Above and beyond customer service is what it’s all about when you are just starting out as a makeup artist, which people who have known me for years think is hysterical. I never put makeup on, but in the past…I still have my college theater textbooks and, except for airbrush makeup (which I swore I would never use and am now getting as a gift) I knew a lot about it. I just back-burnered it, because I wanted to act, not make an actor look good.
Well, I’m acting part of the year, but writing does not pay the bills and neither will being a makeup artist, until I get my comp sheet together. Editorial credits would work too.
So, I have a business plan. Work with models and photographers on a quid-pro-quo basis, approach local photagraphers and bridal shops to leave cards, approach shops in Ann Arbor that my have fashion shows. Work for free with local pageants. I don’t care how small. Miss Blueberry Icecream is fine, as long as I get an editorial credit. Get tables at bridal shows and airbrush the crap out of everyone I can. Volunteers and friends. Bridal looks are always understated and elegant and I can do that with my eyes closed. Do both airbrush and regular foundation.
Make website wih my work on it, so I can get discounts. Make money the first year.
I was going to start with my makeup creation stuff, first, but this will get me better word of mouth…Or, I can always staple mineral makeup samples to my cards. A much better idea. Hmmmm…I could buy sample sizes, mix them, put them in the tiny cases that are so inexpensive and go. I could start with five eyeshadows, 3 quiet, two bold, four lipglosses (easy) and 2 blushes and give my brides lipglosses for touch ups. That way I can formulate a color for special brides and use it in my line. God, my brain is going a mile a minute and I have my meds on board to help me clarify my thoughts (ADHD, bet you never guessed).
If you can Let’s not lose the flavor of America. If you must big box, go to some local stores too. Less pushing and some great bargains right now. Give them a black Friday too. I also LOVE Orchid Lane in Ann Arbor. Fare trade and renewable fabrics, for good to great prices. It’s got great customer service and a lot of my clothes come from their sales. A Sari Silk skirt for 15 bucks? Reversable too. I own several and adore them.
Shopping burns 170 calories an hour. Day after Thanksgiving shopping burns 200, if you move fast to snatch those bargains. So, to burn off your average turkey dinner, 5000 calories, you MUST shop for 25 hours this weeekend. Go, grab bargains and eat salad with colorful vegetables and lite dressing. Get protien in the form of leftover turkey (it’s not the turkey, it’s everything else). Toss some dried cranberries on it and NO cheese. You’ll make up for it in no time. Seriously, why stay on a dreadmill, when the wonders of shopping your local downtown joints is available!
Some mornings I need a shot of courage to look in the mirror before my shower. This is one of them.
Awesome skirts I have in my head, for about two weeks now. Today, come hell, or high water, I will cut them out . This afternoon sew one, tomorrow the other. I’ve got this killer idea for a skirt using industrial zippers.
I’m also about to cave and buy, don’t laugh, a Bedazzler. Why? I like studs and I found a place online that sells butt-loads of studs for the darn thing for cheap. I want studded belts and handbags, using the leather I’m about to purchase. End pieces from a company in bright colors. I can’t wait to make purses out of them. CANNOT WAIT!!! I also have the coolest fake snakeskin from JoAnne’s of all places. I am cutting it into a belt, something else and a purse today. It needs studs. It also needs a lining, but I’ve got that covered. Nothing fancy, no pockets on the inside, just color and fun. This thing has a shimmer to it and is croc embossed. All the fun, without killing a croc. Of course, the croc can kill back, making it a sort of, “Bambi with a Gun.” I think it’s wonderfully ironic.
Still, I will wear somehow leather, but getting away from it more and more as really good substitutes become available. I like the idea of synthetics, although they use oil. I have a lot of bamboo and organic cotton in my stash now. Gentle on the earth, just share with the Pandas.
This post feels so important to me, that I’m posting it on both blogs today. Anyone, who puts two and two together on the name of this company and threatens me, will be reported to their ISP. I’m not 19. I’m almost, gasp ick, forty six and I know the laws when it comes to copyright and defamation. So, put a hat on it. I will turn around and bite people who try to blackmail me and I won’t play along. Ever. It gets my back up and I become belligerent and it’s no fun for anyone. Free speech is just that. Besides, I never name your company. Interested parties can go to Google and type in, “_____ (company name) + repackaged makeup. Very interesting. Take all reviews, good and bad, with a salt lick. Mine too. We all get biased about our favorites.
I don’t know, if you know, or care, but there is what can only be described as an Internet war going on in the indie makeup community. Companies buying pigments from Coastal Scents and TBK Trading, and re-packaging them at an obnoxious price.
Over the last few days, I’ve been both furious at consumer’s for not knowing what goes into their makeup and these companies ripping off people. The key? Even if the current companies straighten up and play right, there will be more companies who take the easy way out. It gives people who work hard to formulate their own colors a bad reputation. No one trusts anyone right now and the people loyal to the brands doing the stealing, are bunch of Internet bullies.
