Tag Archives: shimmer

Free, Contest, Win, Goodies…. What Else Do You Need To Know?

16 Jul

imageSo… You’re entered into my fab contest to win a Sassy Set of goodies from ForGoodnessGrape, right? This is the last week to enter! Winner is picked next Monday….

….what? You haven’t entered yet? You’re not serious.

LET’S GET MOVING PEOPLE!

Let me remind you of the fabulous prize that is up for grabs on “The Sassy Is Right”:
You have a chance to win – FREE – a set of FGG‘s top products. ONE lucky winner will receive FGG’s most popular flavor–Lemon Cupcake–in a lip candy lip balm and sugary lip scrub. And…AND… because I am such a cool blogger and you luuuuuuuuuv me, I am also adding a “Kate” Lip Tintx–a peachy-pink moisturizing lip tint with a hint of golden sparkle. Face it…. you know you want this! “Oh Sassy, this is soooo cool! And you are so awesome! How do I enter?” Well you can check out my last blogpost for details OR follow the instructions below. It’s easy-peasy:

1. FOLLOW SassyAuburn on Twitter here: https://mobile.twitter.com/sassyauburn (@sassyauburn)
2. FOLLOW ForGoodnessGrape on Twitter here: https://mobile.twitter.com/4goodnessgrape (@4GoodnessGrape)
3. LEAVE A COMMENT HERE (go ahead, click it!) answering this question: If you could create your own lip balm flavor, what would it be??

(If you DON’T have a Twitter account, you can “Contact Sassy” above and I will let you know what you can substitute that with.)

Now, maybe you already are a fan of FGG products. Maybe you already entered and just can’t wait to see if you won. You need a balm fix NOW! I feel ya. Okay, let me sweeten the tea just a little bit more:

Thanks to the fabalicious Lisa from ForGoodnessGrape, you can order your fave lip balms, scrubs, tints and then-some and get 15% OFF…. let me spell that out… FIFTEEN PERCENT OFF!…. just by using the coupon code “SASSY” at checkout. No, I’m not kidding. But I’m telling ya, you gotta get moving!

You now have less than a week. Let’s get entered in the contest then jump over to FGG’s website and use that discount code before your lips start to cry. Oh they will. Trust me. And it won’t be pretty–but they can be if you treat them right with some goodies!

If you have any problem getting entered, please “Contact Sassy” with the homepage link.

The clock is ticking….. GO!

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Sassy Thinks It’s The Best Lip Balm…EV-AH!

2 Jul

imagePinterest and Etsy have become the hot media outlets where you can share your handmade products and recipes with the rest of the world. Seriously, what a fabulous idea. You post how you made that delish chocolate peanut butter banana mousse in a blender in less than 10 minutes and I’ll show you how to braid leather and glass into a couture bracelet in a day. (Please don’t ask me for the directions to either. I have no clue.) My personal DIY abilities are quite limited. I can FIX anything. I can even make the basic better. But to CREATE? I can take a top, pants, shoes, bag and accessories and CREATE an outfit. But that’s even pushing it. I have the utmost respect for those who can create. Designers, tattoo artists, builders. And if you can create something for fun that ends up being really good–like sellable good? Sweetheart, you’ve made your mark!

A friend of mine, Doreene, has been raving to me about these lip balms that she got from Etsy for a while now. She knows my life revolves around fashion and beauty and said I HAD to try these best lip balms ever. I didn’t want to pop her bubble, but do you KNOW how many lip balms are on the retail market? Gazillions!! So, what made these special? But Doreen pressed on. I couldn’t let it go–Doreen said I HAD to try them! Okay, okay… I am a tester at heart, and an honest one at that. So you want to know what I think? Sit down and be ready because I WILL tell you.

Let me give you a brief background of the products: “ForGoodnessGrape’s” (FGG) Philosophy is simple – This is the last stop on your quest for the BEST LIP BALM! As stated on their website, “products are made with high quality ingredients and hand blended in small batches resulting in fresh high quality beauty products. Each has a combination of at least 3-4 different highly moisturizing butters and 2-3 different superior skin softening oils.” As a victim myself of chronic chapped lips, and a strict studier of oils and butters, I knew already this company had a smart grip on what they were doing from just what I read.

