More gorgeous flowers from GiaCoco!

We received a few more gorgeous flowers from GiaCoco in the mail this week! I'm just loving her flowers, and may even get adventurous enough to try the purple one for myself in an updo!

These are from the 2012 Summer "Alice in Wonderland" Collection:

I'm loving the sparkly middles and tulle mixed in with the flowers. Her designs are just so original! Thanks to GiaCoco for some more great hair accessories!

Pink polish Wednesdays ~ Zoya Reagan!

Zoya Reagan is a delicious, berry pink that is from their 2012 Summer Beach Collection. It is a beautiful deep pink with a bit of a purple undertone, that I think will lend itself nicely to cooler months as well... I'm looking forward to reaching for this nail polish for many months to come!

Zoya Reagan, www.zoya.com, $8

Zoya Reagan with flash, www.zoya.com, $8

Check out Zoya's Beach & Surf summer collections HERE.

Product Review: Gigi Hill Audrey Tote Bag

Gigi Hill is a company that was started by two moms that had fashion and function in mind. They wanted to create bags that were feminine, but could still meet the demands that moms have on bags. The company has a full line of handbags and accessories to meet the needs of any consumer that desires a bag that can be functional and pretty at the same time.

They've sent me a purse to review and I'm excited to share my thoughts with you on this feminine and functional accessory!

Gigi Hill Audrey Tote, www.gigihillbags.com, Starting at $130

The Audrey is a versatile tote style that I selected in the Enchanted color, because I thought it would be a great addition to be something different in my collection. The print is a gorgeous tangerine and pink rose floral against a neutral tan background. The exterior is a faux leather finish that is easily cleanable and could be wiped off with a baby wipe - and the interior has a laminated canvas lining that would contain spills while still being pretty to look at with a colorful striped lining.

Size wise, the bag is the perfect tote size... large enough to carry all of the things you would want to carry in a large tote, without looking like lugage. It is spacious and could carry everything from items for a diaper bag, to work essentials. There is a magnetic button closure at the top and snaps on either side so that you cinch in the sides to create more of a closed look when you don't need the top to be open. The strap drop is 10.5 inches and comfortably fits on the shoulder.

There are a few special details which make you realize that the creators of Gigi Hill really are passionate about handbags and creating something special for their consumers. The interior has a tag that reads, "a great bag is a woman's treasured secret place" ~ gigi hill. There is also a matching key holder that can hang from the d-ring on the inside. I think these extra touches just make the bag feel that much more personal and special.

My verdict: I think that the Audrey style tote bag is a fabulous bag that would be perfect all types of occasions. From mommy bags to work tote, this bag could do it all! The enchanted print is perfect for summer and the bright floral print feels very in tune with this season's trending colors. It is comfortable to use and the perfect tote size.

In a few words, substantial, beautiful, and most definitely worth the $130 pricetag. If you're looking for reasonably priced durability that will last you a long time, I think that a Gigi Hill bag would be perfect.

Watch my video review on the Audrey Tote here:

Learn more about Gigi Hill here:

http://www.gigihillbags.com

View the Audrey Tote, Starting at $130 - HERE

Stop by their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/gigihillcollection

* Please note the products in this review were sent to the reviewer by the company to perform an independent review. I've given my honest opinions on the products mentioned.

Tuesday Blog Hoppin'!

It's been a while since I've blog hopped... so I decided to do a little Tuesday blog hoppin' and came across the cutest hop with some great blogs! Thought I would share, so you can enjoy reading them as well! Thanks to the hosts, Mom's Best Nest & True Aim Blog!

You Tube Giveaway Winner Announcement!

The drugstore beauty favorites giveaway ended tonight and a winner was selected! Official video announcement is below:

I used Random.org to select a winner and out of 195 comment entries, the winner was #33!

Congratulations to Nidia143Pedro! Thanks to all that entered! I had a lot of fun with this giveaway and there was a great response! I'm looking forward to doing more giveaways in the future!

