WishList: Josie Maran Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation

I can remember buying self adjusting foundations back in the day and they never, ever, adjusted to my skin tone. I was always left with a whitish cast on my face that I couldn't blend away. And after trying several other self adjusting foundations (over the years), I had pretty much lost my curiosity about them - until now.

 I was in a Sephora store, just browsing of course, and I came across Josie Maran's Argan Matchmaker Serum Foundation which is a self-adjusting formula that starts off white and then adjusts to your skintone. Here is how it is described on Sephora's website:

'A serum foundation formulated with chameleon pigments, an innovative color-match technology that goes on white and instantly  adjusts to match your unique and changing natural skintone as it balances and nourishes the skin.'

There were 3 shades (fair/light, light/medium, medium/dark) and I tested the medium/dark shade on my hand.  I was surprised when it actually started to match my skin tone. The finish looked really nice and smooth and the color seemed to match my hand perfectly. I them dabbed a bit of the Argan Illuminizer of top of the foundation and it looked fabulous. I really want to try this out on my face and see if I get the same results. However, the foundation is approx. $42 and that's not in my budget, especially for one cosmetic item. So it'll stay on the wishlist for a while. 

photo souce: sephora.com

New Fave: Cleo's Peanut Butter Cups

Move over Justin's! I've found a new favorite peanut butter cup. And they're  called Cleo's! I picked these up at my local Whole Foods and I wanted to try them because I'm looking to switch up some of my fave foods/snacks with vegan versions. No, I'm not vegan but I do eat vegan/vegetarian often.

I tried these peanut butter cups and  they tasted great. They were quite soft,smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. They're definitely a new fave of mine.

Cleo's were created by Go Max Go Foods which makes vegan versions of some of our favorite childhood candy bars. You can purchase Cleo's at Naturalcandystore.com and/or several other online stores. Also try your local Whole Foods and other health food stores.

New In My Etsy Shop And a Coupon Code!!!

Hi everyone! I added a few items to my shop today and I also have an end of the year coupon code. Get 15% off of your order by using this coupon code at checkout: BYE2011
I hope you like my new stuff!

Big Brass Earrings with Pantina

Turquoise and Antiqued Copper Necklace

Huge Black Peace Sign Earrings With Gold Chain

Agate and Black Leather Necklace with Silver Chain

Jewelry Giveaway by BeautifulNaturalHair.Com

I was recently contacted by Beautifulnaturalhair.com to sponsor a giveaway and I was delighted to do so. The earrings chosen for this giveaway are my Blue Ocean Jasper and Gold Feather Earrings. 
The giveaway starts today and ends on December 24, 2011. There are 4 different prizes which will go to four separate winners. Click HERE to enter and good luck!






Beautifulnaturalhair.com will be fully launching soon. Here is a brief description of what the site will be about: 


'Be in the know - Sign up today to be notified when we launch the most exciting, curated shopping experience for natural hair care products and services.

BeautifulNaturalHair.com provides insider access and deep discounts on natural hair care products, exclusive services, the best hair care tools and one-of-a-kind packages. Become a member and find cutting edge style information and access to new natural hair care products for women, men and children at up to 70% off retail.'

Event: Nia Naturals Kwanzaa fest

On Saturday, December 17, 2011, I will be vending at the Nia Naturals Kwanzaa Fest hosted Rachel Odem
If your are in the Chicagoland area, please stop by. Tickets are available at the door for standing room only. Check HERE for more information.

Cyber Monday Sasa.com Haul!

When I comes to beauty/skincare/fragrance items I have always gravitated toward natural, handmade, indie, quirky, and hard to find brands. I have also always been intrigued by imported  beauty brands/items. I've spent many a day in some local apothecaries that sell imported beauty and health products. And whenever I go to an ethnic market, I always end up in the health and beauty section looking for interesting products. So when I came across Sasa.com (an Asian beauty online shop) I was excited to see what cool products I could find. There were plenty of items that I wanted to try but I settled on 8 products that I listed below. Also, I purchased from Sasa on Cyber Monday so there were some great discounts and I got free shipping. The total cost for the products that I bought was $25.70. Here's what I got:

Hadalabo Gokujyun Face Wash  3.5 oz - $8.10
C+M Moisturizers UV White Moisturising Emulsion 2.2 oz - $3.20

Sasatinnie Detoxifying Oil Control Face mask (1 mask sheet) - 1.00
VOV Daily Fresh Mini Pack Pure Black Charcoal Pack (1 pack) - 2.80

