Suave Mother's Day Giveaway #2 (For Damaged Hair)

[UPDATE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED]

I am so excited to be offering you, my dear readers, two fantastic Suave hair care giveaways! Please see my original post here for all the details regarding this wonderful line of products (and some fabulous hairstyle tips from Celebrity Hairstylist Luke O'Connor).

Giveaway #2, sponsored by Suave, contains the following products:

Suave Professionals Damage Care Shampoo and Conditioner (one of each, 14.5 oz bottles)

Moisturizes and conditions to repair damage from over-processing.

• Salon quality system proven to repair dry and damaged hair as well as Redken^® Extreme^® Shampoo and Conditioner
• Ultra-moisturizing formula deeply moisturizes and repairs dry/damaged, over-processed hair
• Fortifying system with proteins and ceramide helps restore distressed hair so it looks and feels strong, healthy and shiny

Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray (one 8 oz bottle)

Delivers all-day hold for style and control.

• Aerosol holds as well as Sebastian^® Super Shaper Plus Hairspray
• Non-aerosol holds as well as Sebastian^® Shpritz Forte^® Hairspray

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on THIS post telling me what your favorite Suave product is and WHY it's your favorite.

This contest starts today, May 6, and ends at 11:59 PM (PST) on May 15, 2009. Be sure to leave me a method of contact (email address) in your comment if you don't have an account. Contest open to residents of the US and Canada only.

The winner will be chosen at random using the Random List Generator at Random.org and announced here on my blog on May 16th.

Once a winner is selected, that winner will have 7 days to respond to my email. If I do not receive a response by 11:59 PM (PST) on May 23, I will select another winner.

Feel free to enter both Giveaway #1 and Giveaway #2 if you wish! Good luck :)

Suave Mother's Day Giveaway #1 (For Unruly Hair)

[UPDATE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED]

Continuing my Suave Giveaway for Mothers Everywhere post from earlier today, I'm delighted to present to you giveaway #1, sponsored by Suave:

This prize includes the following fantastic new items from Suave:


Suave Professionals Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner (one of each, 14.5 oz bottles)

Moisturizes and smoothes frizzy or dry hair. Helps transform hair into healthy looking salon-smooth style. Safe for color-treated hair.

• Salon quality system smoothes dry or frizzy hair as well as Matrix^® sleek.look^® Shampoo and Conditioner
• Enriched with silk amino acids and vitamin E

Suave Professionals Extra Hold Gel (one 8 oz bottle)

Provides all-day hold to lock in your style.

• Great for disobedient hair that won’t stay put
• Holds as well as Sebastian^® Wet Gel

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on THIS post telling me what your favorite Suave product is and WHY it's your favorite.

This contest starts today, May 6, and ends at 11:59 PM (PST) on May 15, 2009. Be sure to leave me a method of contact (email address) in your comment if you don't have an account. Contest open to residents of the US and Canada only.

The winner will be chosen at random using the Random List Generator at Random.org and announced here on my blog on May 16th.

Once a winner is selected, that winner will have 7 days to respond to my email. If I do not receive a response by 11:59 PM (PST) on May 23, I will select another winner.

Feel free to enter both Giveaway #1 and Giveaway #2 if you wish! Good luck :)

Suave Giveaway in Honor of Mothers Everywhere

[UPDATE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED]

The Recessionista looooves her Suave products (as you know, I can't seem to stop talking about, or using, that Suave Advance Therapy Lotion), so I am over the moon excited to bring you not one, but two fabulous Mother's Day giveaways, sponsored by Suave!

First, let's talk about the products, shall we? Actually, let's let Luke O'Connor, Celebrity Hairstylist for Suave, do the talking. Read on for some very cool tips about how to use many of the Suave products that I'll be featuring in my giveaways to achieve the latest red-carpet-ready trends in hair (I am SO trying this sideways bun!).

Get Salon Gorgeous this Mother’s Day Sans the Salon Price Tag

If you’re planning a fun day or night out to celebrate Mother’s Day, Suave Celebrity Hairstylist Luke O'Connor has some simple tips to help anyone recreate some hot lock-looks. While we may not all have Hollywood budgets, you can still look like you do! Suave® Professionals® offers salon-quality products that help you create your desired ‘dos at affordable prices.

