5 to Survive - Skincare by Alana review and GIVEAWAY!

It's the holiday season -- what better way to celebrate than by giving away some goodies to my beautiful readers!

I was contacted by Skincare by Alana to review their 5 to Survive holiday skincare set, as well as give away one of these amazing sets to one of my lucky readers. Read on to find out how to enter!

The 5 to Survive kit for the 2012 holiday season includes an eyeshadow quad, lash extender, skin mask, lip gloss, and matte moisturizer (my favorite!). This set retails for $135.99 on the Skincare by Alana site -- but you could get it for free!

I tested out these products on a lazy Wednesday night, and that night quickly went from blah to FAB! All it takes is a little glitter to make me happy. Let's go through the products one at a time:

Youngblood Pressed Eyeshadow Quad in Eternity: The pressed mineral eyeshadow set features four shades of shadow in browns and pinks to create the perfect natural eye this holiday season. My favorite shade is mink, it's a light brown with just a touch of glitter -- New Years makeup perhaps?

Divaderme Lash Extender: Wonder product! This magical wand is used along with your current mascara to create ridiculously long lashes. You apply your mascara first, then while it is still wet, apply Divaderme to the tips of your lashes. This product latches on to the tips of your eyelashes. Apply a second coat of mascara on top of the Divaderme-d tips and your lashes will look long and gorgeous! Another product I will definitely be breaking out for New Years.

Eminence Organics Bright Skin Masque: This mask is intended to treat hyperpigmentation and dark spots. I don't have either of those skin problems, and I only tried this mask once, so I feel like I don't have a great basis to review it. My skin did feel more moisturized after I washed the mask off though!

Glo Minerals Lip Gloss in Brown Sugar: Super cute shimmery lipgloss. What more can I say? It moisturizes your lips while leaving a subtle sparkle. Again, perfect for New Years -- I've got my whole New Years makeup look set with this kit!

Rhonda Allison Aloe Matte Moisturize: My absolute favorite in the lot -- no lie, I will be back to restock on this lotion once I finish up my sample! I'm always on the hunt for the perfect everyday lotion for my combination/oily skin, and the Rhonda Allison matte moisturizer works like a charm! This lotion soaks into your skin quickly, leaving a smooth, moisturized-but-not-oily finish. No more greasy skin, no more melting-off makeup! Love, love, love. If nothing else, I recommend trying out this product. Plus, it's only $14. What are you waiting for?

Now on to the giveaway!

One of my lucky readers has the chance to win ALL FIVE of the products in the 5 to Survive holiday kit from Skincare by Alana! To enter, "like" the Skincare by Alana Facebook page, then come back here and comment on this post with your email address. That's it! The contest will run until December 14th and the winner will be announced the following Monday. Good luck and happy holidays!

I am collecting beautiful objects

This Spring, one of my goals is to minimize my wardrobe and have only beautiful pieces that feel wonderful to put on in the morning. Easier said than done!

This scarf works with the plan perfectly though - it takes up little space in my miniature closet, can be worn many different ways, and adds a nice pop of color to whatever it is paired with. It's also so, so beautiful, and made with luxurious silk from Thailand - not too shabby!

Lucky for us all, this scarf (along with tons of other beautiful silk items) is available at Sue's Silk for 15% off until March 27th with code "BreakfastatSaks". You can also check out more gorgeous silk scarves and clothing through Sue's Silk's Twitter and Facebook.

And hey, if you have to wear green on St. Patrick's Day, keep it classy!

diViene

diViene Twisted Sterling Silver Black Onyx Heart ring; Amrita Singh oval ring; Sephora by OPI nail polish in "Arm Candy"

A little while back I was contacted by diViene to pick any piece of jewelry from their online shop and review it on my blog. I'm kind of a jewelry addict, so there was no way I was going to turn this opportunity down! diViene stocks custom made rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets made of high quality metals and gemstones. I chose the "Twisted Sterling Silver Stackable Ring with Large Heart, Genuine Black Onyx Stone" to review because it was available in a size 4 (I have ridiculously small fingers!) and I loved the heart shaped stone. Each piece of diViene jewelry is custom made, so once I placed my order it took a few days for the ring to be hand crafted and shipped out to me, but it was worth the wait! When the ring arrived it was everything I hoped for! It fit my middle finger perfectly, the onyx stone is dark and pure, and the twisted design on the band is a nice touch. diViene offers free shipping and a 360 day warranty on all jewelry, so you have nothing to lose by trying them out! I'm already deciding on my next purchase - I'm torn between the birthstone rings in emerald (I'm a May baby!) and these adorable floral earrings that are available in every color under the sun!

Follow diViene on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check out their online shop!

Wanted

Sorry for the long gap between blog posts, I've been running around working on everything and accomplishing nothing this past week, but I didn't forget about you guys! I'm going to be spending all afternoon catching up on your blogs! But first I wanted to share a picture of these lovely crochet boots Wanted Shoes sent over a few weeks back. I've been waiting until the rain and snow let up to wear them, and it looks like it might be nice enough to break them out this coming week! These boots are available to buy at Wanted Shoes, Nasty Gal, and Urban Outfitters in white, brown, and black.

