As many of you know (or may not know) I dip my hands into many different ventures. Mostly to support my one main venture that is Bitten by Books! Hey can I help it I love to read? My newest adventure is online auctions selling all kinds of goodies, from my handmade jewelry also sold on A Charming Time, fashion bags, scarves and yes nail polish!

Woohooo for nail polish. I am a total color whore, so you are probably going to see a few of these posts from me in the coming months, well maybe. lol First though a shameless self promotion on where you can get some of these lovelies Tuesday night and hear me live on the microphone talking about them.

So be sure to turn your volume up so you can hear me! Go here: http://www.outbid.com/auctions/4774-all-about-nails-auction and RSVP, it will ask you to register and when you do, you get a $5.00 credit that you can use towards your first purchase on Outbid.com. You have to take a mini survey (I think) but it is painless. When you RSVP you can set it up to message you on your cell phone AND it will send you an email an hour before the auction. They also have an iPhone app. that you can download here.

So, please tweet and share this on Facebook and bring your friends and chat with me, buy some awesome nail polish and have some fun! Okay on to the review.

KleanColor is a relatively inexpensive nail polish that touts itself for being long lasting, chip proof, fast drying with great coverage. They have over 250 colors and counting, so there is no limit to how many colors you can try. My choice for today’s review is Metallic Mango!

It is a rich orange/copper color with a great metallic gloss to it. It is nice and shimmery. I have had a lot of trouble with nail polishes in the past that just come right off within a day or two, sometimes the SAME damn day. Frankly I had given up on wearing them for several years, but kept buying all these great colors. I decided to pick up several bottles of KleanColor because I had read some many great reviews on them.

I sure am glad I did. Metallic Mango is the first one I tried.  As you will see from my pictures below the color is very striking. It goes on really easy, it isn’t goopy or drippy. This polish lasted almost 5 days before starting to wear off in places. Now, I have always had problems with polish just peeling right off or chipping. Metallic Mango did none of these things. I put on two coats. It says fast drying, but it did take about the same time as a normal polish to dry. I am a bit heavy handed with my coating though. It was about 4.5 days before I took it off, and I probably could have done another day and gotten away with it.

Here’s what the color looked like on my hands. It is an awesome Falliday color and winter color all around. I LURVVV it! I really didn’t want to take it off, but I have so many more colors I want to try and review for you all. LOL I used OPI Nail polish remover to take off the polish. The metallics seem to take a bit more oomph to remove, so I make sure to saturate my cotton pad and let it sit for about 20 seconds on the nail before rubbing it off. That really helped. In a nutshell I give this color and brand 5 stars. It goes on smoothly, is long lasting and doesn’t chip. Color wise it is stunning, I received a ton of compliments on it. Even my husband liked this one and he’s not used to seeing me wear nail polish.

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://www.starringfragrances.com/

Country: USA

Blog: http://69.20.49.132/blog/

Newsletter: Yes, easy sign up on the left side of each page.

US Shipping: Yes via USPS

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.

Website: http://www.craterlakecompany.com/

Country: USA

Blog: http://craterlakecompany.com/blog.html

Newsletter: Yes, easy sign up on the left side of every page.

US Shipping: Via USPS with FREE shipping on orders of $65.00 or more

International Shipping: Yes, go here for more info on their shipping policies.

Discounts: WSIMD readers can take 20% off of your order of $20.00 or more, use coupon code weirdstuff at checkout. Expires September 30th, 2008. Be sure to check out their Summer Sampler, it’s a $27 sampler set of 5 2 oz products in pre-selected scents for $19.95. Newsletter subscribers get 2 free 2ml perfume spritzers free with each sampler purchased.

I just got two amazing products from Crater Lake Company last week that I have been test driving on my skin for your benefit (I am so selfless don’t you agree?). First, a word on the packaging and presentation. Everything arrived in a timely manner, which is always a plus for me. The box had a plastic bag inside with my items, the bag had just a small amount of paper crinkle and a few faux flower petals, tied off with a lovely pink ribbon. Normally I don’t like extra plastic, but in this case, it was needed because there was a scrub in the box. If it had leaked (which it didn’t), the bag would have protected the box. There was also a hand written note thanking me, which is a nice extra touch. The labeling is presented well, in the company colors, understated and classy. The scrub label has held up in the shower which always pleases me. The lotion has a white pearlescent cap, which I really dig. It is something different that I haven’t seen in a cap.

Now on with the shooooowwwwww. I received a Sugar Cloud soft and gentle foaming scrub. I love foaming scrubs, and am now on the hunt for new and unique products. This definitely fits the bill so to speak. The scent is Black Crack Sand Beach, okay it really doesn’t *say* crack, but O.M.G it is addictive like crack (or at least from what I have heard about crack addiction). This is an ultimate summer scent, that I can envision on my scent palette all year round. This is the scent description from the site “Intoxicatingly rich and velvety smooth, this is unlike any other tropical coconut scents you’ve ever sniffed. Rich and pure black vanilla blends beautifully with creamy coconut milk while ribbons of cantaloupe’s sweet juice swirl around to give this blend a delightful element of sweetness. Its sweet unhurried dry down is lush carrying you to your own private island getaway.” This is all that and a bag of chips. To me, I don’t smell cantaloupe, but it really smells more like coconut with a light dash of watermelon. I want this in shampoo and conditioner, and sooner will be better than later. The scrub itself is not overly oily and a medium thickness making it easy to scoop out while I am blind in the shower. LOL It is a bit more oily than I like personally, but not enough so to deter me from purchasing it in other scents (and more of this one). It was also sealed with a safety seal under the lid which is a bonus, thanks for doing that CLC! The funny thing is that there was a little white tic-tac looking thing in the top that I of course had to investigate. I was assured that it wasn’t a tic-tac, but a cute little white candy decoration. Very cute presentation that is for sure!

