Suave Skin Solutions Body Lotion Giveaway Contest

This is the time of the year - late winter - when my skin screams for help. My heels crack open, my hands are dry, my legs look like alligator skin. I am one dry mess. I'm always reaching for something to soothe my skin, and I suspect many of you are also drying out. That's why I was thrilled when Suave offered me the opportunity offer you a giveaway for Suave's newly formulated Skin Solutions Body Lotion and Skin Solutions Advanced Therapy.

The new and improved body lotions have a richer, thicker formula that lasts all day - or all night - to keep your skin hydrated. You could be red-carpet ready. During award season, the red carpet is a beauty battleground. Designer gowns, sky-high stilettos, and radiant skin are all essential to pulling together a winning look, but you don't have to be nominated to flaunt radiant skin. This year, rich skin care and style experiences are accessible to all women - thanks to Suave's Body Lotions. The brand is teaming up with celebrity fashion stylist and TV host George Kotsiopoulos to show women how easy it is to experience the richness of beautifully moisturized skin and great style, on the red carpet or off.

"As a celebrity stylist, I know that every detail, including having beautifully moisturized skin, is key to any look – and that celeb-worthy style doesn't have to be expensive," said Kotsiopoulos. "That's why I'm excited to team up with Suave. The Suave Skin Solutions Body Lotions collection includes new, richer formulas that make it easy to have beautifully moisturized skin all day long." Or all night long at the awards show.

Women everywhere can experience the richness with Suave Skin Solutions Body Lotions. The new silky-smooth formula glides on easily and absorbs quickly for skin that is soft, smoothed, and delightfully fragrant. Even the fragrance was improved to last longer, making you'll smell as good as you look and feel. Skin Solutions Body Lotions are dermatologist tested and provide silky 24-hour hydration. Key offerings in the Suave Skin Solutions line include Suave Skin Solutions Advanced Therapy Body Lotion, Suave Skin Solutions Smoothing Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter & Shea, and Suave Skin Solutions Soothing Body Lotion with Aloe.

"Suave believes that "rich" skin-care experiences should be accessible to all women, every day," said Alison Clark, Brand Building Director at Unilever. "As awards season kicks, off, we are thrilled to team up with George Kotsiopoulos to show women everywhere how to achieve the ultimate accessory for any style trend: beautiful, glowing skin."

Advanced Therapy Body Lotion is enhanced with essential vitamins and glycerin to heal and relieve severely dry skin. Despite its heavy-duty power, it absorbs quickly.

Skin Solutions Smoothing Body Lotion with Cocoa Butter & Shea is enriched with a mix of nutrients, which are known to enhance the moisture levels and texture of multiple layers of the skin.

Skin Solutions Smoothing Body Lotion with Aloe also has cucumber in the ingredients. It feels light on your skin, but instantly revives it with a look of freshness and a fresh scent. All three lotions will increase your skin's hydration levels by 100%. Plus, they are clinically proven to last 24 hours. Depending on the size you purchase, these wonderful body lotions range in retail price from about $3 to $5. They provide a nice return on a small investment.

We will have four winners of this contest! The grand prize winner will receive all three lotions shown above. Each of three more winners will receive one of these lotions. Pretty nice, huh?

How can you enter to win this giveaway contest (technically a sweepstakes)?  Just leave a comment on this feature (not in another BTiB post) explaining why you'd like to win. After you comment here, feel free to send me an e-mail at bestthingsinbeautycontests@gmail.com (the contest address, not my "personal" e-mail) and identify your comment. You can never be too careful about sharing an e-mail address you care about on a blog, so feel free to follow this step (an alternative is to code your e-mail, e.g., myname at gmail dot com, in your comment). Please make sure I have your e-mail. If I can't notify you, you can't win - even if your number is drawn. I can't believe the number of winners I haven't been able to find in the past.

You can earn extra entries. Follow this blog (through an e-mail subscription, GFC, or though one of the many Google readers - see sidebar at right) to earn a second entry. If you are a follower, it would help me tally entries if you tell me in your comment how you follow. You don't have to follow to enter. I want everyone to have a chance, but I also want to reward my followers. I must be able to track this entry.

You can earn a third entry by tweeting this contest. You must include "@BTiBeauty" (without the quotes) and Suave Skin Solutions in your tweet. I will tweet the contest this afternoon, and you can simply retweet it to earn that second entry - if that's easier.

Even though I can't count these, I'd love for you to "like" Suave's Facebook page. There is a sweepstakes there too - involving cash!

