A message from a MLM distributor to ALL direct sales people everywhere!

I hesitated to post this on my blog, but it is MY BLOG, so I'm going to do it. Hopefully any of my clients that see this will appreciate the fact that above all, I am authentic and I always keep it real. I don't try to sell anyone Ooops! unless they really want oil in a tube with a lip gloss applicator for convenience and I'll be the FIRST to tell you that our Foops Makeup Remover is overpriced. Sorry, just keeping it real. 

Since I posted this on my Facebook feed, I've had several of my true friends message me to ask if I was talking about THEM when I posted this. Truth be told, I'm not thinking of any one person, but just an overall feeling that I'm getting in general when it comes to our society and how multi-level marketing is infiltrating us all. Please read on....I admit that a lot of this has come to mind after spending the last two days reading a lot of posts on LuLaRoe Defective/Ripped /Torn Leggings And Clothes as a serious lurker. If any of you reading this are ex-Lula consultants or present Lula consultants, you need to go over there, because it is educational and entertaining and horrifying all at the same time!

So here goes: 

BEGINNING

So...I don't usually post stuff like this on my personal page (or really at ALL for that matter), but I really feel the need to make sure that all of my Facebook "friends" read this so you are fairly warned. This is also going to go on my blog eventually so I can post the link back to people who I feel are being unnecessarily aggressive and pushy. And know that if you post something that I perceive as negative or nasty on MY OWN PERSONAL feed, it will be deleted. If you have something to say to me, private message me. Nothing has happened but this is just a gradual building up of my feelings over the last month after seeing how many "friends" are adding me to their friends' Facebook groups for direct sales, inviting me to networking events, or asking me to come to parties that they are hosting for their other direct sales friends.

If you are one of those people and wondering if I am talking about you, then ask yourself this. Have you ever once bought from me to support my part-time job, but never hesitate to invite me to an online party that you are hosting, having or whatever? Have you ever once come up and did a demo with me at an event? Did you ask for my card at an event under the guise of "Oh, I wear LipSense and I'd love a new distributor" but really just used it as a ploy to get another person to cold call? Have you ever once referred someone to me that maybe asked about SeneGence or LipSense? Have you approached me about signing up with your MLM out of the blue, messaged me because I haven't bought from you in a while, or asked me if I'm interested in buying something from you because "it just made you think of me"? Or the worst, did you ONLY buy something from me because you thought it was a quid pro quo and would be a way to guilt me into buying something from you? Guess what, ladies, I've been watching Lularoe and direct sales for a long time, and I've been a LipSense distributor for almost a year and a half. You're not fooling me, yourself or anyone else.

Look at my profile. Yes, I am a distributor for SeneGence International. I am also a career insurance adjuster, a wife, a mother and a friend, not in that order of importance. Just because I sell cosmetics and skin care on the side does not mean that it is my whole life.

I never want to get to the point in my life EVER where people are avoiding my texts, not wanting to go to dinner with me, feel like if they go out with me for a glass of wine that I am going to pitch how great LipSense is or try to get them to sign up to be a distributor, or anything else related to getting their business. Anyone that knows me knows that is NOT the way I operate. I don't recruit anyone for my team because I don't have one. I don't try to pressure anyone into buying.  I don't ask my family about it! I don't preach that SeneGence is the end-all, be-all to skin care and cosmetics when anyone that knows me knows that I am a serious Urban Decay and Kat Von D addict and used Lush skin care like it was going out of style before I became a distributor. Do you know WHY I don't do that? Because I don't ever want anyone to feel like I would sell my own child for a sale. I went to dinner Sunday night with a client that bought two colors and a gloss from me last summer and LipSense didn't come up in the entire meal. And would you like to know why? Because that "client" has been my very dear friend for over twenty years and I know that if she wants more LipSense or gloss, she'll ask me for it! And if you are one of my friends and feel like I have ever said anything that even remotely made you feel like you were being pressured to try LipSense (I can't imagine doing this, but perception is everything), please accept my apology. And anyone that I invited to a party who didn't want to be invited or added to a group that didn't want to be added, again, please accept my apology.

