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Monday, December 29, 2008

Eyegasms Mineral Pigments: Loose Colored Powders

Mineral Pigments with flair! Do you love Bare Essentials loose powder mineral pigments? Wait until you see Eyegasms Colored Powders! Like the name implies, Eyegasms mineral pigments are an explosion of color and fun.

Eyegasms Mica Powders are created by local Orlando artist/belly dancer Susan (Bathsheba). Having sensitive skin and loving make-up lead Susan to find natural mineral pigments for herself, but she found the major sources for these (Bare Essentials and other such companies) did not have the bright fun colors she was looking for. Lucky for us, she decided to make her own!

Susan's Mineral Pigments are in fun colors like...
  • Gator Tail: A glittering dark green with a mysterious metallic look
  • Ruby Slippers: A gorgeous warm red with plenty of sparkle, of course!
  • Elvin Magick: Brilliant spring green that looks soooo cool on
  • Cabaret: Bright pink powder with a "shimmying" shimmer
  • ...and so many more
Each pot is only $9.95 and contains more than double the amount of powder than comparable brands! They can be used for eye shadows, of course, but they are the best powders I've ever seen for making gliding paste for henna tattoos.

Use Eyegasms colored mineral pigments for...
  • Eye Shadow
  • Gilding Paste for henna (especially wedding & bridal mehndi)
  • Stamp Art (embossing powder)
  • Coloring Candles and Soaps
  • Mix with acrylic to make paints for crafts
  • Painting Jewelry
  • and more!
We are proud to carry this exclusive line and support our local belly dancing artist and dear friend, Susan!

Visit our store in College Park Orlando, Beachcombers Bazaar, for a current selection of Eyegasms loose powder colors. We do not offer Eyegasms mineral pigments on our website at this time, but you can shop online directly with Susan at www.Eyegasms.net.

Eyegasms...Give yourself one!

Color Up!
Jody

Monday, December 15, 2008

Hand Knitted Karma Scarves for Gifts

These soft brightly colored scarves are the best gift ever (especially at only $25!). Each scarf is hand knitted by local Orlando FL artist, Celia of Lagniappe Designs.


Celia absolutely loves what she does and it shows. She only knits her Karma Scarves when she is feeling happy and positive. She thinks only uplifting positive thoughts while knitting each scarf, thus infusing these positive vibes and good karma into the very fabric of each and every scarf!

Every scarf is spilling over with style, color, and great vibes! The perfect gift for the person that has everything. Pair a Karma Scarf with matching glass bangles and bindi body stickers for unique gift sure to be talked about and showed off.

These are hand made so quantities are limited. Visit Beachcombers Bazaar in College Park, Orlando for Karma Scarves while available.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Holiday On the Drive Fun!

What a HUGE success! Holiday On the Drive was fantastic this year and I'd like to congratulate our Door Prize winners.

Congratulations, Jennifer (of College Park, Orlando) and Pamela (of Winter Park, Orlando)!

Jennifer and Pamela each won a Beachcombers Bazaar gift bag worth $50! Yeaaaaa!

Beachcombers Bazaar was proud to bring a variety of entertainment and activities to Holiday On the Drive 2008 including...

Tribal Dance Performances with Florida Tribal Dance
The stars of the evening were definitely the Florida Tribal Dancers. Both professional troupes (Blue Caravan and Black V) performed on the Beachcombers stage along with some of the advanced students of Florida Tribal Dance and the children's troupe. FTD director, Lacey Sanchez, dazzled us as always!

I cannot thank Lacey and all the beautiful dancers enough for the wonderful performances. I am delighted that we are able to work so closely with FTD and bring tribal dance to College Park as often as we can!

For those of you that caught either show, and are interested in learning tribal belly dance, the Florida Tribal Dance class schedule can be found here. Come as you are! Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

Another special thanks to all the dancers for supporting us at Beachcombers Bazaar. I saw glass bangles, khussa shoes, and Beachcombers bindi body stickers everywhere!

You can see some videos of the performance here.