The deadline for entries will be Saturday, February 9, 2013, at midnight. The next morning, I will use a random number generator (random.org) to select the winners. I will e-mail each winner on Sunday morning. Each winner will have 48 hours to reply to my message and provide a shipping address. After 48 hours, the prize will be forfeited, and another winner will be selected. Make sure to check your e-mail - and look in your spam folder - when the contest ends.

This contest is open to residents of the United States. Here are the terms. Suave will ship the prizes. The winners must be able to provide me with a "mailable address," meaning the U.S. Post Office recognizes it as a good address.

For all the legalese related to this contest, please see the Contests/Sweepstakes page at the top of the blog. Good luck!

Photos courtesy of Suave

Why You Should Enter the Suave Naturals Giveaway Contest

My Suave Naturals Body Lotion and Suave Body Wash set in the new scent, Everlasting Sunshine, arrived at my house. These fragranced body-care products are even better than I had imagined. They sent me into a peaceful place. I love the scent!  The predominant effect is floral, with the passion flower leading. The vanilla is a backup player.

I've worn the Body Lotion to bed two nights in a row. I have to adore a fragrance to wear it to sleep. In my view, bedtime is no time to experiment. I don't want to get up several hours later and scrub, after being distracted by a scent I don't love. Nothing of that sort happened. I'm falling asleep with my arm at my nose!

I used the Body Wash this morning in the shower yesterday. The love persisted! If you haven't ordered the giveaway contest yet, you should! These products will delight you, and I've got two sets to give away - thanks to the generosity of Suave. Please make sure to enter the contest on the contest feature, not this one.

Photo courtesy of Suave Beauty

La Mer The Reparative Body Lotion

La Mer's The Reparative Body Lotion ($150) is an indulgence - a delightful, if somewhat expensive, treat for the skin and senses. During the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event, the totes that were a gift with purchase contained an empty container for a sample of the new The Reparative Body Lotion.

Anyone who left the store with her tote - without realizing she had to examine the contents to see what she had to specifically request - had to have been annoyed. I had the good fortune to have a great sales associate, Loula Ayoub, who wouldn't let me leave the store without my generous sample. I really don't know why Neiman Marcus does that empty-container thing. It's intended, I'm sure, to make you stop by the counter to hear the sales pitch. I don't need the coercion; I just want the sample so that I can try the product at home and decide whether I like it.

Anyhow, I love Reparative Body Lotion. It's a beautifully scented, thick body lotion that makes my skin feel nicely hydrated. It's billed as "a transformative treatment that delivers the anti-aging power of a serum to the body, renewing and smoothing on contact." The Reparative Body Lotion is a Neiman Marcus Group and La Mer exclusive."

La Mer's nutrient-rich Miracle Broth, the heart of its products, as well as the "Reparative Ferment" and a unique Marine Ferment, allow The Reparative Body Lotion to visibly firm and revitalize skin. The "Reparative Ferment" is a powerful healing agent of clarifying algae, marine peptides, and Rock Samphire.  The clarifying algae helps brighten the skin, even tone, and diminish the look of age spots. Marine peptides help repair the look of lines and wrinkles.  Rock Samphire, a seashore plant known for its exfoliating benefits, offers exceptional smoothness. Meanwhile, the Marine Ferment works to create a protective shield for the skin, preventing dehydration and sealing in moisture.

Does it work? I think so. It's pricey - pretty steep for a body lotion, no matter how luxurious and large in size. Since it's related to Crème de la Mer, I moisturizer I will never be without, I think I'll enjoy The Reparative Body Lotion, especially for summer use. I can find it at Neiman Marcus. You can too. Did you get your sample? What did you think?

Now I want to try La Mer's new Blanc del la Mer The Brightening Essence Intense and The Brightening Infusion Intense.

Photo courtesy of La Mer

80 Acres Blood Orange Hand & Body Lotion

Almost a year ago, Beautyhabit introduced me to 80 Acres, a small line of skin- and body-care products enriched with McEvoy Ranch estate-produced pure, organic olive oil. 80 Acres takes its name from the plot of land where the ranch first planted Tuscan olive seedlings. The scents in the products reflect the rolling hills and fragrant gardens on the property. Once you learn the line, you'll want to go there.

Just in case you aren't a "foodie," McEvoy Ranch makes some of the best olive oils on earth. They are certified organic - not simply great, but award-winning. I go out of my way to have one of their fabulous olive oils on hand at all times. You should see the huge jug in my kitchen!

