CSC Review and Giveaway: FHI Heat

I look forward to my visits to my awesome stylist, Meggan, every two months. She pretty much rocks my hair, and I never leave disappointed. The only thing that ever stresses me at the salon is that nagging feeling that I'll never get my hair to look like it does when I leave there -- like I'm in a shampoo commercial. Last time I was there, trying to pick up on tips on how to make my hair look good, I said -- "Do you think it's my hair dryer? I mean, is a hair dryer just a blowdryer?"

She pretty much snorted and laughed and, after making sure everyone else had heard my (obviously ludicrous) question, she bent down closely to me and said loudly (because she was blowdrying my hair, she had to be loud and close, you know?) "No. A hair dryer is certainly not JUST a hair dryer." Then she proceeded to give me the specifics on a blowdryer that put my 15 dollar choice to shame.

So, recently I had the opportunity to try out a salon-quality hair dryer from FHI Heat. It certainly puts my little Target number to shame. It is really really light, but dries my hair faster than ever (and I have a LOT of hair). It is really powerful -- it has 3 heat settings and 2 speed settings, plus it has a button for a cool blast and a button for a heat boost. It pretty much rocks. After seeing what a difference this blow dryer makes, I will never purchase a non salon-quality hair dryer again. My hair is so smooth and in such better shape than it used to be just in the month that I've been using it. Plus it's pink. How cool is that? It does retail for $195, but when you think about how often you struggle to make your hair look just like you want it to, it suddenly seems VERY worth it.

The folks at FHI Heat are so sure that you are going to love their products that they are giving one lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader her very own "Technique" flat iron! This Flat Iron retails for $120 and is fantastic! Not only can you use it to make your hair sleek and smooth, you can also use it to make waves and curls! And, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it's PINK!

To enter to win, just follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit the FHI Heat website and tell me which of their products is your favorite.
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati (there is a "Fave this Blog" button in my right sidebar) and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US and entries only, cannot ship to PO Boxes. Winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on October 24th, 2008.

CSC Review and Giveaway: Nankeen Tote

This contest is now closed! Please check out our contests and giveaways page to see our current giveaways!

I'm a girl (had you already guessed? Hm, brownie points then...) and I'm a girly-girl at that. What does that mean? I love fashion. Bags, shoes, purses, SHOPPING (hence, the blog and blog name) -- you get the picture. Oh, and I also like art -- stick me in a museum and I can almost sound snobbish, I swear. So, really, what could be better to me than something that is both fashionable and a piece of art at the same time?

Presactly. (That would be precisley and exactly combined.)

Check out these awesome bags by Nankeen. The designs fuse 100% cotton, indigo dye, and exquisite patterns using a traditional Chinese art form that dates back to the Song Dynasty. (If all of that sounds too wordy to you, just suffice it to say that the fabric is created through a really cool process that developed a long, long time ago.)

From the website:

The term "blue nankeen" describes hand-dyed fabric of artistic refinement and primitive simplicity, which originated on the Silk Road over three thousand years ago. Hand-carved stencils, originally made from wood but now from heavy paper, are preapered and a mix of soya bean flour and slaked lime is applied through the openings of the stencil onto the 100% cotton fabric. The cotton undergoes an elaborate hand dying process before it is perfected and made into one of our unique designs.

These bags have been featured in both In Style and Lucky Magazine, and are creating quite a buzz among celebrities. I have the Savanna tote, and I just love it. It functions well as a diaper bag, over night bag, or airplane carry-on. I toted it all around Europe this summer as a more fashionable twist on the diaper bag, and I always got lots of compliments. It also fits my laptop quite perfectly, so it frequently doubles as a computer bag. Oh, and I'm ashamed to admit this, but I sort of left a banana in mine for a week or so and had to wash it -- and after following the instructions on the tag, it came out looking as good as new, and still in great shape.

Would you like to own your very own fashionable piece of art? The kind folks over at Nankeen have graciously offered to give one lucky CSC reader the opportunity to win one of their fantastic tote bags. That is as much as a $175 value! All you have to do to win is follow the easy-peasy rules below!

• Visit Nankeen's Tote Section of their website and come back here and tell me which tote you would choose if you won.
  