Kanebo Oil Blotting Paper Super Absorbent - 80 Sheets - $2.60
Kuan Yuan Lian Green Beans Cleanser (Refill) 80 g - 3.50
Holika Holika Magic Sebum Sponge Powder mask - $4.50

So far, I 've only sampled the first two items (cleanser and moisturizer)  and the blotting sheets; they all work well. Though the cleanser was a little drying.  Also, not all of the ingredients are listed on the website and the packaging on some items are all in another language. So, there's a chance of having not so favorable ingredients in some products. I tried to opt for items that were mostly natural. I'll probably sample the other items during this week. If any of them are exceptionally great, I'll let ya know. Oh, and I do know that some imported brands are under the umbrella of larger beauty corporations - I try to stay away from those unless the product really intrique. Also, Sasa.com does sell plenty of American beauty products; I assume that they are just as interested in our products as I am with theirs. Anyway, I'll be perusing Sasa.com and checking out what else I might want to try.
Are you interested in imported skincare/beauty?

Wishlist: Tatcha Aburatorigami

A blotting paper is a blotting paper is a blotting paper. Right? Maybe or maybe not. Whatever the case may be, I'm kind of a sucker for novelty.  So when I saw the Tatcha Aburatorigami Blotting Papers online, I was intrigued. They are  handmade with 100% abaca leaf and gold leaf.
A single pack (30 sheets) of the Tatcha blotting papers costs $12. There are also multi-packs, gift sets and a new charcoal version available. I'll probably check out Tatcha's blotting papers once of I run out of these. I'll keep y'all posted.

Photo source



Here is what their website says:
'A 300 year old Japanese beauty secret for a petal fresh complexion revealed.
Removes excess oil and sweat without disturbing makeup or stealing moisture from the skin.
A powder and primer alternative that improves the wear of makeup.
For all skin types: oily, normal, dry & sensitive.
Ingredients
100% abaca leaf, gold flake.
Fragrance-free. Powder-free. Oil-free.
All-natural, biodegradable. No animal testing.
Handmade in Japan.'

December 2011 Birchbox

 If you're a beauty junkie, you've probably already heard of Birchbox which is a subscription service that brings you high end beauty samples for $10/month. If you're not familiar, check out the video below to learn more about it.
I've been a Birchbox member for about 6 months and there are hits and misses but I like the service overall. There's usually about 4 or 5 samples in each box. Any many times there's a deluxe size or full size product that costs much more than the $10 you pay for the box. Items from well known brands and lesser known brands are included. Of course I'm more intrigued by lesser known and indie brands. And then if you love one of the samples, you can buy the full size product on the Birchbox site. Also, you can receive points for giving feedback and inviting friends - every 100 points equals $10. And I must mention that the packaging is always really great. Check it out and join HERE.
Anyway, let me show you my box and what I got. And please excuse my bad camera phone pics, my real cameral died today :(

1. Nuxe Huile Prodiguieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Oil Shimmer
    I've always wanted to try this but it's so expensive - $56 for 3.3 oz. I like it! Nice, sparkly, and
    softly scented.

2. Recharge EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster
    I'm indifferent about this one.

3. Harvey Prince Ageless Perfume
    Not a big fan. I'm more of a solid or roll-on oil girl. And I get most of my fragrances from indies.

4. Prep ShowStoppers Designer Fashion Tape
    Meh

5. Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional
    My skin seems to hate primers, pore minimizing, and mattefier type products.
    They always turn into oil on my face no matter what. I'll give it another go though.

6. Jouer Moisturizing lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink
    Love it!

  Birchbox Video
 

I'm On Essence.com!

This past weekend I was a vendor at the Black Girl Long Hair Christmas fest. And photographers were there taking photos for Essence.com. I took a picture but didn't think it would end up on Essence's site. I checked my email today and saw that the photos were up and was surprised to see myself in the gallery. Number 36 to be exact.  And it wasn't a bad photo either (I usually take bad photos or photos that I think are bad).  I could have used a little powder on the nose and forehead. But the hair looked good. Check out the photos HERE.

Coming Soon: I Love Your Hair App by House of Mikko

There's an app coming soon called the I Love Your Hair Mobile App. It was created by Houseofmikko.com and will offer women (all hair types)  the chance to share hairstyles with each other. You can click HERE for an invite to be one of the first to try the app. And you can follow House of Mikko on Twitter and Facebook.












photo source

My Necklace Featured On FabOverFifty.Com!