Disappointing Beauty Products!

These are products from beauty categories: hair, makeup, mascara, and nail polish that I was disappointed in and would not repurchase again! Some products I disliked so much that I will not even continue using them!

I try to do a fair bit of research when I'm buying cosmetics and rarely buy things on impulse - most of the time especially with more expensive items I'm pleased with them and the items perform how they are supposed to... but sometimes even when I've done research on items they just don't work out for me. Since I share my favorites fairly each month, I thought I would share some products that haven't worked out...

Hair: Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo and Garnier Fructis Flat Iron spray - both items left horrible build up on my hair and left it feeling icky!

Face: Revlon Colorstay foundation made my sensitive skin break out horribly and Revlon foundation primer worked okay, but had an over-powering floral smell that I didn't like at all.

Mascara: The wands on both Bare Minerals Flawless Definition and Benefit's They're Real mascara were disappointing and actually made my lashes clump together MORE... Benefit's They're Real and Maybelline Falsies left me with horrible smudging and smearing...

Nails: Revlon's Quick Dry polish top coat was anything but quick - and two Essie polishes that I tried were difficult to work with, had a thinner consistency than I was used to (compared to Zoya & OPI - which I LOVE), and were just generally streaky when applied. I'm going to give the Essie polishes more tries, but the first impression was overall just not good.

Loving right now... Gorjana Jewelry!

While browsing through Shop Bop during their recent sale, I came across a number of jewelry items that I instantly fell in love with - and surprisingly, were all by the same designer! Gorjana makes gorgeous pieces that achieve being classic and original all at the same time, and every item I saw by the brand was appealing to me.

Here are some of my favorites:

The Bloom necklace is subtle and girly, I imagine this could become a favorite every day piece. Gold tone is not normally appealing to me in jewelry, but my eyes see the design before the color of the metal even registers... I like that in a piece of jewelry.

Gorjana Bloom Necklace, www.shopbop.com, $55

The Morocco ring necklace is in my favorite jewelry color (silver) and I love the ring detail, I see myself being deep in thought while rolling a ring up and down the necklace... definitely a great piece of jewelry for those more thoughtful days.

Gorjana Morocco Ring Necklace, www.shopbop.com,  $53

The Lovebird earrings are adorable and very well priced! You could buy a back up pair at this price!

Gorjana Lovebird Earrings, www.shopbop.com, $34

I adore the leather wrap bracelet and this would be something very unusual to find in my jewelry armoire, but I like that it is subtle while it still feels fresh and on point with the leather wrap bracelet trend.

Gorjana Leather Wrap Bracelet, www.shopbop.com, $48

My absolute favorite pieces of jewelry that I found by Gorjana? These rose gold bangles... they are gorgeous and would look great with a Summer dress or cardigan in the Fall... these bangles might be something you could see in a future reveal from me!

Gorjana Rose Gold Bangles, www.shopbop.com, $117

Find all these and more great jewelry pieces at ShopBop.com.

Birthday Express Coupon Codes!

I've ordered Cupcake birthday party decor items from birthdayexpress.com two years in a row, and they are always just adorable! This year's party theme is going to be a "Super Why!" theme, and Birthday Express was one of the few places that I could actually find Super Why party supplies... which is super hard to find. (Pun somewhat intended.) I will be sharing her decorations soon as we get ready for her Super Why themed party at the beginning of June!

Birthday Express sent me a number of $ off coupons and I've already purchased everything that I need for Cupcake's party, so I thought I would share them in case anyone could use them!

These are one time use only, coupon codes expire on June 15, 2012:

$5 off a $25 order: 25PBBTZ45A1
$10 off a $50 order: 25JGRN7QJA2
$20 off a $100 order: 255BB37FVA3
$30 off a $150 order: 253FB5BBHA4

Visit www.birthdayexpress.com to find your perfect party planning supplies!
Please post in the comment section if you use a coupon so others know it is no longer valid! Thanks!

