Carried Away with Contests

I figured I'd send out at really good FYI. I've been very addicted to entering Blog Giveaways or contests on Etsy.

There's a huge one going on right now involving BAGS! Yes bags, purses etc. It's called the Carried Away Big Bag of Luck Giveaway.

It's basically a scavenger hunt and I just love scavenger hunts no matter how big or small. Each of the participating shops has one listing with either a Shamrock (see the huge graphic at the top of this post) in a picture or the words "Bag of Luck" in the listing description. To be eligible for the grand prize, which is your choice fo 6 of the prizes, you must find all 26 listings and send the urls in to the team.

There are other "winners". For first place you must find at at least 5 of the listings and you get your choice of 4 of the remaining prizes. Second place, you must find at least 3 of the listings and you get your choice of 2 of the remaining prizes. The remaining 14 prizes will be given away via random drawings to 14 winners who must find at least one of the listings.

You can also get extra entries by BLOGGING (tee hee what do you think I'm doing), TWITTERING, Following the Carried Away Teams Blog and you can earn 5 extra entries by making a purchase at any of the shops.

Be sure to goto the Carried Away Teams blog and read all of the rules!!! You don't follow rules you don't win.

Oh and the contest ends on the 23rd so you better stop reading my blog (FOR NOW) and go go go.

Weird Stuff In My Desk

Ok, I just found out about this Blog called Weird Stuff in My Desk. They are having a huge contest right now called the "Bloggy Carnival." There is over $900 worth of prizes including a $100 GC to Klean, $30 to Lily Gulch Soaps (get yourself some great lip balms as you know already), $50 GC to Bauble Bath and much more!!!!

There are many many ways to get entries into the contest (Hey, I'm doing one right now lol) so go on over and get started! Contest ends August 6th.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE BEST ORIGINAL PERFUME CONTEST!

It's been a long hard month and a really tough contest. Plus, Sharla had her baby right in the middle of it..so thanks to all the entrants for being so patient. We had so many wonderful perfume blends sent to us and it really was a tough choice to pick winners from. Most lasted about 5-7 hours on the skin and some lasted longer. Orginality really stands out in the winners. So without further adieu, here are the winners (and there are ties) of the Best Original Perfume Contest!

FIRST PLACE
(we had a three way tie for first place.)

Texas Charm Candle & Bath Company's Blend #7
This was such a wonderful and complex fragrance. Neither one of us have ever come across something like it. It lasted a good long time and really had the essence of a great fragrance.

Sharon Bolton Scents' LUV
This is a truly feminine fragrance. Very soft and full of floral scents. A very original fragrance that is just right for any woman.

Heaven & Earth Essentials' Blue Moon Dream
Wow! This one was a real original. Notes of everything blue and yet not overpowering in any way. It has floral notes, fruit notes combined with vanilla absolute. And, a good unisex fragrance.

SECOND PLACE
(another tie)

DSH Perfumes' Cafe Noir
This was such an original, interesting and sexy fragrance. It arrived in this wonderful glass flask and the first sniff blew me away. To top it off, it lasted almost an entire day on me. There are so many notes in this perfume but they combine into one incredible scent.

Callisto Bath & Body's Sienna
This is a warm and sexy perfume. With notes of Vanilla, Egyptian musk, amber and brown sugar it was just a really good fragrance. You can really discern the notes but they joined together so well.

THIRD PLACE
(yet another tie)

Bathing In Luxury's Exotic Spicy Fig
I really like this perfume. To me it smells like Sexy Christmas. Very unisex with notes of cinnamon, clove and other spices. Very original and unisex.

Modern Atelier's Kuba Kuba
We both have never come across such a unique fragrance. It's a combination of pineapple, mint and rum. Very original!

Honorable Mentions go to...

Opus Oils's Absinthia
Tickled Pink Sensations' Visions of Violets
Wylde Ivy's Aerial

So congrats to our winners. I highly recommend any of these fragrances. So please stop by their stores and take a look for yourself.

Welcome Texas Charm & Candle Co.

Today I would like to welcome Texas Charm Bath and Candle Company to Products of the Day. Texas Charm Bath & Candle is owned by Stacy Herrod and she makes some fine bath & body products as well as candles. Now, I haven't tried her candles but I have tried her paraben free body butter (see my review on it in the Petit Choux scent) and of course I've tried one of her perfumes as she is in my Best Original Perfume contest.

So go ahead and click on the Texas Charm logo in my Shop Shop Shop section, try her body butter..trust me it's good!

