Jewels By Jessica: From Vintage Comes Cool Jewels

I came across a new jewelry etailer through The Switchboards called Jewels by Jessica, and this stuff is really unique. Jessica, who is from Greece, takes Vintage items and turns them into jewelry box treasures. She uses such items as Vintage beads, plastic flowers, cameos, filigree and more. Each piece just looks so unique and cool. I've seen Vintage stuff before but this is chic and funky at the same time.

Take this bracelet..please before I buy it! She uses these Vintage plastic flowers and set them on a bronze bracelet. It's so bright and lighthearted and only $25.

These earrings play a bit more on the feminine side. You've got Vintage glass beads combined with these Vintage Celluloid flower clusters. And, you can even choose between pink or these turqoise beads. These run for $28.

Then there's her necklaces and pendants. I'm kind of a sucker for Cameos, probably because I don't own one. I always seem to want what I don't have....typical. She uses this Resin cameo with Vintage filligree and glass beads. Now, I don't want Flamingos on my lawn but I would not mind in the least having these Flamingos around my neck. This one costs $38.

The necklaces and pendants run from $18 on up to $68 depending on the Vintage items used. Bracelets from about $25 to $48. There are also earrings and rings as well as pins on her site.

Very unique and fascinating pieces. You'll find the feminine to the funky at Jewels by Jessica.

September Little Black Box

Today my mailman brought me my September Little Black Box. So this has been a week of sampler boxes.

Here's my take from the Little Black Box this time:

Frost Fish Cove Soaps
20% off coupon, orange ginger soap and a vegan Apricot Plum Lip Balm

Anne Lee's
Bulgarian Lavender Soap (full size)

Alchemille's Garden
Timeless Tea sample and 15% off $30 coupon

Cottage Hill Creations
Wildberry Zinger Hand Sanitizer and 15% off coupon

Four Seasons Fragrance
Sensual Autumn perfume sample and a half price special on a Perfume Sample Vial collection coupon.

Capella's Garden Soap Co.
Goats Milk Soap and 20% off coupon

The Serene Dream Shop
10% off coupon, a very cool pen and a Downey Water Lily & Jasmine Turtle shaped soap sample

Juniper Tree Naturally
Chocolate Butter Cream Lip Balm and a BOGO coupon for bath bombs

Karess Krafters
10% coupon and Body Butter sample in Lovely

Craftheart (etsy)
15% coupon and a mini crocheted face scrubbie

Bead Patterns 4 You
Chain drop earrings pattern

Texas Scentsations
25% coupon, Flat Rose Votive in Mango Papaya, a Texas shaped tart in Cantalope and Melon and a heart shaped guest soap in Peaches N Cream

Just Peachy Candles & Soaps
Iced Lemon Danish Soap

Chunky Butt Candles
Body frosting samples in Seven Layer Bars and Sugar Cookier and a 10% off coupon

Cheryl's Candles
15% coupon and a huge sampler pack of tarts in various shapes and scents.

Paradise Cosmetics
$5 off of $50, a tea light in Yuzu, Body Butter sample in Tahitian Vanilla and a flip flop sopa in Palm Island.

This was a really good take for a Little Black Box. I had samples that just couldn't fit in the black box and were in the main shipping box. Plus some of these coupons were really good. I try to keep an eye on the sampler box sites to see what etailers are going to be in them. I try hard to buy a box when there are several new to me etailers contributing and this box had several etailers that I hadn't tried yet. Looking forward to it!

Celebrating 3 Years

I just wanted to congratulate Lindsay of Lindsay's Candles & Stuff on her third anniversary! 3 years is quite a feat for an Indie etailer and if I could put in an applause soundbite in this post I would.

Lindsay was a contestant in my Best of Sugar Scrubs contest and, even though she didn't win, she was very interested in constructive insight on her scrub. I've only tried her scrub but there are a few things on her site I've set my eyes on..like her 10 Minute Facial Treatment and I can always handle some more Whipped Body Butter!!!

So, please join me in congratulating Lindsay on her 3 years of hard and rewarding work as an Indie Etailer. Visit her site, Lindsay's Candles & Stuff, and you can get 33% off by using the coupon 3years. 33% is quite a generous discount for an Indie Etailer so this is her gift to you!

The Mask

I love a good mask, the facial mask kind. It not only makes your skin feel good and your face look better, it scares the husband off so you can have some time to yourself.

Ok, seriously...I've tried many a mask from spas to walmart and they've all been ok. But again most of them have a bunch of chemicals in them. I like the ones like Burts Bees has where you have to mix it with water and then put it on your face. Those seem to work really well for my skin.

