Freshen Up Your Home In Summer

May 22nd, 2010 admin Posted in Incense, General, New No Comments »

Chances are in summer months, your home could use a little help smelling fresh and clean.  The hotter temperatures many experience in summer months don’t help when it comes to keeping your home smelling it’s best.  And if you have pets (litter boxes, cages, etc) you might even need a little extra help!

Incense Smoke

Tip #1:  Burning Incense.  OK, OK, obviously I’m biased!  But it’s super easy to use and effective.  Use scents that will compliment the season such as florals or fruity scents, such as our Lilac or Pomegranate Citrus Incense Sticks.

Flowers in a Vase

Tip #2:  Cut from your garden (or buy) fresh flowers.  Not only will these help keep icky smells at bay, they add that special something to the look and feel of your home.  Place by an open window for best results.

Tip #3:  Simmer lemon slices.  Making some homemade lemonade this summer?  Place the left over slices (and a few unused ones) in a small pot filled with water on your stove top and simmer.  Got oranges or grapefruit in the house?  Toss a few slices of those in and make your home smell like a citrus salad!

Tip #4:  Essential Oils & Water.  You can add 10-40 drops (depending on bottle size) of your favorite essential oils right into water.  Shake well before spraying, and test on fabrics before use.  And as always avoid spraying onto furniture, wood, painted objects and other things that can be ruined by having either water or essential oils sitting on it.  Lavender, Tangerine, Jasmine or Rose are all excellent choices, or blend two to three oils for your own custom scent!

Try any or all of the above tips to keep your home smelling it’s freshest during warmer months.  Or maybe just open up a few windows and let some good old fashioned fresh air circulate through your home.  And as always be sure to stop by The StarShine Company for other options on keeping your home and yourself ‘Perfectly Scented’!

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My Etsy Buying Guide

December 8th, 2009 admin Posted in Business, General No Comments »

As many of you know I sell all my great products both on my The StarShine Company website and in my shop on Etsy.  I know not everyone is familiar with Etsy so I wanted to create this helpful buying guide to make your Etsy shopping experience a little easier.  Of course, we love having you shop at our website!!

To start your Etsy shopping experience you’ll want to stop by our shop on Etsy.  You there?  OK good!  You should see something like this:

The StarShine Company on Etsy

Depending on when you stop by the pictures may be different, but you should see our “The StarShine Company” banner at the top right below Etsy’s banner.  Just below our banner you’ll see our shop announcement, this is where we’ll put information we believe our visitors would be interested in or helpful in some way.  Off to the right of the announcement, you’ll spot all the categories you can shop within.  When you click on one of them it’ll nicely sort the items and you’ll only see what you are interested in.  Let’s click “Mineral Eyeshadow”.

The StarShine Company Mineral Eyeshadow

At the top of the page you should still see the Etsy banner, our banner and the shop announcement, but I cut that out so you could more easily how the items are sorted and I am now only viewing the Mineral Eyeshadow I have available.  Let’s click on “Drowned” to get a closer look.

The StarShine Company - Mineral Eyeshadow - Drowned

On this page the top will still look the same but you will no longer see my shop banner, or my shop announcement but you’ll get a big picture of the product and below the picture will be the description of the product.  To the right of the pictures you’ll see the (great!) price and the “Add to Cart” button.  If you scroll all the way down you’ll see the shipping prices.  What a beautiful color!  Let’s buy it!

Click add to cart.

The StarShine Company - Add To Cart

Your page will look something like this.  If you aren’t done shopping this is where you’d want to click “Keep Shopping” and it’ll take you back to the last page you were on within my shop, which doesn’t help a whole lot since you already know you want to purchase that particular item!  On the right hand side of the page (after you’ve clicked “Keep Shopping”) you’ll see my little logo (Avatar, whatever you want to call it) and just to the right of that in very small type you’ll see the word “Shop” click that to go back to the main page of my shop, select a category and keep shopping.  You can shop from any category including our Hand Dipped Incense, Perfume Oils, Solid Perfumes, Soap, Mineral Eyeshadow and we have a couple categories were you can select the scent or color of your choice if you don’t see it currently listed in my shop.  Anything you see on my website can also be purchased in The StarShine Company Etsy shop. You can find our full fragrance list on our website.