The Next Products Contest: Best Original Perfume Blend

Announcing the next Products of the Day contest: Best Original Perfume Blend

This is open to all Perfume Artists out there who are interested in entering their best fragrance for a chance to have the BEST blend on the net! We had such a good turn out for the Best of Sugar Scrubs that I plan on continuing these contests.

Here's all the rules, prizes and information you need to know....

RULES
1. This must be an original fragrance made by you and you alone.

2. It may be in any form...edp, mister/body mist, solid, roll-on etc.
3. You may use 1 and only 1 dupe in your blend. (A Best Dupe Fragrance contest will be done in the future.)

4. Due to the nature of body chemistry...I will have a Guest Judge assisting me with this particular contest. My Guest Judge is none other than Sharla from Rare Bird Finds! I want to be as fair as possible..what might not smell good on me may smell better on Sharla. All decisions are final.

5. You must provideand a description of your fragrance (x2) [and an ingredient list if applicable].

6. Judging criteria is as follows:
40% on the fragrance not on the sking (how it smells in it's container, in the air, etc..not on the skin)
40% on the fragrance on the skin
20% on how long the fragrance lasts on the skin

7. Due to things we both already know, please do not send any "popcorn" scents to us..they just do not work on either of us. I figured I would warn you ahead of time.

8. Entries are being accepted as of today. Please email me at productsoftheday@gmail.com if you are interested. I plan on emailing Perfumeries over the next couple of days inviting you to join in the fun. Entries must be postmarked by July 31st. No late entries will be accepted. I'm sorry but once received, no entries can be returned

9. You must send 2 separate bottles/vials/etc of your fragrance.(I will pay the shipping and send them all to Sharla).

10. Any questions/problems/comments must be sent to productsoftheday@gmail.com. Judging will be done during July and August and winners should be announced at the end of August (depending on how many entries we get).

PRIZES

First Place: 12 months free banner advertising in the Shop Shop Shop section. Plus, the first week of the month for 12 months (you'll have to share with past contest winners for a bit) in the Shop of the Week Section. ($300 value)

Second Place: 6 months free banner advertising in the Shop Shpo Shop section. Plus, the second week of the month for 6 months (you'll have to share with past contest winners for a bit) in the Shop of the Week Section. ($150 value)

Third Place: 3 months of free banner advertising in the Shop Shop Shop section. Plus, the third week of the month for 3 months in the Shop of the Week Section. ($75 value)

Plus the bragging rights of having the Best Original Perfume Blend anywhere!

And, I will make every effort to get you as much additional press as possible on other sites.

Next "Best Of" Contest Coming Soon

Since my first contest, Best of Sugar Scrubs, went so well...I plan on continuing my Etailer competions.

Attention all Perfumeries...the next "Best Of" contest is just for you. I thought I'd throw this out there now so you all can think on it and get ready.

In the next few weeks I will begin taking entries for the....
BEST ORIGINAL PERFUME BLEND

So put on your thinking caps, get your sniffers working and figure out what your best original perfume fragrance is. Details, rules and etc will be coming soon. And, I'll be getting my emails out inviting you to join if you don't read my blog yet. Feel free to contact me if you're interested.

Anyone who wants to comment or contact me with their favorite perfume maker can do so and I'll get in touch with them.

Remember, this will be for your best "original" perfume blend. NO DUPES! And, it's gotta be yours..aka you gotta make it yourself.

Stay tuned!

Can You Help?

First I need to say sorry that I've been MIA the past few days. I was out of town at a wedding, sans kids, and just got back yesterday. I'll post on the details and maybe post some embarrassing photos of my husband dancing...but that will be later.

I want to bring your attention to a very special charity Raffle that's being held by Amber, owner of Jaycee Danielle (bath and body). A customer of hers has a daughter named Stephanie. Stephanie is dealing with a rare form of cancer caused by Asbestos exposure. Here's the details from Amber's site:

"One of my customers has a daughter that needs our help. Stephanie has malignant peritoneal mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. There are only 4 Dr.'s in the US that treat this and she is being seen by Dr. Robert Taub in NYC. She will be going to NYC for her first of 2 surgeries to put in the ports for chemo on June 3 and will have to stay there for 2 weeks. She will then start traveling to NYC once a week for 3 weeks out of the month for 6 months for chemo. She will then have another surgery to remove the ports.... probably in Dec. She will not be able to work for this period of time. And her insurance company is not paying for the travel or the treatment. She is a phlebotomist at Presbyterian Hospital in Greenville, TX and has a husband, Kyle, and 2 daughters, Jayden age 9 and Camryn age 7."

