Shopping Blog - Pocket Change from Become.com

Sign up for Style and win a $50 Sephora eGift Certificate

Linda — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:35:17 +0000

Become.com is proud to announce our Sign Up for Style contest, sponsored by Sephora! Sephora is one of the names to know in fashion and beauty, so we’re thrilled to have them kick off of our newest contest with us—and just in time for Valentine’s Day!

We’re excited about this contest and hope you are, too! Enter now for a chance to win one of four (4) $50 eGift Certificates redeemable for any and all products at the Sephora.com online store. 4 lucky winners will get to go on a $50 shopping spree this February. Start your 2010 makeover or give the gift of beauty to a loved one this Valentine’s Day.

The name of the game is beauty, and here are 2 ways to enter to win:

Sign up for the Be in Style RSS feed (top right) and stay up-to-date on fashion and future contests. NOTE: All RSS subscriptions must be verified by emailing blog@become.com.

Submit a comment to this blog post talking about your favorite Sephora buy and why it’s been on your mind ever since (for example, if you bought Vera Wang’s Princess fragrance at Sephora and it’s become your signature scent, let us know!). As always, enter a valid email address so we can contact you if you win!

Double your chances by both subscribing to the RSS feed AND submitting a comment as each will be counted as a separate entry. 2 chances to win, 2 chances to score big! We’ll randomly draw a winner each Friday for the next 4 weeks starting February 5th at 10am PST so sign up soon—these Sephora gift cards are hot!

And who’s won so far?

Week #1 Winner: Jen who said:

I finally found my signature scent when I bought D&G’s 3 L’Imperatrice a couple months ago from Sephora! I told a girl who worked there what I liked and it was one of her last suggestions. PERFECTION and the very first perfume that I really feel connected to!

We love how you found your perfect perfume with the help of a Sephora sales associate. They are so friendly and helpful aren’t they? Check your email and enjoy your $50 eGift Certificate courtesy of Sephora.com!

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Please continue to comment and subscribe. All viable entries will be considered for all future drawings! So once you win 1 drawing, you will be disqualified for future drawings . You can check out our contest guidelines before entering.

Stay tuned for your chance to win, and keep watching for more exciting news from our blog! You could be one of four lucky winners!

Shop Sephora with over 13,000 products from over 200 of your favorite brands like Bare Escentuals, Dior, Clinique, Philosophy, Smashbox and more. Get FREE shipping on orders over $50, 3 FREE samples of your choice with every order, and FREE and easy returns.

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Cooking just got easier with the NuWave Pro Infrared Oven

Anirudh Annam — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:12:34 +0000

Cooking has never been as easy or as quick as it has become now that we have NuWave Pro Infrared Ovens. The counter-top infrared oven cooks food exceptionally well and it does so in far less time that regular conventional ovens. The NuWave Pro Infrared Oven can perfectly cook frozen chicken breast in less than 30 minutes with the outside browned well and the inside moist and soft. The oven cooks quickly and neatly. The oven is especially effective at cooking meats and poultry. It does a great job of cooking other foods as well and the cooking chart that comes with it is incredibly accurate. The oven is made of high quality material and the plastic is high temperature resistant.

The oven cooks very fast and it is very easy to clean. It is very durable and it can be used everyday for daily cooking. The NuWave Digital Pro Infrared Oven quickly and easily cooks food while keeping them moist on the inside, crisp and browned on the outside without using any fats or oils. It cooks almost twice as fast as conventional ovens without preheating or defrosting. The oven employs a patented method of cooking; it utilizes infrared, conduction and convection to cook faster and heat more evenly. It also has additional cooking methods such as: barbeque, roast, broil, bake, dehydrate, steam, grill, and air fry. It also reduces energy consumption. The oven comes with an extender ring kit which includes a 3 extender ring, 2 stainless steel cooking racks, and 10 micro ceramic backing pans. So get yourself one of these ovens and start whipping up delicious dishes!

