{GIVEAWAY} Want to Win an iPhone 8?!

Hi guys! I know you love giveaways (I do, too!), so today I have a fun one for you. I've partnered with 13 other bloggers to give away your choice of two prizes: You could win a rose-gold iPhone 8 (!!) or $600 in cash. Not bad, right? 

You can enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck! 

GIVEAWAY HOSTS

* It's Our Fab Fash Life * Petite Lifestyle * Predupre *
* Bubbly Moments *  Artsy Agnes *The Poly Math Mom *
* Living Lesh * Lil Bits Of Chic * Best Kept Style *
* Michelle Ng * Take Aim * My Blonde Life * 
* The Beauty Beau * The Sparkly Life * 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

One person will win one of two amazing prizes:

iPhone 8, open to any carrier, 64gb in rose gold
or

$600 PayPal Cash!!

Which one will you choose?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

RULES:

If you unsubscribe/mark the newsletters as spam you will not be eligible for future giveaways. Please remember that when you mark a blog newsletter as spam it puts a bad mark on the delivery system, and this causes major issues. Large amounts of unsubscribes also give us a bad mark, so if you truly don’t want to receive the newsletter and will just unsubscribe or mark it as spam, please DO NOT ENTER!

The giveaway will run for 33 days, from 8/7/18 12pm est to 9/14/18 at 12am est. To enter just click on the above rafflecopter form and complete the many different tasks to double and triple your chances of winning many times over.

You must be 18+ years of age and reside in the US, AUS, & CANADA to win. VOID where prohibited. The winner will be notified within 24hrs of the giveaway closing and he or she will have 48hrs to respond, or a new winner will be selected. Feel free to read the full 

Terms and Conditions for the complete rules and regulations.

Good Luck!

Here's How To Upgrade Your Sleepwear Game

Karen Neuberger Buffalo Check Family Pajamas (My pj set, my daughter's unisex onesie, my son's unisex "Elfie" set)

Karen Neuberger Plaid Dog Fleece

P.J. Salvage Ski School Flannel Pajama Set and Faux Fur Slippers

Lauren Ralph Lauren Plaid Flannel Pajama Set and Ugg Dakota Slippers

PJ Harlow cardigan, pj pants, and tank; P.J. Salvage Faux Fur Slippers

Barefoot Dreams Cozychic Robe // All photos by Will Carter

When it comes to sleepwear, I'll admit it: Until recently, I had kind of "let myself go." See, I'm perfectly happy sleeping in a t-shirt and sweatpants--not that there's anything wrong with that. But over the years (yes, years), my go-to rotation of sweats has gotten old, stretched out, and even less-cute than when I started wearing them. (And let's face it: They weren't that cute to begin with.) I am well aware that I have an ugly-pj habit, but I've been reluctant to quit it, because they're just so darn comfy.

Enter Bare Necessities to save me from myself. They recently challenged me to find sleepwear that's just as comfy as my old standbys, but infinitely cuter and more flattering. So I went on a mission!

I started searching and trying on a bunch of different pjs, robes, and loungewear sets. And now...I feel like a convert! All of the styles shown above are just as comfortable and easy as my old faithfuls, but so much better looking. This is a big deal for me, since I often work at home, so my sleepwear regularly goes into overtime and becomes daywear (don't judge!). I now know that I'd much rather spend the morning in a flowy cardigan than ratty sweats.

So, if your sleepwear wardrobe is lacking like mine was, consider giving it an upgrade. And since we're entering holiday season, now's the perfect time to treat yo'self. Nice, new pjs will look better and you'll feel better in them, too. 

A few of my favorites to check out:

-PJ Harlow blush-pink loungewear set - I love the cardigan for lounging around the house (honestly, though, it's cute and substantial enough to wear outside); the silky pants and tank are great for sleeping.

