Rue La La gets Juicy!

Juicy Couture, that is.
Rue La La, the destination that delivers everything for a life of style - at private sale prices, has posted the current flash sale. Members discover new offerings daily - each available only for a short time.
You're in!

Someone Saved my Life Tonight.....

When I go to my "camping events" - let's call them camping/art events- I always bring a few items that become absolute essentials and draw the attention and/or admiration of many of my fellow campers. A lot of gals like to look lovely without having to drag along the kitchen sink, and things that are portable, easy to use and multifunctional are always popular. Many's the time when we get teased by the less Kitchen-sink-approach fellow campers who are then envious of certain of our goodies. My last trip, these were amongst my most highly coveted possesions....

 I absolutely LOVE Melansol products (available at www.puresunscreen.com) I was first introduced to them by the All Natural Beauty Mall (who by the way often offer terrific beauty samplers!)
MelanSol 100% Natural Antioxidant Moisturizer and MelanSol 100% Natural Antioxidant Sunscreen lotion are both incredibly effective as well as quickly absorbed and with a heavenly herbal scent. The clean herbal smell is appropriate on both men and women. No toxic sunscreen smell here! The moisturizer is incredible for sunburnt or overheated skin- it contains natural antioxidants that neutralize the cancer causing free radicals that your skin absorbs from the sun. I had folks lining up to use both of these products and I'm pretty sure I made some converts since I had people actually ask me to write down the product information for them. While sitting outside camp one afternoon I even had a guy come up to me that I hadn't met who asked if I was the "chick with the awesome sunblock" who wanted to try it out. Quite a testimony!

Colorescience Sunforgettable Powder in Perfectly Clear has got to be one of the best inventions of all time. I am seriously ADDICTED to this stuff. It comes in tons of shades and ranges from matte to downright glittery. The Perfectly Clear is a translucent matte that goes on like a standard powder, but is in actuality an extremely water resistant sunblock. I use the Melansol lotion on my body and then save this (pricey) gem for my face and neck. I have the power of a sunblock without a greasy look or feel and without the sunblock heaviness (and stench!) I spent some serious creek swimming time and emerged unscathed, even after dunking under water multiple times. Available at

Sally Hansen Color Quick pens (silver chrome, purple chrome) are freakin awesome!

 You get these metallic robot nails that seriously look like you painted your nails with car paint. I mean that in a good way! I didn't have time to paint my nails before we left and when I'm camping I like to have them painted so you can't see how gross my nails get without regular running water (gross I know, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do) so I threw these bad boys in my backpack. It's a pen with a built in brush so there's no chance of spillage. You simply click the button on the base to release some polish into the brush and you're good to go! It goes on smooth and with great coverage and dries almost instantly with no smudging. CAVEAT EMPTOR: The thing that makes it dry so super fast also makes it dry out your nails super fast. I do not recommend using this as your regular polish, but rather as an emergency go-to when you need perfect color fast and easy. Unfortunately for me, that's pretty often ;-)

Sephora Nano lip pencil in Royal Rose

goes on smoothly and cleanly and does not feather, even when sweating. A little swipe of this blended into my lips underneath my Cherry City SPF 15 vegan soy lip butter (see previous Cherry City review for more info) gave my lips a beestung hint of color without being too garish. Just enough to keep me feeling purdy. These sharpen easily and cleanly and hold together well- nothing more irritating than lip pencils that crumble every time you use them. Go figure, these are available at Sephora














Jordana Bright Eyes Neon Collection eyeliner (green, yellow, orange)- where have you been all my life?!?!?! And why oh why were they only around at Halloween?!?!?!?! They're my favorite kind of eyeliner, the twisty kind that don't need to be sharpened. And seriously folks, they come out just as freaky neon bright as the tubes themselves! I couldn't stop at lining my eyes- I had to draw little swirlies and stuff because they cried out to be used like face crayons! Come on folks, not everybody saves this stuff for once a year.

(as you can see, I'm not the only one who snatched these up!)

Estee Lauder Projectionist Mascara Black gives great definition without clumps and elongates the lashes without seeming too obvious. It goes on easily and you only need one coat for fabulous lashes. It seems to make the eyes really pop without an overly made up look, yet still gives a lot of length and volume. This will not give you insane falsies lashes like Lancome generally does, but it enhances the natural beauty swimmingly. A 2010 Total Beauty Awards nominee....