*This post is in no way affiliated or sponsored by Birthday Express, I just had the coupon codes and thought I would make them available if they could help someone out!

Pink, erhm... Blue Polish Wednesdays!

Well, I've done well the past few months ending up with a pink polish on my nails every Wednesday... This week gets a special exception though, because I just got the Butter London polish "Slapper", and couldn't wait to try it out! So this week's Wednesday is blue polish Wednesday and pink at heart... because even though it is blue, it is girly, fun, and flirty!

Slapper is a truly unique blue, with more of a green tint to it in real life than shows up in pictures. It is a deep teal and seems to me, to be a lovely all season blue! Well done, Butter London!

My quick & easy suggestions for shinier hair!

I have a few quick and easy tips that you can try at home (no need to go out and buy eggs or hair masks!) - to get shinier hair! If you do these steps over a period of time, you should see a noticeable difference in how shinier your hair appears. By helping your hair hold in more moisture, it will also be healthier too!

In the shower:
- Alternate between shampoos & conditioners daily, don't use the same shampoo/conditioner two days in a row
- Finish your shower with a cold water rinse over your hair, as cold as you can stand! (This may be the most important step!)

After shower:
- Towel dry and then let your hair air dry when it is possible
- If blow drying your hair, make sure to do part of your drying with your hair upside down or with a diffuser so that the hot air doesn't sit in one area of your hair

When styling:
- Use a heat protectant spray before heat styling (Matrix, Revlon, and Chi all make great options!)
- If you want extra shine after you've completed all of these steps, I would highly recommend the Alterna Bamboo High Shine Mist. I use it occasionally when I want a shine boost. (It was not used the day I made this video.)

Here's my video tutorial on how to get shiny hair without having to go out and buy anything extra:

Happy birthday, Cupcake!

Today my little Cupcake turns 2 years old!

She's sweet as can be, and lots of fun too! So happy birthday, Cupcake! Today belongs to you!

Love, Mommy

And the vlog of toddler soccer!

Toddler soccer in vlogging form!

Toddler Soccer!

Well today was our second week of toddler soccer - and while Cupcake's listening skills still haven't really improved much, it was still a hoot and lots of fun! I feel like she's probably a bit young for the class but we will finish out the session. I paid more attention to the ages of the kids this week, and it seemed like most of the "toddlers" were speaking in full sentences and had enough gross motor skills to be able to kick the ball between their feet. Cupcake was definitely the youngest one there!

This week there was also machines working on one side of the field replacing the glass around the outside, so she was more interested in watching what they were doing and waving at them, then following the teacher's instructions. (And as a former dance teacher, I realize that this sort of pupil is kind of a nightmare, sigh...) She also had extreme interest in waving "bye bye" at the machinery and crawling into the soccer goals... insert Mommy sigh here.

Still... I would have liked if her listening skills were a bit more and the middle of class tantrums were a bit less... so I'm hoping that by the end of the 10 week class I will see a marked improvement from the nearly 2 year old that started the class. We'll see.

Regardless, she does make not playing soccer look super cute.

Mommy Vlog of our toddler soccer day to follow shortly (hopefully tonight) on my mommy vlogging You Tube Channel: www.youtube.com/beingmommywithstyle

Pink polish Wednesday! ~ Zoya Gilda ~

This week's pink is a real showstopper... Zoya Gilda!! Such a gorgeous color, it is a color that just encompasses being a girl. Bright, shiny, sparkly, and pink! It is a nice metallic polish with good coverage.

Unfortunately my nails keep breaking off, so you'll have to ignore the shape of those... but this color just makes me happy when I look at it! So glad I stumbled across it at Ulta, I think it will be one of my favorites for Summer!

Product Review: MemorableGifts.com Personalized Gifts for Her ~ Perfect Purse Gifts!

I was given the opportunity by MemorableGifts.com to review two great personalized gift items. I chose to review the designer handbag key chain and the personalized purse mirror, which I thought would both make fantastic gifts for any purse enthusiast! They can easily be found in the "personalized gifts for her" section of the Memorable Gifts website.

