Review and Giveaway: BG Alligator Pattern Shoulder Bag

Where to get: Amazon ($97.67 - currently on sale for $35.97)

Amazing quality, very fashionable and surprisingly capacious for its medium size. 

I have to say that the bag looks much better in person than it does in the pictures in this listing. It's very soft and doesn't have this nasty fake leather smell some other bags have. It's very nicely designed too, with two kinds of straps - one in a chic snake print that contrasts the bag's color nicely, and one long shoulder strap made out of material similar to the bag itself (the print is smaller, but the color is the same). 

There are 5 additional compartments in total. 4 are on the inside - one zipper compartment on the back wall, two open compartments on the front wall, and one long zipper compartment in the middle. There is also one zipper compartment on the outside of the bag.That gives you plenty of space and ways to organize your bag. 

The handbag is big enough to fit 3 hardcover books (I checked), wallet, phone, bunch of pens, some makeup and keys. It's very well made - sewn seamlessly and with nice golden accents throughout. To me, this is more of a semi-casual look. I wear it with my summer dresses and jeans+blouses combos, but I wouldn't wear it to the office or with just a plain t-shirt, as it just wouldn't match well. It's very eye-catching and glam.

Giveaway:

Win one bag of choice from BG Bag Store (US/Can)

Ends: 5/30

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jewelry from BornPretty.com - Review and Pictures

Bow-knot Decorated Multi-Row Bracelet ($5.99) | Opal Floral Rings with Rhinestones ($2.82) | Four Leaf Clover Ring ($2.99) | Owl Ring ($0.99) | Gemstone Wing Crescent Moon Necklace ($2.99)

I thought I'd share with you today some jewelry from Born Pretty store that I ordered a while back. I purchased few more items at that time (including cute reading glasses-shaped ring and a Mocking Jay bracelet) and I only paid about $25 for it all (shipping from Born Pretty store is FREE World Wide and on all orders, plus they accept PayPal). 

I love shopping there, they have some really cure accessories, plenty of makeup and other great things like clothes, hair-accessories and more! 

The jewelry I got obviously isn't gold or silver (it's not even gold or silver plated), but it's nice enough to wear with a cute outfit :) I am very satisfied with my purchase. The four leaf clover ring could easily pass for real gold, it's rally quite stunning. The rest of the jewelry pieces makes for fabulous finishing touches to cute, girly outfits and that is exactly what I was aiming at!

Be sure to check out BornPretty.com - it's really quite awesome! I also have a special 10% off discount for you, so be sure to use it at checkout! 

And now check out some more photos!

Hello Summer and Hello my new Vera Bradley bag! Or shall I say... BAGS!

Hi guys, for this hop I have a truly fantastic prize to share with you! You can win this set of the super fashionable coral-colored bags and a wallet from the new Vera Bradley Laser-Cut collection! I know! How awesome is that?!

This is open to US only - sorry my International friends!

Value:
Laser-Cut Petite Trifold Wallet ($38)

Laser-Cut Tote ($98)

Laser-Cut Saddle Crossbody ($88)

Total: $224

Enter via Rafflecopter below:
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Welcome to the {second annual} Hello Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Lindsey Blogs and Viva Veltoro.

The days are getting longer and hotter and we’re saying Hello to Summer in fun giveaway style! Beat the heat and hop around to all the participating bloggers’ giveaways at the bottom of this post. Also, be sure to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE for this event, an ULTIMATE Backyard Prize Package courtesy of Step2!

Don't forget to enter to win the GRAND PRIZE for this event, an ULTIMATE Backyard Prize Package courtesy of Step2, featuring their Home Run Baseball Trainer, a Clubhouse Climber, and Naturally Playful Sand & Water Table! This prize package is valued at over $700 and will keep your kiddos entertained all summer long! You can enter at Lindsey Blogs or Viva Veltoro.

Lindsey Blogs, Viva Veltoro, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

SHOEZY Womens Pu Leather Flat Sandals with Pearls

Where to buy: Amazon ($26.99-$39.99) 

These sandals are just gorgeous. They're so delicate-looking and very girly. I just love the pretty white pearls on them!

I am a flip-flops and sandals kind of gal, especially during hot summer months. It's very important for me to have shoes that are pretty enough for a summer dress, but also comfortable enough to wear all-day-long. These are just perfect. I took a 45 minutes walk around the neighborhood in these, followed by a shopping trip with my kid, and I didn't get any blisters or scrapes. I thought the leather straps might be a problem, as they are pretty tight, but they do stretch a tiny bit and adjust to the shape of your feet, so the sandals fit very comfortably.