-Lauren Ralph Lauren Plaid Flannel Pajama Set: The colors of the plaid are gorgeous, and the fit is amazing. I actually went a size down in this one, because I loved the way they looked a little more fitted. I also liked that the fabric felt a little lighter, thinner, and crisper; it's not super heavy flannel. And these Ugg slippers are one of my favorite things out of everything I'm wearing in these photos. They're lined with sheepskin, so they're super cozy, but they have enough structure that you could even wear them to run outside to grab the mail or something. 

-PJ Salvage Ski School Flannel Pajama Set: Thick, supercozy flannel that's perfect for supercold winter nights. And I love the retro ski print!

-Karen Neuberger Buffalo Plaid Family Pajamas: While we're at it, holiday is also the perfect time to wear matching family pajamas. I mean, how cute are they?? My kids and I were obsessed with them, my dog had mixed feelings (!), and my husband refused to join in on the fun (well, at least for the blog photos!). You can find my two-piece pj set here, my son's unisex "#Elfie" pj set here, my daughter's unisex onesie here, and my dog Easton's outfit here!

And finally, to start your updated sleepwear wardrobe off right, I've partnered with Bare Necessities to give away this Barefoot Dreams Cozychic Robe like I'm wearing in the last photo above. I've actually owned one of these robes for going on ten years and I can attest that they are THE BEST. So soft, so comfy--since Barefoot Dreams also makes super cushy blankets out of the same material, these robes are literally like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket. What's better than that?

To win one for yourself, enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. (Open to U.S. entrants only.) Good luck! [GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]

Thank you to Bare Necessities for upgrading my sleepwear game--and partnering with me on this post!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{GIVEAWAY} Enter to Win A Summer Sunscreen Package From Avène!

I have a fun giveaway for you guys today! Since we're about halfway through summer (wahh!), and I know you guys are almost out of sunscreen since you've been reapplying it like crazy (right?), I'd like to go ahead and restock your stash!  

I've partnered with Avène to give away TWO prize boxes worth $140 each. Each box contains: 

• Avène Ultra-Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion Spray SPF 50+

• Avène Mineral Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50+
• Avène Hydrating Sunscreen Balm SPF 50+
• Avène After Sun Repair Creamy Gel
• Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray
• ...and a (really soft) beach towel!

I'm not sure how familar you are with Avène, but they are an amazing French skincare line that used to be the kind of thing that Americans could only get in French pharmacies while on vacation. But now it's available here!

All of the products in this giveaway are awesome, but two of them are major favorites of mine: the Mineral Light Hydrating Sunscreen Lotion (the texture is incredible--perfect under makeup!), and the Hydrating Sunscreen Balm (a truly clear stick that I love for myself and for my kids--they don't fight me when I put it on them!).

To win one of the two prize boxes, please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

Also: As a bonus, I am running another, separate giveaway for two more boxes over on my Instagram. You can click here (and follow the instructions in that post) if you'd like to increase your chances of winning and enter that giveway, too. (U.S. residents only!)

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Win The Ultimate Beauty Swag Bag (Valued Over $1000!)

Writing about beauty for your job is pretty awesome. Writing about beauty while working from home is even more awesome. But the one "disadvantage" is that, unless you have endless storage in your home (which I so, so don't), you're going to be constantly surrounded by an ever-growing mountain of beauty products. It sounds awesome, but you're actually not going to love it. (And your husband is really, really not going to love it...!)

That's why my new favorite thing has become sharing the love with you guys!

So, just as I did a few months back, I've gathered a pretty awesome assortment of products including a beautiful rose-gold flatiron, a luxe fragrance, lipsticks galore, hair stuff, skin stuff, makeup, etc etc. It's everything you see above--plus a few more goodies that I'll throw in at the last minute.

I'm pretty sure you're going to love it. Oh, and it's worth over $1000. Yep.

Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below, share with your friends, and good luck!

*Sorry: This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Win The Ultimate Beauty-Editor Swag Bag (Valued Over $1,000!) - CLOSED!

Just a sampling of some of the swag you can win!

*Note: This giveaway is now closed. But I will be doing more swag bag giveaways each month, so please check back!

