New Jazjewelz Etsy Shop Items and Discount Code UPDATED 8/2

Update:
So, added a couple more pieces to the shop today and thought I would just add them to this post. They are the first 3 pieces and the coupon below is still live and will be valid until 8/4.

Here are the newest pieces in my shop. Please use the discount code NEWPIECES to get 15% off of your order of $20 or more thru Friday 8/2. Shop HERE.Oh, and just as I was creating this post the first two items sold (Shout out to Yolonda B). I'll show them anyway.

Video: Goodies Box Unboxing July 2013

Hi all! Here is this month's Goodies box. Check it out and let me know what you think. Goodies box is a subscription service which currently costs $7/month. You can sign up to get yours HERE

Event: Art+ Sol Flea Market

Art + Sol Flea Market returns this Saturday, 7/27, on Howard Street from 10am-6pm. And I'll be there selling my jewels. Please stop by and support your local artists and vintage vendors. By the way, 7/27 is my birthday :) Yes, I'll be working on my bday. And I don't mind one bit. Hope to see ya there!

July 2013 Love With Food Box Unboxing

Check out what I got in this month's Love With Food Box. I received this box a day before heading out of town for a mini-vacay. So I had plenty of snacks to take along. Perfect timing! Let me know what you think.

From l to r counter

Real Sticks BBQ Beef Stick

Twangerz Snack Toppings Salt  (chili lime, lemon lime, lime, pickle)

Natures Baker Strawberry Fig Bar

Kukuruza Salted Caramel Popcorn

Uncle Henry's Handmade Pretzels

Lord Nut Levington Rebel Mary Peanuts

Angel Mint Salt Water Taffy

Necco Wafers

Love With Food is a subscription service that costs $10/month.Click HERE to get your own Love With Food Box

July 2013 Birchbox Unboxing

Hi all! Here is this month's Birchbox Unboxing. I was satisfied with products and will use each one. Check out the video and let me know what you think.
Get your own Birchbox HERE.

From l to r

The Balm cosmetics Instain Long-Wearing Powder Staining Blush (0.018 oz sample)

  Full-size retails for $22

Birchbox Bobby Pins ( 2 pins) 

Full-size set of 6 retails for $5

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin Cream (sample tube)

Full-size retails for $48

Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper (1 oz sample)

Full-size retails for $10

DDF Acne Control Treatment (0.5oz sample)

Full-size retails for $44

Love With Food Unboxing June 2013

Here's what I got in June's Love With Food Box. I was pretty satisfied with the contents and I think I'm going to stayed subscribed for a couple more months. Plus you can earn points by doing reviews and referring friends. You can then use your points to buy items from the Love With Food Shop.
Check out the video and let me know what you think.
Love With Food is a food/snack subscription service that costs $10/month. If you're interested in subscribing click HERE

Goodies Box Unboxing June 2013

Check out what I got in my Goodies Box. This is a new service that I subscribed to and it is currently on $7/month. It's filled with several food/snack items that ranged from natural stuff to items that you'll find and any grocery or convenience store.

 

Overall, I thought the box was pretty good. There were couple of items that I would not personally buy for myself. I'd definitely say the box is more than worth the $7 though. What do you think? If you like it, you can sign up for a Goodies Box HERE!

Beauty Bargain Find: Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Calming Facial Mask

Today's beauty bargain is Yes to Cucumbers Soothing Calming Facial Mask. I purchased it at Marshalls for $4.99. I wasn't going to buy it at first. In fact, I did not buy it the first time is saw it. Besides, I had a sample of this at home. I also had a $20 for $40 deal (from bloomspot.com) to redeem on Yestocarrots.com. So I figured I would just wait and buy it online.

Then I walked into Whole Foods which is in the same shopping center as Marshalls. I saw the same mask there for $14.99 O_O so I made a beeline back to Marshalls and got the mask. I guess I was expecting the regular cost to be around $8. Especially since most of their other products are in that price range. I was so wrong.
FYI, the mask is also $14.99 on the Yes to Carrots website. So, I'm glad I decided to buy it  at Marshalls. Also, And I believe the reason for the discount was a defective box; it didn't close all the way. Otherwise the product was/is in perfect condition.Win for me!

Have you found any beauty bargains lately?


