Earth Day Publicity Freebies 2012

Get your Earth Day publicity Free stuff or discounts! Check it out here and let me know what you scored.

Cosmetics:

Origins is promoting its moisturizer when you exchange any empty cosmetic container at the Origins counter. While supplies last. Get your form and details here: origins

(Sephora is in on the Origins promotion too, stop by there and get your mositurizer when you exchange any empty cosmetic container.)

Kiehl’s is promoting is awesome lip balm when you exchange and empty or old cosmetic product at the Nordstrom Kiehl’s counter. While supplies last.

Organic Beauty Now is offering Miesseence at 40% off. Use the  code mie40 at checkout. Offer until 4/30/12 www.organicbeautynow.com

Vapour Organic Beauty is offering 25% off until 4/22/12 midnight. Discount is automatic, no need for a code. www.vapourbeauty.com/

Pangea Organic is offering 20% sitewide. www.pangeaorganics.com/ offer valid until 4/30/12

Tweet me at @suzettemariel or leave a comment below and let me know what you scored on Earth Day and how you helped save the planet. Thanks for visiting!

 

Photo Credit: 3d Earth by chrisroll

Holiday dining etiquette tips to improve your social and business engagement skills

Elegant holiday setting

St John Collection at Nordstrom hosted Rosemarie Burns of ‘Etiquette and Protocol by Burns‘ to provide a special seminar to some of the Bay Area’s well heeled citizens. The topic covered was setting your Holiday Table and how to diffuse some unmannered guests social faux pauxs.

We have all at some point or another encountered a few rude situations or forgotten which fork to use. Here are few quick tips to get you back on track.

Have you encountered the guest who uses their cell phone during a dinner engagement? One of the solutions provided by ‘Etiquette and Protocol” is simply to be silent and look in the direction of the offensive guest until the behavior has ceased. If you must have your phone available in case of emergency, switch your ringer to vibrate and explain ahead of time to your guest that you are experiencing a family crisis ( or whatever the event may be). Further mentioning that you  must be available to engage in conversation. When the call comes in, remove yourself from the table and go quietly to handle your private matter.

If your etiquette skills are a bit rusty a good rule to follow during a business meal is to use the flatware at the farthest edge first for each course and work your way in toward the plate. Another quick tip to avoid any social and business blunder is your bread portion is always on the left and your drink is always on the right. Ever notice that by placing your index finger and thumb together form the letter “b” ? Put it in your memory as “B” for bread is on the left hand. Same quick tip goes for making a letter “d” for drink on the right hand using your index finger and thumb, thus drinks are always on the right. Remembering the placement of those two items will help avoid confusion of what belongs to whom.

My last and most important tip for women is not to put your purse on the table during your meal. Often times your bag has been placed on the floor and tracks a fair amount of germs that would them be transferred to the place where you will consume your food. Place it on the chair close by or if it is small enough on your lap beneath the table. It is also acceptable if you must to place it on the floor on the left. Yes, correct on the floor on the left, since the server will place your meal from the right and could feasibly trip over your purse if it were placed on the right and cause undue harm to yourself and companion. So please remember your purse is placed on the left.

Should you need to brush up on your skills there are several books out on the market to help you improve your social business engagement skills. The newest I have seen is by Kate Spade and is available in 3 different volumes. Rosamrie Burns will also have a volume available at the first of the new year of 2012. If you require the service of a skilled professional to help you with social and business etiquette for traveling abroad you will be well served with Rosemarie Burns. Please contact her at (925) 736-2880

St John Holiday Brunch Seminar

Related articles

• Digital do’s and don’ts: The new rules of business etiquette (bizjournals.com)
• National Etiquette Week (ladylikeblog.com)
• Tech Etiquette Rules For Commuters and Travelers (mashable.com)

Gift with purchase-August 2011

Love those gifts with purchase! I will add more throughout the month of my favorite gifts with purchase as I find them. Come back to see future updates.

Nordstrom has an online only gift with purchase. Spend $100 in beauty or fragrance and receive this tote with online code: TREND

Spend $65 of pureDKNY And receive 3 travel bags at Nordstrom. Offer available both online or in stores.

Macy’s gift with purchase offer: also includes free shipping if purchase is over $50.00.

Purchase $60.00 of Lancome product and receive a three piece gift.

Free Sun tote with 2 piece Clinique sun or sunself care.

Receive a 2 piece bonus with Laura Mercier purchase over $50.00, online only.

Free deluxe size PTR mascara with $50.00 purchase of Peter Thomas Roth, online only.

3 piece Shiseido sun gift with $50.00 Shiseido purchase, online only.

3 piece gift with your $50 Clarins purchase. Online only.

2 piece gift with $50.00 Urban Decay purchase. Online only.

ULTA gifts with purchase -while supplies last.

Free cosmetic tote with $50 Philosophy skin or fragrance purchase.

Free 13 piece gift set with any $17.50 Ulta product purchase. Your choice of 3 styles.