Guest Blogger: Anirudh

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Hit the outdoors in style with Patagonia Clothing

Anirudh Annam — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:00:24 +0000

Patagonia Clothing is a brand internationally associated with outdoor clothing. They offer clothes for skiers, campers, surfers, and hikers. Patagonia can be considered a designer brand for adventure lovers. Their clothing has the sporty yet classy look that is difficult to achieve in outdoor adventure clothing. Patagonia clothing mixes form and function for the right blend of beauty and utility. Patagonia Jackets combine reliable protection from the weather and lasting comfort. They are waterproof, breathable and are perfect for hiking and trekking. They come in comfort fit sizes for men and women and are perfectly engineered to keep you warm and comfortable even in windy weathers during journeys across the wilderness. Their fleece jackets are some of the most widely worn apparel for adventure lovers. The R2 jacket for women is stylish and light weight. It keeps you warm and comfortable without the excessive bulk padding that is common in mountain jackets. The fabric is light, stretchy, compressible, and has a matte finish. It is an excellent jacket for women.

For men, the Patagonia R4 fleece jacket is a great option. This light-weight jacket has a unique combination of stretchy fabrics. It has a micro-fleece shell to help retain body heat. The jacket also has a layer of Windbloc laminate to stop cold blasts from hitting the core of the body. On the inside is the famous Patagonia Clothing R1 grid patterned polyester that efficiently wicks your sweat.

Patagonia is a major contributor to environmental groups. It gives away 10% of its profit to environmental groups. They have donated over $25 million to more than 1000 organizations. So when you are buying Patagonia clothing, you are contributing towards a better future for our world. So hit the outdoors in style with Patagonia clothing and feel good doing it!

Guest Blogger: Anirudh

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Engraved heart necklaces are perfect for all the women in your life

Runa — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:16:01 +0000

Who is most likely to receive an engraved heart necklace? When asked this question, instinctively most people would reply, “Wife/Girlfriend”. However if you ponder over the issue, you would realize that a heart symbolizes love. So, ideally a necklace with a heart pendant with your special message engraved in it, could be gifted to any lady who is close to your heart. You could gift it to your mom, sister, daughter, niece, grandchild, grandmother, aunt, or best friend. Here are four unique engraved necklaces with heart pendants, each having a special message.

Mothers Heart Envelope Engraved Message Pendant

This unique envelope shaped stainless steel pendant is suspended on a 20″ ball chain. It has the word “Mom” written on it. The envelope pendant opens to reveal a heart-shaped letter in which you can get your special message to your mother engraved!

Sterling Silver Memorial Heart Engraved Pendant with Diamond Accent

This elegant sterling silver pedant with a golden tribute design lies on a 20″ link chain. This design represents the loss of a loved one. The bail of the pendant is adorned with a genuine diamond. You can engrave one name at the back of the pendant.

Breakable Personalized Sterling Silver “Best Friends” Necklace

Are you ready to give a piece of your heart to your friend? This pretty silver necklace disconnects into two separate necklaces – each with half of the breakable heart. Gift one part of the necklace to your best friend and wear the other one yourself! One part of the heart has the word “Best” engraved on it while the other has “Friend” engraved on it. Your names can be engraved at the back of the pendant.

Engraved Birthstone Heart Charm Pendant

This golden necklace with a heart shaped pendant accented with a brilliant Austrian crystal birthstone, can be gifted to any special lady. You can engrave her name on the pendant. It comes with a 20″ rope chain that has a lobster claw clasp and a 3″ extender.

All ladies love jewelry. So the next time you want to give a lady close to your heart a personalized gift, just opt for an engraved heart necklace.

Guest Blogger: Runa

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Smell sweet with Gwen Stefani Perfumes

Runa — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:31:54 +0000

Gwen Stefani perfumes are perfect for a teenagers or tween girls, or just those who are still very young at heart! I am sure that when Gwen Stefani,the lead singer of No Doubt, was approached by Coty to make a perfume line she wouldn’t have dreamt that she would be launching six perfumes in a span of two years!

Stefani’s first perfume, “L LAMB Perfume”, christened after her solo album, L.A.M.B, was launched in 2007. It is a floral perfume with a citrusy touch. It has top notes of sparkling green freshness, leafy water hyacinth, white freesia, fresh pear, and violet leaves. This light, clean, and fresh smelling fragrance is ideal for day wear.

Stefani introduced five perfumes at one go in 2008! These perfumes reflect the different personalities of the four Harajuku Girls–her back-up dancers and herself. The Harajuku Lovers collection has five distinct perfumes namely, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, and G. Each of these perfumes comes in bottle that is in the shape of a Japanese doll. These dolls are all dressed in styles that are inspired by Gwen’s dresses. The packaging is sure to appeal to all young girls.

