It's been said a woman's power is in her hair, but I think it's in her handbag. After all, we carry our lives in our bags, be they Birkins or, like me, a mini neon messenger from Old Navy. Right now, I'm into the tiniest of totes as there's something really liberating about traveling light with a hands-free crossbody bag. It fits my Stephanie Johnson wallet in magenta and gold Bollywood print; my iPhone decked out in peach polka dots; and my Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in a fruit-punch pink that's perfect for spring. These are the everyday essentials that power my day.

Now, ELLE and Revlon have partnered to create a designer bag full of the colorful summer essentials that keep you powering through your day, and they're dropping it in mystery locations across the country for a few lucky readers to find!

"Like" Revlon on Facebook for clues and a chance to win a designer bag with all of the must-haves inside worth $3,000. Visit Facebook.com/Revlon for all the details.


FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain featured in this post free of charge. Opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I mentioned this in one of my weekly link round-ups, but in case you missed it, Lauren Conrad has launched a collection of eco-friendly accessories called XO(eco) with Austin-based company Blue Avocado. The XO(eco) collection includes nearly 20 stylish pouches made from recycled plastic bottle fabric powered by REPREVE® fibers which are designed to reduce waste and conserve natural resources.

Lauren designed each product and print, from a black and white café stripe to an adorable bird print (a recurring theme in her work). There are food-on-the-go bags (grown-up lunchboxes, basically), as well as travel and cosmetic storage accessories. I love the see-through makeup bag that can easily pull out of your suitcase when you're going through airport security, and the hot iron pouch which can store your hair tools even while hot (although I'd still probably let them cool down a bit before stashing them away, just to be safe).

Priced from approximately $9.99 to $69.99, the xo(eco) line is a totally affordable way to go green(er). You can watch the video above to hear LC talk about her new line, and shop the entire collection over at Amazon.com.

Summertime is nowhere near over, which means there's still time to soak up the sun, eat outside whenever possible and spruce up your style with bright colors and nourishing beauty products. My latest summertime essential for doing just that: Vaseline Total Moisture in Aloe Fresh. Now better than ever, Vaseline Total Moisture feels good on skin, while doing good for skin. Women no longer have to choose between a lotion that's all about looks or serious moisture - this non-greasy lotion with a light scent has the best of both worlds, combining pure aloe and Stratys-3 multi-layer moisture complex that leaves skin feeling healthy, light and fresh. Three words that sum up summer!

Here, some of my other summertime favorites:

UPDATE 8/16/12: We have our giveaway winners! Picked at random, the winners are: #33 Tina, #81 donna k, #90 Ria #4 Tara , #100 j and #47 Cheyenne! Please check your email for further instructions from me on how to claim your prize. Congrats to our winners and thanks to everyone who entered, I'm glad I'm not the only lotion hoarder out there

Please note: The giveaway portion of this post has ended and is now closed to further entries.

Did you know that over one-third of women admit to having more than 20 products stored in their medicine cabinet? For me, the number is much, much higher. Recently I had the chance to test drive a new product that has helped me cut down on at least one category of beauty products, namely, lotions. Almost one-fourth of women say they own more than four lotions, and I think I counted at least 13 in my own cabinet (granted, I'm a blogger, but still. A bit unnecessary LOL).

Vaseline Total Moisture is the only lotion you need because it feels good on skin and does good for skin. Sometimes women feel they have to make a tradeoff between a lotion that feels good, or one that works well - but Vaseline Total Moisture does both.

I've been using Vaseline Total Moisture on all my nooks and crannies, from my hands down to the my feet, and have found it delivers a clean feeling formula that leaves my skin feeling healthy and soft. The oat variety combines pure oat extract and Stratys-3 multi-layer moisture complex for 24 hour moisturization that never feels greasy and won't wash off easily (say, when you wash your hands). I like the light fragrance that doesn't linger and the bright, cheerful packaging that my husband won't be afraid to use, either!

Vaseline Total Moisture is affordable, too, available in three sizes: 3 ox ($1.99), 10 oz ($3.99), 20.3 oz ($6.99) and 32 oz ($7.79).

I couldn't just rave about something without sharing, so I'm excited to be able to offer a fun giveaway for 5 lucky readers!

To enter: Tell me how many lotions you have in your own medicine cabinet in the comments section below.

The prize: Five (5) lucky winners will each receive one prize package, each including one (1) 10 oz. bottle of Vaseline Total Moisture, plus other fab beauty goodies.

Good luck!

Keep reading to take a tour of my de-cluttered medicine cabinet...