Quick tips- Perfume

Quick and useful beauty tip- Perfume

Fragrance enhances the sense of smell for the wearer so be aware of the amount you apply. Apply fragrance prior to wearing jewelry, because ingredients can destroy delicate coating and diminish luster on pearls. I usually avoid wearing perfume at the neckline when wearing expensive pieces to ensure there is no contact with fragrance.

Spotlight on Teal

Teal is one of those great colors for summer that make you feel fabulous. From handbags to dresses, teal looks amazing on every skin tone and with every hair color.

Gianmarco Lorenzi Sandals

Prouenza Schouler handbag

Teal necklace by Ten Thousand Villages

BCBG Max Azria
Teal Ombre dress

Teal Coach bag -personal collection

London Blue Topaz brooch-personal collection

Turquoise pendant-personal collection

Maxi dress by Avenue

Teal Havianas

What is your favorite teal item?

Related articles

• Kate Middleton Stuns in Teal, Twice! (fabsugar.com)
• Teal Harvest (workplaypolish.com)

Shoe Fetish- Lanvin

All about the Shoes!

When someone looks at you head to toe, give them reason to smirk with fabulous shoes! Most of us have been the recipient of the “That girl thinks she’s all that!” look. Well I say give them a show and a confident look with great shoes.

Here’s some of my favorites…

Related articles

• Lanvin 2013 Spring/Summer Shoes & Accessories Collection Preview (hypebeast.com)
• Christian Louboutin Exhibition (tstylesu.wordpress.com)

Need, Want, Love! Versace Fall-Winter 2011

This year’s Fall Winter Versace collection I found a few things that I love! Not sure that I will be getting any of them but who knows! I am a huge Versace fan and do own a lot of Versace by way of clothes, handbags, sunglasses and probably a few other things stashed away in my closet that I forgot! Sounds indulgent but I like quality pieces because they last longer and are made incredibly well and fit divinely!

I love the two button side detail on this dress. It really makes a normal detail unusual. It is definitely different than anything I else I own and has a pop of color to add a little something to my otherwise dark wardrobe. Anyone know the joke about going in my closet turning on the light and everything is still dark!?! Ok, funny or not I am trying to add bits of color here and there to my wardrobe. I’m usually not big on yellow but if you have seen my previous post then you know that I did the nail review and chose yellow because it was completely different. It was fun but I’m not sure I will have it show up again on my nails this summer.

Now here is a dress that is 100% me. I love the shoulder detail and the two center button details as well as the side zips at the waist. I’m big on having pockets in clothes at the waist because I am constantly putting my hands in them because it really feels comfortable and its a great way for me to relax for just a moment on a busy day. Which seems to be everyday! Especially lately. Ok, I digress, back to the dress…I haven’t seen the back of this dress but I am hoping there isn’t a purple and yellow flower like on the back of the other one. I really like monochromatic and it makes this dress much more versatile  for me if it is one color. I guess I will have to wait and see. Having written this, I am having second thoughts about dress number 1 in this post. I am sure that it is because I am so used to solid colors that my mind is reverting back to the daily habit!

Moving on…

Of all the things I don’t need, a black jacket is one of them! But when I saw this little number I couldn’t resist but put it on my list of Need-Want-Love! Seriously calling my friend in the collector’s department about this jacket. (So if you are reading this post, I would love to get the specs on this jacket. See you soon to pick up my other “Need-Want-Love” purchases!

Noticing a trend here??? Black. Yes, black is my favorite color. I do have a lot of black and white but why should I deviate from something that looks good on me? Shouldn’t we all  indulge our whims sometimes???

In addition to loving this dress, I love the shoes too. Not sure it they are actually something I would buy and wear. But they certainly look good on the runaway. I’m just not so sure if I want to be the fashion show walking into my office or heading into the studio!

Love the bags from this collection. and the belts in black and white are pretty cool too! Belts are another must have on the list right up there next to pockets! LOL!

I have completed my shopping list with the Versace Fall Winter collection for 2011. Looks like I have almost everything but shoes! I guess I will save the shoe shopping list for another day. Thanks for sharing my Versace shopping journey. If you want to see the rest of the collection here is the link: http://www.versace.com/en/fashion-and-accessories/woman/fashion_show/fw

See you on the next Need Want Love shopping spree!

Related articles

• A First Look at Versace’s Fall/Winter 2012 Campaign: Donatella Would Wear Every Look (fabsugar.com)
• Versace Fall 2012 (fabsugar.com)
• Versace 2012 Fall/Winter Campaign (hypebeast.com)
• Fashion Friday – Atelier Versace Fall/Winter 2012/13 – Video (wealth-structuring.com)
• 2012 Fall Couture Collections (lovexoxofashion.wordpress.com)

Review- Burt’s Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen SPF 30

Most everyone knows that protecting your skin against the damaging rays of the sun is a must. But for most of us we are still on a quest to find the best sunscreen for our skin. I picked the Burt’s Bees brand to review, because it is a “natural” line and claims to be chemical free and 100% natural.

