Giveaway and review! Conair You Wrap and Wave

I think I’ve mentioned this before, but in the past year, I’ve really started to love curling my hair. I’d thought for the longest time that because I have naturally thick, straight hair, I couldn’t get it to hold a curl, and what’s the point of going through the effort of curling if it falls flat a minute after walking out the door?

I have learned that it’s all about the iron you use (and hairspray!), and that a good iron can curl just about anyone’s hair. I was recently sent the Conair You Wrap & Wave iron to test out and review, and I have to say that this is definitely up there on my list of “go to” curling irons. The other iron I use is a Conair (the Infiniti 1.5 inch professional tourmaline nano), so it makes sense that I like this one —- it’s part of the same line, so it also uses tourmaline technology, which helps to reduce frizz and static, so you’re left with really pretty, soft curls.

What I love about the You Wrap & Wave is the versatility you’re getting in one product — you can try all sorts of different configurations to wrap your hair around the barrels and get different shapes and sizes of curls.

It’s also clampless, so you don’t get those annoying clamp marks around the curls. It comes with a cute little half glove to keep you from burning your hand as you hold it around the barrel.

I’ve tried lots of different techniques with this curling iron —- figure 8′s around both barrels (resulting in curls that are “s” shaped, so you get a variation of bigger waves and smaller ones in the same curl), wrapping around the outside of both barrels, and just using the smaller barrel to get really tight curls. One of my favorite methods is mixing up the techniques in one hairdo, so I’m left with really wild curls all over.

Here’s a before shot of one of the first times I used the iron. My hair was curled with my regular Conair iron the day before, so it had some body to it.

We were going out that evening, so I wanted to try a style that had lots of movement and texture to it, so I used the combination method of techniques with the You Wrap and Wave to achieve a really fun look.

I definitely would recommend this iron. For the inexpensive price tag (under $50), you’re getting a tool that combines two or three different irons. And, I’m lucky to be able to offer a giveaway of one Conair You Wrap and Wave iron to a reader! (U.S. only)

All you have to do is comment below to tell me your favorite way to wear your hair — comment as often as you’d like to get extra entries. The giveaway will be open for a week, until Sun., Nov. 20, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner. Conair will send the iron directly to you (again, U.S. only).

Giveaway time! Win an EnvyDerm product worth $99.95!

Thanks again to KMR Communications for sponsoring another giveaway here at What’s On My Face? This time around, we’ll be giving one lucky winner an EnvyDerm product, worth almost $100! Check out the details about the product:

EnvyDerm is an eyelash growth and conditioning serum that will give you fuller, longer lashes. Who doesn’t want that? I know whenever I see my lashes in the mirror, I wish for more volume. I’ve never used any kind of treatment for my lashes, only mascara, but this one sounds pretty awesome.

How to Use EnvyDerm?
The EnvyDerm applicator is very similar to a liquid eyeliner applicator. One should apply the stimulating serum once a day before bedtime along the upper and lower lash lines.  EnvyDerm does not disrupt the daily application of make-up or other skincare routines. Can be used on brows as well.

What is in EnvyDerm?
EnvyDerm is formulated with active natural ingredients such as bioavailable lipo-oligopeptides that stimulate keratin genes.  Powerful SymPeptide technology lengthens and strengthens natural lashes. EnvyDerm uses vitamins, minerals and amino acids to moisturize and nourish lashes and brows.

When Can I Expect to See Results?
One should begin to see the lash line becoming thicker, fuller and healthier looking in as little as 2 weeks!  In a clinical study, users saw a 25 percent increase in eyelash length during this period.  EnvyDerm will continue to prove results over time if used on a consistent basis.

And, check out this photo of the results of using the product:

So, want to try EnvyDerm? (I know I do!) Here are the details of the giveaway:

• Must subscribe to this blog (through Google Reader, Blogger, etc.)
• Must be 18 years or older (or have your parent’s permission to give your address so we can ship your prize)
• Must live in the U.S. (sorry to international readers!)
• Must comment to this post, telling me which celebrity has the most glamorous look (and it’s probably because of the eyelashes!)
• You can comment as many times as you like, but each comment must be different.
• You can earn an additional entry by linking to this blog on your own blog, or Facebook or Twitter (reply to this post with a link to your post).
• The giveaway will end at midnight on February 28, 2011.

Good luck!

