A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Elizabeth Arden Sunlit Bronze Collection

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Well, it's the last day of A Month of Beautiful Giveaways. I hope you've enjoyed this feature as much as I have! And I'm going out with a bang -- in addition to one very lucky winner -- with the Elizabeth Arden Sunlit Bronze Collection. One lucky winner will receive the following products:

Pure Finish Mineral Bronzing Powder ($32)
Pure Finish Mineral Cheekcolor in Rosy Glow ($24)
Sunlit Bronze Beauty Kit ($35)
Color Intrigue Gel Eyeliner in Ocean Teal ($22.50)
Color Intrigue Effects Lipstick in Limited-Edition Guava Pearl, Cherry Pearl and Cocoa Bronze Pearl ($19.50 each)
High Shine Lip Gloss in Limited-Edition Tropicoral and four new shades: Berrylicious, Rosegold, Pink Pout and Maple ($15 each)

All in all, this giveaway has a value of $247! Amazing, right? Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Tuesday, September 1 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Monday, August 31 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Kenzo FlowerbyKenzo Essentielle

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Guess what? The winner of today's giveaway is totally lucking out. Because while FlowerbyKenzo Esentielle doesn't officially hit counters until September, you'll be getting a sneak peek at the luscious fragrance! Beginning with a floral accord, essence and absolute of rosa damascena and absolute of jasmine unfold into a powdery accord made up of a unique combination of sensual musks and absolute of vanilla. Finally, incense of the purest distinction, black pepper and pink berries complete FlowerbyKenzo Essentielle with a vibrant finish.

Sounds delightful, right? And this fragrance retails for $58! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Monday, August 31 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Sunday, August 30 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Tarte eyeQuatic Waterproof Summer Essentials Set

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

The Lock & Roll Creaseless Cream & Powder Shadow Duos from Tarte make my knees weak. It's not often that I find a shadow and liner that not only complement each other perfectly, but stay on my lids ALL DAY LONG WITHOUT CREASING. I know you'd expect this to be so because of this product's name, but I have to say it just makes me really happy that it actually holds true. So today's giveaway is quite a special one, because the Tarte eyeQuatic Set not only contains three Lock & Rolls, but some other very special items as well! Here's everything you'll get:

Deluxe-sized Lights, Camera, Splashes! Waterproof Mascara
A totally mod-chic headscarf
And the aforementioned Lock & Rolls in the following shades:

Turquoise
Citrine
Tanzanite

This giveaway has a retail value of $35. Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Sunday, August 30 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Saturday, August 29 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Clean Rollerball Perfume Set

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Today's giveaway combines two of my favorite things -- CLEAN Fragrances and rollerball perfumes. There's something about the fragrances from CLEAN -- they just smell, well, clean! And the two fragrances I'm giving away today are my absolute favorites:

CLEAN Warm Cotton: This smells exactly like fresh laundry. You know, like when you're walking by the laundromat and the smell of dryer sheets wafts out onto the street ... and you just stop and inhale the fresh, beautiful scent? Oh, is that just me? :) In any case, it contains notes of citrus, lilac and jasmine over a subtle but oh-so-sexy blend of amber and musk.

CLEAN Shower Fresh: Citrus notes of lemon, mandarin and orange combine with floral notes of lily of the valley, orange blossom and jasmine before ending in a musk and sheer woods base. The result? A totally sweet, beautiful, unbelievably aromatic fragrance that has just a hint of sexiness to it.

Each rollerball retails for $22, so the grand total of this giveaway is $44! Pretty nice, right? Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Saturday, August 29 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Friday, August 28 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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How Exotic: Space NK Life NK Gingered Woods Candle

Do you ever find yourself looking for that one perfect candle? You know the one -- it's not too heavy but not too light. Not too strong but not too weak. Heady and full-bodied without seeming overpowering or cloying. Well, I have the candle for you: Space NK Life NK Gingered Woods Candle.

I have to admit, I was a bit curious and wary when first setting out to light this candle. I'm not a huge woods fan, and ginger I can take or leave. But the second I lit the wick, I was transported to an exotic oasis of spa-like proportions.

