyes Mascara in #001 Blackest Black
Covergirl Cheekers Blush in #103 Natural Shimmer
NYC Metro Quartet Eye Shadow Quad in #817A South Street Seaport
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Single in #252B
Hot Topic Eye Shadow Quad

Don't forget to enter my Lovable Labels giveaway! It ends on Jan. 24th so enter now!

xoxo,
Linda

January 10, 2012

Maybelline, Forever 21, Revlon, Covergirl, NYC, and Wet n Wild New Years Giveaway

I really think that the beginning of a new year is a great time to get some new makeup. So, whether you have decided that your current makeup is getting old or you want a change in your makeup style, this is a great opportunity to get some amazing pieces for this year! Also, I really want to thank all of my lovely subscribers and followers for finding this blog and continuing to read my posts.

I will be giving away the following items to one lucky winner:

Maybelline Baby Lips in #25 Pink Punch
Forever 21 Cascading Flowers & Chains Earrings
Revlon Custom Eyes Mascara in #001 Blackest Black
Covergirl Cheekers Blush in #103 Natural Shimmer
NYC Metro Quartet Eye Shadow Quad in #817A South Street Seaport
Wet n Wild Color Icon Eye Shadow Single in #252B
Hot Topic Eye Shadow Quad

To enter this giveaway, these are the rules:

Mandatory Entry:
Follow Tender Allure via Google Friend Connect and comment on this post telling me your New Year's beauty resolution. Make sure to leave your email so I can contact the winner!

Extra Entries - Leave a SEPARATE comment for each additional entry:
1. Subscribe to Tender Allure on YouTube.
2. Follow Tender Allure on Twitter.
3. Like Tender Allure on Facebook.
4. Follow Tender Allure on Bloglovin'.
5. Subscribe to Tender Allure by email.
6. Subscribe to Tender Allure RSS Feed.
7. Like this blog post.
8. Tweet about this giveaway once per day and leave me a link so I can see it. Use the following tweet:
"Win Maybelline, Forever 21, Revlon, Cover Girl, and more from @TenderAllure #ToastTo2012 #giveaway http://tenderallure.blogspot.com/"
9. Blog about my giveaway and leave me a link so I can see it. (5 Extra Entries)

If you want even more entries, then please check out my Youtube video for this giveaway! All of the rules will be in the information box under the video on Youtube :)

This giveaway is open to US readers. I'm so sorry to my international readers! Contest ends January 17, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be randomly selected and given 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is selected.

Since I'm participating in a giveaway hop, you can check out the other participating blogs and prizes. Good luck!

Toast to 2012 GRAND PRIZE! Make sure to ENTER TO WIN 1 of 5 $100 Paypal or Visa Gift Cards!!!

Toast to 2012 is hosted by Sweep Tight and Just Married with Coupons and the Grand Prize is sponsored by Likeographers.com

Likeographers.com is a website where users from all over the world can enter awesome giveaways where they can win items such as gift cards and makeup by simply signing up and uploading a candid photo. Likeographers.com is dedicated to providing a place where users can upload a picture of their likes, share them with the world and win awesome prizes.

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered or received for this post. I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way.

xoxo,
Linda

January 9, 2012

Lovable Labels Review and Giveaway

I recently heard about the really cute and fun labels offered by Lovable Labels. They have a large variety of labels available for you to choose from. There are many colors, patterns, shapes, and icons that you can combine in different ways to customize the labels for your own taste and purpose. The labels are also available in different sizes, so you can label anything!

These labels are excellent for labeling things that you could lose or items you have that might be similar to other people's things. They stick firmly and strongly to whatever you place them on, so you don't need to worry about the labels lifting up. I think that these labels could also be easily used to organize beauty supplies and miscellaneous things. For example, you could get a pack of labels that say "Eyeshadows" for organizing your containers that hold eyeshadow. I'm really interested in getting labels for organizing my makeup!

This is really an excellent site for getting started on organizing all of your things! If one of your New Year's resolutions was to get organized, then these labels can help you get started and on your way to a clean new year!

Lovable Labels has generously supplied a pack of "Friendship Pack" labels for one lucky winner! Thanks, Lovable Labels!

To Enter (Mandatory Entry):
Follow Tender Allure via Google Friend Connect. Then, go to the Lovable Labels website and leave a comment below telling me which one of their amazing products is your favorite! Make sure to leave your email so I can contact the winner :)

Extra Entries - Leave a SEPARATE comment for each additional entry:
1. Follow Tender Allure on Twitter.
2. Follow Lovable Lables on Twitter.
3. Like Tender Allure on Facebook.
4. Like Lovable Labels on Facebook.
5. Subscribe to Tender Allure on YouTube.
6. Follow Tender Allure on Bloglovin'.
7. Subscribe to Tender Allure by email.
8. Subscribe to Tender Allure RSS Feed.
9. Like this blog post.
10. Tweet about this giveaway once per day and leave me a link so I can see it. Use the following tweet:
"Win a Friendship Pack from @mylovablelabels @TenderAllure #giveaway http://tenderallure.blogspot.com/2012/01/lovable-labels-review-and-giveaway.html"
11. Blog about my giveaway and leave me a link so I can see it. (5 Extra Entries)

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US readers only. Contest ends January 24, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST. The winner will be randomly selected and given 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is selected.

Good Luck!

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered or received for this post. I was given a Friendship Pack to review. The opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way.

xoxo,
Linda

January 7, 2012

My ShopLately Mystery Boxes!

My blog has moved to http://www.tenderallure.com/. To keep up with my latest posts, outfits, giveaways, and more, check out my new blog! I would love it if you could joined me at my new blog :)

Hey everyone!

I finally got my ShopLately After Christmas Mystery Boxes! I have been waiting for them and dying to find out what I got! Check out my video on Youtube!

This is what came in one mystery box.

This scarf is really very versatile because you can wear it in a way that only certain colors show. The way it transitions from hot pink to purple and then teal is really pretty. So, it can be worn in many outfits with different colors! The floral print is quite nice and would work really well for spring. It's also 100% acrylic. I'm not sure why, but this scarf smells awful. I hope that the smell can be washed out! Otherwise, I won't be able to wear it :(

This bangle set is really pretty and feminine! I really like the one with white enamel because I have been looking for one like it. The 2 bangles with the mesh and metal beading are very intricate and unique. The last one is very delicate and I think it's one I would wear fairly often.

I think these yellow earrings with the colorful print are very pretty. They would stand out and look really good against dark hair like mine. I'm not sure if it's designed to look this way, but the patten looks faded at the top and bottom parts of these earrings.

This silver bangle with different shades of purple is also very pretty and sparkly. I think it would look really great with a little black dress and really add some color and fun to the outfit. It's great that the parts are held together by elastic, making this a piece that everyone can wear.

This is what came in the other mystery box.

This scarf has a great tie-dyed and alternating color scheme. It is mainly black and gray with nice changes in texture. It's 100% polyester and doesn't smell like the other scarf. I think this scarf would pair greatly with a plain white shirt for an edgy outfit. I would just throw on a wrap leather bracelet and leather booties to finish off the look.

These are gorgeous rose gold earrings made out of a thin metal and very detailed etchings. The pattern reminds me of a beautiful sunrise. I love that they are light, so they don't pull on my earlobes and don't hurt to wear.

I think this gold and black beaded bracelet would look great for a professional or business casual outfit. You could wear a plain top and really dress up the look with his bracelet because it is sparkly and glamorous. I kind of wish that the extender chain was a bit longer because it's so short that the bracelet is kind of hard to hook on.

I really love how this bangle looks! I like the paisley print and how the black and white pattern is contrasted by the gold trim. Unfortunately, it's too big for my wrist because my frame is pretty small; it looks like it's eating my arm when I wear it. If it was only an inch wide, then it would have been perfect!

I got some really great pieces in this promotion at a great price! I'll definitely be buying the mystery boxes if they offer them again :)

I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got on my ShopLately mystery boxes. Let me know if you have any questions or requests in the comments below!

xoxo,
Linda

Review of the Floral Acai Body Butter Duo from The Body Shop

My blog has moved to http://www.tenderallure.com/. To keep up with my latest posts, outfits, giveaways, and more, check out my new blog! I would love it if you could joined me at my new blog :)

Hey everyone!

Since the outside weather is getting cooler and the heat is turned on super high in my apartment, I have been looking for a really good moisturizer. The cold weather and hot indoor temperatures have been really wreaking havoc with my skin; it feels so dry and itchy!

I went to The Body Shop to pick up something for my skin because I had seen their body butters through the window. They look really interesting and I totally wanted to try them out! All of their products smell so good and I really liked the consistency of their body butters when one of the sales associates helped me sample it. I finally decided on the Flora Acai Body Butter Duo and went home to try it out.

I really like how this body butter duo has two different types of moisturizers: one for normal skin and one designed specifically for drier skin. I think that is a really great idea because I can pick the moisturizer that is best for my skin type when I choose to use it. The option for normal skin is much creamier whereas the one for dry skin is much thicker and less wet. Another reason I chose this body butter is because it smells amazing; it's not too sweet and floral scented. I also really enjoy how easy it is to smooth this lotion into your skin, and it doesn't leave a sticky residue on your skin.

Unfortunately, I haven't found that this body butter really works for my skin. I apply both types of the moisturizer after I shower, but I don't feel like my skin has been moisturized or that it is softer. I am still left feeling dry and itchy right after application.

So, I'm still looking for a good moisturizer. Comment down below if you have any suggestions! :)

I hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know if you have any questions about this product or requests to review any other products.

xoxo,
Linda

January 6, 2012

eos Lip Balm Deal and Review

I just ran out of my Chapstick, so I went to Walgreens to pick up a new lip balm. When I was looking around, I saw a really great deal on eos lip balms! This week, after factoring in the $2 Register Rewards, you can get them for $0.99 at Walgreens.

I had heard about these lip balms from YouTube gurus, bloggers, and friends, but I couldn't find them anywhere near my house! So, I was extremely excited to find the eos balms when I got back to school from break. I have been dying to try them out because I have heard that they are very moisturizing, and most importantly, they look so cute!

I picked up the balm in Sweet Mint, rushed home, and tore open the package to use it right away! I like the minty smell and how the balm makes my lips tingle when I put it on. I also like how it makes my lips feel smoother and more moisturized right away because it contains shea butter and jojoba oil. These eos lip balms are 95% organic and 100% natural, so I'm happy to know that I'm not putting any weird chemicals on my lips.

On the downside, I feel like I have to reapply this balm very frequently. Also, these balms are quite large in size and don't fit in the little clutch I normally use every day. So, I guess I still need to pick up a smaller lip balm, and I can bring my eos one around with me when I use a larger purse.

Even though I feel like these balms are kind of inconvenient to carry around, I still love the packaging! They are so colorful and have a really unique shape. I'm off to go buy more of these eos lip balms! I want to get some of the other flavors, and I feel like I need backups, just in case I can't find these again.

With my soon-to-be collection of eos lip balms, I won't even need to buy any Easter decorations! :)

I hope you enjoyed this little review. Let me know if you have any questions about this product or requests to review any other products!

xoxo,
Linda