A while ago, Elementals began selling masks. I was of course interested as I always am when an Indie etailer sells something new and different. So, I bought her Anti Acne Willow & Tea Tree Peel Off Facial Mask. Even though I'm 35 (yes a woman honestly telling her age), I still get zits and blackheads. I know, it sucks but what are you going to do. Anyway, so I'm always looking for something to help my pores (some are large and I hate that too but genetics and years of abuse has cursed me to suffer). I really like this mask. It comes in a zippy bag so you can seal it up when you're done. It's a powder and you just add water and mix it around and then smooth it on your face. It's a grey color and that's good because it's not as intense as those green ones, yet it still scares the husband off lol. In about 10-15 minutes, it's all dry and ready for peeling! Don't go beyond that 15 minutes though or you will have a hard time peeling it off and will have to resort to warm water and a washcloth. It usually peels off in nice big chunks, I have yet to be able to get it off in one piece but so what. It's cool to see your skin imprint on the reverse side when you peel it off...I know ewwwww, you think I'm gross and that's ok. I can live with that.

After I peel as much as I can off then I basically rinse with warm water till it's all off (hint: avoid getting it in your eyebrows...it's not easy to get out of hair). My skin feels tightened and refreshed. It leaves no oily residue and yet it doesn't dry my face out either. The Willow leaves in the mask have a natural saliycilic acid, which is the most common ingredient in anit-acne medications now. It also has the tea tree oil which is great at getting rid of oily skin and is also anti-bacterial.

It costs about $5.50 for a 2 ounce pouch (I've gotten a few uses out of it and still have some more). There are several other types of masks for different skin issues. There's an anti-aging one, one for rosacea and even for feet and legs. Go on over to Elementals and take a look at the masks. I haven't seen any facial masks on any other Indie etailer site yet so it's worth a look.

The September Lemming Central Box

I meant to post on this yesterday..but I had a migraine all day and just couldn't do anything. I hate days like that.

Anyway, I got my Lemming Central September Sampler Box the other day and this one was fantastic. I got a lot of great samples from etailers I haven't yet tried and there were some really good coupons in there too.

Rain Barrel Soap
Oat Bran Soap Sample

Makeup Junky Cosmetics
Lip Gloss sample in Viva Natural and 2 mineral makeup samples
Plus a 25% off coupon!

Things That Make Scents
2 Tarts in Great Pumpkin and Witches Brew
Plus a 20% off coupon!

Hollyrose Aromatherapy
Lavender Salve adn a 15% off coupon.

D & K Candles and Gifts
A tea light candle in Birthday cake scent and a 20% off coupon.

Ablutions Spa
Red Raspberry See Eye and Face Treatment and Lemon Tamarind Microdermabrasion Facde Polish.

Youthful Essentials by Sun Country Naturals, Inc.
Skin healing gel and a 20% off coupon.

Blue Diamond Candle Co.
Sanitizer gel sample and 25% off of a $10 order.

Monkey Boy Products
A mini K.I.S.S. kit including Goat Milk Soap, Goat Milk Lotion a cool pen and a Jumpin Jojoba Sudsy Scrub.

Gramma Frans Fixins
A huge Raspberry Lemonade Tart

SBS Teas
3 Flowering Teas: 3 Flower Burst, Carnation Strong Stem and Ginsing Lily..plus a 15% off coupon.

Pure Indulgent
A Pomegranate Tart, Pomegranate Cocoa Butter Lotion, Triple Peppermint Scrub and a 15% off coupon.

Klean Bath & Body
Sample of Kama-L Krunch Sugar Scrub

Bauble Bath
Ginger Mint Bath Bauble, Bubble Bath in Huckleberry Dream, After Bath Oil in Lavender Lemon, a large Cocoa Butter Bath Melt in Candied Petal and a 35% off coupon (AWESOME)

That's everything I got. It was a really goooooodddd box!!!
Enjoy!

Soak in the Hemp

A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Christie at Bath Desserts. I took a look at her site and I got to tell you it intrigued me. All of her bath and body products contain Hemp seed oil. I've never used a product with Hemp seed oil before.

Here's what the site says about Hemp seed oil:

"Hemp seed oil is the most nutrient dense plant oil on Earth, made up of 80% essential fatty acids that naturally match the skin’s own lipid ratio. This property, unique to Hemp seed oil alone allows for a non-greasy, deep cellular hydration treatment, promoting a healthy and youthful appearance. ...Hemp seed oil has an ideal 3:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, perfectly mimicking the needs of the human body. The reason hemp is so effective is because of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) it contains. More than 75% of the EFAs in hemp seed oil are poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and are known for their excellent moisturizng properties. "

Interesting facts that I did not know at all. So I told Christie I'd love to try out some of her products.

What I received was really cool...she sent me a Pineapple Fizz Ball, Body Melt Truffles, Peppermint Lip Balm, Sugar Scrub and Body Butter.

