Watercolor Pencils are Neat!

US Art Supply has great products at great prices. I love experimenting with new mediums and I have never used watercolor pencils before. I could not wait to try these out.



This set came with 36 watercolor pencils and a roll up canvas wrap. I love keeping my supplies organized, so this was a great idea. 

I was able to keep all the pencils organized by color and could easily roll them up for storage when I was done using them. The range of colors was great. Black, white, neutrals, skin tones, and a few values for each color.

The pencils came sharpened, and the leads were soft. The colors went down onto paper smoothly. The amount of pressure I used correlated perfectly with the amount of pigment that went down. 

Adding water to a watercolor pencil drawing.

I love that you can use these dry for drawing, or paint over them with some water for more vibrant colors. And after adding water, you can even go over again with the dry pencils to add more details or bolder lines. I love versatile things. These were so fun to use. I already have a bunch of ideas for what I will do with them next. 

I give these colored pencils 5 out of 5 stars. I love the colors. I love how they feel. I love how they go down on paper, and I love how they react with water. The storage roll is a great added bonus for those who want to be organized. I would recommend these to artists, crafters, students or children who wanted to draw, paint, color, anything really! These have so many uses and are really neat!


Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Valentia Royal Rose Hydrating Serum

I have loved the entire Valentia line. Every product from them has been absolutely wonderful. Their Royal Rose Hydrating Serum is formulated for sensitive skin, so I was so excited to try it. Unfortunately, I have any allergy to something in it. Not only did it my face break out, I developed a rash. 

The serum has a very strong rose smell. It might put some people off, but it is a nostalgic scent for me. My grandmother always smelled of roses. She had a rose powder and a puff she would let my sister and I play with when we were very little. The smell of this serum brings me back to those days. I'm pretty bummed that I cannot use this. I wanted to love it. 

The serum is more like a cream. It is white with a medium consistency. It goes on pretty smoothly. It leaves a bit of a sticky feel for a few minutes, but once it is dry it goes away. The smell also dissipates after a bit. My skin felt nice and hydrated, but later I noticed the rash. I only used this once because of the allergy...but then I passed it on to my mom so she could try it. 

My mom isn't big on skin care products, but she liked it. She applied two pumps at night, and said after the sticky feel wore off her skin felt tighter and firmer. She likes it and will continue to use it. I give this serum 3 out of 5 stars. Sadly, I can't be a huge fan of something I cannot use, but my mom does like it. 

Available on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Everyone Should Have An Extra Turntable

I have had my pink Crosley record player for almost 10 years and I love it very much, but with all the new tech nowadays, I've been dying to convert some of my LPs to MP3s. That day has finally come, and now I am in love with a second record player.

This Bluetooth turntable from 1byone has built-in speakers plus Vinyl to MP3 recording. It's sleek, and simple with a nice vintage feel. It has settings for 33 / 45 / 78 LPs as well as an adapter for 45s. The tonearm can be locked, and has a lever that will slide it over and place it down on your record. I've never had this before, so I'm excited about this feature. The speakers are not super loud, which isn't a problem for me, especially since there is a RCA output for speakers and an Aux-in jack for headphones.

The function buttons are self explanatory. To record, you just plug in your drive, place the needle, then hit Phono-Rec. It automatically stops at the end of the record. It records the entire side of the album as one track. This might be annoying to some, but I don't mind. I always listen to albums on my iPhone and computer straight through. I can just label them Side One and Side Two. You can play music right off your flash drive too. The record you just recorded, or MP3s that are loaded on already. 

I give this turntable 5 out of 5 stars.

I am so happy with it. I love being able to record to MP3. I use the Bluetooth speaker for my iPhone as much as I use it as a turntable, if not more. I really love my Pandora stations. I am very satisfied with how my records sound on it. It's easily my favorite purchase so far this year. We are going to spend a whole lot of time together. 

Grab one here!

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Jade Bangles

My good friend Karen has worn a jade bangle from China for many many years. I have always admired it, and wanted one of my own. When I had the opportunity to grab one to review, I jumped on it. I absolutely love this bangle. It looks and feels great. Jade carries energies for love, healing, money, and protection. Here's to hoping it brings all those energies my way. 

The bangle I ordered was the light green. Parma 77 has Jade bangles in a few different colors. It comes in a cute gift box topped with a bow and the bangle is stored inside a gorgeous cloth bag. It makes a perfect gift.

You need to make sure you measure your wrist before you order. You need to squish these over your hand. It is thick and heavy. I ordered one size up because my size was on the higher end of small, and I wanted to be sure it would fit me. I've been using soap on my hand to slide this on and off, and I haven't had any problems. I am happy with the medium size. I feel the small would have been a lot harder to get over my thumb's knuckle.



The jade itself is beautiful. The bangle is thicker than the ones I usually see, but I like it. It's got some weight to it, but not too much. It feels quite durable. The jade is light green and slightly translucent. I can see some white and pink lines inside. It is very unique. I wear it frequently and have received many compliments. Just make sure you measure before you buy. I give this bangle 5 out of 5 stars. 


Grab one on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Music Meets Art with These Rad Guitar Picks

As both a music and art lover, these picks struck the perfect chord with me. Art Tribute has this awesome set of twelve picks, two of each design from Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Munch and two from  Da Vinci. The gift set comes with a cool metal Click Clack box for safe keeping as well as a leather pick holder on a key chain. It's such a neat gift for musicians, artists, and music/art lovers alike. 

The picks are 0.7 mm, a medium gauge. They are not too flimsy or too thick. I prefer medium for just about everything. The picks were comfortable to hold and to play with. I dug the way they played. The printing on the celluloid is amazing! 