About the mask from yestocarrots.com:

"Yes To Cucumbers Calming Facial Mask gives your tired skin that gentle moisture boost you've been searching   for, leaving your sensitive skin soft, silky, and polished to perfection! Going green isn't just a trend, it's an important way of life! And what better way to start going green, than with something everyone will recognize - your beautiful face! "

Etsy Shop Updates - New Jewelry

I've been a little bust lately with several different projects, I haven't had much time to update my etsy shop. Until now! I've only added a few pieces. And I plan to add a few pieces more frequently, instead of a bunch of pieces at once. So here's what I added.and make sure to check out the rest of my shop HERE.

                                        

Crystal Quartz Brass Bangle

Hammered Hoop Earrings

Agate and Brass Necklace

Titanium Crystal Ring (adjustable)

Hammered Copper Earrings

June 2013 Birchbox Unboxing

Check out what I got in this month's Birchbox. Feel free to rate, comment, and subscribe! Join Birchbox for $10/month HERE

Birchbox postcards

Davines OI/Oil Absolute Beautifying Potion 3ml/0.10oz sample
full-size retails for $40

Davines Love Smoothing Conditioner sample 12ml/0.41oz

Davines Smoothing Shampoo 2.5oz
full-size retails for $24

Mirenesse Glossy Kiss full-size Shade: Quick Kiss
full-size retails for $26.55

Color Club Polish 7ml-0.25oz mini
Wanderlust collection with 4 minis retails for $8

Oscar de la Renta Something Blue sample vial
retails for $85-$115

Target Beauty Box June 2013

Target occasionally offers little cosmetic bags of samples for free. All you do is sign up for one and they send it. Though the bags are limited and you have to be on the lookout for when they become available. Well, this time Target offered a beauty box and it was only $5 dollars so I ordered it. I received it about a week ago and was pretty pleased with the contents. Check out what I got in the video! Be sure to rate, comment, and subscribe!

Makeup Show Haul Chicago 2013

Check the items that I picked at The Makeup Show. I decided to split the video in two parts. The first part shows some of the items I got in the blogger preview goodie bag. And the second part shows what I purchased and/or samples. I am pretty satisfied with what I got and the discounts were good so I don't feel so bad about spending. I do wish I would have varied some of color items I got. I gravitated to brights and neons for some reason. Like a moth to a flame. Lol. I'll have fun adding them into my collection anyway.
Check out the haul video and let me know what you think.

Makeup Show Haul Chicago 2013 Part 1 (Blogger Preview) 




Makeup show haul Chicago 2013 Part 2 




Blogger Preview Swag Bag

My Purchases

The Makeup Show 2013 Recap

        

 The Makeup Show took place in Chicago on June 9 and 10 and closed with record-breaking numbers and a weekend full of beauty and inspiration. This is the 3rd year of The Makeup Show Chicago and there were over 3,500 beauty professionals, buyers, industry educators, press, and retailers at Bridgeport Art Center. The Makeup Show Chicago was once again a platform for top beauty brands to debut new products and for some of the biggest and best talent in the industry to come together at the largest pro-driven beauty event in the Midwest.

“The Makeup Show is unique in that it brings a personal touch to this community, and a sense of connection.  With our 3rd year seeing an increase in attendees and brands raving about the show, it brings a validation to the reason why we hold this event five times a year.   We are now looking forward to bringing this same growth and inspiration to our next show in Orlando this September.” Shelly Taggar, Owner of The Makeup Show

The Makeup Show Chicago Highlights

The Makeup Show Chicago featured over 75 beauty brands including Diamond Sponsor MAKE UP FOR EVER, Platinum Sponsor Crown Brush and Temptu PRO, Silver Sponsor NARS, Supporting Sponsors Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, INGLOT Cosmetics, Stila, The Powder Group and On Makeup Magazine.  

Makeup Artists stocked their kits with the newest beauty products on the market and many brands sold out of popular products.  MAKE UP FOR EVER debuted a new Smoky Extravagant, the latest mascara innovation that quickly became a must-have for every makeup artist’s kit. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics new Lip Tar Stained Gloss flew off the shelves, and Ellis Faas, AJ Crimson Beauty, and NARS (to name a few) each had popular products that sold out or became a new industry favorite.