Prada Infusion D'Homme
Okay, I know what you're thinking. Why did I take a high end MEN'S cologne camping? Well, I gotta be honest with ya.After a few days out in the woods, people start getting kinda stanky. Instead of holding my breath for 4 days, I subtly applied this to the camp chairs in our area. Yes, I did sneak attack scent distribution. So sue me. Men's cologne has an earthier scent that wasn't as obvious but made the air a little sweeter.....It's a cross between a citrus and a woodsy scent that doesn't overwhelm but has a brisk clean aroma.

Heliocare Capsules- can you say brilliant? This is a sun protection PILL. I wouldn't trust it to be my only means of protection, but it's great to have that extra bit of protection, especially when you're an albino like me. I also take a number of medications that increase my skin's sensitivity to the sun so i can never have enough protection. According to the manufacturer:

Science
Using the unique properties of the main ingredient, Natural Fern Extract, Heliocare increases the body's tolerance to the sun and provides cell protection in the epidermis. As an oral antioxidant, Heliocare will fight off free radicals before damage can be caused to cellular proteins, and protects cells deep in the skin, which topical antioxidants are unable to do. Unlike many oral antioxidants, Heliocare becomes active within 30 minutes after the first dose is taken.

Solutions
This revolutionary new approach to sun protection decreases the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation as well reducing the number of ultraviolet induced sunburn cells and DNA damage.

All I can tell you is that it seems to work- not even a pink nose!

Available at


Degree Classic Romance Body Mist
I do think that their calling it a "Fine Fragrance" might be a stretch, but believe it or not this stuff is pretty nice! It's a body spray in a clean light rose scent that isn't cloying like so many roses are. It's incredibly refreshing, especially how I used it- put it in the ice chest! A little of this ice cold sprayed on the back of the neck and you become human again. Julie Ann is made out of people!

Yves Rocher Lavender Icy Gel Foot massage is another life saver out of the cooler- folks clamored to borrow this and I actually went through the whole thing! Nothing like watching macho boys rubbing french lavender on their feet :-) This cooling gel that soothes on contact has peppermint essential oil in it to refresh and invigorate. Oy, it's air conditioning in a bottle! I love that Yves Rocher grows their own herbs and has been creating aromatherapeutic botanical products for over fifty years. They're really cheap and give you great free gifts too! Available at

And last but most certainly not least, for all my lip and eye needs I brought these palettes with me.
bh Cosmetics 66 color lips gloss palette, 120 eyeshadow palette, 1st edition

These are super slim and as you can see, have nine million gazillion colors. The eye shadow set has two trays stacked one on the other. And remember what I said about so many companies shying away from the wacky colors? What can I say other than  three shades of blue lipstick? The colors you see in the pan are exactly the colors that come out on application. NO JOKE. These are psychotically pigmented! RED EYESHADOW FOLKS! Sheer madness. Obviously these are not for the faint of heart :-)A

Singing the praises of Birchbox

I swear, I think every month of Birchbox is better than the month before! We have THREE deluxe spray samples of new Benefit scents, a HUGE "sample" of Nars The Multiple in South Beach, a large tube of the new Too Faced Primed and Poreless, naturally antibacterial towelettes (no chemicals!) and my favorite - a hair bungee! For $10.00 you can get the month's box, or you can get a subscription and receive one box for free. With each purchase you get points to redeem towards the full sized items, so it's a win/ win! hands down one of the best deals ever. On their website you’ll also find tips on selecting a signature scent and quick fixes for lipstick snafus. Not to mention an interview with LA-based fashion designer Melissa Coker, a video tutorial on hair buns, and other fun beauty tidbits. Sign up for them at Birchbox

Scrubbing up For Valentine's Day

I wanted to be all soft, clean and gorgeous for Valentine's Day and to do that I had to have a squeaky clean canvas. So what toys did I play with? (My hubby calls my products my "toys")

Well first things first, I cleaned my face using 2 excellent products from Bliss.

The lid+lash wash is an oil free makeup remover that removes all traces of eye makeup and also is safe and gentle enough to remove lip makeup! This is great for when you want to start with a fresh canvas. It's a liquid that borders on being a runny gel, and you simply saturate a cotton ball and let it do it's job. I've gotten some in my eye before and it didn't even sting. Sweet! It's cheap, too! It contains rosewater, so it's also incredibly refreshing and perks up tired eyes making it perfect for when your day includes a Round Two....