Blood Orange Hand & Body Lotion ($25) is made with refreshing citrus essential oils and hints of neroli, vetiver, and jasmine. It evokes the citrus groves and wild jasmine that grow on the McEnvoy Ranch. Emollient and healing, this ultra-rich lotion is a blend of olive, sunflower, jojoba, and grapeseed oils infused with aloe vera, chamomile, and lavender. 80 Acres Hand & Body Lotion is rich in antioxidants and deeply hydrating. The fragrance is divine.

Like the idea, but don't need hand and body lotion? The scent is also available in bath salts, hand and body wash, olive oil soap, and olive oil body balm. The latter may be my next purchase.

I haven't been on McEvoy's Web site for a long time because I had found a local source for their olive oils. You can order the skin and body care at the McEvoy Web site and pick up some olive oil at the same time, or place an order with Beautyhabit (where I bought mine).

Photo courtesy of Beautyhabit

Morningside Simple Originals Linden Flower Lotion

Imagine yourself lying in fresh, green grass, enjoying the late spring air under a linden tree. The fragrance is intoxicating. You want to stay, living the fleeting experience for each moment the flowers are in bloom, but, you have to move on. The memory persists, though. You can recapture it with Morningside's Simple Originals Linden Flower Lotion ($10.99).

New to me, Simple Originals is "Nature's Own Collection." The products are made from 97% naturally derived ingredients, offer lovely packaging, and have formulas that are resplendent with rich textures, antioxidants, and the fabulous, unique, subtle, fresh, and clean fragrances of nature.

I was given an opportunity to try Simple Originals by Morningside, and I didn't hesitate to select Linden Flower Lotion, even though each of the products looked delightful. The true scent of the linden captivates me. Ever since my body lotion (more cream than lotion) arrived, I've applied it at every opportunity, trying to summon that memory. The lotion is as close to the actual linden scent as any linden-fragranced product I own. It's sweet, lingering, and addictive.

The Simple Originals Body Lotion formulas contain a range of natural moisturizers, antioxidants, vitamins, and herbal extracts, such as shea butter, glycerin, aloe, green tea extract, camellia leaf extract, grapefruit seed extract, and vitamins (A, C, and E). Simply put, the natural ingredients are good for your skin.

Morningside, founded in 2004, is a woman-owned business with the mission to give everyone access to healthy and natural body-care products that are also luxurious. Morningside believes its customers should be able to trust that they are getting safe, quality ingredients at a fair price. The body lotions are pH-balanced, without parabens or animal-derived ingredients, and have no artificial coloring. All of Morningside's products are cruelty-free and manufactured in the United States at an FDA-inspected facility. Not only does Morningside offer Simple Originals, they have three other lines - all made with the same philosophy. Lots of well-known women have already discovered Morningside, among them Rachael Ray. Wouldn't you know the Food Network celebrity likes Tomato Blossom? If she's anything like me, she has the handy pump-top moisturizer close at hand and treats herself frequently.

The bottle of Linden Flower Lotion I received is beyond generous at 16 ounces! When I go to replenish, I won't break the bank either. I'll definitely order another Linden Flower Lotion (it's simply divine - in addition to being Simply Original). I'm also going to have to get my hands on the Blood Orange Body Lotion, and a few of the hand soaps. There's currently a buy two, get one free offer. Maybe I shouldn't wait.

I think I just entered a long-term relationship. You can join me in the Morningside cult by visiting the company's Facebook page to learn more or their Web site to browse. You'll see a free shipping offer (for purchases over $35).

Photo at top courtesy of Morningside; botanical print courtesy of etsy.com

Hampton Sun Privet Bloom Body Lotion

I received a gift. Without even realizing it, I entered a Twitter contest! Hampton Sun had offered to send the tenth new follower a deluxe sample set. I followed Hampton Sun because I knew Tim Quinn from Giorgio Armani Beauty was a friend. It seemed like the logical thing to do. Little did I know that a luscious treat lay in store! I won a prize. I'm usually on the other end of the prize equation.

Hampton Sun sent me generous samples of several products, one of which I tried instantly. Privet Bloom Body Lotion ($35) left me swooning. I'm sure you know the reaction. Use a fragranced product you like, and your nose keeps wandering to smell it. It's almost instinctive - apply, sniff, sniff, and sniff often. Enjoy!

Privet Bloom Body Lotion is described as the perfect ending to your shower or bath. I didn't wait for that! I use body lotions throughout the day. I love the indulgence. I keep several at my desk at work. What's funny is that all my colleagues drop by - not to see me - but to slather on the latest lovely hand or body lotion or to eat Jelly Bellies. I'm not sure I'll share this one.

