Weird Stuff In My Desk

Ok, I just found out about this Blog called Weird Stuff in My Desk. They are having a huge contest right now called the "Bloggy Carnival." There is over $900 worth of prizes including a $100 GC to Klean, $30 to Lily Gulch Soaps (get yourself some great lip balms as you know already), $50 GC to Bauble Bath and much more!!!!

There are many many ways to get entries into the contest (Hey, I'm doing one right now lol) so go on over and get started! Contest ends August 6th.

Wickedly Winning

I am a big fan of the Wickedly Chic blog. Liz and the gang over there do a fantastic job. I am an even bigger fan of their giveaways..which I finally won one!!!! Yippie!!!!


I won these great earrings from Tasha Designs. They are called "Personality." The face beads are made from polymer clay and a local Etsy artist created them. Swarovski crystals and Sterling silver make up the rest, but those ladies are just darling. Sorry though, this pair is MINE but maybe you can contact Tasha Ryles if you want a pair. My 14 year old niece thought they were really cool looking..she likes the one of a kind/unusual kind of jewerly (I've recently introduced her to Etsy and she loves it).


I've been perusing Tasha's other items that are up for sale on her Etsy site and I must say they are really unique. I'm going to post some of the pieces that really catch my eye so you can see what else she has to offer.


Take a look at this fabulous green bracelet. She's got these green agate circles just surrounding these other beads along the piece. Only $34 for this one of a kind, conversation starter!


























Now this necklace is a bit out of my reach (well no but my husband would kill me if I bought it lol) but I have never seen anything like it before. The focal glass piece is handmade and just has those swirls of color throughout. The pink beads of the necklace bring those colors out perfectly. $129 for this beauty..and again this is a definite conversation piece.


I know all these photos are larger than my usual, but you need to see the details in these pieces. Especially my personal "Personality."

I suggest perusing Tasha's site yourself to see if anything catches your eye!

And the Winners Are.......

Finally! I have finally completed my judging for the Best of Lip Balms contest. I judged and re-judged and re-re-judged. All of the Indie Etailers who submitted entries..whether they won or not..should pat themselves on the back for making such great products. But, alas, all of them cannot win. So here are the winners and be sure to visit their sites and get some of these great lip balms!

First Place

There were two lip balms that just stood out above the rest. Both of these are fantastic!

Fluid all natural Swimmer's salve by epli

This was just amazing. The ingredients are all natural with some "butters" I had never come across before (I actually looked them up). Fluid had such a smooth application and never got "melty"..even outside in the hot weather*. It never felt heavy, powdery or waxy. The flavor, to me, tasted like some version of bubblegum..there's Kiwi oil and Menthol in the balm so I'm assuming that's where the flavor came from. Fluid lasted a long time. Most lip balms lasted about 20-30 minutes but Fluid lasted alot longer. And, it stayed on during showering and eating/drinking. My lips felt really good from using this one. Fluid runs you $5 for a tube at epli's etsy store. But, the fact that it lasts so long without reapplication means this will last you alot longer than the average.

The Plaid Mushroom's Original Lip Balm

Another fantastic lip balm. Very smooth application, no gritty feeling. It was soft without being melty (again even out in the heat it did not get melty) and there was no hard feeling, you don't have to warm it up to get it on your lips. The original flavor has just a hint of peppermint, good for those guys who don't like all the flavors. No waxy, powdery or heavy feeling when you apply it. And, just like the epli lip balm, this one lasted a good long time. My lips felt soft and smooth and very well moisturized. The Plaid Mushroom's lip balms cost $3.50 per tube and there are other flavors. I also received cherry and the flavor was not overbearing, it was just right.

Second Place

I had another tie for second place. Trust me I compared them over and over and these two just couldn't beat each other out.

My Lip Stuff

My Lip Stuff has some amazing flavors..well they have over 400 flavors. I was sent Rainbow Sherbet and Pineapple Upside Down Cake**. Both had fantastic flavor. They were right on the money and true to the name. I was more impressed by the Rainbow Sherbet...I love rainbow sherbet and this lip balm tastes exactly like the real thing. My Lip Stuff's lip balms had a wonderfully smooth application and never got melty. It's soft, soft enough that you think it's going to melt but it doesn't. It lasted a little longer than average but not as long as the first place winners. All natural ingredients in here too! Prices start at $2 depending on whether you get a tube, pot, specialty balm (charity, personalized labels etc). There's even a Lip Balm of the Month club.