Love has a floral fragrance with the top notes of sparkling bergamot, peach, bamboo mist, sensual musk and blond wood. It has a distinct smell of vanilla too. This subtle perfume reminds you of the smell of spring.

Angel is a sweet smelling fruity perfume with a blend of raspberry, cranberry, blackberry, pineapple and lollipop. It is perfect for those who love to smell as sweet as candy.

Music is a delicate perfume with notes of clementine, sparkling pear, jasmine sambac, sweet pea and honeysuckle. Bring in the freshness of flowers with you, when you put on this perfume.

Baby is a musky fragrance with a hint of flowers. It is a blend of freesia, soft woods, vanilla and violet.

G ( for Gwen) is a tropical perfume that reminds you of the sun and the sand! It has notes of crisp mandarin, fresh coconut and apple skin.

If you are planning to get yourself a Gwen Stefani perfume or as a gift to someone else, be sure to see which of them suits the personality of the wearer. These high quality perfumes last long and are quite reasonable for a celebrity perfume. It’s a great way to smell sweet, especially on Valentines Day!

Guest Blogger: Runa

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Add some romance to your Valentine’s Day decorating

Linda — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:00:26 +0000

These tips are simple and easy, requiring almost no time, and items you may already have around your house. Don’t worry about red and pink not matching the rest of your home’s décor. This holiday is more fleeting than Christmas, so it won’t affect your overall decorating scheme.

Instead of dining where you always do, choose a new spot. Move a small table in front of the fireplace or into the center of your living room. If the weather permits where you live, go out onto a porch, patio or deck. A beautiful view, whether mountains, city lights, or the stars will add an ambiance that no amount of decorating can top.
Create a romantic atmosphere with music wafting through the room. Dim the lights or turn them off, use the glow of candles to not only enhance the romance factor, but to add that attractive glow to your own face.
When setting your Valentine table, use your good linens, dishes, silverware and glasses. A small vase of flowers and candles on top of a mirror placed in the center of your table will reflect the candlelight as well as the flowers.
No fireplace, no problem. Get the “Ambient Fire: Ultimate Video Fireplace” for 10.99 at Amazon.com, with 9 different fireplace scenes to fit your mood.
Scatter rose petals or heart-shaped confetti over the table’s surface to add to the décor and romance of your meal.
Drape clear, white, or pink bead garlands in your chandelier. The clear beads will reflect the light adding that starlight quality to your surroundings.
Visit Omahasteak.com, or visit your local stores, for prepared meals that only need heating up in the oven. Or arrange for a take-out meal for two from your favorite restaurant. Not having to spend hours on preparation will allow you to have a more relaxed evening.

With everyone strapped for time these days, you can offer your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or significant other a romantic, enjoyable, and relaxing evening. What other way to show someone you love them then to take the time to make an otherwise standard dinner a romantic affair!

Guest Blogger: Kathy Passarette (creativehomeexpressions.com)

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Beat the winter blues with a winter coat

Xenia.shih@become.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:12:19 +0000

If you hadn’t already heard, famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow last week, subjecting us all to another 6 weeks of winter. Since Phil is off-duty for another year, there will be no re-predictions regarding the end of this season. However, there are ways to stay toasty and still look cute until the first signs of green start to appear.

Recently, Lauren Conrad was photographed in a darling yellow swing coat that has gotten all sorts of rave reviews online. If you’re in the market for a new winter coat, take a moment to look up a photo of Miss Conrad for inspiration. Not only is the bright color a reminder of the warm, sunny days to come (sooner than later, hopefully), but it is roomy enough to fit layer upon layer of clothing underneath.

A swing coat is always a good choice for a winter coat. It can be worn casually over jeans, but is also appropriate over more formal outfit choices. Most swing coats fall at about waist length, flattering all body types while protecting your mid-section from the winter cold. Also, swing coats come in a variety of colors — from basic black to lively red — as well as in patterns like plaid for the more adventurous. So even if you’re wearing a frumpy made-for-below-zero sweater underneath, you can look put-together every time you step out your front door. As long as you don’t take off your coat.

Stay warm,
Xenia

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DIY fashion

Xenia.shih@become.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 23:17:13 +0000

Lately I’ve been really into the whole DIY look. Handmade jewelry, self-deconstructed dresses, one-of-a-kind handbags — I think they’re all adorable. Apparently, so do high-end designers, as Fendi bags will be introducing a limited edition DIY version of their Baguette Mezzo Punto this spring. The bag comes with an embroidering kit so that you can customize your heart out. Unfortunately, I realized long ago that my love for all things handmade is probably due to the fact that I am completely incapable of such creativity. Luckily for people like me, there are baby steps you can take to fake a one-of-a-kind look in your daily wardrobe.