With a ton of questions and a lot of curiosity about the products, I figured I would touch base with Lisa, the contact person at ForGoodnessGrape.com. I explained to her who I was, what I did, and that I was told her fabulous products needed to be exposed which is where I came in. Lisa is a doll to work with if I have a question, she is right there with an immediate answer. I asked for a couple of samples of her best selling products which she sent me… quickly and over-abundantly!

My samples came with their three favorite items (well, for me): Lip Balms, Lip Tints and Shimmers, and Sugary Lip Scrubs. The packaging was simple but “cozy” (if that makes ANY sense to you), the items arrived well protected, and in fact they didn’t seem “handmade”. I easily could see them in a drug store retail environment, but I liked the fact I could look at the ENDLESS list of goodies online, changing my mind (and shopping cart) every other second if I chose. I’ll break down my thoughts on each…

Lip Balms: FGG balms have just about every flavor imaginable. No, seriously. You usually don’t get moisturizing/healing ingredients in a flavor you like enough to use often to help your lips heal. Plus, all items are handmade to order. No stale products from shelves like many mass marketing names do. Your order was made with you in mind. They contain 3-4 different moisturizing butters and 2-3 skin softening oils to keep your lips soft and silky. Sassy’s suggestion? Buy at least 3-5, and put one everywhere! I have one in my purse, one in my makeup drawer, one in my car, one next to my bed and one I can throw in my pocket if I am on the run. If you want them all the same favor?…that’s up to you. But variety is the spice of life, so I have favorites like lemon cupcake (a must have), cake batter and kahlua and cream. Yum!
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Lip Tints & Shimmers: There are times when we want a hint of color with a lip product that keeps our lips soft and smooth at the same time. Lipsticks have a tendency to be drying, even after going on moist. That’s why FGG Lip Tints & Shimmers really caught my eye. I am so lost with lip products. Some are long-wearing but drying. Others tug and hurt my already chapped lips. Others are so focused on being “moisturizing”, that they slide off or transfer almost immediately. And this one company who had my hopes up with “baby” -feeling lips was unfortunately a fail when it came to lasting tints and softness. A lip tint–with enough “couture” color to stand out but the right formula to keep lips soft–was something that grabbed my interest right away. I was sent a sample of “Bitten” which was a soft, true red right out of the ‘old days’. “Mystery and Macabre” is a dark red tint that definitely wears more bold and dark than “Bitten”. I tend to use “Bitten” for daytime/casual wear, and “Mystery and Macabre” for evening events. I liked them so much I ordered four more in a variety of colors today. It’s also nice to know you can blend tints to come up with a shade just for you! Hooray for FGG Lip Tints–two great products in one simple tube!

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Sugary Lip Scrubs: Oh, people…. let me tell you this is the lip scrub to end all lip scrubs. For years, I’ve been making my own lip scrubs, with exfoliating and healing ingredients. So when I saw that something that I myself had been making had been improved to store in a lip balm holder, in flavors I loved?… I was impressed. You could carry it with you as needed, as well be appealing to the eyes, nose and taste buds! (Yes, you can lick the excess off the tube!) Lisa sent me “Cherry Vanilla” and at first I was a little sad. I’m just not a big cherry-flavor fan. But it STILL was the first item I had to open and try because I had to see how it worked. And it DID! Not only do the various sugar grits rid the lips of dry skin, but its base is moisturizing and its flavor yummy!! I cannot WAIT to get more of these. Listen!—Sassy lesson coming here!–No matter WHAT you use on your lips for color or gloss (or especially if you use nothing,) you need a good lip exfoliant to use 1-2x a week! Nothing will ruin a great makeup look than blotchy, scratchie, ouchie lips. Scruff them off, then balm them up! FGG Lip Scrubs will be your new BFF.

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Okay, so if you can’t tell, I’ve found some of my new favorite lip products right here at ForGoodnessGrape. It’s nice to be discovering some of my new favorite beauty products coming from small local or home-based businesses. I won’t hesitate to pay a little more if I love what I get, it exceeds even my expectations, and helps us friends out here at home! I am happy and proud that ForGoodnessGrape has made that list for me. Welcome to my glamour-ama, Lisa!

