When it comes to hair care tools like curling and flat irons, hot rollers and blow dryers, I have one favorite brand that comes to mind, Hot Tools. They are a brand that stands out in my mind as reliable, high in quality and affordable.

Hot Tools® Products. Professional Flat Irons, Hair Dryers and Curling Irons have become the standard for professional hairdressers. With patented, powerful heating systems in curling irons and flat irons, plus advanced technology in hair dryers, Hot Tools® are demanded by stylists performing in the highest pressure styling environments including film, TV photo shoots and backstage styling at hair shows. Beauty is serious business...use Hot Tools®!

 

So why do I like Hot Tools so much? One of the reasons is quality and length of use I can get out of them. I've broken many curling irons, so many in fact so many it's embarassing, but deep down in my beauty drawer I still have my Hot Tools irons from 2001 that I don't use anymore, but it's still alive and working.  My Chi blowdryer recently died out after less then one year of use which was a major dissapointment especially because of the price I paid. I have since replaced it with a Hot Tools Blow Dryer, and it still works just as great as when I purchased it a couple years ago.

So when people ask me what hair care tools I use, of course it varies and changes from time to time, but I thought I would share my favorite Hot Tools products that work great are made to stand the test of time.

The Hot Tools Tapered Gold Curling Iron is an iron I use at least 2-3 times a week. I have 3 Hot Tools Curling Irons, all different sizes, ranging from 3/8 of an inch to 3 inches. Every girl should have a huge iron and a small one for tighter curls. It heats up quickly and has a few different setttings depending on your hair type and how hot you need the iron to get.  I personally like the 1 inch iron the best, and I find I get the best curls with this one.

TAPERED BARREL 1/2 inch - 1 inch

Forms diverse natural-looking curls

Creates distinct curl patterns

When used on curly hair tames frizz and controls curls

PROFESSIONAL FEATURES:

Rheostat control

Extra-long cool tip

Power indicator light

Heat-resistant glove (included)

Separate On / Off switch

Foldaway safety stand

8ft. professional swiverl cord

1 year warranty

The Gold Curling Irons sells for $34.99. This iron works just as well as much more expensive high end curling irons, and if you're looking for an affordable iron, Hot Tools Gold is your best bet.

I have been using the Rainbow Zebra Ionic Blowdryer for about a year now, and it's one of my favorite beauty must haves. I originally purchased this because I thought it was pretty, and honestly I wasn't expecting much in terms of quality.  I was looking for an affordable blow dryer that would last me till I could purchase an expensive fancy dryer.

Few reasons I love this one so much is it's extremely lightweight and it isn't ridiculously loud like some dryers.  The handle is easy to grip and won't slip out of your hands.

It comes with two attachments, a concentrater and a pik. The concentrater is great for your roots, and adding volume. I always have trouble drying the roots because my hair starts to fly everywhere and it can get way too frizzy. The concentrater helps reduce frizz and flyaways, something I've struggled with for many years.  Blowdrying my hair can take over a hour if I don't use an effective dryer, and I just don't have that kind of time, so the Hot Tools Ionic takes me about 20-30 minutes, which is great when your hair is as thick and wavy as mine.

The price is only $39.99 at Discount Beauty Center. I highly recommend this blowdryer for all hair types, especially thicker wavy hair that takes a long time to blowdry.

 

Hot Tools Diamond Platinum Curling Iron is probably my #1 must have from Hot Tools.  It's great at reducing frizz. It seals your cuticles so you won't suffer from split ends. It leaves my hair shiny and my curl lasts all day. It has variable hair settings, and it's easy to grip and won't slip out of your hands.

Nano Ceramic for frizz free styles

Nano-size particles increase performance of surface areas

Extra long cool tip

Power indicator light

Extra long thumb grip

Separate on / off switch

Foldaway safety stand

Powerful spring clamp

8 ft professional cord

One year warranty '

 

Bella's Beauty Spot's favorite curling iron! Easy to use switch to change from temp to temp. Heats up in seconds. Hot Tools rarely disappoints, and once again, they have showed me they can really make an amazing hair care tool.

These are just a few reasons why I love Hot Tools, and will continue to purchase anything with their name attached. If you are looking for products from the Hot Tools Line, and more visit Image Beauty for all your hair care needs.

I'm sure by now, you've heard of Apothica. If you haven't, it's an online store for all things beauty, including Skin Care, Makeup and more. They carry name brands, including some of my favorite, like Smashbox, Too Faced, Chanel, NARS, Clinique and more. I recently made a few purchases from their website, and not only is the selection really good, but the shipping is FAST! They also sell brands that are hard to find such as Tokyo Milk and Paul & Joe. (One of my favorites) I love writing reviews about a number of different things, but it's so much easier when it's one of my favorites.

