From My Vanity

Beauty, Skincare, and a bit of Lifestyle

MichelleV is back with more leather jewelry for you! (Giveaway)

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Good news! Michelle from Michelle V Custom Leather Jewelry is back with us today to do another fun giveaway. For those who might be new to following my blog or missed the feature the first time, Michelle came on my blog in June of last year as part of my Etsy features/giveaways. And here she is again. So glad to be hosting her again on here!!

I was thrilled when Michelle sent me one of her leather bracelets to review. The bracelet I received is on the right, and just in case you can’t clearly see what has been etched into the plate, it says…

My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me

Isn’t it beautiful? And after over 6 months of use, my bracelet still looks and feels as good as it did when I first received it. And I wear it almost on a daily basis! It really is my favorite jewelry to slip on in the morning before I start a normal day. It’s so comfortable!

If you are interested in my review thoughts on this bracelet, here are my words from my first post…

“The font used was perfect, in my opinion! Perfect sizing for the letters, too. It’s been over a month since I’ve received this bracelet and it still looks great. No wear marks and the words are as clear as they were when I first got it — and I’ve been wearing this cuff almost daily!!”

And leather breacelets (or cuffs, as they are also called) are not the only thing that Michelle makes and sells over at her etsy shop. This lady is filled with lots of talent as she also makes necklace pendants, keychains, luggage tags, bookmarks, and much more! Just take a quick look as you scroll through the pictures below. If you like leather jewelry (like I do!!) you will love them!

Beautiful stuff, isn’t there?? I have my eye on a few pieces, as soon as I have saved up a wee bit of spending money for myself. 🙂 Also, be sure to follow the links below and find out how you can follow Michelle so you can stay up to date on the new jewelry she comes out with.

Ways to stay up-to-date on new designs/jewelry…
Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Etsy

So, you all ready for the giveaway? Well, let’s get started without delay. 🙂 For this giveaway Michelle offered to give away one item over on her Etsy shop—winner’s choice, up to $30! Sweet prize, ehh?? You have to be a follower of this blog in order to qualify for the giveaway. Just enter in the Rafflecopter form below and follow ALL instructions. Giveaway ends on February 26th at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A delightful new fragrance to add to Palmolive’s soaps! (Influenster, First Impression)

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If any of y’all saw my post a few weeks ago on my first Influenster voxbox, you knew I was pretty excited about getting to receive and review those products. I am still a newbie to the whole Influenster program, so I was really surprised (and totally thrilled) when I was contacted a few weeks ago to participate in another voxbox. So, you ready to discover what this box held?? This post will just be a “first impressions” post, and in a few days/weeks I’ll come back with my review of the products. 🙂

As I said in my first post, if you want to be invited onto the Influenster team, just let me know in the comments below (and leave your email address) and I’ll send you a personal invite and instructions on how to sign up. 🙂

The picture on the right shows you the box I received, as yet unopened. I should have taken the bubble wrap out before snapping this picture, but I forgot. Ah well, you can see from the information card that I propped up on the box—and the coupons that came with it–what the bottles look like.

If you are still unsure what is inside the Influenster box, let me explain! It’s Palmolive’s new Fresh Infusions Dish Liquid soap—“Naturally Inspired. Sparkling Clean Dishes”. These new Fresh Infusions are designed with elegant simplicity and the freshest scents in mind.

“The clean you’ve always trusted from Palmolive blends with naturally inspired fragrances for the freshest kitchen around!”

Sounds pretty sweet, huh? And they sent me one each of the new fragrances that they are coming out with. The naturally inspired fragrances are…

– Ginger White Tea
– Lemon Thyme
– Lime Basil

I am SO excited about trying these out. I have no idea how well they will work, but I know that they smell really good! Make sure to keep watching my posts—I’ll be updating you with a review on how well these work.

So! Until next time! 😉

I received the Palmolive soaps complimentary from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Don’t miss out on this wonderful radio drama!! (Audio Review)

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Check out Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre’s website.

Les Misreables – Victor Hugo – Audio Drama

Release Date – April 31st, 2007
Publishers – Tyndale House
Read the full description here.
Les Miserables is one of the world’s masterpieces. It enthralled audiences worldwide as a great novel…as a major motion picture…and as a blockbuster musical play. Now, this mighty drama has been adapted as an epic production staring some of Britain’s finest actors. True to Victor Hugo’s original novel, this grand production follows the tale of Jean Valjean as he encounters first the savage injustice of the law, and then the gentleness and grace of God.
My Review…

I enjoyed Les Miserables when I first watched the movie several years ago. I haven’t
had a chance to watch the newest musical/movie that just came out, but who
needs to when Radio Theatre comes out with such a wonderful dramatized presentation
of Victor Hugo’s classical novel.