I was really impressed with the Fizz Ball and the Body Melt Truffles. The Fizz Ball is just like a bath bomb but has the hemp seed oil in it. As soon as I stepped into the tub, the moisture of that hemp seed oil hit me immediately. The tub water was just infused with it and my skin felt silky soft right away. No other bath bomb type product I've used has ever done that..very impressive! There are 5 ounce Fizz Balls that cost $5 and 10 ounce (gosh that must be huge) for $10.

The Body Melt Truffles are incredible! First of all, they come in this box and it's set up just like a box of chocolates. Then when you open the box these little goodies look just like truffles from the chocolate shop. After a shower I took one of these truffles and smoothed it on my skin. One truffle is good for an entire body application. It went on smoothly and really felt good. I've had lotion bars before and some of them are hard to use and get going. These flowed easily over my skin and left it feeling silky soft. Really really incredible stuff. I'm hoarding the rest now because I like them so much lol. The Body Melt Truffles go for $15 for 6 of them and remember you only need one for your entire body (I guess if you're the same size as me though) and the moisture lasts a good long time.

Even the lip balm is fantastic. It's got really just a few simple ingredients. It's made with Hemp seed butter, mango butter, beeswax, vanilla and peppermint oil. You can really get that peppermint tingle on your lips. Plus a little goes a long way and it lasts a good long time. I found that this lip balm lasted longer than my other ones that I've bought from Indie Etailers. Now if Christie could put this is a tube form, I'd be in heaven! The lip balm costs $5, but like I said a little tiny bit goes a long way so this will last you alot longer than you think.

I'd like to thank Christie for letting me know about Bath Desserts. ( I always love finding out about etailers that I haven't found yet. ) So, go ahead and go soak in some hemp...seed oil that is.

Notes Notes Notes

Ok, yesterday was a rough and busy day. I am sorry that I neglected to post the perfume notes of the winners so I am rectifying my error.

So...here goes:

Blend #7 by Texas Charm Bath & Candle Co.
Top notes of island coconut, tart/juicy currants, raspeberries, jasmine, peach blossom and a hint of pomegranate. Heart notes are pure sugar, ocean waters and suntan oil. Ending notes are golden/sweet sandalwood, mahogany, cedarwood, patchouli, vanilla and soft musk.

Luv by Sharon Bolton Scents
Rare pink Gardenia, Hawaiian White Flowers, creamy vanilla and white musk.

Blue Moon Dreams by Heaven and Earth Essentials
Notes of Cedar Wood, Blue Musk, Blue Raspberry, Blue Sugar, Blue Hollyhock and Vanilla Absolute

Cafe Noir by DSH Perfumes
Top notes of Black pepper, cinnamon and pimento berry. Heart notes of Benzoin, Labdanum, Bulgarian Rose Otto and Jasmine absolutes. Base notes of Tolu Balsam, Coffee and Vanilla Absolutes.

Sienna by Callisto Bath & Body
Notes of Egyptian Musk, amber, vanilla and brown sugar.

Kuba Kuba by Modern Atelier
Juicy pineapple, cool mint and sweet spicy rum.

Exotic Spicy Fig by Bathing in Luxury
Top notes of orange. Heart notes of ginger, cinnamon, cloves, figs and caraway. Base notes of sandalwood, myrrh and vanilla.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE BEST ORIGINAL PERFUME CONTEST!

It's been a long hard month and a really tough contest. Plus, Sharla had her baby right in the middle of it..so thanks to all the entrants for being so patient. We had so many wonderful perfume blends sent to us and it really was a tough choice to pick winners from. Most lasted about 5-7 hours on the skin and some lasted longer. Orginality really stands out in the winners. So without further adieu, here are the winners (and there are ties) of the Best Original Perfume Contest!

FIRST PLACE
(we had a three way tie for first place.)

Texas Charm Candle & Bath Company's Blend #7
This was such a wonderful and complex fragrance. Neither one of us have ever come across something like it. It lasted a good long time and really had the essence of a great fragrance.

Sharon Bolton Scents' LUV
This is a truly feminine fragrance. Very soft and full of floral scents. A very original fragrance that is just right for any woman.

Heaven & Earth Essentials' Blue Moon Dream
Wow! This one was a real original. Notes of everything blue and yet not overpowering in any way. It has floral notes, fruit notes combined with vanilla absolute. And, a good unisex fragrance.

SECOND PLACE
(another tie)

DSH Perfumes' Cafe Noir
This was such an original, interesting and sexy fragrance. It arrived in this wonderful glass flask and the first sniff blew me away. To top it off, it lasted almost an entire day on me. There are so many notes in this perfume but they combine into one incredible scent.

