MinnyWicks Review & Giveaway!

 

When you are on the search for products that have your favorite fandom characters on them, small handmade sellers are a fantastic place to look for cute & unique products to purchase. Today I will be sharing a wonderful small business called MinnyWicks with you. Shop owner Mindy creates candles, wax melts, enamel pins, stickers and keychains that are inspired by Anime & other fandoms. I am lucky enough to be working with MinnyWicks on not only a review for her shop, but I will be hosting a giveaway as well so be sure to enter to win! 

I recently received a box from MinnyWicks that showcased a selection of the products she creates & I am very excited to share all of the products with you. For my review I received two full sized candles, an enamel pin and three stickers plus she threw in some wax melt samples and a surprise sticker pack. She did a wonderful job packing everything to ensure that not only was it protected during shipping, but it looked nice to open as well. I appreciate the personal touches she included like the handwritten note, a care sheet for the candles and little freebie pack.  Ready to see what I received? Let's dive into it. 

Robin (One Piece) inspired candle. This is a 6oz soy wax candle that smells like creamy sandalwood and rich ambers with hints of lemon zest and yellow dahlia petals. I like the soft purple wax that was used for this candle & when it heats up it really sparkles from the lavender mica powder that was added to the wax during the creation process. So not only does this candle smell wonderful, but it looks pretty as well due to the glitter mixed into the wax. It has a clean burn when lit & the jar looks very clean where the wax has melted down. So far, I've burned this on two different days for 4+ hours and I still have a little more than half of the candle left. Just an FYI the figure in the photo belongs to my daughter, it did not come with the candle. This candle can be purchased on her website for $7. 

 

Haku (Studio Ghibli) inspired candle. This candle is slightly larger than the Robin inspired candle, it is 8oz & comes in a jar with a pop-off lid instead of a twist off top. It is a dupe of the BBW Japanese Cherry Blossom, which is the perfect combo for me because Haku is one of my favorite characters and I love the scent of cherry blossoms. This soy wax candle has a beautiful light blue color to it. I only had this lit for a little while as I like only using one candle at a time until it is gone, but it smelled just as good as the Robin candle. This candle can be purchased on her website for $8. I really like that the labels she makes for the candles go with the vibe of the fandom & character themselves. 

Chopper hard enamel pin. There are literally hundreds of different One Piece characters, but out of them all Chopper is my favorite, I've even done a gender swapped version of him for a cosplay convention. This pin is just adorable as the character himself & features him chowing down on some cotton candy. This enamel pin is well made & I love that the backing for it is a heart shape instead of the normal backings enamel pins tend to have, it really added an extra little touch to the pin. Chopper is going to fit in just right with the rest of my pin collection. Chopper along with all of her other pins can be purchased for $7 each. 

Stickers! I received three stickers of different One Piece characters, she included Soul King (Brooke), Fire-Fist (Ace) and Franky. All three are well made, I like the type of material she choose for the stickers and the fact that they are waterproof. They are the perfect size to be used just about anywhere! I really enjoy her style of drawing & how she chooses to draw each of the characters. All of her stickers range from $1-$2 each. 

I have not used the wax samples yet, I need to pick up a new wax melter before I am able to use them. I think I may also include a few of them in next month's Beauty & The Book giveaway so one of you can try out her wax melts as well and each one is shaped like a small heart so it will be perfect for Valentines day. 

Most of the products I received are related to the Anime One Piece, which not everyone may be a fan of, but don't worry! She also has products inspired by Attack On Titan, Sailor Moon, My Hero Academia, Pokemon, and more. I highly recommend checking out her shop if you are an anime lover or if you have someone in your life you are looking for gifts for. The shop owner is really sweet & I am sure if you had any questions, she would be more than happy to answer them for you. If you are in Arizona, you can stop by her booth at some of the local markets and conventions otherwise she ships all over the United States so you can shop her store even if you aren't local. On a finishing note, how pretty is the packaging she picked out for the wax melt samples? 

💜 GIVEAWAY 💜

One lucky winner is going to a win a candle & enamel pin of their choice from MinnyWicks.

This is open to US Residents Only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME.

This giveaway ends on 02/06/2024

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment letting me know which product is your favorite from the various products MinnyWicks offers. On a secondary note, feel free to leave a suggestion of another Anime, Video game or show you'd love to see her create a candle/sticker/enamel for. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  MinnyWicks provided the products mentioned above for this review & for the giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Crystal Growing Unicorn Kit Giveaway!

