Showing posts with label affordable. Show all posts
Showing posts with label affordable. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Beyond The nail - FINALLY a SUPERIOR neon yellow nail polish

FINALLY!!!!! my search for neon yellow is OVER!!!! Thanks to Toronto based Beyond The Nail!

ok seriously this was my first ever handmade polish purchase, and my 3rd neon yellow. So I approached this purchase with great desperation.

(this picture belongs to beyond the nail)


I saw a post on facebook about their neon polish and had to try it. I found it and noticed it's also UV reactive (which I care nothing about, but you might) It looked perfect and a bonus is, like us, they too are from Toronto! shipping was fine and I purchased and waited. Shipping was fast however the downside was in the meantime I'd had my nails done with other polish......NATURALLY the day I get my nails done my beyond the nail polish comes.....so I have actually waited about 2 weeks to post this as I just got them done again today!

so I painted 2 coats of white (which always looks horrifying)


Than once i got home I painted 2 coats of neon yellow with a coat of seche vite on top. This polish has none of the streaking or chalkiness neons always have....no lumpy pigments...it's oddly.......PERFECT.
(awful hands for polish blogging hahaha)

Customer service is great and this shop also offers tons of adorable decals for nails and  mountain of other colors!


you can find them below
etsy https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/beyondthenail
facebook https://www.facebook.com/Beyondthenail

check them out...i'm so glad i did!


Saturday, June 29, 2013

Etsy shop review - Loops and dots

Needed some small gifts for my son's teachers. I headed to etsy....perhaps some custom notebooks this year!!!

I came across Loopsanddots on etsy . what a great shop!!! and local to boot!

I purchased 2 of these custom notebooks! here

it was so easy I just let her know the color I wanted and what I wanted to say on the cover.... I was shocked at how fast they were done, and since she's out in my area at times she asked if it would be ok to pop them into my mail *THRILLED* no chance of a postal mix up.


I also had a little book made up to write stuff down about my son...those can be found here 





The wrapping papers were just digital download sheets readily found all over etsy! I was so impressed from everything from start to finish! The gifts were loved and if I ever needed something custom like this I would RUN back to this shop in a heartbeat!!!!




all items are purchased FULL PRICE by me therefore an actual non bought review is what you can expect here! as with all items on my blog!

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Etsy Review of JDesignsHandmade Graphic Design made with love.

Needed an ad done quick and nice....searched thru etsy,,,,and luckily I came across JDesignsHandmade.
What a great shop! tons of premade etsy banners with basixc packages for 5$ uptp total etsy shop branding packs for 50-55$ A TOTAL STEAL!!!

I only needed a buttion ad and it was easy, just picked the designs I liked and literally typed out what I wanted it to say and told the designer to decide, for what I wanted on it, which one she thought would work best!

It was done fast, and emailed to me the next day. I was thrilled and only paid 6$!!!! and I think it's totally adorable

you tell me?



I would no doubt use this shop again....in fact I am thinking or rebranding a shop with her banner sets now too.


Also she has a special right now that can be found here



Thursday, March 28, 2013

Fuddie Duddies Sewing Pattern Review

I needed a bow tie for my lil man....so since my sewing is coming along nicely I decided to MAKE ONE. I looked on etsy and came across a shop called fuddie duddies and they had an awesome pattern deal

the pattern deal I got was 2 for 8 dollars but the tie pattern came with a free bow tie pattern so I got that and a pants pattern..... her deal now is as follows




the directions were slightly complicated but I think that's because sewing is quite new to me....and doesn't reflect the pattern. The out come was GREAT and I am THRILLED



I simply opted to add the elastic option instead of the neck strap....easy on and off!


I will say if you have any problems she will really make the effort to help....even if you explain things oddly she seemed to know exactly what I was talking about. I would FOR SURE without a doubt buy patterns here again

for a better look at more bow ties I made from her pattern I have them listed in a new shop on etsy 


Fussie duddies can be found at Fuddie Duddies


her lounge pants tutorial is AMAZING!!!! I plan to review this and post pics of my sons pants soon!