Fresh ginger combines with sandalwood and cedar ... then they're lightly touched with tangerine and green fig. The end result? Complete, utter calm and relaxation the likes of which I haven't felt in quite some time. This one's a keeper.

The Life NK line is a new venture for Space NK and its creator, Nicky Kinnaird. (Click here for more on Nicky.) The entire line is free of parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate and silicone. It's made up of five scents -- Tomato
Rhubarb, Mandarin Grapefruit, Gingered Woods, Patchouli Suede and Midnight Jasmine -- which are supposed to be used during specific parts of each day.

The Space NK Life NK Gingered Woods Candle retails for $30.

Disclosure: This product was furnished by a PR representative for Space NK.

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Quote of the Day: Hairstylist Ted Gibson

Overheard straight from Ted Gibson's Twitter page today!

"In NYC today cutting hair for the regular girl and the famous girl. I love that I cant tell them apart. Beauty Is Individual. XO"

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: La Prairie Deluxe Goody Bag

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Fellow beauty chicks, I am thrilled to bring you today's giveaway! One lucky winner will receive three La Prairie products valued at a whopping $160. The three products included in today's giveaway are favorites of La Prairie Colour Ambassador (and one of my fave people) Raychel Wade. She's totally obsessed with these three products -- and you will be, too! Here's what you could win:

La Prairie Luxe eye Liner Automatique ($50): A creamy dual-ended creamy pencil with a foam smudge and refillable color cartridge. It's smudge-proof and long-lasting -- and the soft, durable pencil requires no sharpening!

La Prairie Cellular Radiance Cream Blush ($70): This long-wearing, non-drying blush is available in four wearable shades and comes inside a beautifully chic silver compact

La Prairie Cellular Lip Colour Effects ($40): Gorgeous, sheer glosses that glide smoothly onto the lips and resist streaking and feathering to create a luminous effect. They're even created with antioxidants to firm and smooth skin!

How's that for an amazing giveaway? Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Friday, August 28 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Thursday, August 27 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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Givenchy Peel Me Perfectly Is Truly Perfect.

I’ve waited 3 weeks to write this and now I’m finally able to share the secret to perfect skin: Givenchy Peel Me Perfectly. Why did I wait so long? Well, I just didn’t believe the results when I first tried it (and then again and again). Since it’s a peel and my skin is quite sensitive, I could only use it once a week. By the third use, I was truly sold –- this is a miracle in a bottle.

The pale lavender cream is filled with tons of good stuff like microspheres to gently exfoliate, oarwood extract and glycolic acid to enhance radiance, and clay extract to purify and tighten pores. Let me tell you, this peel does all that it promises.



After my first use, my skin was visibly brightened and my seemingly permanent blackheads completely vanished. My skin texture was smooth and pores were invisible. Fluke, I thought. Maybe because I had been reading about the product, I had convinced myself that I was seeing great results. I waited a week. The second time produced the same amazing results. For the third time, although the instructions say to massage in gentle circular motions, I simply patted a generous layer over my sensitive skin and let it sit for a few minutes. Um, what are blackheads again?

The best part is, the results last. I’ve encountered products before that did their job right after I used them, but I would wake up to my previous dull skin. With this Givenchy peel, my skin stayed clear, tight and bright for an entire week -- at which time, I fell in love all over again.

Givenchy Peel Me Perfectly retails for $45.

--Jennifer Lee

Disclosure: This product was furnished by a PR representative for Givenchy.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Marc Jacobs Daisy is one of those fragrances that's just crisp, light and fresh. Every time I smell it, I just feel utterly happy and at peace. And it's no wonder with notes like strawberry, violet leaves, ruby red grapefruit, gardenia, violet petals, jasmine petals, musk, vanilla and white woods! Not to mention the fact that it comes in one of the prettiest bottles ever.

And now one lucky winner has the chance to win a 3.4oz. Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau de Toilette, valued at $72! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Thursday, August 27 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Wednesday, August 26 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Bliss Best of Skintentions

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

One of my all-time favorite moisturizers? Bliss Best of Skintentions. I've actually already given you a rundown of just what makes this moisturizer so great (click here for a recap). So let's get right into the amazing giveaway, shall we?

