An Ideal Anniversary Present: Contemporary Silver Jewellery

Marketers are quick to tell everyone what the “proper” or “traditional” gift should be for nearly every year of wedded bliss. While it’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of trying to do things the “right way,” know that there are anniversary gifts which can be memorable, impactful, beautiful, desired, coveted and cherished: sterling silver jewellery. Silver jewellery is an incredibly appropriate gift for whatever age the recipient may be, and for pretty much every event you can think of: “push” gift, celebrating/congratulating a new baby, graduation, birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas…and, of course, a wedding anniversary.

Since your anniversary falls on the same day each year (tip-of-the-day: if you’re having trouble remembering, you’re likely to find the date engraved on the inside of your wedding band), it’s wise to start looking for your gift early. A great way to choose a gift is through a reputable online retailer. On a website, you can shop at any time of day, which means you can peruse their catalogue when the person you’re buying jewellery for is not around (or likely to sneak up from behind to check on what you’re up to). Check out contemporary silver jewellery collections online and see what your loved one might like. You are likely to know your partner’s style well – or if your partner is likely open to an entirely new style of jewellery; either way, you’ll have plenty of time to figure out exactly what you’d like to buy, and, if you choose to get a set, which pieces are perfect.

If you are still curious – and want to work a side gift or a mention in a card, poem or video message, to supplement a sterling silver present – here is a look at traditional U.K. anniversary gifts:

1st        Cotton
2nd        Paper
3rd        Leather
4th        Fruit and Flowers
5th        Wood
6th        Sugar
7th        Woollen
8th        Salt
9th        Copper
10th        Tin
12th        Silk and fine linen
15th        Crystal
20th        China
25th        Silver (bingo!)
30th        Pearl
35th        Coral
40th        Ruby
50th        Gold
60th        Diamond
65th        Blue Sapphire
70th        Platinum
80th        Oak
85th        Wine
90th        Granite

(Yes, we were wondering how young you’d have to be married to make it to your 90th wedding anniversary.)     For the first to 25th anniversaries, a gift of sterling silver jewellery is still appropriate, and can be further enhanced with any of the items listed. For example, for a second anniversary, you could give a gift of silver jewellery and add a box of stationary, a coffee-table style book or a framed map with the city you met (or where you became engaged) enlarged. The fourth anniversary is a “gimme,” (i.e. super easy add), but for the third, you might want to put her jewellery in a small leather coin purse or an exquisite leather pouch. For your sixth anniversary, you could buy some especially yummy or rare or imported chocolates or sweets and get an extra box, and put the sterling silver jewellery in that one – so you have two identical boxes, one with actual candy and the other with eye candy – that jewellery!

The popular on-line auction site, eBay, is a place where experts write about the items they both buy and sell. You can find a helpful blog entry: “Sterling Silver Jewelry: What is Real Silver and What is Not,” offering a numbered list of 10 facts regarding sterling silver and other metals that masquerade as silver. 

If you love silver, you want to keep your sterling silver jewellery looking as new and bright as the day you first put it on. Jewerlrymakingjournal.com and author Elena Zharina present the simple “Clean Tarnish Silver Jewelry.” Zharina offers easy methods to return neglected silver pieces to their beautiful origins.

This post was contributed by MediaBuzzer

Benefits of Buying Wholesale Diamonds from Your Jeweller

Many people opt to buy preset or mounted diamonds, meaning the diamond is already set in a ring design. It’s convenient and it’s easy, especially for those who want to buy a ring quickly.  However, not only does this limit your choices for engagement ring styles, but it limits how well you can examine the quality of the diamond. The real question is how do you combine the advantages of both and make it work for you?

Consider these benefits of loose wholesale diamonds:

1. Buying a wholesale diamond lets you thoroughly inspect the quality of the diamond, while it’s    difficult to see flaws if the diamond is already set in a prong. You can examine it from every angle, while checking it for flaws, how well the diamond was cut and faceted, and if the diamond is near colourless.

2. Loose diamonds are more cost-effective.  It can often save you up to 10% to 15% because you’re buying it according to your specifications, including carat size.  With mounted diamonds and traditional rings, your only options would be to look at another ring or increase your budget.

3. Purchasing a loose diamond lets you try different ring styles and designs, either by yourself or with your girlfriend. This is ideal cause of he still wants the ring to be a surprise he can bring his girlfriend in the jewellery store ahead of time and see which rings she gravitates to. Once he sees which ring designs and diamond shapes she prefers, he can come back and buy the diamond.

4. Diamonds are considered a worthy investment. Loose diamonds carry more equity than mounted diamonds, except if a mounted diamond comes with rich history but then it’s being sold for collectible value and not monetary.  Wholesale diamonds keep their value; so if you choose, you could even purchase a bulk set of loose diamonds and use the best one in your ring and invest the rest.