ENJOY!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Niagara Falls, ON A good old Favourite

I have likely spent about 25-30 nights in this hotel over the last 3 years with my husband and son. It's Ever so slightly off the beaten path. But about 3 minutes from casino Niagara, Clifton hills and everything our family enjoys!

Included ever morning is a great buffet breakfast...everything is VERY fresh and trays are provided to take it up to your room.

The hotel is clean and quiet....and the front desk staff are great and rarely change so it's nice to see the same faces, and they have a jar of help yourself cookies that helps a ton when checking in with kids!


This is an ACTUAL smoke free hotel and I've never stayed and smelled smoke in the halls.

Having stayed over march break the hotel was very full...noise from above was an issue but after a quick call to front desk and the problem was solved.

This hotel's rates are always amazing even in the summer. If you are a gold points member you can also use your points to stay. For this trip we used 10.000 points each of 2 night bringing our nightly rate down to 57$ for a 2 room family suite. We like the suite as the bedroom has 2 queen beds and a door, so once our son is asleep we can draw the door and enjoy watching tv in the living room. Internet access is free and parking is only 8$ a night.




The pool could be warmer....but it's clean and the hot tub is great. It's clean, quiet, predictable and all we need...oh and you get a fridge and microwave in the room!


Considering my stay earlier in the week at a hotel in Toronto .this was heaven!  The only think I wish this hotel had was a restaurant....but they do have a little market downstairs with snacks and all the essentials you usually forget at home.

If you don't need fancy but want a good place to stay I'd stay nowhere else.... in fact we haven't stayed ANYWHERE else in 3 years when we go to Niagara falls... we just think it's perfect!

can't wait too get back....oh and the new bus route passes right in front of the hotel!

Monday, March 11, 2013

CkmCouture - banner design - Highly Recommended

This designer works her butt off to make sure you not only have what you need but a few options to pick from. She designed me a few versions of a main banner and  let me pick the one I thought would work best. Than provided me a few smaller vacation and sale banners.
1 needed minor text edits but it was a great job by someone with a great sense of what they love and how to use it tastefully. I find her designs unique, often dark but still beautiful. I would use this designer again without a doubt if I needed something really original..... Our indie polish banner was made for us in a few days...and we love it





I put these images here for examples  we all know how copyright works so don't steal!!!!! not only is it tacky it's rude



other examples include





AMAZING STUFF!


her shop is on etsy at CkmCouture
Cassandra will take care of whatever your design needs are !


ENJOY!


Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Nail Polish Sale - Indie Polish - Handmade nail polish




ooooooooooo come play beauty shop in our sister store! Indie polish is the spot for me and the boys growing nail polish line!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

The relaunch of INDIE POLISH

Well it's 2 days early! and with only 2 missing polishes INDIE POLISH HAS REOPENED!



With over 10 new colors, revised listings and better shipping rates we would be so honoured if you'd join us in our relaunch! http://www.etsy.com/shop/IndiePolish


There is also a GREAT incentive for bloggers to try and blog our polishes too!

Saturday, January 26, 2013

On a more positive note - a great review!!!! OF US!

a few weeks ago I was emailed by a lovely customer named Ria. She had purchased our vegan glitter lotion in coconut cream pie....

I was surprised to find she was planning to review it as part of her dedication to finding vegan, cruelty free products that are AFFORDABLE. So we mailed off her order and waited.

well today we got word of her pleasing review.