The Look: Stunning and Simple Side Bun

Take your regular bun from blah to WOW with a chic side bun, a popular red carpet look. It's easy to achieve this classy, modern take on the Hollywood tradition that will have your style turning heads wherever you go.

To re-create at home:

• For smooth and frizz-free locks, prep hair with Suave Professionals Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner.
• Next, give hair body and control by applying Suave Professionals Extra Hold Styling Foam to damp hair.
• Gather the top layer of hair and pin up at the crown. Blow-dry the rest of hair in sections using a medium round brush to lock in volume. Unpin hair at the crown and blow dry in 1 inch sections using the round brush.
• Blow dry bangs by rolling the hair around the brush away from the face and directed to the side for swooping bangs. Keep side-swept bangs locked in place with Suave Professionals Extra Hold Gel.
• Next, take a 1.5 inch curling iron to curl the large sections of hair.
• Finally, gather hair into a pony tail and loosely twist down to create a low chignon off to the side. Secure with pins and let loose pieces fall naturally for a look that's effortlessly chic.

The Look: Glamour Curls on Cue

Everyone loves the look of loose, gorgeous curls. Structured curls with a middle part gives the look a modern edge – and you can make it happen in the comfort of your own home.

To re-create at home:

• Stock your shower with Suave Humectant Shampoo and Conditioner so curls will have added shine and brightness.
• Next, apply Suave Professionals Extra Hold Styling Foam to damp hair to give body and control. Be sure to blow dry hair upside down to achieve maximum volume.
• Once hair is completely dry, flip back up and create a center part. Take 1 to 1.5 inch sections of hair and spiral wrap around a 1 to 1.25 inch curling iron to create neat curls.
• For superior style and control, lock in the look with Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray.

The Look: The Half-Up for 100% Style

A fun look that gives the best of both worlds, try wearing your hair half-up. This method is a sophisticated update to the traditional look, giving hair a gorgeous volume.

To re-create at home:

• Use Suave Damage Care Shampoo and Conditioner in the shower to condition, revitalize and protect hair from over-processing.
• Take the top section of hair and blow dry back with a medium round brush.
• Then, pull bangs forward with the round brush and point blow-dryer at hair from underneath, curling bangs up with the brush. Part hair on the side. Blow dry the rest of hair until dry and then curl with a one-inch curling iron (for looser curls, use a larger curling iron).
• Next, tease the crown of the hair with a comb, using a downward motion to create beautiful volume on top. Smooth teased crown with a comb and secure this section of hair in the back with bobby pins or sparkly barrette for a little extra glam. Use Suave Professionals Freeze Hold Hairspray to keep hair in place all night.

So in honor of Mothers everywhere, I'm delighted to offer you TWO different giveaways, which you'll be able to enter in two separate posts on this blog (and yes, you can enter both giveways if you'd like!).

I realize that these gifts will not make it to you in time for Mother's Day, but I think you'll all agree that mothers should be honored and celebrated all year long, not just once a year. So why not surprise a special mother in your life with a "just because" present from Suave?

Click here for Giveaway #1

Click here for Giveaway #2

Breaking news: e.l.f. coupon codes!

If you read my post from yesterday about my love of the e.l.f. eyeshadow brush, you're really gonna love this:

Thanks to my friend and loyal reader, Jennie, for telling me about this one:

On the e.l.f. website, use coupon code LIPS25 at checkout to receive 25% off any lipcolor with any $20 purchase.

Also, if you're on Twitter, you can use coupon code TWEET at checkout and receive a FREE Studio Mini Makeup Kit ($15 value, pictured above) with any $10 purchase.


(Also, if you're on Twitter, be sure to follow @askelf for future codes and info!)

I see more e.l.f. eyeshadow brushes in my future...

Pinky-brown lip color girls: I've got a Bobbi Brown dupe for ya!

In case you weren't aware, I'm obsessed with pinky-brown lip colors. My ultimate holy grail lip color is Bobbi Brown "Tulle". I own tons of other BB lip colors, but this is the one that I covet above all others because there's just something about it that makes me feel like I flipped on an internal light inside my face whenever I put it on. I have a certain glow about me when I wear this and I've never quite experienced anything like it with other lip colors.