Find ForGoodnessGrape at…
Main Shop: http://www.ForGoodnessGrape.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/4goodnessgrape
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/4GoodnessGrape
Blog: http://www.confessionsofalipbalmaddict.com/
(Flavor and Fragrance List can be found on my Blog here: http://www.forgoodnessgrape.blogspot.com/p/forgoodnessgrape-fragrance-list.html)

Sassy's Summer Sampler

Don’t miss the opportunity to get the “Sassy Summer Sampler” from ForGoodnessGrape named just for ME!
Just click the picture to go to this HOT deal!
(Pssst….check back very soon for a special treat for lip balm addicts everywhere!)

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Sparkle On…. Sparkle Off….

30 Dec

glitter-kiss4‘Tis the season for all things that sparkle. Trees, windows, fresh fallen snow. Oh and let’s not forget the glamour industry too. Tops, bottoms, dresses, eye shadow, lip colors, and of course the ever popular manicure. Glittery, sparkly makeup is a major “YES!” this time of year, and glamour department is exploding with all kinds of dazzling products to give your fab look an extra bit of pop. Just recently I won a contest on Twitter, thanks to Cosmopolitan magazine and their beauty editor, Leah Wyar Romito. Leah was great enough to answer questions from readers about holiday glitz and I was lucky enough to have mine answered:

Cosmo Photo(picture screenshot from Cosmopolitan’s article “Cool Trends for 2013” from their online edition, found here.)

Just what I needed to know. I actually went out and found myself a great eye primer for my glitter shadows as well as a good base for my makeup and blushes. For my eyes? I fell in love with LA Minerals “Eye Fix” which is available in two skin tones. Not only does it hold on my lid shadows, but it is great to dot under the eyes to hold any sparkles against the lower lash line. FAB! It is only available online, so check it out here. FairEyeFixFor my face? I absolutely love L’Oreal Paris Studio Secrets Professional Magic Perfecting Base. The Perfecting Base gives your skin a smooth, flawless finish with a silky, lightweight formula that is matted and holds your glamour look all day. L’Oreal’s Magic Perfecting Base is available in most drug and retail stores. More information on the product can be found here at their website.PerfectingBase

When going with glitter, it is best not to overdo it on your face. Pick one feature and do it up good. Whether it be eyes and lashes, lips or cheeks, find one feature then dazzle it up big! But no matter what feature you choose, you can add an extra bit of sparkle to your look with some glitzy nails. There are all kinds of sparkle/glitter polishes available. I am a big fan of essie’s “leading lady” (a supreme deep red with glitter), Sally Hansen’s Gem Crush Nail Color in “Big Money” (gold and silver sparkles) or my latest win in my Cosmo Swag Bag, OPI’s “Pink Yet Lavender” (pink glitter with lavender shimmer). Although it looks its best over a coat of white polish, I decided to go it alone for more bling. Nice, fun look on my fingers!
OPINails

One of the most difficult things about a sparkly look on my nails is getting it off to put on a new look. Isn’t removal of glitter polish a pain? UGH, the fuzzies get caught in the sparkles, the glitters won’t come off the nails or they just move and get stuck on the fingers. OH, it is such a PAIN! How do these beauty professionals do it? How do they take off the most dazzling finger designs without losing their minds? I decided to ask a professional…. a REAL professional—Leah Wyar Romito, Beauty Editor for Cosmopolitan Magazine—to see how she suggests to remove the most stubborn shimmers on the nails. Leah answered me right away with a super easy way to get the job done right:

“Remover-soaked cotton balls on each finger, cover each in foil for 5 mins!”

That’s it? That’s IT? Easy peasy! I can do THAT! No more sparkle nail polish removing headaches. In just 5 minutes I can transfer from one holiday glimmer look to another on my nails—fingers and toes! Thank you, Leah!

So now that you have the edge on a glittery new year, what do YOU plan on doing in your glamour routine to give your look a little edge? Sparkly red lips? Glitter gold nails? A sequined party dress? I want to know…. and see! Share your pictures with Sassy so I can see how you SHINED this new year!

