I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately, and it clearly shows by the lack of posts here on this blog. 😐  There are just so many things going on, the girls are driving me crazy (and keeping me plenty busy on top of my other obligations), and I’m so tired all the time that I have fallen asleep while playing with C&A — on more than one occasion, I might add!

Last week, when I saw this Someecard, I let out an exasperated “HA!” because it’s exactly how I’ve been feeling, and I couldn’t decide if the situation was funny or sad.

J even canceled a business trip to Palo Alto because he’s been concerned about me…so there’s also the guilt on top of everything else.

I could moan and groan about the difficulties of life, but it’s nothing new and I know that I don’t have it worse than any other mom of two. And since my recent exhaustion has led to my neglecting this blog and my beloved readers, I’ve decided to host a giveaway. 🙂

Up for grabs is Sephora’s The Summer Starter Kit. I received this by trading in some Beauty Insider Points — I always save my points until something good comes along, and I know that the items in this set are some great ones.

Included in the kit are the following items:

• Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream + Broad Spectrum SPF 40+ (.57 oz)
  
• Lancôme Hypnôse Star Mascara (.068 oz)
• Anastasia Brow Gel – Clear (.085 oz)
• bareMinerals Multi-Wrinkle Repair Serum (.17 oz)
• Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Beauty Balm (.33 oz)
• Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer SPF 15 (.16 oz)

And YES, the cosmetic bag is included! (Normally, I don’t care too much for pouches that come with makeup sets, but even I gotta admit that the design of this bag is pretty chic!)

I know for a fact that ALL the items in this exclusive, limited-edition Summer Starter Kit are popular items from high-end brands. I also know that the Hourglass primer has replaced the Smashbox primer as the HG primer of many makeup artists and gurus!

And, just in case you’re a research fiend like me, here are the links to each individual product:

If you click on over, you will see that ALL have received rave reviews. And while the items in the set are smaller versions of the retail counterparts, this kit would be a great option for anyone who wants to try out any (or all) of these fabulous products before buying.

Now, for the giveaway!

To enter this giveaway, simply use the Rafflecopter widget below. Not sure how to use Rafflecopter? Watch this 52 second video for a tutorial on how to enter a giveaway using Rafflecopter. There are 4 methods of entry, with the first method (commenting on this blog post answering the question “Which product do you like the best from the Sephora Summer Starter Kit?”) being mandatory while the third method (Tweeting about the giveaway) can be used once per day:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, June 25th, 2013, at 12:01am EST, at which point a winner will be randomly chosen and announced here.

Sorry, this giveaway is open only to residents of the U.S. who are over 13 years old.

Please use a valid email address and/or Twitter handle so that I can contact you if you win! If the winner fails to respond within 48 hours of my contacting them, another winner will be selected.

Good luck, and thank you for entering!