I had similar sandals to these ones last year, but the bottom of those wasn't stiff enough. It would bend down and I often tripped over my own legs. That isn't the case with these, though. The bottom is very stable and the straps grip your feet nicely.

Size wise, they could be just a tiny bit larger. They're not too small per se, they still fit just fine, but I wouldn't mind if the straps were a bit longer for those days when my feet are swollen and need extra wiggle room.

Overall, I am very pleased with these sandals. I will definitely be wearing them often this summer!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary review sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ivation All-in-One Makeup Kit Gift Set - For those who like their makeup all in one place!

$34.95 on Amazon

• 98 Shimmer Eye Shadows - Highly Pigmented & Formulated With Mineral Oil
• 70 Pastel Shimmer Eye Shadows / Glossy Silky Eye Shadows with Extra Sheen
• 6 Lip Glosses, 3 Blushes,7 Sponge brushes, 2 Lip Brushes, 1 Blush Brush & 1 Mirror
• The most gifted, The most wished for and The best seller Makeup set of all time
• Compact folding case with purse straps, gift set style

Basically, this is an exact dupe for SHANY 2012 Edition All In One Harmony Makeup Kit. The shimmery/glossy eye shadows are quite similar in quality to Coastal Scents 88 Ultra Shimmer palette or any drug store brand, like Miss Sporty or Cover Girl. I've been using this kit for over a week now and have no complaints at all. In all honest, I am kind of in love with the fact that I have almost everything I need in one place.

I think this is a great make-up kit for beginners or make-up artists on-the-go. All the eye shadows are nicely pigmented and the variety of colors gives you plenty of possibilities. There aren't any extreme colors in these two palettes, these are more earthy and natural looking shades and they blend in nicely. I didn't notice any creasing, but I do always use eye shadow primer, so can't tell you how they stay on without it.

The lip glosses compliment the eye make-up you can achieve with these eye shadows very nicely. There are two reds (bright red and deep red), pale pink, shimmer bronze, terracotta and kind of a peachy one.

The blushes are really pretty. There is a pale matte pink that would go nicely with a smoky eye look, vibrant shimmer pink and a matte peachy one. I particularly like the peachy one, it gives my cheeks this healthy, natural glow.

The brushes and applicators included in this kit are very basic ones and I think most people will prefer to use their own make up brushes instead. Still, it's nice to have these as a back-up for a quick fix on-the-go.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the quality of the cosmetics included in this box. The packaging is very nice, too, and the kit would make a great gift for both younger girls and adult women.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary review sample.This did not affect my opinion in any way.

Nail Polish Doesn't Have to be Toxic: Introducing Void Beauty Brand!

Heads up mani-pedi lovers! There is a new cool cat in the nail polish department and they are bringing out the BIG GUNS!

Void Beauty is THE brand for environmentally conscious, eco-friendly women. This brand strives to provide non-toxic, cruelty-free, vegan friendly products that will look fabulously chic at the same time. I think they managed that just fine, wouldn't you say?

I received 3 samples of their brand new nail polish line: Golden Child, Rise & Shine and Rule or Die. And yes, they're just as fabulous as they look in the pictures. Everything - from the gorgeous bottle design, to the way these nail polishes wear - is simply spectacular. 

I was probably the most excited for the Rise & Shine polish, but I must say it is the Rule or Die that, ultimately, became my absolute favorite. I mean, they are all beautiful. It wasn't easy to decide which one to try on first. I do find them all rather long-wearing (3rd day, still no chips!), but the deep, vivid red is just mesmerizing. I like the Rise & Shine, too, but being a busy mom, I don't usually have time for two coats of nail polish to dry, and this one does require two coats. Rule or Die does not! 

Golden Child is so pretty! It's more of a natural, earthy shade that adds a very subtle finishing touch. I think these are all perfect spring and summer shades and I'm definitely going to be reaching for them often in the coming months.

Awesomely enough, these seem to dry even faster than my Miracle Gels and they have a very eye-catching glossy finish. They come off nicely and don't stain the nails. I think these are going to be a BIG HIT in the coming months and I'm thrilled to have been able to try them on early. 

Void Beauty is a brand I can really get behind. I am looking forward to trying more of their polishes in the future!

Check out Void Beauty | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway:

I have a treat for you! You can win a boo of choice AND a nail polish of choice! :)

US/Canada

Ends: 5/12

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Ruinuo Jewelry Review & Contest

I recently got the opportunity to review some beautiful jewelry pieces from RUINUO. They have some really stunning stainless steel jewelry pieces and I was thrilled to be able to wear some of them! I love that they are so modern looking and that they don't cause any skin irritation. They're also extremely well designed and durable.