For everyone else...if the following resonates with you, think just for a second about our communications since we met and think if maybe anything you said to me or directed at me could be taken as aggressive and pushy sales tactics. And if you are annoyed with this post because it means that you just lost a potential client but don't really care about our friendship, feel free to unfriend me.

I am not directing this at any person on my feed in particular, but if you are in direct sales or crafts or are a vendor of any nature, you should know that my days of having parties for direct sales consultants are DONE.

-I don't have online parties anymore.
-I don't have in-person parties anymore.
-I don't add people to groups anymore without their express request or permission.
-I have more Lularoe in my wardrobe than I can possibly wear.
-I do not use any stick-on nail products because I am on roofs all the time and shred my nails from checking hail damage, so STOP trying to convince me that your product is awesome. I'm sure it's the cat's meow, but I have over 1,000 bottles of nail polish that I wasted money on; I think I am set in the nail department.
-STOP trying to get me to try your skin care, and respect, JUST for a second, that I sell skin care.
-STOP trying to get me to try your makeup, and respect, JUST for a second, that I sell makeup.
-For the love of all that is holy, if I want a drink mix that I can easily mix in with my water or a caffeine additive for my coffee, I know where to find you.
 -For the last time, Pink Zebra gives me migraines. I am a ten-year Scentsy user and I'm not changing!
-I don't need anti-aging haircare; my hair stylist Tiffany (and an AdvoCare rep) IS my anti-aging haircare and hopefully as we head into our second decade of knowing each other, I will never know if I have gray hair or not.
-Jewelry, yes, jewelry is my weakness, but really, I know how great your stuff is or you wouldn't be messaging me to buy more. So stop already and I'll let you know when I need something.

And finally, I am NOT going to ask my friends anymore about coming to a party; they got enough of that when I was in the midst of the Lularoe hype. So please, stop with the "well, even though you don't use Jamberry/Color Street/etcetera, that doesn't mean your friends won't" and "oh, but your friends might be interested once they see how great your nails look all the time". Just stop. Enough already. Keep it up, and you'll be unfriended.

I'm sorry, but this just really needed to be said, and if you are one of my friends that feels like I have pushed you to try LipSense and you had no interest (again, I can't think of anyone I did that with), I am truly sorry. I became a distributor because I love my products and wanted to make a little money on the side, not to lose my friends.

END

That's all. I would post a picture of Miranda from The Devil Wears Prada but I don't want to get sued for copyright infringement. So just picture Miranda with her imperious withering look and I'm happy. 

March Madness: Come experience the wonder of SeneGence skincare and SenePlex!

For March Madness, I also have some specials that I would like to share! 

These specials will be in effect for the entire month of March AND April, so please, partake! 

If you see me in person, please mention that you saw my special in my newsletter or on my blog and I will be happy to honor it for my existing customers or if you are referred by a friend. 

(Forgive the spacing, I can't get Blogspot to cooperate with my cute lip print bullet points!

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS DURING MARCH AND APRIL! 

COMPLIMENTARY OOOPS! COLOR REMOVER WITH ORDERS OVER $50!



ALL STARTER KITS (ONE COLOR, ONE GLOSS, AND A OOOPS!) ARE ON SPECIAL FOR $45! (Normal price is $55) 


ALL ORDERS DURING MARCH AND APRIL COME WITH A COMPLIMENTARY SAMPLE OF YOUR CHOICE OF SKIN CARE!

Choosing the right foundation: where to begin?

If you are one of those women who has perfectly blemish-free skin and doesn't need to wear any base makeup to even out her complexion, I envy you...not only because I'm jealous, but because I know how that feels. When I was younger in my twenties, I used finishing powder only, and then moved occasionally into wearing Bare Minerals mineral foundation (remember, tap, tap, swirl, swirl?) and then graduated about five years ago into BB creams and color correcting age serums. 