Amber is holding a raffle right now and drawings will take place on June 30th. Many, many online Indie etailers have donated products or gift certificates to help out in this cause. My good friend Shannon Foster of Foster's Creation even made a special bracelet just for Stephanie.

These tickets are going for $5 each and include such etailers as Foster's Creations, Flour City Bakery, Beach Girl Beauty, Things that Make Sense, Charming Sam, several packages from Wickedly Chic (OMG the stuff they are donating!!!!) and many more. Right now through MIDNIGHT TONITE...tickets are only $1!!!!!!!!!!!! So, go now and get some tickets. You could win a very nice prize and you'll be doing something wonderful for another human being who really needs it right now. Pay it forward..you never know when YOU might need this kind of help.

Please click on the title of this post and it will take you straight to the raffle page.

Klean Bath & Body: The Devil Made Me Do It

Klean Bath and Body sure sent me one heck of a scrub! Jennifer Hardaway, the owner of Klean, send me her chocolate sugar scrub called: The Devil Made Me Do It. She's just lucky I wasn't having PMS when I got it or else I would've eaten it!

It arrived with no leaks, in a clear jar with a black lid. The green and orange Klean label on the lid. This was a very very dark colored scrub with oil on top. The oil mixes in good but does separate again. The only problem was that the labels were clear with black text, it was hard to read them against the dark brown scrub.

The smell was divine. It has a really good dark chocolate scent that makes you want to scoop some out and eat it. I only wish it had lasted longer on my skin after rinsing. It lasted about half an hour.

The Devil Made Me Do It felt really good in the shower, good and gritty but a little rough too. It really stuck to the skin but eventually melted away with scrubbing. An excellent exfoliant! Love that fine grain sugar (all the top scrubs used the finer grain sugar and let me tell you it works the best).

It rinsed off very easily and left my skin smooth and soft. I didn't have any greasy or oily feel to my skin even with the oils in the scrub. It made my skin feel like I already put lotion on and the moisturization lasted about an hour.

If you don't like chocolate, there are many other scents at Klean that I'm sure you'll like. As with all my other winners, I encourage you to visit these sites and try their scrubs for yourselves. These are all wonderful products by hard working women. I commend them all on their work and the results of that hard work!!

Relaxation Works: Cranberry Cocktail Body Sorbet Scrub

Relaxation Works is one of the two Etailers that tied for Third Place in my Best of Sugar Scrubs contest. And now I'm going to give you my review on the wonderful scrub I received.

Kris, the owner of Relaxation Works, presented my with her Cranberry Cocktail Body Sorbet scrub. The package arrived in great condition with no leaks! Everything was packaged in white, white jar (opaque) with a white cap and white labels. Even the scrub itself is white but it's offset by the red of the cranberry seeds that are mixed in. This scrub does have oil in it and has a soft, almost spongey feel to it.

When you open the jar you're welcomed by the most delightful scent, almost like a cranberry soda or cocktail. The scent was very refreshing and it lasted about an hour on the skin after rinsing.

When I started scrubbing I noticed that it felt both gritty and creamy to the touch. It provided excellent exfoliation, just right in my opinion. It really stuck to the skin and got the job done. Although, I did find that the cranberry seeds did get a little messy in the shower and it was hard to get them all down the drain.

The scrub did rinse off the skin easily but as I mentioned I had some trouble with those cranberry seeds. My skin was very soft and smooth and the moisturization felt just right. It wasn't too heavy or light but after towel drying it lasted probably about an hour on my skin...so, eventually I did need some lotion but not right away.

All in all, the Relaxation Works Cranberry Cocktail Body Sorbet scrub was a very good scrub. It exfoliated like a good scrub should and it moisturized the skin. It has a wonderful fragrance that to me was like a refreshing cocktail. Go ahead and try it for yourself and you tell me what you think.

Sugar Lips: Pink Sugar Sugar Scrub

Today's review belongs to my solitary Second Place winner...Sugar Lips. Sugar Lips is a wonderful store on Etsy and is owned/operated by Hilary. I love Etsy, you can find so many good things there

Just to recap my judging categories so you can follow along. I judged all the scrubs on four areas. Appearance: packaging, how the product looks in and out of the jar, any leaks, coloring etc. Scent: how strong or weak is the fragrance, does the fragrance smell as it should and how long does the scent last after rinsing.

Exfoliation: How did the scrub feel between the fingers, how did it feel during scrubbing, does it stick well to the skin and does it do its job? Moisturization: did it rinse easily, how did the skin feel after rinsing and after towel drying, how long did the moisture last, etc.