Henna Body Art with Mariko of Henna of Soul
A wonderful sweet henna artist that I send my thanks to! Mariko did a wonderful job and was packed during the entire event. Mariko always adds a positive sharing energy to any event and it was a delight to have her!

$1 a Minute Massage with Diane of the YOU Health Center
Diane has the fingers of a Goddess! Her massage table was occupied all night long with shoppers getting energized for the season.

Our neighbors joined the festivities with fun stuff too.

Forever Young Floral Design (the BEST in Orlando) had a large table full of holiday greenery including wreaths, swags, and more at bargain prices. I saw people leaving with boxes of greenery!


Blades Hair Salon had a wonderful food spread and some amazing carolers. Not to mention the folks at Blades are just fun to be around.

Discounted shopping, free performances, old friends, and new friends...what a night! A special thanks to Ena of The Henna Studio for stopping by to bring some mylar she found that is perfect for making henna cones!

Support local small business! Shop local this holiday season! Visit us for our glass bangles (only 9.99), khussa shoes, beaded flats, henna tattoo products, mehndi kits, bindi body stickers, and new items from local artists including Karma Scarves by Celia and Eyegasms Mineral Pigments by Susan. We have all your gifts for her covered!

Here's to a GREAT Holiday On the Drive in College Park, Orlando FL!

Monday, December 1, 2008

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Her!

All the good stuff comes in the stockings, doesn't it? You can pack a ton of tantilizing fun stuff in a Christmas stocking, and I'm here to help you find some fun stuff for stockings this year!



Bindi Body Stickers
Ahhh... What a fantastic stocking stuffer, lightwieght, inexpensive, you can pack a ton of them in even the smallest stocking, brightly colored, completely unique, and she can wear them right away! She will not be getting a duplicate of this gift!

Choose a small grouping of bindi styles for more impact. One or two large fancy bindi (maybe a belly bindi or arm band bindi tattoo) and a few packs of small bindi styles that can be mixed and matched with the larger bindi are a great combination. Bindi start at only $2.99!

Glass Bangles
Yes, I really said glass! Our glass bangle sets contain 13-30 bangles and most are only $9.99. Select her favorite colors or go with holiday colors for a can't miss gift. If you don't know her size, try the 2.10 M/L. More than half of my customers are this popular size.

Local Orlando Holiday Shopping
If you are local and can stop by our shop, we have some great store only items to select from.

Tiny handmade lac pill boxes are great for stockings. Place a piece of candy or a ring in the boxes for an extra treat!

Hand knitted Karma Scarves by Celia are brightly colored, warm, fuzzy, and packed with good vibes. You can match bindi and bangles to the Karma scarves for a total package stocking.

Don't get the same old same old this year to fill her stocking. Be unique! Be noticed!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Holiday On the Drive: December 6

Holiday On the Drive
Saturday December 6
6 pm - 9 pm

This FREE yearly event is a must attend! Downtown College Park, Orlando closes Edgewater Dr. from Princeton St. to Winter Park St. from 6 pm to 9 pm for this fantastic holiday festival.

College Park presents...
  • Santa
  • Strolling Carolers
  • Pony Rides
  • Face Painting
  • A Treasure Hunt (free goodies and fantastic prizes!)
  • Holiday discounts from College Park boutiques and businesses

Here at Beachcombers Bazaar, we are adding our own fun to the festivities!

  • Tribal Belly Dancers from Florida Tribal Dance
  • Henna Tattoos with Mariko
  • $1 a Minute Massage with Diane of the YOU Health Center
  • Magician/Comedian
  • GREAT holiday deals!

Other local stores will be offering specials, entertainment, and some will even have food for Holiday On the Drive!

This is a great opportunity to get some bargain holiday shopping done, support local small businesses, and have a fun evening!

See you there!
Jody

Monday, November 24, 2008

Henna Vs. Winter: Henna and it's relationship to temperature

This time of year I start getting emails from henna artists that are not getting as good of color from their henna as they typically do. Henna can be picky about temperature and winter is a different set of challenges than summer.

