Hey Everybody!

Long time no blog, obviously right? Gah, I hope you are still with me out there in blog land. I have a few pots I want to share with you today. I won’t bore you with my lame excuses as to why I have been ignoring you, I will just jump right in with this awesome product review.

Website: http://dstornello.mymarkstore.com/

Country: USA

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I recently got some of this amazing smelling hand cream from Mark. Now, I have to admit this is my first product from them, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now as many of you know I live in the middle of nowhere KY and spend most of my time indoors, which translates to dry ass skin. I put a small amount of this cream on and it soaked right into my dermal layer immediately. It is not greasy or slimy in the least like some super moisturizing blends that shall remain unmentioned at this time. lol

So, I thought to myself. “self, you need more!” more is always better right? I took a double shot at it and again it soaked right in. My hands are feeling super soft now and not a tad of dry skin to be found. BONUS points for Mark! The other thing I want to talk about is the scent. Jasmine Petal. Can you say WOW!? I have real jasmine absolute in my essential oil repertoire so I *know* what the real deal smells like. This is a fairly close representation for a fragrance oil blend.

Hand it Over Mark Super Moisture Hand Cream in Jasmine Petal is a strong floral for those who don’t like a lot of scent in their hand creams. For those like me who do, this is just the ticket. I love my lotions heavily scented, so that I don’t have to wear perfume on those days. I have had this on about 2 hours or so and can still smell this. To say I am in love is an understatement. I am looking at picking up the Get Misty Jasmine Petal Body Mist to see how it fairs. It says it is a light hydrating mist, so it may not be strong enough for me. Then again it may compliment this hand cream perfectly.

It looks like you can’t buy the individual tube which is normally only $4.00 in this campaign, but you can buy a trio of scents for only $8.00 gift bagged. Not to shabby, thinking about getting that so I have a spare of this and can try the other two scents plum berry and new vanilla cream.

I will tell you that Dina is my rep now for Mark products she is also a long time reader of the Bitten by Books blog and supporter of A Charming Time. HOWEVER, this was not a paid post, this is something I am doing without her knowledge. he he he She is a very kind and loving person who will go out of her way to help others and do something nice. She also used to have a daughter named Rachel so that makes her doubly cool in my book. If you decide to check her out or her products, please let her know you read about her here on WSIMD and tell her I sent you. AGAIN I get NOTHING from this. I am just paying it forward for a great friend and a great product. I hope you enjoyed today’s episode from the Desk!

Rachel

Hey everybody!

So, the holidays have kept me really busy, and I know I owe several reviews of lovely products which will be forthcoming. In the meantime, I had to share with you the awesome product SCORE I ordered this week courtesy of my new and lovely Avon Rep, Gloria Sutton!

You see I have had a BIG problem with Avon in the past. The problem was two fold, first it was addiction to their products and the biggest one was KEEPING a rep! Yep it is true, I had a lovely Avon rep years ago (you know who you are!) and lost her when she went on to other things in her life (really good things though). A girl can’t hold that against her rep can she? No! But in some small corner of my mind, I kept resisting Avon products and their siren call when I would see catalogs laying around various doctors offices and coffee shops. Thinking, I couldn’t lose another happy symbiotic relationship between me and my dealer errr I mean Avon rep.

That was until recently. I have been very blessed to have moved clear across the country to the arms of my new family (well newly met anyways). I received a very disturbing call the other day from Gloria (who shares the same birthday as me so you KNOW she’s got to be fab right?) mentioning my drug of choice…. I almost dropped the phone when she told me she was going to be emailing me her WEB addy on the Avon site so I could order my beloved products once again. Uh, not only that, but there was FREE SHIPPING involved in the deal.

Now, I suppose you are wondering what I ordered? What I am waiting for this very moment to hit my doorway….

Okay here’s the stash and believe me, reviews will be forthcoming!

Naturals Lip Balms in Vanilla and Peach for only .69 cents each!

Flavor Savers Lip Gloss in Cherry again only .69 cents!

Clearskin® Cleansing Pads I have been really wanting to try these and get some for my teenage son and who could pass it up for only $2.99 a jar.

PLANET SPA Mediterranean Olive Oil Conditioning Hair Mask $4.50

NATURALS Plum and Nectarine Moisturizing Milk $3.00

NATURALS Mandarin Jasmine Body Lotion $2.99

NATURALS Banana Coconut Milk Body Lotion $3.50

ULTRA COLOR RICH K Gold Lipstick one each of Golden Raisin and Golden Wine only $4.99 per tube!

