Brief Update & Giveaway

I know I've been pretty silent so far this year. I've been working hard on my goals for this year. I was also hard at work rehearsing a dance that my troupe performed last week. Now that's out of the way. I might actually get some blogging done. I'm really getting into my Arabic studies though and I'm having a serious Mass Effect relapse. So after my normal bellydance schedule, studying Arabic, and saving the Universe, oh yah and working full time+  there isn't much time (or motivation) left.

Since the response was so positive to my post about How Belly Dance Changed My Life I decided to share a new video. This is just a fun dance we put together for this event.

January 18th marked the one year anniversary of Bat An Eyelash. To celebrate, I'd like to offer a giveaway of a few of my favorite products. Open internationally.

Pardon the phone picture. My camera decided to be a jerk.

• Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment I love this stuff. My hair isn't very dry or damaged so this just adds a nice shine. It smells divine!
• Maybelline Studio Gel Liner in Charcoal I use this mainly in my waterline.
• Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie I'm a sucker for berry shades.
• NYX Blush in Pinched One of my favorite blushes. It's considered a dupe for NARS Orgasm. I have both and I tend to reach for this more.
• NYX Cream Blush in Boho Chic My favorite cream blush! I'm wearing it today actually.
• MUA Heaven & Earth Palette Oh MUA please come to the USA! This palette is so fabulous. I keep buying them for other people when I make a MUA order.
• EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint This is always in my purse. 
• OPI Nail Lacquer in Bubble Bath I tend to only wear neutral shades on my fingernails. This is the perfect neutral.
• Tea Tree Oil Foot Repair Balm I keep this by my bed and try to remember to use it every night. It is really moisturizing and my feet don't look as awful.

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100 Followers! Thank you!

When I started this blog back in January, I thought that maybe a few of my friends and family would read it. I never dreamt that so many other people would start reading it! Sometimes I don't have as much time to devote to my blog as I'd like to but it inspires me and pushes me to know there are people out there reading this and enjoying it. I love all of your comments and feedback.

In appreciation of hitting the 100+ follower mark, I'd like to send out a small thank you gift. I've chosen the e.l.f. 11 piece Studio Brush set because I think it's a good basic set of brushes. Many of these I use everyday. These are also fully synthetic and vegan friendly. The set includes: Eyeshadow "C" Brush, Small Smudge Brush, Small Angled Brush, Small Precision Brush, Contouring Brush, Concealer Brush, Blush Brush, Complexion Brush, Angled Foundation Brush, Powder Brush, and Fan Brush.

I'm also giving away my two favorite colors of the NYX Xtreme Lip Creams. My reviews of those are my most read posts. I'm giving away Buttery Nude and Absolute Red. NYX products are cruelty free.

You can read about them here and here.  I know NYX isn't a brand that is easily accessible to everyone. So I wanted to spread the love.

This will be open to my international readers as well. Winner will have 48hours to respond. If a response is not received, a new winner will be chosen. I really hope one of my actual readers wins this so you will not find a "Tweet About This Giveaway" or "Blog About This" option. Of course, if you feel like sharing it you can . :)

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Milani Spring Nail Polishes

I was one of the lucky winners of the Milani Cosmetics MVP Giveways on Twitter.  I won six full size bottles of the Spring 2012 nail polishes. I'm a huge fan of Milani blushes but have not tried their nail polishes.

L to R: Beach Front, Sail Away, Key West, Orchidia, Deep Thoughts, & Silver Stilettos

I found the formula easy to use. It was neither too thin and watery nor too thick. A little does go a long way. So if you tend to be heavy handed with your polish like I am, you may want to be careful. It dries fairly quickly and layers nicely. I used two coats for the swatches. All of the colors except Deep Thoughts have a slightly glittery finish.

L to R: Key West,  Sail Away, and Key West

Key West is a light pastel blue. It's darker and less minty than it photographed in the bottle. Sail Away is a beautiful dark blue glittery color. Key West is a glittering emerald green.

L to R: Orchidia, Deep Thoughts, and Silver Stilettos

Orchidia is much more purple and less pink than it appears in this photo. Deep Thoughts is the only non-glittery color in the group. It is a beautiful deep grape purple. Silver Stilettos is a very shiny and metallic silver.

I normally only wear neutral colors on my fingernails but I will wear color on my toes.  However, if someone were to make a collection of nail polishes based of my belly dance costumes, it would be these six colors.  I can wear just about any of these colors for performance. I really enjoy the colors is this collection. I may just have to try out some more Milani nail polishes. Thank you Milani for a great giveaway!

Milani cosmetics are found at most drugstores or online directly at  Milani Cosmetics . Follow them on Twitter: @milanicosmetics