Review & Fabulous GIVEAWAY Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara

Ladies I am admittedly rather loyal when it comes to my most favorite brand of mascara. I've been using the same kind since as far back as I can remember. If it ain't broke don't fix it, right? Well recently I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to try something new..something daring..something different. I was unfaithful....and I loved every minute of it. I am talking of course about the brand new and innovative Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara.This mascara BLEW ME AWAY. To be honest I was more than skeptical the first time I eagerly unwrapped the pretty black and gold tube from it's packaging, but I was far from disappointed with the finished results. What makes this mascara different than the rest? Pulse Perfection boasts a small vibrating engine that automates application with 7,000 unique vibrations per minute. On more than one occasion in the past I have given thought to lash extensions to achieve the sexy and sultry look I have been dreaming of. Now thanks to this revolutionary mascara I can achieve lash perfection with ease I never thought possible. Honestly..this stuff is a-mazing. You can find out more about Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara by checking out pulseperfection.caAfter recently sharing my love for Puse Perfection with my friends and family the verdict is in - WE LOVE IT.

Now wouldn't you love to get in on the action too??

Thanks to matchstick we are giving away 2 Maybelline Pulse Perfection sampler packs to 2 of our lucky readers. Each package contains 1 full size tube of the mascara, a starter guide and 3 $5 pass along coupons to share with friends and family.

TO ENTER-
1. Fill out this quick survey and then post a comment here with your email address. Contest is closed on Monday, July 20, 2009 at midnight. For each completed survey Matchstick will donate $2 to the Redwood Women's Shelter.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES (please post a seperate comment for each additional action)
1. Follow us.
2. Twitter about this giveaway, linking to this page, and share your twitter url here.
3. Post our button on your blog, share your blog url here.
4. Blog about this giveaway, share your url here.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

Coming Soon!!

Unfortunately this week my camera had a head on collision with the hardwood floor in my living room and will be in the shop for the next week or so. Luckily I am able to borrow a camera as of Saturday so expect lots of new posts over the weekend.

Here are some of the posts you have to look forward to in the coming days -

• GIVEAWAY!! We are going to be giving away the NEW Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara to one of our lucky readers. The giveaway will be posted this coming weekend.
• Recipes - homemade slushies, blue skies parfait, a fab vegetarian stew, deluxe oatmeal raisin cookies, a kid friendly couscous recipe and MORE
• Kids Crafts - flip-flops, birdhouse, cardboard camera, homemade pinwheels and chocolate playdough
• Fashion - Our favorite picks for Fall 2009 shoes and we share some great tutorials from around the web on creating your own couture inspired pieces
• House & Home - Some homemade cleaning solutions and an awesome theme idea for a little girls bedroom
• Beauty - We share a fail-safe recipe for body polish..perfect for keeping your skin smooth for Summer

And of course there will be some more surprises in store. Stay tuned.

Stuff We Love - Gymboree's NEW Tea For Two Collection

There is nothing I love more than a little something sweet..and what could possibly be sweeter than this adorable new collection from Gymboree. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the Tea For Two collection. You can check out the collection in it's entirety at Gymboree.com1. Tiered Scallop Dress, $32.75
2. I'm a Little Teapot Tee, $19.753. Cupcake Clip Two-Pack, $5
4. Flower Dot Swing Top, $24.755. Teapot Top, $19.75
6. Cupcake Tee, $19.75

7. Cake Purse
8. Cupcake Pocket Hoodie, $28.75

How-To: Apply Sunless Tanner like a Pro

Keeping your skin radiant and youthful for years to come takes more than just a good regime of removing your make up each night, applying moisturizer and having the odd facial. I looove the sun, heck I live in a beach town, but the effects the sun can have on unprotected skin can wreak havoc on your complexion long term and let's not forget about the possibilities of skin cancer. Needless to say I am not a fan of tanning beds but I sure do love the look of a tan..especially when I am hanging out at the beach in a bikini with my family and friends. Ladies, I have had my trials and tribulations with many sunless tanning products..enough to feel more than comfortable to share with you what I have learned from my mistakes. So without further ado here are some tips from a former pasty white girl on how to achieve a beach ready glow minus the tanning bed.

1. FIND THE RIGHT PRODUCT. First off ditch any products that you may have lying around from Summers past. Self tanners have a tendency to lose their potency over time which means you may not end up quite the shade you were hoping for or even worse with unsightly blotches on your skin. New season...new bottle. Now about the right shade for you - unless you have a darker skin tone look for a product labeled "fair" or "medium" to avoid becoming more of an orange shade, which is every woman's worst nightmare in bikini season. If you find the shade is too light for you simply build up your tan with more applications spread over a few days. I recommend purchasing a product that contains some tint to make for a much easier application process; my favorite is Loreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion.