Unfortunately, to quote Miss Truvy, time marches on and eventually you realize it's marching across your face. Even though I do daily upkeep on my face with skin care and night treatments and wear sunscreen during the day and make sure I'm wearing a hat at the pool and beach, the reality is that I didn't always do that and sun damage is irreversible. All you can do is minimize the appearance by improving your skin's moisture content, increasing elasticity and diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and blemishes. I see a dermatologist once a year who drains any clogged oil pores that I have that won't drain on their own, I put cold skin masks on after a day in the sun to help reduce redness, and I use a slew of treatments during the week (not all at once) that each have their own purpose in my daily upkeep. I try not to fall asleep with makeup on, and I do my best to stay out of the sun. 

When I first became a distributor for SeneGence, I still had a lot of non-SeneGence makeup (and still do). I have been using our MakeSense foundation about half and half but have really been trying to use up my old foundation which is it CC+ full coverage serum. It is great but over the last month I have noticed that it's starting to have a not-so-fresh smell, and it's not blending into my nose as well as it used to. Yup, time to chuck it and start over. All makeup has an expiration date and my beloved CC+ has hit the date on the milk carton. 

SeneGence offers three full-face makeup products, although technically one could be considered just part of our skin care line. Really, ALL of our foundation is considered skin care since it contains SenePlex, our anti-aging complex which works to increase collagen content in your skin, diminish wrinkles and lines and contains blockers that are similar to sunscreen with an SPF of 15. Please note that there is no sunscreen in our foundation, but the protection that it offers is similar to foundation. 

Three choices:

1) Color-Correcting Tinted Moisturizer (CCTM) is available in Light and Medium. This is exactly what it sounds like; it is a moisturizer that you can use on your skin that has some makeup in it so you ARE getting some coverage and evening out, but it is not a full-on makeup and is more moisturizing than MakeSense or AAA (see below). I have used this a lot in the summers when I want some coverage but it's really hot out and especially in the winters when I'm going to be outside and the wind is blowing. It helps a lot with protecting my skin against windburn. You can also use it under your foundation as a moisturizer and primer. There is a Dark color in the works but right now all that is available is Light and Medium. My recommendation is that if you want this but feel like Medium is too light is either to use this under your foundation or mix it with your foundation if MakeSense is too light or doesn't have enough moisture. Retail price: $45.

2) Regular MakeSense is a traditional foundation but fortified with skin care and SenePlex. It is a partial coverage (not full coverage) and is oil-free. Retail price: $50. This formula is not available in every shade; there are some like Adobe and Coffee and Truffle that are not available in MakeSense. 

3) Advanced Anti-Aging is the top of the line foundation which is our regular MakeSense but heightened with more SenePlex and also has oil added to it. However, the oil that is added to it is not a great amount. My skin has the consistency of an oil slick and AAA is my choice of foundations because the oil thickens the foundation and provides a more full-coverage foundation and more moisturization plus additional protection from the sun. Most women experience a surge of dryness in their skin as they get older (it's part of life) and we need extra moisturizer to help our face maintain its smoothness and elasticity. Every color manufactured by SeneGence comes in the AAA formula from Porcelain to Truffle. Retail price: $60. 

One is not better than the other. Each formula has their place and everyone's skin and makeup preferences is different. Once you have thought about what you are looking for in a makeup, make your decision. For me, I like a medium to full coverage that will even out my complexion and give me a smooth even canvas to start with when I put my makeup on. Skin care during the day while I wear it and sun protection is a HUGE perk. So for me, AAA is my choice. 

Next decision: What color is best for you? 

Fortunately, MakeSense and AAA MakeSense are not full coverage so they can be used by women who have varying skin tones. I can generally wear about six of our shades with no problem; it is just a matter of narrowing down the shade that is the most flattering to my skin tone. If you aren't a foundation wearer, I normally would suggest to start with color that is close to your skin tone and try it on your hand to see if the effect is what you are looking for. Again, that goes back to what you are looking for in a makeup. Are you looking for something the same color as your skin? Lighter? Darker? There are no wrong answers. The other starting point is to start with a foundation that you are currently using and are comfortable with and go from there. 

