Thursday, April 28, 2011

A Little Venting and a Little Review

Some of you may have noticed I've been absent from my blog this week.  I'd love to say it was because I was on some amazing vacation, but the truth is, I went on a vacation by myself - I just checked out from the online world.  The last two weeks have been crazy and frustrating.  There's been a trip to the ER for Little Miss S (it all turned out fine), my husband started finals for law school so he's been absent, Little Miss S is also breaking ground with tooth #2 and having a growth spurt. So, in between 10-month-old melt downs, dinner with hubby, chasing the little one around naked all the time and wondering how my child all of a sudden became so dirty after every nap (dried snot, wet hair, tears, the works!), I decided to take a break from blogging.  I hope you understand.  I'm aware this is a stage of raising children but I guess I was hoping it would come in 6 months.  Now my fear is it will last for 6 months! Next week will be better (hopefully).  :)

So onto the review!  I recently won a $100 giftcard to ShopBop from Wardrobe Oxygen (thanks again!!).  During the Challenge, I realized two things: (1) I needed more accessories and (2) I have nothing gold.  So when I won the gift card, guess what I bought?  Gold Accessories.  Remember this gold outfit?  The necklace (my Mr. T necklace according to hubby) and the headband came from ShopBop. 

I surprisingly love the Mr. T necklace.  I knew it was somewhat of a gamble with that much gold IN YOUR FACE but I wanted something long and something that knotted at the end (think tassel-like) and this worked out perfectly.  I LOVE the headband, but its made for someone with a ginormous head - I don't want to return it, so I'll be doctoring the elastic to make it fit better.  It's completely loose on my head right now.  Add some curls and I've got enough hair to keep it in!

My third piece that I bought from ShopBop was a simpler gold necklace - a little sweet chain with some added pearls, pictured above.  Does anyone else think all they see is lips in the above picture?  This is the after picture for the Mary Kay contest and all I see is LIPS.  I've been thinking about trying a bright red lipstick but I don't know if my non-existent lips can handle that much attention.  Maybe its because I'm wearing lip liner, and I never wear lip liner.  How do you line a top lip that disappears when you smile?!?

My experience with ShopBop was fabulous - I LOVE the fact that shipping and handling is free.  It makes online shopping much more enjoyable.  And my order was at my house in three days.  It was bliss.  It was easy to keep track of what I liked and easy to thumb through their inventory.  I recommend a look!  Have you tried it out yet?



Monday, April 25, 2011

7 For All Mankind for Cheap!

7 For All Mankind is going on sale today for both men and women on Hautelook.   Hautelook is a sample site - they have a limited amount of inventory that they sell for 30-75% off retail.  The 7 For All Mankind sale starts TODAY at 8:00AM PACIFIC and goes until Wednesday, April 27 at the same time.

Also, on sale later this week on Hautelook:  Tadpoles for kids (starts Tuesday), Jessica Simpson shoes (starts Thursday), and a sunglass blowout featuring sunglasses from all brands for a great deal (starts Friday)!

Happy Sale Shopping!


Friday, April 22, 2011

Giveaway Winner!

I thought I'd give gold a try.  What do you think?
Jeans, Sweater, and Belt from Gap (I didn't think I shopped there that much)
Undershirt from ModBod
Necklace and Headband from ShopBop
Shoes are Enzo Angiolini from Macys

Close up of the headband

And now what you've been waiting for....the Goodie Bag Giveaway Winner!!
Congratulations Katie from Fashion Frugality



Thursday, April 21, 2011

Free Things, Who Can Say No?

This entire post is dedicated to getting something for free...so it might just be your favorite for the day.

First item of business, you may have noticed my Deals of the Day posts have ceased.  Well, they haven't ceased so much as moved.  To Twitter.  It's easier to dedicate one tweet to a good deal rather than an entire post.  But trust me, if there's a screamin' deal, I'll post it here too.  So today you should check out my Twitter page (@imageenvyblog), because there are some great sales going on this weekend.  AND if you follow me, it could enter you in the giveaway, as long as you leave a comment!

So on to number two:  the Giveaway.  The celebration of 10,000 hits!  See what's in the Goodie Bag and enter to win - there's five possible entries per person!

Next, Rue La La is giving you a $20 credit if you sign up with them before April 25 (next Monday) using my invite.  You have to spend the $20 before May 25, but how hard will that be?

Last, but not least, Lindsey, the giver of a great deal on the Mineral Foundation Brush, is also offering you the chance to win $2,500 cash for putting on makeup.  No really.  Email her (lindseymsmith@marykay.com) and she'll send you a makeover in the mail.  Take a before and after picture, answer 1 of 3 questions, and submit your pictures.  Easy enough to win a nice chunk of cash?  I thought so too.

