Happy Tuesday, friends! I’ve got a giveaway update for you today. Lili over at Swanky Chic Fete is hosting a Pencil Shavings Studio giveaway at her blog this week! Hop over and check it out!

Swanky Chic Fete Giveaway

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by makeup artist Bobbi Brown‘s people about their current campaign, Pretty Powerful. The campaign is based around Bobbi’s belief that “women are pretty without makeup but can be pretty powerful with the right makeup.” It centers on the idea that makeup should be used to accentuate and not hide.  I’ve been a Bobbi Brown user for several years (ummm, the shimmer brick, anyone? Prettiest invention ever.) but one of the reasons I like BB is that it’s not branded to one particular age. Bobbi’s all about making women naturally beautiful from age 15 to 95.  They’re also doing a contest to find the next pretty powerful face, including a trip to NYC.

Anyway, they told me that they wanted to talk about who inspires me to be pretty powerful, and I’d have to say that’s my mom. My mom has always encouraged me; she’s been my biggest cheerleader. The past few months have been rough for her because she’s battling vasculitis, a rare and difficult autoimmune disorder. But despite the steroids and other miscellaneous treatments, she’s still lovely and she’s still her, despite the disease.  It’s funny to have the roles reversed a little now – to all of a sudden be the one to take care of your parents when it’s always been the other way around. I hope that I can be an encouragement to her right now when she’s not feeling so hot because she’s definitely been my encouragement at my lowest points when I was battling ulcerative colitis.

Mom was the first person who came to mind when they contacted me and I’m happy to say that not only is Bobbi Brown sending makeup gift bags to my mom and to me, but also to one of my lucky readers. There’s nothing like a new lipstick or eyeshadow to perk you up just a little bit, especially when you’re not feeling your most fabulous, so I’m happy to spread the love around to you guys too!

To enter this giveaway, you have to be a Twitter user. Tweet me @rachshingleton & tell me who your pretty powerful person is using hashtag #prettypowerful.  Oh, & be sure to mention @bobbibrown also in the tweet, if you please.    Edited to add: This giveaway will close on Thursday night at midnight.

There ya have it, darlings!  See you on Twitter!

Be sure and check out Pretty Powerful as well as Bobbi’s blog for more beauty inspiration!

Do you read Pippin+Pearl? I’m totally in love with her paintings — such an exciting use of color and shape!  And this week in honor of her one year blogiversary, she’s doing a giveaway of one of her paintings!

Side note: (ahem) I should so win this because it is MY birthday next week! An appropriate bday pres, non?  So please don’t go over there and spoil my chances to win. Just kidding.  :)   Really, you should check it out – she is one cool Oklahoma girl.