Being a beauty editor, writer, or blogger comes with some major perks. Chief among them: The swag. Companies constantly send you new launches to check out and you're always going to a beauty event--and leaving with a bag of new stuff to try. It's awesome. But it's a lot. Especially if you work from home. I'm somewhat of a hoarder by nature--especially of beauty products!--but my closets can't hold everything.

So, I've decided to share the love!

Inspired by my blogging idol Ilana of Mommyshorts, who recently launched her swag bag giveaways full of awesome kid- and baby-themed items, I decided to do something similar. So, once a month or so, I'll be giving away a big box full of some of the best beauty and fashion stuff I've recently received. Let's call it the Ultimate Beauty-Editor Swag Bag. And it could be yours!

This month, the box includes everything you see above, plus many more surprise items. And it's worth (drumroll)...over $1,100!!! 

To give you a peek, there's a limited-edition 20th anniversary bottle of Hanae Mori's Butterfly scent, this supercute black and white Khongboon bikini (brand new with tags, obviously) in a size medium, and the Clinique Pepstart Eye Cream I raved about here (see what I did there?). There's the luxe Restoresea 24K Liquid Gold Face Oil (which retails for $150!), pretty pink jeweled earrings from Baublebar, the awesome, derm-recommended SkinMedica Lytera Skin Brightening Complex, this limited-edition eyeshadow palette created by Gwen Stefani for Urban Decay (UD makes some of the best shadows!), and lots more.

And that's just a small sampling of what's in there! There's also a bunch of cool makeup, a fancy candle, a teeth whitening set, a hair treatment, and more. I really tried to pick a selection of great items that would work for everyone and that anyone would truly love. These swag bag giveaways are ultimately meant to be a thank you to you guys. I appreciate you so much and hope that you get excited about this! :)

So, what do you think? Ready to win? Then, please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!** Congratulations to the winner, Tracy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

{Giveaway!} Win The New Cupcakes & Cashmere Book

Like zillions of you, I'm sure, I am a huge, longtime fan of the blog, Cupcakes & Cashmere. I always love Emily's recommendations and advice--and she is such an inspiration as a blogger and entrepreneur. 

I already own her first book, and when I heard she was coming out with a second (Cupcakes & Cashmere At Home), I preordered it immediately. I have always loved Emily's decorating style and entertaining tips, so I was super excited about a book dedicated to just these topics.

Well, it finally just arrived the other day, and when I ripped open the box this morning, I was surprised to see...two copies of it. (I mean, I adore Cupcakes & Cashmere, but not in a buy-multiple-copies-of-the-book way!)

I quickly checked my Amazon account to see if I had ordered two copies, but nope--just the one. Guess the Amazon box packer was just feeling extra generous (or extra lazy?) that day. Either way, I feel like it's the universe telling me that I need to...do a giveaway!

So, if you'd like to win a copy of the book, I'd love to give it to you! And to make it uniquely The Sparkly Life-ish, I'll also throw in a fun beauty surprise for the winner. Woo hoo!

To enter, please "Like" my newly launched Facebook page for The Sparkly Life AND leave a comment on this Facebook post about the giveaway. (Please note: You must do BOTH of those things to qualify!) For an extra entry, you can leave a comment below, too!

The giveaway will close in one week, on Thursday June 4th at 8pm EST. (And sorry, the giveaway is only open to those with addresses in the U.S.)

Good luck!

The Cutest New Valentines For Kids (+ A $100 Minted Giveaway!) {CLOSED}

Maybe it's because February 14th is my birthday (yep), but I have always loved the tradition of giving out classroom valentines. In elementary school, I remember carefully making doily-dotted, red-and-pink construction-papered shoeboxes, and then waiting with anticipation to see who would drop a little Snoopy or Strawberry Shortcake or Star Wars card inside. (And then of course, I recall totally reading into the text on whatever card the boy you had a crush on gave you: "Oh my gosh! Do you think he meant 'Bee Mine' as in, like, 'Be my fifth grade girlfriend??!")

