Romy Raves

Happy Halloween My Pretties! In honor of one of my favorite holidays (I’m all about the witches BTW), I thought I would offer all of you beauty mavens a chance to win some Halloween treats of your very own! What better way to celebrate this wicked season than with some great giveaways that smell yummy, pamper your skin and make you feel all warm and happy.That sounds so much better than candy, don’t ya think?

Today, I am giving away some of my favorite pumpkin beauty products that I raved about earlier this week. Six lucky RR readers will each win a duo of treats–Each winner will receive One Scandle Pumpkin Pie Spice Travel Candle and One Sanitas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask (that’s $45 worth of products!) These are wonderfully yummy, seasonal treats, don’t miss out on your chance to win!

How would you like win these fabulous Halloween Treats for yourself? All that you need to do is follow the easy steps below for your chance to score your very own Scandle Candle and Sanitas Mask!

Here’s what you MUST do in order to enter this giveaway contest:

• If you are on Twitter, you MUST Tweet or Retweet @romyraves and mention Halloween Giveaway and you MUST link back to the original blog post: http://romyraves.com/2009/10/28/more-halloween-treats-some-of-my-favorite-pumpkin-beauty-products/

             OR

• Sign up for a FREE email subscription to RomyRaves.com simply by clicking: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=RomyRaves&loc=en_US

   

           AND

• Everyone who enters this contest MUST ALSO leave a comment HERE ON THIS POST telling us:
  • If you Tweeted or Retweeted about this post OR became a RR Subscriber (or just tell us that you are already a RR subscriber)
  • What is your current favorite pumpkin food or beauty product and why do you love it?

The Fine Print:

• Please make sure to include your name & e-mail address
• Anonymous posts will not be counted since we won’t be able to identify you
• Only ONE entry per person
• Comments, Twitter Tweets and RT’s, and email subscriptions will be tallied and a winner will be chosen by using Random.org
• You must have a U.S. shipping address in order to enter
• You have until Friday, November 6th at midnight (PST) to enter
• Come back on Monday, November 9th to find out if you’re the winner!
• The winner(s) will be contacted via e-mail for current shipping information

Good Luck,

Romy, The One Who Raves

Tags: contest, giveaway, Halloween Treat, Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, Sanitas, Scandle Candle Pumpkin Pie Spic, Scandle Travel candle

Greetings Beauty Ghouls! Have you come for your pumpkin fix today? Gotta love that beautiful orange ball of antioxidants, vitamins and tastiness! You are in for a real treat, because today I am sharing some of my favorite pumpkin beauty delights for your sensory pleasure. And in a special homage to Halloween (and because I am a girl who LOVES her treats), I am giving away a handful of these delicious rave worthy seasonal goodies in my Halloween Giveaway on Saturday, October 31st (so make sure to come back for your chance to score some treats!)

Scandle Body Massge Candle in Pumpkin Pie Spice

Right now body massage candles are all the rage! And what’s not to love? Here’s the rub (literally): you burn one of these fab candles for a little while, enjoy the fragrant aroma, and then take the yummy, emollient, hot liquid (made of soy and shea butter, aloe vera, jojoba oil and 100% body safe fragrance oils) and rub it on your hands, feet or on your partner if you are so inclined. It is divine! It feels and smells ‘oh so good’! I love the warm healing feeling on my sore muscles and dry extremities and it is so relaxing. And the pumpkin pie spice reminds me (and the emotional trigger points in my brain) of all the joys, warmth and yumminess of the season. I am especially loving the cute travel sized tin that burns for 15-30 hours and is perfect for those romantic fall getaways. The Pumpkin Pie Spice is only available in Limited Edition so make sure to get yours soon!

Sanitas Pumpkin Enzyme Mask

This is a yummy smelling, wonderfully gentle mask that is packed with enzymes from fresh, organic pumpkin that naturally exfoliate, soften and even out skin tone. This mask is formulated with a blend of essential fats and vitamins to moisturize and nourish the skin and to help neutralize free radicals that contribute to premature aging. What I really like about this mask beyond the fantastic smell, is that it subtly exfoliates my skin and makes it feel hydrated, clean and smooth. If you have ever tried a pumpkin mask before, you know that they tend to be harsh and irritating to some skin types, but this one is so mild, I think it could even be enjoyed by the most sensitive skin types.