The Makeup Show Keynotes were highly anticipated and well attended.  Keynotes that took the main stage have transformed the faces of some of today’s biggest names including Wendy Williams, Naomi Campbell, Halle Berry, and Twiggy, to name a few. Popular keynotes includedGlobal Pro Lead Artist for Smashbox, Lori Taylor, Merrell Hollis, Eve Pearl, Sian Richards, NARS Cosmetics Director of Global Artistry, James Boehmer, and Sutan Amrull who is most recognized from America’s Next Top Model and Season 3 winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

Hands-On Workshops quickly sold-out.  These classes allowed a limited number of artists to be a part of intense learning with some of the largest names in the industry.  A few of the educators included makeup artists Danessa Myricks, Orlando Santiago, Tanya Deemer, Eugenia Weston, and Lijah Stewart, teaching on popular topics such as the Art of Cover Up and Understanding Color Theory and Color Correction.

About The Makeup Show Chicago

The Makeup Show is owned and produced by Metropolitan Event & Production and travels internationally from LA, NYC, Chicago, Europe, and Orlando.  Bringing each destination over 60 beauty brands, and unique convergence of artists and community, where beauty professionals are sure to find an artistic energy that will inspire any beauty buff, from the passionate beginner to the seasoned professional.  Each show offers an unparalleled lineup ofeducation and appearances from top beauty professionals and focuses on career building and networking within the makeup community.  The show provides a unique experience for the makeup professional to network directly from the best in the business.  You can also stay up to date on the hottest show news through an informative blog covering all things beauty at www.themakeupshow.com/the-makeup-show-blog/.  Also, be sure to connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

For a complete list of participating brands, educational speakers,schedule of events and prices, please visit www.themakeupshow.com.

Upcoming Event: Art & Sol Flea Market

This Saturday, I'll be vending at the Art & Sol Flea Market from 10am-6pm. There will other local vendors selling handmade goods, art, and vintage items. If you're in the Chicagoland area, please stop by and support your local artists.

The Makeup Show Chicago 2013

On June 9-10, The Makeup Show will return  to Chicago for it's third straight year. The Makeup Show is the largest pro-driven event bringing together celebrity makeup artists, beauty professionals, educators, students, bloggers, and more . This year's show will feature 6 keynote speakers, over 75 beauty brands, 20 seminars, and 8 hands-on workshops.

This will be my first time attending the show and I'm super excited to check it out. I'm especially looking forward to checking out many of the brands that will be exhibiting their current lines and new products. And although I'd be considered an enthusiast instead of a professional, I'm very much interested in the seminars and presentations as well. I'm expecting to have a fab time.  I'll make as many updates as I can during the show  via twitter and instagram . And of course, a follow-up post. Stay tuned!

Here's a look  at the artists, their brands and what they'll sharing in the various workshop, seminars, and keynote presentations:

• I Make You Beautiful - Danessa Myricks is owner of I Make You Beautiful and Director of Product Innovations and Marketing at Benefit Cosmetics.  Not only will her cosmetic line be available at The Makeup Show Chicago, but attendees will be able to join Danessa in exclusive hands-on workshops that covers the “Fundamentals of Complexion and Contour” and “Makeup for Photography”.   Danessa has worked on video and/or print projects for Fantasia, Britney Spears, Madonna, Ciara, Mario, Chris Brown, Bow Wow, Shontelle, Jazzmayne Sullivan, Angela &Vanessa Simmons, Jordan Sparks, Enrique Iglesias, Chris Rock, TI, and more.

• AJ Crimson Beauty – Celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson is one of today’s premier makeup artists.  He has worked with an impressive clientele list including Fergie, Missy Elliot, and Keyshia Cole (to name a few) and has been featured in magazines around the world!   This experience in the industry makes AJ Crimson Beauty a natural choice for makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts to add to their beauty kit!

• London Brush Company – Sian Richards is an Internationally recognized, award winning artist, business owner, beauty expert and mother.  She has personally fine tuned and honed the design of each of the brushes in her line which has been used on the faces of celebrities including Halle Berry, Melanie Griffith, Naomi Watts and many more.

• Eve Pearl Beauty – Makeup Master, Brand Owner, Celebrity Artist, Educator and 5 time Emmy Award winner Eve Pearl has a made a name for herself as one of the best in the business.  With over 18 years of experience in television, film, theatre and print her products are sure to be amongst the best.  Don't miss Eve in her keynote, too as she will share how she started EVE PEARL brand from the ground up and offer pros and cons of starting a makeup line.

• Z Palette – Founder and makeup artist Zena Schteysel has beautified clients including Kim Kardashian, Kelly Osbourne, Melissa Joan Hart and Brooke Burke, to name a few.  Over the years Zena has carried around enormous makeup kits, spent hours consolidating, organizing and transferring things into smaller containers and palettes just to make her makeup kits lighter and more efficient.   To solve this time consuming process, Zena developed Z Palette, the ultimate customizable makeup palette.

