Retro Mamas!

I personally love vintage and retro stuff. Stuff of all kinds and styles.

So, I included some vintage styles bags on Mama Bags. We have Pin Ups, prints and kitchy bags and accessories.

Check out our Retro Mama section and the Extras Mama section where you will find our fabulous card cases with vintage prints including pulp fiction covers, pin ups, and even some beautiful artwork.

http:MamaBags.com

Pretty, perfect, soft lips.

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can share with you why I prefer one type of lip product over another.

I can’t stand to have my hair in my face, so having my hair stuck to my lips because of the lip products I have on is just plain out of the question. However, I do have dry lips and skin much of the year so I need to use a good moisturizing lip balm or lip product.

This is where Painted Laydies Mineral Makeup lip balm comes into play for me. When I came up with this formula I was so excited and happy! It isn’t one of those balms that is too hard and almost hurts when trying to put on the lips. It is on the softer side but it sinks in and doesn’t just sit on the lips. But, it is also not too sticky.

Made with all natural ingredients and color and scent free, this is my holy grail lip product. When I do want some color, I just dip into some of my mineral colors and apply.

I would encourage you to try it out if you haven’t found the perfect lip product yet.

http://paintedlaydies.com

 

 

 

A wonderfully conditioning base, smelling slightly of chocolate!
The chocolate scent won’t overwhelm you!

Cocoa Butter, beeswax, sunflower oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil. INCI – Cacao Seed Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annus Seed Oil, Beeswax, Eupatorium Rebaudianum Bertoni Leaf Extract

.15 oz tube

 

Bags for a cause

I have a history of cancer on both sides of my family. In fact, I’ve had cancer already in my very young 34 years.

I also have a heart for the earth and while I’m not a tree hugging hippee, I think that minding our resources is important.

Why do I bring up two different subjects like that in the same post? Because I want to introduce our bags for a cause section at Mama Bags. http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=CauseMama

We don’t have a lot listed right now, but the point is to see many uses for one item (in the case of being green) and to support and promote the causes that can bring down and challenge others (in the case of cancer).

So give your friends and family a hug and instead of just throwing out the plastic bags, take them back to the store and replace them with a fabric shopping bag.

Mineral Eye, lip, and face colors

When I came up with the whole idea of my makeup line, I used the concept of collections. Collections meaning ” a group of things that have relevence to each other”.

That is exactly what I did! I only had a couple or three collections when I started and I’ve certainly added to the collections in the last five years. The very first collection was The Wizard of Oz collection.

I used things from the famous movie that correlated to the colors I was working with at the time. For instance, ruby slippers is a pretty ruby red color and yellow brick road is a glittery gold.

Each of the Painted Laydies Mineral Makeup collections inlcude colors for eye, lips, and face. Many colors, as with most mineral makeup, can be used for several purposes. Ruby Slippers can be used as both blush or lip color and eye color too if you want.

I also used a lsightly different concept in labeling each color. While many companies call label their colors as an “eyeshadow” or “blush”, I don’t. I simply mark any colors that are not deemed safe for use on the lips by the FDA with the wording ” no lips”.

This leaves color and usage interpretations completely up to the customer. Don’t let me tell you where you can or should use each color. Be creative and experiment. What works for one person may not be so great for the next.

However, for those who need guidance, we are working on adding sets of colors that work well together. We already have a couple up on the site in a 3 piece and 4 piece set.

Take a look here http://www.paintedlaydies.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=Sets

Our Collections: http://www.paintedlaydies.com/store/WsDefault.asp?Cat=ColorCollections

Baby Bags for Mama – not for baby

If you are like me, carrying a cute bag that has “baby” written all over it just is not your style.

That is a big reason that I have brought in the styles that are stocked at Mama Bags right now. I understand that there are those who enjoy a really cute bag, but that aint me babe!

In fact, when my kids were still babies and we had to carry all their stuf with us, I usually just carried a large handbag and threw in a diaper, one change of clothes and wipes. That way I could still stay fashionable.

With that said, I do try to include different styles of bags in our shop. Right now we have 4 different styles and many colors within those.

For instance, we have a backpack baby bag, some designer style highly fashionable quilted styles and a tote bag style too.

Now, the other thing is that some of the bags in our other areas could be used as a baby bag or carry all.

How about this one?  http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=183  The pockets outside can be used for photos, keys, business cards, pacifiers……. you get the idea, right?  So it doesn’t have a changing mat. You could use a towel – a large dish towel would roll up easily and  not take up much room.

One of my favorites though just because of the fabric is http://www.mamabags.com/store/WsDefault.asp?One=80 This one a designer style and the inside is just as beautiful as the outside.

The great thing about that bag? It could be used as a laptop bag also!

I guess when it comes to bags, I just think outside the box and see all the ways a bag can be used.

Jenn Brockman

Mineral Foundations

A while back, I caved to the seeming pressure of producing a mineral product without the ingredient Bismuth Oxychloride. Has it made a huge difference in sales? No.

 

Just as many of the regular formula are sold as the non bismuth formula now. I’m moving toward removing bismuth from the rest of my formulas too, though I do believe that it gives a very good hold or adherence to the skin.

Are you aware that just regular old minerals won’t stick to the skin? So, while others claim that things like Bismuth oxychloride are just “fillers”, they really do serve a purpose and it is NOT to make the product go further.  There are actually much less expensive fillers to use than BO if that is what you are trying to do.

Anyway, I’m testing formulas for a heavier coverage foundation now as well. The one I’m currently trying myself is a bit on the yellow side. It does seem to have a little bit heavier coverage without feeling any heavier on the skin.

How heavy should it be though? Guess I’ll be sending out some samples to testers soon, huh?

It’s been a while, huh?

Well obviously, it has been a few weeks (ok, months) since I began the blog.

As with many things in my life, I begin, see if it fits or feels right, then continue or drop it.

Blogging, I have come to see, can be a great way for me to see my life and the events within it, in a different light. When I sit down to write, I write strait from the hip. No pre thought – rough draft- scripted scenarios here!

So, what have I been up to? Quite a bit actually. Summer was tougher than I thought it might be with my two girls home. My youngest has autism. That is what we are calling it at this point anyway. She is not fitting into the diagnoses quite so firmly, but shows absolute matches   within the symptoms.

My oldes has adhd and she is 10 going on 18. She thinks she knows everything and knows it better than anyone. I can’t believe I’m not grey yet!

On the business front, I moved my home based businesses into a retail and workshop location here in our home town. Though I haven’t done much promotion locally, I will be doing that once I can have a regular schedule established which will be when the kids go back to school.

Mom and I are also working on a new business venture selling home made food mixes. The more we’ve worked on it, the more I think  it should have been called the Lazy Cook rather than Mama Mixes! I realize how much I do not like to cook and how much I really don’t know about it all.

Funn, because I grew up in a home made kitchen. We rarely ate out and mom’s food was really yummy.

 

To let everyone know, I am working on a daily feature for all three businesses through this blog. I hope to hi lite a product or service through each company Monday through Friday and maybe more personal notes on the weekends. Starting this Monday!