NATURALS Tropical Tote only $2.99 this is SO cute!

Earth scented Body Butter by Mark – $12.00 it was the most expensive thing I purchased. I thought about the perfume, but wanted to check the scent first. I have been eyeballing it for awhile now, so what time than the present to try it.

I tossed in a few other goodies too, but I am NOT telling what they are in case prying eyes are reading and lest the holiday surprise be ruined.

MAN I miss my Avon. I am seriously loving the fact that I don’t have to wait for anything, there are no more forms to fill out, heck I don’t even have to see Glo, to get my goods. Not that I don’t love seeing her mind you, but when a girl needs a fix, she needs it NOW! They are coming right to my door for FREE with no hassle and before Christmas hits.

Admittedly I was a bit hesitant to use the Avon website at first because when I last tried it years ago it was a nightmare. Now it runs smooth as glass. Just register shop and check out. DUDE they even take Paypal now! Avon welcome to the 21st century and apparently to my Paypal account. LOL

Some of you may be wondering about the catalogs and samples, you can still get those if you like, old ways die hard in the world of beauty and Avon. You can go right here: http://gloriasutton.avonrepresentative.com/ and get register with Gloria, AND there is a code for FREE Shipping on any sized order. Yep, any sized! All you have to do is register with her and you are set! The main Avon says it is for orders of $30.00, but Gloria has an in, and she will hook you up!

Now, I have gone on and ON about my pending order, I would love to hear about your favorite Avon products, both current and from years gone by. I have so many wonderful memories about Avon products I want to share, but don’t have much time left for today. But my favorite product as a child were the solid perfume pendants. I thought those were the coolest thing since sliced bread. They impressed me so much that I can honestly say that Avon inspired me to make my own perfumes as an adult and start a business from it.

OH oh oh! I remember the other thing I loved! Those little mini lipstick tubes. OMG The samples? I loved them! Okay I am rambling. Hit me with your favorites, and be sure to tell Gloria I sent you to get some goodies. There is literally something there for everybody! Not just cosmetics and bath goodies! I was floored buy the selection and excellent pricing as well!

Happy Shopping!

Website: http://themomlady.com/

Country: USA

Blog: http://www.themomlady.wordpress.com/

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Discounts: WSIMD readers can take 30% off their entire purchase use discount code WEIRD30. Coupon valid through 12/31/08 and can be used unlimited times.

Arrrggghhhh me hearties! I have quite the treasure trove to share with you today! I have sailed (ok surfed) the seven seas (read internet) for treasures near and dear to me heart lasses. At The Mom Lady’s Beauty Booty there be treasure! My hoard of goodies has traveled all the way from the Emerald City to the wilds of KY (the state not the Jelly), and they have not fared well. As in, the loot is almost GONE. I have to switch back to my regular persona, cause the pirate talk is giving me a headache. LOL

I received an amazing gift basket packed full of delights. Here’s what was in the basket, then I will hit the highlights. Three shower gels, 4 lip balms, 1 body lotions (one HUGE, one small), a rubber ducky AND a fish shaped nail brush. To say that owner Elaine Neetz went all out for me is an understatement. This fine lady knows how to build a truly dreamy gift basket.

Lets talk about the packaging. Simple from the word go, which I like. Lets face it folks, I am not in the shower for a tea party. I need product packaging that holds up and it doesn’t have to be super fancy. Everything is clearly labeled with the ingredients and the scent. And of course adorned with the oh so cute and piratey Mom Lady’s logo. The only thing I didn’t care for was the small lotion bottle, it was a super stiff plastic that was hard for me to squeeze. Nor did I like the large lotion that was in a jar. It was the same stuff, just in a jar. I am a squeezer not a scooper when it comes to lotion. Don’t like getting it under my nails. Then have to wash my hands to get the stuff out. Which then leaves me with no lotion on my hands again.

Now, on to the actual lotion. It is a medium thickness lotion that goes on smooth and is not greasy feeling at all. It looks slightly grainy, but you do NOT feel that aspect at all. The scenting on the Veggie Fruit Fruit lotion jar was medium, and the cucumber melon tended to linger (in a good way). The little bottle was unscented Shea’s Buttered Buns lotion. So, as far as lotion goes, it gets an A.