You can see that I started by putting CC+ Light on a white plate and striping the foundations that I am comfortable using next to it. Then I did the same thing with my hand. They look quite different on a white porcelain plate and my tan hand, but then again, that's the point. 

I narrowed the colors down to Suede and Almond, both AAA. Both are my testers which is why Almond is partially used; I have tested this color on many people and have used it a few times myself. The first time I used it, I wasn't a fan, but I blame application on my part. I used a foundation sponge because that is all I had with me and I usually use a brush. This picture was also taken in stark fluorescent lighting and I was wearing Berry which made my face look, well, PALE. 

Then I applied both on my face half and half. I actually started on the Suede side with the regular MakeSense and then realized it wasn't full coverage enough so I applied AAA over it. 

Then I applied Suede over the Almond so I had a full Suede face. 

And then washed my face and started over with Almond. 

The winner? Almond. 

My observations:

1) Although the Suede is very, very close to the skin tone of my face, it's darker than my neck color which is resulting in a line on my jaw. When I wear makeup, it's obvious that I am wearing it since I prefer colorful eye colors and bright lip shades, but when it comes to my base foundation, I don't want it to look like I am wearing anything. Foundation should accentuate your natural color, not stand out stark on your face like clown-makeup would. 
2) The Suede almost gives my skin an artificial tan. It's not unattractive, but I like to wear blush and bronzers, which would not be necessary with this color.
3) The Almond gives my skin a peaches and cream look and evens out the shadows and blemishes in a consistent way. It also blended into my nose well and covered the redness around my nose that is perpetually there plus covered my glasses marks on the sides of my nose. 
4) Overall, I just liked my face better with Almond than Suede. It's going to be a better blank canvas for my makeup application.

So there you go! That's how I do it! If you are able to go through this process, that's what I would recommend, but if you are in a store or at a location where this full process is not feasible, bring your existing foundation with you and stripe it on your hand next to the ones that are close. Once you find the one that you think is the best match, rub a little on your jaw next to your neckline to see how close it is from the tester bottle at the store. You might also try dotting a bit on your forehead and nose to see if it's close. Since foundation testers are not used around eyes or lips, you're probably safe just dotting a little bit from the tester, although I'd clean the bottle outside before squeezing some out first. And make sure to wash your hands afterwards or use a foundation sponge so you don't get any on your hands. 

I will admit that I don't have a lot of experience with a vast number of foundations. When I was in high school, I dabbled with Cover Girl. Then I wore Bare Minerals mineral foundation for about ten years, switched to Too Faced Cocoa Powder Foundation and then Born This Way Foundation, and I have used the it CC+ serum for the last year alternating with various shades and formulas of the SeneGence foundation line from the CCTM to the AAA. Overall, I really like our foundation. It blends smoothly, feels light on the skin, has a velvety texture (which is what I loved about the Cocoa Powder Foundation from Too Faced), and blends well with bronzers and blushes. When I have used it for events where I am going to be outside, it doesn't melt off my face like others I have tried. I do use a brush to apply it since that is the most even way for me to get it on my face. I have tried sponges but I don't have a light enough hand to do that, and I don't care for using my fingers to do it for the same reason. What appeals to me about MakeSense and the AAA formula is the anti-aging qualities, the blocker that is similar to sunscreen and the fact that it is good for your skin. 

I'd love to help you with a good foundation match if you are ready to switch to SeneGence. All I need is a good close-up, the foundation that you are currently using if you are using it, your skin type and a little information on what you do and don't like about what you are currently using, what you want in a foundation, etcetera. If it's not the right shade or you're not satisfied with the product, I will be happy to honor a refund or an exchange for a year after purchase. 

Have a great day and thanks for reading along!

EyeCream and EyeLuminator: Which is best?

As we age gracefully or ungracefully, one area that is a prime problem area for men and women alike is the eye area. The skin under the eyes and around the eyes is the most fragile and delicate on the face and is 10% of the thickness of the skin on the rest of the body. Wrinkles develop on the skin when there's a decline in the production of connective tissue protein collagen. Combine the two and you have dark circle, circles, dry skin under the eyes, crow's feet, laugh lines, whatever you want to call it...but it's a issue that most people fight as they age. 