My Abalone and Brass Necklace  (which has since sold) was featured on the FabOverFifty.Com  2011 Holiday gift guide. 
Glenyse Thompson of Styleosophy.com suggested my item for the the gift guide. She also mentioned my Blue Tagua Nut Necklace and I am very grateful to her for doing so.
Go ahead and check out this FOF Gift guide and follow them on Twitter. You can also find Glenyse on twitter at @Stylesophy. Tell them I sent you.

Event: Black Girl With Long Hair Chicago Naturals Christmas Fest

On Saturday, December 10, 2011, I will be vending at the Chicago Naturals Christmas Fest Sponsored by Taliah Waajid
If your are in the Chicagoland area, please stop by. There will be plenty of vendors with lots of handmade goodies. And I
I'll lots of new items including more rings, recycled leather cuffs and earrings. I hope to see you there.

Where: UIC Forum
725 W. Roosevelt Rd
Time: 11am-7pm
Cost: $5

Upcoming Event: Makeup and Martinis Chicago's Holiday Beauty Extravaganza

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, I will be vending at Makeup and Martinis Chicago's Holiday Beauty Extravaganza.
Tickets are $25 if you purchase online and $30 at the door.
Click HERE to purchase tickets. I hope to see you there

Makeup And Martinis Chicago: Holiday Beauty Extravaganza
Where: Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center
1060 East 47th Street, Chicago, IL 60653            
When: December 3, 2011
Time: 6:30pm-9pm

Black Friday - Cyber Monday Deal

Hi everyone! Here is the Black Friday Deal for my etsy shop: 20% off all items in my shop from Black Friday thru Cyber Monday!
Use code 20BLKFRDY at checkout! Happy Shopping! And thanks in advance for buying handmade!

Are You On Pinterest?

I joined Pinterest a few months ago and I was both amazed and overwhelmed by it all. My computer screen was filled with images of  design ideas, crafts, food, fashion, style, beauty, and more. It seemed like I was scrolling down the page forever.  And when I finally got to the bottom, more images appeared. It was pretty  much awesome overload.

What is Pinterest? Well, this is how the website describes it:

"Pinterest is a Virtual Pinboard.
Pinterest lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes.
Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests."

If you're already on Pinterest, you can follow me here (although I'm not that active yet) and if you'd like to join just request an invite on their homepage. See ya there. 
      

Introducing Beautiful Textures Haircare Line

On Thursdsay, November 17th,  I had the opportunity to attend an exclusive press introduction for a new haircare line called Beautiful Textures. This new line was created for those with curly, wavy, kinky-coily, and frizzy hair.

The event was held at a very chic room in the lovely W hotel in downtown Chicago.

I got the chance to mingle with many of Chicago's natural hair, style, and other bloggers  including : Bree of The Mane Source, Nikki of  Nikki And The City, Rachel of Makeup by Rachel O., And Leila of Black Girl With Long Hair. I also met vlogger Meechy Monroe and Sixtwentysevenblog who also vlogs for Naturallycurly.com.

After mingling and having a few appetizers, attendees listened to Charlene Bastien  (National Marketing Director for Strength of Nature Global) speak about the brand and the products in the line. And then Kimberly Walker, (Beautiful Texture Ambassador & Stylist) gave us more information about each individual product and showed how she achieved the hairstyles worn by the Beautiful Textures models.  

I had a really nice time at this event, met new people and I got a swag bag filled with full size products and samples. I will test them out soon. And I promise to take more pictures when I go to these events.

There are 7 products in the line and they will be available (January 2012) at local beauty supply stores, and retailers such at Target and Wal-Mart. And all products will retail for under $7. Here is a list of the products in the line:

Shine & Silken Growth Oil
Tangle Taming Moisturizing Shampoo
Tangle Taming Leave-In Conditioner
Rapid Repair Deep Conditioner
Moisture Butter Whipped Curl Crème
Curl Control Defining Pudding
Curly To Straight Flat Iron Silkener

New In My Etsy Shop!

Here are a couple items that I added to my etsy shop this week. I hope you like them. Let me know what you think.


 

Oxidized Copper and Pyrite Ring (Adjustable)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Blue Tagua Nut Necklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abalone And Brass Necklace (Repurposed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agate and Oxidized Copper Necklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Tagua Nut And Silver Earrings (Aluminum)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hammered Copper Disc Earrings (Small)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Tagua Nut and Brass Earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Tagua Nut and Silver Earrings (Aluminum)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Aqua Blue Tagua nut Earrings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Recycled Leather and Green Agate Cuff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brown Recycled Leather and Agate Cuff

 

 

 

 

 

Goldstone and Brass Earrings

Brown Recycled Leather and Agate Cuff

Treasure Our Tresses Natural Hair Event

On Saturday, November 5th, I had attended a natural hair event called Treasure Our Tresses. This event was sponsored by The Mane Source Blog  and Eden Body Works. And the special guest for the night was Mae aka Naturalchica. I got a chance to meet her briefly but no real time to chat because so many people were trying to take photos with her. I did not take a photo with her because...well...I hate that way I look in posed pictures. Maybe one day I'll learn the art of taking a good photo.