Moving on to the shower gels. Now, I am not a huge fan of shower gels, but these were really quite lovely. The consistency is thin to medium. In actuality for me, this was a perfect thickness, not so thin it was runny and not so thick that it is hard to squeeze out. The scents were fantastic. Again, Cucumber Melon, then a Vanilla Buttercream that is to die for. Followed by Tropical Sunset which is a fruity clean scent. These shower Gels get an A in my book.

My favorite part of the basket was the lip balms. FOUR to feed my lip addiction. I was not disappointed. The flavors were Granny’s Green Apple, tart and yummy, a definite re-order. Cherries Jubilee, another winner a perfect balance of jubilant cherries. Thumpin’ Good Watermelon, in a word YUM. Last but not least, A lil’ Tipsy which is supposed to taste like a wine cooler. It didn’t really remind of that (thankfully) but was a good flavor just the same. These balms glide on smooth and stay on to provide good moisture barriers.

All in all, I have enjoyed my loot from The Mom Lady’s Beauty Booty, and would buy her products in the future. She’s got an incredible selection, good solid products and excellent customer service.

Website: http://lancastersoaps.com/

Country: USA

Blog: No

Newsletter: No

US Shipping: Yes

International Shipping: Yes, outside of US/Canada please inquire about shipping costs

Discounts: N/A

Okay this is a mini “view” of a great product I have been hording since ohhh say the first of the year! LOL

It is a lotion bar (yes, I know, I don’t like lotion bars) made by Lancaster Soaps, but can only purchased (to the best of my knowledge, so google me) at The Sibling Group website. The bar I am featuring today is their Amber scent. Now, as many of you amber lovers know, there are about 80 billion different versions of this scent. But the one true amber that I love the most is the type you get in the witchy stores that is sold amber cubes that you just set out in a dish. MAN that stuff smells erotic or is that exotic? Either way, that is the only version I like of it.

So, when I received this mini lotion bar in the mail, I thought eh…jut another lotion bar and ehhh just another amber scent. So, being the mental giant I can sometimes be, I set it aside for weeks. Then one day whilst on a rather unpleasant phone call, I spied my treasure….my soon to become new preciousssss. I whipped that baby open and took a big whiff. YES! Score one for Lancaster Soaps, they have a dead on duplicate of my favorite resin scent ever.

Ahh sweet harmony filled the airwaves as I smoothed this scent all over me and hung up on the rat bastage who was harshing my mellow. As far as lotion sticks go, this is pretty groovy. It isn’t too oily which is my biggest pet peeve about, well, just about anything. LOL It is a bit hard at first which is a tell tale sign it has beeswax. Which is good in the summer cause they don’t melt in your purse (hopefully). And unofficially I think it acts as kind of a preservative to the scent. (do NOT quote me on that)

I give this lotion bar 4 out of 5 stars, and the scent 10 out of 5 stars. Way to go, now I hope they make some other products with this scent. Get on over and find yours today! Sibling Group, it’s the place to shop!

Website: http://www.starringfragrances.com/

Country: USA

Blog: http://69.20.49.132/blog/

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International Shipping: Yes, via USPS click here for more info.

Discounts: 20% off all orders over $25 till 8/31/08 use code: Weirdfans

Holy mother of rock stars bat buddies, hang on to your hats for this company. Starring Fragrances is owned and operated out of Los Angeles by two bombshell babes, Ashley and Courtney Peldon. These ladies are not only gorgeous on the outside, they are sweet as pie and have hearts of gold. No matter how many orders I place or how often I whine, they always give me the royal treatment. (not that whine a lot mind you lol)

Their amazing and ever expanding product line is aways offering something new and unique. And they are environmentally conscientious. Which gives them a 5 star rating in my book. Orders are shipped fast, packed with minimal but reliable packaging and have always been a treat to receive. My last order was no exception. Mostly because I bought my favorite coconut scented product on the FACE of the earth (how’s that for dramatic effect girls?). The ladies at Starring have found a scent that makes me (and my hubby) drool. Like Pavlov’s dog, when I see the words Coconut Vanilla Custard Creme, I must shop. And shop I did.

I picked up a set of their shampoo and conditioner in my favorite scent (see drooling above). CONDGratulations Jojoba Conditioner does amazing things to my scalp and hair. My scalp is whacky, so I have to be careful of what I use on it, or whacky becomes and understatement. Suffice to say, I have had no issues of wackedness (new word) since using this conditioner. Daily use is not a problem either. It leaves no residue or oily feeling and rinses out like a shamp err champ. Speaking of shampoo, their Lady is a Shamp line is really quite spectacular. It lathers like a dream, rinses easily and the scent lingers in my hair for the remainder of the day.