One company Apothica sells is Too Faced, which has always been a favorite of mine. Hard to find Too Faced products, or maybe products that places like Sephora or Ulta no longer sells are good finds on Apothica too.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance in CandleLight

The Look of Love Spring Set (A must have for any Too Faced lover)

The Naked Kit- Soft and Sexy (Just bought this one!)

The offer live help, a money back guarantee and free shipping on orders over $50. So far aside from Sephora, Apothica is my new go to online beauty shop for all my favorite brands.

The Giveaway: One winner will win a $50 Gift Card to Apothica.com which can also be used on Skin Care RX. To enter, fill out the google spreadsheet below.

Alo Clothing is a collection of performance clothing named for the elements that we live within; Air, Land & Ocean. Each piece they design is created to perform with you while promoting a life of style & well being. Alo Clothing uses recycled and minimal impact material to create gorgeous performance activewear, made out of the best fabric to create comfort while exercising! Alo believes in living a healthy, balanced lifestyle which we can all agree with.

I love their new spring collection. The colors are bright blues pinks and purples which are extremely stunning. Here's a peek into their new lookbook

Alo Clothing sells men and women's workout gear all made with performance fabrics. What are performance fabrics?

-Water Resistant treatment helps shed water on outer surface of garment to repel wind and light rain to you keep you dry and comfortable

- CoolFit dry wicking capability which draws moisture away, keeping you cool and comfy



-Added antimicrobial treatment prevents the increase of bacteria and keeps clothes odor free



-Bamboo has natural inherent properties that wick moisture and is naturally anti-bacterial




These are just a few reasons why their clothing is perfect for your favorite workout regimen.









The Capri Pant fits me great, and they are soo comfy. They are spandex like, but don't cling to me like your typical spandex pants. These are perfect for running on the treadmill, it feels like air is going right through them, almost like I'm wearing nothing! They can be worn in winter and summer. I love them because they are capris and they go to about my knee. I'm only 5 foot so I'm a little too short for the pants because I tend to trip over them unless I do some altering. I have many capri work out pants in my collection, however these are the most comfortable and most flattering on my body.






Along with the gorgeous pants, the blue sports bra shown above is the cutest sports bra I have in my collection. The front is a mesh for extra comfort and the back is sexy and comfortable at the same time. The fabrics feel rather expensive and luxurious, and you can tell as soon as you put it on, you will get a great workout while wearing Alo Clothing. I have nothing blue in my workout collection, so it's another added plus.

Alo Clothing is truly what a good workout is about. Fashion and style meets fitness and health. You can shop their clothing online now, or check out their Spring Lookbook which will soon be available to purchase on their site. I can't wait, I already see a couple must have tops.






The Giveaway: One winner will win the same gorgeous blue sports bra I received (Seen above) To enter you must like Alo Clothing on Facebook. Please fill out the Google Form below

For Extra Entries: (Please list separately)

Follow me on Google Friends

Subscribe Via Email

Visit Alo Clothing and tell me another piece of clothing you love!

Sign up for the Alo Newsletter (bottom of page)

Follow Alo on Twitter and Tweet or Share this Giveaway on Facebook (Up to once a day!)

Good luck! Giveaway will end 3/15/2011. Open to the US only. Winner will be chosen by random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email. If the winner does not respond, another one will be chosen. No Po Boxes please.

Disclosure: Press samples were sent to me for consideration from PR for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was received.

YMI Jeans Review + giveaway

YMI appeals to girls and young women who are youthful, confident, vibrant and fashionable and express themselves through what they wear. With this in mind, the YMI design team creates products that flatter virtually everybody.

YMI jeans carries a wide variety of denim. Leggings, Skinny Jeans, Boot cuts and more. I've been focused lately on the new fashion, Jeggings.

The YMI Extreme Denim Jegging (pictured above) is a denim legging with bleach streak wash in ocean blue. Features faux front pockets for an ultra smooth look. Not only are these jeggings super comfy, they look great and really flatter not only your legs but your whole body. Here I am wearing these fabulous jeans.







I love the way the jeans make me look like I have more shape then I actually do. They flatter my legs as well. As you can see from the above, you can wear them with boots, heels or sandals.










You can purchase YMI Jeans at YMIJeans.com Right now you can use coupon code YMICELEB to get 25% off all celeb inspired looks.

The Giveaway: One lucky winner will win a pair of the same jeans above, the Extreme Denim Jeggings in choice of size ($38) To enter, visit YMI Jeans, and tell me another pair of jeans you would love to have!

