Poreless Powders

These days, there are lots of products that are called "HD" or high definition. There are also products that claim to make your pores disappear. But what does this really mean? How can a powder give the appearance of super smooth skin that would look amazing, even on an HD tv?

Well, I tried Too Faced's Primed and Poreless face primer and LOVE it. It's a cream that goes on with a matte, velvety-feel. And somehow, magically pores and lines are diminished and your skin looks really nice! There is also a powder that is put out by Too Faced called Primed and Poreless loose powder. It's a translucent, white powder that is so fine and goes on so smoothly, it put other powders to shame.
The only catch was that I could not afford it. To get the primer and the powder, you are going to drop at least $54.oo.

Recently, I've had the good fortune to be able to try out products by Ruby Kisses. Today, I used their HD Set N' Forget powder at a photo shoot. The first thing I noticed was that it was pretty much exactly the same as Too Faced's powder. But, it's really cool because it comes in four shades...one is the white translucent, another one is called Banana and has a yellowish tone to it. The last two are darker colors that are great for tanned and darker skintones. And this powder makes skin look equally amazing. The BEST part is that it only costs a fraction of what the Too Faced version costs. It's only $5.99...not $28.00!



So there you have it. If you want to try a cool product that makes your skin look great, but you don't want to break the bank, then Ruby Kisses is perfect for you!

DEMAND Better Customer Service - Part One

I am a consumer. Boy, do I consume! Let's face it, we ALL do. And often there are times when we don't always get what we pay for. Whether it's the quality of an item, the quality of the customer service or the quality of the shopping experience altogether.

If you're laying out your hard-earned money, you want quality, great customer service, clean stores, clean/sealed packaging and ease of shopping. If something goes wrong, every consumer wants an exchange or refund that is quick and easy. The concept is pretty simple. I give you my money, you give me a product, product does not meet expectations, I bring product back to you and you give me back my money. It seems easy enough right? It's amazing how many different ways that can get botched up! Then add to the mix the complications of mail order and online ordering. It can become such an ordeal...enough to push someone to the brink of madness.

Recently, I have had quite a few instances of poor customer service or shopping experiences. Over the summer we stayed at a hotel that ended up being right near a fire department, the cable went out around 11:00 pm and in the morning, I was the only one in the family to have bug bites all over my ankles. I immediately filed an online complaint. But we never heard anything back. Once we got home, my husband started making calls and it turns out the hotel manager has already sent out a letter of apology to us (which never arrived). And it only took a few more weeks of back and forth between my husband and the hotel people before finally they were ready to kinda make amends by giving us enough points on their rewards program to stay a night or a voucher to stay a night. And that's when my husband steps up and said "Or you could just refund the money to my credit card."

I know, once a company gets you money, they don't want to lose it. So they will make offers and substitutions...anything they think will placate you. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you just want your money back.

While this discussion does apply to all areas of consumerism, I have seen a few strange things go on in the world of cosmetics...and since that is my favorite world to play in, I'm going to focus on these incidents.

Back in May, NYX Cosmetics was planning a phenomenal, never seen before, sale that would be like no others! To celebrate their 12th Anniversary, all of their products (apart from a select few) were going to be ONLY $1.20!!! The sale would go for 12 hours. This seems pretty straightforward and simple, right?

I suppose there just wasn't enough foresight, and NYX has so many fans and followers, overloading the servers was inevitable. The site wouldn't load properly at all! Refresh, refresh, refresh. Still nothing. Then they'd give you hope that they'd be up to speed at 8 pm, but guess what? CRASH! They even extended the sale another 12 hours to help people get their orders in. But the process was maddening, you could only buy 2 of an item and sometimes when you're refreshing so much, you are adding things and not even knowing it! And you could go and adjust the contents of the cart. You'd have to delete all of that item and then manually put the item back in again. I stayed up all night, managed to get a handful of items in my cart and was lost in the doldrums of refreshing, refreshing...

I had been up over 23 hours. There were only a couple hours left of the sale. NYX had made a statement that anyone who wasn't able to get through would be issued a 50% off coupon after the sale was over. Well, that's all well and good, but all of us who stayed up all night took that as a slap to the face.

So I called them.

The first customer service rep was pleasant and explained that I should just keep on trying and refreshing. I explained that that technique had done nothing for me for the past 22 hours so the odds were slim I'd get my order in in the last 2 hours of the sale. But she kept going on about trying and refreshing, blah, blah, blah. I asked to speak to her supervisor.