Crafts can be a lot of fun and also relaxing to do, they help bring out your creativity, will teach you new things and will help you create happy memories. I am always up for gifting my kids new craft kits which is why I love being a Giveaway Guru with Horizon Group USA because I get to review kits but also give kits away as well! This time around I am sharing the Crystal-growing unicorn with all of you. 

This fun kit includes everything you need to make a one of a kind unicorn covered in crystals. It has a unicorn figure, alum powder, coloring dye, paints, a paint tray, a brush, glitter and a wooden stick along with a container for when you are soaking your figure. 

The steps are easy to follow, you will need to help assist your child with the first part of this process as it requires boiling a pot of water in order to allow the alum powder to work so your crystals can grow. In total the process takes about a day because the unicorn will need to soak in the solution over night then will need some drying time before you are able to paint it and add glitter. 

The figure is a pretty decent size, and you never know how the crystals might grow so each unicorn will look unique from the others. I think this is a fun way to combine a fun interest in a love for unicorns with a fun little science experience. These kits can be purchased online from Amazon or you can buy them in store in shops like Walmart, Target and more along side their other crafting kits all at affordable prices. 

Prize Alert:  One winner is going to win their own Rainbow Loom kit.

This is open to U.S Residents ! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 11/29/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave me a blog comment letting me know another mystical creature that you love.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  Horizon Group USA provided me with the products mentioned above for the review + giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Chi Candle Review!

 

Candles are a great way to help fill your room and house with scents that keep you calm, make you smile and can even remind you of different people or places. Chi Candle sells a wide range of book, floral and state inspired candles. Did you grow up in Washington, but had to move to Texas and miss home you can order a candle inspired by your home state. 

I was recently sent three of their candles to sniff and use for a product review.  You can buy a 8oz, 8.5oz or 11oz candle from their site starting at $15 each. The three candles I received were a surprise, all of them were preselected. Let's get into what I found in my box:

Golden Coastline - This candle is inspired by California. It has notes of Redwood, grapefruit, fresh oranges, jasmine, musk and sea salt air. I really like this candle, the orange notes and jasmine combined really well together, it has a bit of a sweet scent and it does remind me of a shop in Northern AZ that sells an assortment of spiritual things like stones, incense, etc. I think this candle would be great to lit shortly before guests arrive to your home, it will help give it a fresh and welcoming aroma that is sure to have them asking where you purchased the candle from.

Midnight Sun - This is their Alaska inspired candle. I've never been to Alaska, but I have always wanted to go so I was excited to see what this smells like. It is inspired by Mountain spruce, winter frost, snowdrops and fresh air. To me it smells like camping in the winter months, it reminds me of how pine trees smell after it has rained. It is calming and has a fresh aroma to it, I think this would be a nice one to light while relaxing in the bathtub with some music on. 

New Book Pages - As you can guess this candle is inspired by the way a new book smells when you open it up and take that first breath of it's unread pages. This has notes of ambered glue, fresh ink and paper (cedar wood,/driftwood). The scent on this one is a bit interesting, if you smell the candle directly in the jar it reminds me of a mixture of a new book and pool water. It isn't a bad smell but at first can be a little strong, however after you lit the wick and let the wax slowly melt it disperses it nicely so you get the intended smell. I want to check out their Old book candle, I like how new books smell but nothing beats an old book from a used bookstore. 

All of their candles are made from 100% American grown soybeans and the candles are handmade in California. The scents added are natural and phthalate fee, and the soy is dye free. Each 8oz candle has a burn time of 60-65 hours and it is recommended that you trim the wick before each use. I also really like the jars they came in, each one has a lid and you can re-use them for a number of things. The wicks lit quickly so if you are using a short lighter or matches you don't have to worry about holding it for so long that you burn your finger.

If you were to purchase a candle inspired by any State, which state would you want to purchase?

Disclaimer-  Chi Candle provided the products mentioned above for the review  free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Wild In Africa - bracelet Giveaway!

From the earliest memory I can re-call, I have always loved animals. I was the type of kid who was always rescuing birds that fell out of trees, bringing home stray alley cats or lost puppies to find their owners. Both of my cats are rescues, one of them we adopted from a rescue and the other we rescued ourselves when she was found on a construction site. I still enjoy helping animals in anyway I an so when I found out about Wild In Africa, I knew I had to share them with my readers. 

Wild In Africa is a jewelry line started by a woman named Shannon Wild, in 2013 she moved to Africa to peruse a dream of making wildlife documentaries. Sadly, she fell ill and needed to be hospitalized for several months. During that time she needed an outlet to help her gain her strength back and stay active, which is why she started to re-design some of the bracelets she collected during her travels and shortly after that her jewelry line was born. She is still making jewelry to this day, and she has made it a mission to donate a portion of her charity line to charities she has worked with and knows makes a different. She donates 50% of the profits from the charity line! How amazing is that?

