Category: Giveaway

Of Life and Lacquer > Giveaway

September Birthday Giveaway #2

Posted on by Cynthia

Are you ready for another giveaway? As promised, the birthday extravaganza continues with another nail polish giveaway. I will be choosing two winners for this next giveaway as I have two sets of Jessica Cosmetics minis:

The colors in this kit are: Happy Days, Loving The Lilacs and Velvet Rope.

The colors in this kit are: Starlight Starbright, Cabernet Creme and Chilled Chambord.

This second picture made me laugh because you can see me taking the pic, and I hadn’t even combed my hair. What a bird’s nest!

I am so happy I got my hands on these sets because I think they are adorable and Jessica is really one of my favorite nail polish brands. I think they are sorely underrated because a lot of people can’t seem to get this brand locally and don’t always want to purchase them online. If you want to know how awesome the quality of these polishes is, check out some of my previous reviews here.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My previous giveaways have been open to US, Canada, France and UK residents but I am going to open this up worldwide. My only concern is that I’ve heard that some countries are really strict when it comes to nail polish being mailed so please know the customs regulations of your particular country before you enter. I will not be responsible if you win and your prize is confiscated by customs…and that would make me super sad!

After this giveaway, I have one last one planned, and I hope that you will really enjoy it because I’m loving the idea of planning it. Weeeeeeeeee! 🙂 Don’t forget to share this with your nail polish loving friends.

 

September Birthday Extravaganza #1

Posted on by Cynthia

Now that things are almost back to normal with all my blog drama, I am launching my first Birthday Month Giveaway…The Notorious BMG. Nice!

A month ago when Ulta was clearing out their essence stock, I purchased so many polishes with the idea of using them in a giveaway. I really do love these polishes because the formula is great, and they have awesome colors as well.  So for this giveaway, I have 5 lovely shades:

Ultimate Pink, Let’s Get Lost, Just In Case, Space Queen and Where Is The Party?

Here are some swatches of the colors. Don’t worry…I used my own bottles of these polishes for the swatches. The bottles that are up for the giveaway are brand new and unused. 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to US, Canada, France and UK residents. When you follow my blog via email, make sure that you confirm your subscription because otherwise you won’t show up as a subscriber when I choose a winner.

While you are at it, don’t forget to enter my other giveaway for a FREE Julep Maven Intro Box. There are only a couple of days left to enter and it’s 100% free.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today has just been a crappy and hot day. I feel so lethargic when it gets this hot. I am sure you’re all getting tired of hearing me complain about the heat by now. I just hope that the heat lets up because this is when the wildfires get insane in California.

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with something I like to call THE SANDWICH. Actually, Lesley and Nicole also call it the same thing and I think it was Lesley who initially called it that. My brother is a huge fan of THE SANDWICH and he asked me to make him one for dinner tonight since he works until around 8:30. THE SANDWICH consists of: Tuna, mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg and cheese of your choice–I like provolone. Does it sound disgusting? Well, it isn’t. It’s such a delicious combination. Today I decided to add bacon to it since I need another push towards coronary artery disease. I wanted to add avocado but it doesn’t look like it’s ripe enough yet. 🙁 I usually make it on plain wheat or white bread, but tonight I took it another step closer to culinary armageddon: a crusty baguette. Behold my creation:

    

Does it look disgusting to you? Well let me tell you: this sandwich = foodgasm. Ladies who have had this, back me up. lol The thing I want to warn you about when you eat this sandwich is the heinous breath that you will get afterwards. Yes, it is worse than you imagine.  The use of the baguette and the bacon pushes this sandwich to another level so I had to think about it. This sandwich will now be known as The Pantagruel. If you don’t know who Pantagruel is (I’m sure my lovely French readers will get the allusion), he is a character in a series of novels written by Francois Rabelais. Pantagruel and his father, Gargantua, were crude, excessive and obscene–kind of like this sandwich! See? It fits perfectly. By the way, we get the word gargantuan from from Rabelais’ Gargantua. I always like knowing tidbits like that. I’m easily amused.

Oh, and I also got my Sephora order today:

I don’t usually buy too many Sephora by OPI polishes unless they are on clearance. I got all three polishes for $13–not bad considering each polish sells for $9.50. Since Sephora was offering free shipping to VIBs last week, I ordered these without having to pay for shipping. I also redeemed 100 BI Points to get a small bottle of Coach Poppy. Yay!

