Review: February Products

Taking a tip from my favorite YouTube gurus, I figured it'd be fun to give little mini reviews on the products I introduced to myself this month. I will start out saying that I'm really not the type to buy frivolously... I prefer to buy things as I run out and I'm really trying to get better about using up every product I've been hoarding for the last year! The products I'll be talking about are ones that I've had to buy because I ran out of something.

Soap and Glory: The Greatest Scrub of All (Self-Activating Facial Smoother + Exfoliator)
I had forgotten how great a real exfoliator can be until I picked this up! I had been eyeing it for a while and it's as nice as I had expected. The beads themselves are of different sizes-- most being very fine, all encased in a lovely shimmering champagne colored paste. The scent is very light and I'm very impressed that the exfoliating beads do not dissolve when scrubbing. I'm happy to say that this is a happy medium between St. Ives' super chunky exfoliate and some of the random ones I've tried that have granules that are just too small to be effective. The only con I have about this is the packaging. The lid is a screw on... not a snap. Small pet peeve while I'm in the shower trying to wash up! As for the directions saying that for dry and sensitive skin to use only once or twice a week... well, I have really dry skin so I upped the usage to 3-4 times a week and have had no problems. Using this has really cut out all the flaky skin I battled with for months! Would this be a repurchase? Eh. I'll happily use it till its gone, but it's not a HG.

Lush Skin Drink Facial Moisturizer
When I ran out of a nightly moisturizer, I started using my regular day moisturizer with SPF... and I hated doing that on a matter of principle: why was I wasting my SPF and using it to sleep? Plus the texture for night time was all wrong. I finally caved and went into Lush to pick up this moisturizer and I have to say, I absolutely adore it! It makes my dry skin feel dewy and supple without being too oily. It leaves a comfortable top layer on my skin that feels like it's keeping moisture from evaporating off my face or rubbing off on my pillow as I sleep. A lot of the reviews on this product complain about the scent but I actually really like it-- it reminds me of a crushed almond and nut paste with just a touch of vanilla. Besides, I love almond milk so why wouldn't I love this smell? I'm also happy to say that I haven't had any adverse reactions to this and it hasn't broken me out at all, even with its high percentage of sesame oils. I would definitely buy it again-- though I might want to try some more Lush moisturizers out of curiosity first. Bottom line, love it.

Hope in a Jar for Dry Skin with SPF 20 (Extra-Rich Moisturizer for Normal to Dry Skin)
To be honest, I really want to be a Philosophy fan but I keep feeling disappointed. 2 out of the 3 products I've tried from them have really left me wanting, and this seems like one of them. Now, I won't completely bash on this moisturizer because it does what it says it does: provide moisture with SPF. But the smell! It's like a toned down version of their regular moisturizer. The consistency in Extra-Rich is spot on. The finish... it's just ok. But in terms of a difference between this SPF20 and the SPF25 version (which is made for all skin types), I'd chose the one for all skin types based on the smell alone. Once this tube is done, I'm jumping ship and maybe trying Shiseido or Clinique for my SPF needs.

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Skin Cleanser
Absolutely. Positively. HATE this product! This is me going on a whim and trying something random out of the blue after my Sephora foam cleanser ran out. It all starts with accidentally grabbing the cleanser that wasn't the foam... why? Because when you're in a hurry, both bottles look the same. Removes makeup? Not at all-- I have to use several cotton balls full of toner to get the residue off. Gentle for your eyes? Not one bit. It stings insanely bad. And the worst part of it all? It leaves my face feeling tight and dry after it's rinsed off which is one of the most disgusting feelings ever when it comes to a facial cleanser. I've learned my lesson when it comes to drug-store products. Sparingly. And always keep a receipt so I can AT LEAST exchange it. I'll probably tough this out with some extra measures: replenish my makeup remover wipes and be extra liberal with the moisturizer. Terrible.

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask
I'm really on the fence about this because I like using a mask... but I don't think this is the one for me. When I bought this, my heart was really set on the Oatifix mask which the store had unfortunately ran out of. The SA recommended this one... and I went with it on a whim. Is it bad? No. The blueberry scent is decent and my face feels soft afterwards. Would I repurchase? Nah- not this mask anyway. I can see this mask being more for people with oily-prone skin and mine really isn't that much. I need something that can soothe my redness instead of drying out my skin.



Overall, I'd say Lush's Skin Drink was probably my best beauty purchase of February, the Soap and Glory exfoliate a decent second. Hope this helps some of you!

If only I wasn't so busy and didn't have the carpal tunnel!

Here it is the middle of February and I really feel like I've missed out on the tradition of knitting in the winter. It's been about a year since I've taught myself using YouTube videos that I would repeat over and over again until I got the technique down. As for any new techniques? The last thing I learned was lace. Cables? Don't even get me started! I have yet to dive into those things!