Getting my hair under control with MopTop! Review and giveaway!

If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you know that I’ve got a thick head of hair that falls way past my shoulders, and I’m always on the hunt for the best products to keep it in control. When I heard about MopTop Unruly Haircare, a company that focuses on hair products to help tame dry, frizzy, unruly, color treated and/or chemical treated hair (and is free of silicone, waxes and sulfates!), I knew I wanted to give it a try.

I was sent this travel kit, which retails on their website for $23 and includes mini, 2 oz. bottles of their Gentle Shampoo, Daily Conditioner, Detangler & Refresher Spray and Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel. I’ve been using all the products for the past week, and I have to say that I’m definitely a fan!

What I love about all of the products in the travel kit is that they are hardcore, in the sense that they really have tamed my hair, which has recently been super dry and unmanageable, but they somehow remain really gentle and light on my hair. I’ve used the shampoo to wash my hair two days in a row, normally something I can’t do with other shampoos because it makes my hair dull and flat, stripping its moisture. Using the MopTop shampoo and conditioner combo, my hair is light, shiny and soft!

I’ve sprayed the Detangler & Refresher Spray after each wash, and it really smoothes out my wet hair when I run a comb through it. I’ve used the Light Hold Anti-Frizz Gel when I want to blowdry my hair after washing, and it does a fantastic job of smoothing the hair out and keeping it straight as it’s drying.

I love all these products because they do the trick, and on top of that, they smell good and don’t burn my eyes when I’m using them, which must be because they don’t include any of the “junk” that’s in most commercial hair care products (sulfates, parabens, wax).

Now, I’m sure you saw the word “giveaway” in the title of this post, eh? The folks at MopTop are awesome, not just because they have an amazing line of products, but because they’re sponsoring a giveaway of the same travel kit that I received to try!

Here’s all you have to do…add a comment to this post, telling me the hair problem you think the MopTop travel kit can help you with! After a week, I’ll randomly select a winner from the comments and give your info to MopTop so they can send a kit to you! The contest will end at midnight CST on Tuesday, January 25, 2011.

coming soon — more reviews and a couple of giveaways!

Just a quick post to let all my readers know that I’ve got some exciting things coming up here on What’s On My Face?, including some great product reviews and giveaways from some really amazing companies. Stay tuned!

Kymaro giveaway winner!

Just in time for the Thanksgiving feast, I’m announcing the winner of the Kymaro giveaway sponsored by 5WPR. The random number generated for the comment winner was…6!

6. Tina Renee Barker  |  November 6, 2010 at 8:32 pm

I love spending time with my family during the holidays!

Congratulations, Tina! I loved reading everyone’s comments about their favorite holiday traditions, and Tina posted some great ones! I’ll contact you by email soon to get your mailing address and send the info to my friends at 5WPR so they can get your prize in the mail!

Regretting all that Halloween candy?

I love this time of year! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s…there’s so much to celebrate in the next few months! That means that I’ll get to do lots of dressing up, but it also means that I might make some bad food choices.

I think we’ve all had that year (or is it every year?) where we gain a few pounds from November to January, and it can be really depressing to notice your waistline expanding. Diet and exercise are of course important, but shapewear can be another way to feel better about how you look during and after the holidays.

And now for the super exciting news for you…I’m having a sponsored giveaway of some amazing shapewear and denim designed to help you look your slimmest and sleekest! What’s up for grabs?

One winner will receive Kymaro’s New Body Shaper, which has a patented, breathable design that will instantly make you look 10 lbs thinner and hide cellulite while still being comfortable! The winner will also receive Kymaro’s Curve Control Jeans, which contours the same way shapewear does, but it’s denim!

Here are the contest rules:

• You must be a subscriber to my blog. If you’re not already subscribed, make sure you head to the homepage and click the “i wanna subscribe” button on the right side of the page.
• You’ll receive one entry per unique comment left on this post. Comment telling me something you love about the holidays (we know we all don’t like gaining weight over the holidays, but I’m sure there are a ton of things to talk about that we love). You can comment as many times as you want, but they must be different things.
• You can get an extra entry by tweeting, blogging or sharing the link to my blog and giveaway (just leave a comment telling me how you shared).
• Contest begins now and will end in two weeks, on Thursday, Nov. 18, at midnight CST.
• The winner will be selected through random.org. I’ll announce the winner in a blog post and also by email. You’ll have 24 hours to reply with your mailing address, and I’ll pass it along to 5WPR, who is sponsoring the giveaway and will be mailing out your prize.