Callisto Bath & Body's Sienna
This is a warm and sexy perfume. With notes of Vanilla, Egyptian musk, amber and brown sugar it was just a really good fragrance. You can really discern the notes but they joined together so well.

THIRD PLACE
(yet another tie)

Bathing In Luxury's Exotic Spicy Fig
I really like this perfume. To me it smells like Sexy Christmas. Very unisex with notes of cinnamon, clove and other spices. Very original and unisex.

Modern Atelier's Kuba Kuba
We both have never come across such a unique fragrance. It's a combination of pineapple, mint and rum. Very original!

Honorable Mentions go to...

Opus Oils's Absinthia
Tickled Pink Sensations' Visions of Violets
Wylde Ivy's Aerial

So congrats to our winners. I highly recommend any of these fragrances. So please stop by their stores and take a look for yourself.

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

Now there are alot of pieces of photo jewelry out there. They are all clever and unique. I recently came across a new jewelry artist who has created a new kind of photo jewelry.

This is a photo tile pendant made by Amber Fay of Amber Fay Designs (on Etsy). She's a new jewelry artist on Etsy and she's got this unique photo pendant that just stands out from her other pieces.
I thought this was really neat and I had emailed her and asked her how she creates these pieces. This is how she explained it to me:

"The process used to create each pendant is a transfer method in which the photo is re-sized, edited (I will do all necessary cropping myself) and then converted to black and white. The photo is then baked onto the clay tile at a low fire temp. It is then refined, sanded, coated with a triple coat glaze process and then re-fired to finish the process.

Each piece is created individually to suit each person’s taste. Whether they want a simple pendant on a chain, a pendant adorned with some gemstone dangles/beads/pearls, or a pendant incorporated into a full necklace design, the design possibilities are endless and can be customized. "

She only uses semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls or Swarovski crystals in these pieces and only makes them with .925 Sterling Silver.

I just thought it was so unique to see the photo on a tile instead of surrounded by a small frame or in a locket. And, the fact that she will customize it in the way you want it will also make it a one of a kind piece. It would be anyway with your photo choice but you get the idea.

I think she's found a really great idea and I can see this going far and hopefully for Amber, selling well! If you're interested, stop by Amber Fay Designs on Etsy and you can contact her from there.

Face to Face and Cheek to Cheek

For the last week or so, I've been washing my face with a butt. Not just any ordinary butt, but a very sculpted and beautiful butt. [SIGH] if only my butt looked like the one I'm washing my face with.

No, your favorite blogger is not going wacky on you. I've been using my new soap from Artizan Soap!

Since my last review on soap (which included soaps I wanted to try...including Artizan Soap), I received an email from Kateh at Artizan Soap wanting to know if I wanted to try one of her soaps. I was more than happy too, as the soaps on her site really intrique me....They are more or less adult themed soaps but in a very artistic sort of way. There are some "hands" and "feet" and even some dog soaps..but the rest are for the 18 and over crowd.

The soap Kateh sent me is one from her Signature Collection. It's the "Isis" soap which I have pictured here. This is a facial soap loaded with natural goodies like oatmeal (nice touch for some light exfoliation), olive oil, buttermilk, honey, wheat germ oil and lavender essential oil. It has a pleasant scent with the lavender that is not overwhelming. It doesn't have that "soap" like scent that store brands do. It's dotted with the oatmeal throughout and it has a pleasant ivory/honey color to it. And, believe it or not, it's a really great size and shape for washing your face. The curves of the "butt" (it is molded after a ancient sculpture of the goddess) hug the curves of your face. Plus it's flat on the back if you just wanna use that side on your flat parts (um, cheeks and forehead ring a bell!). Another plus is that the Isis soap did not leave my face feeling dry. This has always been a reason I have never used soap to wash my face. In the past (we're talking years now) I had used soap and it just made my face dry. The Artizan Soap did not! All in all a really good soap. I am most pleased with the Goddess!

Now when you goto Artizan Soap you'll see that there are many different styles. All of them come in their own particular scent. However, you can get your own soap custom made with shape, scent and additive (like oatmeal, pink clay, pumice, seaweed etc) for $16. The other soaps are around $12. You're paying for a really good soap and some fantastic sculpture to boot.

Definitely a conversation piece and not for the strict conservatives! What's really neat is that if you know someone getting married you can order some naughty soap for the Bachelor party or the Bachelorette party (there's even a soap that is all breast meat baby!). A very different take on the party favor.

So go ahead, you know you wanna look. Even if you're telling yourself...no I'm not looking at these soaps....you will, I know you will!!!!! Artizan Soap....go ahead and take a peek!

Urban Bloom Jewelry Special Coupon

Just a little FYI to my readers from Lauren at Urban Bloom. She passed on to me a code that is good for 10% off all this week.

The code is "laboroflove"

So go ahead and enjoy a little discount.