Today I get to share my reviews of the four jewelry pieces I received and host a contest for you! If you like Ruinuo's cool designs, be sure to enter the giveaway! :)

Unisex Stainless Steel "Cross Zodiac" Zircon Pendant Necklace

Really cool jewelry piece! I absolutely love the design - the combination of the cross symbol with the star constellation of a zodiac sign is pretty neat and unique. The pendant is pretty large (2.16 x 1.22 inch) and seems very durable, but not too bulky. It comes with a resizable chain and a black strap, which is a very cool alternative for men.

The pendant is made out of stainless steel and titanium, and it doesn't cause any skin irritation. The cubic zirconia stones represent stars in a zodiac constellation (in this particular case it is Cancer zodiac). I think this is a very well-thought-out, modern design that will appeal to a wide variety of people. This would definitely make a great and meaningful gift.

Be Mind Series Bracelet

This is another beautiful piece of jewelry from Ruinuo. I am absolutely in love with their jewelry - they are all extremely well made, durable and modern looking. This bracelet is no exception.

This bracelet is very shiny, especially in the sun! The design is simple, yet very chic and eye-catching. The bracelet is very comfortable to wear. There are no hard edges so it doesn't catch on clothes or hair. It comes with a bonus polishing cloth, which is very neat! It's on the thicker side (definitely not flimsy!), but it doesn't feel heavy or bulky.

Overall, I like this bracelet a lot and would recommend it to anyone who likes their jewelry modern and unique.

"Forever Love" Cubic Zircon Necklace for Lovers

This set of couple necklaces is an awesome modern spin on the "two halves of one heart" jewelry. Made out of stainless steel and embellished with gorgeous cubic zirconia stones, it's a real crowd pleaser. My husband doesn't like wearing any type of jewelry and it's nearly impossible to get him to wear a necklace, but he actually really loved this design and its beautiful and meaningful message. We just had to swap the chain with a little less flashy one!

I really like the look of this set. It has a certain warmth to it. The "Forever Love" message is very special and I love how the bigger pendant kind of embraces the smaller one, keeping it close and safe - much like a man protecting his loved one.

The chains seem pretty durable and the overall quality of this set is really amazing.A lot of thought went into this design for sure, even the packaging is very nice.

"Hope" Cubic Zircon Necklace for Lovers

This is my new favorite necklace - so gorgeous looking, shiny and extremely well made!

The design is very unique and I love that it is both so elegant and modern at the core. It's very eye-pleasing and I love how shiny the stainless steel and the cubic zirconia is.

Both the pendant and the chain look very feminine and delicate, but in fact they are super sturdy. Just like the other jewelry pieces from Ruinuo, this necklace is made out of stainless steel and so it doesn't cause any skin irritation at all. The chain's length is just perfect and the lobster clasp is easy to use (not one of those super flimsy ones!).

Giveaway:

You can win $100 worth of Jewelry from Ruinuo store! How exciting is that?! 

Open World Wide! 

Ends: 5/5/2015

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finejo Sleeveless Bodycon Polka Dot Dress Review

I recently received a very pretty Polka Dot dress for review from an Amazon Seller: FINEJO. Their store has a variety of clothing items, as well as some bags, jewelry and even baby apparel. Their items are mostly made in Korea and very fashionable, and I think their pricing is pretty amazing (this dress is only $15) Check out their store here: FINEJO

This is a lovely, well-made dress. I'm very impressed with the quality of the material and how nicely it fits! It's semi-casual so it's great for both a Sunday walk in a park and a party. Plus, it's super comfortable and I just really enjoy wearing it. 

 It's made out of 78%Polyester and 22%Spandex + Chiffon, which makes it quite lightweight and breezy. The skirt part has an additional layer of lining underneath (the polka dot outer layer alone would be practically see-through without it). The additional layer makes the folds fall very nicely. The black top fits snuggly and actually creates an illusion of a slimmer waist, which I absolutely love. The dress comes with a small belt (I am not wearing it in the pictures). 

 Overall, I am very happy with this dress. The price is amazing for this kind of quality clothing. The shipping was very fast, too (the dress arrived about 10 days before its expected arrival date). I will be purchasing more clothes from this seller for sure.

Giveaway:

One winner will get a pick of one item (up to $30 worth) from Finejo store.

Open to US only (will be shipped via Amazon)

Ends: 5/10/2015

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