her blog is here ria lives well


and the review was as follows



Coconut Cream Pie Glitter Lotion

Hi and welcome back to Ria Lives Well!
Today’s topic is one I’m very excited about.
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For a while now, I’ve been searching for cosmetics and toiletries that are 1) cruelty free, 2) made with all natural ingredients, and 3) affordable. So far, my favorite shop to find such products is Lush. However, when shopping at Lush, I can never check number three off my list. That doesn’t mean I don’t still heart Lush. I absolutely do! Yet my weakened wallet has me searching for another avenue.
And I found it.
While browsing Etsy, I discovered a shop called Me & The Boy. The owner makes just about everything I’m searching for. Perfumes, lotions, soaps, even nail polish. I forced myself not to buy everything I wanted, and instead purchased one item: Glitter Potion Supreme Lotion in Coconut Cream Pie.
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Affordability? Check.
One eight ounce bottle only cost $8 since it was on clearance to make room for the Fall and Winter fragrances. But you won’t find remarkably cheap prices in the clearance section alone. Me & The Boy offers vegan, gluten free body washes for $5; soy candles for $5.26, and beautifully hand crafted soap, like Yuzu Spearmint for $4.75.
So I finally received my lotion in the mail today, and what’s my verdict?
Love this stuff!
The Moisture
This lotion doesn’t sit on my skin, but penetrates and does a wonderful job of moisturizing/softening the skin. And the smell? Deliciously addictive. Unless you aren’t a fan of coconut, you will certainly fall in love.
Glitter me Gold
Despite the name-Glitter Potion Supreme Lotion-I didn’t think much of the word “glitter”. After spreading the lotion across my skin, bits of gold freckled my arms and legs. So then came the realization: “Ah. Glitter lotion.” Even as I sit here writing this post, I’m constantly distracted by the glint from my skin whenever the light hits the right spot. I can only imagine what a hot seller this is during the Summer months.
All Natural
My favorite element of this lotion is that it’s 98% natural and 100% vegan. When I look at the ingredient list, I actually know what most of the ingredients mean.
So I decided to have some fun. I compared it to the lotion I used beforehand, Victoria Secret’s Love my Body in Jasmine & Water Lily.
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Not only am I unfamiliar with the ingredients in my VS lotion, I can’t even pronounce half of them. And while this has nothing to do with it being all natural, the Glitter Potion Supreme Lotion is nearly double the size and a fraction of the cost. The insanity!
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Just skim the ingredients for both lotions and you’ll see what I mean {Be warned, blurry pictures that fail me as a photographer ahead}….
VS Love my Body Lotion Ingredients:
Water, glycerin, petrolatum, cetyl alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, dimethicone, ceteareth 20, fragrance, diazolidinyl urea, carbomer, methylparaben, aloe leaf juice, benzyl alcohol, tocopheryl acetate, tetrasodium EDTA, sodium hydroxide, macadamia seed soil propyl paraben….{The list continues in this manner. How many can you define?}
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Coconut Cream Pie Glitter Lotion Ingredients:
De-ionized water, grape seed oil, avocado oil, capric triglycerides, emulsifying wax NX, jojoba seed oil, shea butter, aloe leaf juice, stearic acid, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, silk amino acids, vegetable glycerine, sorbitol, silicone, methyl cellulose, allantoin, phenoxyethanol and optiphen.
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Not only do I recognize most of the ingredients, like shea butter and jojoba oil, the ingredient list is smaller. This is what I want when searching for skin care products. Skin is a delicate system, and I can’t imagine caring for it while slathering cetereath-20, tetra sodium EDTA and carbomer on it everyday.
A Sample
The shop owner also threw in a sample of her Lavender body wash, Lavenderology Shower Gel with exfoliating grains. Take a whiff and you’re in a field of lavender. The beauty of this product is, the smell intensifies as you use it. I hadn’t stumbled upon the last time I browsed her Etsy shop, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for it next time. Oh, yeah. There will be a next time.
~Live well!







Check out her blog it's great (she has an amazing reciepe for 2 ingredient creamer for your coffee! and she's nice too!!! Thanks Ria...

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Etsy Review - The Owl and the Envelope

Soo I happened upon the owl and the envelope via a giveaway of their site! AND I WON....which never EVER happens. And I am such a stationary lover that I was super excited....and with good reason I soon found out!


 Megan is as nice as they come. Everything went quick...from contact on facebook, to the order being sent out!  from foxes, snowflakes and cool graphic originality it's clear this shop owner loves what she does!