But the other day I revisited a Revlon ColorStay Soft & Smooth Lipcolor in my stash called "Satin Rosewood" that I bought a while back when there was a BOGO at Rite-Aid. I think I used it a handful of times and then it got lost in the shuffle. Today I busted it out and when I put it on I kept thinking, "Wow, this is super pretty...REALLY pretty...what IS it about this color??" And sure enough, let the pictures above tell the rest of the story.

This is SO close to Bobbi Brown "Tulle" that when I put one color on my upper lip and one color on my lower lip I barely, and I do mean barely, could tell the different. In the pics above, Tulle is on the left and Satin Rosewood is on the right.

There is a SLIGHT nuance of a difference between the two if you look VERY closely (Tulle has a hair more orange while Satin Rosewood has a hair more blue) but honestly, if you're looking that close when I've got this on my lips, you've got problems.

The retail price for Bobbi Brown Tulle is $22. The retail price for Revlon ColorStay Satin Rosewood is around $9. Quite the savings if you feel the same way I do about Tulle.

Let the evidence of my lipstick tube in the pic above show that I'm not joking when I say I love me some Tulle. So trust me, if you're running low on funds and you need a drugstore dupe of Tulle, get Satin Rosewood. End of story.

The cheapest makeup brush you'll ever love. Period.

Eyeshadow brushes are tricky. They have to be the right size for your particular lids, they have be able to pick up enough product when you swipe it across your eyeshadow, and they have to be able to hold enough eyeshadow during application. Plus, they need to be soft enough to not be painful, and they have to be made well so that they don't shed. That's a lot of criteria for an eyeshadow brush, so when you find one that costs $1.49 and meets these requirements, you certainly can't keep it to yourself.

e.l.f. Professional Eyeshadow Brush

I'm sure you're already familiar with e.l.f. products which are found at K-Mart, Drugstore.com and probably a lot of other places that I'm forgetting at the moment.

I love ordering from Drugstore.com and when I'm a dollar or two shy from qualifying for free shipping, I often browse through the e.l.f. store because their products are super inexpensive and many of them (All Over Cover Stick and Moisture-Care Lip Color to name two) are great and worth more than their retail price.

I purchased a ton of different e.l.f. brushes a few years ago but this eyeshadow brush (pictured above) seems to be the only brush I reach for time and time again (even over my MAC, Stila, and Smashbox brushes--oh the shame!). I just love it because the bristles are densely packed, which means it holds a lot of color and it doesn't end up depositing that color all over your cheeks. It goes right where you put it and blending is a snap with this baby.

Definitely a steal and something that you should check out if you're in the market for a fantastic workhorse of a brush.

PS: If you don't believe me, check out the 38 5-star reviews here.

New MAC dupe alert!

Here's one you've got to act quickly on if you want to try it for yourself! I just discovered today that Avon's True Color Eyeshadow Single in "Smoky Slate" (on the right in the swatches) is nearly identical to MAC's "Copperplate" matte eyeshadow (on the left in the swatches)! The pics (taken with and without flash) don't really capture how close these two shades are, but they're so close in shade and one is less than half the price of the other! Yay!

If you have been eyeing "Copperplate" you have to act fast to get this Avon e/s because it's no longer available on the website (Avon just changed/updated all of the True Colors shadows and they discontinued a lot of colors...WHY, Avon, do you always do this??). Anyway, I wanted you to know that there are currently two Ebay sellers who have Avon True Color "Smoky Slate" for around $5 and free shipping. So again, if you have been considering getting "Copperplate" I would jump on an Ebay Auction ASAP because I can tell you they're so similar it's crazy.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the Avon shadow is a teeny bit more finely milled that the MAC shadow and it applies a little bit more smoothly as a consequence. If you're a matte shadow fan you know that it's got to go on smooooth or you might as well toss it.

One last update on the China Glaze OMG Giveaway...

Congrats to my reader Stacey, who is the official winner of the China Glaze OMG! Giveaway sponsored by BeautyTicket.com!!

Stacey, I hope you enjoy your new set of nail colors and definitely keep us posted and let us know if the colors are even more fabulous in real life!

Thanks again to everyone who entered my contest and I hope to bring you another one very soon!

Parfums de Coeur update...