One lucky winner will receive his or her very own bottle of Bliss Best of Skintentions, valued at $35! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Wednesday, August 26 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Tuesday, August 25 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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Is Burning Candles Bad for Your Health?

Well, according to researchers at South Carolina State University, it might be. They found that paraffin-based candles emit toxic chemicals including toluene and benzene -- and while lighting them periodically probably won't present a huge threat, lighting time and again in an unventilated space can aggravate asthma and cause allergy-like symptoms.

For more information on the study and to read the full article, click here.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Orlane Hypnotherapy

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Fellow beauty chicks, I think you might just keel over and die when I tell you about the giveaway I have in store for you today. One lucky winner is going to walk away with a full-sized tub of Orlane Hypnotherapy. Now, you might be asking me what this product is, exactly. Orlane Hypnotherapy is a lush, rich, undeniably luxe eye cream that works to fight aging around the eye contour. Ingredients include red tocol arctic cranberry (to enhance skin's resistance to harmful environmental factors), date pit oil (for anti-aging), pumpkin seed extract (to reduce irritation and purify the area around the eyes) and lupin extract (this derivation of summer squash stimulates microcirculation and skin oxygenation).

And guess what? It retails for $250. Yes, you read that right! Entering this giveaway is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Tuesday, August 25 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Monday, August 24 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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Hair Trends of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards

So now that the 2009 Teen Choice Awards are over and done with, I've had some time to scour the pictures and come up with the major hair trends of the night. Two styles definitely stood out ... but you'll have to click after the jump to find out what they are!



LONG AND FLOWING:

Plenty of gals showed up sporting this style. It's cool, it's easy and it's always sexy!

Sparkles offset Megan Park's curly mane.
Dark eye makeup and an asymmetrical shoulder strap lent edge to Britney Spears' locks.
Amanda Bynes paired her hairstyle with her patented form-fitting minidress and high-wattage grin.
Broadway babe -- and upcoming Glee resident Lea Michele -- looked sweet and sassy with curly locks and a sunny one-shoulder frock.
Miley Cyrus went with her signature long curly tresses -- though I can't say I agreed with her outfit choice or her subsequent dancing on a pole.
Vanessa Hudgens was a vision in purple -- and her wavy tresses perfectly complemented the flirty look.
Jordin Sparks went for turquoise and turned up the heat with a long, flowing mane.
Fergie is totally rocking her newly darkened locks!
Ashley Tisdale looks like she recently put some blonde streaks in and went for an overall lightening. The look definitely suits her better ... though I can't say I love the dress.
Brenda Song looked simple and pretty in a white and black ensemble with curly, curly tresses.
Kim Kardashian turned her locks blonde for the occasion!

SIDESWEPT PONYTAILS:

This style is a bit more sophisticated, but still undone enough that it doesn't look too fussy.

Audrina Patridge went for the dramatic in a body-conscious ruched magenta minidress and vibrant turquoise pumps.
Emma Roberts keeps looking more and more grown-up! Totally loving the look, especially the layers of chain necklaces attached to the dress.
Rumer Willis amped her pony up a notch by turning it into a complicated-looking fishtail braid.
A va-va-voom one-shoulder red dress and smoky eye makeup lent glamorous sophistication to AJ Michalka of Aly and AJ.
Josie Loren went for long center-parted bangs and a strapless black dress.
Chelsea Hobbs made things interesting with an intricate knot tied into the top of her ponytail!
Cassie Scerbo had mountains of curls cascading down one side of her face -- the perfect complement to the tiered ruffles of her vibrant red frock.

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Yay or Nay: White Mascara

Is it me, or does the white mascara this model was sporting at the RAFW Review 1 show during the Rosemount Sydney Fashion Festival on August 18 just look like mascara primer? I just don't know if I can get behind a look that makes it seem as though I forgot to apply mascara.

But what do you think? Is this look a yay or a nay? Let me know in the comments!

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Eva Amurri, I Love Your Blonde Locks!

