Bath & Body Works Summer Vanillas Collection

As you probably know, I just moved. It was a very stressful experience, considering Mr. Spoiled Pretty and I had about three weeks prep time and we have way too much stuff. Okay, I'll be honest...it's just me who has too much stuff.

Packing and unpacking your life's possessions is just one of the most annoying and tedious jobs of all time, and I am so glad to be (almost) done with it. But I have to say that there's a silver lining to the moving experience - shopping, which I've been doing a lot of lately. Bed Bath & Beyond, HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Kohls, Pier 1, Walmart, Target and Lowe's and I have been like this the past few days - and my Visa is still smokin'.

One of my other favorite pre-move destinations is Bath & Body Works. I just love their products - fabulous quality for not a lot of money. That's the best type of shopping. And don't you just love how Bath & Body Works always seems to be having a sale? Every time I go in there, the salesperson is all "Today, you can get four of these for the price of three...and we're going to throw in a product from our Signature Collection for free." Um, yes please.

Anyway, I was in there last week and I discovered their new Summer Vanilla Collection. Vanilla is my absolute favorite scent, so I had to give these products a whiff. The three fragrances - Berry Vanilla, Coconut Vanilla and Lemon Vanilla - smelled so delish, I threw all three Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soaps into my mesh bag. The sinks in my home are always accompanied by a Bath & Body Works anti-cac soap, so this turned out to be a very productive trip.

In addition to the anti-bacterial hand soaps, the Summer Vanilla Collection also includes cooling mist, fragrance mist, shower gel, body lotion, lip gloss and candles. Get on this, girls.

Votre Vu Duette Giveaway Winners & Free Sample Opportunity!!!

Congrats to the winners of one of the Votrue Vu Duette Luxe Lip Balm and Hand Crème Giveaway: cwhf, Elle Sees, and Fatima Jenai.

Duette is a deeply moisturizing lip balm and decadently rich hand crème in one package. The nourishing lip balm - made from coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax - gently protects, nourishes and softens lips in every condition. The intoxicating hand crème leaves a soft veil of almond and coconut fragrance lingering on the skin. Beautifully absorbed, this special formula was developed to maintain the health, beauty and suppleness of your hands, while delighting your nose with a decadent aroma.

If you didn't win, you still have a chance to try the Hand Crème - for free. And what's better than that? Nuthin', that's what.

To have a sample sent to your door, send an email to spoiledprettycontests@gmail.com by Wednesday, May 12, 2010. Be sure to include your full name and mailing address (no P.O. boxes, please). The subject line should read "Votre Vu Hand Crème Sample."

Dynamic Duo: Votre Vu Duette Luxe Lip Balm and Hand Crème

Believe it or not, I wear hardly any makeup on a daily basis. I'm so pressed for time in the mornings that I have neither the 15 minutes nor the energy to spare. But I'm not entirely low-maintenance. I'm never without lip balm and hand cream in my purse.

So I was thrilled when Votre Vu's Duette recently showed up on my doorstep to review. Duette is a duo of deeply moisturizing lip balm and decadently rich hand crème in one package, and has become a staple in my purse since I first used it.

Flip the first cap on the tube to reveal a nourishing lip balm made from coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax. A deliciously light and natural coconut flavor delivers a guiltless treat to your lips with every application. The cap also contains a clandestine mirror for precise application.

Flip open the second cap to enjoy the Almond Pie Nutrient Rich Luxe Hand Crème. This intoxicating hand cream deeply moisturizes without any greasy residue, and leaves a soft veil of almond and coconut fragrance lingering on the skin. Beautifully absorbed, this special formula was developed to maintain the health, beauty and suppleness of your hands, while delighting your nose with a decadent aroma. Formulated with sunflower, grape seed and jojoba oils combined with moisturizing and healing aloe, wheat proteins and natural sun filters, this sweet treat is one big serving of hydrating heaven. The cream also contains sun filters for UVA/UVB protection to maintain skin tone, while helping protect and keep hands soft, supple and younger looking.

I'm digging on Duette so much that I'm compelled to spread the wealth. So, this week, I'm partnering with Votre Vu for a giveaway. Three readers will win this dynamic duo, which retails for $38.

To enter the giveaway, leave a message in the comments section; make sure to leave your email or another way for me to get in touch, just in case you get lucky. Contest is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends at noon (EST) on Tuesday, May 4, 2010. Good luck!

