Etsy Musings: Beautiful Twists by Ella Dean

The Muse always loves a little quirk with her lip balms! And quirks abound in a great little shop called Beautiful Twists on Etsy.

Today's Etsy Musings is all about Beautiful Twists and it's gorgeous creator Ella Dean who whips up incredible lip balm creations that's sure to please lip junkies far and wide! I thought we'd take time out to meet up with Ella Dean, the mastermind and genius behind this little shop (or should I say very popular shop) on Etsy.


The first time I stumbled onto Ella Dean's shop caricatures of John Lennon and Yoko Uno were staring at me from a tube of a lip balm, obviously anything that has John on it's packaging was something the Muse absolutely needed (the Muse is a big supporter of Lennon). To this day I associate Ella with the free spirited guru Yoko Uno due to the tiny profile picture she has on her shop (you'll see what I mean when you see her photo below). With her long flowing hair and a thin headband wrapped around her forehead I couldn't help but think free loving hippie and it couldn't be more suitable as all of Ella's incredible creations are made with good for you ingredients, all hand made, no base, from scratch and completely vegan-friendly ala quite hippie-like. Obviously Ella takes her art serious.


What's so special about Beautiful Twists? Everything. Ella makes some of thee most amazing lip balms and perfumes I've had the pleasure of experiencing in the e-tailer world. Her creativity is positively brilliant and all her creations are unique and different from anything you've tried before.


Beautiful Twists has quite a cult following on Etsy so much so that orders from Ella takes 10-14 days (I suspect longer once the Muse posts this entry and word spreads!) to receive but boy is that wait well worth your time. Ella specializes in lip balms but she also tries her hat at perfume oils, perfumes, body sprays and exceeds at all of those too!

Now it deserves to be mentioned I'm not really that big a fan of lip balm. I'll buy a lip balm here and there but I'm not too big a fan. Lip balms are hard, they make my lips feel like they are enclosed in a mask, and I dunno they just aren't my cuppa really. I love my Labello balms as they have a dreamy formula but really when you think lip balm I'm positive you automatically think of a crummy chapstick tube and a mediocre formula.

Well, Ella takes lip balm to the next level with a creamy, dreamy, glossy, tasty formula that's simply to die for. At $3.25 USD per a tube (with special deals and packages on sets) the Muse feels guilty purchasing these at such an outrageously low cost! Ella puts alot of love into these babies and it shows. Please don't let the "lip balm" name mislead you and fool you into thinking of a simple chapstick. Elle's balms have an incredibly moisturizing formula that's sure to please even the most snobby balm lover. The only sad thing about her balms is the fact you'll catch a made frenzy of that dreaded pokemon disease and want to collect 'em all as she releases them.


























Although I'm crazed for her balms I do so admit to being equally (or even more so) obsessed with her awesome body sprays! These are the perfect Summer-time treat for a light spritz of a gorgeous, unique blend of fragrance. I dunno how she does it but she manages to create a great body spray that lingers on and on and gives off a wonderful throw.
























Ella agreed to be interviewed for Musings about her goodies and it was a pure joy working with her on the article especially considering how busy she is. You can see how excited and passionate she is about her art by reading a little bit about Ella and Beautiful Twists below!


What’s your name and where are you from?
Ella Dean & I'm from Wisconsin, but now live in Ohio.

What made you start selling on etsy?
I had my own website & then I discovered Etsy one day looking for earrings shaped like apples & I just knew I had to open a shop there because I loved how everything was so unique & you could reach people all over the world.

Have you sold your wares anywhere else (Your stuff is so good we want to stalk you)? I have had it in a few boutiques & salons (Cookie Cutters, Salon Lofts etc) & Lane Bryant ordered a bunch of body products last year for promotions & such (how awesome is it her stuff was at Lane Bryant!!!!)

What sort of ingredients goes into your balms and body sprays?
I love using really silky & moisturizing vegan ingredients mixed with a fun dreamy scent.

They are vegan friendly and organic right?
My body products are all Vegan & all my ingredients are 100% vegan friendly. I love using candelilla wax (a wax from a plant) rather than beeswax because bees scare me & I kinda feel bad for them sometimes (yes, I'm a sap). I also love using sweet almond oil because it makes my lip conditioners very soothing & moisturizing & it has a nice mild scent.