The Bliss clog-dissolving cleansing milk really gets down into your skin and makes it squeaky. It's crazy mild and rinses away thoroughly without leaving the skin feeling dry, and is especially good for oily or combination skin. It removes dead skin cells with exfoliating enzymes and is rich in antioxidants. It also rinses off incredibly easy so you don't have to scrub it off.

Both of these are available at Dermstore

After getting my face good and clean, I hopped into the shower for a quick refreshing scrub, bringing my Trillium Organics Pink Grapefruit Organic Body Polish with me. This stuff is da bomb and is handmade in Wisconsin. Another great item to perk you up after a long day when you have more ahead of you, the pink grapefruit scent is invigorating and refreshing and returns you to a state of alertness and energy. Not only does the sea salt remove the day's debris from your skin, but safflower, soy and vitamin E oils leave you feeling so silky you don't need a body moisturizer. A plus- Grapefruit is a detoxifier AND reduces cellulite! They are also certified organic by the USDA!

Available at Trillium Organics

Despite having cleansed my face to a ridiculous degree, I used Befine Food Skin Care's Cooling Peel Off Mask with Apple, Lemon & Green Tea. This is wonderful for those who have rosacea or a tendency towards facial flushing (which I do, especially after having just taken a shower). This goes on with a gel consistency and you immediately begin to feel a tingly coolness calming your skin. Give it about 15-20 minutes and then voila, you just peel it off! You can actually see the dead skin and debris attached to your new creepy glue mask :-) It actually reminds me of when I was a kid and would cover my hand in glue and then let it dry and peel it off. So wonderful that I can relive such fun with no one looking at me funny!

Available at random online retailers.

The Crafty Sampler

 The Crafty Sampler  is a monthly handcrafted goodies sampler (which everyone by now knows I am NUTS about!) that goes on sale the first of every month. To contribute to the sampler, the minimum amount is simply 20 pieces, which will also get you advertising on the web page. They have 2 size boxes available, a small box with about 10 items for only $12.00 or the larger box with 11-20 items for a mere $18.00. In the U.S. the price also includes shipping! If you visit the Facebook page, you can keep up with current giveaways, like right now they're doing a giveaway for a small sampler box!

So what kinds of things will you find in a typical Crafty Sampler? Here's the contents of a previous sampler I received.

Mary Ellen's Crafts Crocheted Dish Scrubbies are super. They are crocheted from nylon netting and are Teflon safe. They work as well as steel wool without the harshness and because they're nylon, they stay clean and last FOREVAH. They work equally well on my antique cast iron tub and on my plastic shower curtain, leaving everything clean with ease.

Fragrant Flickers (319-899-0772) does not currently have a web site, which is unfortunate, as the Hibiscus & Thai Palm Large Wickless Candle Tin that I received is a pure delight. They do sell at retail locations throughout Iowa, so keep your eyes open if you're in those parts- but for the rest of us, if you want to try out an amazing candle, give 'em a call and place an order over the phone. Now I'm inspired to buy a candle warmer.... (wickless candles are different from tarts in that they melt differently and stay in the container- less chance for mess than with a standard tart burner). If anyone has suggestions on a good place to look at candle warmers, lemme know!

Letitia Essentials
'Ugly Soap" is a huge chunk of thick, rich, heady natural soap that smells absolutely incredible.

"This soap is made for sensitive skin with Oatmeal, Honey, Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Cocoa Butter, Herbs, Milk and/or other natural organic combination. My exfoliating soap is also organic using Corn Meal, Salt, Sugar or other natural exfoliates. Some of the soaps are scented, others have their own natural aroma that is earthy and mild. One thing is for sure... they are all UGLY! Whatever your taste, these are very fine natural handmade soaps made here in the USA in a little shop right in the backyard behind my home. If you just want a natural creamy lather that leaves you clean and moisturized then this is the soap for you. Even my herbs are grown in my little herb garden without the use of pesticides or artificial anything... we even have the horses that make some of the best fertilizer you have ever used! Try our soaps or any of our products today."

And their Brown Sugar Scrub has me excited, since I adore body scrubs. The scrub is really cheap too, especially considering how concentrated it is.
"My Brown Sugar Scrub is made with all natural ingredients including brown sugar, pure cane sugar, olive oil, hibiscus petals, rose petals, oatmeal plus other things to make you feel smooth and moisturized. Most customers have said that it works wonderful on their feet to soften the rough dry skin we all sometimes get. A little of this scrub goes a long way and you will 

get your money's worth!"