So not only are you purchasing beautiful hand crafted jewelry, you are also helping out a number of Wildlife conservations/Charities which directly benefits hundreds of animals. At the moment there are eleven different charities to select from an support all with their own uniquely designed bracelet. 

You can purchase a single bracelet or opt for a stack which has anywhere from three to six bracelets. I received one of their Down to Earth stacks to use to review and host a giveaway, I will be splitting them up so that there will be more than one winner who is able to enjoy these beautiful bracelets. I am going to show you each of them by themselves with a bit of information and you can enter the giveaway down below. The stack can be purchased for $99 which breaks down to $33 per bracelet.

Bracelet #1 is made with Red Jasper which is a lovely red stone that has flecks of gray through out it. The stone is believed to help increase your motivation, and energy along with a sense of stability. It also has an adorable little honeycomb charm. This one isn't up for grabs in the giveaway as my twelve year old daughter claimed this one as hers. 

Bracelet #2 is a gorgeous African Jade bracelet with a small metal charm stamped "SW". The green of this bracelet is gorgeous in natural lighting. This specific stone is believed to be for general healing and also help with your relaxation. 

Bracelet #3 is made with African Turquoise, it has a small metal charm stamped "SW" and it also features two small metal charms that kind of remind me of suns. This stone is known as the "Stone of Evolution" and it believed to bring encouragement for growth, development, and positive change within yourself. 

Every purchase arrives inside of a jewelry bag and comes with a mini pamphlet that has some information and stickers! I was sent two jewelry bags and sets of stickers so both winners will each receive one with their bracelet. The bracelets are light weight, and they are strung onto an elastic band to make it fit any wrist size. Additionally all of their packaging is eco-friendly and able to be recycled, plus your purchase comes with a one year replacement warranty just in case anything does happen to one.

PRIZE ALERT: Two winners will each receive 1 bracelet, 1 jewelry bag and 1 sticker set.

This is open to World Wide! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 03/01/2021

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me one which of their other bracelets you'd love to have, and let me know if you want to enter for the African Jade or Turquoise bracelet.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  Wild In Africa has provided the products mentioned above for the review + the prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase. 

Reviewing Decals from Chrisanne's Life + A Giveaway!

Car decals are a great way to show off the love you have for your favorite TV shows, Characters, and more. I had a few Disney themed stickers on my car, and a sticker of one of my favorite bands. I don't want to over load my back window with decals but I wanted to add one or two more to the mix, which is when I found Chrisanne's Life on Etsy. She creates a number of fantastic decals ranging from bats and spooky things to cute and cuddly Disney, she offers solid colors but she also specializes in holographic decals that sparkle in the sun. I received the chance to work with her and I will be sharing my review on her decals along with hosting a giveaway for two separate sets of decals! 

I was sent a assortment of decals in various sizes and colors to check out. The decals I received were a surprise to me, I had provided info on a few of my favorites from her shop and she put together the bundle you see above. The decals range in price from $3.49 for a small decal size up to $16+ for giant decals that are almost a foot in height. Everything was packaged perfectly to help prevent any bends while shipping, it also included instructions and a discount code for a future purchase. The decals feel well made, I've had decals in the past that were too thin and within a month the sun had completely ruined them, I don't believe I'll have that issue with these. 

You will want to clean and prep the area you will be adding the decal to, and you will want to grab a "transfer" tool, I find that a game card or credit card works best. After prepping your area you will want to slowly peel the back of the decal sticker off, I don't suggest removing it quickly because you never know what might happen. When I applied the bats decal, two of the bats had stuck to the white backing, however because I had removed the back slowly it was easy just to lay it back down, use my game card to rub the two that needed to stick better and then remove the backing completely with all of my bats intact. 

Once the decal is placed where you want it you can gently use the game card/credit card to smooth out the decal, removing any air bubbles you may have under the decal and it helps it stick to the new surface releasing it off of the applicator sheet. 

I haven't used all of the decals yet, I think I am going to add the Disney heartbeat decal to my laptop. The decals I have used look amazing, the moon has a range of gorgeous colors that really pop and also make Groot look very dirty. Oogie Boogie changes to different shades of green depending on the lighting, and the bats also change colors from silver to purple under the right lights. I love how easy these decals were to apply and the end results. 