In summer, we have to be careful that we don't "cook" our henna. We have to keep it out of sunlight and not let it get too warm. When mixing henna powder in the summer dye release is often much quicker (often a just a few hours will yield good dye release). This also means that the henna paste can lose it's dying abilities quickly, so you need to keep your henna cool.
In the winter (even here in Florida) we have to be more patient with our henna. The same henna that would obtain full dye release in a few hours can take a full day or more in a cooler environment. I find that if my house is less than 70 degrees I need to let my henna powder mix sit 24 hours or more. I do this in stages. I mix my powder with my liquid (lemon, tea mix, or whatever I am using that day) and let it sit overnight. The next day, either in the morning or before work, I add sugar, essential oils, and any additional liquid if needed. I let that sit again overnight and the next day I put the henna in applicators and cones for freezing. Sometimes I don't freeze the cones until the next day.

I am always cold, so I have to work extra hard to get a good stain in the winter. I get all my supplies together along with a candle, blanket, and cup of hot tea or glass of wine. I do my henna while I am all wrapped up in my blanket and seal it with lemon sugar. When my hands (or feet) get cold, I hold them over the candle.

This winter, keep temperature in mind while mixing and applying your henna. Remember, body temperature is nearly 99 degrees. Even 70 degrees is a significant difference in temperature.

A fellow Floridain henna artist, Michael, gave me this tip to share...

"I have this thing called a "ThermiPaq"... basically it's a sand bag that you use for sore muscles and you can heat in the microwave or put in the freezer. I heated mine up for about 1.5 minutes and put that in the bottom of a cooler. I then covered it with a small towel and then laid my bottles of henna on top. This way, the henna was gently heated overnight even though the house was cold. I did that for 2 nights and the henna started turning a dark green/brownish color. I tried it after that and it works wonderfully."

Stay Warm!
Jody

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Jamila Henna Powder at Beachcombers!


That's right, due to popular request, we now carry Jamila body art henna powder!

Jamila henna powder is the preferred henna of professional henna artists and we've been getting requests for it. You know us...we are all about requests! I can't accommodate every request, but I do what I can.

We currently have the latest body art quality Jamila henna (the highest available quality) Summer Crop 2008 in 100 gram packages. As always we store our henna properly cooled and protected from moisture.

I'll be doing some testing over the next few weeks and I'll let you know of my results, but I didn't want to delay the availability of the Jamila henna since so many of you already use it.

Pros and cons of our standard henna powder and the Jamila henna powder.

Jamila is the preferred henna for professional henna artists. It leaves great color and is packaged properly from the manufacturer giving it a very long shelf life (Summer 2008 crop has an expiration date of May 2011). It is also the finest sifted powder available. For the most part you won't need to sift or strain your henna if you are using Jamila henna powder.

Jamila henna powder is more suited to professionals that use a larger amount of henna. It is vacuum sealed in an opaque mylar 100 gram bag inside the box, so it's not as convenient as the small 20 gram bags our standard henna comes in. I also find that the dye takes more time to release with the Jamila henna and it is more sensitive to temperature. I suggest letting the henna sit overnight after mixing and if it's cold (less than 70 degrees in your house), let it sit at least 24 hours. Jamila henna is well suited to the more advanced henna mixes.

The pictures you see on the web of henna that is nearly black...those likely used Jamila henna, an advanced mix, and used a wrap and sealer.

Our standard henna powder is a bit more forgiving and releases dye quicker. If you are doing henna just for fun and on a small number of people, the 20 gram bags can't be beat for convenience. It is also packaged properly in opaque mylar bags and can be stored for 2-3 years (if stored properly). Our standard powder henna can yield some fantastic results as you've seen on our henna help site, http://www.shophenna.com/, but overall the Jamila henna is capable of darker color.

I'll keep you updated on my Jamila fun!

Our henna powders can be found and compared here.


Jody

Monday, November 10, 2008

Jazz Fest was great!

College Park's Jazz Fest on Saturday was wonderful! Great music, great people, great fun!