The next woman I spoke with was quite pleasant. She pretty much said everything the first customer service rep said, but she added on that they really appreciate their customers and they want to make customers happy, but if you can't get through online....oops, sorry. Around then, I started feeling my pulse go up. The tiny burn of blood rushing to my face making me completely upset and flushed. I told her that if they REALLY cared for their customers, then she'd take my order by phone, email or fax. She said they weren't set up to do that....which I completely shot down since I know of many cosmetics companies that take orders that way. Then she started to ramble on about "the best they could do", "appreciate customers', blah, blah, blah. So I asked to speak to her supervisor.

It was that point when I finally found a human and not some comsetibot to take my call. I mean, I'm human, I fully realize that the whole sale experience was a nightmare. People were throwing fits online on all social media outlets. People had taken to the phones, just as I had. It had to have been very stressful to take a call in the NYX office that day. I am not excusing what happened, just saying I understand.

The woman on the other end of the line had a position higher than the csr's. I explained to her that I had recently gotten my pro membership information from them and that I had been looking forward to placing my first order. But once this deal came into play, it's obviously a better deal and I want to take advantage of it. She then proceeded to give me her direct number and told me that if I didn't get through in the last hours to call her back.

At Noon, when the sale ended, I called her back. She asked how many items I had. I hadn't counted so I didn't know, but I did know it was a lot and that's what I told her. She then told me to print the list out and fax it to her. (Fortunately, while I had been waiting for 24 hours with no sleep, I was compiling the list of items I was going to order.) I did just that. It took over a week to get it totally processed and out, but it did happen.






This situation was frustrating for so very many reasons:

• NYX was not prepared for the traffic on their site.
• Some of their posts were snarky and sounded like the consumers were doing something wrong if they couldn't get their orders through.
• NYX never really apologized for any of the mess.
• Their stance seemed like "Too bad, so sad...but here, have a coupon."
• There was no genuine feeling of concern for the consumer.
• I'm sure the people who called got the same sorts of interaction as I did, but they just let it go after the one person they spoke to blew them off.

It was also a poor move on NYX's part because it created a massive schism between their fans. It was ugly. I saw it first hand.

So, what should you do when you are dealing with a situation like this? Some conspiracy theorists claim that this was an old "bait and switch" tactic. Or only orders with small quantities got through and all others would be left with the 50% off coupon. That way as few as possible people could benefit from the 12th Anniversary sale.

I don't know if this is true or not. I do know that one of the first things I was asked when I got on the phone with the last woman was "How many items are in your basket?" So, that makes me pause for a second.

In any event, if you are working your way through the maze of telemarketing customer service, always remember that the person you are speaking with is not the final authority, there is always someone else. You may have to say, "May I please speak with your supervisor?" over and over again. And all the while, you need to remain pleasant. Getting angry and using profanity gives them an excuse to end the call. Eventually you will get to someone who can answer questions. Many times these are the people who can make decisions to deviate from set plans.

And sometimes everything doesn't work out so rosy, but the fact of the matter is that this company was looking for sales. Were they really going to want you taking your money anywhere else? Your money can be your voice, especially if you are planning on making a large purchase.

Also, in the heat of the moment, when you are upset and want to throw around the names of government agencies and groups that deal with consumers, know this:

• The Better Business Bureau does nothing more than keep your complaint on file. They do not mediate any issues between client and company.
• The Federal Trade Commission acts almost identically in the same way as the Better Business Bureau.
• The State Attorney General handles problems between businesses and unsatisfied consumers (they do mediate too).
  
• If it's a local business you can always go to one of your local newspaper, television or radio consumer watchdogs. The reporter's who are looking out for the little guys...you know the ones.
• And in a SELECT FEW cases the FDA can be contacted, depending on your situation.

Now that I am seeing how long this post is, I will start a second post, telling the other tale I have about demanding better customer service.

If you do not demand it from these vendors, then you are excusing what they do, which leads to even more consumers having the same problems. I don't know what it is about where we are today that makes it so easy for us to shrug something off. "Incorrect change, eh, whatever." "My food's not right? Well, I'll just pick whatever I don't like off." "The shirt was never worn, still has tags, but they are only giving me store credit? Okay." So, people of Consumerland, I have to ask, "Where's the fire in your belly?!?!"

I Can't Live Without...

When I was in London a couple of years ago, I can remember seeing these odd hair brushes, called the Tangle Teezer. They had no handle, fit in your palm and allegedly didn't pull hair. I thought they were pretty cool looking, but they were £12-£14 each. That's like roughly $18-$20!! And what was really funny was that the smaller, compact size was more expensive, of course! I just couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a hair brush.