These decals would make a nice addition to any holiday or birthday gift, I know a few people who would love several of the decals she sells. Disney and Spooky not your thing? No need to worry she has dozens of other designs that range from football teams to Zodiac signs so there is something for everyone. You've seen my decals, now are you ready to see the two giveaway packs? 

If you want to purchase additional decals from her shop use code MOON10 to receive 10% off your purchase, your purchase will help support a small family owned business. 

PRIZE ALERT:

There will be two lucky winners who will each receive a prize pack, there will be one winner for each of the following prize packs.

Prize Pack 1: Disney

Prize Pack 2: Hocus Pocus

This is open to US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME and is not associated with any of the brands mentioned above.

This giveaway ends on 10/23/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me another decal you love from Chrisanne's Life Shop, Also include WHICH prize pack you'd like to win #1 or #2.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer-  Chrisanne's Life provided the products mentioned above for the review + the prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Stunning butterfly wing lashes by Spotlight Jewelry, Review + Giveaway!

I am always happy to add new items to my makeup collection, it can be a lot of fun to mess around with and it is fun to see what kind of looks you can come up with. Along with basic makeup items like eyeshadow and mascara I also like to add false lashes, colored contacts, etc to achieve different looks and I love butterflies so when I saw these gorgeous butterfly wing lashes by Spotlight Jewelry I couldn't wait to try them out. For my review I was sent the Zircon wings which are a teal and black wing, if you don't like the color teal they also offer twenty-three other colors. You can purchase a one pair for $18.00 plus S&H.

The product packaging they use is very impressive, even my husband commented on how nice the presentation was it is perfect for gifting and shipping was fast even with all of the craziness going on with the postal office. The butterfly wings were a little thicker than I thought they were going to be, which is a good thing because it means they will last for multiple uses and they are very light weight. The store owner let me know ahead of time that it is best to stick them directly onto the skin vs over eyeshadow as they may not stick as well, I decided to try it out both ways and using eyelash glue (you'll need eyelash glue to attach them) they stuck fine both ways for me.

The wings sat perfectly in the corner of my eyes, I love the added magical flair it gave my makeup and the bright blue went well with both my makeup and my hair. They were comfortable to wear, I could hardly tell that they were there and they didn't mess with my field of vision which is a plus. If you are looking for a nice addition to your makeup looks, costume creations or just want to use them for fun they are great for any occasion. I'll be adding more photos of these butterfly wings over on my Instagram page if you want to check them out.

Taking them off was simple, they came off without any issues and they are easy to clean as well using a Q-tip to remove any eyelash glue used to apply them. Along with these butterfly wing lashes, Spotlight Jewelry also sells other face stickers, jewelry and more, their shop is filled with fascinating products so I highly suggest you check out her shop to see what she has in store for you. 

PRIZE ALERT:

One lucky winner is going to receive a pair of Butterfly wing lashes in their choice of color. 

This is open to US Residents only! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! This giveaway is hosted by ME and is not associated with any of the brands mentioned above.

This giveaway ends on 09/27/2020

Giveaway entry question: Leave a comment telling me which color wing lashes you'd select if you win. Here is the color selection they offer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer- Spotlight Jewelry provided the products mentioned above for the review + the prize for a giveaway free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Handmade leather goods by New Moon Technocraft!

Handmade gifts are always a fantastic option for Birthday and Christmas gifts, I recently came across a Etsy shop called New Moon Technocraft who sells a number of gorgeous handmade gifts. Shop owner Leslie creates leather bookmarks, single pocket wallets, dog hair clips and more. She has a lot of unique designs that include fun fandoms like Harry Potter, Zelda, Superheros and more so there is something for everyone.

I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous bookmarks in her shop, in particular the Ravenclaw bookmark caught my eye. I have been a fan of the Harry Potter books and movies since I was younger, and my nickname is "Luna" so it received double brownie points in my book. Leslie was very kind and sent me a bookmark along with a cord holder to use and review.

The bookmark I received is perfect for what I look for in a bookmark. I generally try to avoid bookmarks that are so small, you almost can't find the page you were on and I don't like bookmarks that are so big they leave an indentation in the book. This bookmark is thin while still being sturdy enough to last, plus it is just the right size for marking your page in a book. I enjoy the texture of this bookmark, it is smooth but has enough of a grip that it won't slip around inside of your book. Each bookmark is customizable so you can add any name you'd like. 

You can purchase a bookmark for $12.60, with flat items of this size there is always a small worry that it might get bent in the mail on the way to your house. Both of these products were packaged so that they were protected during shipping and the arrived in perfect condition. This would make an excellent gift for the bookworm on your holiday shopping list.

