Poll #1

Would you be willing to help me out with some research?  I've been working on putting my little company together, but before I get too far ahead, I'm really hoping to hear what YOU think!

Please feel free to answer as many or as few of these questions as you want, anyone who answers more than half of them (6 or more) will be entered into a giveaway for a Glitter and Gratitude gift box!

1. What do you look for most in an Indie brand?  What sort of things do you shy away from?

 

2. What storefronts/methods of payment do you prefer (ie Etsy, etc)?

3. What sort of products would you be most interested in?  Pick as many or as few as you like.

     a - lotions, creams
     b - balms (solid lotions)
     c - bar soaps
     d - bath products such as bubble bath and bath bombs
     e - scrubs
     f - shampoos/conditioners
     g - oils/serums

4. How important to you is locally sourced ingredients?  Do you prefer organic produced items?  How do you feel about GM produce?

5. Would you prefer to preorder products to know you can get them or purchase things ready made?

6. Would you prefer one shop with a few specialty items or one where you can purchase multiple different products at once?

7. What would you expect to pay for 4oz of handmade lotion? 

     a - under 10$
     c - 10-20$
     d - 20$ or more

8.  Would you be interested in custom ordering a product if it would cost a little more?

9. Would you be interested in a monthly 'kit' that featured a different theme each month?

10. How familiar are you with herbology and aromatherapy?

Thank you so much!

MOTM: August!

This month's theme is very outdoorsy and inspired.  I am so excited to see these every month to see what amazing ideas are in this box!

This month the box contained:

From Dream Polish

•  A 5 ml Gem Smooth Base Coat
• A 5ml Gem Glam Top Coat in Into the Woods
• A full sized cuticle balm in Into the Woods

From Heather's Hues 

• A polish mini in Cuddling by the Campfire
• A full sized polish in Chasing Fireflies

From Nails Redesigned 

• A sheet of vinyl fireflies
• A sheet of vinyl star masks 
• A sheet of vinyl flames
• An assortment of gems 

Chasing Fireflies is an amazing amazing royal purple jelly with several colours of tiny glitters, including glow-in-the-dark so it really does look like tiny glowing fireflies.  It is opaque in two coats and as usual I use three thin layers for glitter depth. 

Oddly, the stand out polish for me this month is actually Cuddling by the Campfire!  This one is a gorgeous dense metallic with micro glitters of copper/rose/gold/orange/pink/etc that just flickers like flame. It's nice and opaque in two careful coats, but again!  I used three thin ones for depth.

 Hey, Heather.  Can I get a BIG bottle of this?!

The scent from Dream Polish this month is so different than anything she's done before.  It's a very manly cologne scent that I am really liking.

This month has probably my favourite vinyls to date!  There are clear star masks, silver dragonflies, and amazing flame guides!

Also included are some AB finish coral colured crystal gems to accent.

There was a chance to get one of two different guest indie cuticle oils this month!

The cuticle oil from Got Nail comes in a tiny little doe foot!  I love these things, I tend to refill them because they slip easily into even the smallest pocket so I can take it with me where ever.  This particular scent is in Mountain Rain which is a great crisp green scent, almost grassy.  I like the formula of this oil, it's not overly greasy but does a nice job.

The second option you could have received was a cuticle oil from Northern Star Cosmetics in Summer Nights.  It's a lovely floral, I'm guessing it's based on lily.  This is another nice formula, although this was 'borrowed' by my cousin who loved the scent, I will probably never get it back...

The next box goes on sale Monday, August 3 for the September box, make sure you set an alarm!

From the hands of an Angel.

I placed a few orders from From the Hands of an Angel earlier this year to include as gifts in a couple swaps and picked up a few goodies for me and Mia.  She's very into 'fancy lady' things and this shop it right up her alley.

One product that stands out is her Hair Oil Serum.

Hair Oil is perfect for dry brittle hair that is in need of moisture and tender loving care. Its also ideal to use as a preventative to keep your hair from becoming dried out and unhealthy.

I hand picked a blend of all natural and organic oils that are known to help moisturize, strengthen, protect and keep your hair looking shiny, lustrous and healthy. The oils I chose are also packed full of vitamins and protein that can help combat brittle, dry hair. As well as help to stimulate your scalp, which encourages new and healthy hair growth. Each oil has a specific job to help keep your hair beautiful, healthy, nourished and moisturized.

How do I know? My oldest daughter is living proof, she was blessed with naturally tight curly hair. I've done years of research and we've gone through a bunch of trial and errors. Finally a few years ago I found the perfect blend of oils and not only has it helped my daughter's dry hair, frizz and overall health- it's helped with her hair growth.*My daughter uses this oil daily on the tips of her hair and once a week as a deep treatment. (Pictured Above)

Ingredients: All Organic- Coconut oil, Argan oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Avocado Oil, Sweet Almond Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil and Vitamin E.

Since I've been studying myself, I know for sure this is a solid base of really great oils!  This is the only thing I've used in may hair all summer (other than shampoo and conditioner... which I've been testing).  No sprays or gels or anything else.  I'm in the process of growing out my colour and my hair is shaved across the sides, so this is really all I've needed!  A little goes a long way but my hair always looks amazing!  

The bottle is super cute and the dropper easy to use, you never over pour or use too much.  You can order it with a very light scent, ot keep it unscented.  Either way, this is one product I'm going to repurchase over and over!

DIY: Herb Balm

I have a burn around my one nail that has taken off my entire cuticle bed and refuses to heal.  It was caused by a bad polish I used for a mani... like a month ago now.  I used what the pharmacist recommended until it dawned on me... Hey.  I can make something better MYSELF.

This recipe isn't anything I plan on producing, it's just a little Rx I made myself full of a couple EOs that I knew would help my peeling skin.  I made just enough to fill up a couple little jars.

4g Cocoa Butter
2g Lanolin
4g Beeswax
1g Argan Oil
1g Avocado Oil
 5 drops each: Arnica, Lavender, Chamomile, Tea Tree, and Rose Geranium. 

Add the first five ingredients to a small heat proof jar and melt together, I use a double boiler.  When it's all combined mix in the EOs and pour into jars to cool and set.

It's not a very solid balm, I wanted it to melt in without needing much rubbing and it's very herbal smelling, almost like a perfume with the Lavender and Rose.  While I made this to use on my cuticle, you could easily use it to sooth burns and scrapes anywhere!

Storms Ahead

This month's Mango Bunny mystery polish is a duo!

Storms Ahead is a perfect silver liner holo that is opaque in two easy coats.

Bright Lightening is a flurry of neon glitters.  It's not a full coverage glitter, but it's not sparse at all!