Homemade peppermint cocoa foot scrub - Ittybit's Body Care

So I've been wanting to make a foot scrub for sometime now to simply pamper my feet. I've come across some really great recipes but when my sister sent me a recipe for one that she wanted to try I jumped at the chance.  Here's the link to the recipe but I've already started tweaking it a bit. I know I will be using different essential oils as well.  This was a starter.  

Here are the ingredients I used: kosher sea salt (instead of coarse sea salt- which was used in the original recipe), coconut oil, cocoa powder, mint leaves, peppermint essential oil.  

It's recommended to do this at night but I decided to do this after my shower.  I used a foot pumice paddle that I purchased at Target.  I simply used it on my heels to remove any calluses. After that I just scooped a bit of the scrub from the plastic container that I placed it in and started applying in a circular motion.  All I have to say is OH MY GOODNESS...something orgasmic was definitely going on with my feet.  They felt so silky smooth and rejuvenated. I've never applied a scrub to my feet before but after this experience I will be doing this a lot more.  

I made a batch to give to my sister as a special gift the other day and waiting to hear back. But I'm sure she will be enjoying very much. 

       Packaged homemade peppermint cocoa foot scrub and pumice paddle. 

Until next time...happy foot scrubing
Ittybit

All Natural Lip Balms

So I decided that I wanted to try and start making my own lip balms/glosses as well as cuticle and nail balms and at some point lotions.  I wanted my lip balm product line to be all natural and chemical free.  So I started doing research on the natural ingredients that I wanted them to have. I read that coconut butter has many health benefits and I could make it myself at home since it includes one ingredient: shredded organic unsweetened coconut. All I'm doing is blending it in a mixer.  Super I thought.  So off I went.  Once I had my coconut butter and soy wax I was ready.  But my excitement turned quickly into disappointment. One thing I noticed once I made my first batch with soy wax it really didn't solidify the way I wanted it to. It almost was a bit too creamy.   Back to the drawing board.  I then decided I would eliminate the coconut butter keep the soy wax and combine it cocoa and Shea butter. From there I can add any essential and flavor oils that I wanted to.  With the addition of Vitamin E, jojoba, Avacado oil, sweet almond oil...you get the idea. 

So now that I had the first batch experience under my belt I decided to try a few more. The three that I made after this came out much better and get my stamp of approval. 

Each of the three include: soy wax, Shea and cocoa butter and a few more ingredients which I will list next to each description. 

Lower left:  Chocolate and peppermint scented.  This smells absolutely wonderful.  I added a few organic chocolate chips to this one.  

Middle: Raspberry flavor scented.  I added some mineral mauve eyeshadow to give a little color.  

Upper right:  Chocolate and Raspberry flavor scented.   This also smells wonderful.  And yes...I also added a few more organic chocolate chips to this one as well.

Again, these are natural.  Each one has been poured into a .25 oz clear pot. 

Those of you who may be interested in purchasing these or other scented lip balms I hope to have these listed in my Etsy shop soon.  If you are not huge fan of the lip balm pots I will also have them available in the lip balm tubes as well.  These little clear pots were readily available at Michael's and I was ready to start making them.

With there being so many wonderful flavor oils out there I will be working on other delicious and tempting smelling combinations.  

As mentioned above I plan on making cuticle and nail balms and hope to add lotions to my new product line as well.

               

           

                                                            All natural lip balms

Victoria's Secret Lotion New Favorites - Body Care

                           VS Fantasies Exotics Moonlit Jasmine

 The other day while I was in Victoria Secret doing some shopping I came across these two wonderful lotions.  Moonlit Jasmine is an exotic fantasy of lush jasmine warmed by vanilla woods.  VS also describes it as "sensual days, sultry nights."  It's a very lovely scent and one of my favorites!  I did find out that Moonlit Jasmine is a limited edition.  So if this one tickles your fancy get out and buy one while supplies last. 

                       VS Candy Baby Daily Moisture Body Lotion

Candy Baby is an indulgent duo of spun sugar and warm vanilla.  It reminds me so much of cotton candy which I personally love to enjoy to eat whenever I have the chance to.  So I couldn't pass up on the chance to add this sweet smelling lotion to my collection as well.   This one is in stock all year long.

      VS Mango Temptation  Ultra-Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream

Mango Temptation is another wonderful smelling lotion. It's an exotic kiss of mango nectar and sexy hibiscus.  It makes you feel like you are on a tropical island without a care in the world!   This will be another addition in the future.