Following up my lengthy post below, since WHEN did Designer Imposters (also by Parfums de Coeur) start making dupes of Marc Jacobs Daisy, D&G Light Blue, VS Love Spell, and Gwen Stefani L. L.A.M.B.? Have I been living under a rock for a few months?

Oh, and Tanya from Pink Train Case, if you're reading this, here's what they sold when I was in high school (and I'm SHOCKED they still make it with the original packaging and all!):

click here

It's like I'm 17 again and doing a drive-by at my ex-boyfriend's house...

Every time I stroll past the Parfums de Coeur Body Fantasies section of my local drugstore, it's as if I'm a teenager again and I'm driving by my ex-boyfriend's house. I'm hoping that I'll see something exciting, something that might get my heart racing a bit, but it's usually nothing but a big, boring let-down.

I don't know why I put such high expectations on this line of cheapie drugstore body mists, but I never give up hope that something, someday, is going to really knock my socks off.

I thought that Parfums de Coeur's latest line of dupes of Victoria's Secret scents, "Sexiest Fantasies", might do it for me, but really they're just dupes of the same ol' scents I'm used to seeing. Yes, they're great, and I even wrote a review of them here, but nothing earth-shattering in terms of something new and fun.

Well after taking a peek at the Body Fantasies website yesterday, I noticed not one, but THREE new scents that got me a little excited!

First we have "Fresh Lemon Sugar". Um, I'm sorry but doesn't the wildly popular "Fresh Sugar Lemon" by Fresh immediately come to mind when you read this? Actually, the notes in Body Fantasies "Fresh Lemon Sugar" more closely resemble "Sugar" by Fresh than "Fresh Sugar Lemon" by Fresh. Check it out:

The description of "Fresh Lemon Sugar" on the Body Fantasies website:

"Tangy, sweet lemons, complimented by rich nuances of sweet cream, coconut and gourmand vanilla bean."

The description of "Sugar" on the Fresh website:

"SUGAR EAU DE PARFUM is a delicious fragrance that combines sparkling citrus notes of bergamot and Brazilian sweet orange, soft floral notes of white lily and heliotrope, and gourmand base notes of caramel and vanilla."

Compare these to the description of "Sugar Lemon" on the Fresh website:

"SUGAR LEMON EAU DE PARFUM is a bright effervescent fragrance that combines zesty citrus notes of Italian lemon and mandarin with fruity florals such as orange blossom and ginger flower and sensual undertones of oak moss, caramel, and white santal."

My guess is that Body Fantasies "Fresh Lemon Sugar" probably smells a lot like "Sugar" by Fresh, which would be FABULOUS if true, because "Sugar" is one of my favorite summertimes fragrances of all time.

Now that I've confused you with a round a "Who's on First?", let me add to the confusion with my take on Body Fantasies "Feel Elegant":

I tried and tried to figure out what this fragrance is duping (I'm sorry but the name "Feel Elegant" is just too generic for this not to be a dupe) and after typing the notes into google a zillion times, the best I could come up with is "Nina", by Nina Ricci.

Feel Elegant notes in purple, Nina by Nina Ricci notes in red:

muguet petals
muguet

white rose
rose

tuberose

tangerine
lemon and lime

ripe raspberries
raspberry

apple peel
apple

plum blossom
strawberry

vanilla powder accord
praline

cedarwood
white cedarwood

amber leaf
patchouli

The complete list of notes in "Nina", (compliments of the British Society of Perfumers website) if you're interested:

Lime, lemon, strawberry, raspberry, apple, rose, jasmine, muguet, moss, patchouli, ethyl maltol, musk. Moonflower, apple wood, white cedarwood, praline.

Now I am in NO way saying that "Feel Elegant" is a dupe of "Nina" but this was the best I could do in terms of finding a fragrance that has more than 2 or 3 notes in common with "Feel Elegant". If you've sniffed "Feel Elegant" and you think it's an obvious dupe of something else, PLEASE leave a comment here!

Lastly we have "Apricot Honey" which sounds pretty darn yummy, according to the Body Fantasies website: "Sweet and tantalizing apricots, nectarines, and pink grapefruit drenched in Hawaiian Honey and velvety musks." Thank GOODNESS apricot & honey fragrances have been around forever and I don't have to try and determine what this is duping. Bottom line: It sounds yummy and I hope it doesn't disappoint.