As I have alluded to in so many blogs, skin care and anti-aging is umm....kind of a hobby of mine, even before I became a distributor for SeneGence. And really good quality skin care is not cheap. The price point for anti-aging skin care can be really pricey whether you get it from the drugstore or get a treatment from your dermatologist. 

PSA: If you are over 35 and spent a significant amount of time out in the sun, I strongly recommend that you have an annual check-up with a dermatologist. I have one who I see every year. He checks me from head to toe to make sure I don't have any funky moles or freckles changing color. 

No anti-aging creams are going to reverse time or work instantly; however, one thing that I personally have noticed to be true with skin care offered by SeneGence is that you do see results fairly quickly. So if you are quick on the draw with wanting to see results, our skin care line won't disappoint. 

And our eye creams are no disappointment. 

Anti-aging eye creams can range in price point from $20 Neutrogena creams at the drugstore to $90 at Nordstrom's to $195 on Amazon depending on what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. Ours? $50 for EyeCream and $55 for EyeLuminator, and a little goes a long way. 

Today at a client's request, I did an experiment. I've been using both the EyeCream and the EyeLuminator for over a year, and I usually use them 2-3 times a week. I admit, I'm not diligent about using EyeCream every night and usually I forget to put on the EyeLuminator in the morning. I remember it after I have my full face on since I keep all my skin care together. (Note: start keeping EyeLuminator in makeup area, Erica!)

So what are these items? 

Our EyeCream is made with soybean oil, kukui seed oil and Vitamin A. Its purpose: to protect the skin around the eye area and diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It is $50.

Our EyeLuminator is the EyeCream blended with Pearlizer Advanced Anti-Aging Foundation. It is $55. 

Both pots are the same size. Both creams are a firm pressed texture that doesn't move in the container or spill. The EyeCream has a lavender tint to it and the EyeLuminator looks like a firm concealer. I put on both with my ring finger. They blend very easily into moisturized skin without streaking.

So let's begin. For a starting picture, I have this. A picture of me wearing Caramel Apple yesterday on a clean face with no makeup. You can see all of my dark areas and blemishes on my face as I couldn't even find concealer in my car makeup bag to dot some cover-up on my chin. I did wash my face that morning in the shower, but I estimate that I haven't used EyeCream for at least a week. 

To experiment today, I washed my face with Normal to Oily Cleanser and treated it with Climate Control and Normal to Oily Day Moisturizer. I then applied EyeCream to the area under my eyes. Here is a close-up. 

To test how quickly you can see results, I set the timer for ONE HOUR and took another picture. Believe me, I haven't photoshopped these pictures. If I had, I would certainly have made my eyebrows look better. These pictures were taken in the same spot in my living room using the same phone with a flash on. 

What is different? 

• The skin is moisturized and has absorbed the emollients in the cream. You can see the shine on my before picture where the light reflects off the shiny areas. 
• The dark shadows are slightly reduced, especially in the bottom curve of the circle. 
• I have two laugh lines in the before picture that are very prominent right where my lower lash line begins that are diminished in appearance in the after picture. 
• The crepey appearance at the inner corner of my eyes right below my waterline is more prominent in the before picture. 

And that was just an hour. 

Later this evening, I put on EyeLuminator which is another treatment of the same cream, but since EyeLuminator is blended with Pearlizer, it acted as a concealer as well as a treatment. 

With EyeLuminator only, no makeup, on left!

And after blending in a little foundation on the right! 

Is it necessary to have both of these? No. The Eye Cream can be used alone under makeup, but if you are like me and could use a little help evening out your skin tone and appearance under your eyes and want more help during the day than at night, EyeLuminator may be your friend. Nighttime skin care is important because this is when your skin is at rest, but the beauty of EyeLuminator is that it has makeup AND skin care in it so it is treating your skin while you are looking your best...skin care combined with makeup. Great stuff. A little goes a long way. 