Hilary presented me with her Sugar Scrub in Pink Sugar. It arrived in good condition with no leaks. I love her style on the jar. I really like seeing how each individual's style comes out in their labels and packaging. The labels were simple but had a unique style and were of course: waterproof. The scrub had oil on top but the oil mixed in very well with the scrub and there was no separation after I mixed it (it stayed mixed overnight!). The scrub stuck together really well coming out of the jar.

The scent had a good moderate strenght to it and was a really good "pink sugar" fragrance. The scent lasted about a half an hour on the skin after rinsing.

I really liked the texture of this scrub, it was almost creamy. Even though there had been oil on top, it didn't have an "oily" feel to it at all. During scrubbing it felt good and gritty, just the way a sugar scrub should feel. It did a great exfoliation job and the sugar melted away the more I scrubbed. That made for a good and easy rinsing!

After I was done rinsing, my skin had a very silky and very smooth feeling to it. There was no greasy or oily residue or anything on my skin. Even after towel drying, I still felt moisturized. The moisture lasted over half an hour after drying. All in all, excellent moisturization.

I know I've mentioned before that this was a tough competition. There's only 2 points separating first from second and 2 points again separating second from third place. Sugar Lips' scrub is a wonderful product. I'm glad that Hilary was a part of my contest and I hope to see more of her products in my house in the future.

Bidwell Botanicals: Spun Sugar Sugar Scrub

Now I'd like to start reviewing my sugar scrub winners so you know why I felt they were the best.

I had four areas that I looked at when trying the scrubs and judging the scrubs. First is appearance. That includes packaging, labels, jars etc. Appearance was worth 10 points.
Second is Scent. Was the scent exactly what is said it should be? How long did it last after rinsing? Scent was worth another 10 points.Third was exfoliation. I was looking to see if the scrub did it's job and how it felt during use. Exfoliation was worth 50 points. Finally comes Moisturization. I looked to see how easily the scrub rinsed off, how my skin felt afterwards and how long the moisture lasted. Moisturization was worth 30 points.



Jill Jones, the owner of Bidwell Botanicals, sent me a sample of her Spun Sugar Sugar Scrub. It arrived in great condition with no leaks at all. The presentation of her product was lovely, settled in it's own box. All of the ingredients were listed and the labels were easy to read. She also used an inside seal on her jar which is really a must for sugar scrubs. Sugar was the first ingredient and there were plenty of moisturizing oils in the mix. When I opened the jar the scrub looked like pink shaved ice. It really stayed together well and had a good consistent color.


The fragrance reminded me almost like Pink Sugar meets cheesecake. It was very pleasant and was just right...not too strong and not too light. It was right on the money. The scent lasted on my skin for well over an hour after rinsing.


The sugar she uses is a fine grain sugar, which seems to work the best in any sugar scrub (and it is the primary type used in most of the scrubs I tried). It was thick, silky and good n gritty! The scrub really stuck to the skin and I did not lose much of it to the shower floor. It was an excellent exfoliant and rinsed very easily.


After I rinsed it off, my skin felt smooth and silky all over. The scrub gave my skin a silky finish and it did not feel greasy or oily. Even after towel drying, the moisturization lasted and continued to last all day. I did not need to use any lotion on my body after using this scrub, even after towel drying.


Bidwell Botanicals' Spun Sugar Sugar Scrub hit a home run on everything I was looking for. It was packaged in an excellent manner, the fragrance was just right, it provided fantastic exfoliation and more than excellent moisturization.


Now, I know everyone has their own opinion about things. Please remember that I was the judge and jury for this contest. I'm sure some people reading this may think someone else's scrub is the best and I respect everyone's opinion. If you think someone has a better scrub, let me know. Next up is Somethin Special...

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE BEST OF SUGAR SCRUBS CONTEST!

The scrubbing is done and the judging is finished. It has been a very very tough decision. I want to express my deepest admiration to all the ladies who have worked so hard to create these scrubs and their other products. Running your own business isn't easy but all of these ladies deserve praise and respect!

Now for the big announcement!!!!!!

There is a TIE for First Place! I went over and over all of my notes and both of these scrubs came out on top together no matter what. So The Best Sugar Scrubs are:

Bidwell Botanicals: Spun Sugar Sugar Scrub

and

Somethin Special: Sugar Scrub in Pink Sugar

Tomorrow I will post on each of these to let you know why they are the best sugar scrubs around!!!!

Second Place goes to....

Sugar Lips: Pink Sugar Sugar Scrub

Thursday I will give you all the review on Sugar Lips' scrub and why that one took second place.

Third Place also has a tie....