I can't wait for all three of these new body mists to make their way to my area because I'll finally have something to be giddy about when I stalk the Body Fantasies aisle.

Winner of the China Glaze OMG nail polish collection...

I have selected the winner (thanks to Random.org's Random List Generator) and the lucky gal has been notified via email.

I have not yet received a reply from this person, so if you entered my China Glaze Giveaway sponsored by BeautyTicket.com, please check your email and your spam folder for an email from me! If you did not receive one (I sent it shortly after midnight last night) that means that you did not win. Sorry!

If I do not hear back from the winning contestant within 7 days of today, I will select another winner and announce the new winner on May 12 here on my blog.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and I hope to have another fun giveaway in the near future!

B&BW update (must read if you're buying anti-bac today!)

If you read my other sale post from Friday, you know that today is the LAST day you can get 4 for $10 Anti-Bac soaps at Bath&BodyWorks.com (and in-store as well). But what I DIDN'T know is that you can also use the following code to get $10 off any order of $30 or more:

TAKETENOFF

I was going to just go to my local B&BW this afternoon but I'm too busy to get over there so this worked out GREAT! I was able to get the following items (the anti-bac stuff is selling out quickly, for obvious reasons):

8 full-size bottles of Gentle Foaming Cleanser
retail price=$40, sale price=$20

4 bottles of waterless Foaming Hand Sanitizer
retail price=$16, sale price=$10

5 bottles of Pocket-Bac Deep Cleansing Hand Gel
retail price=$7.50, sale price=$5

So with the $10 discount code, my total order plus shipping and tax was only $35! Without the sale and code, I would have been paying almost $90 for all of this. YES!

Anyway, I just wanted to pass on this info in case you were planning on stocking up :)

PS: And because of this order, I FINALLY get to try B&BW's two newest scents (pictured above): Nectarine Mint and White Citrus. Have you tried these and, if so, do you like 'em?

How do you store YOUR brushes? Watch THIS.

Wow. Where the heck have I been? I'm floored by all this creativity! If anything, this video will inspire you to take a trip to Michael's and chuck that ugly cup you've been using (I'm talking to myself here because my makeup brush cup has definitely seen better days).

Check this out and let me know if you already do something similar (and if so, I'm jealous!). My fave is the Rice & Beans, but I'm already thinking of other ideas...maybe the colorful gravel you use for aquariums?

Less than 24 hours remaining on the China Glaze Giveaway!

You have less than a day remaining to enter my China Glaze OMG! nail polish giveaway sponsored by BeautyTicket.com!

This contest ends at 11:59PM Pacific on May 3rd so if you want to enter, you better do it now!

Click here for the deets.

Good luck, ladies!!

Important sale updates and more sales you should know about!

Continuing my sale post from yesterday, I have to mention some other sales and updates that I just got wind of today:

As you know, NYXCosmetics.com is currently having a huge 50% off sale on everything in the store. But CherryCulture.com is also offering 50% off on all NYX products so if you're a fan of that site, this is your lucky day.

Also, I was just told that under the "Sale" section of the NYX website, there are products that are actually 75% off the retail price. Whoo hoo!! Hurry and check those out because I'm sure they'll be gone soon.

At Sephora.com, if you're a Beauty Insider (and let's face it, if you're reading this, you probably signed up for that a long time ago!) you can get a free 4 oz bottle of Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion with any $25 purchase by using this code at checkout: MDAYGRACE. So many moms love Amazing Grace, which makes this a very cool gift that you can get for free (I mean, if you were planning on buying stuff from Sephora anyway).

TheSoapBoxCo.com currently has over 150 items on sale including Bubble Shack soaps from Hawaii for $3.95, Mad City Body Scrubs for $6.99, and Jojoelle Shea Souffle Creams for $4.99. Also, you get a free gift with purchase over $40. If you're a bath and body etailer junkie, this sale's for you but you have to hurry because things are selling out quickly.

And if you're a fan of Paula Begoun and her skincare and cosmetics, you should know that Paulaschoice.com is offering free shipping on ALL orders (no minimum purchase!) for the entire month of May and they also have TONS of stuff on sale for 50% off. This is a fantastic way to try some products you've been curious about and save a lot of money in the process.

That's it for now but if I hear of any other deals I'll post again...

What's in my bag?

