The Gift of Time for Father's Day

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Victorinox Swiss Army. All opinions are 100% mine.

It seems like watches are a dying breed. I use my phone to tell the time, but that doesn't make for a good accessory. Wrist watches are timeless, you never have to worry about them going out of style, and make the perfect gift for Father's Day. My husband bought all of his groomsmen a watch for standing up in our wedding. To me, this was a classic gift, one they could use (and they do!) and would never go out of style.If you're looking for a timeless, fashionable gift for dad for grandpa this Father's Day, a watch is the perfect gift that keeps giving every time it is worn. A watch like the Victorinox Swiss Army Chrono Classic Guilloche (pictured) is built to last with a bold design. This is the type of watch my dad could wear to work, and then transfer to night time. Check out the huge selection of luxury watches that Victorinox has to offer on their site, ranging in styles, for men and women, and a wide variety of price points.

Make sure to check out the Victorinox Swiss Army Facebook page and participate in the Facebook IWAW sweepstakes page. Over 30 days they're giving 30 lucky winners a Victorinox Swiss Army timepiece. Don't hesitate, go sign up now!

Friday Freebies...on Sunday

Nivea Happy Sensation sample
Starbucks Via Ready Brew sample

Giveaway Break - ecoTOOLS Makeup Bags

Ever since the movie Clueless, I've been a fan of Alicia Silverstone. She hasn't done too many big roles since, but she was just perfect in that movie. More recently, she's been very active promoting her Vegan cookbook and teaming up with ecoTOOLS as an environmental activist, to product a brand new cosmetic bag collection, ecoTOOLS by Alicia Silverstone.

This line launched in December 2009 at Walmart and Target stores. The line includes a compelte set of five cosmetic bags, ranging from a brush bag with a brush set to an overnight bag. Each bag is produced with a natural hemp material and uses a recycled PET lining.

I've been using the Overnight bag religiously for travel. The inner pockets are plastic and easy to wipe clean in case of spills, and you can remove them too! It zips up fairly flat and it's easy to fit in front pockets of suitcases.

***Giveaway***

Enter to win the ecoTOOLS by Alicia Silverstone Overnight Bag!

Fill out the form below to win! For extra entries, you can sign up for my mailing list, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, follow my blog, follow me and retweet on Twitter , or become a fan on Facebook; just make sure to list the entries in your comment. Enter up to once a day!

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The contest will end on Sunday, July 11th. I will randomly select TWO winners and announce them on Lipgloss Break, so keep checking to see if you're a winner - Good Luck!

Beauty Goodies for Father's Day

Grooming Goodies for Dad

Find a Father's Day gift in this roundup of the best shaving creams, colognes and such

This is a TotalBeauty.com men's skin care products article Put together a Dad's Day care package from this list of best male skin care products. See products

No. 9: Redken for Men Go Clean Daily Care Shampoo for Normal Hair, $12

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.3

"The smell is intoxicating for the women around me …"

No. 8: The Body Shop for Men Maca Root Deodorant Stick, $6

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.4

"This deodorant did control the odor all day …"

No. 7: Gillette Mach 3 Power, $9.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.5

"My husband uses it on his face and it always turns out silky and smooth …"

Want to see what other products made the list? Click here!

Beauty Sample Sales this Week

Lots of fun ones to post about!

The biggest one this week is probably Laura Mercier on Gilt Groupe. It starts today at 11am EST. They will be having a variety of products from her line, from eye and lip collections to bath and body combos. If you are fan of Laura Mercier, or want to try out her cosmetics, don't miss this change to save big!

MD Skincare starts today at HauteLook.
Corioliss flat iron, hair dryer and brush sales at Ideeli. These flat irons are super fun and super reasonable. The one above is on sale for $36!

Vichy Mineral Balm

You know that feeling of your skin being so super tight and dry after you wash your face at night? It's the worst! Vichy Aqualia Thermal Mineral Balm & Rehydrating and Repairing Care cured this problem for me.

I love this balm. I'm always skeptical to try new facial products because of my sensitive skin but not only is this non-comedogenic, but it's dermatologist recommended and tested on sensitive skin.

I was first really excited that this product had 'Aqua' in the name - I need water! I'm such a dehydrated person and it definitely shows in my dry skin. After the first use I could immediately tell a difference. I actually look forward to using this on my face after I wash my face at night. At first it goes on a little greasy, but absorbs really quickly. I sometimes wear it under my foundation in the morning, but now that I'm out in the sun more I usually use something with SPF and use the balm at night.