I've been a fan of Eva Amurri ever since I saw her in Saved. And I really feel that she can do no wrong in terms of beauty ... whether her hair is long or short, light or dark, it just seems to complement her features. So I'm totally loving the new 'do she's sporting as of late -- the chin-length bob that's been dyed to a light brownish-blonde and streaked with lighter honey highlights is simply gorgeous. Eva, I salute you -- and your hair.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Benefit Hello Flawless!

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

Looking flawless has never been so easy ... thanks to Benefit Hello Flawless!, that is. This silky powder coverup gives a naturally sheer, beautiful finish -- perfect for those mornings you feel you just need a little something extra. And added bonus? It has SPF! It even comes with a brush, sponge and application lesson. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

And now one lucky winner has the chance to receive Benefit Hello Flawless!, valued at $34! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Monday, August 24 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Sunday, August 23 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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Yay or Nay: Lea Michele's Hot Pink Lipstick at the Glee Tour

Songstress Lea Michele appeared at the Glee tour in King of Prussia this past week sporting a hot pink lip. And while I actually am digging the look on her, I'm wondering if it's too much paired with such a relaxed look ... or, if it isn't too much, whether it should have been coordinated better since the shirt is red.

But I leave the choice up to you. Is it a yay or a nay? Let me know in the comments!

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Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Honey Bath Makes Me Say Oh...My...God.

Anyone who's ever watched Friends knows what I'm talking about. Janice's patented "Oh ... My ... God!" was one of the most famous lines of the series. Observe:



So here's the thing. Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Honey Bath makes me feel exactly like Janice in that clip. The first time I opened up the tub, and the gorgeously, amazingly, unbelievably rich aroma wafted up into the shower, I thought I might die of happiness. Notes of creamy pistachio nuts, almond, praline and hazelnut combine with freshly whipped cream to create a totally luscious and delicious experience.

Now, while this is supposed to be used as a bubble bath, I decided to try it out as a shower gel ... mainly because I don't have a tub, only a stall shower! I scooped about a dime-sized amount onto my pouf and was immediately surprised and delighted by the rich and foaming lather it created. I was swimming in bubbles! Plus it's formulated with Vitamins A and E to soothe and moisturize the skin.

And the color? It's the most delightful shade of minty seafoam green. The tub just looks so pretty sitting in my shower!

Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Honey Bath retails for $40.

Disclosure: This product was furnished by a PR representative for Laura Mercier.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Masque

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

I've been a fan of Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Masque for as long as I can remember. When Space NK first opened, my friend Susan and I perused the shelves for hours before deciding that this baby was the hottest thing in the entire store ... or should I say, the coolest! This fantastic face mask is hydrating, calming, soothing and cool to the touch -- which, especially in this terrible summer heat, is utterly fantastic. It's great for all skin types and even works to soothe sunburns. Can't get any better than that, right?

And now one lucky winner has the chance to win a full-sized tub of Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Masque, valued at $45! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Sunday, August 23 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Saturday, August 22 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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A Month of Beautiful Giveaways: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence

A Month of Beautiful Giveaways is a very special feature here on The Beauty of Life! Throughout the month of August, we will be giving away an array of unbelievable beauty prizes from some of our all-time favorite brands. Check back for your chance to win each day!

I have long been a fan of SK-II. The luxury skincare line is singlehandedly responsible for making my skin look amazingly fresh and dewy even in the dead of winter, thanks to their Whitening Source Intensive Mask. So when I discovered the Facial Treatment Essence, naturally I was undeniably thrilled and delighted.

This serum is formulated with SK-II's signature Pitera to improve skin's texture and clarity. Pitera is found exclusively in SK-II products and is rich in vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids. It absorbs into skin quickly and effortlessly, never leaving behind any greasy residue. Facial Treatment Essence is unique in that it increases your skin's moisturization immediately upon contact. Simply pat it onto your face gently and you'll feel the results instantly -- and be left with youthful, radiant skin.

And now one lucky winner has the chance to receive a full-sized bottle of Facial Treatment Essence, valued at $145! Entering is easy. Simply enter your name and email address in the box below. The winner will be selected on Saturday, August 22 and notified by email. It's that simple!



This giveaway is open to US residents only. Giveaway runs until Friday, August 21 at midnight. One entry per person, email address and IP address. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

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