Sweet Treat Bakery Candles sent in an ENORMOUS and RIDICULOUSLY fragrant Cinnamon Red Hots candle. I don't know that I even need to ever burn it, just leaving it sitting out unwrapped, the scent fills the room better than many scent tarts do when actually heated! It super duper cute, too, made to look very cake like with big hearts dotting the top and a charming bow tied around it's adorably curled wick. This would be an excellent hostess gift.

Anam Cara Candles Soy Tarts in Very Vanilla, Jack Frost, Green Apple, Baby Powder smell scrumptious! These are triple scented, so they melt super quickly and have a more intense scent than some other lines. I love that they melt and spread their scent almost immediately upon putting them in the tart warmer.

Senua Gifts 
sells everything from bath and body products to candles to shopping totes! i really like their line of Reiki energy candles. In this sampler, they included a Jasmine incense cone (I like to burn actual incense when I do my yoga, it seems to help me concentrate.)

SBS Teas sent in an Orange Roobios Tea sachet and at this point I think it would be downright redundant of me to tell you what I think of these guys! Let's just say I have a full bag of this in a loose form and drank a cup with dinner last night.

Primitive Kountry
sent in some deeply aromatic wax melties, a Brown Sugar Fig Meltie and 2 Pink Diva Mimi Melties. These smell so good that I put the paper bag they were in into one of my drawers to give some fragrance to my undies! The Brown Sugar Fig one even got my husband's attention, and he rarely even notices stuff like that, let alone comments on it!

AngelWings2Ltd bath salts have a soft clean smell, like fresh laundry or sun warmed cotton. I've purchased from them before, a set of really well made crocheted face scrubbies.

Many of these sellers are active in the metaphysical community, so you may not have heard of some of them, but I really enjoyed getting to try out items from less known artisans. From old favorites to new ones, this is another great opportunity to see what's out there in the land of handmade!

Revisiting Some Favorites For It's Raining Reviews

Thumbs Up!

Cherry City Bath & Body Angel Food Cake scent is manohmanohman! It smells soooooo good! They have hundreds of scents to choose from to customize your bath and body products, and I have yet to come across a bad one. I am particularly intrigued by the cuticle oil for a blissfully scented manicure. This particular scent grabbed me because it’s sweet without being cloying and truly smells like fresh out of the oven cake.  This is the perfect scent for daytime wear, and even co-workers who don’t like perfumes will like it, since you smell like baked goods. They’re constantly adding new products and scents, and often ask for customer feedback on their Facebook page so they can offer what’s most wanted- it’s nice to see an artisan who listens to her fanbase. Bonus: All products are 100% vegan!

www.cherrycitybathandbody.com

New Kokokahn Line!

I have previously shared my love for Kokokahn lip balm, and I've just been informed by the company that in honor of Earth Day, they will be launching a totally vegan line. They're also about to introduce a lavender salt scrub, which I intend to keep always on hand, as lavender is one of the few things that really truly and literally chills me out and helps me sleep. The combination of medications that I take for my lupus makes me have these INSANE night sweats, but when I use a lavender based product before I go to bed it's either not as intense or avoided all together. I also love doing scrubs before I go to bed as it makes me fell all baby soft and squeaky clean, so this one is tailor made for me, it seems.  The lavender is not yet available, but I was lucky enough to score a preview to try out and I was astonished! All of their body scrubs are made with the highly prized Himalayan Pink Salt. When I get paid I'm going to hop over there and pick up some Coconut Lime Salt Scrub for my morning "howdy-do" because it’s got to be just as incredible (they also have Coconut Orange, Floral Harmony, Earth & Spice, and a Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Scrub.) 

Another one of their products I'm really excited about right now is the Kokokahn Coconut Body Balm. I just received this the other day and it's truly astounding.

From their website:

"Coconut Body Balm

Nourish & Heal

Nourish and heal hands, cuticles, elbows, feet, knees or any other dry parts of your body. Or use as an all over hydrating & healing night mask or daily moisturizer. A decadent tropical coconut aroma especially good for after sun care, dry winter skin and sensitive skin.

All of the oils, butters and beewax used in our body balms are unrefined and in their natural state leaving all the wonderful health benefits Nature intended.

