$10 Sam’s Club® GC Offer PLUS $25 GC Giveaway!

$10 Sam’s Club^® Gift Card Offer PLUS $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

You know what I like?

Saving money.

I get to do that when I go to Sam's Club^®.

I save on groceries like milk, eggs, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and even household items like toilet paper and cat food. In fact, I just saved $80 on a new printer last week!

You know what else I like?

Helping others save money.

Not only can you save money on the type of items I listed above, but if you have a baby, you get to save even more during the month of February. How?

Here's the deal:

 $10 Sam’s Club^® Gift Card Offer PLUS $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

 $10 Gift Card Offer

 For a limited time, from February 1–29, 2012, you can get a $10 Sam’s Club Gift Card when you purchase any two of the following baby items at Sam’s Club:

• Pampers^® Swaddlers^® or Pampers Cruisers^® Diapers

• Pampers SoftCare^™ Scented Baby Wipes

• Similac^® Advance^® Powder or Similac Sensitive^® Powder

• Dreft^® Liquid Laundry Detergent

 So stock up on your baby basics today and save even more at Sam’s Club!

For more offer details, visit SamsClub.com/giftcardoffer. Online request must be submitted by March 14, 2012.

$25 Gift Card Giveaway

One of my lucky blog followers will win $25 in Sam’s Club Gift Cards! 

ENTRY

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Rules are at the bottom of the Rafflecopter.

Disclosure: the product, prize pack, information,
and giveaway have all been provided by Sam´s Club and P&G through
MyBlogSpark. A big thanks to them!

Participating Websites:

SamsClub.com

Pampers.com

Similac.com

Dreft.com
P&G.com

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Is Essence Mascara ($3.49) From Ulta Any Good?

So, I have this affliction:

I love makeup but I hate spending money on it.

Many a time have I shelled out pocket change hoping to find the holy grail:

inexpensive yet fabulous makeup.

Many a time have I been sorely disappointed.

But, sometimes, just when I'm ready to give up my treasure hunting days,

I'll find a wonderful product that works like a million bucks,

without the status price tag.

Few & far between, yes...

but it's just enough to keep me hooked!

So, one of my latest acquisitions is

Essence Multi Action False Lashes Mascara

which I bought at Ulta for only $3.49.

What do I expect from mascara?

To darken lashes and make them look longer and thicker

without clumping or leaving me with tarantula eyes.

My dream mascara would make my lashes look significantly longer

and help my lashes to curl better.

Ummm, like so:

*sighing with jealousy*

Well, I figured with this newest wave of

"fiber"-using mascaras I've been seeing that claim

"Like False Lashes Without the Hassle!", that maybe

the powers that be just might have stumbled upon new technology that would

enable my expectations & dreams to come true...and without a makeup counter price. Maybe?

So, like a gullible fish, I bit.

Here are the results of my latest "treasure hunt".

 Above & immediately below,

pics are with 2 coats, slowly & carefully applied for max benefits.

The next 2 pics are with a less carefully applied single coat. 

So, you can look at the pictures yourself to determine if you like the way this mascara looks.

After all, some people like a more "obvious" mascara look, while some prefer a more natural one.

As for me, I didn't like the look with 2 slow, careful coats (top pics). Too much like "tarantula eyes".

The bottom two pics were better, but didn't "wow" in length like I had hoped.

Let me say, however, that this mascara held up great all day long.

It stayed where it was supposed to.

It didn't flake or smudge.

So, for $3.49 it's a GREAT, cheap, everyday mascara.

And if you happen to like very noticeable mascara, this is an inexpensive way to achieve that in 2 slowly, carefully-applied coats.

But it didn't supply me with the ridiculously long, yet non-clumpy look I dream of:

(is it just me or is this obviously air-brushed?)

So, I will use it all up, eventually,

and continue my treasure hunt like a good little pirate.

In the mean time,

I've already bought a new waterproof mascara

 that also promises my dreams will come true. 

After all, I *needed* new waterproof for church (yeah, I cry a lot at church).

But that's for another review! 

Do you have a recommendation for me?

I've had Benefit Cosmetics' "They're Real" ($22) recommended to me,

as well as Tarte's "Lights, Camera, Lashes!" ($19).

What do you think?

Comments are the heartbeat of blogs, so show me the love ;)

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Win an Apple iPad 2 (16GB)!

Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway: Win an iPad & a Kindle Fire

I've recently started using Rafflecopter for my blog's giveaways and I really like it. It simplifies things for me and hopefully it makes things easier for you, the one entering the giveaway. Rafflecopter let me know about a great giveaway they're having. Read on (from their website):

"Happy New Year from Rafflecopter HQ! To start 2012, you’ll have a chance at winning an iPad2 or one of two Kindle Fires in what we’re calling the ‘Rafflecopter Launch Party Giveaway’!