2. PREPARE. Before you dive eagerly right into that new bottle be sure your skin is well prepared for the application. For the very best results start prepping your skin 2-3 days before. Exfoliate daily, moisturize and take care to use a rich moisture cream on very dry areas such as ankles, knees and elbows. This will prevent streaks and blotches from forming on your skin post-application. Immediately before applying any sunless tanner be sure to shower, exfoliate and shave. DO NOT apply any lotions or moisturizers to your skin before or immediately after self tanner application.

3. APPLICATION. Take your time, be thorough and blend, blend, blend. This is where a tinted lotion is really useful. Apply the lotion in a brightly lit room with a large mirror nearby. Having a friend handy to help with your back is always helpful although not necessary. Applying sunless tanning lotion should never be rushed. Wearing disposable gloves is not a necessity if you take care to wash your hands well (get in between those fingers) at least twice during the application process. If you prefer to wear gloves though you can always apply lotion to the backs of your hands afterwards with a cotton ball. Do not apply self tanner before you go to bed, your skin will need adequate time to soak it all in and rolling around in bed sheets usually makes for some interesting patterns of smudges both on you and your linens.

4. TOUCH-UPS. Even with the most careful of application little self tanner mishaps are known to occur on occasion. Streaks and blotches can happen to the best of us. To remove an unsightly spot try using some lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball. Dark patches can be common in areas where dry skin is prone, such as around the ankles and elbows. Exfoliating works wonders for such a problem and can also be helpful for streaks and blotches on other areas of your skin. If you are unfortunate enough to end up more of an orange shade try exfoliating, taking a dip in a pool (chlorine speeds up the fading process) or using a product such as St Tropez Tanning Essentials Self-Tan Remover.

Do you have a tip that you didn't see mentioned here? Please share with us :)

A Sweet Find

I found these absolutely adorable cupcake sandals at my local Zellers for only $14.97!! SO SWEET! They seem to be flying off the shelves rather quickly so if you live in Canada rush out and grab a set for your little one ASAP. Infant and childrens sizes available.

Scrapbooking with Pre-Schoolers

Scrapbooking is one of my favorite past times so naturally after years of watching Mommy piece together our memories my son Aiden wanted a turn to try and create his own masterpiece. Scrapbooking with young children is quite rewarding as it encourages creativity, teaches children the importance of preservation and provides a memento from your childs own unique perspective at the time.

What You'll Need -

1 sheet of cardstock (I prefer using white or a neutral shade as pre-schoolers tend to opt more for loud colors when choosing embellishments and patterned papers)

Photograph(s) (Let your child pick from a selection of photos which picture they would most like to work with)

Several pieces of patterned paper trimmed into smaller pieces (select several sheets of paper that compliment the theme of your page nicely and have your pre-schooler pick out 3-4 of their favorite patterns, mommies do the cutting)

Acid free glue stick (ALWAYS use acid free products as this protects your photograph from deteriorating over time)

Embellishments - Colorful buttons, ribbons, stickers, fabric flowers, chipboard pieces, metal charms, or anything else you feel comfortable letting your child raid from your personal scrapbooking supplies. (I picked out a handful of embellishments for our project and let Aiden pick his favorites)How-To -

1. Sit down with your child and supply them with the piece of cardstock, patterned paper trimmings and the glue stick. Keep the other supplies seperate as this project can become overwhelming to a very young child pretty easily if presented with an abundance of materials all at one time. Let your child glue the patterned paper where they will (my child is anal retentive like his Mother so this step took some time and some precision on his part)

2. Apply the glue to the back of the photograph for your child. Explain that photos are very delicate and have to be handled carefully. Help your child secure the photo whereever they would like it be placed on the page.

3. Time for my favorite part - embellishments!! Allow your kiddo to use their imagination and place the embellishments wherever they see fit..except over the photograph of course. Allow the glue to dry overnight or at least several hours before you handle your childs creation.

HAPPY CRAFTING!!

Kraft Stuffin' Egg Muffins

One of our favorite treats to serve up at family brunches, these stuffin' egg muffins concocted by the genius's in the Kraft kitchen are always a crowd pleaser. Even better, the leftovers can be wrapped and refrigerated to enjoy later.

Stuffin Egg Muffins

Ingredients -

1 pkg. Stove Top Stuffing Mix
8 eggs
2 tbsp. Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits (vegetarians obviously omit these)
1/4 cup Kraft Mozza-Cheddar Shredded Cheese

Directions -

1. Pre-heat oven to 400. Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package. Press 1/4 cup stuffing firmly onto bottom and up sides of 8 muffin cups, forming about 1/4-inch rim around top of cup.

2. Crack 1 egg into each stuffing cup. Sprinkle with bacon bits and cheese.

3. Bake 20 min. or until yolks are set. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

Tip - These stuffin' egg muffins make a great portable breakfast or lunch. Bake as directed and refrigerate until ready to eat. Wrap in wax paper, then reheat in microwave on HIGH 15 sec.

Find more simple and delicious recipes at kraftcanada.com