Third World or Fourth? Beauty Products From Places Beyond

If it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck – is it a duck?

Question I ponder when I get samples from Ipsy that are labeled PRC, Made in China or anywhere that far east.

Save Japan and Korea-when it comes to beauty products, I wonder what is in that?

Some of us have seen those news reports about bootlegged beauty products- you know in the makeup supply stores you find a MAC cosmetic for cheapo. Maybe you rationalize that the product is last season or a little past the expiration date, but if the news is accurate, the products may be made in less than sanitary conditions in China, and the products may be more than just dirty-they may contain dangerous components like LEAD.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/lifestyle/2014/04/is-that-brand-name-makeup-you-bought-online-a-knockoff/

I wrote IPSY after getting nearly an entire sample bag with products from China. They must have listened because the next month they sent only one product from the PRC.

What? In some world, PRC is not the People’s Republic of China?

Duh.

k

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Those Little Samples Are For Sale-Sephora

Have you noticed lately that Sephora is selling the same deluxe samples that used to come with gwps?

I get that everybody needs to make dinero-but part of the fun was to get samples!

I’m not really into getting a sample of product that has had a bunch of germy fingers dipped in because some people don’t obey cosmetic etiquette. You know what I mean.

Those people who dip their fingers into jars, across eye shadow and actually apply lip color from the tube!

Seriously could anything be more gross?

They’ve done studies on how many of the super ick germs find their way into make up displays.

You know I used to be a ready participant in getting a free makeover at the counter-but the more germaphobic I get the less interested I am. I might put on a color on my wrist and wipe off with alcohol at the most nowadays.

Anyway.

Sephora used to go pretty good samples for VIB ladies and they were usable. But don’tcha hate the samples that are just a whisper of product? Like Skinceuticals Eye SPF. I know eye product is applied the size of a pea, but when I get a sample like that, I have to really be jonsing to try it to use the manini sample.

I’ve been buying product from Neostrata and Lovelyskin.com the last few times for skincare. I think Neostrata is really generous with the size and the amount of the samples, but so far nothing to write home about. Lovelyskiin sent me the Skinceuticals sample which is not their fault, but they don’t really have great samples to select from at checkout.

Lovelyskin.com does have a cool comparison table that you can see how different products stand against each other. I used it to choose an eye product last month.

So Sephora take a note-I’m giving you the bulk of my beauty dollars in the quest for the 500 point perks (really I paid $500 for those mini’s of Laura Mercier)?, so how’s about show your customers some love with better samples?

K

 

The Time Factor-Me Vs The Pro-DIY Gloss Color

Seriously, the last time I colored my hair at home was at the old house which had a giant bathroom and carpet. I completely ruined my t shirt, stained my hands and had smudges all over my face.

My gfs have no problem with the process-they just apply, wait and shampoo out!

Me-not so much.

However lately I was inspired by a youtube vid of a young girl citing pretty much the same reasons why I would do my own hair. It just costs too much to go to the salon now that I am on the 3 week cycle.

At $80 a pop-it’s just too expensive.  Add in my time and the expense and it totals $4500 a year!

So, I watched all I could watch on youtube about using the same gloss product my hair stylist(s) uses, and went in to Hillary J for a tuneup. I had started to do a lighter color treatment, then turned back as my hair started to fall out. (Went to the doc and he tested me, and pretty much came up with no explanation, but knowing that is the only thing different…)

So I got my hair color back into shape and let it grow out a few weeks.

I admit I was nervous because I tend to be a slob when something takes a certain level of meticulousness, and the bf already thinks I’m messy (though I’m not really-he’s just insanely anal about some things).

Nowhere did it say to mix the gloss and processor until it thickened. So I was painting it on in my middle part area while it was still thin.

Feeling like hours later, I watch the clock cuz part of the exercise was would it be worth the time I lose billing hours vs the $80 expense and the 1.5 hours of time for time in the chair and travel?

I finally get the product all into my hair though very messy and difficult to reach in the back.

Processing time I figure is a little shorter since it took 40 minutes to get it in my hair.

I jump in the shower to rinse and it is an explosion of black color all over.

Immediately I think in my paranoid way that it is going to stain and our  housekeeper chooses the most inopportune times to not show up at the very last minute.

Anyway.

The color rinses off and down the drain. I just apply my Kitoko conditioner, and PH Rebalancer and let it air dry.

Turns out I did a pretty good job. Only a few white strands were missed, and my hair felt fine in terms of softness and was shiny.

I think the net-net is I will go in for tune ups, but I think I’ll save my hard earned cash for other things like eye cream.

k