Featured Item - Wooden Men's Shave Set with Cigar Box (an Etsy Shop)

                                 Photo via Dirty Deeds Soap Shop

I found this really cool shop while surfing Etsy.   This kit includes the following:  a modern wooden soap dish, handmade beer soap, brush, and shave card with instructions on how to have a classic shave. All of these items come together in the gorgeous upcycled wooden cigar box. 

Their shave soaps are french milled with natural ingredients and are detergent free. Beer Soap Ingredients: Coconut oil, sodium cocoate, sodium palmitate, sodium laurate, sodium stearate, glycerin, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, titanium dioxide, sucrose, triethanolamine, water, beer, fragrance, food/cosmetic grade dyes. 

Check out their Etsy shop to see more of Dirty Deeds Soap great products.

Victoria's Secret - Cocoa Butter Senuous Escape Lotion - Body Care

                                   Photo via Victoria's Secret

I sure do hope everyone is enjoying their summer thus far.  We just had a beautiful weekend here in sunny Cal.  Even though June gloom wants to linger around for a bit.  That's ok...I will take what I can get!  Unfortunately I haven't made it to the local beaches this summer just yet.  But I'm planning on it.  But in the meantime I do enjoy catching some sunshine while do some yard work or gardening on these beautiful weekends.  

I'm sure most of you are aware of a cocoa butter lotion that Victoria's Secrets sells.  It's called cocoa butter sensuous escape lotion.  I absolutely enjoy using this lotion during the summer time.  It reminds me so much of the Hawaiian Tropic tanning lotion.  It smells great and it makes my skin feel nice.  So if you are looking for a lotion that makes you feel like you are in Hawaii or some place exotic then this is the lotion for you!  

Until my next blog...Happy summer time!

Ittybit 

The Official First Day of Summer - Body Bronze (tanning lotion)

                                   Photo via Body Bronze's Website

Since today is the first official day of summer I wanted to introduce a great tanning lotion product.  I've used this in the past and I couldn't be more happy with it.  And with summer now here, I don't know about you, but I sometimes don't have tons of time to try and get some sun on my skin plus worry about the harmful rays.  It's nice to know that I can still can have a nice darker shade of color all over by applying the body bronzer and not have to worry.  

The following information can also be found on Body Bronze's Home Page: 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Body Bronze Products Welcomes You!

Body Bronze Products (BBP), was founded by a dermatologist and skin cancer survivor in 2002. BBP provides a physician approved and recommended sunless tanning line to medi-spas, aestheticians, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and our BBP Certified Airbrush Tanning Technicians.  BBP prides itself as being an industry leader of safe tanning and beautiful skin. The driving force behind the BBP philiosophy is to deliver a quality product, provide impeccable service and support to our Clients and BBP Certified Airbrush Technicians. Our award winning products satisfies those who prefer the healthy alternative to UV tanning and desire to have a safe, natural, and lasting tan.

Why Body Bronze... it's all about RESULTS! 

Body Bronze is formulated and designed to create the most natural looking tan for all skin types, instantly. Our unique formulations contain an olive color base that negates any orange discoloration to the skin. 

_____________________________________________________________________

Until my next blog...Happy Tanning!

Ittybit 

Noella Beauty Works Samples - Ittybit's Body Care

                                  Noella Beauty Works Samples 

I received my Noella Beauty Works samples in the mail a few days ago.  I was so excited to try them out.   I ordered the redness corrector, medium light powder foundation, and three different eye shadows; rose silk, cupcake, and sugared plum.   I have green eyes so the color combination of sugared plum and silk rose really highlighted them nicely. I also liked how the redness corrector helped as a spot concealer.   After I applied the medium light powder foundation.   I like how this foundation works because it doesn't feel like you have make up on even though you do.   I will soon be placing more orders through Noella Beauty Works.

Until my next blog...Happy Make Up Day

Ittybit

Featured Artist - Noella Beauty Works

                                                Noella Beauty Works

                     (all pictures supplied by Noella Beauty Works)

I found Noella Beauty Works while browsing the Etsy treasuries.  Noella Beauty Works is your one-stop shop for PURE, NATURAL Mineral Makeup. Offered in NBW is an extensive line of mineral eyeshadows, foundations, concealers and blush at affordable prices.

Noella Beauty Works only supplies mineral makeup with the finest, purest ingredients and each and every shade is custom made, hand mixed/shaken, jarred and packaged all by Jackie (the face behind Noella Beauty Works)  If  you don't see a color you were looking for, or want something a little darker/lighter/more glittery  and so forth just let Jackie know.  She would be more than happy to make it happen.  