Ingredients: Certified Organic Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Certified Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Organic Beeswax, Certified Organic Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter"

I LOVE this company!  I just bought a new pair of open backed shoes, and was horrified to see that my heels look like those nasty things hanging off of the back of some grody person's flip flops at Wal Mart. Being on my feet all day wreaks havoc on my tootsies but one swipe of this balm and they looked like someone else's feet. Seriously, I was amazed at the enormous difference this stuff made with just one application. You'd have thought I'd just paid some pedicurist tons of money to shave my feet or something. Seriously wonderful stuff!

Not only does Kokokahn make wonderful products, but there is such an enormous amount of information on their web page  www.kokokahn.com about everything from aromatherapy to natural health and body care.

SBS TEAS ARE TEA-RIFIC!

I've talked about SBS Teas before, after receiving samples in various samplers. I used my samples and found them so delightful that I HAD to order from them.  Well blended teas nourish your body and spirit. Also, I like to take my tea leaves after brewing my tea and finding uses for them as everything from a facial treatment to plant fertilizer.

As I type, I am drinking a mug of their decaf orange pekoe, which has a sweet marshmallow-ey smell and flavor undertone. Num!

I was initially astounded simply by their great prices, and then I was astounded by the quality of their offerings. If you have any interest in drinking well thought out tea blends put together by a woman run company then go to their site!

Oh! I just saw that everyone who orders from them is entered to win a $25.00 gift certificate!

I just received my order, they have a tea grab bag that's less than $8.00 with an assortment so you can try out lots of different flavors! They also included a ton of free samples. They not only carry teas, but also accessories and coffees!

Don't take my word for it, here's a guest review from my co-worker Laure. (She's quite the tea afficianado and had expressed an interest in trying out the one I was drinking at work the other day, a gingerbread  cream. She did it right and took it home and drank it in the bath while savoring it like a fine wine.)

"thanks for the opportunity to taste the tea....here are my impressions:

not much aroma but full, great depth, as you said - complex, with round, almost apple-cheeked flavor. Enjoyed the in-mouth expansion...remember "pop rocks"? It felt like that explosion as the flavors poofed in my mouth. The aftertaste was surprising with breath intake freshness as if a mint had been chewed but not a mint flavor, just the sensation of tingling, clean coolness. There was no woody, dry taste that often comes with commercial teas. I imagine this would be very good as an iced tea, too."

www.sbsteas.com

I love the jewelry at Hippie Chick Jewelry and Design http://www.artfire.com/users/hippiechickdesign

The pieces are really well made and sturdy,despite the delicate appearance.  Custom hand dyed beads, Swarovski pearls and crystals, sterling silver and semiprecious stone….. they’re all in abundance in these pieces.  All price ranges are covered with inexpensive earrings and bracelets to pricier (but still completely reasonable) elaborate necklaces and watches.  The artisan will custom make for you almost anything your heart desires, so if you have an idea in your head but not the means to execute it- just drop her a line and she’ll be happy to accommodate.  She will also take current designs and custom make them to your specifications for things like stone and color preferences.

Memories by Olenka

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lovinmy3kids

specializes in primitive and grungy style paper products, including doing custom orders and designs. I keep a handful of the cards on hand since they’re unique, adorable and interesting. It’s always a good sign when someone spends as much time gazing at the card or gift tag as they do the gift and I love to see when I go back to someone’s house and they have it up on the refrigerator (or in the case of a gift tag, framed in a bitty little frame and hung on the wall!) This store also has prim style web page layouts that have gotten great feedback. 

 I recently tried out some handcrafted scent tarts from Tuxedo Enterprises

http://www.tuxedo-enterprises.com

in Midnight Rose, Cucumber Green Tea and Cinnamon Coffee. I'm burning one literally right at this moment! It smells divine and is subtle enough not to be overpowering but still put out a great scent. When I left the room then came back in, I was struck by what a pretty garden rose smell wafted from the room. They have a very true aroma and smell EXACTLY like what they are meant to. They last a pretty good long time and are made with palm wax, a fairly unusual entry in the wax tart market.

These are a great price too -from 99 cents for a single tart to only $12.29 for a whole bag of 25.

 From the always awesome Om Shanti Handcrafts

http://www.etsy.com/shop/omshanti

is what has to easily be one of the most rich, delightfully scented soaps it has ever been my pleasure to sniff. These healthy sized goat's milk and honey soaps in Mulling Spices are divine! Words cannot express how amazing this scent is. I also received 2 pretty muslin bags stamped with their logo- in one bag 2 large soap samples in Vanilla Rose and Tangerine Vanilla and in the other one a bag FILLED with Pumpkin Spice Soap Minis and a lavender citrus cuticle salve! With the code PLE25 you'll receive a full 25% off your order.

