Hanging Out with Sonia Kashuk- Your Questions, Answered

When I mentioned last week that I was going to be participating in a Google Hangout with makeup artist Sonia Kashuk whose makeup and body care line is exclusively sold at Target, you ladies blew me away with your questions--- thank you to all who left such great ones! 

Though she's worked with countless celebrities, what I love about Sonia is that she really focuses on making her brand accessible and relevant to all women. I like that her line has a lot of neutral colors and palettes available as well as every makeup brush you'd ever need to apply them--- for just a little more than what you'd pay for a drugstore brand but less than designer brands. I also like the focus on the must-have products like a defining eye pencil, neutral lipstick and skin-perfecting base.

Two of my reader's questions were featured in the Google hangout:

Jen asked "What does she think is the most under utilized makeup product?"

Nicole asked "For someone that does not like to wear a ton of makeup, what would be your top three products you must have for a simple daily routine?"

To hear Sonia's answers, you can watch the entire Google Hangout featuring some of my fellow bloggers, below:

Now that you've seen the video--- you can enter to win a $100 Target GiftCard^�

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 on my Everyday Luxury post, just click here. You have until June 30th to enter!

What Would You Ask a Pro Makeup Artist?

Last week, I shared a video with my thoughts on some of Sonia Kashuk's bath and beauty products and in a couple of weeks I'll be part of a group chatting LIVE with Sonia during a Google hangout!

This will be my second time getting a chance to talk directly to Sonia and I'm eager to know what you ladies think I should ask her?

Last time, I asked Sonia what her favorite products were from her own makeup line that she uses on a daily basis and also what inspired the (lovely) packaging on all of the products in the new bath and body line.

With a hot and humid summer ahead of us, I thought to ask for some tips on how to make makeup products stay put as the temperatures rise. What other questions should I ask? Let me know in the comments of this post and I will pick a few to ask during the hangout. By commenting you'll also be entered to win a $100 Target Gift Card^�, thanks for your input!

Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: �#SKBeauty� and �#SweepstakesEntry�; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 72 hours to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 5/12 � 6/30.

"Hanging Out" with Sonia Kashuk

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity via BlogHer, along with several other bloggers, to participate in a Google Hangout with famed makeup artist Sonia Kashuk whose new bath and body product line I reviewed recently. I have also reviewed her satin luxe lipsticks, here.

I asked Sonia what her favorite products were from her own makeup line that she uses on a daily basis and also what inspired the (lovely) packaging on all of the products in the bath and body line.  Check out our chat below, featuring Sonia answering our questions (my question is at 5:30 in the video!) 

I love that she uses her own products, because I think the most exciting part about creating a beauty and bath and body line would be to create my "dream collection" of products. Basically an entire suite of "holy grail" products to create my everyday look. Sign me up!


I hope you enjoyed this video!

You can check out the new Bath & Body Collection by Sonia Kashuk, exclusively at Target!

'Me Time' with the New Sonia Kashuk Bath and Body Collection at Target!

Now that I'm a momma, I can tell you that my spa day weekends are a thing of the past, my nails are always chipped, and I haven't seen the inside of a gym since I was pregnant. Harper is my biggest (and awesomest) priority so taking care of me like I used to has fallen by the wayside---and that's okay.

Though I don't have as much "me" time now, I do believe it's important to take 20 or 30 minutes each week to do something nice for you.  I think it makes you a better mom and a better partner if you take the time to do something that makes you feel good.  Even though your "new normal" is everything but having time for yourself (because even if the baby is sleeping, there's laundry to be done, lunches to be made, surfaces to be cleaned...and the list goes on and on) it's still crucial to schedule a little time to pamper yourself---even 20 minutes can recharge and reinvigorate you.

I've really focused on caring for my skin lately so I was excited when Sonia Kashuk debuted a new Bath and Body collection, available at Target (one of my favorite shopping destinations!)