Good luck!

UPDATE 11/8/2010 – U.S. residents only, please! Any comment entries from outside the U.S. made before this update will still be counted. Thanks!

Dermacyte giveaway winner

Psst…wanna know the best way to kick off a new month and the weekend?

Announce a giveaway winner, of course! It’s time to announce the winner of the Dermacyte giveaway sponsored by KMR Communications. The random number generated for the comment winner was…21!

21. amber  |  September 21, 2010 at 1:05 am

also my skin is dull..i need my glow back!

Congratulations, Amber! I think Dermacyte will definitely help to restore your skin! I’ll contact you by email soon to get your mailing address and send the info to my friends at KMR so they can get your prize in the mail!

Quick review & giveaway – Dermacyte skincare

Hi everyone! Apologies for the lack of posts this past week. Work and my new class + life are kicking my butt! But (nice segue there), I do have an exciting post for you today, featuring a quick review on a great new skincare line I’ve been loving along with a …giveaway! Free stuff and awesome products for your skin, woohoo!

These space-age looking capsules are Dermacyte Oxygen Concentrate, sent to me by KMR Communications, which is also sponsoring this giveaway. I used these for four days, applying once in the morning and once in the evening on a clean face, before my regular moisturizer. I loved the results — it was like an oxygen bar for my skin!

Here's what the Dermacyte Oxygen Concentrate looks like out of the capsule!

Oxygen skincare products really do work wonders, especially for mature skin, which has diminishing levels of oxygen and a slower rate of cell metabolism (meaning it takes longer for new, healthy skin cells to develop). My current skincare routine doesn’t really focus on anti-aging (since I’m 26), but even four days of using Dermacyte showed results — my skin was lighter, clearer and smoother!

And, Dermacyte also has a new oxygen-based eye cream, called the Oxygenating Eye Complex. Here’s some product info on that and the regular Oxygen Concentrate that KMR Communications sent me:

Dermacyte Oxygen Concentrate
Dermacyte Oxygen Concentrate is a unique and ultra-soothing formula that helps restore a youthful glow to your skin. Your complexion appears instantly brighter and energized after it is applied.  Apply morning and night onto clean skin before any other products.  Price: $30 for 3.2ml  & $84 for 10 ml

NEW! Dermacyte Oxygenating Eye Complex
Dermacyte Oxygenating Eye Complex is a smooth, delicate treatment to refresh, hydrate and restore the appearance of youth to your eye contour area. It is designed to enhance the skin’s hydration, elasticity and smoothness while protecting it against environmental stress. Dermacyte Oxygenating Eye Complex is a gentle marriage of modern technology and nourishing emollients extracted from avocado essence, oat kernel, sunflower oil, the calming High Ash, a tree indigenous to European forests rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C and seeds from the Pacific Northwest Meadowfoam plant among other nurturing ingredients.

It provides a lightweight solution with its patented technology, a powerful oxygen-carrier developed to infuse oxygen for a fresher appearance and overall improved complexion.  It immediately imparts a cool, moisturizing effect while also reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. These effects along with skin brightening and anti-irritating benefits deliver a lighter and healthier feel to your skin. Price: $120, 15 ml

And now, the truly awesome part — I’ve got an awesome Dermacyte giveaway for you! You’ll get the chance to sample these products and see what magic they can do for your skin.

All you have to do is comment on this post telling me what skincare issues/struggles/challenges you have, and it will count for one entry. If you Tweet this giveaway, that will count for another entry. And, you can enter as many times as you want (as long as it’s a unique comment). U.S. Residents ONLY!

The giveaway will run from today, Sept. 19, until Thursday, Sept. 30, at midnight CST. I’ll use random.org to select a winner, and KMR Communications (not me!) will ship your goodies to you.

Good luck!

Make your lipstick stay put with Lip Ink

I love love love wearing lipstick but for some reason, my lips don’t seem to hold on to the color for very long, even if it’s a so-called “long lasting” lipstick. So, when I read about Lip Ink — a lip color that guarantees to be smear proof, even underwater! — I was definitely interested!