I had forgotten how many wonderful life
lessons there were in Les Miserables!
It was wonderful! While we first meet Jean Valjean being released from prison
after 19 years, it isn’t long before God changes his life completely around.
What a wonderful example of Christ Valjean was to those around him! I grew
encouraged and inspired as Valjean tried to live every aspect of his life, for
Christ.
The dramatized side of Les Miserables was awesome! The voices
and music kept everything moving along quickly and you get completely swept
away in the tale. I will say, this radio production is an abridge version of
the book. While I haven’t read the book, a relative of mine has, and they said
it is a bit abridges. I noticed a few things just from remembering the movie.
But, you also have to take into consideration that this is only a so long. I
can’t imagine how long it would have been if they’d done it unabridged!
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed
listening to Les Miserables. It was
wonderful, from start to finish! It’s a radio production that you can listen to
and got lost in over and over. Don’t miss out on claiming this little jewel to
add to your collection!

I reviewed this audio drama for Tyndale House Publishers. It was not required that I give a positive review, but solely to express my own thoughts and opinions of this book, which I have done.



Love shopping online? Save some money in the process!

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Okay, so today might sound like a paid, pre-written post…but it’s not, really. This is just my own raving about this new website I just discovered that helps you save money on all of your online orders.

Who doesn’t want to save a bit of cash, right??

Let me go back and start from the beginning—I’m getting a little ahead of myself here! 😛

The website is called Ebates and their logo is “Where it pays to shop online”. And that pretty much sums it up. Ebates is linked to a ton of websites and if you go through them when you place an order, you will get a percentage of cash back on that order. Doesn’t that sound awesome??

Each website will have a different percentage of cash back, but it roughly ranges from 5% to 10% and even some websites that have 25% or 35% cash back! Depending on where you shop frequently, it could really be worth your while to sign up with Ebates and start saving!

It doesn’t cost you anything to sign up, so there’s nothing to loose by signing up. All you have to do is remember to sign into your Ebates account and go through them before you place an order online. And after a little bit, you’ll start to see your savings climb. (Who doesn’t like to save money?? 😉

Oh, I almost forgot! As a “thank you” for signing up with Ebates, they give you a $10 gift card to either Macy’s, WalMart, Target, or Kohl’s! Yep, when you place your order soon after signing up, they’ll give you this gift card to spend however you like!

If you do decide to sign up with Ebates, I would love it if you would sign up under me (either by using my link or my using my email address [legacy1992(at)gmail.com] when they ask “who referred you”). For each person that I refer who signs up with Ebates and places an order, I get a little “thank you” gift from Ebates! 🙂 So, yeah, if you are thinking of signing up — use MY LINK!

And then enjoy your usual shopping and watch your savings grow!

If you have any other questions about Ebates, feel free to ask them in the comments below. Or if you signed up to Ebates using my link, PLEASE tell me! I’d love to give you a BIG shout-out thank you!! 😀

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

 

Erasable pens and chocolate! (Influenster Review, Part 3)

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Just in case you missed Wednesday’s post…or Friday’s post…here is a recap…



I’ve joined a new program called Influester. (If you want an invite to it, just let me know in the comments below {and leave your email address} and I’ll send you a personal invite and instructions on how to sign up.)

Anyways, I just got my very FIRST box from Influenster that was called the Cosmo VoxBox. What did I get? Well…

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
Venus & Olay Razor Refill (I forgot to include it in the pictures! Oops!! :-/)
Forever Read Eau de Parfume by Bath & Body Works
Ghiradelli Gourmet “Milk Sea Salt Escape” Chocolate
2 FriXion by Pilot Pens



Review…

Alright, i’m going to do the last two together for this final post. First of is…

Okay, so this review is an easy one. I mean, who doesn’t like a pen that will let you erase if you make any mistakes? According to their website, FriXion pens “….have the freedom to write, erase, and write again with every color of the rainbow”. And these pens work exactly as they said!

Of course, I tried this pen out several times, just doodling on scrap and then erasing it. Such fun to see it disappear so perfectly! And I even used these pens when I filled out a scholarship application–good thing I did, since I accidently marked the wrong box! And—poof!—I was able to erase it completely away.

The FriXion pens have a unique thermo-sensitive gel ink formula that allows the ink to disappear with erasing friction—which is how you are able to erase pen ink! 😉 The pens come in a large variety of colors—black, blue, red, purple, pink, lime, orange, and brown. I have both the black and red FriXion pens. 🙂

I think everyone should have one of these pens handy — I’m sticking mine in my school bag. It will come in handy, that’s for sure!!

Okay, the last item I got in my Cosmo VoxBox is…

I am a big lover of chocolate, so I was ecstatic to get this in my VoxBox—what a treat!! 🙂 This chocolate has “…creamy milk chocolate…combined with bursts of sea salt and roasted almonds.” Now, I know first off it might be kind of weird that this chocolate has sea salt in it…but it doesn’t taste bad at all, trust me!

It does have that slighty salty taste, but I think it really adds to the flavor. I can’t remember how many times I want a chocolate/salty snack—like chocolate covered pretzels—and that is what this Ghirardelli chocolate gives you. A bit of sweet and a bit of salt.

Definitely a chocolate bar any chocolate lover will want to try out!

