Upcoming Events: Howard Art Market (H.A.M) at Sol Cafe

This coming Sunday, 04/27/13, I'll be participating in the Howard Art Market. This market will be held at Sol Cafe from 10am-4pm. There will be several other artists there selling their wares too. So please stop by it you're in the neighborhood. Support local artists and get a cappuccino while your at it. Also, 10% of proceeds will benefit Hilda's Place which is a women's shelter. Hope to see ya Sunday!

What: H.A.M
When: 04/27/13
Where: 1015 W. Howard
Time: 10am-4pm
Cost: Free to enter

Out and About: Free Makeup Class at Sephora!

I was wandering (aimlessly) at Sephora a couple of week ago when an associate asked if I would be interested in attending a makeup class. She gave me the rundown on what the class would be about and when it would take place. I was nodding slowly until she said the magic word, Free. Then I quickly agreed to take the class, although it was at 10am on a Sunday. And, I think I do an ok job with my makeup, I'm always open to learning more.

When I went to the class and there were about 15 other ladies there. Tables were set up with makeup brushes, products, mirrors and a clipboard with a form to jot down notes. This particular class was called Standout Eyes. We learned how to do a basic eyes into eveinig smoky look. There were about 3 instructors One worked on a model while the other two gave us hands-on help. And several ladies needed plenty of help because they never really wore makeup.

I didn't need very much help since this was such a basic eye. I did learn a new technique though. It's called tightlining which is lining the underside of your top lid; right under the lashline. I tried this technique and it really did make a difference. That was a great take-away from this class and I'll definitely be incorporating it into my routine.
Another take-away was goodie bag that had two full size products inside. And please note that I had no idea there would be freebies (though I hoped so). The products I got were Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream and Fresh Soy Face Cleanser.

Overall, I had a nice time.  I even signed up to try another class in a few weeks. I think it's on lashes. I'll keep you posted on that one. And I'll try to take a few more pictures.

Conscious Box Mystery Box Unboxing April 2013

Conscious Box, it's a monthly subscription service that offers 10-12 products that are vegan, fair trade, certified organic, cruelty free, and/or more. I subscribed to Conscious Box last year( and loved it)  but decided to let the subscription lapse because I'm trying to get my money life in order. I have really missed that box, so I was happy to see this mystery box which was available for a one-time only delivery. I decided to purchase it and I filmed the unboxing. Check out the video and photos below to see what I got.


 

Eden BodyWorks Coconut Shea All Natural Pudding Souffle Braidout

In a previous post  I mentioned how I went to an Eden BodyWorks event and got their new Coconut Shea Pudding Souffle in a goodie bag. Well, I tried that product out and I liked it. I used it to do a braidout and filmed what the results looked like. You can see the results in the first video below. The second video is just showing what the actual product looks like (color, thickness, consistency, etc...) Check them out and let me know what you think.And note, this is not really a review-just a little show and tell ;-)

This product is available at Edenbodyworks.net and retails for $8.99
Will also so be available at Walgreens, Walmart, Curlmart.com, and Sally Beauty Supply.

New Fave Fragrance: MCMC Phoenix

I have a new favorite fragrance and it's called MCMC Phoenix and I fell in love with it after getting a sample in my November 2012 birchbox . I wanted to get the full size but I didn't want to spend money (budget woes) and I didn't want to use so many of my Birchbox points.I don't think I had that many at the time. 

 Well, a couple weeks ago, Birchbox had sort of a flash sale and the Phoenix rollerball was only $25. FYI, I love rollerball and solid perfumes.  I wasted no time buying it. And yes, I used my points instead my cash. Those points really do come in handy when you want products but don't want to spend money. I'm so glad I got it. 
It's smells really great to me. Warm but still fresh, clean and not really sparkly. Plus, it's natural and it lasts; I still love it at the end of the day.I love it so that I'm curious to see what the other MCMC fragrances smell like. You can check them out on the MCMC site.  

Here's a little bit about MCMC Phoenix from MCMCfragrances.com

"Phoenix is about a girl I know. With fair skin and light blond hair, she’s ethereal and beautiful like a mythical fire bird. When I call her she does not come, but she floats in and out of my life.  
With top notes of peach and cherry blossom, gradually giving way to sturdy Tunisian neroli and a light, powdery vanilla"

photo souce (top): mcmcfragrances.com

Out And About: Eden Body Works Style With Eden Chicago!

Last Thursday I attended the Eden BodyWorks Style With Eden event where they presented  their new Coconut Shea Line hair care line. The evening started with a little mixing and  mingling and there were plenty of folks there that I've met over years because of natural hair.  There were also small bites and cocktails.
Then there was a panel discussion which ranged from Fashion to haircare.