Here’s wishing all of my fellow Sass-inistas a fierce and fabulous 2013!! happy-new-year-animated

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I’m A Slug In The Spring……

15 May

Maybe I should have wrote in my blog sometime at the end of April that I’m not a big fan of May. As a fashion follower, you would think I would be. The styles are changing, colors are exploding everywhere, shoes are beyond your average drool. The fact is, it has nothing to do with the weather or the season. It has to do with a history of bad events happening in May during my life. I probably could change the string of bad luck if I just put my mind to it and barreled through, but as soon as May 1st gets here, I feel like I’m getting sucked into a black hole where I’ll be stuck for a whole month. Today, I looked at the calendar and realized it was the middle of May and I had been in a writing funk for over a month. Not good….. not good at all. But on the positive side, the month is half over. Wait… is that positive???

Well, I didn’t want my loyal followers to think I had been wearing old t-shirts given away at the latest vodka promo at the local bar and the same pair of jeans for an entire week. I’ve been checking out spring fashions, been slowly putting away my heavy winter attire, digging out my favorite summer sandals, looking for new styles that pique my interest. Although I’m finding some things that catch my eye, the way out of the rut is a slow one.

There have been a few things that have given me a glimmer of hope, however, that I’m getting back to my sassy glamourista self. Sometimes I over think it–honestly, it doesn’t take much! But I’m sure I’m not alone. If you’ve been in a seasonal rut, try these things like I have. Maybe they too will get you out of your fashion funk:

1) Jazz up those nails! – Pick a color that SCREAMS warm weather and “Notice Me”! Hot neons, bright pinks and flashy corals are the perfect nail pick-me-up. And don’t forget those toes! Seeing those bright colors will lift your mood right up! Sassy’s Pick: “Go With The Flow-er” by OPI

2) Change up your scent! – Still smell like the perfume your Aunt Helen gave you for Christmas? Well, it might be time to grab something new. This is the perfect time of year to find a nice body mist in a light, refreshing scent. Go all out and get the matching shower gel, body lotion and even the shimmer spray for those sleeveless shirt days. Awaken the senses and you’ll awaken the fashionista within! Sassy’s Pick: Bath and Body Works “Pink Chiffon” in shower gel, body lotion, fine fragrance mist, and shimmer body creme.

3) Wear some color! – Finding it hard to get out of the black sweater/blue jean rut? Man, I am. Of course, the weather hasn’t helped, but I’ve stopped waiting for Mother Nature to tell me when it is time to start looking spring stylish. One of the hottest trends this spring is going to be colored denims (especially skinny jeans) so I took a leap of faith and got myself a pair. Let me just say, wearing them took me FAR outside my comfort zone. And I survived! Now they are my go-to “lift my mood” pants. Think I may have to add a few other colors now too! I’m having way too much fun “creating” with these bottom hues! Sassy’s Pick: dELiAs low-rise skinny jeans in purple.

Okay, followers, I’m making a promise to myself: each day I will get up, put on something weather-appropriate, but fashionable. And I am also promising myself that I will take the TJ Maxx gift card that I got for Mother’s Day and get myself something that will be fun, refreshing, and WAY out of my comfort-zone. How about you? What do YOU plan on doing to get yourself snazzy this spring?????

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1st Annual “Sassy’s Slammin Style Awards” (part two)

14 Mar

Today, I will conclude my 1st Annual Sassy’s Slammin’ Style Awards. A couple of weeks ago, I handed out the little bronze shoe award to different items in the field of fashion and accessories. Today I will honor items that were discovered this year that keep me looking my youthful best on a day-to-day basis. These skin care and makeup products might not be new to the retail market, but they are new in my routine. Maybe they came my way via a sample, advertisement or referral. No matter. They are award-worthy. So, a round of applause to…..