Nadia did a wonderful job with the henna. She does the prettiest dainty traditional designs, and is great company. I finally got henna on my always naked right hand! Thanks, Nadia!

A special thanks to Diane and the YOU Health Center as well. Not only did I get the most relaxing and energizing massage (at the same time...who knew?), but it was good times having Diane and her husband with us. Sharon the owner of the YOU Health Center (and Diane's daughter) also stopped by for some Ethnic Sandals, bringing her happy energy to the shop.

Forever Young Floral designs had lovely double rose bouquets for only $4. If you are looking for holiday flowers, Beav just received a huge amount of fun new product. Stop in and place an order, before he is completely booked, lol!

We all indulged in some hot apple cider as the evening grew chilly.

Looking forward to Holiday On the Drive, December 6th!
See you!
Jody

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

College Park JazzFest this Saturday!

This Saturday is the annual FREE JazzFest in downtown College Park!

Featuring...
Orlando Sanchez with Akangana: Ethnic Percussion
The Steve Luciano Quartet with Leon Kennington
Local business events and specials

Join Beachcombers between 5pm-10pm this Saturday for...

  • Special "Jazz" Deals
  • Henna Tattoos with Nadia
  • $1 a Minute Massage with Diane
  • and more!
Bring a picnic dinner and lawn chairs or get food at the festival. Alcoholic beverages are permitted for those 21 and over, so don't forget yoru bottle of wine. This is a very fun social event so bring friends and be prepared to meet new friends.

Saturday, November 8, 2008
6pm to 10pm
Edgewater Dr between Smith and Rugby

It's free, it's fun, and you'll be supporting your local community just by being there!

See you Saturday!
Jody

Friday, October 31, 2008

Mariko the Local Orlando Henna Artist

The very dear Mariko, of Henna of Soul, just stopped in to pick up some applicator bottle tips and drop off Velocity magazines. She's as sweet as she can be so I though I should write a bit about her.

Mariko is Japanese and one of the most talented henna artists I've ever encountered. She does what I like to call "henna with intention" (thanks to Diane form the YOU Health Center for coining that phrase). She free-hands henna and works with the person and the surrounding energy to give them something special and just for them.

You can find Mariko...
  • Sundays at the Lake Eola Farmer's Market
  • Saturdays at the Sanford Farmer's Market
  • Dandelion Cafe Drum Circles: every Full Moon and New Moon
  • Universal Studios
  • and Festivals Galore!

She really is something special, so if you see her at an event, get some henna done and tell her Beachcombers recommended her!

Happy Henna!
Jody

Welcome to our new Blog!


That's right, this blog is all new! We are no longer posting on our previous blog. Don't worry we are not deleting it, so you can still reference it as needed.

For those of you new to us, I am Jody, one half of Beachcombers Bazaar. Asad my other half completes our little corner of the retail world. That's us on the right.

We sell fun, lol! Ok, not fun in a bottle, but all of our items are...well...fun!

  • Handmade Indian Khussa Shoes: These are covered in beads & sequins and come in in every color you can imagine. What girls doesn't love shoes, I ask?
  • Glass Indian Bangles: Yes, they are really glass! We have a massive selection of styles and colors in three different sizes. They are colorful, covered, in glitter, and glass! Fun right?

  • Bindi Body Stickers: Oh my! Bindi are not just for the forehead anymore, and noting attracts more attention than wearing bindi. Be sure to check out our bindi photo gallery.

  • Henna Tattoo Products & Kits: Henna is not only fun, but much easier than people think. You don't have to be an artist to make a fantastic henna design! Not to mention you save a massive amount of money doing henna yourself. Visit our Henna Help site, to learn more about henna and to see a great henna design gallery.
We started our online business nearly five years ago. This past September we are very proud to have opened a retail store in the College Park Shopping District of Orlando, FL.

The next time you are in or near Orlando, stop by for a visit! Everyone eventually comes to Orlando, lol! If not for Disney, than for a convention.

Welcome!
Jody