Henry and Belle Giveaway!

Have you heard of Henry and Belle jeans?

I hadn't, but after one pair of perfectly fitting skinnies (I have these), learning more about the business model, and meeting some of the awesome people who work there, I am sold.

The Henry and Belle story starts with a real life Chicago couple in the early 1930s - Henry, the designer and Belle, his model and muse. It's a story founded on love, and if that weren't charming enough, Belle gave up modeling to focus on philanthropy, which remains a core focus for the company today (click here for more).

I was able to tour the Henry and Belle warehouse and meet Megan, the Director or Sales and Merchandising, in person. I loved seeing the Fall style boards (below) and the fabric samples, and Megan was a delight to work with.

Since receiving my pair of Lila Skinny in Royal (here), I have been wearing them nonstop. They are the softest, most comfortable, and most flattering pair of jeans I own - no joke.

James Roy Photograpy

And now for the really exciting part: Henry and Belle is giving away a pair of jeans to a lucky ANC reader! 

Just follow the Rafflecopter steps below to enter. The giveaway will run until Monday, January 27 at 12:00AM. A winner will be notified on Tuesday, January 28. Henry and Belle will manage fulfillment and shipping of the giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Lila Skinny jeans were provided by Henry and Belle. All opinions expressed herein are my own. 

Introducing Wantable

Have you heard about Wantable? Wantable is a subscription service offering full-sized, premium beauty products and fashion accessories.

I  hadn't heard about the company, but the good folks at Wantable offered to send me a box and were curious to hear my thoughts. Here's the low down:

How does it work?

Wantable creates a customer profile for you by asking a series of product and personality questions and then using the data to introduce you to products perfectly suited to your taste.

What's different than other subscription services?

Wantable sends full-size, premium beauty products and personalized, on-trend fashion accessories based on your personality and style.

What's inside the box?

4-5 full-sized beauty products or 3-4 boutique accessories hand-picked to match your preferences.

How much does it cost?

You can choose from a one-time purchase for $40 or to subscribe for $36. Subscriptions are monthly and can be paused or canceled at anytime, no strings attached.

The verdict?
I was impressed with the speed of delivery and the professional packaging. I also found their website easy to navigate and the style quiz thorough and fun to fill out.

My box contained 5 full-sized makeup products and 1 sample and retailed over $80. While I didn't recognize most of the brands, the products are high quality were in definitely in line with my style - the color palette in particular was pretty spot on for what I would purchase off the shelf.

I would love to see an option to receive all-natural or non-toxic products, but maybe that's something they'll add in the future?

Bottom line: if you're looking to treat yourself (or a friend) and discover new products and brands, Wantable might just be what you're looking for!

James Roy Photography

HANAair Professional Hair Dryer product review

when the good people at Missiko Beauty offered to send me the italian-designed HANAair Professional Hair Dryer to review, i realized that i have been using the same cheap deryer for almost a decade. it was time to try something new/made in the 21st century.

i was thrilled to try one of the best professional hair dryers by the experts at HANA Salon because honestly, i have never owned any professional hair products or styling tools. i've never been particularly good at doing my own hair and i thought my blowouts were as good as they were ever going to get with one of my recent beauty finds.

until...this beauty showed up on my doorstep.

i have been using the HANAair for about two months now and after several uses, i am hooked. my hair has never looked sleeker or shinier. no more fly-aways (which has always been a big problem for me) and my hair dries super quickly. and well, i just feel fancy using it!

and just look at all the goodies that came with it!

 photography by james roy

PROS

• super sleek, shiny finish
• extra long cord (12')
• appealing, professional design

CONS

• weight - the dryer is hefty compared to the grocery store fare

thank you, Missiko Beauty! oh, and ANC readers, you can check out Missiko Beauty on facebook here.

product review: korres

as promised, i will be reviewing the non-toxic beauty products i recently purchased, and to start off with, i give you my new favorite line...

i had intially purchased the body butter and shower gel after hearing about the antiageing primer via victoria and kathy, but after immediately loving both, i decided to try the makeup line as well.

anthens-based korres makes natural skin-care products by blending science and homeopathy. you can read more about the company here, but my favorite products so far are the quercetin and oak antiageing foundation and primer, the body butter and shower gel.

what i wasn't such a big fan of was tarte's tinted moisturizer, which has been reformulated into a BB cream, and now contains a primer. it felt heavy on my skin and i wasn't a fan of the texture. i tried korres antiageing foundation as an alternative and i love it! which is something because other than performances, i have never used foundation. i have always used a tinted moisturizer, finding foundations to be too heavy for everyday wear.

below are my thoughts on each of the products and would love to hear if you have tried any of the korres line!

korres antiageing primer
- lightweight
- does not make my skin feel tight after applying, like other primers
- noticeably smoother application with both korres foundation and my current laura mercier tinted moisturizer

korres antiageing foundation
- lightweight, buildable color
- does not look caked on, but provides more coverage than typical tinted moisturizer
- skin feels smooth and supple after application
- wears well all day

korres body butter
- texture is somewhere between a lotion and cream
- takes a bit more muscle to rub it in for full absorption
- skin feels soft all day without being greasy
- favorite scents are yogurt and basil lemon

korres showergel
- lathers well
- a little goes a long way
- favorite scent is basil lemon

tarte bb tinted moisturizer
- felt heavy and a bit sticky on application
- did not blend as easily as i'd like