In NBW makeup you will NEVER find:
-Synthetic Dyes
-Synthetic Fragrances
-Preservatives
-Parabens

Samples from Noella Beauty Works:

1. LIGHT - Pure & Natural Mineral Foundation $9.99

2. Redness Corrector - Pure & Natural Mineral Concealer $5.99

3. Raspberry Sugar - Pure & Natural Mineral Blush $7.49

4. Stunner Secrets - Medium size bag $16.00 and the Mini size bag $7.00

5. Finishing Touch Setting Veil - Pure & Natural $7.49

6. Pink Smoke - Pure & Natural Mineral Eyeshadow $4.99

Here's a little insight into the owner of Noella Beauty Works

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Jackie. I'm 21 years old and I'm currently going to school for Visual Communications. I live in a little apartment with my boyfriend, Aziz and our two cats, Scout & Marissa. I spend the mornings in school, the afternoons and evenings in my studio working on Etsy and I also work at a coffee shop once a week.

2. How did you become interested in creating? 
I've always been creative. When I was about 7 I got a Muppets Craft Book and I used to sit at my little craft station that I made in my parents garage and craft all day long. I made a two story dollhouse- hand cut shingles and all- out of cardboard. I then became interested in jewelry, which I played with for a little while. I grew bored of that and had found out how to make my own cosmetics and that became my new hobby. That's how Noella Beauty Works began :)

3. What is your inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration from the changing seasons and fashion. I like to look through magazines and find outfits that inspire a color or collection as well. I'm also inspired by anything in Sephora. I imagine myself having my own little booth there one day (I can only dream!)

4. What is your favorite piece you've made and why?
My favorite product of mine is my Pine eyeshadow. It's a color I wear all the time and probably my favorite color that I've ever created. 

I'm very excited to try out some of these wonderful products from NBW.  I have sensitive skin so it's nice to know that these products are made with the finest ingredients as well as being affordable.  

To see all of Jackie's great products check out Noella Beauty Works.

Orangethyme Goodies

                                                   Orangethyme

I got all my orangethyme goodies in the mail the other day.  So excited!   Lip balms include: green tea & honey, shy violet, butter cream, vanilla chai, cranberry tangerine and mimosa.  I also purchased the blood orange lotion which smells so good!  A little flowers and honey shea butter soap that also smells very nice and a small sample of a new perfume oil that orangethyme has been working on which also smells very good.  I enjoy getting my little packages from orangethyme because it feels like an early Christmas for me.  Everything is so nicely packaged. 

Hair Accessories - Ittybit's Body Care

                                   Hair Accessories by Scunci

A girl can never own too many head bands or clips.  I came across these great ones shopping one day.  I really like the silk patterned head band.   I long to see the day they make a pink hair clip  "sigh".   :)

Sephora Lip Gloss Collection - Ittybit's Body Care

A friend of mine gave me this great little collection of Sephora lip glosses as a Christmas gift.   I absolutely love it!  It has six different lip glosses you can use.  The shade starts as a dark raspberry color, to a lighter peach then finishes as a lighter pink.   They're not separate little containers.  They screw on to each other at each black section so you can take them all with you.

Featured Artist - Orangethyme

                                                       Photos via Orangethyme

I stumbled across Orangethyme as a "Featured Seller" on the Etsy home page one day.  When I went to go visit the shop I was quite impressed with the variety of lip balms that this shop has to offer.  It not only offers lip balms but lip tints and perfume oils as well.  What made this shop stand out to me (personally) was the fact the shop owner, Rachel, made a comment about always having to reapply lip balm to her lips to keep them moisturized.  Sound familiar?   She had mentioned that instead of using beeswax she uses cocoa & shea butters, candelilla wax, natural and essential oils and alkenet root.   From the moment that I received my first shipment of lip balms (including the Blackberry lip tint) I could tell a huge difference once I tried my first lip balm.  I also was very pleased with the two perfume oils that I ordered, Vanilla/Rose and Pink Sugar.  It's nice to throw one into my purse and use it later in the day.   Rachel has recently added more "NEW" products to her shop as well as a kid's lip balm line.  I look forward to ordering more products from Rachel since she is a pleasure to work with.