These days, Valentine's Day is much more low-key in my daughter's school. But we still wanted to do something fun for her classmates. The drugstore valentines I found were mostly cheap and cheesy, so I was less than inspired. And let's face it: I'm too lazy to DIY. Then, I heard that Minted (that's where we ordered our 2014 holiday cards) was offering classroom valentines, so I rushed to check them out.

You guys! They are SO cute. Once I saw them, it was a no brainer to place an order. The hardest part was choosing a design--there are so many good ones! I finally settled on this cute PB&J design (aren't the gingham backs cute?). But I came really close to getting these donuts, this cookie, or this gold-foil maze. (Minted, can you offer a variety pack next year for indecisive folks like me, pretty pretty please?)

All the designs have optional coordinating stickers, or you can can mix and match, as I did by getting these pretty hearts that technically go with a different card. And the best part: I love that both the cards and stickers are personalized. You can even put your child's photo on them, which might be fun for us to try next year.

This past weekend, my daughter and I sat down and addressed about half of her cards. (We'll do the rest later this week. When you're just learning to write, the process is sloooooow and I really wanted her to do them herself, so we are only tackling a few at a time so that she doesn't get too frustrated.) I just love the way they turned out and am so excited to deliver them to her friends next week.

And now, here's some superfun news: I'm giving away a $100 credit to Minted! Use it for some cute valentines of your own, invitations for your next party, some of their pretty wall art--anything! (Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!)

Are your kids giving out valentines this year? If so, do tell: Did you do the drugstore thing, go the DIY route, or...? I'd love to know!

UPDATE: Congrats to Amy T., winner of the $100 credit to Minted. Thanks to everyone who entered!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Minted provided me with a small credit to purchase the valentines, but there was no further compensation, I was under no obligation to feature the products if I didn't love them (which I do!), and all opinions are my own.

The Coolest App For Magazine Lovers...Plus a GIVEAWAY!

{Giveaway info at the bottom!}

Have you guys heard of NextIssue? I discovered it randomly a few months ago, instantly downloaded it--and fell in love. It's an app where you pay a flat fee each month (I have the $9.99/month plan) and get unlimited access to digital issues of 135 magazines (back issues, too!). 

I love it for so many reasons, but two main ones: 1) I find myself reading stories in magazines I don't normally read. I read all my regular favorites, of course, but I like that I can also check out a one-off article in a magazine I might not typically buy without dropping an extra $4 on an issue that might not have anything else I'm interested in. I'm discovering lots of cool, new-to-me magazines, too.

And 2) No clutter. This is huge for me. As someone who has worked in magazines for 12+ years--and loved magazines for far longer than that--you can imagine that I own a lot of magazines. I mean, just take the ones I've written for alone and you've got yourself quite a bit of paper. In recent years, I've really tried to cut down on the clutter in my life, but still the piles of magazines remained. No more. I still bring home the issues I work on, of course, and I get a few paper subscriptions at work, but most of my actual reading is done on my iPad. In my mind, nothing beats reading a big pile of magazines--without the pile.

If you head over to the NextIssue blog, I'm featured today as a guest curator talking more about why I love the app, and sharing some of my favorite reads that I found in various magazines this month.

And now for that giveaway: Three winners will each receive a three-month subscription to NextIssue! (So, basically, three months of unlimited magazines for freeeeeee! Yay!) Please enter via Rafflecopter below. I'll contact the winners directly after the giveaway ends next week. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 Cool Things You Need To Click On Today

My week, clockwise from top left: Heading to school in an adorable new Gymboree outfit; most delicious (and filling!) cleanse ever from Urban Remedy; on the big-boy swing; a launch event for Bath & Body Works's upcoming fragrance

This week, man. Let's just say, I had a lot going on. And this weekend will be no different: Marathon appointments today, a baby's first birthday bash tomorrow, and a baby shower for my dear friend Ashley on Sunday. 

But first, I have to take a moment to congratulate my good friend (and former #beautybrownstone housemate!) Amy Keller Laird on just being named EDITOR IN CHIEF of Women's Health magazine!! I am SO thrilled for her. They couldn't have chosen a smarter editor or a cooler person. Congrats, Amy--I'm so excited to see what you do there!

