BlushPretty: Make-up Artistry Weblog

Who Doesn't Love Free Stuff?

I'm running a couple of FREE contests ... yes ... FREE!

All you need to do is follow the contest rules and they aren't even that hard.  I swear.

First off a big thank you to Herbacin and V.V. Events.  Why?  Well, because thanks to them BlushPretty.com has a very pretty gift basket for BlushPretty.com to give away as a prize!

Your probably quite familiar with the Herbacin brand given it's unforgettable green casing and daisy motif.  Available at most drugstores and pharmacies, Herbacin Skin Care provides instant relief against dry skin with a selection of quality plant extracts and natural ingredients.  Herbacin is best known for its Moisturizing Hand Cream which comes in tube or tin and provides protection and hydration over chapped, cracked and inflamed skin.  

So here is your chance to test out a few products from a great line. From now until January 31, 2010, any reader, beauty junkie or passerby who subscribes to our website via Feedburner (don't forget to verify your subscription either - you'll see what I mean) will be entered to win an Herbacin Gift Basket!  Too easy to do ... and to make it more foolproof ... just fill in the box below and follow the instructions!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

The winning doesn't stop there people!

Earlier this week, I announced the "That's My Thing" contest! I'm interested to know what all you beauty junkies out there are dedicated to - maybe it's fuschia lips, or Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, or maybe its those old-school tweezers that have a handle for your thumb!  Whatever it is, your answer can win you a Crazy Rumours Gourmet Lip Balm trio from The Blush Boutique! The contest is really easy to enter.  Entries must be submitted by January 31, 2010 and the winner will be announced on February 1, 2010 ... read the details here!

Good luck beauty junkies!

-bp-

A Simple Sunday ...

I'm sorry ... I'm not posting about a particular "beauty" item today.

According to my big desk calendar where I write the topics for each daily post, I was supposed to write about my New Year's Beauty Wishlist - a list of beauty items that I wanted to treat myself to this year.  However, instead of focusing on my writing today, I got caught up with the best beauty treatment around - Relaxation.

I actually didn't step out of the house today (except to walk BlushPretty Dog). But it doesn't sound as gloomy or depressing as it seems.

I didn't step out of the house today because:

- BlushPretty Boy and I played Rhythm Heaven for 30 minutes on the DSi.  We're having trouble with the table tennis one ...

- BlushPretty Boy, Baby and I cuddled under blankets in our family room and watched Peter Pan ... and then they let me watch Make It or Break It. (Is it just me or do none of those actresses actually have the body of a gymnast.  One of them is super tall!)

- I did laundry, all of it, but without feeling like it had to be done.  More because, the washer and dryer are right outside the family room - it was easy and convenient!

- We cooked our favourite dinner (with stuffing) together. And then we ate it without caring about how messy we were. We love stuffing.

- I read books to BlushPretty Boy and Baby. (What will I call BlushPretty Baby when he isn't so much a baby anymore??)

- BlushPretty Boy and I did his homework together and research for his penguin project.

- We played Super Mario on the DSi for another 30 minutes.

- I took a nap when they did.

I love lazy Sundays.

Something New

I'm not sure if I believe in making new year resolutions.

But I do believe in treating a new year an opportune time to try a new beauty routine.

With a bunch of products to try at my fingertips, I decided to make a list of things I'm not liking about my skin, face and body, such as: the pores around my nose, the noticeable bags under my eyes, my non-existent upper lash line, and my dry skin.

With all this in mind, I managed to pick a few new products to try for my 2010 beauty routine:

Olay Dual Action Cleanser and Pore Scrub: The people at Olay provided this product to our Beauty Board in July 2009, but I hadn't a good chance to really use it continuously.  I'm going to try out this skin cleanser for the month of January in hopes that it will minimize my pores and keep my skin clean and soft.

Cake Beauty Satin Sugar All Purpose Treatment Balm: From my head to my toes, I think that this is what I need for my dry skin.  I'm going to slather this yummy smelling balm on right after the shower and get my skin in tip top shape!

COVERGIRL Simply Ageless Undereye Concealer: As mentioned in my yummy mummy post last week, I'm a little concerned about the bags I've recently acquired! This will be my go to product for January and hopefully I will always look like I got 8 hours sleep.

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof or Shu Uemura Eye Drawing Pencils: Okay, these aren't new products to me, in fact I love Shu Uemura Eye Drawing Pencils, but my new beauty routine will consist of wearing eyeliner daily.  Whether its traditional black or a hint of green or blue, I think I just like myself better with lined eyes!

So that's my scheduled routine for 2010 - what's yours?

-bp-

Five More Sleeps to a New Year!

Christmas is over ... now it's time to gear up for the New Year ...

You've just begun to wind down from all the holiday festivities but in just a few days we have a whole new holiday to worry about: NEW YEAR!

So tell me, what's your New Year beauty resolutions for 2010? Buy less makeup? Buy more?  Try something new?  Or rekindle something old  (MAC Lipstick in Chelsea anyone?)

I think, if anything, mine will be to try and use every single piece of my personal makeup supply down to a bare nub before purchasing anything new.  If that's not possible (because let's face it, there are colours that are just not that flattering), I will either trade with a friend or return it to a recycling program. It shall not stay in my makeup bag just because "one day I might need it ..."

Just a reminder of some BlushPretty stuff:

- The BlushPretty Blush Boutique site will be launching January 2010.  Join our email newsletter (email me at beautymail@blushpretty.com) and you will be notified of when the site goes live and special promos (read: discounts!). Can't wait?  I can definitely get an order of beauty goodies out to you sooner rather than later.  Email me at blushboutique@blushpretty.com for our product catalog and prices!

- fresh.beautiful: From the Inside Out, the third beauty board, takes place in February 2010.  Get your ticket and reserve your for the event at Eventbrite! Marni Wasserman and Raman Sekhon will be joining me to bring you the latest on organic and natural beauty.

- Book your wedding date for 2010 with BlushPretty by emailing stephanie@blushpretty.com.  Dates are filling up fast!  Plus, if you book with me prior to July 2010 - you can beat that tricky HST and pay just the good ol' 5% GST instead.

Looking forward to 2010 bp'ers!

-bp-

T'is the Season to be Jolly!

Fa la la la la, la la la la. 

And I am definitely feeling jolly.

Just a reminder that BlushPretty will be on the small screen this December 23, 2009 on Oh So Cosmo with Josie Dye.  Set your VCRs (do those still exist? I think my parents still have one) and PVRs on Wednesday to catch me giving Oh So Cosmo viewers some tips and tricks about keeping the skin soft, smooth and supple, over the harsh winter months.  We shot the segment at Murale, the beautiful beauty boutique located at The Shops on Don Mills in Toronto - so if you see something in the background that you like - you know where to go!

I'm also excited about the new Blush Boutique. This past week I shared a couple of posts with you letting you know that I've made agreements with Cake Beauty and Principessa and will now be carrying their top products here on BlushPretty.com.  The e-boutique itself won't be launched until the end of January 2010, but if you happen to be in the area, you can always come by the home studio to check out what we got and pick yourself up a couple of sweet smelling beauty candy.  You can also email in your orders to blushboutique@blushpretty.com.

For more info about picking up some beauty candy, you can also email us at beautymail@blushpretty.com.

So there you go - lots for me to be jolly about.  (And I wouldn't have made the leap without your support!) 

-bp-