Beyond the crisp, fresh, green floral scent of Hampton Sun’s Privet Blossom, there's a silky smooth formula that will leave your skin soft to the touch. It contains natural ingredients, such as aloe vera and vitamins A and E, along with calming extracts of slippery elm and chamomile.

Hampton Sun founders Salvatore Piazzolla and Grant Wilfley, who reside in Manhattan and the Hamptons, were inspired by the privet hedges that abound in the Hamptons when they developed their signature scent. "We wanted to develop a unique scent that spoke to our core inspiration, the beautiful beaches of Eastern Long Island," said President Salvatore Piazzolla. From an inspiring summer spritz reminiscent of the region's blooming landscape to skin care and tanning products to help you get the most flawless tan possible (without sun if you choose), Hampton Sun embodies the simple pleasures that make up the magnetic allure of the Hamptons.

Hampton Sun is well-known for their Smart Serious Sun products with unique formulations that combine the most effective moisturizers, antioxidants, and sun-protection ingredients to help you develop a flawless tan. If you are going to spend time in the sun, you need to protect your skin. Check out Hampton Sun's sun-care products and the ingredients they use at this link. They also offer a primer on vitamin D, and many of us who avoid the sun need more vitamin D! Check out this link to find out why. Me? I have to take prescription-strength vitamin D. Their sunless tanning products would be perfect for me.

Back to the lovely fragrance! Privet Bloom has notes of lily of the valley, white hyacinth, sea spray, dune grass, blue plum, and the captivating privet blossom. I've read on blogs that the fragrance also includes lemon verbena, bergamot, white hyacinth, jasmine, gardenia, orange flower, dune rose, cucumber, driftwood, and musk (and no funky spices to offend my nose). Sound heavenly? It is! When a scent is as alluring as this one, who cares about complexity, dry-down, or lingering base notes - all of those things that professional fragrance critics dissect? This one's pure indulgence for a gardener. It brings the outdoors inside.

Privet Bloom, where have you been all my life? I know you're not new. I remember when you were introduced - all my favorite magazines announced your arrival on the scene (Town & Country, InStyle, Allure to mention just a few). I don't know how I missed you, except that you didn't arrive in the DC area at any of my usual haunts. Instead you seemed confined to that rarefied crowd in New York. Then, I moved on, never sampling your bountiful bouquet. I think I've been deprived of the love until now. I went to bed last night reveling in the fragrance. I could spray it on my sheets!

You can find the Privet Bloom bath and body products at Hampton Sun's Web site, where you can also purchase the Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum. They sent me a sample of the fragrance. I think I need to order a full-sized product, given that I'll probably spray it on myself and my sheets. Sephora also carries the Hampton Sun's products. There's also a Where to Shop link at the Hampton Sun's site for additional sources.

Photo courtesy of Hampton Sun

Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Lait pour le Corps

Diptyque's L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Lait pour le Corps is a luxurious body lotion at $56, but I think I'm hooked. It's unlike any other body lotion I have.

The fragrance is green - screaming green! It smells like Diptyque took fragrant green leaves, crushed them all - including blackcurrant leaves - and then added the elixir to a base of sweet almond oil and macadamia seed oil to create a unique body lotion.

Here's the description from Beautyhabit.

The rustling green of the leaves of the dark fruit and the fruity amplitude of the classic roses formed the basis of the idea that Desmond Knox-Leet, Diptyque's self-taught "nose," rushed to develop. One of Diptyque's cult eaux de toilette, it was the result of a happy stroke of chance and the collaboration of the three Diptyque creators and a British friend. Dido Merwin developed precious fragrant blends of dried flowers for the store at 34 Boulevard Saint Germain. One day as she was in her shady garden picking blackcurrants for making jelly and roses for bouquets, she was enchanted by the scent of this unusual combination.

The very botanical, very green sap of the blackcurrant leaves are fused with bergamot and mandarin to temper the leaf note. Fresh, crisp Damask roses flourish and arouse the senses. This floral bouquet takes on delicate persistence and roundness with notes of ambergris and musks. This scent was created in 1983.

What's interesting to me about L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Lait pour le Corps is that I don't smell the rose. The green is so thoroughly intense that all other notes have walk-on parts. They are scarcely there.

I love Diptyque candles - I must have dozens of them. Despite that, I have never loved the company's fragrances (at least the ones I have tried). This body lotion tells me I missed one!

You can purchase Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Lait pour le Corps at Beautyhabit or the Diptyque store online.