Lily Gulch Soaps Aromatherapy Lip Balm

So smooth, this lip balm just glides on and hugs your lips. No grittiness or hardness. Again, soft but it did not melt in the heat. My lips felt wonderful and refreshed. Now these are more "grown up" lip balm flavors. Flavored with essential oils & absolutes. I was sent Rosewood Mint and Chamomile Orange. All natural ingredients too. I really loved the Chamomile Orange..I'm a tea drinker and it tastes like a fresh cup of tea. Really wonderful. Like the My Lip Stuff, the Lily Gulch lip balm lasted longer than the average but not as long as the first placers. A tube will run your $3.50 and there over 20 Aromatherapy flavors to choose from. Excellent product!

Third Place

Ok, get mad at me but again there was a tie here too. I re-judged these several times and aside from the flavors they sent...one just couldn't beat out the other.

Karess Krafters

Karess Krafters sent me Lavanilla and Mango flavors. I really loved the Lavanilla. It's got that touch of vanilla in a field of Lavender. It sounds weird for a lip balm flavor, but trust me, once you try it you'll realize that it's really good. Smooth application with a not too soft, not too hard texture. It didn't leave my lips feeling waxy and it didn't feel heavy on the lips. Lips feel soft and supple. This lip balm lasted just a bit longer than average. The Karess Krafters lip balm is $2.75 and uses all natural ingredients.

The Mom Lady's Beauty Booty

The Mom Lady is a fairly new etailer based in Alaska. I was sent two lip balms in A Lil Tipsy (wine cooler) and Cherries Jubilee (cherry & vanilla). The "A Lil Tipsy" was my favorite and no it did not get me tipsy...it's a flavor oil people lol. Very smooth application on the lips. The lip balm holds it shape well and never got soft or melty. It's a pretty sturdy lip balm but I found it didn't need to be warmed up to make the application easier. It seems like you would have to warm it up but it actually just glided on nice and easy. Like the Karess Krafters, this balm lasted just a little bit longer than average. The Mom Lady has 10 flavors right now and a tube will run you $3.

Honorable Mentions

There were a few lip balms that although they weren't in the top three spots, they do deserve mentioning.

Moody Bee: Made from beeswax in Canada (they have their own bees!). This was just a wonderful lip balm with a nice peppermint/vanilla flavor.

Kaylala: They sent me this Mango Honey Peach lip balm in a pot. The flavor in this was just incredible. The smell from just opening the lid will just send you to heaven.

Bidwell Botanicals: The Spun Sugar flavor is very very yummy. If you like a sweet strong flavor..give this one a try.

Bath Desserts: They use Hemp Butter which really adds a good moisturizer to the balm. The peppermint gives your lips a nice little tingle.

* I judged every lip balm (one per day) both at room temperature inside my house and outside during very warm weather. All of the lip balms were judged in the same way.

**If an etailer sent me two lip balms w/the same ingredients..I judged them together. If an etailer sent me two lip balms w/different ingredients, I judged them separately.

Have a Great One!

Almost Done!

The Best of Lip Balms contest is going strong. I received some really great lip balms from alot of Indie etailers...this is not going to be easy but I must narrow it down to some winners here soon. I'm almost done judging and I hope to have the winners announced by the weekend.

Here are the Indie etailers that submitted their lip balms to the contest:

Lily Gulch Soaps
Bidwell Botanicals
Ginger's Garden
The Body Bakery
Bobe
Thornapple Ridge Soaps
The Mom Lady
Frost Fish Cove Soaps
Peep Toad Hollow
Open Sundaes
Bag Lunch
Kaylala
Disquieting Designs
Karess Krafters
Moody Bee
My Lip Stuff
Vampyrz
The Plaid Mushroom (etsy)
Bunny Butt Apothecary
Kisseegirl (Etsy)
Epli (Etsy)

*I had contacted over 50 and these are the ones who responded.

Also...Products of the Day will be on vacation from July 7th thru the 13th. If I can get to a computer...I will post but don't count on it :-)