Happy *free* shopping!




Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Bloggers Do It Better: Color Blocking

I'm so excited for the Bloggers Do It Better feature by Pretty Shiny Sparkly!  Today's outfit was either Color Blocking or Bold Colorful Stripes.  I wear bright colors a lot, so I opted for the stripes option.  Enjoy and check out the rest of the bloggers here!

Shirt from Target (previous season)
Capris from Ann Taylor Loft (previous season)
Tank from Express
Shoes from Calvin Klein
Jewelry from Cookie Lee and a gift

Don't forget to enter the giveaway!



195 Dresses

Meet Charity Fuller, a girl from my hometown of Mesa, Arizona. Looking for modest prom dresses, she created Sue's closet. Check out what one person can do!




Monday, April 18, 2011

Makeover Monday: Paige from Vegas

Meet Paige!  She's a mom of two and an old college roommate of mine. 

She wanted help finding tops that would hide a post-baby tummy.  Her style?  Classic, tailored, semi-fitted, but still somewhat trendy.  See what look we found for Paige!
Tank from New York and Company
Pants, blazer, shoes, and jewelry belong to Paige.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway! See more makeovers here.

Makeover Mondays are now happening on the Image Envy blog!  Want your own makeover regardless of where you live? Enter your information here!




Friday, April 15, 2011

GIVEAWAY!

Welcome to my Giveaway!  In order to thank you for helping me get over 10,000 hits, I thought it would be proper to give one of you lucky readers something in return!

The Goodie Bag

How to enter:
1.  You must follow my blog publicly (middle of the right hand sidebar).
2.  Leave a comment below with your favorite thing about Spring.
3.  Leave an email address in the same comment where I can contact you.

Extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):
1.  Follow me on Bloglovin.
2.  Follow me on Twitter @imageenvyblog.
3.  Blog about this contest, include a link back to this post, and leave me the url.
4.  Tweet about this contest, link back to this post, and mention @imageenvyblog.

That's a total of 5 chances!!  This contest is open to US and Canada.  The winner will be drawn by random.org.  Giveaway ends Thursday, April 21 at Midnight EST!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. 


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Spring Shopping

With the weather changing, its time to pull out the short sleeves and capris and thank goodness!  And although Spring has officially been here for about a month or so, it finally feels like Spring weather here in Ohio. Here are a few of my favorite items for this season!

Tops
Perfect for transitioning seasons, this blouse from Mia Bellina is a steal for $17.95.

Layering is perfect for those cool nights.  Try New York and Company's shrug in a variety of colors for $25.86.


Bottoms
Wearing something other than jeans keeps your wardrobe feeling fresh.  Try Mango's capris in navy ($39.90) for a great alternative. 

Another alternative to jeans and perfect for spring weather is a colorful skirt.  This season is featuring full and flirty, like Mango's for $99.90.



Shoes

No matter what the season, always have a great heel.  Try Franco Sarto's on sale for $77.99.


Swim
I am addicted to this color and couldn't stop looking at this tankini!  Top $54 from Shabby Apple and bottoms sold separately for $28.

I love this Cool Cabana print!  The long ruffled tankini top gives the look of old '40s swimwear without the horrible after-effect of chopping off the length of your legs!  Top is $32.99 from DownEast Basics with matching bottoms sold separately for $22.99.

Miscellaneous
Whether its Spring Break or just because, this season is the perfect time to travel.  Don't forget to take along the Premium Travel Kit from Sigma Beauty, now on sale for $49! (You'll also get a FREE gift for spending $30 or more!)

Add a pop of color to your wardrobe with an accessory like this red belt - yours for only $12.50 from MikaRose.
Happy Shopping!



Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Trend Trial

Like I promised, I tried orange makeup.  Well, as orange as my makeup goes.  I toned down the eyes from Fergie's vibrant hue and added some spunk with teal eyeliner. 


Eyes:
Base color: Aspen Summit from Sephora
SEPHORA COLLECTION Colorful Mono Eyeshadow Aspen Summit 23
Lid color:  Arena from MAC
MAC Eye Shadow Arena
Accent color:  Smoky Gray from Jasmine La Belle
(no longer available, see similar below)
Stila Palette, Smoky Eye 1 ea
Eyeliner: Kaliste from NARS
NARS Eyeliner Pencil, Kaliste 1 ea
Mascara: Great Lash from Maybelline
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, Blackest Black - .43 fl oz

Lips:
Sweet Candy Gloss from Sephora in Apple Pomegranate (smells delicious)
SEPHORA COLLECTION Sweet Candy Gloss Peach Blossom

What do you think?  Was this trial an error?