Are you concerned about how to propose with a loose, wholesale diamond as opposed to a traditional ring?  You may be concerned that proposing with a loose diamond doesn’t sound romantic, but some women nowadays would rather be involved in the ring selection process. However, you can do the best of both worlds and arrange for your diamond to be set in a temporary setting for the actual proposal and then both of you can select a new ring together.

Ringleaders in Brisbane is the most awarded jeweller with a staff who will be happy to assist you. Are you worried about how to make it work since you like things done quick and efficiently?  While buying a traditional mounted ring may be easier and allow you that convenience, does it spell romance? Seek the help of expert jewellers as they can give you all the tips and advice you need.

A final note: whether you give her the loose diamond or a temporary setting, your fiancé will be so touched that you took the extra effort to find a high-quality diamond and custom ring just for her.

This post was contributed by MediaBuzzer.

Too Faced Mystery Bag 2016 Review & Swatches

Too Faced has been coming out with Mystery Bags since 2014. I think the 2014 was the best one (of course I missed it), because it included their Teddy Bear makeup brush set. You can see the contents of last year's mystery bag HERE. Below are the contents of this year's bag. Was it worth it? Lets see!

 

Too Faced Cat Eyes Palette

Everyone was hoping this year's palette would be the Totally Cute one ;) Maybe next year! LOL Honestly I may skip next year, because they'll probably give us that Love Palette that I have no love for or the Country one. HaHaHa  I don't have the Cat Eyes palette. It was introduced before I started blogging. Do I like it? Not really. I'm sorry I'm so blunt. LOL The purple, copper & ice blue color are pretty, but that's about it.

Too Faced Melted Frosting

The next miss in the bag was Melted Frosting. It's pink. It's PINK! My Snapchat fam know I did a HUGE pink product throw away. I purchased a lot of pink makeup my very first year of beauty blogging and many shades did not agree with me. I love the Melted lipsticks, but this color is not one of them.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara x TWO

Too Faced is ALWAYS giving out samples of their Better Than Sex Mascara! ALWAYS! Who needs to buy it? So I saw a deluxe size sample of it and then I saw another one. I was like OH JEEZ, TWO! LOL But when I opened the second one the brush was coated in PURPLE! PURPLE! I really try to keep up with makeup and I didn't remember Too Faced coming out with color mascaras. So is this a sign of things to come in 2017? MAYBE! It's very pretty.

Too Faced Glitter Glue

I have Too Faced's Shadow Insurance in my stash, but I still need to try it. I've been using up my Urban Decay & Smashbox primers. I've always wanted to try Glitter Glue! I was never rushed because I didn't deal with pigments or such. But since I got the cool ones from Pixi, I'll give this a go. So I'm glad this was in the bag. But it's SAMPLE SIZE :(

Too Faced Bullet Proof Eyeliner

The first thing I said was THIS IS THE OLD ONE! HaHaHa But I must say, it's really good! They now have Perfect Eyes Eyeliner and Sketch Markers. So I delved a little further! What's the difference in the three? Bulletproof lasts 24 hours, is waterproof, has a sharpener, and a sponge on the end to blend/smudge. Perfect Eyes lasts 8 hours, is waterproof and has a smudger on the end. The Sketch Markers are LIQUID EYELINERS! They're waterproof but Too Faced doesn't mention anything about how long they last. HaHaHa Plus the markers are FELT TIP. So that's the quick difference.I received the Bullet Proof Eyeliner in Ooh & Aah (wish I could say the same about this Mystery Bag LOL LOL). It's really pretty! Black & Sparkly! BUT, when you use the smudger it kind of wipes it away (see my hand). I think the sponge is too hard. I tried rubbing my hand REALLY HARD AND FAST! It DID NOT SMUDGE! So that was good!

Bottom line, I was disappointed in this mystery bag. I've seen the money that companies like Too Faced spend on EVENTS & BEAUTY INFLUENCERS! That's grand & dandy, but it's people like US that keep them afloat. I just felt there was nothing SPECIAL for us little people that support them year round. The only teaser was a little bitty purple mascara. They don't make many Mystery Bags, so they could've put in something from the Peach Collection or something for next year! Taking beauty influencers on trips, having parties and designing special things for them is very nice. BUT PLEASE THINK ABOUT YOUR CONSUMERS! Ok, I'm through with my rant :) HaHaHa I do love the illustration of the woman shopping. That was nicer then the contents!

