Etsy Pick of the Week, Baltimore Edition, Volume 4

Hello Sweet Readers!

For my fourth and final Baltimore Etsy Pick of the Week (maybe final) I would like to introduce you to For Goodness Grape!

Image: etsy.com

The woman behind the curtain at For Goodness Grape is named Lisa. She has a passion for the indie artisan lifestyle, and is dedicated to only using the finest all natural ingredients in every product she makes. In addition to entrepreneur, you can also find Certified Medical Assistant listed on Lisa's resume. The knowledge this certification brings comes in handy during the creation process. Lisa applies the same safety policies and procedures she learned to use in the medical industry while formulating her products. Therefore, she is able to guarantee to her customers that every product they purchase from her store is not only fresh, but free from contaminates, and 100% safe for use.

For Goodness Grape recently held the *Grand Opening* of their online store! This online store is an extension of the Etsy store but with way more informational content. While browsing the awesome new site, I started reading up on Lisa's philosophies. I learned that this lady loves all things fun and flirty, and incorporates it into everything she does. From the adorably clever name of the brand, to the confections she scents and flavors her products with, to the quirky font she uses, Lisa manages to sprinkle a dash of playfulness everywhere. 

A quote from Lisa's Etsy Bio:

"I believe that looking and feeling beautiful shouldn't be a chore, it should be FUN and For Goodness Grape brings you some of the finest all natural handmade products that you can count on having fun with and feeling flirty while wearing them."

I could not agree more. For me, if a beauty treatment isn't something that I find enjoyable and I am not left feeling pampered, I don't do it. 

You can stalk For Goodness Grape in so many ways! I highly recommend browsing around the dizzying array of delectable goodies and entertaining content at either online store. Make sure to spend some time reading Lisa's blog, and keep up to date with all things For Goodness Grape by following on Twitter and "like" the Facebook page!

Also, don't miss out by not signing up to receive The Grapevine. This newsletter will give you exclusive access to For Goodness Grape's news and notifications of sales and events!

Visit the Etsy store.

Visit For Goodness Grape's BRAND NEW WEBSITE!

Follow For Goodness Grape on Twitter.

Like For Goodness Grape on Facebook.

Check out Lisa's blog!
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The Interview:

1. What inspired you to start making your own beauty products?

I've always been an entrepreneur at heart and I’ve always loved making things. I decided I wanted to make excellent products with premium ingredients, offer them at reasonable prices and share the thought that feeling beautiful should be fun. I think I've accomplished this. I've been told by many customers that I have the best lip balms on Etsy. Some say the best on Earth! That’s pretty huge considering that on any given day there are over 9,000 lip related items offered on Etsy. I love the indie artisan way of life and the creativity it allows me. I am passionate about natural ingredients and have found a way to utilize nature to bring beauty to others. Being absorbed in natural and handmade products really opens your eyes and you end up knowing that natural and handmade are what’s best for your body and for our world. As an indie business, For Goodness Grape is very earth friendly and I try to give back to my community to share the rewards of this wonderful life.

2. What is your favorite For Goodness Grape product, and why?

Oh my gosh...I have so many favorites but here are my current favs and I do use all of these everyday:

1. Snowflake Shimmer Lip Tint
2. Pink Champagne Shimmer Lip Tint
3. Innocent Shimmer Lip Tint
4. Blueberry Lemonade Lip Balm
5. Earl Grey Lip Balm

3. What do you love about living in Baltimore?

I love being so close to the beach and it's also very convenient to get to so many places.

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The Swag:

The For Goodness Grape Etsy store is a lip balm addict's dream world. The variety of flavors, colors, and textures is amazing. As a self-proclaimed lip balm abuser I browsed the store in a frenzy, furiously clicking on products, devouring their descriptions, and drooling over their pictures. My must have list grew to epic proportions. 

The store doesn't just offer lip balms though. For Goodness Grape offers the most decadent lip scrubs I have ever seen, roll-on perfume oils, solid perfume sticks, and tinted balms and glosses. And gentleman, there is something for you too! For Goodness Grape has a whole collection of lip balms that come in masculine flavors and have the added bonus of SPF.