How does one even make a lip balm?
You take a moisturizing oils & a wax of your choice & melt it on the stove & then I pour the mixture in a glass container so I can pour the mixture into all the tiny containers, but first (the fun part) you add a few drops of flavor or essential oil & if you want a little color & then stir it up & pour it in before it solidifies, WELLA!!

How long does it take?
I seriously make lip conditioners every day, it's like brushing my teeth, so depending on how many flavors it takes, about 30-40 minutes (I still love doing it even after & 7 years)

Your blends are all really unique how do you think them up?
Believe it or not a lot come from my dreams or just something I'm hungry for. My niece Madelyn, who is six, just inspired my latest flavor 'Strawberry Mint Toothpaste' & the label has a cute tooth fairy on it. She just lost her first tooth & she's fascinated by the Tooth Fairy. I love to think up different flavors...it's kind of an addiction to me hee-hee! (The Muse so needs Strawberry Mint ToothPaste!)

What’s the hardest part about creating a new blend?
I may get all excited about a new flavor & then it doesn't work out. Here's an example...My husband is my very patient guinea pig throughout the years. He's basically tried every flavor I have created, even when I came up with a ketchup lip conditioner (yeah, that was a Limited Edition).

Does anything every just not work?
Yes, Ketchup Lip Conditioner. Oh & I once tried to make a grilled cheese sandwich scent...not so yummy.

How do you keep your costs so incredibly low? Especially considering how cute your packaging is!
I want everyone to be able to afford them because everyone deserves smoochalicious, soft dreamy lips!!

Do you do your own cute graphics?
I create all my own labels on my computer, but I can't draw at all, so I have an artist draw me up the pictures (I give every detail, right down to if they have dimples or not). Many of the characters on my labels were inspired by real women I have met in my life or I have met while traveling around the world. People amaze & inspire me!!

How often do you release new blends and collections?
All the time. My brain just won't stop thinking of new flavors & collections!! My husband is an Engineer & his brain works very different than mine & he's always like 'you have to stop' & I keep telling him I just can't. I dream about new flavors & collections all the time. Here's a little secret for your readers...I'm going to be starting a line of body products that you keep in your fridge, so when you come home from yoga, walking the dog, grocery shopping & you're all hot, just spritz yourself with a cool mist. This collection is going to have fun, unique scents that will make the carrots in your fridge jealous! (Damn the carrots in my fridge will be jealous? Look out carrots the Muse has Ella Dean goodness coming to a fridge near you!)

Do you think you’ll ever branch out and start making other items aside from balms, perfumes, and body sprays?
I actually use to make bath salts, soap & lotion, but once I got so busy, I just couldn't keep up. Hopefully, I'll be able to start again. Oh & I plan on having fun scented bubble bath in my shop soon too (pistachio pudding scented, etc....)

Ella was good enough to share some pictures of her items with us today too, have a peep below!








Thanks Ella! The Muse hearts you!

With blends like Pickle Juice and Green Apples and Cantaloupe and Peanut Butter sandwiches (it's awesome trust me) I imagine that Ella will be in business a very long time keeping fans like the Muse clamoring for more please! Beautiful Twists by Ella Dean is an incredible Etsy experience and I'm pleased to bring you an Etsy Musing of it today.

Ella's entire line is well worth checking out. Her prices won't break the bank, her unique scents will make you smile, and her incredible lip treats will keep your lips glossy smooth and soft. Plus the added quirk and flavor of her items having their own personalities and stories is too cute to pass up on!

Check out Beautiful Twists by visiting elladean.etsy.com Do tell her where you heard about her shop!

Shop some of my favorite blends:
Smoochin' at the Car Wash
Peaceful Lemon Soda and Truffles in Bed Vegan Smoochalicious Lip Conditioner
Summer's Warm Breezes and Sunset Fruits Roll On Silky Perfume Oil
Winter's Snowflake Kisses Body Mist
Winter's Cherry Snow Slushie Body Mist

Stay tuned next week for a brand new Etsy Musings!

