kimberlyloc

I’m not very good at regularly applying body lotion. It’s a tedious task (skin is the largest organ, remember?) that takes up a little too much time, so I prefer to get mega moisture in the shower and immediately after. Exfoliating scrubs and body oils have reserved spots in my bathroom, and since my obsession with oils and scrubs commenced a few years ago, I’ve never had softer skin.

Argan oil is one of my secrets to soft skin. Well, secret’s out. For the last Free Stuff Friday post of the month, I’m giving away some of my favorite products from Naturelle d’Argan, one of the leading argan oil brands in France that is just now launching in the U.S.

{You can win this happy trio of Naturelle d'Argan products!}

I use Naturelle d’Argan Body Exfoliant (above, middle) to slough away dead skin cells and energize my body in the morning. I love the softness it brings to my skin thanks to the “liquid gold” of argan oil, which is rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids that restore the skin. It has a light, nutty scent to it that won’t interfere with any other fragrances you may choose to put on after your shower.

I’ve gone through more than half of my Naturelle d’Argan Argan Oil for Face, Body and Hair Care (above, left) quite quickly. It’s the perfect post-shower body oil; it’s fragrance-free and super-moisturizing — a little goes a long way! You can use this on your face before bedtime and as an overnight hair repair treatment (it temporarily seals split ends and soothes the scalp). Truly a simple yet standout product from the line!

This weekend on my mini-vacation, I’m faking a bit of a glow with Naturelle d’Argan Glittering Oil (above, right). It has a similar nutty/sesame smell like the body exfoliant, but with a dash of shimmer. I’m wearing this on my shoulders, chest and temples to bring a little color and light to my winter skin. It’s not a full-on bronzer, though; it just has a hint of temporary, sheer color to add a little healthy flush to your natural skin tone. As with the other products, it’s loaded with argan oil and ultra-moisturizing.

Want to win this trio? All you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below: Where do you plan on or want to travel to in 2012?

For one additional entry in the giveaway, you can “Like” kimberlyloc.com Facebook. Be sure to tell me in the comments section below if you have liked the Facebook page so I can count your vote twice!

Giveaway begins Friday, January 27, 2012, at 12:00 a.m. CST, and closes on Friday, February 3, 2012, at 12:00 a.m. CST.

Sweepstakes Terms and Conditions
1. No purchase necessary. A purchase does not improve your chance of winning. Void where prohibited.
2. Entrant must be 18 years old as of sweepstakes start date and a legal resident of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia as of start date.
3. Sweepstakes begins Friday, January 13, 2012 at 12:00 am CST and ends Friday, January 20, 2012, at 12:00 am CST.
4. Each entrant selected as a potential winner must comply with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all such requirements. Winners will be selected by random drawing. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within fourteen (14) days after the first attempt to contact such potential winner, an alternate entrant will be selected in his or her place from all entries received.
5. Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for lost or mutilated prizes and none will be replaced. Prize is nontransferable and must be accepted as awarded. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by Sponsor(s) in the event that the prize cannot be awarded for any reason, in which case, Sponsor(s) will award a prize of equal or greater value. All taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of winner.

I’m leaving on a jet plane (OK, AirTran) today for a long weekend in the sun.

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to figure out where I’ll be from today until Sunday. You’ll get a full recap on Monday!

And don’t worry, the final free stuff Friday post in celebration of kimberlyloc.com’s bloggerversary will go live at midnight Friday.

Happy (early!) weekend.

{I'll be hanging out here this weekend. Photo Courtesy derekskey}

Local business owners “Stubbie” of E.F. Hobbs Coffee and Renee of Ms. Nene’s Takes the Cake ride around the Kansas City metro in their bright orange truck and brighten office monkeys’ days with a little sugar and plenty of smiles. If you stalk them follow them on Twitter, you can see where they’re headed so you can plan your day accordingly.

Or, if you’re like me, you can tweet them and they might just show up at the front door of your office.

{Those cupcakes from Ms. Nene's Takes the Cake Bakery didn't last long.}

Upon approval from my office’s “Ministry of Fun” (aka spirit committee), CoffeeCakesKC rolled in to the parking lot and met a dozen or so of my cupcake-crazy coworkers and me to feed us red velvet, chocolate mint and chocolate with vanilla buttercream frosting cupcakes. Stubbie stood by to make hot drinks while Renee rounded up the cupcakes, which she sold out of within 10 minutes!

I was able to sample each available flavor of the day and buy an additional chocolate mint cupcake to take home to the teacher man. My coworker got the last red velvet, but offered me a bite for official taste test purposes. I couldn’t refuse.

{I got the red velvet cupcake, with pure white frosting, for my coworker and somehow managed to only eat half of one cupcake while the other two sat on my desk all day. Talk about self-control! Don't worry, though, I ate them with the teacher man later that evening.}

The red velvet cupcake had some pretty tasty frosting, but I was a bit surprised at the cake. It wasn’t as moist as I expected (so many of my online cupcake friends rave about Nene’s!), but I’m wondering if it was a fluke.