• Earn extra credit! You may do these for extra entries.
• Blog about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.
• Stumble my main webpage (not this post please, but www.chicshopperchick.com) and leave me your Stumble Upon name in a separate post.
• Favorite Chic Shopper Chick on Technorati. There is a button in my right sidebar, and let me know about it in a in a separate post.
• Add me to your blog roll. Not just my button in your sidebar, I'd love to be on your blog roll! Let me know about it in a separate post!

That's it! Good luck! Oh, and the official rules and legal jargon are below.

US entries only, winner will be chosen via random.org at the end of the contest. Winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch, please leave a valid email address or blog address if you'd like to be contacted should you win. Winner has 72 hours to claim their prize. This contests ends at 11:59 pm CST on September 18th, 2008.

Guest Post: Lisa Orman on Kidtropolis

Oh my, when I saw this arrive in my email as a guest post, I couldn't wait to share it. As someone who loves interior design and wishes she could create the perfect dream room for her daughter, I just love these amazing rooms by Kidtropolis. Enjoy!

If you're one of those parents who not only likes to, but can afford to spoil your kid rotten, then you've got to check out the incredible children’s bedroom décor created by Kidtropolis. This uber-talented group of designers is the favorite of Hollywood stars, corporate CEOs and international royal families because their jaw-dropping themes are literally where dreams not only become reality but stay real while a child grows up.

Trust us when we say that the ultimate dream weaver himself, Walt Disney, would have hired Kidtropolis to design rooms for his own children. Want your little princess to dream about ruling the realm in a royal carriage? A REAL castle? Well, one customer did and here’s what Kidtropolis came up with:



Another family hired Kidtropolis to give their young “Wyatt Earp” a way to sleep in the OK Corral every night. Here’s what they got, pardner (no spurs in the stagecoach, please!):


Another family, inspired by their child’s love of Mother Goose, wanted their little one to live in the shoe with Old Mother Hubbard... well, you get the idea:




And their latest creation is like a page out of the Swiss Family Robinson, with a few modern updates:



Okay, so maybe you’d prefer to send your kids to college rather than let them sleep in a fairy tale world. Who could blame you? But browsing the KidtropolisBuild.com website is still a ride worth taking… and a lot less expensive than four plane tickets to “The Magic Kingdom.”

Oh, the things that you'll see, the places you'll soar, you'll look at your child's room the same nevermore. The company's not-to-be-believed creative designs and custom-built doors, beds and themed rooms transform a child’s room into a truly unique, personal and functional space.

For information, visit www.kidtropolisbuild.com. For detailed examples of their work or work in progress, click on their website blog.

I'm Flippin' -- are you?

Technology has really progressed since I was a kid.  My parents used to have a video camera that was as big as a suitcase that my dad would have to hoist up onto his shoulder to use.  Most birthday parties and holiday events were captured by setting up that ginormous camera on a tripod to catch one wide shot of the whole room, because it was the easiest way to do it without breaking your back.  

Not anymore.  As technology has moved along, so have those big clunkers of cameras.  Then we entered the digital age, and everything became more compact, even our computers!  It should be no surprise then, that someone would eventually make a very small and convenient to use video camera.

I recently had the opportunity to review the "Flip Ultra" digital video camera -- a product that the New York Times recently said was "One of the most significant electronic products of the year" and I agree!    I can see why so many people LOVE it.  I took it from the box to recording something in under 2 minutes, no exaggeration.  I kept checking the box to make sure I didn't miss anything.  It came with minimal literature (who really reads that stuff anyway?) which just proves that it really is dummy-proof.  

Now, I should warn you that these videos aren't intended to be extremely high-quality.  They are meant to be the type of video that you upload to YouTube or (as I did) email to your friends.  If you are looking for really high quality video, then you should turn to a regular video camera and not use the Flip.  But, I think that for what most of us are looking for, the Flip is perfect.  When we received the Flip Ultra, Little AG had just started walking, and our family members who live hundreds of miles away were just itching to see her walk.  So I took her to a park and let her go, while I recorded it on the Flip Ultra.  When I got home, I just "flipped" up the USB connect that is built into the Flip and plugged it into my MacBook.  I didn't have to preinstall any software before I plugged it in -- the Flip Ultra has the software that I needed installed on the camera itself.  When I plugged it into one of my USB ports, the Flip Ultra installed everything that I needed for me.  It was so easy -- I think that even the computer illiterate could figure it out.  

You can also edit your videos with ease once they are downloaded onto your computer, and it even gives you the option to capture still images from your videos.  I love that you can edit your movies and add music to make your own little video montage -- what a fun way to preserve your memories.    