Designer Handbag Key Chain

The designer handbag keychain is a nice weight, not too heavy but still feels substantial and looks great against your keys. It also is a nice size that could be used as a purse charm on bags that lend themselves to have a charm on them. The opening of the keychain is especially nice, with a pivoting spring-loaded d-ring.

The designer handbag key chain has the option to be personalized with up to three letters. I chose to have it personalized with my nickname, "Di".

It comes in a great lined gifting box that is very presentable.

Envelope Shape Purse Mirror

The personalized envelope shape purse mirror is elegant and I love using it as a touch-up mirror in my purse. I feel like the overall design seems very sophisticated, and that it will be something that will last me a long time. It did not come with a protective cover to prevent scratches, but if you can find a small velvet or similar type bag - I think that would do nicely to keep it looking nice for years to come.

It can be personalized with up to 12 letters and I chose to personalize the mirror with my full first name, "Diana". I thought the script was especially beautiful on this one and I am going to enjoy bringing this mirror out of my purse to touch-up my makeup!

My verdict: MemorableGifts.com has a fantastic selection of gift items that you can add a special personalized touch for the recipient. I think that there are a number of occasions (graduation, weddings, holidays) that their items would be a great choice to find a gift - and I also think that the two items that I specifically chose to review would be the perfect gift for any handbag enthusiast.

Shipping was especially speedy and I received shipping notification updates every step of the way to be able to follow my order. Both items I received came in giftable condition in the boxes they arrived in and the personalization was placed on the items very nicely. It was easy to read and really stood out on the silver.

Watch my video review on these great personalized gift ideas here:

Learn more about Memorable Gift's selection of personalized gift items at:

www.memorablegifts.com

Great personalized gifts for her and more! Items in Review:

Designer Handbag Keychain, $18.95:
http://www.memorablegifts.com/gifts/pc/Silver-Designer-Handbag-Key-Chain-43p2893.htm

Personalized Envelope Shape Purse Mirror, $23.95:
http://www.memorablegifts.com/gifts/pc/Envelope-Shape-Purse-Mirror-in-Silver-239p6994.htm

Stop by their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/memorablegiftscom

* Please note the products in this review were sent to the reviewer by the company to perform an independent review. I've given my honest opinions on the products mentioned. 

Lolly Wolly Doodle Dress!

I stumbled upon Lolly Wolly Doodle when a Facebook friend sent me a link to their page asking if I had heard of it. I had never heard of the company, but apparently they have developed a cult like following of their flash sales that are regularly on Facebook. (9am, 1pm, 9pm, & 11pm daily EST.) After spending only a few days following their sales, I too was sucked into their adorable designs and checking back to see what new items would be posted.

They have a "once its gone, its gone" philosophy, and most items that are posted are in limited quantities - only made in one or two of a size.

I have my first Lolly Wolly Doodle on its way to me, the collared zebra dress below:

Lolly Wolly Doodle,  www.lollywollydoodle.com,  Quantities limited

I can only hope that the quality of their items lives up to the hype that surrounds them, but I have a feeling that I won't be disappointed. I'll do a proper review once we've received our dress, which I ordered in a toddler size for Cupcake to wear.

Learn more about Lolly Wolly Doodle on their Facebook page, and also visit their website HERE.

Giveaway: You Tube Beauty Favorites from Drugstore brands!

I'm excited to be hosting my first You Tube giveaway! The past few giveaways I've hosted were here on my blog and I thought it was time to say "thank you" to my You Tube subscribers by hosting a comment giveaway on my Bags4Bubbles channel there.

I'm giving away some of my favorite budget friendly beauty favorites, from Target and Ulta! You can enter to win by completing two simple steps! Subscribe to Bags4Bubbles You Tube Channel (if you're already subscribed, this step is done!) and then leave me a comment on the giveaway video below of a few of your favorite beauty items! And that's it, you are entered to win! Good luck everyone!