Next in my box o’ goods was a lotion! You all know what a ho for lotion I can be, so I was slathering the minute I got my hands on the bottle. This particular product is their Aloe Smoothie Hand and Body Lotion. I was so glad for something with Aloe in it that I almost cried tears of relief! The lotion is fairly thick but not so bad that you can’t squeeze it easily out of the bottle. Of course, being the addict I am, I immediately put way too much on, and was afraid it wasn’t going to soak in. So, while I looked around for something to wipe the excess off of my feet (because of course there was NOTHING next to my bed), the miracle cream sunk in and did my bidding. I looked down and was getting ready to wipe it on my sheet (sshhhh) and it was gone! LOL This is now a new favorite lotion formula. Needless to say a little dab will do ya! I suppose I *have* to tell you about the luscious sent that I slathered on…..oh alright! Coconut Bavarois! Yes, score another yummy coconut scent. Out of the two I still prefer the Black Sand Beach, but this is pretty darn yummy. I had NO clue what Bavarois was, but it had to be good and it is.

All in all, I really loved my products from Crater Lake Company, and see many orders in my future. They have a scent list a mile long and the price is very competitive and fair. The current turn around time is about 10-12 days and they keep that updated on the front page of their site. I highly recommend this company and their products. I really think you will enjoy them too.

Website: http://soapier.com/

Country: USA

Blog: http://soapierblog.blogspot.com

Newsletter: Yes, easy sign up on the top of each page or go here.

US Shipping: Yes via UPS Ground

International Shipping: Yes, via USPS click here for more info on their shipping policies.

Discounts: WSIMD readers can take 15% off of your order, use coupon code BLOG1 at checkout. Expires August 1, 2008

I am very excited about this great company! They have the most delicous product offerings around. Soapier has a variety of bath and body products to delight just about anybody.

The box of goodies I received had the most scrumptious Oatmeal, Milk and Honey Sugar Scrub in it. Now, you have all heard me say how much I LOVE a good scrub, but don’t like the oiliness of some that are on the market. This scrub has just the right amount of oil sugar ratio. Not too greasy but moisturizing. Thick but not so much that you can’t scoop it out easily. And this scent? O.M.G. This is probably one of the better OMH scents I have ever smelled, and friends, I have sniffed a lot of them over the last 10 years. The jar is HUGE too, 16 oz to be exact. I was shocked when I saw it (pleasantly so).

Next up I delved right into their Luscious Body Lotion. I am a lotion addict so, this was actually the first thing I slathered on as soon as I opened the box. The scent is coconut, mango & papaya and it is really nice. It is a perfect summer scent. I was afraid the mango papaya would over power the coconut, but that is not the case, it is perfectly balanced. It almost smells like some of those expensive tanning lotions without any fake notes to it. The texture is thick but not so much that it doesn’t come out of the bottle. Speaking of bottles, their packaging is VERY professional. I love the lotion bottles they are shaped like a smaller version of a wine bottle.

The only slight disappointment was the fact that they use excess packaging in the form of shrink wrap on the outside of the bottles and jars. I understand why they do it, especially in the summer months, so I won’t knock it too much. Though I thought that it took away from the look of the snappy packaging underneath.

Next come the soaps, I had help from Jaded reviewing two of the bars, I will include her notes here after mine. Of course like the magpie wanna be that I am, I took the brightest bars of the bunch! Orange A Peel and Lush Fruits. The orange scent is very bold and true to the real fruit. Lush Fruits is more tropical goodness with a mango papaya twist. The bars are a vary generous 5 oz and are little works of art as you can see from the picture. They are glycerin based which I love, because they leave a nice clean feel and a great lather and are not drying.

Jaded’s Review: I cut a slice of the “Lavished in Chocolate” soap by Soapier.com to try this morning. I cannot remember the last time I used a glycerin soap, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The soap was sitting in our bathroom, and our entire room smelled of a rich, dark godiva chocolate. The aroma is decadent…..however, that was my first hesitation. I wasn’t sure I wanted to smell like chocolate all day. I started the shower and tried to lather up. I was pleasantly surprised by the smooth and soft application of bar to skin and the lather was fluffy and light. The scent travelled well in the shower but wasn’t overwhelming. I liked the soap so well, I did something I never do…..I applied it to my face. I almost never put anything but my preferred facewash on my face. I was surprised at how great it felt!

After the shower I felt squeaky clean. The scent of chocolate blended with my own natural scent to create a scent that was no longer so chocolatey and very pleasant. Several hours later, I am still pleased with the light scent and the feel of my skin. I feel clean yet soft and moisturized at the same time. I would give this soap 4 stars. Oatmeal, Milk and Honey is the other bar I am reviewing. A wonderful, light-scented glycerin soap that makes gives you that squeaky clean feeling in the shower. Later in the day, I noticed that my skin still felt soft and silky. The oatmeal is a nice exfoliator while the milk and honey soothe and moisturize. I’ve been using it for a week and really noticed a difference in my skin.

All in all both Jaded and I agree that Soapier is definitely on our places to shop from now on! Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to read follow up product reviews of this and other great companies in the future.