Once a week, I step up my shower routine by incorporating products from the new line to keep my skin looking supple and moisturized. I don't always have the time to do the whole exfoliate and deep moisturizing routine, so this is just a weekly treat for now.

Before I get into each product, I want to rave about the beautiful packaging.  I love the luxe look of the black packaging with bold floral prints and the touch of gold on the label. The prettier the packaging, the nicer it is to have in your bathroom. Fact.

Sonia Kashuk's new bath and body line:

shower gel, body mist, hand cream, body polish and body butter

Okay, so back to my three-step routine. I start my shower with the Sonia Kashuk exfoliating body polish. It's grainy but not too rough and it helps slough off all of those dead skin cells to reveal fresh, new skin. It also smells great which is a huge bonus. If you're skeptical, test it on top of your hand first---your skin will feel as smooth as a baby once you rinse it off!

Once that's complete, step two is the body wash---it has a very strong herbal/floral scent and it kind of fills your shower with steamy goodness that feels luxurious like those fancy aromatherapy oils they use at the spa. Plus, the smell lingers a little while so you smell good even a couple of hours after your shower.

Once I'm all rinsed off and towel-dried, I apply the body butter to my entire body. The body butter is rich and thick---but also has a whipped texture which makes it easy to apply, non-stick and non-greasy. It makes my skin SO soft.

Taking that time once a week to spend a little extra time doing something nice for my skin is a good way to recharge and pamper myself a little.  It's something small that has a big impact on the condition of my skin.

How do you recharge or make time for yourself each week? Whether you're a busy mom or working gal, what's your go-to beauty routine, class at the gym or other activity that makes you feel good? Let me know in the comments below and you could win a $100 Target GiftCard�


Sweepstakes Rules:
No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: �#SweepstakesEntry�; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winner  will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 11/4/13 - 11/30/13.

Be sure to visit the Sonia Kashuk Brand Page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers� reviews and find more chances to win!

Transformative Beauty: A Curled Lash

There's a saying: "It's the little things." Normally when you think about "transformative beauty," you think of major makeovers -- but in my case, something that completely transformed my beauty routine is when I started to curl my lashes.

It sounds simple, right? And you're probably wondering how it can transform your look to simply curl your lashes. But it does, and it's why I do not leave the house without curling my lashes. Maybe that's a bit dramatic, but hey, we all have our beauty vices.

I didn't start to regularly curl my lashes until my first year of college. I don't know what made me decide to be consistent about it, but one day, after curling them and applying mascara, I realized how open and awake my eyes looked.

I have smaller, almond-shaped eyes and very straight lashes. In fact, they are so straight that they cannot hold a curl unless I use waterproof mascara (regular formulas tend to be too "wet" and weigh down my lashes). Because they're so straight, they really don't make an impact at all unless they're curled. Curling them creates an illusion that my eyes are really "open" and awake, and it also defines my eyes in a way that eyeliner alone can't.

As if my lash-curling obsession wasn't enough, I also have a very distinct method that I use every.single.time. I heat my lash curler with a hair dryer. For my lashes, it simply doesn't work any other way.

So, here's the trick that works every time: Heat the head of your lash curler with your hair dryer for about 5-7 seconds. Next, place the head of the lash curler in your hand and gently squeeze to make sure the curler is not too hot to be near your delicate eye area. Then, curl your lashes as usual, holding the curler in place at the base of the lashes for a few seconds to really "lock in" the curl.

I curl my lashes before applying eyeliner and mascara. It protects your lashes to curl them when they are free of any products. I also find that for women who don't like to line their upper lash line, curling lashes right at the base can create an illusion of more thickness and volume, enough that the eye is defined without using liner.

So, are you convinced that curling your lashes will transform your beauty routine, too? Let me know if you love curled lashes as much as I do -- or if you're planning to try it out.

This post is part of BlogHer's Transformative Beauty editorial series, made possible by Sonia Kashuk at Target.