The giveaway closes on May 25, 2012 at 8:00pm CST. Giveaway is sponsored by Bags4Bubbles and is not affiliated with any of the companies aforementioned.

Viewer Requests: Louis Vuitton Montorgueil GM & Tivoli GM Reviews!

I have a list of viewer requests that I'm working through for my Bags4Bubbles You Tube channel that I received while I was gone on vacation, and I wanted to share with you the most recent ones that I completed.

For the Louis Vuitton Montorgueil GM, I received questions asking what fits inside, what travel items (as seen in my Favorite Louis Vuitton bags for travel video) fit in the Monty GM, and a general overview of the bag.

For the Louis Vuitton Tivoli GM, I was asked to show the adjustable handle on different lengths, show the bag being worn with Spring clothing and potentially bulkier Winter clothing (coat, sweater, etc.), and also what fits inside the Tivoli GM as well.

Hopefully these reviews can be helpful to you as well, if you had questions about either of these two styles!

Pink polish Wednesdays! Zoya Rory

This week's pink polish is from Zoya's summer collection, "Surf"! I love this color and couldn't wait to share it. It is very unique from the other pinks that I have in my polish collection - shimmery and reminds me of my favorite lip glosses!

Zoya "Rory" from the 2012 Surf Collection:

Michigan Shopping Haul!

As a follow-up to my Michigan shopping videos... I wanted to share my Michigan "shopping haul"! We had a great time visiting and I did just a bit of shopping, anticipating that my birthday would be coming up in May. I took a few trips to Sephora, ordered another pair of Tory Burch shoes from Saks Fifth Avenue, and had some fun Zoya polish waiting for me when I got home!

My haul!
Zoya polishes: Lotus, Chloe, Gilda, Rory, Kimber, Zuzu
Dior polish: St. Tropez
Chanel Aqualuminere Compact
Tory Burch Revas in Royal Tan
Sephora: Complexion Kit, Sephora makeup bag, Philosophy Full of Fortune shower gel, Too Faced lipstick in Free Love

I hopefully will be sharing my "birthday haul" in the next week or two, which will be comprised of mostly beauty items!

Budget Beauty Favorites

I've been trying to find budget friendly makeup alternatives that past few months, since I've also been trying some wallet busting options (i.e. my new Chanel Aqua compact)... to try to even out my total beauty expenditures. In the midst of this trial, I've actually found a number of products that I really love!

I've used Sonia Kashuk brushes from Target for a number of years, but never thought to try any of her other makeup items. On a whim, I decided to pick up a powder blush in "Flamingo"... mainly because of the color name - and it was actually really fantastic! I was skeptical since I'm used to the higher priced (double actually) NARS blushes, but the Kashuk blush really held its own.

Sonia Kashuk Blush, Color unknown, Available in Target stores nationwide, $8.99

The color of this blush was beautiful and it had great staying powder. It blended well and I thought was very complimentary on my pale skin. Overall, Sonia Kashuk blush was a win for me - and I will be trying more colors in the future!

I use NYX concealer and it is a great basic concealer - but I finally decided to try some other items from the brand and fell in LOVE with this eye shadow palette once I tried it!

NYX Cosmetics, Eye Shadow Palette TS15, www.ulta.com, $7.99

It is a great neutral palette and the shades are really pretty, I feel like they would also go with a lot of skin tones. I was actually surprised that the texture of the shadows was nice and not too gritty (which cheaper eyeshadows sometimes feel like to me) and it didn't bother my ultra sensitive eyes at all either. This is another item that I will be trying additional colors in...

NYX lipsticks are a great option to toss in your purse and the price is low enough that you can buy multiples of the same color to keep in your makeup bag, at your vanity, and in your car... or where ever you need one! Jupiter happens to be one of my favorites right now, a fun pink-beige that warms your face up and is perfect for Spring!