Relaxation Works: Cranberry Cocktail Body Sorbet Scrub

and

Klean Bath and Body: The Devil Made Me Do It Chocolate Body Polish


Friday you will be able to read the review on both of these wonderful scrubs.

I do want to give some Honorable Mentions to the other top scrubs:

Sublime Dragonfly: Shea Sugar Scrub in Almond Oatmeal
Heavenly Bubbles: Cranberry Lime Sugar Scrub
Skin & Tonic: Sugar Scrub in Pink Grapefruit
Auntie Rhubarb: Sugar Frosting in Lemon Cake

So Congratulations to all of the winners!!! You all make a fantastic sugar scrub and should be proud of what you have accomplished!!!! And, to all you consumers out there, be sure to visit their sites and try the scrubs for yourselfs. Decide for yourself or just get yourself a darn good product!!!!

Thank you to all the entrants!

Stay tuned, my next contest will be coming in August!

MY FIRST CONTEST!

Since my birthday is coming up soon, I thought this would be a good time to announce my first "Best Of" contest here at Products of the Day.

So...Announcing the Best of Sugar Scrubs contest from Products of the Day!

If you are a bath and body artist or know someone who is then this is a great contest for you. From now until May first, anyone interested in participating in the Best of Sugar Scrubs contest should contact me via email at bjhsmith2001@yahoo.com. Please be sure to put "Best of Sugar Scrubs" in your subject line. SO SPREAD THE WORD!

Here's the GOOD STUFF.
First Place: Will receive 1 year of free banner advertising here at Products of the Day in my Shop Shop Shop section. Also, 1 week per month (the first week of each month for that year) in my Shop of the Week spot located at the top of my blog. (Based on my fees that's $300 worth of advertising). And, of course, the bragging rights as the purveyor of the Best Sugar Scrub!
Second Place: Will receive 6 months of free banner advertising in my Shop Shop Shop section and will get one week (the second week of the month for those 6 months) per month in the Shop of the Week section. (Ok so that's $150 worth of advertising..gee I'm glad I still remember how to add lol)
Third Place: Will receive 3 months of free banner advertising in my Shop Shop Shop section and will also get one week (the third week of the month for 3 months) per month in my Shop of the Week Section. (That's $75 woth of advertising)

Now the fine print..aka the RULES

1. Your sugar scrub must be your creation. That means YOU MADE IT. And just plain sugar scrubs please (Foaming ones will have to be another contest)

2. If I've already reviewed and posted about your scrub in my blog then you can't enter..sorry it's just not fair. NOTE: This includes any posts on my old blog address at http://productsoftheday.blogurple.com. Good news is I haven't posted on many scrubs.

3. Anyone interested in participating must contact me via email no later than 11:59pm (Eastern Time) on May 1, 2007.

4. I think the fairest way is to try and have all the samples in the same scent. So, let's go with Pink Sugar or any Pink Sugar blend. If you don't have Pink Sugar in your list or if you have a small scent selection, then you can send me your choice of fragrance.

5. I am requesting at least a 3 ounce sample so I have enough to judge your product fairly.

6. I am the only judge. All decisions are final.

7. Samples must be postmarked no later than May 5th. If you are outside of the US please contact me if you want to ship something earlier so that it arrives here on time.

8. Winners will be announced (depending on how many I get) on May 30th, 2007. That way winners can get their banner ads to me in time to begin on June 1st.

9. Winners will also be featured in a post on Products of the Day (not on the same day but 1 per day for 3 consecutive days)

10. Only winners will be posted on the site. Anyone who did not win is more than welcome to request a personal review. Just don't ask me "Why didn't I win". I will offer you all my honest opinions on your product and will do so privately!

11. Judging will be as follows
50% for exfoliation ability/quality
30% on the scrubs moisturization qualities (ie: how the
skin feels after being rinsed.)
10% on the scrubs appearance (packaging, how the product
looks and feels, color)
10% on the scent of the scrub

12. I am not responsible for lost entries. I recommend delivery confirmation or signature confirmation. I will email entries to let them know the product was received by me.

13. Please submit a list of ingredients (unless they are already on the label) with your submission.

I welcome any questions, comments or suggestions. Please email me at bjhsmith2001@yahoo.com.

The Happily Handmade Giveaway..There's Still Time

Just a reminder to my readers.. you still have time to enter the Happily Handmade Giveaway! Deadline to enter is March 31st! You have a chance to win one of 50 fabulous gift baskets full of wonderful handmade items. These gift baskets are valued at over $200 and there is one grand prize basket valued at $500!!!!

So go visit www.happilyhandmadegiveaway.com and find out how to enter and win. There is also photos of all the prizes you could win.