Take, for example, this simple tank dress. Cute, but plain. Why not cinch the waist with a wide leather belt or add some color with a strategically tied ribbon? For chillier days, try adding layers — a pretty slip peeking out from beneath, a cropped jacket to ward away goose bumps.

If you’re determined to have a truly one-of-a-kind piece, many independent designers are happy to customize jewelry, clothing, handbags, or whatever pieces your heart desires to your liking. Doing an online search for “custom (insert noun here)” or one-of-a-kind (whatever)” is a good start for locating such designers. If you’re feeling creative, there are websites that allow you to “build” your own dress by putting the choices of cut, fabric, and other such details in your hands.

Of course, if you’re feeling especially creative, you can start from scratch and create a masterpiece by hand. I, however, will stick to faking it (for now).

Cheers,
Xenia

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Dell mini netbook for portability

Anil — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:00:25 +0000

It’s no secret that laptop these days are getting smaller and slimmer. Whether it was Victoria Beckham who inspired the trend of “slim” laptops is still uncertain. There actually came a point where manufacturers couldn’t reduce the size further without having to scale down the configuration. So to counter that problem, they came up with a whole new segment of laptops, and there you go, the birth of a netbook. Netbooks are a branch of notebooks which are extremely small, light, and inexpensive. Netbooks are ideally suited for general computing and office usage. Due to their increasing popularity almost all laptop manufacturers entered into the netbook market. Among all of these netbooks available in the market the Dell netbook stands head over heels above the rest. Its artistic designs and specific colors make it very attractive to look at. This netbook comes with loads of features. For starters, the built-in mobile broadband option eliminates the need to install external mobile broadband devices or run around for Wi-Fi hot spots. It also boasts of a Global Positioning System option which would help people like me with hardly any sense of direction from getting lost. This laptop brags of 5 hours (yes I was shocked too!!) of video playback which is outstanding. The multimedia capabilities are pretty good as well. It comes with a 10-inch hi-definition LCD monitor which makes movie viewing a memorable experience. The sleek design and light weight add to the experience when you’re on the go.

Among other Dell netbooks, the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v netbook is particularly popular. This netbook comes with an Intel Atom processor on a GMA 500 chipset which is more that sufficient to satisfy your need for processing power. It also has a 10.3-inch hi-definition monitor which has a 1,366×768 native resolution. If by any chance you’re not satisfied with the size of the screen there is a HDMI port that can be connected to a HD TV anywhere. The trendy design of this netbook makes it very popular among students.

So if you’re looking to buy a netbook loaded with amazing features, good build quality, trendy designs and that wont break the bank your should buy the Dell Mini Netbook.

Guest Blogger: Anil

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Khombu boots help keep the winter cold away

Become — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:50 +0000

Your favorite Khombu boots are back for the season again! Famous for their smart poise and warm comfort, they are always a must-have during winter season. The perfect choice for those who are wanting a rugged look. These boots are the perfect everyday winter footwear. Beautifully made and elegantly designed, the khombu boots will leave you wondering which one to have!

Khombu Highland Chocolate Boots

Classy yet functional, with the Khombu Highland boots you will never have to worry when the temperature dips. Its triple stitched for additional moisture protection. The sole is Thermolite cushioned to keep your feet dry and protected with every step. With an 8.50 or a 9 shaft height and a general circumference of 15.25, it’s rigorous and durable rubber also keeps the odor away.

Khombu Treeline Boots

With its chic flurry collar, the Khombu Treeline boots are a sure win-win for you and your wardrobe. And the best part is, it’s rated to withstand -20 degrees Fahrenheit. It has an approximate 14 inch shaft height and its boot opening measures around 15. The in-sole is anti-fungal and anti-odor. The outer sole is of dual density, making it waterproof and weatherproof.

Khombu Bungee Boots

These boots are sporty and sleek and will keep your feet warm in the coldest of weather. Made of leather and a 10 inch zippered shaft, they have a 5 inch diameter fur collar. The Khombu Bungee boots are weatherproof. Available with a slip resistant rubber sole and two sporty colors, they are bound to trudge through all the winter elements.

Guest Blogger: Hina

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