Too Faced Matte Chocolate Chip and White Chocolate Chip Eye Shadow Palettes Review and Swatches

I don't know what to do with Too Faced! I love them. I hate them. For Black Friday, they came out with two MINI eye shadow palettes. The concept (as usual) was so cute (and different)! FUN-SIZE!?! You know, like fun size candy that is given out for Halloween!?! Yes, please! Everyone was SUPER-HYPED to get these! The Matte Chocolate Chip, could only be purchased from Too Faced dot com (still available). The White Chocolate Chip was exclusive to Sephora (they have it listed as Coming Soon Hmmm). Now get this! The Matte Chocolate Chip is simply a smaller version of their first Chocolate Bar palette. It doesn't contain all the shades from the original, but only 11 shades. I used Smashbox primer on my hand and that's about as pigmented as I could get with these. I have Too Faced everything! Too Faced just doesn't do matte shadows very well. So I didn't expect much from these. But looking at my Original Too Faced Chocolate Bar Swatches compared to the Matte Chocolate Chip below, the original was MUCH BETTER (you do not need this mini version). In my opinion, the White Chocolate Chip was better. It had more SHIMMER SHADES! Too Faced does good with shimmers & foil type shadows. The mattes were the bummers in these. But honestly, if you have the UD Naked eye shadow palettes, you have these shades! LOL To want these two palettes to USE, is a waste of money! I'm a makeup collector, so I wanted them for the packaging. They look so cute in my makeup room. Many beauty enthusiasts on social media felt the same way I did. It's hard to predict Too Faced! They have a bunch of HITS. Then they have MISSES. You just never know! There were no swatches of these before purchase, because many wouldn't have purchased if they would've known. Too Faced made some quick money with this. They've already previewed their Easter palette. All I can say is LOOK TO SEE IF THERE ARE MORE SHIMMERS THAN MATTES! That's what I'll be doing for now on UNLESS I REALLY WANT THE PACKAGING. Those are my thoughts ;) I love their candy bar theme! I'll have a review of their new Peach Collection soon. It's now permanent due to its popularity.

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff) 

  Too Faced Matte & White Chocolate Chip Palettes are Bittersweet

Beautyblender + Too Faced Holiday Kit Review

I purchased the Beautyblender + Too Faced Holiday Kit, during the Sephora sale for several reasons. The special edition Blotterazzi case featuring Too Faced's Jerrod Blandino's dog Clover is so cute! I've never tried Blotterazzi by Beautyblender! This set came with a Beautyblender! This set came with a travel size sample of Too Faced Candlelight Rosy Glow. Ok, let me slow my happiness roll and explain everything! You get a baby pink Beautyblender. At first, I said "it looks kind of small, in comparison to my other Beautyblenders." But when I placed it side by side with another Beautyblender, they were the same size. I use Beautyblenders now more than brushes! I use them for my concealer, foundation, blush (both powder & creams) and also cream contouring. Now the Blotterazzi! I've never tried them. I've already talked about the cute case, but how does it work? There are two slim (flat) sponges inside the case. You take one, press it against your skin, hold and lift. It's suppose to absorb the oil that's on your face, BUT leave your makeup in place. I have very dry skin, so I don't produce much oil. When I tried it, it did absorb the oil I did have on my face and my makeup did stay in place! AGAIN, you're suppose to press down on the oily spot/area. NOT SCRUB YOUR FACE WITH THE SPONGE! LOL Now, I know you're saying, "Kim that's why we have BLOTTING PAPERS!" And you are right! In my opinion, blotting papers absorb much more oil than the Blotterazzi. Plus you can SEE the oil on the blotting paper AND throw it away (hygienic). If you are really oily, I would stick with blotting papers. If you're dry to normal, don't be afraid to try the Blotterazzi. I love it. It works for me, because I can use one to absorb the little oil I have and the other to re-apply makeup to areas of my face that need it. There is a divider so you don't cross-contaminate. There's also a vent. Now, that brings me to CLEANING! These are SPONGES! SPONGES HOLD EVERYTHING! YOU HAVE TO CLEAN AFTER EVERY USE! Beautyblender has cleaners but I don't know if they have antimicrobial ones O_o It's something to think about. You don't want your Blotterazzi to start ummm ... GROWING THINGS! LOL NEXT! Too Faced ROSY GLOW Candlelight! This is travel size and if you don't remember how it looks on me CLICK HERE. Just for kicks & giggles, here's warm glow (didn't like it as much as rosy glow). You can't go wrong with Rosy Glow! So here's my suggestion! If you're OILY, stick with blotting papers. Dry, Normal, Combination skin types, I think you'll love Blotterazzi (but keep it CLEAN). A Beautyblender costs $20. Blotterazzi costs $20. This kit costs $40 (but is limited edition for the holidays). The only thing you're getting "free" is the candlelight (and it's travel size). BUT... you do get cute packaging! Tell me your thoughts! Would you try Blotterazzi? Or will blotting papers work best for you?

Sweet-Bittersweet-NotSweet

supersweet(run & buy it) sweet(really good,buy it) bittersweet(ok, issues)not sweet(not good,don't buy this stuff) 

  Beautyblender + Too Faced Holiday Kit is Sweet