The Flip Ultra is really fast, smart little camera.  The size of a bar of soap, it has the capability to start recording within 3 seconds of power up.  It holds 60 minutes of video in it's digital memory and runs on 2 double A batteries (with a pretty decent battery life, it seems -- I'm still using the same two batteries that came with the camera).  The color screen on the back allows you to watch video playback quickly, because you scroll through entire videos with one click.  If you don't like one of the videos that you have recorded, you can quickly and easily delete it -- much like using a digital camera.  

I received a Flip Ultra in Pink, and it's a darker pink, so it doesn't bother hubby much to use it either.  I like that you can choose the color of your Flip Ultra -- so that you can carry a camera that matches your personality.  Besides pink, they come in white, green, orange, and black.  It also came with a wrist strap and a soft velour storage pouch.  

Check out the pictures below of people that you might know using the Flip!

Hef and two of the Girls Next Door, Bridget and Kendra at a Lakers/Celtics game during the NBA playoffs record a few moments together with a Flip Ultra.

Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger review a funny video that they captured on their Flip Ultra at an awards ceremony earlier this year.

Paris Hilton records the launch of her new clothing line using her Flip Ultra.

The final verdict:  Everyone should have a Flip.  The prices are VERY reasonable ($150 for a Flip Ultra!) and they have all kinds of cool accessories (you can purchase an underwater case for your Flip to make it waterproof for up to 30 feet -- take it to the pool, record your trip down a water slide, or go snorkeling with your Flip Ultra!) available to purchase.  You can purchase the Flip online from their website at www.theflip.com.

The MAC Mommy

Well, I've admitted it before but I suppose there is no harm in admitting it again -- I'm a cosmetics freak. I have all of my little products that span different brands that I'm attached to. Generally I'm open to trying new products, though I always go back to the same foundation, blush/bronzer, and mascara. There is one product that I don't budge on, though, that is always the same -- and that is my eyeshadow. Trust me people, I have tried and tried to find another product that is this good, but I always fail. And for me, eyeshadow is a must -- meaning I must wear it, it must be highly pigmented, and it must just generally ROCK.

Of course, if you enjoy cosmetics as I do, you already know what brand I am talking about. Is there any other? That's right, MAC eyeshadows are the only thing that this Chick will wear. They are so highly pigmented that they actually look like the color they are in the pan. When I was teaching at the all-girls school my girls would come in every day asking what colors I had on.

Anyway, yesterday I visited a MAC Pro store close to my house and bought myself a palette to hold 15 of my eyeshadows. The problem is that I have purchased most of my eyeshadows in the little pots (the first picture above left), and I wanted them to be in the palette so that they would all be in one place. After a little searching I found this video on You Tube that teaches you how to safely de-pot your eyeshadows so that you can add them to the palette. It takes a little work, but I managed to get three of them done in about 15 minutes, though I still have more to do. Anyway, the method is good, so if you are looking to do the same thing, this video should help you.

If you are interested, you can buy the refill pans for the palette for $10.50 each though you can only buy them in a MAC Pro Store, but you can buy the eyeshadow pots online in any color for $14.50 each.  It's pricey, I know, but like I said they are the best I've found.  I started with one or two and just purchased a new one each time I went to the mall until I had a collection built up.  It didn't seem as bad doing it that way!

For your benefit...

We are finally home from DC. It was a blast but so tiring at the same time (so much shopping, so little time) mainly because Little AG and I had a lot of downtime while hubby was in meetings and it was just the two of us, sans car or other form of transportation. As far as the sporadic posting, -- lets suffice it to say that our nights were exceedingly late, and as lovely as the Holiday Inn Georgetown was, they only had WIRED high-speed internet, which hubby and I had to fight over share.

Anyway, I managed to make it to my favorite store ever, Sephora, while I was schlepping Little AG around M Street, looking to spend the giftcard that I won in a contest on Chic Critique. Of course, Sephora can be overwhelming -- there is such a fine line between products that I could use every day and products that would just be "fun" to have but aren't a necessity (like that leg bronzing stick....). While I was in there, I was approached by a Will Farrell look alike who offered to apply some makeup on me (a long night coupled with an early morning with a toddler who wasn't sleeping in her own bed had allowed me to feel justified in taking to the streets with a clean and moisturized yet cosmetic-free face) because I think I broke some sort of unspoken rule of entering Sephora fresh-faced and frighteningly makeup free. When he was finished I wandered over to the Benefit display section and noticed this new cheek and lip stain called Posietint -- a pink version of the already-popular yet way-too-red-for-me Benetint.