I received the ITEM complimentary from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Forever Red Exclusively at Bath & Body Works! (Influenster Review, Part 2)

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Just in case you missed yesterday’s post, here is a recap…

I’ve joined a new program called Influester. (If you want an invite to it, just let me know in the comments below {and leave your email address} and I’ll send you a personal invite and instructions on how to sign up.)

Anyways, I just got my very FIRST box from Influenster that was called the Cosmo VoxBox. What did I get? Well…

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
Venus & Olay Razor Refill (I forgot to include it in the pictures! Oops!! :-/)
Forever Read Eau de Parfume by Bath & Body Works
Ghiradelli Gourmet “Milk Sea Salt Escape” Chocolate
2 FriXion by Pilot Pens

Review…

Okay, so the next thing I’m going to review is the (super-yummy smelling!) fragrance…

Yes, you heard right. This (YUMMY!) perfume is sold only at Bath & Body Works. Pretty exclusive…and pretty cool!

I was really excited I got a fragrance in my VoxBox, as I love them and am always on the hunt for another good one that will smell delicious! 🙂 As you can see from the picture, this one is called Forever Red.

And it smells A-MAZ-ING!!

What, exactly, is in this Forever Red? Well, this fragrance is from their signature collection and is a Fine Fragrance Mist. To quote them, “…radiate our passionate blend of pomegranate, red osmanthus, and a sexy surprise of vanilla rum.”

I’m honestly not sure what red osmanthus is  — haha! — but put together with pomegranate and a bit of vanilla, it smells great! I noticed the fragrance doesn’t last a super-long time, but it does linger for a while and since I have I got it in this little sample size, I can stick it in my purse and reapply whenever I feel like smelling fresh and yummy.

I got into the habit of spritzing some on after I got home from school. After a long day, it really was a great pick-me-up and I would get many compliments at how good I smelled. 🙂

How could you ask for anything better in a fragrance than that??

I received the Forever Red perfume complimentary from Influenster, to test. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Have you ever tried the Gillette Venus Embrace? (Influenster Review, Part 1)

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So I’ve joined a new program called Influester. Ever heard of it? (If you did, please do let me know! I just discovered this and think it is TOO cool! If you want an invite to it, just let me know in the comments below (and leave your email address) and I’ll send you a personal invite and instructions on how to sign up.)

Anyways, I just got my very FIRST box from Influenster that was called the Cosmo VoxBox. (Totally cool, since I have gotten CRAZY interested in anything beauty-related. 🙂 So, anyways, I thought it would be fun to do a whole review-post on all the things I received in the box. And to make it more interesting, I’m going to break this VoxBoc review up. I’ll review one thing from the box each post. Not sure how often I’ll post…proabably once every day…but maybe more often. Sound like fun? Well, then just keep reading! 🙂

To the right is the box that showed up at my door a week or so ago. It’ was SO much fun to open the box and discover what they had sent to me (you don’t know what they send you until you get it!). So, I opened the box and had fun taking everything out and give each of the items a once over. I am really happy with everything that I got sent and have been enjoying them all ever since! What did I get? Well…

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor
Venus & Olay Razor Refill (I forgot to include it in the pictures! Oops!! :-/)
Forever Read Eau de Parfume by Bath & Body Works
Ghiradelli Gourmet “Milk Sea Salt Escape” Chocolate
2 FriXion by Pilot Pens

Review…

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about the first thing on our list….

Gillette Venus Embrace Razor!

As you can see, I got a $2 coupon for when I purchase my next refill for the razor. Pretty sweet!

Okay, so what is the Gillette Venus Embrace? Well, according to Gillette Venus, this razor features 5 different blades that help give you the best shave you can possible get—with 5 blades, it’s not going to miss one single hair!

There are ribbons of moisture surround the blades so that it glides effortlessly and smoothly over your skin while giving the newly-shaved area a bit of moisture to leave it feeling velvety soft.

I’ve used this razor several times and I am REALLY liking it! I’ll be honest and say I usually just get the cheap, disposable razors in the past, but I have a history with nicking or cutting myself with those. So, this Gillette Venus Embrace razor is pretty sweet as it glides smoothly over my skin, The moveable head on this razor acts as a protector against nicking yourself when you go around those hard to reach areas—like your knees or ankles!

And—the best part—is that the Gillette Venus razor handles will fit ANY Venus blade refill!

Totally sweet! And very economical so that I can try out all the different types of blades Venus sells, find the one that works the best for me, and never have to purchase the whole razor! I really do love this razor!! I’ll be using that refill for sure…and then that coupon to purchase more refills from now on! 😀

So, if you haven’t figured out yet…I really like this razor! Sorry I didn’t have the Venus & Olay razor refill in the picture, too. I totally forgot about it until after I had uploaded everything and was putting my new things away. But, since it is a Gillete Venus, I know I’m going to like it. 🙂

I received the Gillette Venus Embrace razor and Venus & Olay refill complimentary from Influenster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.