Additional Optional Entries: (Please complete the mandatory entry first)

• Follow me on Google Friends (2 entries)


• Subscribe in Email Only (2 Entries)


• "Like" YMI Jeans on Facebook (2 entries)


• Follow YMI Jeans on Twitter, and tweet this giveaway (Up to once a day!) (1 entry each)


• Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook (2 entries)


• Blog about the giveaway. Must be in it's own post, with links to me and the sponsor (5 entries)

Good luck! Giveaway will conclude 10/27/2010. Open to the US only. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email or another winner will be chosen.

I received product for the purpose of this review only. All opinions are my own. No monetary compensation was exchanged for this post.

When I think of wedding dresses and wedding plans, I think of David's Bridal. David's Bridal has everything you need to plan the perfect wedding. Not only do they sell bridal gowns, but you can find shoes jewelry, and much more! David's Bridal goes above and beyond what's expected and they provide a unique suite of benefits the competition just can't deliver. I have been a bridesmaid 4 times in the last 2 years, and each time David's Bridal was where we purchased our bridesmaid gowns. And these aren't your average tacky, cheap bridesmaid dresses. I have kept each one and they can actually be worn to any fancy party!

David's Bridal carries dresses for not only weddings, but events such as Bridal Showers, Homecoming, Prom & Graduation. Their website providers easy search methods, such as color, style, or event. David's Bridal dresses vary from elegant and luxurious, chic and modern, or classic & timeless. Either way, there is a wedding dress for everyone at David's Bridal.

Check out some of their beautiful wedding dresses they carry:

Organza A-Line Gown with Angled Draped Pick-Ups

Organza Tiered Ball Gown with Asymmetrical Ruffles

Short Dress featuring 3D Floral Appliques Style

Side-Draped Fit & Flare Gown with Applique Detail

The Little White Dress is one of my favorites, and perfect for any party. Satin dress is adorned with delicate paillette sequins along bottom of skirt for just a touch of sparkle! Features pockets. Fully lined. Back zip. Perfect with a pair of heels, or even some flats, this dress was meant to impress!

Visit David's Bridal for wedding dresses and more. You can purchase gowns and more on their website, or at their retail stores. Check out their site for giveaways, online help, and tons of items on sale.

Tiny Crafts Review + Giveaway

I am SO pleased to introduce you to an Ebay store I have fallen in love with, Tiny Crafts. A store where YOU get to personalize your own custom item, for almost every occasion possible. Birthdays, Baby Showers, Weddings, Graduation, Christmas, or just maybe a special gift for someone, or maybe yourself! I found this a great site for Bella also, because Tiny Crafts also specializes in custom puppy blankets.









Tiny Crafts custom makes all their blankets with microfleece which is SO soft and cozy feeling. As soon as Bella received her custom ducky blanket I knew it was perfect! Not only was it the perfect size for my little Bella, but it is easy to just throw in the washer when it gets dirty. Perfect for when your crating a new, (or old) pup, or even in the car ride, your little one will feel SO safe and comfy with their personalized blankie. You can personalize your blanket with so many differents things. Click HERE & scroll to the bottom to see all the different faces and cartoons you can add. All different breeds and images, there are so many to choose from it will make your head spin! Here is Bella with her custom ducky blanket, & everyone who knows Bella knows she loves ANYTHING with a ducky !

Tiny Crafts was kind enough to make a blanket for my mother's dog, "Suzy" too. She sleeps with her Personalized Dog Blanket every night, she has became SO attached to it.

Tiny Crafts is really one of those companies you keep in your address book, because you never know when you will that to get that personalized gift for that special someone. And really, isn't a gift like a blanket, or tote bag so much nicer when it's personalized?

Wanna Win?

One luck Meandbella reader is going to receive their own personalized 15"x15" blanket in their choice of Baby Blue, Baby Pink, Mint, Natural, Hot Pink or Chocolate Brown!!! For your main entry, head on over to Tiny Crafts Ebay Shop, and pick our your favorite item, and who it would be for. This is MANDATORY or all other entries will be voided.


Extra Entries?

- Follow my blog (1 entry)

-Subscribe to my blog (1 entry)

-Tweet It (1 entry) Can be done daily! Please use @meandbells

-Grab my button (2 entries)

-Blog about it (3 entries) Must be in it's OWN post and must link to me and the sponsor.

- Follow me on Networked Blogs on Face book (right side) 1 Entry

That's it! Good luck! winner will be chosen by random.org on November 22nd. You must live in the US, and you must be over 18. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to the winning email, otherwise another winner will be chosen. Make sure you have your email addy in your comment or your blogger account, or else no prize for you, and last but not least, good luck!!

Thank you to Tiny Crafts for allowing me and Bella to review their blanket!!