Laura Geller Baked To Go Balance N Brighten Foundation Review

Several days ago the Muse was ohh'ing and ahh'ing over the cuteness that is Laura Geller Baked To Go Balance N Brighten Foundation. It was so tiny and so cute I couldn't resist snagging one for myself.






Sure am happy I did check out why after the jump!

The Muse's last experience with Laura Geller wasn't particularly great. She makes an incredible line of products but for some reason I'm always pushing them to the back burner after trying a powder out a year or two ago and finding it very chalky. The chalky episode prevented me from indulging in anything else ever after that.

When I seen the Laura Geller Baked To Go Balance N Brighten Foundation I loved the packaging so much (and the price, hello $24 bucks) that I decided to indulge. Baked to Go is simply a smaller version of Laura Geller's popular Balance N Brighten Foundation (this happens to be the product that I experienced chalky bliss with). Count me scared to try this but I couldn't resist. I'm glad I did purchase it as it's rather fabulous and all the promises of lightening, brightening, and erasing dullness are all true.






The formula of the powder is mineral oil and paraben-free which is always a plus for those on ingredient watch. The powder creates a super flawless even coverage that brightens up my skin and removes dullness. It's funky how they designed the packaging as the powder is just a mini baked powder slapped into a spring-fed case which has a removable sponge applicator. Twist open and plenty of product is distributed on the brush so you can easily blend onto face. The product is plenty pigmented that one twist should give you plenty of coverage.




Indeed, as promised it works great as a foundation but I prefer it as a finishing powder or a touch up powder through out the day simply due to it's wear. It needs a touch up within 2-3 hours of application so I really can't enjoy it as a foundation as it doesn't last long enough without having to reapply in between. It's rather ideal for toting to work and doing a fresh up with as it brightens up any signs of tired, dull skin and creates a nice flawless finish.

It only comes in two shades so I'm unsure if I'd bother recommending it for anyone with skin darker than fair or medium fair.

All in all I absolutely loved this. It's incredibly travel friendly and does delightful things to my complexion!

Big Muse Approval for purchase.



Get yours at QVC by typing in item number A87995.

Loves it!

Shiseido SpotCover Foundation Review

Ok, so you need coverage. You need to conceal those dark circles, mask that evil pimple popping up on your chin, and rid yourself of possible acne scarring. No worries, the Muse is on the case with Shiseido SpotCover Foundation.




Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound while concealing all your problem areas Shiseido SpotCover Foundation is exactly what the Muse wanted and hoped for from Erase Paste. Shiseido SpotCover Foundation is from the FT Shiseido line of products available in Japanese drugstores. This branch of Shiseido is not available within the US but can be located on a few online shops.








Shiseido SpotCover Foundation is a multitasking product for concealing or as a base makeup item. It's extremely thick and very pigmented. If you have alot to hide this would be your go to product for making your skin look beautiful again.

For concealing under eye circles it works a treat but it's a tad too heavy. It's heavily pigmented so it pretty much covers everything up, I imagine it could possibly cover tattoos with proper blending skills. Although it works incredible under my eyes I did notice it settled into fine lines easily and dried out my eyes a tiny bit. In it's defense I will say my eyes are getting to a point where I have to be extra careful what I use under them due to my age (yes the Muse is fairly old now). The formula is an interesting combination of being creamy and slightly whipped. It blends well enough when using on the face although a tiny little bit goes a very long way. I can't stress enough how very thick this so if you do indulge please use caution during application.




The product retails in Japan for 1,200 yen but I discovered it for a nice deal on my favorite site iMomoko for $14.99 USD so that was quite a good deal. Rather than yammer to friends in Japan to get it for me I just dished out the $14.99 as that's a rather good price and not too heavily jacked up from retail.

The Muse thinks you'd like this if:

• You love thick, heavy foundations and concealers.
• You have alot to hide and you need a pigmented foundation/concealer to hide it all.

I'd like to love this product but the thickness of the formula prevents me from really enjoying it as it's a tad too much. I'm going to revisit it though over the next few weeks and see if end up loving it. Definitely a good find for anyone who desires full on coverage.