That's it! So, check out the links below, ENTER MY GIVEAWAY, and have a great weekend!

• My current beauty obsession: Totally incredible, totally worth the hype.

• This Ray Rice inspired YouTube makeup tutorial is amazing and this girl is AWESOME.

• Kind of the perfect laid-back-but-still-pulled-together sweater. Want! Actually, I'll take the entire outfit. #kthanxbye

• Such a gorgeous take on the fishtail braid.

• I plan to wrap myself up in this cozy cardigan around Thanksgiving--and then stay bundled up in it until spring.

• Hilarious Forever 21 fails.

• Wow, this is eye-opening: What French Kids Eat For Lunch. (Spoiler alert: It's a helluva lot better than what American kids are eating.)

• I love this Tumblr so much!

• Are you guys following my friend, (and Allure beauty news editor) Cat O'Neill, on Twitter? Definitely do so, otherwise you'll miss gems like this.

• Love this outfit on Meghan! Will be buying the exact same dress and copying her immediately. ;)

• New York on Instagram vs. New York In Real Life = so. much. truth.

• Meg had an awesome post on six must-watch documentary movies. I haven't seen any of them--but now every single one is on my list.

• Quick read that will really make you think: Five Regrets Of the Dying.

• If you miss the days of watching top-notch chefs cook in serene, airy kitchens, you'll love this: How One Man Destroyed the Food Network.

• Caution: This image may cause you to get a little weepy. #sniff

• I made this (gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free) coconut rice twice this week and it was soooo good.

• Ballerinas + wedding dresses = glamour.

• Having worked at magazines for over a decade writing what's basically exactly the type of story they're making fun of, I loved (and cringed through!) this New Yorker piece.

And in case you missed it, this week I...

• Shared my favorite new jewelry finds.

• Hosted this giveaway!

Jewelry Spotlight: Sparkly Statement Necklace & Spiky Earrings

Necklace, BaubleBar

Earrings, Pamela Love

Who says baubles and babies can't mix? Photos by Jennifer Casson

I wanted to quickly share some close-up shots of the jewelry I was wearing in yesterday's post, because...they're some of my new very favorite things! This Burlesque Tassel Bib necklace from BaubleBar is so much fun and totally transforms an outfit. (Like the plain navy tee I'm wearing here!) I especially love the rose-gold color and the metal-fringe detail. But the best part is the price. It's $42!

These Pamela Love Five Spike Earrings are definitely more of a splurge, but how cool are they? They're very edgy, but since they're relatively delicate, the effect isn't super in-your-face. Love, love, love.

And, while I have you: Have you entered my giveaway yet? It's a good one!

SHOP MORE SPIKES AND METALLIC FRINGE

{GIVEAWAY} Win a Stokke MyCarrier Cool Valued at $199! {CLOSED}

Necklace, BaubleBar; earrings, Pamela Love; top, Splendid; jeans, Rag & Bone; baby's shoes, Pediped.

As much as I have relied on a stroller over the past four and a half years, I have also really, really loved "wearing" my kids in a carrier. There's nothing like snuggling up to them superclose, plus it's just awesome to have your hands free--and not to have to deal with dragging the stroller down the subway stairs or through the crowded aisles of, say, a New York bodega. 

For my kids, we actually had two carriers: One for facing front and another for wearing facing me. That's why I was intrigued by this model (the MyCarrier Cool from Stokke). It's very cool because it's basically three carriers in one--you can wear your child front facing, rear facing, or on your back.

Stokke sent me one to try out and I was impressed. It took a little figuring out at first, but I'm pretty sure that's because there is some serious engineering going on here with the design to ensure that your kid is safe. I mean, trust me: Your kid is in there in this thing! My son was very secure in it, which I loved.

Today, I'm partnering with Stokke to give away a brand new MyCarrier Cool (valued at $199) to one lucky reader. 

Please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. And good luck!!

**UPDATE: Congrats to the winner, Jessica R! Thanks to everyone who entered!**


a Rafflecopter giveaway