Bath & Body Works Healthy Clean Kitchen Collection

Bath & Body Works just launched the Healthy Clean Kitchen Collection – a range of hand washes, sanitizers and hand lotions specially designed for use in the kitchen. A breeding ground for bacteria and unpleasant odors, the kitchen is a place where clean hands are a must. So Bath & Body Works developed a collection of cleansing anti-bacterial products that not only kill germs, but also eliminate lingering cooking smells like garlic and onion - all while infusing hands with fresh, clean fragrances like crisp citrus, lush fruit and fresh-cut herbs.

The antibacterial formulas also protect and replenish skin as they refresh, nourishing kitchen-worn hands. Each of the following odor-fighting, germ-killing essentials is available in Sunburst Tangerine, Crisp Cucumber, Pure Vanilla and Ginger Pear fragrances:

Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap: Specially designed to fight germs and eliminate odors for healthy, clean hands in the kitchen, this gentle yet powerful formula kills common kitchen bacteria with trusted anti-bacterial agents while Fresh Source™ odor eliminators get rid of lingering cooking smells. An exclusive blend of moisturizing coconut milk and olive fruit extracts helps to nourish and soften skin, while mango fruit extract leaves hands gently cleansed and conditioned.

Anti-Bacterial Deep Cleansing Hand Soap: Get a powerful deep clean in the kitchen with this bacteria-fighting formula. Developed with Fresh Source™ and potent germ-killers, the deep cleansing soap employs exfoliating microspheres and cleansing bamboo extract for smooth, soft, ultra-clean hands. A moisturizing blend of honey, coconut milk and olive fruit extracts nourishes and softens.

Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel Sanitizer: While powerful anti-bacterial agents combat germs and Fresh Source™ fights odors, moisturizing Tahitian Palm Milk leaves hands feeling clean and conditioned with this instant gel sanitizer.

Moisturizing Hand Lotion: Developed to eliminate odors while nourishing kitchen-worn hands, this hydrating formula includes Vitamin E, Macadamia Oil, Oat, Apple and Grape Seed extracts to condition and soften. Fresh Source™ gets rid of lingering cooking smells as the formula moisturizes, leaving hands hydrated and freshly scented.

Yankee Candle Scented Hand Sanitizers

Yesterday, I did my daughter duty and dropped in on Mama and Papa Spoiled Pretty. While chilling with the parental units, I spied an unfamiliar bottle sitting on a table in the foyer. Upon closer inspection, I was chagrined to learn that my mom had scooped your resident beauty expert. Did you know that Yankee Candle makes hand sanitizer? Neither did I, until yesterday...but you know what they say about moms knowing best.

During a recent trip to our local Yankee Candle store, Mom picked up a bottle of the new Scented Hand Sanitizer in Vanilla Cupcake. Like many anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, it kills 99.9% of germs...but unlike much of the competition, it didn't leave my hands feeling tight and dry. And like all Yankee Candle products, the scent is a dead-on ringer.

A 2 oz bottle will only set you back $3.99 - and you can choose from six authentic Yankee Candle fragrances (Garden Sweet Pea, Lavender Vanilla, MacIntosh, Midnight Jasmine, Sun & Sand, and Vanilla Cupcake). Pick one up, along with one of their new-ish Flavored Lip Balms, on your next trip to a Yankee Candle store or yankeecandle.com.

Five Cold Weather Makeup Bag Essentials - Plus A Giveaway!

The cold weather hit Philly earlier than I had expected. So this weekend, I switched out the contents of my makeup bag (I don’t even want to say how many products I had crammed in there…I’m embarrassed) and replaced them with the following cold weather beauty essentials.

Last week, it was cold and wet in my neck of the woods. It’s not even November yet, and my hands are crack-a-lackin’. So I retired my summer hand lotion, and pulled out the heavy artillery…Aveda’s Hand Relief. If this isn’t the best hand lotion on the market, I don’t know what is. It hydrates and soothes even severely dry hands - without leaving them greasy or sticky. And the citrusy scent is a nice pick-me-up. If you’ve never tried Hand Relief, now is the best time to buy. The Pink Ribbon special value tube has 7% more product than the regular size, and Aveda will donate $4 from each purchase to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Clear Nail Polish is another cold weather essential I highly suggeststashing in your makeup bag. Not only does it protect your polish against the elements and extend the life of your mani, it’s also great for stopping stocking runs and rips in their tracks.

Remember how I told you that I carried a mini tube of Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Deodorant in my purse this past summer? Well, it’s still there. And that’s where it’s gonna stay this season. Yes, I realize that the mercury is falling – but layered clothing combined with co-workers who like to jack up the thermostat can have you smelling quite ripe, if you’re not prepared. I am…are you?