It contains Vichy Thermal Spa Water, which is rich with 50 mg of minerals and fragrance and colorant-free. It also contains:
Calcium
Postassium
Silicium (regenerating)
Magnesium
Iron,
Omega 6 oils

This is a pretty popular brand in Europe, but you can find in CVS stores around the states.

Note: This review includes products that I received as samples, provided by the brand company or a PR rep. Please click here for more information regarding my disclaimer.

Shop it to Me $1,000 Shopping Spree

I wrote about Shop it to Me's new look last week, now I'm writing about how you can win a $1,000 shopping spree!

Sign up at Shop it to Me (if you're not already a member) and for every person you invite to join, you'll get an extra entry into the shopping spree sweepstakes. Good luck!

Giveaway Break - Morning Glory Cosmetic Bags

Fashion trend alert: Florals are in! Floral prints scream 'Summer!' and are all over the stores in fashion and accessories. Have you invested in anything 'floral' lately? Floral shirt, home decor, flower accessories?

Check out the new Morning Glory beauty & cosmetic bag collection from Modella below. Doesn't get any fresher than this!

Bursting with blooms, Modella’s Fitted Mini Train (SRP $9.97) is the perfect travel bag. Roomy enough for a weekend away,

chic enough to garner tons of compliments, but still small enough to throw in

a duffel, it is the ideal quick trip bag.

If you are looking to update your standard cosmetic bag, Modella’s Mini Purse Kit (SRP $2.97) adds a touch of life to the inside of your hand bag. In a pinch, the adorable bag also doubles as a clutch!

When going away for a long vacation, you don’t want to forgo your favorite beauty products, but they are often too big and bulky to fit in your bag. The Modella Summer Paisley Fitted Weekender (SRP $13.97) comes with travel size bottles so you can bring along your old-stand bys in miniature size!

***Giveaway***

Enter to win Modella Morning Glory Fitted Mini Train & Mini Purse Kit!

Fill out the form below to win! For extra entries, you can sign up for my mailing list, post a link to this giveaway on your blog, follow my blog, follow me and retweet on Twitter , or become a fan on Facebook; just make sure to list the entries in your comment. Enter up to once a day!

This giveaway is open to US residents only. The contest will end on Friday, July 9th. I will randomly select the lucky winner and announce them on Lipgloss Break, so keep checking to see if you're a winner - Good Luck!

What's in my Beach Bag? Sunscreen!

This post is majorly delayed...should have been sent out last Monday. Better late than never...here it is:

Finally - Nice weather in Michigan this past weekend! Spent some time on the lake and loaded up my beach bag!

First things first, sunscreen. You can wear beach cover ups and long linen pants, but you can't walk around with a bag on your head. I always wear a higher SPF on my face since it sees the most sun (I'm not a fan of hats!). Here is what Mike and I wore on our faces all weekend:


CellCeuticals Photo Defense SPF 55+
I used this while I was in Vegas and it was a scorching 90+ degrees out. I only used it on my face and didn't burn at all while out in the sun by the pool all day. PhotoDefense is meant to protect skin against daily UVA and UVB sun exposure while simultaneously combating premature skin aging and moisturizing. This didn't turn my face white, went on smooth, absorbed quickly, and didn't break me out!
$45

La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid
I love love love La Roche-Posay sunscreen. They don't mess around with their products. It's designed for normal to combination skin, super light and has a matte finish. This one didn't break me out either.

This fluid provides SPF 60 and broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection with breakthrough Cell-Ox Shield, to protect skin. Other benefits and pluses: High UVA protection, water-resistant, helps protect skin from sun damage, fragrance free, non-comedogenic and tested on sensitive skin.
$27.90

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30
Quick warning: this is not to be used alone for sunblock for your face. I love this stuff, but it's not the only lotion I use when out in the sun all day. This is my DAILY moisturizer and it is divine. It gives my skin a dewy look, but without making me look or feel greasy. It moisturizes really well and doesn't break me out. I can use it by itself with just some blush or a bronzer and don't feel the need for foundation. I love using it alone, I feel like I'm giving my skin some room to breath!

My dermatologist turned me on to Aveeno and I use it for body lotion (Positively Smooth smells great!), facial lotion and face wash (Ultra Calming Cleanser).

What's the Best Sun Protection for Your Skin?

What's The Best Sun Protection For You?

Find out which products will keep you burn-free and looking fabulous this summer

This is a TotalBeauty.com best and worst skin care products article While it's no fun to apply sunscreen (unless of course someone else does it for you), using these top-rated products will hopefully make it a tad more enjoyable. See products