This is probably the longest and most rambling giveaway post ever,  but I had a lot to say!  Don’t forget to check out my “Giveaway Alerts” page to see other giveaways that other lovely ladies are currently running. See? I’m looking out for you and want you to win polishes. 😉

Thanks for stopping by and good luck!

Julep Sasha

Posted on by Cynthia

If you’ve taken a peek at my facebook or twitter page, you probably know that I’ve had a mini meltdown about all the issues I have encountered while trying to move my blog to a different host. My blog is going to look messed up for a couple of days while I figure out how to work around all the hurdles that keep popping up every time I think I have things figured out.  I will leave that drama for another post because I just need to get my mind off it all and upload a post I was working on earlier today.

Before I get into my review and swatches of Sasha, don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a FREE Julep Maven Intro box. There are only a couple of days let to enter so why wouldn’t you enter? It’s free and there is no obligation to purchase anything else.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven for just $0.01 for your introductory box!!! YES, JUST ONE PENNY! How? Well, let me tell you how. Sign up by clicking on my link here and use promo code MAVENINTRO  By signing up using my link, you are helping support my blog so click away! 🙂

For more information about the Julep Maven membership program, here are some details from Julep’s website:

As a Julep Maven, your monthly subscription of just $19.99 delivers exclusive access to at least $40 worth of products handpicked to suit your style.After your introductory box, you’ll start receiving a Julep Maven Box each month, including:

  • At least $40 worth of customized products elegantly packaged in our exclusive giftable box
  • New, never-before-released colors and treatments sent FIRST to you, before anyone else
  • Past hits and cult favorites–the products our girlfriends can’t live without.

Your Maven subscription also comes with free shipping, 20% off all purchases in the Julep Maven Boutique and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s never any obligation to buy.

We’ll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Like what you see? Do nothing and your box is on its way. Want to try a new style, send your box to a friend or skip the month? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request.

 

Before all the blog drama happened today, I decided to use my other Julep polish:

    

This is two coats of Sasha. This color is seriously vibrant, and I’m still on the fence about how I like it on me. Regardless of what I think of the actual color, I am happy to report that the formula was absolutely perfect: creamy, buttery and very pigmented. What else can you ask for when it comes to a creme polish?

Since I’ve been trying to experiment more,  I busted out some other colors and my handy dotting tool to see if I could come up with something interesting.

    

You be the judge: cute or disasticure as Nicole calls them?

So what do you think of Sasha and my feeble attempt at nail art? Don’t be too hard on me. I can stamp and that’s about it. haha! I am super excited because it looks like I might get my newest set of plates sometime this week. Considering the drama I’ve been dealing with, that would make me super happy!

I’m going to say it again: enter my giveaway because who doesn’t love free stuff?! Oh, and Nicole from Polish Me Please! is also giving away a Julep box. Hello! Two chances to win a box if you enter both. You can enter her giveaway by clicking here.

I’m sure you’re sick of giveaways, right? (Sure you are!) Well, get ready because I have some giveaways lined up this month since it’s my birthday later in the month. I don’t usually like to celebrate my birthday, but I do like excuses to host giveaways! Stay tuned because one goes live later today. 😉

 

****This item was sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****

Guess Who’s Having Another Giveaway?!

Posted on by Cynthia

EDIT 8/25: I am noticing that I am getting a lot of entries from new people who are not showing up as followers in my stats. In order for you to be eligible, you MUST be a blog follower. If you follow my blog via email, you have to confirm your subscription. If you don’t confirm it in your email, you will not show up as a follower so you will NOT be eligible for the prize.

Am I a giveaway freak, or what? I’ve been seriously building up a crazy giveaway stash, and I figured I might as well do one now. The exciting part of this giveaway is that I am opening it up to the top 4 countries in my readership stats which means that this giveaway will be open to US, Canada, France and UK residents!

To enter, you can go to my facebook page and click on the Giveaway tab  or you can click here a Rafflecopter giveaway and enter that way. The giveaway is live NOW and will run until the end of the month.

So what will you get if you win??

essence Nude It!, essence Where Is The Party?, Sinful Colors Lavender, Zoya Nimue & WNW Nerd Alert: Screech

You will also get a bunch of random samples as well as a surprise or two…depends on how many entries I get. 😉

I wanted to ask all of you a few questions about my blog because lately I have been having a lot of trouble keeping up with comments and especially keeping up with all the blogs I follow. As some of you may know, I’ve been interviewing lately so that cuts down on my free time as well as what colors I can wear unless I want to change my nails more than usual. The absolute best part of having a blog, in my opinion, is interacting with all of you so I hate feeling like I’m dropping the ball by not answering questions/emails that I get. I also miss being able to visit all the blogs on my reader regularly. Normally, I post once a day but that has become a bit harder so I’m thinking of changing things up a little bit which is where your opinions come in. I have a few polls down bellow and it would mean a lot to me if you would take a minute or two to answer my questions.