Continue adding all the items you want to purchase to your cart, Etsy should keep track of all the items you want and will figure out the shipping for you.  When you are finished shopping you’ll want to click “Checkout”.

If you ever get lost and can’t find your cart…

The StarShine Company - Shopping Cart

You’ll find the link back to your cart at the top left corner of your webpage.  Now let’s go back to our shopping cart to make our purchase.  If you haven’t already, let’s click “Check Out”.  If you aren’t signed into Etsy, or haven’t yet created an account, it’ll ask you to do so now.  After you created your new account or logged into your existing account, you’ll be prompted to enter your shipping information.

The StarShine Company - Shipping Address

If you have already entered your address you can select it from the drop down menu, but since it’s likely you are new to Etsy since you are reading this guide, you’ll probably need to fill in your address.  Tick the “Enter your shipping address” button and fill in the blanks, with your current address.  NOTE:  The address you enter here should match the one you have on file with PayPal, so be sure to update your PayPal address before you submit payment… more to come on that).

Finished with your address?  Great, let’s move on.  On the next page you’ll be asked to look over your order.  Make sure everything is correct before you click on “Commit to Buy”

The StarShine Company - Final Review

After you’ve verified everything is correct, go ahead and click “Commit to Buy”.  You are now agreeing that you will purchase this item.  Like most sellers we use PayPal which is safe and easy to use.  Next you’ll want to submit payment right away to avoid any delays!  Before you make a purchase you might want to read the sellers policies which you can find on the main shopping page on the right hand side of the main page called “Shop Policies”, you want to be sure you agree to their terms before making a purchase.

You should spot a “Pay Now” button and payment options, we only offer PayPal so you’ll only see one option.  Others may accept money order or checks.

The StarShine Company - Pay Now

And/Or

The StarShine Company - Payment Options

After selecting PayPal as your payment method if applicable, click the “Pay Now” button.  You should be whisked away to PayPal to make your payment.  This is where you’ll log into your PayPal account to make your payment, or if you choose not to make an account you can still pay using your credit card using PayPal.  Etsy created a helpful guide on how to use PayPal to pay for your purchases.  You can view their guide here.

If you ever click off the payment page by mistake and can’t find your “Pay Now” button, make sure you are logged into Etsy and follow these simple steps to find your purchase order.

  • Click “Your Etsy” found at the top of the webpage.
  • Click “Purchase” found on the left hand side of the webpage
  • Find your purchase order and click “View Invoice”.
  • This will take you to your purchase order and about half way down the page you should spot your “Pay Now” button again.  If the button is missing, you will want to log into your PayPal account and check to see if they payment has already went through.   If you are purchasing from me do not hesitate to ask for help!  But that is true of all sellers, don’t be afraid to ask them questions!  A seller should be willing to help, and if they aren’t I’d be wary from purchasing from them.

Also I mentioned earlier that you’ll want both the address you enter into Etsy and your PayPal address to match, when you are in your PayPal account be sure to check your address is current.  During check out PayPal may have you select from address’ you have on file with them, just make sure to use the same one that you typed into Etsy!

To check you PayPal address, log into PayPal select “Profile” from the second navigation bar and under the “Account Information” column select “Street Address”.  You will now be brought to a page that lists your address’ and allows you to add an address.   It is important your address’ match so the seller knows where to ship your item(s), verifying they match and are correct right off the bat will help avoid any delays.

See how easy shopping on Etsy can be?  The first time might be a little confusing but we are here to help!  You can send us a message on Etsy and we’ll do our best to answer any purchasing (or any) questions you might have.

I hope you’ve found this guide helpful and enjoy shopping with The StarShine Company both on our website and on Etsy!

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Why You Should Wear Perfume Oils Instead of Alcohol Based Perfumes

October 30th, 2009 admin Posted in Perfume, General, New No Comments »

I may be slightly biased but even if I didn’t sell perfume oils I still would prefer them over the alternatives such as body mists and alcohol based perfumes.  You might wonder why and the answer is really quite simple, alcohol based perfumes evaporate rather quickly, typically taking the top notes and middles notes with them within a few minutes.