There were so many beautiful ladies there with gorgeous natural hair. And several natural bloggers were in attendance including one of my favorites, Afrobella, who is always so sweet and down-to-earth. It was so nice to mix and mingle which I normally never get a chance to do because I'm always vending my wares at these events. Oh, and since I was an attendee and not a vendor, I got a swag bag full of products  *does product junkie happy dance*  from Eden Body Works. It was an overall wonderful night and I can't wait to test my products. I'll let you know how I like them. And I'll post some long overdue pictures of my hair.

RIP Heavy D 1967-2011

I have no words but Rest In Peace!!!! 

Upcomin Events: The Beauty Elixir Workshop by Tia Dantzler

Do I have any make-up artists and/or enthusiasts out there? If so, I'll be vending at Tia Dantzler's The Beauty Elixir Workshop this Sunday from 3-7. Tia and other beauty industry experts will be sharing  information, advice and trade secrets. Tickets are still available but going fast so get yours today.  Hope to see you there.

The Beauty Elixir Workshop

Room 43

Chicago IL, 60654

Admission $150

Sunday, November 6th

3pm-7pm

Video Feature: Jasmin Mitchell Jewelry at Raw Artists Chicago Junction

Those who know me know that I'm a little camera shy but here is a video of me from the 9/22 Raw Artists Junction event. Can you tell I was slightly nervous and frazzled? And don't even get me started on my hands. I wanted to polish my fingernails but it had been a long day - or long week rather. I was working my part-time job, doing temp work, and working on jewelry so my time (and sleep) was limited. Plus I got to the venue a little later than I wanted. So I had to hurry, get my table set up, get dressed (I was coming from work) and refresh my makeup. However, the event was quite awesome and I had a great time. So here is the video. Hope you enjoy it.

New In My Etsy Shop!

Here are a couple items that I added to my etsy shop this week. Let me know what you think.

Black Faux Coral And Pyrite Earrings

Blue And Gray Tagua Nut And brass Earrings

$50 Curlmart Gift Card Giveaway via The Mane Source Blog

Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you know that The Mane Source blog is giving away a $50 gift card to  Curlmart which is an online store with loads of great products for those with curly, kinky, afro, etc., textured hair. I just entered and you can too.  Click Here for details and good luck.

Hi There and Please Vote For Me!

Hi all! It's been a few weeks since my last post in which I talked about the Raw Junction fashion/art showcase that I was participating in. And, FYI, that event was pretty awesome. Since then I have been busier than ever and it seems I can't find the time to do everything I need and want to do. But I definitely wanted to hop on here today to say hi and I will post as often at I can. I also wanted to share a few of the photos and articles from the Raw event which I will post below. Lastly, I wanted to ask you all to please vote for me in the Accessories category for the RAWards. Voting started on Oct. 1 and it will last for 2 weeks.  Please click HERE  to vote for me  and thanks in advance.


Chicago Fashion Connect Article on Raw Junction

Facebook Photo Album of Raw Junction Event

Check Out This Video Feature Of My Jewelry

Hi everyone! Check out this video made by NaturalHairLatina featuring my jewelry Please comment, thumbs up, share the video and subscribe to Natural Hair Latina's channel. Like Natural Hair Latina on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.

Newest Additions To My Etsy Shop! (Very Pic Heavy)

hHi everyone! Over the past couple weeks I've listed quite a few new items to my etsy shop. I hope you all like them.

Brown Recycled Leather and Turquoise Cuff

Vibrant Blue Agate Slab And Copper Necklace

Black Recycled Leather And Green Leather Cuff

Green Variscite and Brass Chain Necklace

Long Gray Tagua Nut Slice And Gold Chain Earrings

Black Recycled Leather and Vibrant Blue Agate Cuff

Long Light Blue Tagua Nut Slice and Silver Chain  Earrings

Wide Agate Cross Ring

Wide Agate Cross Brass Ring

Green Agate And Brass Cuff

Purple Shell And Gold Chain Ladder Earrings

Blue Shell And Gold Chain Ladder Earrings

Brown Recycled Leather And Magnesite Cuff

Wood And Gold Chain Earrings

Magnesite, Turquoise, and Wood Chain Necklace

Purchase items at jazjewelz.etsy.com