EWP Giveaway: Naturalizer Shoes

I'm making up my lack of posting to you by bringing you a giveaway.  And this giveaway involves free shoes.

The kind folks of Naturalizer and MyBlogSpark asked me if I wanted to try some new Naturalizer shoes from their new fall designs.  I haven't ever bought any Naturalizer shoes but I figured why not because a) FREE SHOES!, b) I'm ridiculously in love with these Aerosoles, and c) free shoes.  I ranked some options and waited to see what shoes would be coming my way.  And then they arrived.

 Someone was particularly excited about the arrival of the Naturalizers.

After wrenching them from the grips of a baby who wanted to use them to teethe and drool, I tried on the new flats. They're cute from the side. [Look at all that support! Unheard of in the flats I wear]

 But the snub nose tops made me think of ... I dunno, some sort of animal with a snub nose.  But I was willing to give them a go despite snubbiness.

Folks, these shoes were definitely very comfortable. And they made a great alternative to my $200 Tory Burch flats for heading to the playground and playing in the sandbox with BabyWP.  But they, like almost all flats I've ever tried, gave me blisters on the back of my ankles.  I don't know why but most flats hit me funny right there and give me blisters. Which is why I buy my pricey Tory Burches, not because I'm a snob but because they don't give me blisters.  My feet are odd, they can wear any heel in the world with ease, but every pair of flats makes them cry.  I think they're trying to send me a message.

But if you are a person who could wear flats, these are indeed super comfy.  Also, a note, they run big. I'm a 7.5/8 and asked for an 8 to be safe, but these were super loose and I would've been much happier with a 7.5.  Just in case you're ordering a pair online. 

And now for the fun part



Fun part??? Do tell, mama!

 I will be giving away a gift card for a FREE PAIR OF SHOES at Naturalizer.com.  FREE SHOES, people!

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what kind of shoes you're looking for this fall - camel boots? wine heels? suede flats? EWP wants to know!  Also include an email/twitter handle/something so I can contact you if you win.

Only one entry per person. Winner will be announced next week.

This is a sponsored giveaway.  The Naturalizer shoes, information, and gift card for the giveaway were provided by Naturalizer and Brown Show Company, through MyBlogSpark.



Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diaper giveaway is The Cagles. Congrats and look in your inbox for an email from me to claim your prize.

Giveaway Winner

The fabu book winner is Laura!

You will have it hand-delivered to you tonight when I get myself to DC!

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo,
EWP

EWP Giveaway: Victoria Beckham's "That Extra Half an Inch"

I've been doing some cleaning up to make room for BabyWP. The second bedroom has been a storage, junk room for the last year and we have to somehow turn it into a nursery. Which means getting rid of a lot of things.

As I was cleaning up, I ran across the wondrous book: That Extra Half an Inch by my favorite fashionista Victoria Beckham. It's a great book full of advice on tops, shoes, jeans, bags, everything. Sure, some of it is not useful as it references British brands, but the advice is great nonetheless.
And because I hate something great go to waste, I'm giving away this great book to one of you.

All you have to do is leave a comment saying.... I dunno, whatever you feel like. haha, sorry, I'm not creative today.

One entry per person. Please leave an email to contact you by if I don't have one. Winner will be announced at some point.

xoxo,
EWP

EWP Giveaway Winners!

The three winners of the Cover Girl smokey eye giveaway are:

Rachel - natural makeup set

Ole Miss Mom - bold makeup set

Pixie - Walmart gift card

Congrats to all the winners! Email me at esquirewearsprada@gmail.com to claim your prizes.

EWP Giveaway!

Yesterday I got this GIANT box in the mail. [the sandal is in there to give you a sense of scale]

I opened it up and saw this:

It was Cover Girl's new smoky eye line!

But that wasn't all. Underneath the makeup kits was a chair from Pier 1 Imports. Seriously, an entire full-sized chair.

I looked it up on Pier 1's website, and it's $50. Y'all, Cover Girl sent me a $50 chair. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it though...

And of course there was a mirror to ensure flawless makeup application.

And handy dandy instructions.

And lots and lots of makeup. There are THREE lash blast mascaras

3 different colors of smoky shadow blast

And 3 liners.

I decided I didn't need to use all the makeup and would just use one and give two sets away to two of my faithful readers.

So I grabbed the "glamorous" smoky eye set and followed the instructions and this is what I got:

I only did one eye so you can see a comparison with just my plain eye.

In all honesty, the smudge stick did get the smoky eye effect it advertised, but I just don't like creamy eyeshadow. I like a nice powder eyeshadow, my eyelids have a lot of natural grease going on and I know a cream shadow is going to melt off within 30 mintues. So I'm not sure I'll be using the eyeshadow again only for that reason. The mascara, however, was great. And my only complaint about the liner is that it wasn't for a brown girl. It was this light brown color that just blended in with my eyelid, and didn't create the "glamorous" dramatic look Cover Girl was advertising. Black would have worked much better for me.