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Best Performance By A Facial Moisturizer

moisturizerRÉNERGIE MICROLIFT R.A.R.E.™ Superior Lifting Cream SPF 15 Sunscreen by Lancome – Just like a movie trailer, samples are a tease to get the public interested in their feature so when it becomes available, you’ll want to be the first in line to be a part of it. That’s how I was lured into falling in love with this moisturizer. Lancome managed to put  age-fighting ingredients as well as a decent SPF into this rich cream that keeps my face smooth all day long. After one week of usage, I noticed an immediate difference in the texture and tone of my face. I no longer had uneven redness, my fine lines were less noticeable and my face was softer. With most products that contain an SPF, I was worried my sensitive skin would freak out, especially since it contained so many other high tech ingredients. But after using it the first week, I was happy to see that it didn’t. I was also very happy that I was able to find ONE product that was able to do the job of three. The price, I will say is steep ($80)! But the jar is quite large and the amount you use is very small. I think it is very possible that it will last well over 6 months. (Available at Sephora.com)

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Best Performance By An Eye Cream

eye-creamEye Believe by Philosophy – If keeping your face looking young is as important to you as drinking bottled water, then keeping your eyes looking young and wrinkle-free should be as important as taking the cap off of the bottled water! It is a fact that your eyes are one of the key indicators of aging. You want an eye cream that keeps the skin in the eye area moist and well hydrated. BUT… here’s the key… if you get a cream that is too rich, you can actually clog the small pores around the eye causing tiny clusters of little white bumps. That’s bad. Very bad. I tried this eye cream for a week and loved it almost immediately. It’s a silky cream that isn’t too heavy or thick, but still has all of the age-fighting peptides that are crucial in youthful looking eyes. It glides on with a powder-like finish so you can put your makeup on right over it and not have to worry about any greasy residue causing your eye makeup or foundation to slide off your face. Again, a little goes a long way. I’m just finishing up my first tube, and I’ve had it for almost a year. (Available at Sephora retail stores and Sephora.com)

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Best Designer Performance By A Drug Store Product

shimmer1Lip Shimmer by Burt’s Bees – The name Burt’s Bees is as well-known in the glamour industry as Coke is in the area of beverages. I will admit, I’ve read and heard fabulous things about their lip products but had never bought a single item. Every makeup review site I have ever written for or looked on has endless compliments about the Lip Shimmer products. Maybe I was just being a makeup snob, thinking that an inexpensive skinny little drug store tube could actually be so great. Well, I guess the crowd was right on this one! This long-lasting sheer shimmered color infused into a vitamin-enriched, natural balm is perfect for moisturizing my lips for an extended period of time and giving them a designer look. Plus the slight mint tingle is soothing as well. Available in 11 various colors, this little goodie is now a constant in my purse while being easy on the wallet! (Available at most drug and retail stores)

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Best Supporting Role In A Hair-Styling Situation

hairstufffrizz Wave Shaping, Curl Defining No Frizz Styling Cream (for Medium to Thick Hair) by Living Proof – While returning a hair product that I had purchased recently because it basically turned my hair into a glob of matted muck, my favorite salesgirl clued me in to this hot new product. She told me that The Today Show featured the frizz line on a recent episode, and before 5pm they were completely sold out of the product. What makes Living Proof’s line of anti-frizz products so unique is that they are designed for several different types of hair. They have specific items just for fine/medium, medium/thick and thick/course hair. And if you aren’t sure exactly what group you are in? They have a guide to help you find your formula. I have just a touch of wave in my color-treated, thick hair and I wanted a product that would enhance that without making it feel gluey. I wanted something to moisturize my hair while still controlling frizz. I don’t ask for much, do I? But they had exactly that! Not only was this light, nicely scented solution able to do all of what I wanted, but they also managed to create it in a way that actually repelled dirt! If I don’t wash my hair on Day 2, it’s no big deal… it looks just as fresh, soft and clean as it did on Day 1. Say goodbye to hiding under the hat on bad hair days!! (Available at Sephora retail stores and Sephora.com)

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Best Performance By A Foreign Fragrance

perfume1L’Eau The One by Dolce & Gabbana – Sometimes you will get a whiff of a fragrance that smells totally unique, completely different from any other scent that you usually wear. It intrigues you so much that you keep sniffing your wrist or the little cardboard card where you spritzed a test spray to see if it jazzes you as much after an hour as it did when you first tried it. That’s what I did when I tried D & G’s newest fragrance. Its description of having a “fruity, head-turning twist” is dead on. It is a more glamorous scent with a hint of diva-tude than your average citrus-infused perfume, but still appealing enough to wear with anything and everything… from jeans and a glitter t-shirt to a backless evening gown. (Available at Nordstrom.com)

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