Chapped lips are the bane of my existence. I hate how they look, how they feel, and how they’re the prelude to a bleeding, peeling, jacked up mess of a mouth. Preventing chapped lips doesn’t have to cost a fortune, as is evidenced by one of my new cold weather beauty finds - Carmex Moisture Plus. It moisturizes with Vitamin E, Aloe, and Shea butter and protects your pucker with SPF 15. I love the vanilla menthol scent and the fact that, despite the sun protection, I don’t feel like I’m eating sunscreen if I lick my lips. The slant tip applicator also ups the fab factor.

Stila Convertible Color is a makeup bag must have year-round, but I always fall a little deeper in love when it gets colder and the summer glow fades from my face. This versatile bestseller brightens cheeks and lips with creamy, translucent color. If your skin tends to dry out during the colder months, you’ll love the formula – and how it gives your complexion a lit from within, realistic glow. I use Poppy to give my cheeks a pop of color – for a straight from the slopes, snow bunny look.

This post was sponsored by Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm. Thanks to them, I'm giving away a $25 Visa gift card and a one year supply of Carmex Moisture Plus samples! To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment by Wednesday, October 28th at midnight - and tell me one of your favorite cold weather beauty products.

For more chances to win, visit DivineCaroline.com. There, women are sharing their five favorite beauty products and entering to win a $250 gift card. Check it out!

Mummy Manicure?

When I first saw this photo, I thought to myself, "Surely this is proof that the ancient Egyptians rocked nail art." But this is no mummy manicure. Sadly, these hands belong to a real live human being - with tacky taste, access to a digital camera and, apparently, no hand cream.

So my question to you is this: if your fingers were this wrinkled, would you draw attention to them with gaudy nail art?

All American: Bath & Body Works American Grown Collection

A few months ago when our hand soap got low, I replaced them with some generic soap I bought at the drugstore. When he saw my purchase, Mr. Spoiled Pretty looked at me like I had two heads.

"What happened to the Bath & Body Works soap we always use? I like that stuff," he said.

So, the next day, I swung by my local Bath & Body Works store (holler at the Liberty Place location) on my lunch break and picked up two bottles of their Anti-bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap in Japanese Chinese Blossom and Warm Vanilla Sugar.

Now that our stock is almost depleted again and it's time for me to replenish the soap supply, Bath & Body Works fortuitously debuts a new line that I'm sure will satisfy my spoiled spouse.

American Grown is a collection of hand soaps and body gels inspired by great American destinations. Formulated with invigorating botanicals grown in the U.S., American Grown products condition, rejuvenate and stimulate the skin. Packaged in big, bold and colorful bottles, each hand soap and shower gel transports you to the American locale from which it draws its name.

In honor of my Libby, Montana-born/Spokane, Washington bred husband, I think I'll add the Montana Sky and Washington Apple hand soaps to my shopping list. Products are also available in Napa Grape (we honeymooned there), Siesta Key Lemon and Savannah Mint scents. American Grown hand soaps retail for $6.60 and shower gels will set you back a mere $12.50.

Graham, you're so vain...you probably think this blog post is about you.

Stranded On A Deserted Island: Make Sure To Have A Hissyfit

As a beauty aficionado, I get asked a plethora of product-related questions. The most common query being which products I'd want with me if a three-hour tour turned into an episode of Lost. As my beauty faves change, so do my 'stranded on a deserted island' picks. Well, now I'm adding Hissyfit to the list.

Hissyfit is a new range from Australia that straddles makeup and skincare. The line delivers 3-in-1 treatment benefits in the form of powerful anti-aging, advanced sun protection and luxurious formulations that wear comfortably and smell divine!

Products include:

Saving Face Anti-Aging Foundation: This natural anti-aging foundation provides flawless foundation coverage with a SPF 50+, broad spectrum protection from the sun’s damaging UVA/UVB rays. Water-resistant, Saving Face is perfect for protecting skin after exfoliation, dermabrasion or chemical peels.

Body Double Anti-Aging Body Moisturizer: This advanced natural body lotion provides intense hydration, beautiful fragrance (think a delicate blend of vanilla, almond, orange and grapefruit) and SPF 30+ broad spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection.

Handy Work Anti-Aging Hand Cream: This luxuriously moisturizing anti-aging hand cream offers SPF 30+ UVA/UVB protection, and smells of orange and mint.

Lip Service Anti-Aging Lip Balm: This feather-light lip balm with SPF 50+ broad spectrum protection is the perfect skincare and cosmetic product in one. Wear it alone for gorgeous, glossy, natural lips. Or layer over your favorite lipstick for a soft, supple kissable finish.

I'm particularly impressed by how delightful and un-sunscreeny these skin savers smell. And the Saving Face Foundation gets major props for its wide range of shades. Brown skinned beauties, rejoice!

Hissyfit is sold at dermstore.com and hissyfit.com.