And now for the fun part: the giveaway! I will be choosing THREE lucky winners this week. One will receive the Cover Girl natural smoky makeup set (brown tones), one will receive the Cover Girl bold smoky eye makeup set (blue tones), and one reader will win a $20 WalMart gift card.

Each makeup set contains the CoverGirl SmokyShadowBlast, LineExact Liquid Liner and LashBlast Volume-Blasting Mascara.

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment and let me know which prize you want - do you want a natural look? do you want to be bold? do you want to go to WalMart? Just let me know!

This was a compensated review and giveaway. CoverGirl provided me with the CoverGirl Smoky Eye kit, information, and Walmart gift card to giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

EWP Giveaway Coming Up...

A GIANT box from Cover Girl arrived for me today. I hear tell this one will have more ridiculous things inside than the Pantene giveaway, like a full size makeup chair. Will have to test it out and then will have a giveaway soon. So keep your eyes peeled!

EWP Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the $25 gift card is.... new commenter Mary Blanche! Congrats, Mary Blanche!

I'll be sending you an email to get your mailing info.


and, yes, I'm back. I have about 3000 reader questions that need to be answered (so excited! I love reader questions!) and I feel so bad for neglecting them for so long. Keep reading this week and next for your answers!

I'm a Pantenologist (& an EWP Giveaway!)

Today I was greeted by this ginormous box. I was so excited!
What was inside, you ask? Why, my Pantene Scientific Hair Test Kit, of course!

The folks over at Pantene identified four distinct hair structures and started developing products for these different hair types.

1) Curly - I can tell you right now this is me. No testing necessary.

2) Color - hmmm.... maybe I'll need this since I got my new highlights...

3) Medium-Thick - Oh, but I have medium-thick hair, too!

4) Fine - Okay, this one I for sure know is not me.

And to make this whole process very official and scientific, the folks at Pantene included these handy scientist glasses...

.....and a lab coat! I can tell you right now, I'm going to wear this lab coat everyday.

Don't I look very smart and sciencey? I'm a pantenologist!

Let the testing begin! Pantene sent me some tests to conduct to figure out my hair type.

First up, pull my hair in a ponytail and see if it's thicker than this coin they sent me. Check! That means I have medium-thick hair.

Then I brought out the curly card for the curly hair test.

I yanked a hair out and placed it on the card. I think this means I have tightly wound curls. Definitely not a surprise.

Testing complete! [Note my husband's penchant for taking pictures from a seated position leading to super unflattering pictures. What a jerk.] Now all I have to do is use the shampoo/conditioner corresponding to my hair type(s).

Want to try Pantene's new line for yourself? You can find it any local drug store or grocery store or wherever Pantene products are sold. Or you can go to Pantene.com for a free sample.

And to make things even more exciting, Pantene has provided me with a $25 gift card to Wal-Mart to give away to one of my lucky readers!

Just leave a comment with your email address or not if I know who you are and let me know what you think your hair type is:

And, no, I will not judge you for wanting to win a Wal-Mart gift card. My favorite pair of underwear is from Wal-Mart. "WHAT?" Long story involving flat tire in the middle of nowhere and killing time at a Wal-Mart til my tire was fixed which resulted in the purchase of many random things, including a pair of Halloween boy shorts that glow in the dark. I love them and wear them all the time.

Winner will be announced next week Monday when I get back from DC.

This is a compensated giveaway. Pantene has provided me with the Pantene Scientific Hair Test kit, information, and a $25 Walmart gift card to giveaway through MyBlogSpark.

EWP Giveaway Winner!

Hello, lovely lovely readers! I'm back from sunning myself in Miami. Apparently Chicago had the same temps all weekend, but today, just for me, it's gone cold and rainy. Awesome.

As for the comments on my hair. Thank you all so much! So nice of you. I've changed my diet and apparently it's doing wonders for my hair. Both my colorist and stylist commented on how thick my hair has gotten. And I attribute it to the tweaks in my diet - gluten-free as usual, cut out sugar (*shock* *horror* It's not so bad, promise), upped the proteins with nuts, beans, and eggs, and my naturopath (she of the gluten allergy diagnosis) said all my stomach issues have made me deficient in a bunch of vitamins so I'm taking a million pills a day to bring up my vitamins B, D, Omega-3, and other ones I can't even spell. And apparently it's working.

What? You didn't come here to read about my vitamins? You want to know who won? Fine. Y'all are no fun.

The randomly selected winner of the lovely headband is.... first-time commenter APlusB!

Congrats, APlusB! Email me at esquirewearsprada@gmail.com to claim your prize.

[Miami pics to come at some point]

EWP Giveaway!