• Crystal Wright Live – Have you always dreamed of a career in makeup, hair and fashion styling? Crystal Wright is a self-help author, educator, motivational speaker and advisor to freelance styling professionals. She is an internationally recognized expert on the subject of career building and marketing for beauty professionals and regularly appears as a guest speaker and educator at fashion and beauty trade shows, and events. 

The Makeup Show will be held at the Bridgeport Art Center located at 1200 W. 35th street on July 9-10 from 9am-5pm. For a complete list of participating brands, educational speakers, schedule of events and prices, please visit www.themakeupshow.com.

Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox May 2013 Unboxing

I got my Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox a couple of days ago. Below is  a video of everything I got in the box.
I received this box for free from Influenster! It is an invited community. I have a few invites-let me know if you want one.  Here is little info from the site:

"Influenster is a free -to-join community of invited trendsetters who live to give opinions of products and experiences. Influenster creates links between brands and members to reward participation and influence future products."

Influenster Spring Fever VoxBox May 2013

Secret Outlast Clear Gel Antiperspirant/deodorant
retails at 4.59

NYC New York Color Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm
retail for $2.99

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-On Manicure
retails for $5.99-$7.99

Osis Gelastic gel
retails for $18.00

Tastykake Kandy Bar Kakes
retails for $4.49/box

Beauty Bargain Find: Sophyto Phytotherapy Anti-Aging Care Kit

I love a good bargain! Don't you? And I recently found a fantastic bargarin at Marshalls. I was checking out their beauty aisle, as I always do,  and came across Sophyto Phytotherapy Anti-Aging Care Kit. If you have not heard of Sophyto, it is an all natural and organic skincare line free of artificial fragrance, color, fillers, and parabens.
Here's more info about Sophyto* via their website:

   " All Sophyto products are based in the advanced science of phytotherapy. This holistic approach 
     to skincare harnesses the healing power of botanicals and other powerful bioactive ingredients to 
     naturally nourish and restore skin's youthful glow. Every Sophyto anti-aging product delivers 
     professional results, yet is formulated with pure, natural ingredients."

I was already familiar with this line before picking up the kit. In fact, I've tried the products before thanks to a small sampler that I got from SaffronRouge.com (they no longer carry Sophyto). And I liked what I sampled but never bought full sizes because the prices were more than I was willing to spend. So when I saw this kit in Marshalls, I picked it up immediately. And then I saw the $12.99 price tag; I couldn't believe it was so inexpensive. You can't even buy one of their travel-sized items for under $10. And the kit is currently selling for $34.45 on Amazon.com. So this was a steal indeed. Glad I picked it up.

Oh, and I must say that I understand Marshalls sells some (not all) products that are overstock, irregular, discontinued, nearing expiration, etc,... The items in the kit expire next year and I just noticed a typo in the ingredients list. So that might explain the discount.

The kit contains the following:
Ph optimizing restorative toner (100ml/3.381 fl.oz) currently sells for $15 on dermstore.com
Anti-aging Antioxidant Serum (30ml/1.014 fl.oz) currently sells for $49 on beautysage.com
Marine Peptide brightening treatment (30ml/ fl.oz)  currently sells for $30 on beautysage.com

*The Sophyto website is based in the U.K. so prices are in pounds which is why I referred to Beautysage, Amazon, and Dermstore for U.S. pricing.

Out and About: Green Festival Chicago 2013

On Sunday, 19, 2013, the beau and I went to the Green Festival which we've done for the past 4 years. It was held at Navy Pier and we were having lovely weather that day. So it felt great on the pier. When we entered the exhibit we saw one of the beau's former co-workers at the Nature's Conservancy booth. We chatted with her for a minute and then we took a photo for their All Hands On Earth Movement and got a free t-shirt afterwards.

The dry erase board says we're eating less meat to help the environment

Next, we just walked around checking out all of the booths. Especially the food/snack booths which were all sampling their products. And I, of course, had to see all of the health and beauty exhibitors. And there were quite a few but only one of them really captured my attention. And my wallet. Browsed the photos below to see what we checked out .

                                                                                 

There were plenty of food/snack items to sample but the one I enjoyed the most was from Luna & Larry's Organic Coconut Bliss which is an alternative to ice cream. I've tried this product before but they had some new flavors. I sampled the Mocha Maca Crunch variety and it was delicious. 