Still, not knitting due to being busy again hasn't stopped me from looking through every once in a while at Ravelry and seeing the amazing patterns that get posted. I think I'll try and squeeze in a scarf and maybe some socks in for when it starts raining cats and dogs here in The City... Due to trial and error, I know I need long socks for my new rain boots!

Twisted by Jodie Gordon Lucas @ Ravelry

Cadence Socks by verybusymonkey @ Ravelry

Podster Gloves by Glenna C. @ Ravelry

GAP-tastic Cowl by Jen Geigley @ Ravelry

Strangling Vine Lace Scarf by Nicole Hindes @ Ravelry

Spring Beret by Natalie Larson @ Ravelry

My Etsy loves Moo!

My trip to Texas really made me put my Etsy shop on the back burner for about a week. Inexcusable, really, because I had an inquiry about a sale to Guam during that time and wasn't able to address it fast enough. There may be time now... but I doubt it and refuse to let it get me down!

I actually have several sleeves that need to be photographed and posted in the coming week and in all honesty, I think Aquavert is going along well. Having wrote out a business plan for the month of February, I can't say I've met my revenue goals (yet)-- but I think remaining consistent and putting my name out there has definitely helped. As soon as I start actively commenting on blog posts, my views go up on everything. As soon as I post to Twitter, my views spike even more. And as for Etsy Teams? The numbers go up exponentially any time I help out the community.

What has also helped me is really being professional about the whole thing. Dedicating a set amount of work hours and staying focused during that time has really allowed me to get more into the swing of things and have better results.

Like making my moo designs!

I'm actually absolutely proud of these because I actually stayed focused and worked for a few hours on Illustrator to get these prepped for Moo mini cards. Now they all have my Etsy logo, updated contact info, and I can't wait to give these out. My next step is to update my banner, update my blogger layout to have the same sort of feel of my Etsy, and then revamp all my photographs. I love my product photos, but I think they can definitely be redone. I'm also considering sending out promo codes to really make a push for sales.

Slowly but surely, it's all coming together! I also want to give a shout out to DearSukie @ Etsy for the amazing moo card holder I purchased from her. It's so practical and so well made! Absolutely love it!

February Gift Guide

Carnival, Valentine's Day, a little bit of a tease of the Spring season-- so many yummy things happening in February that I've decided to put together a fun little gift-guide for the month. Now, I'm not convincing anyone that they need anything... (or do they?)- but it's just fun to browse Etsy sometimes looking at all the beautiful things that are made. If you're on the hunt for gifts this month, please try and support small businesses!

HeavenAndSmell @ Etsy

There's really not much to say but holy cow this looks delicious-- for soap! I think it'd be so awesome to lather up with this bar of Chocolate Banana Olive Oil soap. I bet it smells heavenly- hence the HeavenAndSmell shop name. This would make such a fun gift!

hellosmallworld @  Etsy

How cute is this? I browsed for Valentine's cards and this one was one of the many that came up. There were a lot of funny ones... but cute little ones like this made by Hellosmallworld made me grin. It's simple, direct, and it just makes you feel good.  

JulieAnnArt @ Etsy

 I ain't gunna lie-- I busted out laughing as soon as I stumbled on this card. The sad part is... is that it's totally true! I know plenty of people who will end up doing something like this for Valentine's Day! Not to make their day worse, but I think it'd be a great card for a little joke amongst friends. Plus the little cat by JulieAnnArt is so adorable! 

Buligaia @ Etsy

How adorable is this? While browsing for cute cupid-inspired items, I came upon this adorable owl handstitched by Buligaia. I love that he's rocking out with a cute toga and a cute little harp and has a little heart nose. I can totally picture this guy sitting on my desk with me, keeping me company on days my boyfriend is out of town or at work. He's just so cheerful!  

Davs @ Etsy

What kick-ass color! I love how it's also very thick and gloopy-- it almost feels like you can fall into it. Plus, it's just interesting to look at... very much like an ink blot test in a good way. Davs also has a really great selection of funny zombie art to giggle at.

DazzlingDezignz4U @ Etsy

Amethyst is the precious stone of February and these earrings make great use of it. While seeing Amethyst jewelry, I realized that I'm very picky about this stone because it can be made to look cheap... but these earrings most certainly do not appear that way. DazzlingDezignz4U really made them look classy.

KMCQdesigns @ Etsy

What an amazingly fun mask! I love how there are enough touches to really make it really pop-- without it getting out of control. I think it'd be so much fun wearing something like this in the warm, sticky heat of Rio or New Orleans and someday, I wish to be able to make it to an awesome event like that. The seller, KMCQdesigns, has a ton of really beautiful and delicate masks that are all gorgeous and unique-- I want each and every one!

poppyandpinecone @ Etsy

What a fun print and great way to end off the February gift guide-- not with tons of red, but with green! Looking at this Brazil print kind of makes me smile and makes me look even more forward to the Spring. PoppyandPinecone also has a ton more similar artwork listed on Etsy so if Brazil isn't your thing, I'm sure you'll be able to find a country or state that is.