Since I was leaving you on your own for 5 days and I knew you'd be oh so sad, I thought I'd make it up to you by having a giveaway!

I am beyond obsessed with headbands. They can dress up a boring ponytail in no time flat and can add some flair to any outfit. I love love love headbands and own a million.

Today I thought I'd share my love with one of you dear readers. Today I'm giving away this adorable black headband from Aldo. Techinically it's probably more of a fascinator, but we love fascinators too. Lots of drama, but not so much at the same time. The black tones it down, the details tone it up. It really is to die for.

A close up of the detail just because I like using my macro lens.

And me modeling it for you. But not totally modeling it, I didn't put it on. I didn't want to stretch out the band with my giant head. Have I ever mentioned that my head is ginormous? Because it is.

You will look fantastic in this headband. I promise!

All you have to do to enter is drop a comment and let me know:

Do you dye your hair?

Why do I want to know? I have no idea. Maybe because I decided to try out highlights yesterday (you can see them in the picture, they're totally new!). Maybe because I'm nosey. I dunno. You don't have to answer if you don't want to. Just leave a comment saying I should mind my own business.

Winner will be announced when I get back from sunning myself in Miami.

This giveaway was not sponsored by Aldo. Aside from me going in and buying the occasional accessory, they have no idea who I am. This giveaway was funded out of my own EWP pockets.

Three Cups of Tea Giveaway Winners!

The two EWP-purchased copies of the fabulous book Three Cups of Tea shall go to.....

3PM Cookie Date and Family Snodgrass!

Thanks for entering.

Email me at esquirewearsprada@gmail.com to claim your prizes.

EWP Gift Guide (and a Giveaway!)

This is not a fashion item. *shock* *horror* What's happened to me? But I was just really excited about this book. I know I'm definitely a few years behind the trend on this particular book, but it was no less moving to read now.

The book is Three Cups of Tea, which chronicles the efforts of Greg Mortenson, an American mountain climber who goes on an unlikely mission to open schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Three Cups of Tea was heartwarming, heartbreaking, and all sorts of wonderful.

The message that really struck a chord with me was that we can't fight terror with bombs and guns, but if we really want to obliterate terror, we have to educate and help people in these remote, isolated areas get the tools to care for themselves. Especially the women. I'm all about education for women. I'm also all for secular schools, as a lot of outreach efforts in this area also come with a religious angle. We don't need to convert these people, just educate them.

This book is a great gift to give to someone this holiday season, and a good read for yourself. And, to make things even more exciting, portions of each book sale will go to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Amazon, $7.50

So, this week, I am giving away TWO copies of this book. Just drop a note in the comments on who would you give this book to (you can say yourself).

Contest ends Wednesday.

Mad Men Contest - Winner Finally Announced!!!!!!!!!!!

After reviewing all your wonderful submissions against factors such as my budget post-Spain (that Euro will really kill you), re-wearability, and fabric, I've settled on a winning look.


Congrats to Foodiebia for sending me this navy Maggy London which won the day!

Special honorable mention goes to small&mighty shopper for bringing to my attention that I've really been missing out by not owning any crinoline. I REALLY need some.




So what does Foodiebia win, you ask? Well, Foodiebia gets the biggest prize ever given away here on The Esquire Wears Prada - her very own visit from your fave EWP!

Congrats, Foodiebia! Let's start putting our schedules together!

Mad Men Contest Entry: POPPY

Today we have some more contest entries courtesy of POPPY. POPPY is the one who got me hooked on Etsy, and appropriately she has given us some entries from Etsy. Let's take a look!

Timeless Vixen Vintage, $330* (I think I'm in love!)

Timeless Vixen Vintage, $350

Timeless Vixen Vintage, $330

*EWP Fave

I def heart vintage dresses but am always so worried about fit that I don't ever order them. But these might make me change my mind....

Got your own Mad Men holiday party suggestion for your fave EWP? Let me know: esquirewearsprada@gmail.com

Mad Men Contest Entry: Kate

Reader Kate saw straight to my heart's desire and knew all I wanted in the world is to dress like Trudy Campbell, and sent in the entry below for the "EWP Mad Men Holiday Dressup" Contest. I love love love that full skirt, but am a little unsure of rocking cream at a holiday party full of liquored up guests....

Audrey and Grace, $350

Got a 60s dress that'll make me stand up and cheer? Let me know: esquirewearsprada@gmail.com

Mad Men Contest Entry: Elissa

I am the luckiest EWP ever! These Mad Men Contest entries are totally making my week!!

Today I give you Elissa's entries:

Jones New York, $180

J.Crew, $225

J.Crew, was $285, sale $199.99

Banana Republic, $152

Ann Taylor, $190

Do you have a suggestion for me? Let me know: esquirewearsprada@gmail.com