Lisa generously sent me three products to try. Keep reading to find out what I thought and I promise I will make getting through to the end well worth your time!! Yes, I'm bribing you.

Image: etsy.com

First up is the Kiss Me Coral Red Mineral Lip Gloss. ($7.50) People. It is rare that I can stamp a beauty product with the "Perfect" label, but it really applies here. Inside the clear tube is a non-sticky, oh so hydrating gloss. Really! I promise you it IS non-sticky! I know a lot of glosses claim that they are different than other glosses on the market. That their gloss will not make you feel like you coated your lips in pancake syrup.

But I always find myself cursing these lip glosses when the light breeze I generate while walking tosses my hair onto my lips and shellacks itself onto my face. I feel as though I have been tricked when my lips stick to my paper coffee cup after taking a sip. Or disappointed when I go to kiss my Husband and he backs slowly away from me, shaking his head, with a look of terror on his face. Like I have the plague.

But this gloss my friends is the real deal! For realzies!

Kiss Me Coral Red Mineral Gloss swatched.

The red/coral color is saturated yet totally sheer. And for fun, Lisa threw in some teeny metallic blue sparkles, and scented the gloss with blueberry! Totally unexpected right? Cherry, sure. Red Velvet Cupcake, why not? But blueberry? 

 I love it!

As you can see my tube has been well loved.

The wand has a plush sponge applicator and all of the packaging is eco-friendly. Kiss Me Gloss is formulated using lip loving oils and comes in eleven different colors and fragrances. (Including Coral Red.)

You guys, this next lip treatment is so indulgent, so effective, and so delicious that after trying it I am addicted. I will not be able to live my life without this in my possession. At all times. You know that show "Intervention" on A&E? It is entirely possible that my friends and family will send in a nomination on my behalf due to my compulsive use of this product. It became clear to me how serious my problem was during the moment I freaked out like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum when I eventually lost it in a horrible way. 

So are you dying to know what my new drug is?? For Goodness Grape's Vanilla Cake Batter Sugary Lip Scrub! ($7.75)

Image: etsy.com

I mean just look at it! Do you die??  

I have to admit this was my very first lip scrub experience. I always thought lip scrubs were unnecessary and probably really messy, so I never had them on my radar. The Sugary Lip Scrub is basically a lip balm that smells and tastes like vanilla cake batter. However, this basic (but luxiourious) lip balm is laced with organic raw sugar, and topped with sprinkles! RAINBOW SPRINKLES GUYS! Totally adorbs right?!  The sugar sweetly sloughs off dead skin, and the balm hydrates and conditions your pout. All of that in a neat little tube. No messes will be made while using this lip scrub!

After opening my new obsession. Also after eating (yes eating) some sprinkles. Don't judge me.

I love this lip scrub for countless reasons, but the fact that it is so easy to apply tops the list. I used it just like I would any other tube of lip balm. The only difference is that I would swipe it over my lips a little longer than other balms. Just to ensure a thorough scrub. Or because I am a compulsive weirdo with a problem. Whatever. After running circles on my lips over and over again, (and gaining an audience of people who are shooting me "she's a nut" looks) I would lick all of the sugar from my lips to remove the gritty feeling. That's right! I have been eating my lip scrub. It's so tasty! Seriously!! 

Don't squinch your eyebrows at me! You will for sure do the same thing with this scrub. Trust.

Quickly, I want to share with you the story of how I "lost" my beloved lip scrub. Yeah, yeah I know. I can't ever explain anything quickly. Stay with me though.

I was in the habit of taking this tube with me everywhere. Under no circumstances would I consider leaving the house without it. I would be in the car pulling out of the driveway, realize that I forgot it, then park and run back inside to get it.

One morning I was running late for work, and I was running around the house, rushing.  I hustled out my house so fast that I left my Sugary Lip Scrub on my dining room table and didn't realize it until I was in the office, stationed at my desk. No biggie, I thought to myself. At least I know where it is.