The panelists were hair stylist Alecia Tucker-Perkins, Autumn Merritt of Sir & Madame boutique, and fashion stylist Aramide Esubi of The Sassy Peach. They offered plenty of tips for styling your outfits and your hair. They also talked about trends for spring and much  more. There were also models (Nikia and Rachel) wearing ensembles by Sir & madame boutique with hair styled by Alecia.

Next, Ylorie Anderson (VP of marketing at Eden BodyWorks) introduced us to the new Coconut Shea Line which consists of a cleansing cowash, leave-in conditioner, control edge glaze (gel), curl defining creme, and a pudding souffle. Then Alecia talked about how she used the Coconut Shea line to style the models' hair. She particularly raved about the leave-in conditioner which is on my to-try list.

Lastly,  goodie bags were passed out. They contained a full-size Coconut Shea product along with samples from  Eden BodyWorks' other lines. I got the full-size pudding souffle, samples of Peppermint tea tree shampoo, conditioner, and Jojoba monoi shampoo. While I have tried products from  Peppermint Tea Tree, I have yet to use any of the Jojoba Monoi products; I hear the deep conditioner is amazing. Must try it. And I can't wait to try my souffle.

 I had to jet right after I got my bag because a friend offered to give me a ride home and she needed to leave. Note, I don't pass up rides. Ever. Any chance to not take public transportation (CTA) is highly appreciated. So if one asks if I want a ride, the answer is always, of course.

Below is some random footage from event. It was my attempt to do something while I was there.
See, whenever I go to these things, I truly intend to take photos, tweet, FB, instagram, youtube and all that. But I just end up checking in via foursquare, making one lone tweet and maybe an Instagram. Sad, I know, but I promise to do better. Meanwhile, Briana of The Mane Source was there working all the social networking platforms. There is  photo of me somewhere on  her Instagram. And of course I hate the way I look in it. One day I'll master that glamour shot, lol.

You can follow @EdenBodyworks on FB, Twitter, and Instagram. Seach the hashtag #StyleWithEden to see more from this event.

                                         
                 

April 2013 Birchbox And Women's Health (Unboxing)

I got my Birchbox yesterday and opened it up right away. And I filmed my Unboxing with my iPhone since I'm in need of a camera.  Anyway, here's what I got and I'm satisfied with it. Check out the video and feel free to comment, rate, and subscribe. 
Join Birchbox HERE:

Caudalie Divine Oil - 0.1 oz vial
retails for $9-49
Very light all-over oil with slight floral scent

Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir-0.14oz
Full-size retails for $20.99
I tested this on a small piece of dry hair. It felt nice going on  and added a little shine.  This is a tiny vial though and I have a bunch of hair. So I doubt I'll be able to test it all-over my head. We'll see.


Strivectin Eye Concentrate for wrinkles - 0.25oz tube
Full-size retails for $65
This is a very generous tube. I'll add it to my eyecream sample collection. I'll won't need to by eye cream for a while. 

Weleda Body Lotion - 3 samples 

Full retails for $16.50
I've tried Weleda body lotion before and I like them. They moisturize well and have a medium-light consistency. My fave scents are the pomegranate and sea buckthorn. 

Youngblood Anti-shine Mattifier - 0.05oz sample
Full-size retails for $36
This is a balm type of mattifier that you smooth over shiny areas. 
Seems to work well. I'll see if the mattifying results last don't turn in to oil like some of the other balm-like mattifiers I have tried. 

One Year Subscription for Women's Health Magazine
(valued at $9.99)
I have not subscribed to a magazine in a while, so it will be nice to get this in the mail


Check some of my  Birchbox Unboxings

January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August Birchbox 2012
Glamour Birchbox July

Gift Certificates Are Now Available!

I finally added gift certificates to my Etsy shop. They are the perfect gift for any occasion. And especially great for when you can't quite decide what to buy that special someone.
Certificates are available in denominations of $20, $25, and $30 for the moment. However, I will do other denominations by request. Check them out at jazjewelz.etsy.com.

New Items In My Etsy Shop!

I've added a few new pieces to my etsy shop including some very colorful beaded hoops. Check them out and let me know what you think.



                                                               Colorful Beaded Hoop

Colorful Beaded Hoop

Large Colorful Beaded Hoop

Medium Colorful Beaded Hoop

Pale Green Calcite and Copper Bangle

Tiger Cowrie Earrings

This item has sold out but I'll be adding more. 

Join me on Facebook for updates. 