I was able to try the Posietint on over my freshly applied foundation (thanks Will!) and I fell in love with it. It is a perfect, easily blended and natural solution that gives cheeks that slightly flushed look. It's better for those of us with fairer skin since when I wear the reddish Benetint it looks like I'm trying out for a spot at the Moulin Rouge... It is also just as effective on your lips, and, as it is a stain, it will also make a great lipstick base and will make for a long wearing effect under your lipstick. You can buy Posietint on the Benefit Cosmetics website for $28.

Radio Flyer goes Green

I recycle here at home. Hubby does too. We do it faithfully throughout the week, placing our bin out for pickup on Friday mornings and then starting over again. But, do you ever really think about where all of that recycling goes? What is made of it? Well think no more, I've found at least one answer for you.

Ta-da! The wagon has gone green! CSC readers, meet the "Earth Wagon", an environmentally friendly way to give your kids those same wagon-time memories as the ones you cherish (remember the red Radio Flyers?). Each wagon is made of 230 recycled milk jugs. So by purchasing this you not only get a really cool wagon, you divert 230 milk jugs away from land-fills.

Oh, and did I mention it IS a Radio Flyer? That's right! The red has changed to green, but it's still the same durable, built-to-last wagon!

You can find one of these awesome "Green" Radio Flyer wagons at The Green Home for $150.

Chic Shopper Chick Giveaway -- Bag Borrow or Steal

Oh man, I'm so excited about today's review and giveaway that I can hardly stand it! I hope that you have been enjoying your "clues" for the past 4 days! Now it is officially time to reveal the prize!

Bag Borrow or Steal has partnered with Chic Shopper Chick to promote their "role" in the new movie, Sex and the City. If you have yet to see the new movie (is that possible?), Carrie hires a new assistant, Louise (played by Jennifer Hudson). During her interview, Louise tells Carrie that she moved to New York from St. Louis, and that she is broke, sharing a one-bedroom apartment with 4 other girls. Carrie looks down at Louise's Louis Vuitton Blue Denim Bowly Handbag and asks if she is sharing an apartment with so many girls, how does she afford that bag?

Louise says "It's rented. Bag Borrow or Steal, baby."

At this point, I am sitting in the movie theater FREAKING out, because not only am I a huge fan of Bag Borrow or Steal, but I also know that I have this giveaway coming up, which makes me even more excited.

So, for those of you who aren't familiar with this awesome service, or have just started to hear the buzz about it, let me fill you in. Bag Borrow or Steal is being called the "netflix of handbags"! It is an online borrowing service that lets it's customers choose from thousands of designer items -- all available for rent on a weekly or monthly basis! Why should fashion editors and socialites be the only people allowed to borrow great accessories? Now you can too! With more than 3,000 luxury handbags styles availble to rent, and more than 650 jewlery styles, there truly is something for every occasion.

I plan on renting myself a nice Chanel Bag for my trip to Europe this summer, and perhaps a small evening clutch as well. I have every intention of fitting in while I am in Paris, also known as the fashion capital of the world (no pressure there, right?). And for those of you who have never been -- the French will notice your designer bag. Even the men will comment on how beautiful your "Sha-nel bag" is.

The cool thing about Bag Borrow or Steal is that you don't have to be rolling in dough to rent a great bag. For example, members of BBoS can rent this fabulous BCBGMAXAZARIA "Erica" bag for only $6 per week! Like Coach? Rent this Coach Hobo bag for only $9 per week! Of course, if you have more expensive tastes, or just need a bag for a one-time occasion, you could look into renting this amazing Christian Dior "Plisse" bag (at left) for $111 per week (this one is swoon-worthy).

It doesn't stop at designer handbags, ooooh no. I also like the sunglasses rental option -- where you can snag these Prada shades for a cool $43 a month (they also go for $20 a week, but it makes more sense to keep them for a month at those prices). Or, my favorite Chanel glasses that I have worn for 3 years straight (they never go out of style) can be rented for $75 per month! Oooh, or how about designer jewlery? Rent the Tiffany earrings you see above for $68 per week.

So, are you a designer guru like me, without the pocket change to support it? If so, Bag Borrow or Steal is definitely the online site for you!