If you are interested in purchasing these products or hearing about how to use them together with the Dark Circle Eye Treatment, concealers or MakeSense, please feel free to contact me!

Is it worth sacrificing customer service to score a commission?

This is a little bit of an unusual blog post, because I'm not really critiquing or reviewing one of the products that I sell, but I do want to share what happened to me this weekend that reminded me of just WHY it is so important to me to make sure that all of you are happy with the items that you purchase from me and why I make sure and take the extra few seconds before sealing the bag after purchase to double-check that the seals are intact, to verify that you are getting exactly the items that you asked for and to make sure that everyone knows that you are more than welcome to return your purchase for a refund or exchange if you are absolutely not in love with what you got. 

So....the theme tonight...is it worth sacrificing customer service to score a commission? 

My answer? NO. I will never, ever, ever shop at Neiman Marcus again. EVER. 

Last year I had researched the best orange blossom perfumes on the internet and Jo Malone London kept coming up. I went to Neiman Marcus at my nearby mall, checked out their testers, narrowed it down to English Pear and Freesia, Nectarine Blossom and Honey and Orange Blossom. My husband went and bought me English Pear and Freesia. 

About two weeks ago, I went shopping with my tween and checked out the two I didn't get last year. 

 My husband and I went out Saturday night and we decided on Nectarine Blossom and Honey. 

Christmas Eve at midnight I opened my gift to discover English Pear and Freesia. The exact same perfume sitting on my dresser. 

So what happened? I honestly don't know, and I know that this post is going to seem REALLY obsessive and fixating, but I swear to all that is holy, I am convinced that this perfume counter consultant did this on purpose. And if you are wondering why in the world we spent as much time looking at perfume as we might have spent looking at a car, Jo Malone's 3.4 oz bottles retail for $135. I freaking LOVE my perfumes. And it's tradition! My dad gave me a bottle every year for Christmas until I got married, and then he and my husband overlapped for a while, and now my husband Philip gives me one. Every year. Without fail. Quality perfume is worth the money.

For the story's purpose, let's call her Becky. As in OMG BECKY WHY DID YOU DO THAT!? My theory: She wanted a quick commission. 

Believe me, I don't know her real name and I sure wish I did, but the receipt didn't have her name on it. 

Facts:

1) My twelve-year-old daughter M, being the curious tween that she is, picked up her perfume of choice (English Oak and Hazelnut) sprayed it all over herself. I don't think Becky liked that because she immediately pulled a Wayne's World/May I help you? riff move and offered to spray a card down for us instead. Mmphm. Note, Becky, perfume smells better on PEOPLE than cards.

2) Saturday night she was really trying to sell us on one of the other scents like Wild Bluebell and the sultry "nighttime" scents even though I had already come in with my final two picked out. But she was really trying to get us to buy something else. (Yep. I know I should have clued in on that one.)

3) I distinctly made it clear during our fifteen-minute "sell" that I already owned English Pear and

Freesia. I made it clear that I really think Jo Malone perfumes are quality and that's why I wanted a second scent. When I like something, I really like it! And this was the only thing I wanted for Christmas. Once Philip and I settled on Nectarine Blossom and Honey, she went over, picked up the last bottle of what we thought was Nectarine Blossom and Honey, checked it and immediately whisked it away to do the Love Actually routine with the wrapping. Not once did she allow us to look at the bottle before she started wrapping it. 

4) She rang up Nectarine Blossom and Honey. It was ON THE RECEIPT.

So now knowing my love affair with quality, beautifully floral and citrusy perfumes, you can understand my disappointment when I unwrapped the Love Actually bag complete with a cute little ornament and cute little bow to find the same English Pear and Freesia sitting on my dresser. 

Tonight, I took it back to Neiman Marcus to exchange it. Who knew I'd be returning it for a refund? 

More fun facts that I was informed of by "Alicia", since Becky was not there. 

1) Neiman Marcus was sold out of BOTH Nectarine Blossom and Honey AND Orange Blossom for a week. A WEEK. We were there three days ago. That was never mentioned. 