Spamming sites that dare say even the smallest negative, “this lipstick could be creamier,” is a capitol offense and the owners of one company in particular are calling anyone with anything negative to say liars, which is an understatement. Take down notices, defamation of character lawsuits are threatened and opinions squashed. Look, if someone tells you to review their stuff and threaten lawsuit because they don’t like what you have to say, tough.
What’s so wrong with a bad review? One of my books was switched editors on me halfway through. The new editor was someone without a larger worldview who did not like my stories. She did a slip-shod job on it and I got rotten reviews on spelling and sentence structure. Something my editors and the Final Line Editor are supposed to catch. Hell-o, dyslexic writer here and they knew it. At first, I was so pissed that a good story got ad reviews, but it wasn’t the story, it was the editing and a fair cop. I should have been taken to task on it and now I’m bothered that book is not better and want a re-write.
A company should welcome, with grace, a bad review. Stand back, is it fair? If your colors are dupes of someones stuff, or re-packaged there’s nothing wrong with that. TBK makes some of the most gorgeous colors I have ever seen. It’s worth cutting more glimmer, or making matte and pressing for people. Even if you do it, you can tell people and make sales. Some people love the color, but a pigment might not have a good slip, as is, or fade because it needs a product to keep the sun off it (pigments should be stored in low-light conditions). There’s a reason companies add fillers to product. Not to ruin the pigment, but to make it bendable and lasting.
Why does this frost my cookies? Because I’m a cook who can’t cook, because I didn’t get to be 320lbs on restaurant food, it was *MY* cooking. I need a substitute. So, I’m going to formulate my own pressed shadows, blushes and lip glosses (lip stick later on) and sell them. No hard sell, just available online and in person to people who want them. Will I send some out to people on the Internet who can help? I’m no idiot, of course. Do I expect people to gush for more? Cripes no. Tell the truth and I will re-formulate stuff to be better. I don’t want to sell an inferior product.
Mostly, I will sell to friends and family and not worry so much about YouTube. I won’t be selling there, unless someone likes my shadow. Then, go for it.
The problem with Coastal Scents and TBK Trading is they do offer yummy colors that I want to press down and sell. Why? Some people could not be bothered and love the colors. Those colors will not only be clearly marked, but my cost x 2 for work. Which makes them cheaper than anything else out there, except pressing your own and it’s fun to press your own, so the color, fillers and pressing technique I use will be put into videos so you can make them even cheaper than I can. Tops will be closed with tamper-proof sleeves and everyone should feel I’m being fair.
When I come up with my own mixes, and where’s the fun in following someone else’s recipe? To use as a guide, but not dupe, I will say so and they will be a tad more. Why? I’ll be busting my hump in my sterile as can be kitchen (alcohol is your friend, as well as gloves) to make a product that’s pretty unique, but in this industry, it’s all been done before.
One wag said she only bought from high end places (MAC’s prices are fair for their pigments btw. I’m talking really high end) because they never dupe. Really? Black’s pretty much black here people. I’m studying the science carefully. Using it as a learning tool for my boys. Will it get off the ground? Who cares. I can always sell to Bride’s work with, or use in volunteer situations. Sales from this are extra and nice, but won’t be my bread and butter and that’s why I won’t push.
So, be an informed consumer. Go to the TBL Trading site and Coastal Scents. Look at those yummy pigments. Buy them in sample size if you want, but pure pigment gets in my eye and bugs me, so think about recipes. They’re out there. See what a mattyfyer can do to the pigment. Play with your makeup, or at least know what Coastal Scents sells and don’t expect your primer to hold on glitter. That stuff is chunky and needs a binder.
Yours in truth, Nancy
For anyone interested the name of my makeup line is, “Herne’s Folly,” after my autistic son. A very visible part of the proceeds for the formula (still needs tweaking) for his eye shadow will go to Aids Foundations. I’ll post my receipts. I’m going to be darn transparent. For my friends who passed from Viral Breast Cancer, there will be a donation made to a good breast cancer organization, with scanned receipts. Anyone who says they are giving proceeds to charity, if they are a partnership, or an independently owned entity, has to do this, but why hide it? Those sales are for special things. I’m thinking about,”Autism Speaks,” and, “Susan G Koman,” but, SGK does not guarantee where the funds go, so if you have better ideas, please pass them on. I love to cook and this is cooking with gas.
Is there any obligation? No. My best friends don’t read my blogs. They don’t have to. I tell them everything. : )
This is stunning on. The photo is a tad dark because I was too lazy to use my camera and everyone else in the room is asleep and lights on might mean the loss of my time with me, myself and I.
This is by E.L.F. The polish is only a dollar and you need a good basecoat, two thicker coats of the color, as well as a topcoat that lessons chipping. I have tried some very expensive topcoats and my Sally Hansen one is the best. It’s like eight bucks, but as far as topcoats go, it’s cheap and it makes my polish last. I put a new coat of it on every other day till the new manicure happens. This is called, “Royal Purple,” but it’s so grape juice, that I want to drink it. I was hard on my nails the last two days. I did a lot of writing and chipped the ends of two fingers. I didn’t want to have a re-do. My son says I do my polish too much, but twice a week is not too much, thank you.