Oil based perfumes on the other hand last much longer because oil doesn’t evaporate the way alcohol does, which means your top and middle notes will last longer.  However, there is one truth for both oil based perfumes and alcohol based perfumes that the more you are around the scent, which let’s face it is the whole time you are wearing it, the more you get used to it.  So you might think with either type, the scent just doesn’t last as long as you’d like, but don’t be fooled, it’s still there… you just don’t notice it as much because that’s just how our noses work!

Another great reason to choose oils over alcohol is because oils are much more gentle on your skin than alcohol which can be very drying.   Why not use a longer lasting scent that keeps the skin fresh, young and hydrated over the alternative?  I used to purchase body mists like crazy before I discovered perfume oils.  I’d spray them all over me and my clothes, coughing the whole time, only to have the scent die out quickly and feeling the need to apply more.  You won’t get that coughing from perfume oils!

Lastly, and probably my favorite reason for choosing perfume oils (and I think you should too) is because of the concentration ratio!  With alcohol based perfumes the end product contains mostly alcohol and or water, with only a little fragrance added.  The concentration in perfume oils can be significantly more, meaning the quantity of your perfume oils will last longer because the scent lasts longer and you won’t need to reapply it as frequently.

Like I said right off the bat, I am biased.  I love, make and sell perfume oils but I know if you haven’t tried them yet, if you do, you will quickly rethink you whole perfume strategy.  Granted, you may not ever be able to completely give up that number one favorite perfume, your signature scent, but who knows give our perfume oils a shot and you might find yourself searching for a new signature scent!

Click the image below to be whisked away to our huge list of available scents for our full size 1/3 ounce Roll Ons:

Perfume Oil Roll On

Perfume Oil samples also available.

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80’s Collection - Two New Great Colors!!

October 26th, 2009 admin Posted in Mineral Makeup, General, New No Comments »

We recently added two new great colors to our 80’s line…

Mineral Makeup Eyeshadow - Pretty In Pink

Pretty In Pink - This is a beautiful pink color, you’ll be dreaming of Andrew McCarthy in no time at all.

Mineral Makeup Eyeshadow - Mint Candy

Mint Candy - This is a shimmery medium green color that will make your eyes pop, especially when applied wet.

So put up that hair in a side pony, pull on your favorite leggings and blast those 80’s tunes from your boombox while you visit The StarShine Company and browse our Mineral Makeup Eyeshadow 80’s Collection!

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Twelve New Scents!!

October 25th, 2009 admin Posted in Incense, Perfume, General, New No Comments »

We’ve finally gotten a chance to add our newest fragrances!  And they are all fabulous!  Can’t stand the suspense any longer?  Here they are:

  •  Black Amethysts (Bath & Body Works Type)
  •  C#5 (Chanel #5 Type)
  •  Harvest Moon
  •  Mimosa & Mandarin
  •  Honeysuckle Jasmine
  •  Violet Lime
  •  Sage & Pomegranate
  •  Lavender Cucumber Sage
  •  Palm Tree
  •  Hawthorne
  •  Antique Sandalwood

You can read their scent descriptions on our Fragrance List page.  They should be listed on The StarShine Company website by the end of the day and they are all currently available for purchase in our Etsy shop using the “Choose Your Scent” category.

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Mineral Makeup Added to The StarShine Company Lineup!

October 13th, 2009 admin Posted in Mineral Makeup, General, New No Comments »

As some of you may have noticed we’ve added a new product to our online catalog!  That’s right, The StarShine Company Mineral Makeup is here!  We’ve added colors from two of our beautiful color collections, The 80’s Collection and our Originals Collection.  Both with amazing shades you’ll instantly fall in love with.

The 80’s Collection is bright and bold colors which will take you back in time, you’ll be wanting to throw up a side ponytail in no time… OK probably not.  But you can really make your eyes pop with these bright colors and best of all, they will still look great for years to come.  They can be applied wet or dry, and as you may already know applying wet can intensify that color even more!

