The BLip

Christine Klein, owner of The Vintage Hammer, is so proud of the incredible store she has created in Hampshire, Illinois, AND SHE SHOULD BE.

Celebrating PRIDE in order to lift up the voices, culture and rights of the LGBTQ+ community is something we have always been passionate about, so it was SERIOUS MAGIC when we found out that Bevin Bells, an amazing 7th generation bellmaker in Connecticut, is releasing a "Slay all Day" sleigh bell!

Beeswax has a variety of natural benefits, making it a popular choice around Serious. We love it for LOTS of reasons, but here are some of our FAVORITE:

1. Moisturizing: Beeswax acts as a natural humectant(don't worry, there are no quizzes on vocab words here), helping to lock in moisture and keep the skin hydrated. That makes it PERFECT for the lotions and lip balms we make.
2. Protective Barrier: It forms a protective barrier on the skin, which can shield it from environmental irritants without clogging pores. This makes it ideal for sensitive or irritated skin. So it isn't just another gloopy ingredient that makes you sticky and miserable.
3. Anti-inflammatory and Antibacterial: Beeswax contains properties that help reduce inflammation and can prevent bacterial infections, making it beneficial for conditions like acne, eczema, and dry skin.
4. Vitamin A Content: Beeswax is rich in vitamin A, which supports skin regeneration and helps in reducing wrinkles and other signs of aging.
5. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable: As a natural by-product of honey production, beeswax is renewable and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly choice for a variety of products.

WE USE BEESWAX IN ALMOST EVERYTHING WE MAKE including: lip balms *duh, whip lotion, hand stuff, heck...EVEN OUR EVERYTHING BALM has beeswax

Beeswax's versatility and skin-friendly properties make it a valuable ingredient in natural products!

 

Trina came to Serious at the very very very begininning.

PICTURE IT:

Jacksonville, IL circa 2014

Khara & Luckey were fiddling around making some lip balms to give as gifts. As they developed their recipe many of the lovely folks around them were given freebies. INCLUDING Trina & Bob Meek-dear dear friends.

From DAY ONE Trina & Bob graciously encouraged us to sell our lip balms. This had not occurred to us. Give, sure. We were giving them. But SELL. What the heck.

The Meeks sent us to a shop on the square in downtown Jax that was going to be opening its doors any day. We rented a shelf, we designed a label and we sold our lip balms. Like, really sold them. several of them.

FAST FORWARD TO TODAY:
Trina innocently thought she could simply be a sideline cheerleader in this crazy business. Ohhhh noooo, she became an employee.

Officially, she is our Order Packer Extrodonaire (OPE)

But Realistically she serves as: 

• Head of the Calm Khara Down Committee
• Voice of Reason Chairman
• Assistant Dog Wrangler
• Literal Soul of the Business and so incredibly important that we couldn't function without her, and frankly wonder what we did before she joined us.

And Bob?
Bob died and we miss him like crazy.

...but now he is a cat, kinda.

What an incredible blast we had at the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago.

It felt so great to be able to sell our wares in our homestate again, even if it was quite a distance from home.

We got to meet so many incredible people, be with some of our besties *looking at you Ali Morton and Lexy :)

Thank you for stopping by if you got a chance, and we will be back next year to rock it up too!

Want to know why sweet almond oil graces the ingredients list on almost every one of our all natural and handmade lip balm and skin care products?  Oh, maybe because it's incredibly moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and tons of other great things.  Read on to learn more!

Sara is soooo much more than a teacher. She is a new(ish) mom, dog mom, emotional support friend, and hardworking gal - AND an OG around Serious.  Read on to find out what she's all about.

Okay, let me deal THE FACTS, our Bug Stuff, the all-natural and handmade bug repellent WORKS, smells AWESOME and contains a blend of essential oils and scents that keeps biting bugs AWAY.  What's in that amazing combo, you ask? THAT IS A WONDERFUL QUESTION, so READ ON!

Lanolin is not pretty to work with - it is THICK, it sticks to EVERYTHING and once it is on you, you pretty much need to sandblast it to get it off of your skin. That being said, lanolin is one of the most incredible substances when it comes to healing and moisturizing. Read on for more info!

Howard Schwartz is a rare kind of magic, the kind that mixes joy, knowledge, wisdom, kindess and amazing hugs. As a veteran of wholesale shows and a partner to his amazing wife Whitney in the creation of their Los Angeles-based hand-crafted accessories company that focuses on gratitude, he is a rare gem.

We know some pretty rad people and sometimes those rad people tell us how much they like our products. Once we are done blushing and blubbering our weepy thank yous, we always mutter about how we should tell other people that, because, you know, who knows better about our amazing all natural products than YOU?

Let's talk about the good stuff... shea butter edition. Like everything we use, shea butter is an all-star natural ingredient that is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. FROM A TREE. I KNOW, I couldn't believe it either. What makes it so great? Let me tell you.