{The red velvet cupcake wasn't as moist as I'd expected it to be, but it did have a great, creamy frosting.}

I nibbled on one of the chocolate mint cupcakes at my desk throughout the day. The frosting deserved an A+ for fresh, minty flavor and silky texture, but as with the red velvet, the cake was just a tad bit dry. Nothing a little coffee couldn’t wash down, though.

{The kiss on top was a nice addition to the chocolate mint cupcake's perfect frosting, but I wish the cake was a bit more moist.}

I had a bite of the chocolate cupcake with vanilla buttercream frosting at home with the teacher man. Same verdict. Superb frosting atop cake that needs a bit more oomph.

{Chocolate drizzles atop perfect buttercream frosting makes me happy.}

Though my review is mixed, Ms. Nene’s Takes the Cake is still on my hit-list. The frosting made a big impact on my taste buds, and I’m just too intrigued by the other regular-rotation cupcakes to write off an imperfect batch. I’ve got until March to round up my favorite Kansas City cupcakes for another series with the Cupcake Crusaders — here’s to hoping I can lure the cupcake truck back to work for another taste test!

KC-area peeps who love Nene’s, which flavors should I try next? And who is coming with me? (@angelchrys, I’m talking to you.)

Do you have a mobile cupcakery in your town? How do you feel about food/dessert trucks? Tell me what you think in the comments section!

More than three weeks ago, the world welcomed 2012 with bubbles, sequins and perhaps a few midnight kisses. Today, those of us who have eastern roots that lead back to China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia are celebrating the Lunar New Year (commonly called Chinese New Year) with bright red clothes, loads of tasty food and a little extra green in our pockets.

This is one of my favorite holidays, and I love sharing the tradition with the ones I love. On Friday, the teacher man and I headed to my hometown to visit with family and friends and celebrate the year of the dragon, one of the luckiest signs of the Chinese zodiac. We stayed up late with cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews, friends and my mom playing games, eating traditional foods and drinking beer, all from the comfort of a home that was decked out in holiday decor.

Here’s a few scenes from my new year’s eve part 2 weekend. Gung Hay Fat Choy and Chuc Mung Nam Moi to all!

{My mom, the teacher man, my nephew and I went to the public library for a small lion dance/dragon dance on Saturday. So happy to see a diverse group of people in Bentonville, Arkansas, come out to experience a fun tradition!}

{One of my favorite parts of Chinese New Year celebrations is getting red envelopes filled with "lucky money" to start the new year off right. I especially loved this envelope with the adorable little kids on the front!}

{Family-style meals make me happy. We had two hot pots of vegetables and seafood along with various noodles, rice, Asian-style barbecued pork and more to munch on Saturday night.}

How was your weekend? Do anything fun? Cheers to a prosperous new year and a great week!

NOTE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

I’m heading home to see my family this weekend. My mom is way more of a minimalist than I am, so I like to pack travel beauty kits even for a quick trip to my home state to ensure I have all my skin care needs covered.

One travel kit that I’m loving right now is Eminence’s Stone Crop Collection Tube. It’s a set of five tiny yet mighty products that feature stone crop juice to amp up hydration and balance.

{Eminence's Stone Crop Collection Tube retails for $59 and contains four sample sizes of products and a full-size serum. Photo Courtesy Eminence}

The stone crop plant is a succulent (check it out here), which means it has fleshy leaves that retain a lot of botanical water — somewhat of a miracle ingredient for thirsty skin. Eminence harnesses the power of stone crop in the form of a gel wash, hydrator, mask, whipped moisturizer and serum.

I like to use these products once I’m settled in after a trip, no matter how long or short, so my blotchy, stressed skin can relax and repair. I’ve also turned the teacher man on to this unisex product, so be assured that it’s not overly girly like most things on my blog can be!

Want to try Eminence’s Stone Crop Collection Tube? I’m giving one away in celebration of bloggerversary month!

To enter for a chance to win, all you have to do is answer this question in the comments field below: What one thing, beauty or non-beauty related, do you always have to take with you trips?

For one additional entry, “like” kimberlyloc on Facebook and remember to mention that in your comment below!

Have a happy Friday!

Sweepstakes Terms and Conditions
1. No purchase necessary. A purchase does not improve your chance of winning. Void where prohibited.
2. Entrant must be 18 years old as of sweepstakes start date and a legal resident of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia as of start date.
3. Sweepstakes begins Friday, January 20, 2012 at 12:00 am CST and ends Friday, January 27, 2012, at 12:00 am CST.
4. Each entrant selected as a potential winner must comply with all terms and conditions set forth in these Official Rules, and winning is contingent upon fulfilling all such requirements. Winners will be selected by random drawing. If a potential winner cannot be contacted within fourteen (14) days after the first attempt to contact such potential winner, an alternate entrant will be selected in his or her place from all entries received.
5. Sponsor(s) is/are not responsible for lost or mutilated prizes and none will be replaced. Prize is nontransferable and must be accepted as awarded. No cash or other substitution may be made, except by Sponsor(s) in the event that the prize cannot be awarded for any reason, in which case, Sponsor(s) will award a prize of equal or greater value. All taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of winner.