Another product that caught my eye was the adorable Sloth cord wrap/holder shown above. I work in a small office by myself, I can hear all of the commotion going on outside of my office but it is usually pretty quite inside of my office. I keep a pair of headphones in my desk drawer so I can listen to music on my phone while I work during the day. Sometimes the headphones get tangled up, or they catch on other stuff I have in the drawer, so I wanted to see if this could be the solution I was looking for. 

In the photo above I wrapped the cords up a little looser than I wanted but it worked for the photo, I think in the future when I use this I will take a little more time to wrap up my headphones properly. I like how easy this is to unsnap and wrap around my headphones to keep them securely in place. It keeps everything in a tight little bundle that is perfect for tucking away into your desk drawer, pocket or even your purse without you having to worry about your headphones becoming damaged. I almost think this is too cute to leave in my drawer at work, I might start bringing my headphones with me in my purse since I no longer need to worry about them getting overly tangled.

I am pretty impressed with the amount of details, Leslie was able to get on the face of the sloth! You can clearly see it's eyes, cheeks and facial markings. I decided to go with the medium brown dyed leather because it looks the most sloth like to me, however if you prefer a different color she offers ten different colors! A cord holder can be purchased for $9.45 plus shipping. If you have an Instagram page, head over and check out New Moon Technocraft on Instagram, you can find photos of her products and lots of cute photos of her dog modeling hair clips!

Disclaimer- The products mentioned above were provided by New Moon Technocraft for the review free of charge no other compensation was provided. However, no product compensation will influence the outcome of any review. My honest opinions are used in all reviews, they are solely my own & they may vary from others. My reviews are posted for readers in order to provide an informed decision before purchase.

Fangirls Review & Giveaway!

**This was not a paid post. My honest opinions were used, they are solely my own & they may vary from others.The products mentioned below have been provided by FanGirls for the review & giveaway free of charge.**

There are a ton of products available that you can have customized to fit your interests, you can get a bag that has StarWars fabric or a pair of sneakers with a painting of your favorite Disney character so why not have some fun with your makeup packaging as well? A fun and creative shop on Etsy called Fangirls is making that a possibility by customizing some of your favorite makeup products with comic prints. Fangirls is run by artists Erin & Dara who create a number of fun comic inspired accessories.  Along with accessories they also customize makeup, at the moment they only have NYX makeup products but if you are looking for something different you can message the store owner to work out something custom (you'll just need to pay the price difference).



I've been to Comi-con and similar events in the past and there are always a lot of fun booths with various wares being sold, but I never really buy a ton however I think if I stumbled upon this table there I'd have a hard time not buying everything. Makeup and comic books? Heck yes! I have quite a few superheros and comic book characters I love so for the review I suggested that she send a surprise palette of anything she already had ready. When my package arrived I opened it to find a Jean Grey palette that consists of four shadow colors: Blue, Black, Light Orange and Yellow. I had only expected the palette, but I found a lipstick as well that features Batgirl. The packaging I had looks a bit different than the newer packaging the store owner has switched to so the image below is a sneak peak at how the new packaging looks:

Now onto the makeup! Each piece is made using recycled comics which are color coordinated with the products. Each palette will feature colors that go with the character for example if you wanted a four color palette featuring Loki it might include a green, black, gold and blue. When purchasing a piece you won't receive what is in the listing photo as they are just used for examples of what you might receive, instead you'll be able to pick out a character you'd like.

I like that not only does the palette have comic prints on the outside but they also decorated the inside and the package cover that stores the palette. Looking over the piece I couldn't find any issues, there were no bubbles or corners sticking up that might eventually lead to the comic print being ripped off on accident. There was also no funky smells from the comic prints used or the products used to attach the comic prints to the makeup palette. I like the colors selected for the Jean Grey palette though I think a slightly darker orange may have worked a little better. Looking at the batgirl lipstick, I thought it was going to be a bright red but upon applying it I found it to actually be more of a bright coral orange, not something I'd typically wear but I actually like it!

PRIZE ALERT:
One lucky winner is going to win a coupon code for $25 towards any Fangirls product(s) you'd like!

This is open to US/Canadian Residents!! Please remember if you DO NOT leave a comment on this blog post as your mandatory entry into the giveaway then all of your entries will be void. Doing the Daily entries will increase your chance of winning. Winners have 72 hours to respond to the notification email! 

This giveaway ends on 01/26/2019

 Giveaway winners are announced on FACEBOOK, If you would like to see who won my latest giveaways please visit and like my facebook page.
 
Giveaway entry question: Please leave me a comment letting me know which character you'd choose or tell me another product you like from their shop. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway