Inspiring Colors and Forms: Christine's Books and Baubles

 

The Creator

Beyond that pretty face, Ms Christine Fabian-Ruste's mind is overflowing with designs and color combinations to bring to life some of her creations- wire jewelry. Knowing her from my college days, I've known her as a writer and a talented lady and also the smallest of the Fabian sisters. She showcased her products at the DMI Fair a couple of weekends ago, with her vintage jewelry display and a fish bowl with an assortment of Argan oil products. I also got to bring home my very first haul from her DIY collection, in teal of course.

She put some of her books on sale too. Look at those prices! (Thanks to my not so impressive photo skills using mobile phone photo quality, you can check out her Facebook page and see which titles are still on hand.)

If only Ms Christine were not using the vintage box for displaying her hand-made creations, it would have been abducted a long time ago.

My Teal Collection

For a closer look at my personal collection from Christine's Books and Baubles,  I've specifically gravitated towards her teal beads and the striking contrast of purple wooden accent on this necklace.  I've paired it with a lot of my plain shirts already and it's become such a statement necklace minus the weight around the neck! The ring made use of the same beads and I think it's a good accent for most occasions.

 

This simple cat's eye ring set in silver wire goes well with my everyday Anne Klein silver watch and silver ring. It also sets the contrast with bright nail polish. I reach out for this every ow and then and you can catch me staring at it blankly when I'm not facing the laptop in work.

I find this bird's nest ring really charming.I think the shades really appropriate for the holiday season. I wore the earrings during our office Christmas party but forgot to take photos. =S

 How To Take Care Of Your Wire Jewelry 

1. Store your wire jewelry from Christine's Books and Baubles in a dry place, preferably in a sturdy box
2. Avoid storing together with heavy objects that could bend the wires
3. Take off the rings from your fingers if you are going to wash your hands
4. Spritz your perfume away from your jewelry if possible
5. Wipe and clean with a soft cloth

You can head on to Christine's Books and Baubles and check out her albums, or leave her a message there for personalized orders. They also make great stocking stuffers and holiday gifts for ladies of all ages. Her creations are affordable and unique, you might want to start building your own collection too.

Personal note: Thank you to J and C for a really beautiful post-exam reward + Christmas present! Even if I didn't know my ring size, everything is still a perfect fit! 

Sample Room Hauls for December

After a business trip, sessions and dragging luggage all around the place, I'm back in my good ol' hometown. I was supposed to update you about my other hauls but work and time got in the way. I also received this before I left town and there goes the post....

Sample Room restocked the Moringa line and also introduced its newest product, the Moringa Herbal Hair, Scalp & Skin Therapy Oil. 

A close up on the herbal therapy oil....

 

And in perfect timing, I like trying out bar soaps. All the bar soaps I have are all gone, melted and overused so when I received this, it went on a road test immediately. I like the scent and it makes for a soothing pre-bed time component though.

 

 

The second haul that I received from Sample Room after claiming my points, included the series of daily releases called the Twelve Days of Christmas. These are what I was able to secure with much patience.

I've been trying out Collection Hotlights Gloss and have a good feeling that this will have a semi-permanent place in my vanity.  The Sappe Beauti Drink is good for only one serving and I emptied it immediately at breakfast this morning. It's best served frozen or chilled because it has a really mild taste, not to mention it's also pretty smooth for a fiber drink. Any ice mixed with it will dilute the flavor. The Bifesta Cleansing Lotion did a good job of removing eyes, face and lip makeup from my face and the sample comes with two sachets of sebum removing lotion.

So for December, I will be keeping my eyes opened for other surprises from Sample Room and wait to get my points back, I'm sure there will be more new products before the season ends. The reason behind the blurry photos? I'm using my camera phone. You can see that some products are out of focus and there is too much vibrancy in the colors even when no modifications were done. Trusty Pentax had to retire after ten years of being in service.

If time permits, I will be able to post a little more this weekend and keep you updated. In the meantime, enjoy the holidays with your family and friends and practice the spirit of giving!

xoxo

Raisie

Unboxing Glamourbox Secret Santa for December 2013, For the Naughty and Nice

It doesn’t matter if one is naughty or nice, every gal deserves a pampering box for Christmas doesn’t she? Now who’s with me? One thing great about Glamourbox’s Secret Santa goodies is that the items inside suit both the naughty or nice gal. 