NYX Cosmetics, Jupiter Lipstick, www.ulta.com, $3.99

Also from NYX Cosmetics, is a fun lip gloss in "French Kiss", a shimmery pink beige color. I've been wearing it over Jupiter lipstick and really like the combination. I will say that the scent and texture of the NYX lip gloss is not quite as good as pricier glosses... but at a third of the price - I think that is probably to be expected.

NYX Cosmetics, Mega Shine Gloss in French Kiss, www.nyxcosmetics.com, $5.99

These are some of my favorite budget conscious beauty items right now! You're going to have a chance to win these featured items above and more, in my "Budget Friendly Beauty Favorites" giveaway that will open in May 2012, that I will be hosting on You Tube! Official rules will be posted in a You Tube video and I will also post the video up on the blog... but you can win a box full of my favorite budget conscious beauty items! Just subscribe to my You Tube channel, reply to the giveaway video (to be posted in the next week or so on my You Tube Channel, Bags4Bubbles), and that's it! You'll be entered to win!

Purses I've been eyeing recently...

There have been a few purses that have caught my eye recently, and surprisingly - they are not Louis Vuitton handbags, and all by brands that I've never had a purse from before, or haven't used in a long time!

Kate Spade has a number of bags out right now that have me going back to her website to take a second look. I first saw them in person at Nordstrom and again later at the Kate Spade store in Somerset Collection during our Michigan trip. I carried a nylon Kate Spade bag a number of years ago, but hadn't really paid attention to anything by the brand for years... However I cannot get this bag out of my mind!

Kate Spade Gold Coast Georgina, www.nordstrom.com, $458

The leather is a gorgeous, shimmery black and there is also a great beige color! I think these would be great basics to have in a wardrobe.

Kate Spade Gold Coast Maryanne, www.katespade.com, $378

And honestly, after being so used to seeing Louis Vuitton prices, Kate Spade pricing seems... well, reasonable!

The next bag that I've had on my mind is by Tory Burch, and I've also mentioned it in previous blog posts. Come Fall, if I still can't get it out of my mind - this may be my new Fall bag...

Tory Burch Robinson Satchel, www.toryburch.com, $550

Another bag that caught my eye while browsing the Saks and Tory Burch websites is also by Tory Burch, and was previously off my radar. I love the bright colors and a pink-turquoise color combination is one of my favorites. I wouldn't mind welcoming one of these bags into my collection for warmer months, but feel like I really need to go check out the bag in person to get a sense of the size of both of them.

Roslyn Stripe Tote, www.toryburch.com, $395

Roslyn Stripe Satchel, www.nordstrom.com, $395

I think that any of the bags I'm liking right now would give my collection some great variety... and I find it interesting that I seem to leaning towards all leather bags again!

Dior Saint Tropez Nail Polish

Hope everyone had a fun Cinco de Mayo!

Just had to share this amazing polish by Dior! The color is so lovely and the formula is great too! I see more Dior polish in my future...

Winner of the Sibu Beauty Giveaway!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Winner from the May 2012!

Congratulations to our Sibu Beauty Giveaway winner, Jessica H.!

Thanks to all who entered! Look for the May 2012 You Tube Giveaway of Beauty Favorites to be posted in the next few weeks!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

What's in my travel makeup bag?

So we recently just got back from our trip, and I wanted to share what I packed in my travel makeup bag! These are my go-to items and things that I feel like I can really count on when I'm traveling, to give me a consistent makeup look that I know what to expect and can count on it not taking me forever to get ready!

MI shopping vlogs!

We went on a bit of a "tour of the Midwest" for a family vacation, and Michigan was our last stop along the way... We were able to meet up with good friends, have a baby playdate, and do a little shopping! I took a few shopping vlogs or walking tours of the malls there to share with you our shopping experiences at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills, Michigan and Somerset Collection in Troy, Michigan!

Enjoy! I'm going to do a follow-up "haul" video of what I bought while we were there in the next week or so!