Also, don’t forget to enter my Julep giveaway for a FREE Julep Maven Intro box. Click here to enter the giveaway or you can click here to read about how you can enter for the free box and also sign up for a box for only $0.01!!!

All of these questions are only about my blog. If you’re on twitter, you know it’s way easier for me to be on there and interact with everyone. I am very committed to this blog so I want to make sure that my posts are enjoyable to write and also enjoyable to read. Thank you so much for your continued support!

Are You A Julep Maven? – Review & Giveaway!

Posted on by Cynthia

EDIT 8/28: Please make sure that If you follow my blog via email, that you confirm your subscription. If you don’t confirm it in your email, you will not show up as a follower.

How many of you have heard of Julep? Ever since I became a total polish freak, I have been keeping track of everything polish related as if my life depended on it. How many collections can one person possibly keep track of? The scary part is that I am a crazy polish savant and seem to remember the name of every polish and what collections they come from. Weird, right?

So, it’s about time I started looking into the Julep world. The intro box that I chose is the Boho Glam box which came with two bottles of nail polish and a tube of pedicure cream/moisturizer.

Julep polishes in Toni and Sasha and a tube of The Best Pedi Creme Ever!

I picked the Boho Glam box because of Toni. I know some of you are probably sick of the purple/greige polishes, but I am still seriously in love with them especially now that fall is coming. Sasha is not a color I would normally choose, but I’ve been trying to branch out a bit in my polish choices. I was also really looking forward to the pedi creme because I am always looking for something that will moisturize and exfoliate without being crazy greasy. When I looked at the tube closely, I noticed that there were mint leaves on it and my heart fell. I absolutely hate mint/peppermint scents on lotions because I always get headaches when I use them–especially if I apply them before bed. Well, I am happy to report that the mint scent is very faint and it smells more like cucumber to me: refreshing and cooling. I have used this pedi creme two days in a row and I have to tell you that I am in freaking love with this stuff. I don’t think that my feet have ever been as soft and best of all, the creme is not greasy at all. I will definitely be using this every single night…it’s a lifesaver. No more freaking out about wearing sandals or flip-flops!

I decided to wear Toni today:

Julep calls this a greige with a hint of lavender, and I think that it is a perfect description. It applied like a dream, and I only needed two thin coats for full opacity. I can’t get enough of creme polishes!!!

Now for the super deluxe good news: I am so excited to announce that I am hosting a giveaway in conjunction with Julep where you can win an intro Julep Maven box!! In order to enter, you can use this link: a Rafflecopter giveaway  This giveaway will run until 9/7/2012 so you have plenty of time to enter.

You can also sign up to be a Julep Maven for just $0.01 for your introductory box!!! YES, JUST ONE PENNY! How? Well, let me tell you how. Sign up by clicking on my link here and use promo code MAVENINTRO  By signing up using my link, you are helping support my site so click away! 🙂

For more information about the Julep Maven membership program, here are some details from Julep’s website:

As a Julep Maven, your monthly subscription of just $19.99 delivers exclusive access to at least $40 worth of products handpicked to suit your style.After your introductory box, you’ll start receiving a Julep Maven Box each month, including:

  • At least $40 worth of customized products elegantly packaged in our exclusive giftable box
  • New, never-before-released colors and treatments sent FIRST to you, before anyone else
  • Past hits and cult favorites–the products our girlfriends can’t live without.

Your Maven subscription also comes with free shipping, 20% off all purchases in the Julep Maven Boutique and the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s never any obligation to buy.

We’ll send an email previewing your upcoming Julep Maven Box on the 20th of each month. Like what you see? Do nothing and your box is on its way. Want to try a new style, send your box to a friend or skip the month? Just log into your account between the 20th and the 24th to submit your request.

Don’t miss your chance to enter to win a free Julep Maven Intro box here. Even better, make sure you get your own box for just a penny by clicking here and using promo code MAVENINTRO

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you get a chance to try Julep because so far, I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of their products.

