Tuesday, September 22, 2009

I Want to Go to There & A Giveaway of My Own

I LOVE lavender; especially fresh cut or dried lavender. Once in a while I can find it at a farmer's market. But I also love anything scented lavender. And I would REALLY love to visit the Provence region in France and see the lavender fields for myself. It's a dream of mine. I didn't get the chance to see that region when I was there, but maybe someday...wouldn't you love to stand in one of the fields above?! Forget "wanting" to go...I think I NEED to go. :-)

The pictures above are from the L'Occitane website. I consider myself a drugstore-cosmetics-kind-of-girl for the most part, but my one indulgence is shea butter from L'Occitane. It's super smooth and creamy and very multi-purpose...I used it as lip balm, under my eyes, on my hands and cuticles and most recently on my hair to add a little shine (and tame flyaways!). Even better was the Limited Edition lavender shea butter they had a couple years ago. I have searched high and low to find that again (including every store I saw while in France), but to no avail (if you ever see it, let me know!).

They have lots of amazing products that are all natural and manufactured using socially responsible processes. I would love to try more of their products, but I digress....

So, all of that to say, what is your tried-and-true-can't-live-without-it beauty product? I am always on the lookout for something simple, but effective (and reasonably priced, but that can be negotiable). I have been wanting to do this giveaway for a long time (mostly to learn all your best beauty secrets!), so here we go:

  • Leave me a comment telling me your favorite beauty product.
  • Comments welcome through this Thursday (9/24/09) and I'll pick the winner on Friday (random drawing).
  • Make sure I can contact you either via blog or e-mail.
The winner will receive a mini-size Shea Butter from L'Occitane. It's small, but it's good. :-)

11 comments:

la la Lovely said...

I am in love with a product by Amore Pacific called Mouisture Bound Skin Energy
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod42390053&eItemId=prod21180076&cmCat=search&searchType=MAIN&parentId=&icid=&rte=%252Fsearch.jhtml%253FNo%253D20%2526Ntt%253Damore%252Bpacific%2526_requestid%253D7006%2526N%253D0

It is like a spray of water but made of bamboo sap so it really gives you hydration... it just gives me an extra boost.

Also love Dior Show Mascara... a little pricy but worth it!

Great giveaway! :)

Jamie said...

Ok so I am pretty low maintenance and don't use anything "special" especially these days of little time & money :)
But... since I want to enter your giveaway I'll tell you that a few years ago I read that you can use Vaseline under eyes at night as an eye cream. Since I was out of eye cream & had lots of vaseline for the babies I started using it and still do.
Also love all things Burt's Bees, especially chapstick. Keep one in the kitchen, bathroom, purse....

Like my odds so far : )

Jamie said...

oh & I think you should trying growing lavendar next year. I think I will try if I remember too.

Amy Kate said...

Vaseline under the eyes? INGENIOUS! I'm going low key these days, too...Ponds for makeup removal (leave it on for a minute or so and you really do get softer skin, and it takes ALL the make up off - water free!) and Oil of Olay to moisturize. And Vaseline - gobs and gobs of it - under sweatsocks at night to soften my nasty feet. Michael is a lucky man.

Amy Kate said...

Oh, and for a grown-up, less creepy suggestion: Erase Paste from Benefit! Got the tiny little wee pot of it at Ulta for $24 (For me this is what I expect to pay for bottled angel tears - I am cheap) but a little goes a LOOOONG way and it covers my always-dark-even-if-I-sleep-12-hours undereyes, and red spots/zits VERY nicely, and lasts the whole. Entire. Day. Love it!

PS Love that you are doing a giveaway - may I link to it from my blog?

PPS I would love to convert my entire garden into a lavender field like that picture. OH my gosh.

Sara said...

Love all these suggestions, ladies! Jamie and Amy, let's definitely figure out a way to grow lavender next year.

I don't mind at all if you link up, Aim...the more the merrier!

Anonymous said...

Ok, I can't pick one. It's a tie.

The bane of my existence has always been my unruly, course, frizzy, half wavy/half straight hair. So, once I found awesome hair products that gave me good hair EVERY SINGLE DAY, that became my tried and true can't live without it beauty product. Pureology. I swear by that brand. And if you had to pick ONE item in their line, it would be the Nano Works ShineLuxe. It feels like silk in your hand, you use an AMAZING tiny amount and it smooths frizz and holds style pretty amazingly. It's truly amazing stuff, and, trust me, I've tried EVERYTHING.


If that doesn't count as a beauty item, my other item I can't live without is Tutti Dolce lip gloss in "sugar wafer" which is a frost color:

http://creativenotions.net/Bath-Body-Works-Tutti-Dolci-Sugar/M/B0027E0XEU.htm

I got a tube as a gift once and loved it so much I went into Bath and Body Works and bought five more. And thank goodness because they don't carry it anymore. The sugar wafer color comes on as a frost and looks kind of like a nude frost on and I absolutely love how it looks. I have some other darker reds and browns and they colors are all beautiful and it's pretty much the only lip gloss that I've ever used that not sticky, doesn't fade, stays on a long time, and doesn't taste like butt. I LOVE this stuff. And the sugar wafer color is GREAT if I can't put on other make up, it brightens things up really nice. Seriously, buy this lip gloss. It's amazing stuff.

Nerissa said...

I found your blog through Amy - so I thought I'd leave a comment since I'm a product junkie.

For my hair, I'm an Aveda junkie. I use Shampure shampoo and conditioner in the shower. For styling, I use Aveda Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother since it controls my fly-away hairs. And I also use the Aveda Light Elements Defining Whip since it helps keep everything where I want it.

On my face, I started using all Peter Thomas Roth products after getting a facial at FaceLogic (which is this awesome place where you can get affordable facials). I was having horrible acne problems and after I started using the Glycolic Acid 3% Wash, everyday moisturizer, and toner...I haven't had a breakout since. And this has also given my face time to heal all those horrible acne scars. The stuff is pretty pricey, but the wash (which is $32) lasted me from February to late August so that's pretty good and I'll take it after a year of teenage breakouts. And I'm also a makeup junkie using mostly Bobbi Brown makeup and Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. I believe the one place you should splurge is your face.

And on my body, I'm basic and simple. I use Dove Bar soap and Curel body lotion.

Nerissa said...

And I have to mention the 1 product that I LOVE and is totally affordable is Max Factor's Lash Perfection Volume Couture Mascara in Rich Black. It's under $7 and is better than the the $28 stuff I used to buy.

High-Heeled Foot in the door said...

One of my favorite beauty products that isn't pricey at all is my lip balm from CO Bigelow. They have it many different shades and most are infused with mint for fresh breath. They are now available at bath and body works and around 7 bucks. Love them!

Sandi said...

tim - my favorite is the farm & fleet buzz kit for under $15. I think its right by the horse hair trimmers. Sorry this is late - I could use some butter for the cinnamon toast.