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.