If you want an extra chance to win your very own Julep Maven intro box, visit Nicole’s blog here and enter there as well!! Woo hoo! Two chances?! Yes, please!

****These items were sent for review. This in no way influences my review and opinion of the product.****

Round 3 – WNW Saved By The Nail – Saved By The Bell Giveaway

Posted on by Cynthia

No, this isn’t déjà vu! Since I got really lucky and found a bunch of the LE Wet N Wild Saved By The Nail polishes, I decided to put them on here for another giveaway. I keep reading on twitter how so many people can’t find these and really want them so here I am again. I wish I had been able to find the whole collection, but all of the CVS stores I went to were missing Pom Pom Kelly and Chick Magnet Zack. Just as a reminder, here is what the colors look like:

  • +2 entries Follow my blog
  • +1 entry Leave a Blog Post Comment
  • +2 entries Follow @LifeAndLacquer on Twitter
  • +2 entries Tweet About the Giveaway (you can do this once a day!)
  • +1 entry Follow me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/LifeAndLacquer
  • +2 entries for facebook fans

You can enter by clicking on the following link a Rafflecopter giveaway or you can head over to my facebook page and click on the Giveaway Tab.

Again, this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents. I hope people are still excited about these despite not being a complete set. Thanks for continuing to support me by stopping by and commenting; it’s a pleasure to get to know all of you.

I also forgot to mention the most important part: I decided to do this giveaway because of all the milestones I was able to reach last month due to all of your wonderful support. You all have no idea how much this blog has helped me, and I never thought that I would meet such lovely ladies.

Good luck!

Round 2: Wet N Wild Saved By The Bell Polish Collection Giveaway!

Posted on by Cynthia

Edit 7/26/2012: GIVEAWAY CLOSED & WINNER ANNOUNCED HERE

Because of the positive response to my first giveaway, I decided to hunt down another set of polishes for a second giveaway. It was way harder this time because most of the CVS stores I went to had just a couple of colors left. Thankfully, I did get a complete set! Since I decided to make my first giveaway US only, I am opening this up to US and Canada residents.

  • +2 entries Follow my blog
  • +1 entry Leave a Blog Post Comment
  • +1 entry Follow @LifeAndLacquer on Twitter
  • +1 entry Tweet About the Giveaway (you can do this once a day!)
  • +1 entry Follow me on Pinterest http://pinterest.com/LifeAndLacquer

I hope I see some entries from my lovely Canadian polish sisters! Please click on the link below to enter via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway starts today and will close on 7/27/2012 at 12:01 am EST. It’s a bummer to hear that so many people are having a hard time finding this collection so I’m happy to get this for one of you. Good luck everyone!

Wet N Wild Saved By The Bell Collection Giveaway!

Posted on by Cynthia

EDIT 7/19/2012: A Winner has been picked. Please refer to this post for details. Thank you for entering!

 

Ok, I’m going to give this a try and host my first giveaway! Yay!  Since this is my first giveaway, I am only opening this up to US residents. I’m sorry! I just want to make sure this works fine before I do a bigger giveaway for everyone. The giveaway is open starting today, 7/12, and ends at 12:01 am est on 7/20.

Because I still haven’t transitioned from free wordpress hosting, I can’t embed the Rafflecopter widget in this post, so I hope it  still works. I created the giveaway on Rafflecopter so you will have to click on the link below and enter that way.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You will be able to accumulate a total of 5 entries should you wish to complete all 4 tasks.

  • +2 entries Follow my blog
  • +1 entry Leave a Blog Post Comment
  • +1 entry Follow @LifeAndLacquer on Twitter
  • +1 entry Tweet About the Giveaway

You won’t get any extra entries, but you can also follow me on facebook and pinterest if you are so inclined.

For swatches of the collection, please see my previous post here.

I want to thank all the wonderfully creative, caring and lovely ladies whom I have had the pleasure to meet in the 8 months that I’ve been working on this little blog. I know I’m just one person in a sea of talented ladies so I appreciate every single one of you who visit my little world.  And for those of you who are regular readers and who join in the insanity that my comments section sometimes becomes, I love you! 🙂

Here is the prize. I am going to bubble wrap it nice and secure. (My set is in the background since someone asked me if I was giving away the set I swatched: no, they are brand new.)

I really hope there aren’t any issues with the rafflecopter link, but if there are, please let me know right away.  I know this isn’t some huge prize or anything, but I hope someone gets to enjoy it if only for the fond memories of being a kid.