Want to try it out?! The kind fashionistas over at BBoS are offering a promotion to all Chic Shopper Chick readers! Pay for 3 weeks of rental and get an additional week free! Essentially, you will be getting 25% off borrowing fees! All you have to do is enter the code CHIC4455 to receive your discount! So for a mere $18 you could be renting one of the fabulous bags that I mentioned above for an entire month! This code expires June 21st, 2008, so act quickly!

Win It! Already in love with this site? Well, Bag Borrow or Steal has generously offered to give one lucky Chic Shopper Chick reader a $50 gift card! Combine this with the deal mentioned above (25% off borrowing fees for a month's rental) and you have a really sweet prize!



To enter:

• Head on over to the Bag Borrow or Steal website and browse around a bit. Come back here and leave a comment on this post telling me what you would use your giftcard for if you won.
  
• Please leave a valid email address if you would like to be contacted if you win. Otherwise, winners are posted here and on Prizey Fetch.
  
• If the winner does not respond within 72 hours I will choose a different winner.
  
• US and Canadian entries are welcomed!!!
  
• Earn extra credit! Choose one of the following for ONE extra credit entry. Any further attempts to woo me will be disqualified!
  
• Write about this giveaway and send me the link in a separate post.
• Subscribe to my feed and let me know about it in a separate post.

All of you who participated in all four of the hints leading up to this giveaway will receive an extra entry. That's it! So go now and enter! This giveaway will end on June 17th, 2008 at midnight CST. The winner will be chosen via random.org.

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed. Please go to our Contests page for our current giveaways!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! 4th and Final!

Well, today is the last day of hints for this fabulous giveaway that we have coming up here at Chic Shopper Chick! Is the anticipation killing you? It's one awesome giveaway, I promise! I will post the giveaway itself tomorrow, so all entries for the "hints" must be submitted before the giveaway post goes up! Remember, you must correctly guess the designer of all four items to earn an extra entry!

So here it is -- the final hint! #4, or quatre as we say en francais! (Hrm, was that a bonus hint for the identity of today's item?)

So here it is, from my ultimate favorite designer, hint #4. Add a comment to this post with your guess! Good Luck, and be sure to come back tomorrow for the giveaway announcement!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! #3

Ok ladies, if you've answered the previous two entries correctly, you've officially gotten yourself halfway towards an extra entry in this fabulous giveaway! (If you are new to my site and are scratching your head in confusion, please read my first entry about this here to catch yourself up to speed.) I won't keep you in anticipation for today's hint, so here it is -- Hint #3! This one is a little bit trickier, but if you've been playing along so far, then you probably have a leg up on the competition, because you might *ahem* know where to look to find the answer...

Ok, leave your entries as a comment on this post and you will officially be 3/4 of the way towards an extra entry -- and TRUST me, you will want it! So go ahead, name the designer of the bag above!

Good luck!

Surprise Giveaway Hint! #2

I'm getting so very excited about this surprise giveaway that we'll be doing very soon! I just know you are going to love it! Remember, if you correctly guess all four designers of the objects that I'm posting, you will have earned yourself an additional entry into the giveaway! (And if you guess what they all have in common, you just may figure out what it is that we're giving away!)

Ok, here is hint #2! Don't forget to leave your guesses as a comment on this post! All guesses must be received by the time the actual giveaway post goes up! Good Luck!

Super Soft Seating

I have been cyber-stalking these adorable "Nod Chairs" from (where else?) the Land of Nod since before Little AG was born. She was born in February of 2007, and in December of 2006 I started making a Christmas list for her for the NEXT YEAR. (Hey, I was 8 months pregnant and couldn't move much -- it seemed like a good idea at the time). Anyway, I have yet to purchase one, but I think that it's about time for me to do so. Today I found her kid-sized rocking chair, and she was so proud of herself, sitting in it like a big girl. It made me think that she would really like to have this.

My favorite one is this Pink Ticking Stripe Nod Chair, with Little AG's name embroidered on the back. If you don't like this pattern, no worries, choose from one of the other 13 available! It has a little pocket on the back to hold books, and a handle to carry it around with. It is a little pricey, at 105 dollars (includes embroidery, only $99 without), but kids can use it from ages 1-7, so it's a worthwhile investment (it breaks down to about $1.50 per month!). Let's see if I can use that to convince hubby!