Eminence Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel

I LOVE the beautiful colorful organic products made by Eminence. I have used many of these products over the years and they are incredibly well-made, effective and smell divine. The Yam & Pumpkin Peel is no exception, it looks and smells so good you can almost eat it (but please don’t!) This is more of an aggressive active product compared to the Sanitas mask mentioned above. When I put this mask on, I really feel it working and doing something to change my skin and afterwards it looks clear and smooth. This mask contains yam and pumpkin pulp, vitamins, and glycolic and lactic acid–that’s alot of skin changing stuff, no wonder I can feel it working!

Philosophy Pumpkin Spice Muffin Flavored Lip Shine

I just discovered this yummy seasonal gloss the other day at Sephora and instantly fell in love with it! I, of course, was drawn to the fact that it had the word pumpkin on the package, loved the warm golden coppery color, and the pumpkin scent was just right. Then I tried it on and it had the perfect amount of shine, a hint of warm shimmery color and my favorite part: it tastes like pumpkin pie! That’s a winning trifecta in my book!

I hope you enjoyed these autumnal beauty treats and make sure to come back on Halloween for a chance to win some treats of your own!

Tags: Eminence, Fall, Halloween, Organic, Philosophy, Pumpkin Beauty Products, Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Spice, Sanitas, Scandle Candle, Seasonal, Sephora, Treats

Halloween is without a doubt one of my most favorite holidays. I love the chill in the air, the shift in mood, anything and everything that has to do with witches and all things pumpkin. I absolutely adore pumpkin! I love the warm orange autumnal color, I love the way it tastes in food, I love the smell of pumpkin and cinnamon baking together and I love the naturally active antioxidant properties that pumpkin has as a skincare ingredient. Given my affinity for this seasonal fruit, I have decided to dedicate all of my blog posts this week to Pumpkins and Halloween.

Here’s what I have in store for my lovely ghouls this week: Today, I will share some of my favorite pumpkin recipes; On Wednesday, I will rave about some of my favorite pumpkin skincare products; and on Friday, I will post a fabulous Halloween Giveaway contest so that you can have a chance to score some Halloween treats of your very own. I hope you enjoy this week of wicked treats and keep coming back for more!

Below are links to some of my favorite pumpkin recipes, along with a little insight into why I like each of them. I am sharing these recipes because they are delicious, inspired and full of pumpkiny flavor. Give them a try and let me know what you think, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. And as a favor to me, PLEASE share your fab pumpkin recipes in the comments section of this post, I am always looking for new pumpkin recipes to add to my collection.

Pumpkin Dip
from Cooking Light October 2003
This is one of my all time favorite, super easy, delicious and healthy pumpkin snacks. I often serve it as a seasonal appetizer that takes no time to prep and always gets rave reviews. And it is especially delicious with the most insane, knock-your-socks-off with flavor apples of the season: Honey Crisps (the best apple on the planet!!!!!) If you haven’t tried these delicious babies yet, run to your local market and taste the perfect blend of sweet, tart crunchiness for yourself.

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cakes
from Paula Deen, October 2008
This cake is ridiculously good, super indulgent, and a memorable dessert. It kinda reminds me of a molten chocolate cake but made with pumpkin instead. Dee-lish!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
from Southern Living January 1996
I love biscotti! It’s tasty, crunchy, great for dipping in your favorite beverage and relatively healthy because it is made with very little oil. This pumpkin version is super tasty and perfect for the fall season.  I like to add dried cranberries to mine, dip half of the biscotti in melted white chocolate, then wrap a handful in a pretty cellophane bag and tie them up with cranberry colored wire ribbon. I give these tasty morsels to friends as gifts around the holidays and have gotten nothing but compliments.

Pumpkin Baked Ziti
from Paula Deen, October 2008
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it sounds so insanely good (and budget friendly) that I just had to share it! I am making it for my guests who are coming over for Halloween this weekend. This recipe has all the ingredients and flavors that I love to combine with pumpkin, so it is sure to be a hit. Let me know what you think!

