Giveaway — Essie Summer Collection 2012 Mini Four-Pack

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Hello ladies! Essie's Summer Collection for 2012 is incredible; but we've discussed that already. I recall struggling to decide which colors to succumb to, and where to draw the line, because I honest-to-goodness wanted them all. ALL.

Let me help you jumpstart your collection with this fantastic four-pack of minis! This quartet includes: Fear Or Desire (orange), Mojito Madness (green), Off The Shoulder (pink) and my personal favorite, Bikini So Teeny (light blue).

This giveaway is open to blog subscribers / followers only. So first, make sure you're a follower! Then, entering for your chance to win is easy — just leave a comment on this post. I'll announce the winner on Monday, June 23rd.

The cutoff is 11:59pm Pacific time on Sunday, July 22nd. The winner will be randomly selected by comment number through Random.org. Only one comment (entry) per follower is eligible for consideration. For this giveaway, only winners with U.S. or Canadian shipping addresses are eligible. (Sorry, globetrotters!) For the nitty gritty details, click here.

bestofluck, Francesca

Sephora — Glimmer Wonderland Nail Polish Set

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You pay for what you get, as the saying goes. Usually, the old adage is true *except* when it's Christmas time! Oh, I do love a good gift set. (As you know.) I saw this gem online today and had to share.

Eighteen mini bottles — nice! I am of two minds when it comes to mini bottles.

On the one hand (pun intended), I love that they're less expensive, so you can load up on way more options than you could if you were buying full-size bottles.

On the other hand, I find that the little bottles dry up pretty quickly. You can always invest in some actual, legitimate nail polish thinner (yes, it exists... and NO, using nail polish remover as a thinner is not recommended by true purists such as myself). Alternatively, you can just embrace the fact that this is a one-time or two-time polish and make the most out of it.

If you're a big fan of Sephora by OPI, note that many of the colors in this set are some of the line's most popular shades, so you may end up with dupes if you've got a stash already going.

At $48 for the set, this breaks down to ~$2.50 a bottle. This would be an awesome gift for a young lady in your life who's just beginning to develop her very own nail polish stash — and would be just as perfect for that special someone who's already obsessed with polish. And if that "someone" is YOU (nothing wrong with a little treat for yourself)...

My recommendation is finding two or three friends and going in on the polish together so that you can all get your favorite shades! If all of you seem to be liking the same shades (uh-oh!), I suggest this "grab bag" method:

  • Putting all of the little bottles in a bag or box — however you'd like so that the drawing is blind
  •  Roll a dice or do rock / paper / scissors to see who grabs first, then take turns grabbing until all bottles have been distributed
  • Then, it's up to each girl:
      • Keep what you grabbed, or
      • Discuss trading options on a bottle-per-bottle basis

Hey, nail polish distribution is serious business, okay?

Maytheoddsbeeverinyourfavor, GLOSS