Out and About: Inspiring Beauty 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair

This past weekend I went to the Chicago History Museum to check out the Inspiring Beauty exhibit which showcases 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair. And if you have not heard of Ebony Fashion Fair, it was the largest traveling fashion show tour which was started by Eunice Johnson. The Ebony Fashion Fair tour traveled from state to state and  featured couture garments from some of the finest fashion houses such as  Givenchy, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, and more. Mrs. Johnson also made sure to include African-American designers including Patrick Kelly, Stephen Burrows and Fabrice. Ready-to-wear garments were also included.

Walking through this exhibit was somewhat of a walk down memory lane because I spent a 4.5 years touring with show as a wardrobe assistant. I saw plenty of dresses that I steamed, stitched up, zipped up and spot cleaned. There were also short informational videos about the company and the show. So I saw plenty of familiar faces who were on tour with me including models, sound staff, and my beloved wardrobe crew. Touring Ebony Fashion Fair was such a fun time and an experience I'll never forget. I traveled to most of the U.S., cared for couture clothing from designers that I learned about in fashion school. Plus, I made life-long friends.  I sometimes took this experience for granted but as time passes I realize how important it was.

 I'm so glad that I decided to go to this exhibit and I was in good company because Kristena of Kristena Witherspoon Designs and Letroy of Thriftanista in the City blog were there. We had a good hanging together and hopefully we can do it again soon. The only down side was not being able to take photos.  I took one picture and it was of the entrance to the exhibit (see above). Overall, it was a very nice exhibit and I'd encourage anyone to go see it.

Note: scroll down to see a few photos of me and the wardrobe staff





                                                      Fashions 2000 - season 1999-2000

This was my first tour. That's me in the turquoise tank. We were always acting silly

Glam Odyssey - season 2007-2008

Photo shoot for the tour program. I wasn't really prepared for this photo (long story)  and I 

think  it was the first time, in a long time, the wardrobe staff was included in the program. 

I only worked second leg of this tour. 

March 2013 Birchbox Unboxing

I got my Birchbox this month and I am pretty satisfied with it. Kinda makes up for not  (I really tried) getting last month's box. Check out the video and pics to see what I got.
Feel free to rate, comment, and subscribe on Youtube.
Join Birchbox HERE:

 Caldrea Lotion (3 samples) in Coconut Fig, Aloe Water Apricot, and Tea Olive Lime. All very light and fresh scents and Tea Olive Lime is my fave of the three. Full-Size retail for $22

Whish Shave Cream in blueberry (.75oz tube) Really creamy and smells super sweet - kinda like Sweet Tarts candy.
Full-size retails for $20

Curls Cashemere Curls Leave In Conditioner (2 oz sample)Looks really  watery but has the texture of a  serum. I have not used this line since I first went natural. I'll see how I like it now.
Full-size retails for $20

Sumita Eyeliner Full size black eyeliner. I love getting eyeliners and I can always use them.
Full-size retail for $11

 Madewell for Birchbox Emery Board  retail for $5

Check some of my  Birchbox Unboxings

January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August Birchbox 2012
Glamour Birchbox July

Review: Firmoo Free Glasses

I got a new pair of glasses! And they were free from Firmoo.com. I was contacted by Firmoo a few weeks ago. They asked if I'd like a pair of free glasses and to do review. Although I  have a pair of glasses, they are not cute at all. I only wear them around the house. So I thought it would be cool to have a nice pair of glasses that I can wear out.

The process to choose my glasses was simple. I went to Firmoo.com to choose my frames. There was a nice selection to chose from including some of the trendy, fashionable styles that are popular right now. There were sine classic,elegant styles, and sunglasses too. Also, there is a virtual try on system to help with the choosing frames . Just upload a photo to start trying them on .I chose style number #SD2267  in brown. They were available in black and tortoise. Next, I entered my prescription information  and that was pretty much it.

My new glasses arrived last week and couldn't wait to try them on. I thought they were a good fit. I liked how they looked more than I thought I would. I will definitely wear these out. Besides, my eyes need a  rest from wearing contacts all the time.What do you think? Cute? Maybe next time I'll choose a really colorful or funky non prescription pair just to wear as an accessory. 

You can get a  pair of glasses too. Click HERE to get started. Please note that free glasses selection may vary so follow Firmoo.com on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date. 

                                             
                                                                 Frame style:  #SD2267

Note: The item(s) reviewed were sent to me courtesy of Firmoo.com. I was not paid for this review. 

Shipping and special coatings are not included with this free glasses offer. 

So...What Have You Worked On Today? #5

Today I cut out a few pieces from copper sheet metal. They are the infinity symbols which I have made before (in brass) as earrings. This time I think I might make a ring and maybe some necklaces out of these. I'm not quite sure yet. And I wanted to cut more but I got caught up doing some other things. Maybe I'll cut more tomorrow.  I also want to make more beaded hoops.
A few for the shop and a pair for me.
Below you will see a photo of the completed hoops from yesterday.
Tell me what you worked on today.