The thing I LOVE about Starring is that you can request your scent strength on most of their products. Which my friends, means they are pretty darn fresh if not made to order daily. Of course we have already established that I am a scent ho, and a shopping trip here always makes my heart flutter. Booking is the strongest you can get it, and that is what I did. WOW! When they say strong they mean it. But there is lighter scenting available for you shy types. Of course I am about as shy as a brick….but I digress (again). So, to sum it up, this is a shampoo and conditioner I can endorse and feel good about it, and it has a permanent home in my shower.

Next up is one of their newer products that I got a sample of (oh yes you can buy sample sizes!) called….this really makes me giggle….Pit Stop! Quite a clever play on words if I do say so myself. It is an all natural stick deodorant. Now, let me first say that I have tried a TON of different “natural” deodorants and none have ever really worked out in a pleasant way for me. So, I was pretty skeptical about this one. Here’s how it works; it is a “vegetable based deodorant that contains no aluminum or bactericides that can be a concern with long term use. This stick deodorant has a vegetable protein that neutralizes the enzymes that cause odor to a simple salt.” You can pick your scent when you buy a full size version, how freaking cool is that? No more “baby’s butt fresh” or “springtime rain drain” boring scents from the grocery store.

My sample was “The Romantic” which is a yummy marshmallow scent. I would opt for say something more along the lines of Coconut Vanilla Custard Creme on my next full size purchase. And something brighter for the summer. I want you to know that I worked this stuff out. I have been packing and sorting stuff getting ready for our move. And it is the middle of summer so things were pretty heated. The Pit Stop held up really well most of the day under the most dire of conditions. If you are a super sweaty stinker, you may want to add another dose after freshening up later in the day. But for everyday round about time in your air conditioned office scene, this will do the job nicely. This goes into the shopping basket for my next spree.

My other long time favorite from Starring is their With a Cherry on Top scent. Soooo I ended up with a sample of their Bar Belle in that scent. I really don’t enjoy lotion bars for a variety of reasons. Mainly consistency between e-tailers can be VERY different. Either too oily, or too hard to smooth on. This was right in between and just right. Of course I love the smell, so that was a bonus. They aren’t oily and they moisturize well. If you are a lotion bar fan, check them out.

Included in my box was a little sample of their 3-in-1 shower gel which is called You Don’t Shea. The yummy scent was orange sherbet. Again, not a big gel fan, but this was pretty nice. Medium thickness and lathered really well. Of course it smelled really good. I would more than likely use it for shampoo or bubble bath….ohhh dang! Bubble bath, great idea (no wonder they call it 3-in-1 lol). It looks like it is on sale right now too, get over there and grab some!

So, of course I save the best for last. Because you really cannot have a review of Starring Fragrances without reviewing their perfumes! Which is what got me hooked in the first place! I have two of their best sellers on hand right now (the rest are packed sorry folks), The Femme Fatale and The Bombshell. “Each fragrance is blended with your choice of certified organic grape alcohol or our succulent organic oil blend. Inside each bottle you will find a genuine star gemstone that infuses the bottle with nature’s positive energy.” I love the fact that you can choose an oil over an alcohol. I get a bit sick to my stomach with some alcohol based perfumes. Just thinking about it gives me a hurl reflex. Not so with the alternative organic oil based blend at Starring.

The Femme Fatale is a very classy vanilla scent, with just a hint of amber as to not over power the vanilla. The Bombshell is much bolder and you can really smell the orchid, but it isn’t nauseating like some strong florals tend to be. I have another favorite scent, and by now, I HOPE you know what it is without me saying it. LOL The oil blend base tends to last longer on my skin which is normal. It is NOT oily at all and is nice. Personally for the amount of perfume you get these fragrances are a steal. $26.00 for an entire ounce. It would be over a hundred bucks for a full ounce in a department store. Oh and mass produced, unlike these lovelies. If you try nothing else from Starring Fragrances, at least try the perfume, with a fragrance list as long as the Sunset Strip, you are bound to find something you like.

These ladies are definitely leaders in the bath and body industry. If you don’t like to shop online you can find them in a variety of Whole Foods Markets and other stores. Not sure what to try on your first trip? There are ton of sample options here for your pleasure. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter as they send out some lovely specials once and awhile.