Our Originals line is stocked with beautiful shades for every day wear, day or night with more traditional shades, but don’t let that fool you!  The StarShine Company Eyeshadow colors are 100% unique and created by us.  You won’t find these exact colors anywhere else!

Wondering if we’ll have more colors?  We sure will!  Formulations are in the works right now for more great colors for both collections and a few new ones too!  And don’t be surprised if we add some lip tints in the near future!

The 80The Originals Collection Mineral Makeup Eyeshadow

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We Have New Scents!!

September 10th, 2009 admin Posted in General, New No Comments »

We just got some new super yummy scents in stock!! (You can find the scent description on The StarShine Company Fragrance List.)

  • Cassis
  • Kentucky Tavern
  • Pink Frosted Cupcake (SUPER YUMMY!)
  • Lychee
  • Bubble Bath
  • Green Tea & Jasmine
  • Pistachio Dream Cake

All available at The StarShine Company online! And The StarShine Company at Etsy!

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Fall or Autumn?

August 18th, 2009 admin Posted in General No Comments »

It’s time to settle the great debate once and for all.  What is the best way to refer to the best time of year?  Do you throw yourself in a heaping pile of leaves in Fall, or do you watch the leaves change from greens to reds, yellows and oranges, in Autumn?

This Fall, (or Autumn), we’d like to carry some of your favorite Fall (or Autumn) scents.  Let us know what you’d like to see added to our line for Fall/Autumn 2009.  Right now we have a huge selection but one of the most popular is our Autumn Leaves scent.  It’s typically out of stock before the end of the season!  It’s so popular because it smells just like leaves falling off the trees on a brisk Fall afternoon.

I’d also recommend Cedar & Saffron for those who like a woodsy scent, it’s amazing in our Incense!  Not sure you are ready to let go of Summer just yet?  We will still have all of our Spring and Summer scents available year round so you can always escape to warm summer days drinking cocktails by the pool.  Try our MaiTai in Perfume or our popular Cotton Candy!

Visit our shops online today to pick out your favorite from our huge selection of over 500 different fragrances:

www.starshinecompany.com  OR  http://starshinecompany.etsy.com

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Note to Comment Spammers:

July 16th, 2009 admin Posted in General No Comments »

We’ve been very busy with our move but we plan to get a little more active with this blog shortly, when we get a little more settled.  But I just wanted to pop in and set the record straight, we moderate our comments.  I’m not sure if those who spam blogs do so themselves or have software that just scan the internet and post random junk for them, but here at our blog each and every comment is moderated.

If you want to link back to your site that’s perfectly fine, as long as your comment isn’t spammy and your site isn’t questionable.  Also, I most likely won’t publish a comment that isn’t in English.  So spammers, if you want to save yourself some time and me (although it’s pretty unlikely you care about my time) don’t bother commenting on my blog because it won’t make it through!

If you’d like an example of what a good comment is, view some of my posts and see the comments that are visible.  Thanks.  =)

P.S. Oh and don’t worry about the move affecting processing time, our Hand Dipped Incense Sticks, Incense Cones, Perfume Oils and more are all available for immediate purchase and we’ll get on making them right away!  Of course, if you have any questions please let me know.

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This Just In…

June 19th, 2009 admin Posted in General No Comments »

Thirteen *NEW* scents!!

  • Just Juicy (Juicy Type)
  • Honey Petals (Incense Only)
  • Lime Kiwi (Incense Only)
  • Strawberry Lemonade
  • Bananas Foster
  • Bellflower & Buttercup (B&BW Type)
  • Buttercream Frosting
  • Stress Relief (B&BW Type)
  • Oatmeal Raisin Cookie
  • Pecan Caramel Swirl
  • Almond Orange Oatmeal
  • Coco Peach
  • Apricot Chamomile

You can read the fragrance descriptions at The StarShine Company website.  We are always searching for new and great scents!  If there is something we don’t have in our 600+ fragrances let us know (comment here - or shoot an email our way) with what you’d like to see us carry.  We’ll do our best to find it and if it passes the test we’ll add it to our fragrance line!

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