But since the last time we were in England, my daughter Tate's hair has gotten insanely long. It went from being right at her shoulders to falling towards her lower back. It's the thickest hair I've ever seen! She hates tending to it. Washing it is most definitely a chore, but the torture comes in when it's time to detangle it and comb it or brush it in the mornings before school. There were many mornings last year when Tate headed off to school looking like a ragamuffin.

I was quite surprised on this year's trip to London, when we went to Hamby's toy store and someone was demonstrating this brush. Of course, I did everything I could to launch Tate in the path of the woman doing the demonstrations. I was quite skeptical that even this magical brush could keep her from wincing and whining. And once the woman started brushing Tate's hair, I found I was completely wrong! Tate didn't make a peep. So, my first thought was that she was keeping it in because she didn't want to whine in front of this woman, so in my state of disbelief, I was given the opportunity to see for myself. And as I brushed through Tate's hair...there was no sound. I was stunned. I know this sounds melodramatic, but it was life changing. I was on the verge of having Tate's hair chopped off, it had become so unbearable to deal with. Blinded with amazement, I took a brush, headed to the counter and shelled out £12 for it.


The Tangle Teezer has pretty much eliminated the need for detangler after bath time too. It does really well on wet or dry hair. The only thing I could possibly think of to complain about is that it only gets the outer layers of Tate's hair. BUT her hair is so thick that we pin up the top half, brush the bottom half, then unpin the top to brush it. I don't think many brushed could get through her hair in one stroke. So that is really more of a thick hair problem than a brush problem.

Here's where it gets really good, my fellow beauty lovers! The Tangle Teezer is now being sold in the US! I just picked a second one up at Sally's Beauty Supply today for $9.99!! That's like £6!! You cannot beat that! Same brush, almost half the price! Look for yourself, here's the *LINK*!

I promise you, this is a product you didn't even know you needed. It's much gentler on my thinning hair than a regular brush. I no longer need the huge detangling comb after I wash my hair. It really is great. And the US price is right, whether you get one for your kids or yourself, you will be glad you got one!



On one last note...if you are an Angliophile and are familiar with the show "Dragon's Den", the creator of the Tangle Teezer, Shaun Pulfrey, was on that show in 2007 and turned down by The Dragons! Imagine that! They seriously misjudged that product! That, and I still want the two-toned compact one!! Wonder when they'll be Stateside?

UK Style

I know this post has taken quite a while to publish and I know a lot of you have been enthusiastic to read it. I had a lot of material to digest and work with, hence the delay.

While I was in London, I saw quite a few trends. Some are the same as what we see here, some are not. I really wish I could've gotten photos of everything!!

Fake tanning is really big over there. I know it's better than getting a tan from the sun and risking your skin to skin cancer. But doesn't it defeat the point to have a nation of people who basically look like Oompa Loompas? I saw some very VERY orange people. They could be spokespeople for Tropicana orange juice. I once heard the term "mangerine" to describe a guy with an orange tan, this would be an appropriate term for some of the people I saw over there. You'd think with the self-tanning being such a big business, even Stateside, that a company could FINALLY come up with a color that is not orange. I would rather see a pasty white Anglo any day!

Another trend that is REALLY big is false eyelashes. If you go to the drugstore, there is an entire wall of eyelashes. Way more than you see here! It's funny because they have Sex and The City-themed lashes. Are you a Carrie? A Samantha? A Miranda? Or that other boring chick played by Kristen Davis? There is also a line of day and night lashes that are based on the UK girl band, Girls Aloud. I know Boots also has their own line of lashes, from low-end to high-end. Some have glitter, some have sequins, some look like furry caterpillars resting on your eyes. There is a time and place for lashes and I'd say 75% of what is sold there should not ever be used for anything outside of a photo shoot.


Neon is another trend that has stuck around in the UK. Neon shoes, clothes, accessories. Neon make-up and nail polish. While I like neons and own some neon make-up and nail polish, you have to be a pretty special person to carry off neon clothing. The same thing goes for lace, there is a lot of lace clothing over there. And some people should just NOT wear it...ever. I did think it was funny to see the resurgence of jelly shoes.

Ridiculous hosiery is something else I saw. I took my daughter to a concert and the girl in front of us was wearing these ridiculously short cut-off jean shorts. She had these hose on that looked like she was wearing thigh highs and a garter. Well, it took me a minute to work it out, because there were no connectors and the garter looked like hosiery. But the skin wasn't showing through cut outs. So, it was all one piece and the nude color was so good, it was almost undetectable. But when the poor thing turned around, you could seriously tell they were hose because you could see the crotch of the hose peeping out from under her shorts. And she was wearing a blousy, chiffon shirt. What an odd mix. And someone asked me, "Where was her mom?" She was right there with her. Yep, faux garters on kids is apparently acceptable there.