To celebrate the new year, we’re going to give away a 16GB Apple iPad2 and several Kindle Fires. The giveaway starts Monday 1/9 at 12:01 a.m. and lasts for a month. To enter, simply tell us who referred you to this giveaway! (Because If I refer the winner, hopefully that's YOU, I win a Kindle Fire for myself!) You can receive additional entries by tweeting about this giveaway, following us on twitter, and giving us feedback. In addition, we’re doing something a little special to make things more fun:

Suggest a Mascot Name – You’ve seen the Rafflecopter smiley-face dude hanging around the web. (from me: You can see him below at the very bottom of the Rafflecopter box...in the gray box, looks like a small smiley helicopter.) The poor guy needs a name, and we want to leave it up to you to decide what his (or her?) name should be. For an additional entry, suggest a name! After the giveaway is over, we’ll go through the list of names and pick out our favorite suggestions (be creative!) and bring it to a vote on Facebook. If your name is chosen, you’ll win a Kindle Fire and be immortalized in Rafflecopter history :)

This giveaway is open for the US and Canadian residents and will close February 9th at 12:01 a.m. EST."
 I'd love for you to follow me via GFC (right hand sidebar), but it isn't required.

So, in the Rafflecopter form below, where it asks who referred you, please put "Jean Lynd of The Real Mom Review". You can even copy & paste my name into it to keep things easy. Thanks & good luck to us all!

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Longwearing Eyeliner? Essence Gel Eyeliner Review

I am currently trending toward heavy eyeliner.

I love the cat-eye look, reminiscent of the 60's and of one of my fave celebs: Audrey Hepburn.

After figuring out how to apply the eyeliner to achieve this look (thank you youtube! see below), I realized my eyeliner didn't stay put throughout the day. Somehow, it had enough energy to migrate to the crease and top of my eye. I tried a little powder on top, which helped some, but not enough; however, I didn't like the lighter color that method produced anyway.

So, I figured I better get me some long wearing/waterproof eyeliner. Here's a great video tutorial on cat eyeliner:

Let me say right here that I do NOT like pencil liners at all for this look. Using a brush is much quicker and easier to achieve this thicker look, in my opinion. So I figured I'd better look for long wear/waterproof eyeliners in gels or creams so I could use my wonderful Bare Escentuals "Rock & Roll" brush.

Fortunately, I received an Ulta gift card from my sweet hubby for Christmas, so I already knew where I would buy this new acquisition. I headed off to their website, which happens to have product reviews. I searched around and discovered the Essence line. It's a very inexpensive makeup line. I found a waterproof gel eyeliner in the line that had great reviews. Best part: the cost was only $3.49! I searched around and found a few other things I wanted to buy...but more on that another day.

Off to Ulta I went and found the items I wanted. Happily armed with new beauty booty, I headed home, excited to try out my stuff.

Some supplies I used: hand mirror, smudger, gel liner, mascara, Rock & Roll brush, Q-tip.

The next day, I applied it. (Day #1 is blue eyeshadow)

It took a little getting used to. I'm used to eyeliner that brushes on but leaves you with time to smudge, correct, etc. This stuff has a small window of opportunity before it "sets". Since it did set so well, I figured it ought not to budge a bit during the day. I even applied it to my "waterline" (inner eye rim).

Unfortunately, as the day came to a close and I checked my eyeliner, it didn't stay set after all. See the transfer to the tops of my lids?

See the "waterline" shots below? It lasted in some spots, but didn't in most, plus it oozed down the corners, as you can see.

Weird thing is, I had to use makeup remover to get it all off. So, basically, half of it transfers, runs and comes off, while the other half sticks to you like superglue, refusing to budge when you're ready for it to go away. Go figure.

I decided to give it another chance and do a slightly different look. (Day #2 is golden eyeshadow).

I did NOT use the liner on my "waterline" or inner eye rim, but instead put it on the lower lashline. I also applied the top liner thinner, with no "wing".

The results were still about the same.

Some oozing & smudging at the outer corner... 

...and definite transfer to the top of the eye.

Well, back to the drawing board!

Verdict:

Essence waterproof gel liner was decent, especially for only $3.49, but it doesn't last all day. You'll have to do "tissue touch-ups" throughout the day.

Do you have any experience with a gel or cream eyeliner that doesn't run or transfer to other parts of your eye? Please let me know below.

$30 of Gift Cards Giveaway...For The Kiddos!

I have 4 children and I find it to be such an adventure!

I even homeschool them because I want to spend so much time with these guys & gals. I really, really actually LIKE being with my kids.  (Okay, most of the time...)

Do you have small children? Or is there a special kid in your life? Maybe some nieces, nephews or grandkids?

If so, you will want to join in on this newest

Gift Card Giveaway,
which I'm kicking off on one of my children's birthdays in their honor (Happy Birthday, You! You know who you are! Mama Loves You). 
What's up for grabs?

$30 worth of Gift Cards.

There is a $20 Disney Gift Card

(good at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Store, and DisneyStore.com)

--AND--

There is a $10 Build-A-Bear Workshop Gift Card

(good at Build-A-Bear Workshop locations or online at BuildaBear.com)

We recently celebrated our youngest child's birthday at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

We went there for both our girls' birthdays a couple of years ago and they had such an awesome time, they wanted to go back again.

My cuties!

Even the big brothers got involved.

Here's a few shots of the experience, both there, and then at home, playing with the new Bear Swag.

Her final selections

Busy getting them dressed up.

Loving her Monkey.

Showing off the skater's outfit.

Talking with the friendly staff.

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