2) No, they have no idea when they are getting more in.

3) She REALLY wanted to give me a "merchandise credit" even though I do not shop at Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus is where I park to go to Lush. It's not where I shop. I only shopped there to begin with because last year at the time I became interested in Jo Malone, Neiman Marcus was the only store that carried those perfumes. 

4) She was sure that "Becky didn't do it on purpose" and that "she was probably just busy". Right. We were the ONLY ONES at the Jo Malone counter Saturday night. 

5) She was sure that "Becky just mixed it up with another bottle of perfume". No, she did NOT. I watched her! She picked up the last bottle of English Pear and Freesia and there were no other bottles on the counter. 

Whatever. I asked her to credit my husband's card (which took her about six times longer than it should have) and send an email receipt (how hard is it to type pxgonz70?) and that I would just order it online. She did so after assuring me that she just "wanted to give me the highest level of customer service" (right) and then wishing me a happy holiday. I just gave her the stink eye. I was honestly afraid to open my mouth.

To say I was disappointed is an understatement. I was SO MAD that I actually teared up on the way to my car. Philip, being the great guy he is, insisted on calling around and we found Nordstrom's at Stonebriar Mall in Frisco that had three bottles of Nectarine Blossom and Honey. That perfume attendant was SO nice, not only did she manage to cater to three customers at once, she actually sprayed my tissue paper with the tester to make the bag smell nice after I told her it was okay not to wrap it since it was after Christmas. AND she said thank you. (Yep, I teared up again! My faith in perfume counter attendants was restored!)

I know that one of my downfalls is always expecting to be treated the way that I treat others, but I always make sure that I verify my client's purchases with them before they leave my table, I always show them the items to make sure that they are exactly what they want and that the seals aren't broken, and I never, ever make excuses when people ask to return or exchange items. 

I sure hope that commission was worth it to Becky. Neiman Marcus lost a client for life. Nordy's, even though they already had my loyalty thanks to their awesome shoe department and lingerie service, has me forever. I never would have known what bra size I really was if their lingerie department hadn't offered to measure me!

Anyway, the moral of the story, especially if you are in customer service: keep in mind that karma never forgets. Becky may have gotten her little commission from me, but how many people will read this blog and remember it every time they walk by Neiman Marcus? 

I hope that if I ever pull a "Becky" with any of my customers, you all will take me to the carpet and remind me...because that is NOT why I decided to start selling cosmetics and skin care. The whole reason why I decided to split the Abundance parfum trios was based on feedback from MY CUSTOMERS! That is just how I choose to do business. 

On that note as we wrap up 2017, I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Ultimate Facial: Detoxifying and Moisturizing Mask

I never really enjoyed face masks until I discovered the wonder and joy of the fresh face masks that LUSH makes. If you don't have a LUSH by you, unfortunately you can't get them since they have to be refrigerated and they make them fresh, but for about $6 you can get a face mask at Lush that has enough for about three masks and expires in about two weeks. The upside: the ingredients are all fresh and organic (think seaweed, asparagus, blueberries, garlic, honey, oats). The downside: it expires in two weeks. 

However, what I learned from using these face masks:

1) They feel AMAZING cold. If you have a day where you got too much sun, slap a cold face mask on and let it sit for fifteen minutes and it will greatly reduce the redness and help prevent peeling. 

2) They are incredibly great for your face, no matter what their designed purpose. Every face mask I have used, whether it is designed for exfoliation, moisturization, cleansing, etcetera, always makes my face feel like it's been buffed with a nail emery board in a very good way. 

3) It's a lot cheaper than getting a facial at a spa (which I also really enjoy). 

Since I started using masks, I now keep all my masks in the refrigerator, regardless if they are LUSH, Perfectly Posh, Arbonne or my favorite, our Detoxifying and Moisturizing Mask. However, I do admit that I have ones from all of the manufacturers in my refrigerator because like shampoo, I believe that your face needs variety when you are treating it and the same routine day after day will stop shocking your skin and getting it to improve. So while yes, I use all of our skin care products, I don't use them every single day with the exception of our face wash. 