Samples from Orangethyme's Shop:

1. "NEW" Clementine Cupcake Moisturizing Lotion (4oz bottle) - $8.00 each  

*differnent scents to choose from

2. "NEW" Lip Shimmers  (Vintage Bronze, Autumn Leaf and Pixi) - $4.00 each

3. Perfume Oils (different scents to choose from - 3oz bottle) - $8.00 each

4. Lips Balms (different scents to choose from) - $2.50 each

5. Perfume Sample Trio - $6.00 

6. Mini Moisturizing Body Spray (.75oz)

7. Cotton Candy Lip Balm (from Kid's line) - $2.50 

8. Lip Tints - $3.00

9. Gift Sets - $13.00 

*Gift Certificates are also available

Here's a little insight into the owner of Orangethyme:

1. Tell us a little about yourself. 

My Name is Rachel, and i live with my Husband and Daughter in Eastern Washington.
I work full time in a day job at a local hospital, and when i come home i get started on anything and everything Etsy. I wish that i had the entire day to work on it but for now i have to squeeze it in where i can. I illegally re-list items at work, and check my convo's when i can. I'd love to be able to be in a 'quit your day job' interview sometime soon.
And you never know, if my boss finds out that i use Etsy at work, i just might be doing that interview!

2. How did you become interested in creating?
I have been interested in it since i can remember. I love it, my mind never stops. When i get an idea it's impossible for me to sit on it, i have to make it happen and immediately.

3. What is your inspiration?
Colors, Smells, other peoples inspiration and i have to say my friends. I listen to what they like and look for and i branch out from there.

4. What is your favorite piece you've made and why?
I think that changes often. I have a hard time nailing one thing down as my favorite, but i am quite proud of my Blackberry Lip Tint. It's unique that it has lovely color, and it's all natural. Most tints or lipsticks have a Mica Powder to tint them, and i use Alkanet Root. It limits how broad i can make my tint line, but I think it's worth it. It's my perfected lip balm formula so it's super moisturizing but it's got some color. Best of both worlds. Right now for winter, a little of both is pretty great!

To see all of Rachel's great products, check out Orangethyme.

Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens - From Ittybit's Body Care

This past weekend I made a quick visit to the CVS Pharmacy to purchase the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen.  I decided on the pink and white color combo.  I redid my toe nails with some light purple nail polish.  I used two coats to make sure everything was well coated.  Once it had completely dried I went to work on my two tiny little canvases.  I was quite impressed with how well these worked.  They are very easy to use and the fine tip makes it nice.  I do admit you need a steady hand but they are fun.  

Nail Polishes - From Ittybit's Body Care

My nails and toe nails are something that I like to keep manicured as much as I can.  Unfortunately I can't pamper myself at a nail salon as much as I like so what's the next best thing?   Do them myself for free.  I go through my line up of colors and pick the one I would like to have done for my toes for the next week.  It could be pink one week, green the next week and blue the following week. I like using the brighter colors on my toes so they stand out a bit more.  I usually put lighter colors on my finger nails. I also like to use the Sally Hansen sheer beige gloss polish as a top coat so it protects the bottom coat and I can usually go a little longer before having to redo them.  Now I'm ready to go.  I noticed a product that Sally Hansen carries.  It's called the Nail Art Pen. I haven't purchased it myself yet but plan to.  It has a fine tip so it's easy to use and control, mistake proof so if you do make a mistake you can use a wet cotton swab to correct the mistake without messing up the polish work, water based and they have 8 fabulous colors.  It costs $7.99. So if you like putting little flower designs on your finger or toe nails after polishing them, like I do, this might be the way to go.

Lip Glosses - From Ittybit's Body Care

I'm sure there are a lot of ladies out there that like to keep their lips moisturized as well as looking pretty.  Who wouldn't?   I'm a huge fan of lip glosses.   I occasionally like wearing lip sticks but I would have to admit I favor lip gloss a lot more.  I like the Bonnie Bell line.  There's three shades that I really like: Dream Cafe, Latte Love and Vanilla Bean.  They also have a clear gloss that has tiny little sparkles in it called "sugar kiss."   I also recently discovered another company called e.l.f. which stands for eyes, lips and face has a shade called "fairy" which falls under the brown tone family which I really like.   One day while browsing the make up isle in the 99cent store I was pleasantly surprised to find the Bonnie Bell brush-on shimmer shear line with some of the shades that I use.  What a bargain!   So I grabbed a few.  Bath and Body Works and Victoria Secret also carry great lines of lip glosses as well.  

Beauty BFF Tips - From Ittybit's Body Care

I came upon some great tips through Beauty BFF for hair, hair products, make-up, nails and much more.  Click here.