Also, I wanted to give a huge thank you to Rika at Fashion Blogger Revealed for interviewing me and featuring Breakfast at Saks! Thanks Rika!

My Name Necklace

Free People dress (available at Shopbop and Karmaloop); MyNameNecklace.com "Ashley" necklace;
Hue tights; Jeffrey Campbell Litas from Solestruck; Vintage Levi's denim jacket

I've always been a huge fan of Carrie Bradshaw's "Carrie" necklace on Sex and the City, so when I was contacted by MyNameNecklace.com to review a name necklace of my own, I was ecstatic! I chose the sterling silver name necklace with a chain length of 18" - the necklaces also come in 18k gold plated, 14k gold, and white gold, with lengths of 14", 16", 18", 20", and 22", and are custom made to order. I've already worn mine just about every day since I received it! I love the length, it's perfect to layer with other necklaces or just wear on its own, and it's a great conversation piece - a few people have already asked me where I got it from. The necklaces are affordable too, so if you've ever wanted to have your own "Carrie" necklace be sure to check out MyNameNecklace.com!

Beautyfix

I don't normally do makeup or beauty product reviews, so you know it has got to be something extra special for me to take the time to write up a whole post about it. And Beautyfix is indeed extra special! I'm sure a lot of you have already heard about Beautyfix, but if you are in the dark (like I was!), here's a basic rundown of what Beautyfix is and how it works.

Beautyfix is an exclusive beauty club dedicated to matching you with the perfect products for your face, hair, and body. All you have to do is log on to Beautyfix.com and answer a short questionnaire about your skin tone, eye and hair color, etc etc. The survey takes maybe 2 minutes flat, and then the Beautyfix team of experts comes up with a list of products that will work specifically for you. From the list, you get to pick several products yourself, and Beautyfix's team of experts picks a few products that they know will be perfect for you - and you end up with 8 full size products!

If you become a member at Beautyfix, you will be able to receive a kit like this 4 times a year, with new products specifically fitting your hair and skin needs. Normally, the kits cost $50, but the amazing people at Beautyfix have offered Breakfast at Saks readers an incredible deal! When you sign up for Beautyfix, enter the promo code BFIX4 to receive $30 off the price of the Beautyfix Spring 2010 kit - you will be able to test out the Spring products for only $19.99, plus free shipping! Also, once you try out the products, if you share your reviews of the products on Beautyfix.com, you will receive a $25 gift card to Glow.com!
Ok, now time for my review! Beautyfix sent me the Spring 2010 set for free, with products specifically fitting my profile of a light skinned, wavy brown haired, blue eyed gal. And boy did their panel of experts get it right! My Beautyfix kit came with everything you see above - Jonathan Brushable Lifting Spray, Pūr-lisse Daily Lip Nourisher, Chellá Enzyme Exfoliating Mask, Rosie Jane Eyeliner, iQ Derma Essentials Glacial Hydrating Gel Mask, iQ Derma Clear Remedy Acne Treatment Lotion, Decleor Paris Instant Radiance Moisturizer, Exuviance Rejuvenating Treatment Masque, and 2 Beautyfix makeup bags. Keep in mind, all of these products are full size, which was probably what shocked me the most when I opened the package - these products would be more than enough to last the 3 months until your next Beautyfix package arrives!

One of my favorite products was the Pūr-lisse Daily Lip Nourisher. This Lip Nourisher is for all skin types, so you can pick this product no matter what your beauty profile (and I recommend you pick it!). The Pūr-lisse Daily Lip Nourisher is petroleum-free and formulated with fruit butters and vegetable oils, which honestly meant very little to me, but those fruit butters and vegetable oils work! Since I received this Lip Nourisher, I have been applying it morning and night as the box instructs, and my lips really have become softer, smoother, and much less dry. I could never get vaseline to work like that on my lips, so it really must be something about the natural ingredients! And FYI, this product on its own costs $22, while the entire Beautyfix Spring kit only costs $19.99 with code BFIX4!

Another product that I loved was the Jonathan Brushable Lifting Spray. I have wavy but fairly flat hair, and even when I hairspray my roots and blowdry, my hair still tends to fall flat in a few hours. But with this Jonathan spray, my hair stayed puffy way longer than it ever has before! I used this spray on dry hair, but you can use it when your hair is either dry or wet. All I did was flip my hair over, spray a little bit of this product around my scalp, run my fingers through my hair, and flip my head back up, and I already just about doubled the amount of volume in my hair - without a blowdrier or hairspray! In addition to the volume this product adds, it also smells amazing, and doesn't leave your hair feeling crunchy or greasy! Oh, and did I mention that on its own, Jonathan Brushable Lifting Spray costs $28? Yeah, Beautyfix is awesome, if you haven't already caught on!

If I haven't already convinced you, be sure to stay tuned for my reviews of all of the face masks, as well as the eyeliner and lotions. And be sure to at least check out Beautyfix.com to see all of the products they offer - and if you decide to become a member, don't forget to use code BFIX4 to get your first kit for just $19.99! Enjoy!