Tonight I have a date night with my husband since it's his company Christmas party and I'm going full-out with my makeup and doing full face. I started preparing last night with our Facial Resurfacer but today? Mask time!

I have had this mask container in my refrigerator for nine out of the eleven months that I have been a distributor and I've used it at least three to four times a month each month. And look how much is still left. It's about half full. It is not going bad since I keep it in the refrigerator, and it still smells and works wonderfully. The directions suggest a thin coating (usually a good fingerful is sufficient since it spreads well) and to use it no more than 1-2 times a week. 

Math time: 

Cost of the mask: $50
Use: 4 times a month x nine months = 36 masks
I have half of it left. 
$50 divided by 72 masks = 69 cents per mask

Not a bad rate for a prestige skin care item that really works and is fortified with anti-aging complex. 

So it feels cold, it works, it moisturizes your skin, it helps with anti-aging....and....it smells great. To me, it smells very much like cucumbers, so from reading the ingredient list, I gather that some sort of cucumber extract must be in it. However, what is actually IN it? 

Top ingredients that caught my eye: 

1. Kaolin. I'm not surprised at all to see this as this is a top clay ingredient used in most cosmetics. It's job? Absorbing excess oil and water into itself as well as making a paste when mixed with water that has a texture. You will see this used in virtually every facial mask, even the ones from LUSH. 

2. Vegetable oil. Also not surprised to see this one either...the mask isn't greasy or oily, but a little bit of oil is needed for spreadability and the mask does direct you to use a cleanser after you take it off. I use our 3 In 1 Normal To Oily Cleanser. 

3. Yeast extract.  This is an antioxidant, and antioxidants strengthen skin structure and help prevent environmental damage. 

4. Vitamins A, B, C and E. These are NEVER bad for your skin, but Vitamin E especially is great. 

5. Orchis mascula (flower extract). This is going to be found in a lot of our products, including LipSense. Flower extracts have varied purposes but many of them stimulate microcirculation, improve dryness, reduce redness, and revitalize aging skin.

6. Jojoba seed extract. Surprise surprise, this has Vitamin E in it as well which can be used to treat sunburns! It also speeds up cell regeneration which will help with treatment of scarring, acne and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. 

7. Arnica montana. Arnica traditionally is used to treat injuries and soothe muscle aches, but it also will reduce inflammation!

8. Camellia sensis (leaf extract). Another antioxidant! See #3 above. 

9. Zinc. Remember zinc oxide? The white cream people still occasionally put on their noses to prevent sunburn? It is also used to treat skin irritations such as diaper rash and other issues, but also can be used as a mild astringent. 

10. Volcanic ash. I know this is a strange thing to see in skin care products, but if you haven't seen any skin care products with charcoal or other carbon-based products in them, take a look if you have especially oily skin. I have found for me that any facial wash or scrub with charcoal in it is especially effective at helping control oily skin, which I have in abundance. Activated charcoal'when used in a face mask magnetizes to and helps extract the dirt out of your pores, making them less visible. If you have ever had a professional facial, part of the facial usually is a manual pore extraction where the aesthetician actually manually extracts the dirt and oil clogging your pores. This will help in the same way and I have noticed my pores are less noticeable by using products with ash or charcoal in them. 

So my routine this morning? I used a gentle facial scrub to take off the products from the night before, put the mask on my clean dry face, let it sit for twenty minutes, and then washed it off with clean warm water. After that, I washed with our 3 In 1 Normal to Oily Cleanser, moisturized with our Daytime Normal To Oily Moisturizer and then topped that with our Silk Pore and Wrinkle Minimizer. The after picture was taken just after washing the mask off and before cleansing and moisturizing.

The end result is that my face is clean, moisturized, soft, and ready for full face tonight!

This mask would make a wonderful Christmas gift without a doubt! Don't forget about the people in your life that love facials! This is a gift that will give all year long!

The Detoxifying and Moisturizing Mask retails for $50.00 USD. Please contact me to order! (And no, I have no idea why the flyer shows it blue. It is white.)