New Natural Mineral Makeup and Skin Care from Pacifica!

I've been a fan of PACIFICA.for some years now. I've used their soaps, lotions, solid perfumes, candles and loved them all. I have a little stock pile of their solid pefumes in my fragrance stash collection  from a couple years ago. They still smell great. So when I saw that they were introducing mineral makeup and skincare products to their line, I was really excited to check it out. I looked the new items on their site and they look really interesting. Plus they're relatively affordable

The color line includes lip tints, multi-use shimmers, an eyeshadow palette, and a bb cream which claims to adjust to your skin tone. The skincare line includes a foam  face wash, cleansing wipes, and day/night cream

I'd love to try it all, of course, but I'm most interested in the shadows, and  lip tints in Sugared Fig, Blood Orange and Coconut Nectar (shown below l to r) . I think the shimmers would be cool  too. They are multi-purpose colors for eyes, lips and cheeks. I also need to see if that bb cream really adjusts to your shade. I'll be pleasantly surprised if it does

Lip tints

.

     


Radiant Shimmer                                                            Alight Multi-Mineral aBB Cream

Wander Lust Beauty Set.

I''ve seen Pacifica sold in  Whole Foods, Sephora and Target so I hope that these new items will be available there. That way I can see them up close and personal. Otherwise, I might get one these Wanderlust Mineral Color Sets to start. I'll keep you posted.

Have you used any of Pacifica's products before?

Note: They currently have samples of  all of their solid perfumes for $2

Photo sources: Pacifica.com

Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links for which Favoritethingsetc will receive a small commission if products are purchased from the link. 

So...What Have You Worked On Today? #4

Today, I worked on a couple pair of beaded hoops which I started yesterday. I've been wanting to make these for a while now and I finally got them done. I snapped this photo earlier today (posted it on instagram), while there was still some light. I will post a picture of the completed hoops tomorrow. I am definitely going to make more like this and maybe some with gemstones or crystals. And possibly some bangle bracelets. We'll see.

I currently have a different style of beaded hoops in the shop right now. See them below. I plan to make larger versions.
What did you work on today?

Natural Hair Fave: Haritage Hydration

Do you ever randomly search for items on etsy? I do. One day, some months ago, I did a random search for natural hair butter. And I wasn't necessarily in need of more hair products. I was just curious to see what would come up. Well... what came up was over 700 (about 18 pages worth) items. I looked through them all.  And while there were plenty of great sounding products, I was most intrigued  Hairitage hydration. I checked out their shop and I wanted to try almost everything. There were lots of trial sizes too, which is awesome.  It gives me a chance to try the product and determine if  I want to buy full sizes.  After adding some items to my favorites, I checked out Hairitage Hydration on  Facebook and twitter. And that's when I saw it. They were having a major sale for 30% off. I didn't hesitate to go back to the shop and get what I wanted most.

Here's what I got:
(l to r)
Happy Hemp Hair Pomade 2oz
Coconut Yuzu Love 2oz (currently not on the site)
Cocoaloe Hydrator 4oz (missing label)
Soft and Creamy Horsetail Hair Butter 4 oz

I tried them as soon I got them and they worked beautifully on my hair.  My hair felt very soft and moisturized with these products. And I like the way they smell. The Hydrator and Coconut Yuzu Love are tropical and coconutty. While the Happy Hemp and Horsetail Butter smell  more herbal, which I love. Those  who prefer fruity or dessert fragrances might not care for them as much though.
Overall I was really pleased with these products and I'll definitely return to Hairitage Hydration  to repurchase my faves and try something new.
Do you buy handmade hair care or personal care items?

So..What Have You Work On Today? #3

Today I finished up a custom by adding stamped discs and wire-wrapped crystals to silver and gold chains bracelets. The items on the left of the photo are the beaded stretch bracelets and metal rings (which are stamped) that were also part of the order. This is the most stamping that I've ever done and it got a little frustrating at times. Especially since I was trying to line up the letters perfectly. It was good practice though. And now I'm all done.
Next, I'll be finishing up those pantina earrings (didn't finished them that night) and making some beaded hoops to add to the shop.
So, what have you worked on today?

So...What Have You Worked On Today? #2

Today I'm working on a custom order for my sister. I cut, polished, and stamped some metal discs (about 30) that I'll add  to some beaded and chain bracelets. I'll be done within the next few hours and then I'll finish up an order that will ship tomorrow.
I generally don't do much stamping these days but I do still have a couple of stamped pieces in the shop. One of them is reserved for a customer. Check them out below.
So, what have you worked on today?