Guaranteeing smear proof lip color is quite a claim, and after testing out Lip Ink, I’m happy to say it’s true. There are a few additional steps to putting it on that you don’t have to follow when using your average lipstick, but it sure did last me an entire work day without color touchups, which is unheard of!

Here’s how the company describes itself:

Lip Ink International is the world’s first and only multi patented, semi-permanent, wax-free, natural, Vegan, Kosher and organic cosmetic product line that is guaranteed to be 100% smear proof. With just three simple application steps, this remarkable line of liquid lip color is guaranteed not to smear-off, kiss off, rub off, drink/eat off.

First, you have to use the “OFF Towlette” to purify your lips and exfoliate.

Truthfully? I skipped this step. I started off with clean lips and hadn’t put anything on them since cleansing my skin the night before. Plus, I wanted to save the one towelette I was sent to remove the Lip Ink at the end of the day. But, after the towelette, you’re supposed to pat your lips clean with water and dry.

If you normally line your lips, at this point you would use the Lip Ink color to do that. I don’t really ever line my lips, so I just went ahead to the next step, which is to apply the Shine Moisturizer, a sort of clear gloss that softens your lips and preps them for the color.

I really liked the Shine Moisturizer, especially because I was able to apply before my lip color (the Lip Ink formula keeps the gloss from making application of lipstick difficult). It instantly gave my lips some hydration and made them fuller. Once you’ve moisturized, you’re ready to apply color. I was sent Lip Ink in Rosewood, the company’s most popular shade that is a brown-blue sheer pink (good for any skin tone).

You have to shake the vial of color against your palm and open carefully. The wand has a doe-foot applicator, which you need to wipe off before applying because there will likely be excess liquid, especially if this is the first time you’re using it.

To apply, you should evenly distribute the color on your lips (slowly to help your lips absorb the color). If one layer isn’t enough, you can give it a second and try one or two more. I found that one was plenty, though. A little heads up — the lip color really tingles when you put it on. It doesn’t burn or anything scary like that, but there’s a definite tingle! Sort of peppermint-y.

When you’ve got the color looking the way you like, you finish off by adding a touch more of the Shine Moisturizer for some …well, shine!

Here’s the finished product (with flash):

I really liked the end product! The Rosewood shade was gorgeous, very natural but still pigmented and rich enough to look like I had something more than my natural lips. Here is the photo without flash:

This lasted through my morning coffee, endless water bottle refills, kissing my husband goodbye in the morning and hello when I returned from work…amazing. I did add more gloss for shine throughout the day but never needed to touch up the color. If I hadn’t added the gloss, I think my lips would have dried by the end of the day, though. Like any long-lasting lip color, this wasn’t the most moisturizing. But, it’s something I could control with lip balm and gloss.

I definitely recommend that you try this product out. I love it…not something I’d reach for on an everyday basis, just because I have limited time in the morning when I’m getting ready and might not be able to go through all the steps to apply, but it would be great if I knew I had a really long day ahead of me.

And, if you’re looking for other long-lasting cosmetics, Lip Ink sells products for the face and eyes, too! For lips, they recommend that new customers start with their Lip Color Sampler Kit, which is what I received and reviewed here. There are a TON of shades to choose from, but if you want one that you know will work, go with Rosewood (what I tried above).

It’s fairly inexpensive if you’re comparing it to a MAC lipstick or another high-end lip product. And, I’ve got a coupon code for you to use if you want to give Lip Ink a try. Use FREELIPINK to take 10 percent off your total at checkout. And, on this website, until Sept. 30, if you send in a different long-lasting lip color, you can upgrade to Lip Ink for free! Definitely worth giving a try!

FTC: I received these products for free to test and review. I was not compensated for this review, and this is my honest opinion.

Giveaway reminder! 15 prizes, including e.l.f. Beauty Book (Neutral Eye Edition)!

BEHOLD! One of the most coveted items in the beauty-sphere! It’s one of e.l.f.’s back-to-school Beauty Books (Neutral Eye Edition). I love this product and have written about it a lot on this blog (full review here and list of Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products here).

Unfortunately, it’s only sold in Target stores that carry e.l.f. products, and it’s sold out in many already. But, lucky lucky you! You have the chance to get one for free, along with 14 other awesome products I featured in my Top 15 Drugstore Beauty Products list. All you have to do is check out my giveaway post and enter! There are several ways to enter, and you can enter multiple times. Giveaway ends Aug. 31, so you still have time (but not much)!