Tags: Cooking Light, Fall, Halloween, Paula Deen, Pumpkin, Recipes, Seasonal

As I have previously mentioned, I have a strong sense of smell and am always on the hunt for unique and inspiring fragrances that shape my mood and experiences. I am definitely not a floral girl; I don’t like overly sweet cloying scents nor do I like to smell like everyone else in the room; I tend to like fresh, citrus, clean, sexy, woodsy, musk based scents–I want to stand out in a crowd and I want to wear fragrances that people stop me and say, “You smell so good, what are you wearing?”

Well, I think I have found my new favorite duo of layering fragrances that pass my fincky olfactory tastes: Lotus Blossom & Water Lily Cologne and Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne by Jo Malone. These two fragrances comprise Jo Malone’s Limited Edition Kohdo Wood Collection because they are a modern interpretation of Kohdo, the ancient Japanese art of incense appreciation. I am loving these fragrances worn either individually or together because they are sultry, clean, smoky, moody and calming all at the same time. The incense notes make it a very unique and distinctive duo of fragrances that certainly stand out in a crowd.

Lotus Blossom & Water Lily Cologne

This is the lighter, brighter, day time incarnation of this duo. It contains a blend of mandarin, sacred lotus blossom, bamboo and aloeswood which are supposed to inspire confidence and focus the mind (gotta love that!) I find this cologne fresh and clean, yet at the same time complex and sultry. I think the citrus top notes and musk base notes are creating the dichotomy, and I am really enjoying this refreshing sensory experience.

Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne

This is the smokier, spicier, sexier nocturnal fragrance of the two. This cologne reminds me more of burning incense and puts me in more of a sensual meditative mood—it’s a perfect date night scent. It contains a combination of cardamom, orchid, and kyara wood which are supposed to cleanse the senses and encourage relaxation. I find this fragrance more moody, lusty and earthy, like something I would wear in a smoky nightclub.

I love the way it blends with the Lotus Blossom fragrance–it anchors it and grounds it. Together this duo offers a moody complexity and an unusual combination fresh and smoky, light and dark, day and night. The contrast of these fragrance notes are perfectly suited to my ‘winter state of mind’.  And Kudos to the ‘noses’ at Jo Malone, what a memorable and distinctive pairing of complimentary fragrances you have created!

If you want to sample either of these inpsired Jo Malone fragrances, you can find Lotus Blossom HERE and Dark Amber HERE. And please post and tell me if you like this duo, or if you have another favorite Jo Malone combination you would like to share.

Tags: Cologne, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily, Fragrance, Jo Malone, Lotus Blossom & Water Lily

Over the summer at Cosmoprof North America, I discovered a great new product called TouchBack by ColorMark . I was instantly impressed with the innovative simplicity of this unique product. It is a gray covering marker that surpasses its competitors because of its effective and ingenious delivery system. Basically, it dispenses real hair color via a well-designed, flat, broad tip marker. I think the primary strength of this product is its simple, yet quick and effective delivery system that is super easy to use and does a great job of covering those nasty grays with minimal effort. It dries instantly and won’t rub off, even after brushing. And I also love that it can even can save you money by stretching the time between salon visits, brilliant!

Given the simplicity and economic relevance of this innovative product, it was not surprising that TouchBack by ColorMark was the inagural recipient of the first the first-ever DISCOVER BEAUTY AWARD at Cosmoprof North America. Discover Beauty helps newly emerging brands find their proper market by facilitating private meetings with prestigious retailers. These meetings give these brands the unique opportunity to present their products to the key decision makers for immediate consideration and feedback. Twenty emerging brands participated in the 2009 Discover Beauty program and they were judged on packaging, overall brand concept and likelihood to succeed in the beauty marketplace. The voting was done by specialty retailers such as HSN as well as various beauty bloggers like TotalBeauty.com and yours truly.TouchBack earned this prestigious honor and it is helping pave the way for this product’s success and widespread reach.

This award winning product has made a lasting impression on me and it is definitely worth checking out. You can get yours online HERE. And let me know if you have any other great hair products that have helped you out in a pinch or if you have any other tips for stretching your salon visits. 

Tags: Cosmoprof North America, Discover Beauty, Discover Beauty Award Winner, TouchBack by ColorMark