I got my sis a box, sort of like a thanksgiving and advanced Christmas present for being my errand girl and I am so glad it made her day. This should put off a few weeks worth of whining for more Christmas presents from her. And of course, I got her to do this unboxing post for you! So, wannna know what she thinks of the Glamourbox Secret Santa for this month? Let my sis do the talking!

 

Firstly, the box is noticeably bigger than BDJ and Saladbox, does it mean more premium items? We’ll see. It’s came in a brown box that helped preserve the Secret Santa box’s shape. Pretty clever. The GB sticker was glued and the tissue was ripped because of it and almost damaged the curation card. And for the big reveal- this box is loaded! Not bad for a one-time subscription fee of only Php 590.

Holika Holika CC Cream- this one is my favourite, though I can’t wait to try it, it’s too small (yes I know that what I am getting is a sample size), but I want more product to compare how well it works on me. 

Pure Mellow Multi Puff-I am clueless with what this does because the instructions are in Korean, they remind me of marshmallow!

 Avon in Only Imagine- A full sized fragrance in this box! But admittedly I’m not too keen on floral scents because I like citrusy ones more. But maybe somewhere along the way, I might learn to like it-though it’s quite appropriate for the holiday season. 

The Cream Factory Bath Cream in Avocado- Another full-sized item and an instant favourite! It smells so good, I am going to use it right away!

Zen Zest Kitchen Fragrance in Choco Cappucino- This can be used for a room freshener too. It has a nice, sweet coffee house aroma to it.

 BONUS

Paula’s Choice Oil Absorbing Mask and Antioxidant Concentrate Serum- I just regret that it’s sample size but let’s see. 

Fabulosa Necklace- I’m afraid that it might irritate the skin, but pendant is cute. So if it irritates my neck, I could just replace the chain and still keep the pendant.

 Strip It Hair Removal Voucher- Not really into waxing so....

So that’s it for today’s unboxing post. Thanks to my Sis for sharing her thoughts, though she noticed that there aren’t any cosmetics in this box, and I hope you can also gift your family members some things that they deserve for this Christmas. For this set of photos, I used my phone camera because my digital camera has decided to give up on me, so that also means I have to save up for another one that has better stabilizer and faster shutter speed for those high action shots during events. PS: Thank goodness for scheduled posts! =)

Unboxing Salad Box October 2013, Not The Best Experience I've Had So Far

Last September, when Salad Box announced that they were having their anniversary during October, I immediately felt that there were redeeming hopes of Salad Box impressing its subscribers once more. What made me go for this idea was the promise of this:

I subscribed for the 3 month box for October-December, and was thinking that I could use the items in this box for new looks and to experiment with color for the season. Well for one thing, the boxes were sent late. Unlike the other subscription boxes which could be expected around the middle of each month, Salad Box sent the October box already at the last days of October, and it arrived here around the first week of November.

The curation card says it all right here. At the back of the card it also says that the second batch of Clou Pearl Manicures got stranded in Customs so Salad Box will be sending it over together with my November box. So, they better keep that in mind...

I've started using the Sakura Foot and Heel Lotion already and I think I'm about to empty it. That's what I get for receiving 50ml samples, it has a mild and fresh fragrance and also feels cool to the touch. It's also my favorite between the two because I compulsively reach out for it every time I look at my dry feet. Hmm, it's got some use to me after all. 

As for the Hand and Nail Cream, it seems to be made of the same formulation as the Foot and Heel Lotion, but I would have preferred a more citrusy scent. It's a good moisturizer though.

The thing about the Duchess Sofia Makeup Brush Set was that I was expecting them to be a pro set, not just a travel set. Refer to topmost photo. But at least this could serve as a handy set for travels because I gave my previous set away to my sis who needed one. I've been using the powder brush together for the blushes that I have and it's become a staple in my bag too. 

As for the White Musk by Alyssa Ashley, it's a small sample which I gave away to my brother. I tried it for the first time to work one Friday and it was a warm scent that was quite relaxing and similar to Celine's Oriental Summer. But White Musk is minus the sweet tail that comes with Oriental Summer. 

And... I'm still awaiting the Clou Pearl Manicure set. Oh look and it's already December. Where could my November box be? 

Giveaways:

Everbuying 11 Pc Bamboo Brush Set

Second Anniversary Giveaway