Glitter make-up is something else that is HUGE over there. Many lines of make-up have glitter liners, eye shadows and lip glosses. And they are affordable. At the moment, I can only think of one or two drugstore lines that have glitter liners here. Glitter is fun. I, for one, LOVE sparkles. But like the lashes, there is a time and a place. Not midday on a workday, on the train, just above your overly-full. '60s throwback, false eyelashes. No, no, no.

But while I sit back and reflect on some of these trends, there is one thing that I can say that is positive. At least the women in the UK are NOT afraid of being trendy and trying things that are risky and fashion-forward. I was even inspired to buy some insanely bright lipsticks I would never have considered before. While there were situations where the fashion SWAT team needed to be called in, I can't help but commend these ladies for taking a chance! We should take note and not be afraid to try a new, bright splash of color or something we may not usually try.

The UK Trip 2011

I had hoped to blog while I was in London. But this trip was so busy, I usually crashed out when I got home. So, now that I am back Stateside, I figured I'd give you a taste of the goodies I picked up! Most of these lovelies are already spoken for. And I didn't even include everything I bought for myself!! There is some really good cosmetics shopping in London!! As you can see, the majority is by Sleek. I love their new True Color lipsticks! But I also developed a renewed love for Barry M too! And I'm giving Eyeko a go too! I threw in the OCC lip tars as eye candy, I got them here. More to come soon, I promise!!

Splurge Vs. Steal

Wow, this is really amazing.

I just saw this on the front page of Etsy:


The price tag on the above necklace is $1350. Below is a watermelon tourmaline and sterling silver necklace I have had in my shop for $50. I know there are some differences. The watermelon tourmalines seen above are thicker, but they have tons of fissures (cracks), not just flecks, full on cracks across the stones. My necklace only has 6 stones, hers has 7. She has also set them in 14K gold and the chain is gold. But $1300 more?? Watermelon tourmalines are expensive stones and I'm sure that bezel-setting each one in gold was time consuming. Although it will also be harder to repair should one of the rings on the bezel break. Anyway, my mind is just boggling over this and I'm thinking out loud.

Essence Beauty...I NEED MORE!

I am currently in the midst of a trade with another beauty blogger from Slovenia. I came across some cool nail stamping plates by the German company Essence (US site here), but they are not sold here in the US. Some friends of mine reminded me that Ulta sells Essence. And I recalled writing about them in my blog entry about Konad nail stamps. So, I went to my local Ulta to check it out.

Just my luck, my local Ulta is being renovated and everything was moved around. I looked and looked. Finally got to see a good selection of NYX products up close. Came across another line I had never seen/heard of before. But I couldn't find any Essence. I was on my way out the door when I noticed the display on the end of an aisle.

It was a little overwhelming because the line offers so many different types of products. Fortunately, there were no nail stamping products, so my international trade is still justified! But there were nail polishes, lip stuff, eye colors and liners, face products...you name it! And the prices are BEYOND reasonable! If there isn't an Ulta near you, the products are online too! And right now there is a coupon for free shipping on a $25 purchase!

Here's the breakdown of what I got:

• Quattro Eyeshadow Quad - Chic-ify and To Die For $2.99 (Not on Ulta's site)
  
• Color and Shine Eyeshadow - Bling Bling $2.99
• All Eyes On Me Mascara - $1.99
• 2-In-1 Kajal Pencil $1.49
• Black Mania Eyeliner Pen $2.49
• Lip Liner - Honey Bun $0.99
• Smokey Eyes Set - So What? $2.49
• Nail Art Freestyle & Tip Painter - Silver Surfer $1.99

I am really impressed with ALL of it! The prices are better than Wet and Wild. The packaging is cooler! I was so overwhelmed, I forgot to pick up a lipstick and a gloss! I really like the double-ended eyeliners. And the nail art polish is SUPER-metallic...chrome-like, even!! The shadows aren't insanely pigmented, but are fine for everyday use! I can't wait to try out more stuff. I just wish there were more places to find Essence in the US. Their European site doesn't even list places in England where it's sold. I mean, they have magnetic nail polish that has designs depending on where you wave the magnet over your nails!! How cool is that??

After I swatched my colors and washed them off, the Smoky Eye Set is STILL on my arm! You should definitely check this line out. It's fun and inexpensive!