Photo courtesy of Beautyhabit

Fraicheur d'Argan Body Lotion

I am so lucky! Every so often, a nice PR rep discovers that there's something I like, and she (or he) asks if I would like to test a product I haven't tried. As long as it's related to beauty and looks fascinating, I'm game. My skin doesn't always know whether it's "coming or going," given all the change it endures, but I'm pretty attuned to the ingredients in a product to be tested before I ask my sensitive skin to participate in my blog tests.

Recently, a nice person representing Argan Place asked if I would like to test a line of beauty products containing argan oil. If you have been reading Best Things in Beauty - and glowing reader comments on the amazing effects of argan oil - you'll know I said yes in a heartbeat.

A Fraicheur d'Argan Body Lotion arrived at my door (regularly $28.95, but on sale for $24.95 now), and after a quick glance at the ingredients, I used it. I love it! This is going to be serious, long-lasting love, not the flirt-and-go type. I just wish they had sent me everything! I get greedy when I find something I love. I guess that comes with being a beauty addict.

What do I look for in a body lotion? I have a few set criteria that all body lotions must meet. Above all else, a lotion has to smell good. I don't want a body lotion that smells like BENGAY (unless I have a cold) or patchouli - or cloves, cinnamon, or one of the spices that makes me run for cover. Scent (or lack of it) is very important to me. Most products have a scent of some type, even if there's no fragrance added - the scent of the ingredients shines through. Effectiveness is a necessity (dry flakes must be banished). Then, I consider how my skin feels while wearing the lotion. Does the product absorb, or does it leave grease blots on my clothing? I don't need grease on my Armani silks! I want to see smoother skin that doesn't have a propensity for teeny-tiny waves (you'll know what I mean by "waves" if you have dry skin).

Fraicheur d'Argan Body Lotion meets all my criteria! Specifically formulated for daily use, Fraicheur d'Argan gives your skin intensive, nourishing moisture. After two weeks of daily use, it will transform dry skin into healthier, more nourished, and hydrated skin. This fluid-textured body lotion nourishes and delicately scents the skin with a clean, fresh, and natural fragrance.

I can't put my finger on exactly what it smells like - simply put, it's really nice. I can tell you what's in it. In addition to argan oil, the ingredients include urea, plum oil, small-leaved linen extract, rose extract, shea butter, seaweed, micro-algae, sunflower oil, aloe, shea butter, and many other botanical extracts and oils. There's a beautiful natural cocktail in this body lotion, which leaves my skin hydrated and smooth. A little of this lightweight, fluid lotion goes a long way, which means the 4.25 ounce container will last a long time. A nickle-sized pour into my palm takes care of my arms, chest, and feet.

Why is argan oil such a miracle ingredient? Argan oil is extracted from the nuts of the argan tree. This tree is found only in southwest Morocco. Argan trees were first seen and reported in 1510 by the explorer Leo Africanus. The tree belongs to the tertiary age and over time has adapted itself to the diverse and difficult environmental conditions specific to its native area.

Argan oil is full of essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, the precursor to vitamin E. This has made it a very popular product because it is an effective anti-aging, moisturizing, and antioxidant ingredient. Scientific studies have demonstrated that the use of argan oil has corrected age-related loss of moisture, dehydration, and elasticity of skin. Argan oil also contains tocopherols - double the amount in olive oil.

In beauty products, argan oil reduces wrinkles; increases elasticity; and revitalizes cell functions that have been affected by stress, smoking, sun, or pollution - facilitating skin regeneration. Under-eye "crinkles" can be reduced with argan oil. Not just for those with dry skin, argan oil reduces oiliness because it has sebum-regulating actions and also reduces or eliminates unsightly acne, chicken pox scars, and blemishes. Argan oil works wonders for pregnancy-related stretch marks if used regularly. It also strengthens brittle nails. Frizzy, dry, or damaged hair? They could be history with just two drops of argan oil, which adds shine to your hair, prevents damage due to exposure to the sun and other pollutants, and improves elasticity to reduce hair breakage.

In short, argan oil does it all, and its popularity is growing as people discover its unique properties. I am smitten with the Fraicheur d'Argan Body Lotion. I want to try the Vitalité d'Argan Body Butter next. There's also a body scrub, a hand cream, and plenty of items designed for use on the face.

You can see them all at Argan Place, which is located in Montreal. They offer free shipping to Canada and the U.S. for orders over $50, so I'll be combining everything I want to try into one order. I may even purchase a gift or two. If the rest of the items are as appealing as the Fraicheur d'Argan Body Lotion (and I'll bet they are!), these products are luxury defined.

Photo courtesy of Argan Place