Another month has come and gone and it's time for another installment of "What's in my bag?"

Some items have remained since last month's post, some have been added to the mix, and some of these I've had in my bag forever (and I do mean forever).

Oh and that's my Nine West "The Greatest Find Small Tote" bag in the pic, except that mine is gray, not brown. I don't really like this bag because the opening isn't big enough; I can barely get my wallet out sometimes! But I do like that it's got a single strap so it's easy to sling on my shoulder and it holds a lot without looking like a huge bag.


1) Sally Girl Mini Squeeze Tube Lip Gloss in "Hoopla". I can't live without this thing! Seriously, I've been wearing it so much that it's probably the only lipgloss I can actually say I've used up...ever. (Click the link for my full reviews.)

2) Travel Size Kleenex in a pocket tissue cozy. I don't know about you, but I got so sick of my travel size Kleenex getting destroyed in my purse that I had to find a solution. How many times have you reached for a tissue in your purse only to discover that pieces of lint or a freaking penny have found their way inside of your mangled little packet of Kleenex? I bought a cozy very similar to this one in a cute, retro print for like 3 bucks on Etsy and I LOVE it. It totally works.

3) Suave Advance Therapy Moisturizer. Click the link to read about my love for this lotion. Seriously, I can't be without it. I transferred it to one of these cute bottles so that I don't have to lug that big ol' bottle around with me. Oh, and have you heard about these brilliant little things: Lotion Saver Bottle Couplers. GENIUS! It's basically a little band that takes your favorite bottle of lotion/shampoo/conditioner/soap and makes it super easy to attach to a smaller bottle so that you can get the very last bit of product out of the large bottle and use it up! What a fantastic invention and one that will surely save you money. I hope they make a coupler soon for wide-mouth bottles so I can use one for salad dressing :)

4) Cute Pill Box. I bought one very similar to this one on Ebay for about $5 and I LOVE it for my Advil. Previously I had been lugging around a travel size bottle of Advil and it was embarrassing because you could hear the pills swishing around in my bag and it made me feel like people thought I was some sort of pill junkie. Anyway, now I have this quiet little pill box for my Advil and it gave me an excuse to buy something cute.

5) Pink Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. Where would I be without you, my dear sweet Victorinox?! Honestly, I've owned so many of these things over the years it's hard to keep count. The number one reason I carry one in my bag is because no matter where I am, I seem to ALWAYS need scissors. Second, I know you're going to find this hard to believe, but the tweezers on this knife are the best kept beauty secret around. OK, maybe it's just MY beauty secret, but I'm going to now share it with the world. These tweezers work better for me than Tweezerman tweezers EVER have. They pick up the most fine of hairs with ease and I've been using them on my brows for over 15 years now. I will never, ever be without my Victorinox tweezers, I tell you!

6) Banana Boat Sun Wear Daily Sunblock SPF 50. For years now, my friend and I have been trying to find our holy grail sunblock and I haven't come closer than Banana Boat Sun Wear. I love this because it smells good, it's sheer, it's not sticky, it doesn't leave a white cast and it doesn't ball up. Oh, and it's photostable with high UVA/UVB protection, it's water resistant, it's never broken me out and you can find it just about everywhere.

Until next month, let's try to keep those purses clean, well-organized and useful!

Adventures in Etsy-land

I just realized that I haven't done an Etsy post in quite a while and I recently found a seller who definitely warrants some attention!

Look how CUTE this bracelet is! I don't know if it appeals to my obsession with colored pencils, liners, or just colors in general, but I absolutely love what Stacey Dawn Designs is doing with recycled colored pencils. What a fantastic, adorable, and creative way to reuse the things we love.

The above bracelet, "The Tutti Fruity", is $32 but she's got other more affordable creations such as the totally adorable "Gum Ball" Pendant which sells for $12.

If you know of any Etsy sellers with fun, creative, affordable and original products, leave me a comment because I'd love to check them out and possibly feature them here :)

Super cool things to read this weekend

I know a lot of other bloggers do this and I'm totally late to the party, but I'd like to share with you my favorite bargain beauty posts from the past week on other beauty blogs, for your weekend reading pleasure.

(And a HUGE thanks to my new readers and loyal followers - I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're choosing to read and come back to my blog! Considering how many choices you have, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for spending time on my site!)