It was really hard to pick just a few things so I ordered




4 piece3-1/2 x 5 card is made with textured paper and ink, on Eco-friendly card stock, and comes with a Kraft colored envelope.
















Let it Snow! Just like snowflakes, each of these beautiful cards is a one of a kind. Each card is hand-drawn with pen and pencil, and comes with a coordinating handmade envelope.

Cards are A1 (3-1/2x5 inches) 




















With striking stripes in bold retro colors, these note cards are sure to please all! Two designs to make sure they fit each occasion you need them for. Total set of 8 cards and coordinating envelopes. 3-1/2" x 4-7/8"
















I've never said this before but the envelopes and presentation were almost better than the cards. The snowflake ones are all hand coloured and JUST STUNNING. They were all quite simply perfect!!!!  I would WITHOUT a doubt shop in this shop and honestly she's a great artist and a wonderful shop owner. Customer service and communication were second to NONE. Delivery to canada was reasonably quick, and they arrived perfect

Etsy Shop - http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOwlandtheEnvelope

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theowlandtheenvelope


Saturday, October 6, 2012

A handmade christmas part 1

So in an effort to buy every single gift for christmas handmade or making it ourselves (ok I may buy a video game for my son) I decided to share my purchases.

I instantly fell in love with Mountain Scentaments on www.craftcafe.co. Her soaps stood out to me and than I saw MAN FRIENDLY felted soap. Having a dad who treats his body like a 5 yr old on summer vacation at the dump I thought this would be perfect for him. Half soap, Half wash cloth. They smell amazing and they are HUGE!!! Well worth the 8$ paid per bar! they arrived fast, well labeled and I am thrilled!!!




I picked this fishing one in irish tweed





And this one in Winter pear 





Now I havn't used them but if the quality and care shown in the item and packaging reflects the soap i know the receivers are in for a treat (i may give one to hubby)

This is one of those shops that I want to go back and shop in....i'd be curious to see what's new. The shop owner is a delight and conversations were replied to promptly.

I strongly urge you to try this shop. 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Product Review - Performance Colors

Years ago when I became a mom I kinda gave up on make up. Five years later I looked in the mirror and hardly recognized the tired, blah face looking at me. I ran across this etsy shop called Performance colors.

She offered a great range of items all handmade, and available in samples too. Her one deal of 3 lipsticks for 10$ was too good to pass up... I went thru all of them about 25 times and settled on




 
  Rocket 


                           
                                                                  cheekie monkey






                                                                                  Ruby




I love them all and they feel great and last a VERY long time. If, like me, you can't wear read you MUST try ruby...it is the quintessential red for non red wearers. Cheekie monkey is more sheer than it appears and is equally lovely for a more plain look. Rocket was not for me but it is super pretty if you don't have the skin tone that I do.




I also ordered some concealer samples in fair and light. I'd given up on this stuff years ago. it was cakey or looked like I was wearing concealer....however this formula is silky, smooth and spreads and blends like nothing I have felt before. SERIOUSLY impressed. A serious must have and I will buy some soon.




I also received some eyeshadow samples and lipstick samples. One of the eye shadows worked beautifully for me.....the eye shadow wore beautifully thru bus and subway trips all day, a 3 hr tattoo session and all the way home....it creased the TINIEST bit (I have hooded eyelids and this is typical) but a quick wipe with my finger and it was seamlessly blended perfectly again.


Despite the amazing product, Tiffany is so amazing and ever SHARED Where she gets her tiny sample pots and I picked some up.... Most handmade artists feel this huge competition among each other and value their suppliers and rarely share info...So when a seller so easily shares info, tricks of the trade and so on it says alot.


I would easily score this a 10/10  no complaints....and I know for a fact that I would gladly go back and buy full sizes of the concealer, and eye shadow...along with my new fave lipstick....

Thank you Tiffany....I was losing hope on finding affordable quality make up! Me, my husband, my non frumpy friends....we all thank you!



You can find Performance colors at  http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerformanceColors   I honestly think you'll be amazed!