Manitoba Harvest was there with samples of their Hemp Hearts and their new Hemp Pro 70 protein powder. I picked up a couple of samples but I also bought some Hemp Hearts which I have had before. They also had a twitter contest going on which I entered. And guess what? I won! Yaaaay. I got a twitter mention this morning letting me know that I won. The prize is a $100 gift certificate for Manitobaharvest.com. So, I'll be doing a little shopping soon. 

I won?!

As I mentioned earlier, I checked out all of the beauty companies and only a few captured my attention; Shea Terra Organics was one of them. I was familiar with this brand before the show and have always been intrigued by their products. This was my chance to sample and sniff all they had to offer. 

As I made my way around the booth, I saw the sign. 50% off of body creams and oils * faints* so I instantly grabbed the items I wanted most (below) and checked out. 

l-r Marula Whipped Shea Butter, Frankincense Meditation Whipped Shea Butter, Honeybush Peach Body Nectar Spray. FYI, use the code May2013 to get 30% off of your Sheaterra.com order thru 5/23. I think I'll  use that code to get a few more items. 

We needed to break for food and decided on this veggie chili and kale salad. It was from a restaurant called B' Gabs Goodies. We had never heard of this place before though it's near the beau's place. We'll definitely check out the restaurant soon. After finishing our salad we walked around a little more to see if we missed anything. Then we headed out to enjoy the rest of our day. Overall we enjoyed the festival and I'm sure well attend next year. 

Here are the samples that we picked up. l-r clockwise

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Pro 70 protein powder, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts, 

Shea Terra Organics Rose hips Black Soap

Shea Terra Organics Moroccan Argan Oil

Raw Revolution Live Food Bars

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Cane Sugars and Agave Nectar

Dr. Bronners Lavender Coconut Lotion, Shikakai Soap, and Castile Soap

May 2013 Birchbox Unboxing

I got my Birchbox a few days ago but am just getting the chance to open it today. Check out what I got and let me know what you think.
Join Birchbox HERE

Beauty Protector Protect and Detangle Leave-in conditioner (1 oz spray)
full size retails for $21.95

LA Fresh Oil-Free Face Cleanser Wet Wipe (2 wipes)
full size retails for $9.99/30 wipes

Cotz Face Balanced Mineral Complex (3gr sample tube)
full size retails for $20

Cargo Lip Gloss in Route 66 (full size)
retail for $14

Acroball Pure White hybrid ink pen (1 pen)
$6.24/4pk

Out and About: Free Makeup Class At Sephora #2

In another post I mentioned how I attended a free makeup class at Sephora. Well, I went to another free class on Sunday, 12, 2013 at the same Sephora (Watertower).  This second class was called Lashes, Liners, and Brows,  though the main focus was applying false eyelashes. And please note that I have attempted false lashes many times but I'm still getting the hang of it. Having the instructors there to guide made me feel more comfortable about applying lashes again. They were very helpful and gave me a few more tips such as shaping the lashes by gently wrapping them around your finger (or pen, pencil, etc...). Another tip was to place the glue on the edge or top of the band instead of the actual band/band. These tips made the lash application easier for me but I could still use more practice. I suppose I will keep trying until I get better.  I don't plan to wear them often. I just would like the option for days when I want to glam up a bit.

After class, one of the associates showed us their store's new toy, the Sephora Skincare IQ. This machine matches you with products that are perfect for your skin based on your skincare concerns. You're asked a series of questions and the machine uses your answers  to suggest several products. Then it prints out detailed information about the products including ratings, regimen, and suggested usage.

Note: Pictured in first photo is an instructor and a class participant

Sephora Skincare IQ

Detailed Skincare Match

I really enjoyed the class and learned some cool new tricks. And since it was Mother's Day so there were fewer participants and more one-on-one instruction. There was also another goodie bag and some other treats which are pictured. I will definitely be signing up for the next one. And I'll also be back to play around with the Skincare IQ.

 

 Left: Sephora lashes they gave me in class

Right-Goodie bag contents: Living Proof Restore Targeted Repair Cream,

                                                        Peter Thomas Roth CC Cream 

Free item I got with Sephora Insider Points

Two free fragrance pouches. I think they passing these out for Mother's Day.

I gave them to my sis-I'm more of a solid perfume/oil girl.