Here are a few of my favorite posts from this week, in no particular order:

Happy Face, Happy Wallet gives us the lowdown on Wild n' Crazy eyeshadows.

Beauty Junkies Unite swatches the new Zoya Hot Lips Glossy Lip Balms for our viewing pleasure.

Pink Train Case gives us a rare sighting of the elusive Sonia Kashuk Skunk Brush.

The Daily Beauty Break tells us which one is better: Nailtiques or NailTek.

The Cheapest Girl Around gives us the scoop on a true beauty bargain to help get our feet ready for sandal season.

And here's one more post I loved this week that doesn't have to do with beauty bargains (but it's a great read):

Afrobella confirms that Oprah doesn't wear a weave, but brings up some other interesting hair-related questions.

Sales! Sales! Sales GALORE!

So a lot of beauty blogs are informing their readers about the tons of sales going on right now for Mother's Day but I thought I'd also offer you some ideas if you're going to take advantage of the sales. Let's go!

1) NYX.com. NYX is running an awesome 10th Anniversary Sale starting today and ending May 15th. They're offering 50% off EVERYTHING on their site. Everything! No code needed--the reduction will appear at checkout. Everybody's got their own faves at NYX and I personally am going to FINALLY get to try their Jumbo Eye Pencils which are supposed to double as a great eyeshadow base. My other suggestion is to get all the things you've seen in stores and wanted to try but couldn't thanks to the fact that there are no safety seals on those products (OK, maybe that's just an issue for me). I don't know about you, but I've wanted to try their glosses for sooooo long but they always look like they've been tested already. :( And of course who can forget those fabulous Trio Eyeshadows. PS: Thanks to my dear reader, Halifax, for reminding me about this sale :)

2) Avon.com. Avon's trying to get people to order through Avon Representatives so, to entice you, they're offering a special code (MOM2009) for free shipping on ANY order (usually you have to purchase $10, $20 or $30 worth of products to get free shipping with their codes) as long as you order through a rep (an Avon Representative locator is found on their homepage). I usually order directly from their website but I imagine that ordering through a rep, via their website, is pretty easy since it's still all done on the Avon website. Anyway, if you don't want to deal with that, you can still get free shipping with a $30 order by using the code FS30REP at checkout. My picks for yourself (or mom) are Jillian Dempsey's Eyeshadow Trios ($9), Glimmersticks Eye Liners ($6) and Nail Wear Pro Nail Enamel (normally $5, currently on sale for $3.49). Plus, they've got a 5 for $10 sale going on with their bath and body stuff right now; check out all the new, yummy scents they've got here.

3) Bath & Body Works. Um, HELLO! B&BW is running a 4 for $10 sale on ALL of their hand soaps starting today and ending THIS SUNDAY, May 3rd. You can get this deal online and in-stores so go. Hurry. Now! (No code or coupon needed.)

4) Macy's. If you haven't heard, Macy's is running a Friends and Family sale right now (through May 4th) and they just sent a code for an additonal 25% off (sale items included) plus free shipping. Enter "MACYSFF" at checkout to get this deal. Of course this offer doesn't apply to cosmetics, but I did want to share with you a bag I've been eyeing for a while now and, thanks to this deal, I can now get for about $40 (retail $75). I looooove this bag in red and I just might purchase it now. Thanks, Macy's!

5) Scentiments.com. OK, I've professed my love for this discount fragance website before and I'll say it again: Look no further for your department store fragrance needs because Scentiments.com ROCKS. And now, through May 7, you can get an additional 5% off all orders by using this code at checkout: MOM2009. Now, 5% may not seem like much, but when you see how low their prices are already, this deal is like icing on an already scrumptious cake. Oh, and they've also slashed everything in their awesome clearance section by an additional 10%.

6) Here's a bonus deal for you fragrance junkies out there (and you know who you are!). If extremely high-end/boutique/artisan/designer/European fragrances are your passion, Luckyscent.com has a code for free shipping on purchases over $50, good throughout May (swoon!). Luckyscent.com almost never offers free shipping! Just enter "MAY" at checkout. I like to go on their site and fantasize about what I'd purchase, but maybe if I promise to not buy anything special for myself for the next 3 months (yeah right) I can justify making a luxury purchase and utilize this awesome code. A girl can dream, right?