They also carry tons of other natural vegetarian bath and body products, including massage oils,  lip balms and powders as well as offering gift sets and sample packs that allow you to QUITE inexpensively try a number of products in their  delightful line.  You also can’t go wrong with a store that guarantees their products to be “100% crap free”! 

If you like your packaging to be as intriguing and interesting as your gift, check out the lovely handcrafted origami boxes from Eco Vintage Vegan

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ecovintagevegan

I’m jealous since I have yet to be able to master the art of origami. These are well made and quite hearty.

The same person who runs Eco Vintage Vegan also has Crude Company

http://www.etsy.com/shop/crudeco

specializing in metaphysical stone jewelry. Because these are made from hand gathered and prepared stones, no two will ever be the same, just as Mother Nature intended.  The jewelry pieces are shipped in an Eco Vintage Vegan handmade box, so they’re already good to go for gifting. I can guarantee that you will be stopped and asked where you got it when you wear one of their pieces- I have yet to go a day wearing mine without it being commented on. 

For handcrafted gift tags and cards I am also a fan of Scrapbook Heaven

http://www.etsy.com/shop/scrapbookheaven

who will make custom items for you. Nothing is as cool as having an idea or concept and seeing it come to life for you- you’re not going to get that from Hallmark!

Creative Expressions

http://www.etsy.com/shop/knittingchic

is a seller who creates knitted and beaded pieces, like this tatted and beaded flower. 

I love it’s versatility- I’ve turned it into a hair piece and a brooch, and now that the weather is cold, I pin it across a shawl or a cardigan to hold it shut while flung about my shoulders. I always get asked if I made it to which I have to say “I wish!” and I’ve had other crafty folk jump on my idea of using it as a sweater clasp.

I have been somewhat obsessed with hair decoration lately, and so I was super happy to receive an adorable beaded hair flower from TattieTats

http://www.etsy.com/shop/tattietats

Their motto is

“Dress up your look with a signature accessory made from repurposed materials. Good for the Earth and good for your style, TattieTats designs jewelry and accessories for the fashion forward woman who seeks to reduce her ecological footprint by purchasing affordable, sustainable goods.”

With the promo code NEW20 you get 20% off!

Once again, this shows how the handmade universe allows you to shine as a one of a kind flower, reaping the compliments and envy in your wake. 

Another great line of adorable hair goodies come from Whatshername,

http://www.etsy.com/shop/whatshername

with my favorite being the pinwheel pieces on hair pins and ponytail bands. These are INSANELY cheap and you can also request custom designs.  By cheap, I mean you can get a set of silk hair pin flowers for TWENTY CENTS.

NO JOKE. 

I’m always a sucker for one of a kind, handcrafted jewelry, and The Rockandy Shoppe

http://www.etsy.com/shop/rockandy777

has some lovely pieces.  I love the use of bright colors! I think it’s great when jewelry designers aren’t afraid of candy colored pieces. 

I’m also nuts about Flying Dragon Studios

http://www.etsy.com/shop/flyingdragonstudios

with their handcrafted freshwater pearl pieces that are incredibly affordable. 

Again, I love the splash of pink!

Tracy's Home Canned Goods & Old Fashioned Edibles

http://www.etsy.com/shop/purpletracy

Homemade rock candy in Orange, Grapefruit & Creme de Menthe

is SOOOOOO yummy! It's a really generous sized amount, and these taste so much better than any rock candy I've had before. The flavors are really strong, unlike most rock candy I've had which pretty much just tasted like sugar. I especially like the orange flavor, because it's a true orange with a tang.  One of my favorite uses for these is to drop a few pieces into a cup of tea or coffee for a flavored sweetener. At her site is not just the candy but also actual honest to goodness canned goods, including a meat sampler and homemade pickles!

 Beautiful Twists

http://www.etsy.com/shop/elladean

lip Conditioner Balm in 'Bunny Burp' (carrot cake) is a really soft, moisturizing lip balm with a nice yet subtle scent and flavor. Their site has TONS of cool stuff, like Evil Waitress coffee scented room spray and astrological themed vegan lip conditioners.  I think my favorite part of her products is the crazy cute packaging!