I can't believe the amount of detail in such a small place. The seem quite durable. The prints are still perfectly intact. The pack comes with 2 of each print so I will be giving a set to my friend Cat (The Bassist for The Knock Ups) because I know she will love them as much as I do. 

They are really unique, so I don't think she will lose them as easily as plain picks at gigs. Then again, she's going to love them so much, she might keep them at home for safe keeping. I give this set 5 out of 5 stars.

Grab some here, and keep an eye out for new prints.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

The Holy Grail of Serums

I am usually pretty bad at keeping up with skincare regimens. Most face products smell weird, or feel gross on my skin. I hate going to bed with stuff on my face...and sometimes I just flat out forget to do things, especially if I am tired and want to go to sleep. Not anymore. I actually can't wait to wash my face at night so I can apply Valentia Clear Lift Revitalizing Serum. That is a sentence I never thought I would utter. 

Valentia always hits it out of the park with their skincare line...but everyone loves face scrubs and mud masks, so I wasn't sure if I could love a serum the same way. 
Active ingredients include:
- Wakame Bioferment: to detoxify and boost antioxidant defense.
- Gotu Kola: Lessens the appearance of scars and increases skin firmness.
- Lactic Acid: Increases skin cell turnover, for healthier renewed skin.
- Licorice: Corrects skin discoloration.
- Argan Oil: Rich in Vitamin E,  reduces water loss and protects skin's resiliency and elasticity. 

The serum is a a creamy, yellow color with a light-medium consistency. I applied 2 pumps to my face. It goes on smoothly and absorbs within minutes. My skin doesn't feel dry, or greasy and sticky. It actually leaves a nice refreshing feeling. The absolute best part of this serum is that it smells like an orange dreamsicle! I would apply it several times a day just for the scent. I need to get a hold of some clementine oil so I can make a perfume that smells like this. It's literally dreamy!

You're supposed to follow up with moisturizer, but like I said, I am lazy and forgetful...so I haven't done that once. However, my normally dry skin is hydrated and soft. It's also brighter and smoother. I'm going to try to be better with moisturizing since that will lock in the benefits of the serum and produce even better results. Where can I find Dreamsicle face lotion? I give this serum 5 out of 5 stars. It's amazing! I would recommend it to anyone, even those who are forgetful like me but want to start taking better care of your skin. 

Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Cute Headbands from the Curly Co.

Pardon this terrible photo, I'm growing my bangs out and they are not behaving. My friends and family know that I spend 90% of my time with a bandanna holding my hair out of my face. I love having bangs, but unless I am out and about I want them out of the way. I've tried a million headbands. They are always too tight and uncomfortable or too loose and always falling off. Then I discovered non-slip headbands! Oh my gosh, these are the greatest! 

These headbands come in a pack of two! Their logo is a "C", which is cute because that is my initial. The inside of the headband is beaded with silicone, this is what makes them non-slip. The braided pattern is gorgeous. They can be worn around the house, for exercise, or with more formal hairstyles. I made an attempt to do fancy hair in my photo, but I've had a bad hair week. It's a good thing I've been able to just pull my hair back into one of these, and it stays all day.

The first time I tried the headband on, it was very tight. So tight it was uncomfortable. I have a fairly small head, and very thin hair, so I was quite worried. After one use, the band loosened just enough and now it fits comfortably. I have worn them all day, and all night with no discomfort. The silicone really keeps the band in place. 

Usually, I have to adjust headbands every 15 minutes. It drives me nuts...but these stay put for hours. The silicone doesn't pull my hair either. I was pleasantly surprised by that. These bands are by the Curly Co...but I have very fine, thin hair and these headbands still work great. They have yet to pull out my hair, even after all day wear. 

I give these headbands 4 out of 5 stars. They are simple and elegant. Durable and comfortable. They do a great job keeping my bangs and the rest of my hair out of my face. After the first use, they are easy to get on and off. I wish they came in more colors/patterns. I would recommend them to anyone with any hair type that would like to put their hair back or use a headband that stays.

Grab a set here. 

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious

Tea Tree Oil Scrub

I love scrubs and I love tea tree oil! I couldn't wait to try out this Tree Tree Oil Body & Foot Scrub from First Botany Cosmeceuticals! My feet can get dry and I've had the tiniest bit of toenail fungus on the corner of one nail for over 5 years. I've been trying everything to combat that stupid fungus. I figured I'd give this a shot, since the other benefits of helping moisturize and battle stinky feet, plus being able to use it on face and body as well makes this scrub super versatile!

This scrub is a mixture of salts and oils. The tea tree scent is almost non-existent, there really isn't much of any scent in the container. The mixture is pretty dry, yet not very coarse. I like it. I scoop some out and apply it to damp skin, otherwise it will just fall right off of the area you put it on. I notice the oils once I rub it in. After applying to my feet in the shower I try to be careful to not slip. It's not incredibly oily, but my feet end up a bit slick after. 

That stubborn bit of toenail fungus does seem to have gotten even smaller, so I will continue to use this on my feet daily. My feet are also super soft and smooth, which I love. I haven't tried this scrub on my face yet, but I have on my arms and legs. It does a great job getting rid of dry skin and leaving my body feeling moisturized. I give this scrub 4 out of 5 stars. I wish it had a bit more of a tea tree scent, but otherwise it's great. I would recommend it to anyone that has foot problems or those who like scrubs. 


Grab some on Amazon.

I received this product at a discount. This review is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own. 

~Crystal Vicious