my first demo video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnDCfhpb-ng&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Sweet dreams and night creams

Retinol creams are meant to help improve the skin's appearance from acne to wrinkles. Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. It helps make healthier skin by aiding in cellular reproduction. Such as causing the body to produce collagen which shrinks pore size and softens skin. It acts as an antioxidant -- which helps protect against carcinogens by getting rid of free radicals.

There are so many creams out on the market it's hard to choose. Factors to consider are % of retinol in the cream and whether or not you are already taking vitamin A suppliments (or are pregnant - it has been known to cause birth defects) because you don't want to overdose on vitamin A. Also be careful as it increases skin sensitivity so you shouldn't be using it without sun screen. Additional ingreedients like glycolic acid works well in conjunction with retinol, making it more effective. Hydroxy acids and vitamin C can also be beneficial.

Is it me or have nails gotten confusing?

Call me "old school" if you like, but I believe painting one's nails has gotten a bit confusing. I just can't keep up with the trends.

I have a whole board on Pinterest that's dedicated to nail art -- most of which I'm not even capable of duplicating myself. (Bet my nail salon is gonna love me for that remark -- more $ for them)

Originally, I thought it was trendy to use interesting colors.

Next the idea of "crackle" or "magnetic" ripple nail polish was cool.

And if you're weren't rocking gel polish (with or without the LED lamps) you were so "10 minutes ago."

Then it was the "french manicure" but with any color combination you wanted. (I'm partial to the glossy/matte combination of black polish called "tuxedo."

Or to flip it around as a "reverse" french manicure.

After that I was informed that you're supposed to make your ring finger a different color or have that one decorated a bit more. Thank goodness for press-on nail art!

Now it's textures like "fuzzy" or "Sugar coated" and holographic color-changing paint with metal flakes (aka glitter) in it.

If you ask me -- someone has to much free time on their hands or is creating a need that wasn't there before. LOL But don't you worry, I won't stop till I've tried them all!

Act Naturally

I've been invited to help with makeup for a small independent film. I was all packed & ready to roll when we found out one of the principle actors walked off the set! So I will now have to prepare for a slightly different cast. Nothing like keeping life interesting.

I'm doing this totally voluntarily, because I feel the experience will be beneficial & the opportunity to network great. (Besides some small part of me would love to say I worked on a movie set.)

I'll let all of you know how it goes after we wrap. Once complete, I'll post the title & how you can go about seeing it.

Having a good day is a state of mind

I set out to accomplish only a few things today, but felt like I finished a long list instead.

Let me explain...I use a top 6 things "to do" list. No matter how hard I try, usually I only manage to get a few items done & have to put off the rest until the next day. I actually was able to accomplish for the most part all 6 things. I got several other things that weren't a priority done as well. You might say, "so what?" But what is key is I did this all on 5 hours sleep!

It was lovely weather which I got outside to enjoy. I got my dress & shoes on sale for 50% off. I had time for a manicure & pedicure. Got the oil changed, car washed & topped off the tank for the weekend. I tried a new sandwich at Panera. I gave out my card to 5 strangers today. I smiled at babies and complimented women & little girls on their outfits.

I just felt so good about my life, day, etc that I had to share it everywhere & with everyone. (Unofficial job description: spread sunshine) Even the traffic heading home didn't bother me today.

Coincidence, I think not!

Some days I wonder if coincidences are real or just in my head. The other day I get a mystery call from someone who's name I don't recognize on the caller ID. I ignore the first time but decide to pick up when they called me the very next day. The reason I didn't know the name, was it belonged to someone I didn't know. However, it turns out that the person on the phone was!

In my line of work, if you maintain a certain level of business you get free referrals from the company. I simply list 5 zip codes of towns I service and the next time someone from that zip code searches for a consultant, my name is one of several that will show up.

Well, to back you up a bit, in my youth I was a girl scout. I went to sleep away camp for several summers & one year I met 2 sisters. We became fast friends and stayed in touch for years. Then sometime at the end of high school our correspondence just stopped. I always wondered what happened to them after college but this was before the dawn of Facebook!

Fast forward to current day. When sister "K" meets a fellow consultant at a party. She doesn't buy anything then but months later is interested in something. So she goes to our website to find a new consultant in her area. Guess who's face she sees? Mine. She tells her sister "C" who strangely enough had been thinking of me as she was packing up her belongings to move out of New England. (I guess we took a lot of pictures back then -- before the advent of cell phone with cameras mind you.) 

So was it coincidence that I show back up in their lives at this very moment? We'll never know. I'll tell you one thing, I never turn down the gift of friendship. I'm looking forward to meeting up with sister "C" this weekend before she packs up to move out of state this spring.

Why am I doing this?

I recently was told people don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it. It took a few brain cells to wrap my mind around the concept but I think I get it now.

If folks like you & are inspired by you, they'll enroll themselves in your cause & follow your lead. You have to be sincere & act with purpose though.

I belive in helping mentor women into successful business owners, by teaching them time & money management skills. I want to empower them, so that they might dare to dream bigger and stretch themselves to accomplish more.

I do this through teaching & selling skincare & makeup.  I'm not just trying to make $ to pay the bills, I want the freedom of choices that it brings.

So with every client I share my story & what I hope to accomplish. I ask for their help in the hopes that together we can do great things.

Don't forget to say Thank You!

I recently learned the value of a simple Thank You. We have mostly become a fast paced, high technology society that seemed to have forgotten that people like acknowledgement. i.e. "To paraphrase, people have a sign over their heads that says "make me feel special."  (I too like that "good job" or "thank you" when I've completed a task for someone else.)

If it weren't for my positive attitude and energy, I wouldn't be where I am today. To reinforce this point, I firmly believe my gratitude towards others hasn't been forgotten. Actually, it often has paid me back ten fold. Recently, I met someone because he was a Broker/Owner of a Real Estate office near my home. I was just looking for some potential business and networking. Turns out I got much more than that. What I didn't know is he also is in the "appreciation marketing" industry. (What's that, you say?) Why it's the art of saying "Thank You" which has brought him additional income but more importantly, it has brought him customer loyalty.

My industry, pretty much is one of customer service. I help people take better care of their skin, in addition to feeling and looking better. I'm doing most of the giving, so why should I be the one saying Thank You? Because without their business, support and referrals, I'd be out of business. I feel that there is a direct relationship to the strength of your relationship with a client and the longevity of that relationship.

I've been doing some reading up and it's true. Many people save greeting cards and thank you notes long after they were given. More often than not, they just delete emails of the exact same nature. So if you had taken the time and small amount of money to buy a pack of thank you notes and mail them off, not only would you be supporting the jobs of the US Postal service, but you would be giving someone a piece of mail they actually WANT to take and open from their mailbox. (Honestly, my husband lets me get the mail, because in his mind it's "always bills." Yet the upbeat child in me always hopes for a card, a check, coupons or catalog.)

Last night on TV there was a human interest segment about a small business owner who is selling stickers that say "Happy Mail" on them, that folks can buy and put on their mail so the recipient knows it's something to look forward to. (I think I just might have to buy few couple sheets!)

PS Regarding the stationary, you can go green and use post consumer recycled stock. Also, hand delivering the note doesn't hurt either.