After work I came home, set my purse and mail down on the table and scanned the table for my tube. It wasn't there. After scouring the floor, my eyes landed on one of my dog's beds. Really it's my husband's dog, mine through marriage. I don't know why I feel like I need to explain that to everyone. Wait, yes I do. Because I think he's a jerk who is out to get me and I do not want to be associated with his salty behavior. He's old and grouchy. He opens my panrty door and eats whole loafs of bread! He has eaten and then thrown up my thongs, and he steals food right out of my daughters hands! So what I am dealing with is a geriatric jerk who also happens to be a dog. But not my dog.

I deliberately picked the most ridiculous picture I could find. Dogs may not understand humiliation or revenge, but this human does. That's all that matters. He looks so silly wearing a lei doesn't he?! Did you giggle? Sweet revenge.

There was my delicious scrub. The tube was torn to pieces and the scrubby balm was annihilated by Farkus. (the dog's name) My Sugary Lip Scrub was being digested by his doggie tummy, and was destined to end up as a pile of dog doo in my backyard. Heartbroken is not a strong enough word to describe how I felt. I really need to pick up a new tube. Or maybe I will get all twenty-one flavors. 

The third and final product I tried was the Frosted Cupcake Perfume Oil Roll-On. ($9.50) 

Image: etsy.com

Well, I didn't really try it. I smelled it. More than once. And it smells heavenly. Like the most perfect, fluffy cupcake topped with a heaping mound of sweet buttercream frosting. It's so good you guys! I also am in love with the feminine label and size of the glass bottle. It's about the same size and shape as a lip gloss which makes it super easy to toss into your bag so that you can touch up throughout the day. The perfume oil formula is blended and infused with richly scented perfume grade oils along with essential oils. Then the finished scent is incorporated into coconut and jojoba oils which help the perfume oil absorb into the skin fast. Because really, no one wants oily wrists. 

Since I didn't actually take the perfume oil for a test run I cannot vouch for how long it lasts. In my experience rollerball perfume oils tend to last longer than perfumes packaged in spray bottles because fragrance oils do not contain alcohol. So I would imagine that you will smell like a vanilla cupcake all day long. And if for some reason it didn't have staying power, the fact that it is portable totally makes up for it in my opinion. You can touch up all day long wherever you are!

Are you wondering why I didn't try it on myself? Well, because I was thinking of YOU!

Sweet readers, I am so super excited to announce that you could win the bottle by entering the very first giveaway on Frances Is A Beauty!!

YAY!! ARE YOU PUMPED???!!!

One lucky winner will win a full sized Frosted Vanilla Cupcake Perfume Oil Roll-On! Please keep in mind that I HAVE opened it AND smelled it multiple times. But, I have NEVER used it on my skin. 

I made winning as easy as I possibly could because I am self-absorbed and really just wanted to make all of this easy for me. I was feeling a little anxious about everything going smoothly since this is my first expereince with Rafflecopter and with hosting a giveaway. Promise me please that if you experience any problems entering through the wideget, hit me up via email me so I can figure out how to fix it. You can send questions and concerns to francesisabeauty (at) gmail.com.

PLEASE be sure to read the terms and conditions. I don't want to have to delete entries or disqualify folks for not following the rules. Be patient and wait for the Rafflecopter widget to load below.

Before you start feverishly clicking through the tasks, I have something to say about why I chose two of the tasks....

There are two "Share the Love" tasks that I am asking you to complete. I did not make them mandatory, but know that if you choose to complete these very special tasks it will mean so much to me.

I am lucky enough to have two very talented Beauty Bloggers as dear friends. Their blogs are gorgeous, well written and informative. Because I adore them I am asking you (who I also adore!) to follow their blogs. I promise you will not be disappointed. That is why the tasks are so special. I am sharing the love with two of my favorite ladies!

Claudia, Sam....I love you guys! 

This is going to rock! Good luck to all of you!!

I want to give a BIG THANKS to Lisa of For Goodness Grape. Lisa, your participation and generosity is very much appreciated! Here's to you and For Goodness Grape! I wish you nothing but luck and success in the future!

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