The E.L.F. colors are lovely, but do tend to seperate. Shake the crap out of them, AFTER every use. Before breeds bubbles and those are a pain to get out.
Since the price is more than fair, I want all the colors. It lasts as well as my O.P.I, *IF* I take care of it and even the pricey stuff chips because of my tap-tapping on the keyboard. I really love this product. I paid for it myself (again, a buck) and right now E.L.F. is giving away a lovely makeup kit for free with purchase. Ues the word, Loyal, in the box for promotions at checkout.
Okay, day… I think four? I was told to use the Differin every third night, because most people react to it with majorly peeling skin and redness. Not me. My skin has been into every stupid acne product since the dawn of time and I got no redness. Okay, a burning sensation where I’d picked a zit. Sue me. Everyone farts, picks their nose in the car and on occasion, unless they are blessed like my son’s birth mom (perfect skin and no zits, ever, brat) they pick them. I remember girls in high-school doing it for one another and talking about it. Fascinating and disgusting all at the same time. Anyway, I have some peeling, and flaky skin, but I use my Elephant Poo Soap, (African Black Soap, no actual poo in it, just looks like it), Salicylic Acid on any active whompers and I do extractions on my Blackheads.
NOOOO!
Yes. I’m not sure how to break this to you, but Pore Strips only remove the top layer that’s oxidized and has discolored. There is sill sebum underneath and the only way to remove it is by professional, or professional quality and extraction. It won’t stop it forever, but that’s what the Differin is for. BTW, Differin is not an exfoliant. With most Retinoids you cannot use Salicylic Acid and the product on the same day, they cancel one another out. Differin is different (maoan). I’ts a synthetic and milder from of retinoid, even though it’s very hard on acne. I got the gel form, which is supposed to be more gentle.
Back to the report. Nothing major. Had a bump yesterday, gone today. I used the pink stuff over the retinoid. I’m not big on getting the Differin too close to my eye, but the wrinkles and crepiness. Yuck! So I’ll attempt one eye on the upper part of the lid tonight and test it. Not the lid itself, that is reserved for my L’Oreal. Which is working, albeit very slowly. No new milia. A good reason I don’t use pure pigments. They tend to make milia pop out on me. Yuck. NEVER EVER remove any milia (hard, little white bumps made of a wax-like substance) on your lid. Visit a dermatologist. I’m all for home remedy’s, but this is your EYE!
Now, Latisse. I have a generic, same active ingredient. I missed last night. I got it on my lid too, but I already had on my Differin and didn’t want to wash my face again, so I chanced it. The darkening of the skin is common, but does seem to go away on the maintenance routine for tester’s and I was terrified I’d wake up with HUGE dark marks on my lids. No. In the future I will, 1. wash, 2. Latisse, 3. Retinoid, 4. Spot Treat. Oh, be more careful works too. Don’t waste your time on the dorky brushes you get with it. Just buy a fine eyeliner brush, or two (mark one L and the other R), clean them well after each use (I use African Black Soap with extra oils in it) and dry on a sterile surface. I bought some white towels that I bleach to death in the wash on the sanitary mode for my makeup and medication space. Cheap at Target.
So far, three whole days, nothing. I don’t expect squat for six weeks, so hang tight. No darkening of the pigment of my eye (my eyes are olive-bright green and there is a brown spot, in the top of my left eye. I used to hate that thing, now, I feel liberated and different because of it). No change to either. Again, blue eyes do not darken in any of the tests, including the original product for glaucoma. It makes your brown eyes very brown,*IF* it happens, which is rare. Go to their site and read the studies. Very informative.
So, that’s that. I would like to state, for honesty’s sake that I purchased them online through a drug store in India, run by two American woman here. They have a stellar reputation (I tried to find a bad review and other than shipping time, could not) and had a prescription for these items. I could not and would not pay that much markup for a product in the US. Ridiculous! The products are by the same companies that sell here, and are identical in makeup. I researched the heck out of them and was honest with my doc. He was not thrilled, but conceded that they are the same and warned me against buying from China. In Michigan a lot of people take day trips to Canada and get scripts filled, because of the savings, so it seemed normal to m. If this idea terrifies you, then pay the full price. I just can’t afford it and refuse to let the drug companies hold me be the proverbial balls for my acne meds. I’m almost 46! I refuse to be forty six and have acne. I won’t use Accutane. I don’t think it would depress me, but I have enough problems without six months of headaches. A common side effect.
I got my Latisse and my Differin yesterday. I started last night. Either the wrinkles, or the zits have to go. It’s one, or the other. Grrr. I’m worried about my green eyes and the Latisse, even though it almost never changes eye color. I’m watching it like a hawk. My lashes are long enough, but compared to the kid that looks just like me, I don’t have any. I want thick lashes. My husband joked about putting it on the top of his head. Better not. Even if I did get it at a fraction of the cost by using a good overseas pharmacy. Yes, it’s legal.
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