Any use of the word “natural” automatically gets a second look from me, but not in the way most people may initially think. I check the label to actually see what the manufacturer believes is considered natural. Most times what is considered natural turns out to contain at least one or two harmful ingredients. Unfortunately, the FDA has yet to rule on use of the term natural, so at this point we are all left to our own defenses for determining what we deem is natural. I sometimes get worked up over this issue and could probably go on for eons. Ok, so back to the matter at hand, the review.

The ingredients contained in the sunscreen are as follows:

Water, cannabis sativa (hemp) seed oil, glycerin, stearic acid, hydrated silica, fragrance, sucrose distearate, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, beta-carotene, calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract, crataegus oxyacanthus stem extract, hamamelis virginiana (witch hazel) extract, hydrastis canadensis (golden seal) extract, symphtum offcinale (comfrey) extract, rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, acacia senegal gum, sucrose stearate, aluminum hydroxide, alginic acid, xanthan gum, sodium borate, glucose, lecithin, sodium chloride, canola oil, glucose oxidase, lactoperoxidase.

Active Ingredient: Titanium dioxide 8.58%

Claims: Never any sulfates, parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals. Non-whitening

Let’s review the claims straight away. There are no sulfates, parabens, phthalates or petrochemicals listed in the ingredients. Therefore, this claim is true. I am glad there are a few sunscreens out on the market for those of us who don’t like synthetic additives and petrochemicals.

The product itself is a thick yellow cream that does not glide or rub in easily. The product states that it is non-whitening.

Burt’s Bees product

Unfortunately on my skin it did cast a white shadow that over the course of the day gave off a slightly whitish-purple hue. I tried the product on my face but it felt too heavy and greasy so I washed it off and just wore a hat.  So for anyone who is olive complexion or darker I would state that this probably isn’t the best choice if a non-noticeable sunscreen is what you are after. I did read some other comments on users of this product who mentioned they tried mixing the sunscreen with a moisturizer to get it to glide and blend easier. I will try this and give you and update on how this went.

One great thing about this sunscreen is that I did not get sunburned. You might think that with my olive complexion I shouldn’t burn. Wrong. I do burn and it is painful.

I wore the product all day and at the end of the day I felt like I had a layer of environmental grime clinging to my skin. The product is waterproof and it took some work to rinse off until my skin felt clean.

I did notice that there is an unspecified fragrance within the product. And of course my mind is left to wonder, what is this fragrance and is it really natural or synthetic?? I’m hoping that it is natural since the company is resting their reputation on the claim 100% natural. And since we are on the subject of fragrance, I might as well mention that it does have a moderate to strong smell. It isn’t unpleasant but it definitely isn’t along the lines of a pleasant perfume. If you don’t use perfume or like strong scents this probably isn’t a good choice for you.

I was curious about the substance aluminum hydroxide listed in the ingredients.  According to the EWG, Skin Deep database it states there is a low to moderate concern with Developmental & reproductive toxicity and Moderate concerns: Neurotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive). To find out more about these concerns on the EWG website click this link www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredient.php?ingred06=700321 .

I then decided that I wanted to know what the company Burt’s Bee’s says about this ingredient.  Burt’s Bees states they use aluminum hydroxide and not aluminum chlorohydrate. Here is the link to their site http://www.burtsbees.com/c/root-ingredients-faqs-burt-s-bees.html#14. (After reading the information from both sites I’m interested in learning more about this product. So if anyone comes across any links please leave a message in the comments section. Thanks!)

Overall the product is just ok for what it does. I think there are better options out there. I will try blending it with the moisturizer just to see if I can use the rest of this product instead of relinquishing it to the never again bin.

Verdict: Not using in my makeup kit.

Related articles

• Burt’s Bees Lipcare Collection (G!veaway – Canada) (mylittlereviewcorner.wordpress.com)
• Safe, Effective, Non-toxic Sunscreens Protect Against Sunburn & Skin Cancer (biggreenpurse.com)

Beauty gifts with purchase! July 2011

Recently, Nordstrom, an American department store had its anniversary sale with some amazing prices on great products and designer clothes. If you weren’t able to go, there are still a few great deals left. You can purchase online or in store.

Lancome has a gift with purchase over $39.00 (I tried their Hypnose Lash Mascara. Check back for the review of this mascara.)

http://www.Nordstrom.com (By the way, I am not being compensated by either Lancome or Nordstom.) I just like a good deal and like to pass it on. Especially when the deal includes some great free products. You actually get a choice of bags in either black or the glitter purple. Normally my preference would be black but since I’m working on a product review for a new nail polish, since the color happens to be purple I thought it might be good to try something different. So purple was the color I opted to take.

Hope you are able to score a great deal with Lancome before this gift with purchase is all sold out. (July 2011)

Monday Makeup Review- Hempz Body Butter

Product Review: Hempz Body Butter

Hempz Body Butter

Hands are a vital part of a makeup artist’s service for her clients. Taking care of your hands is important and having soft, hydrated hands when applying makeup is most important when touching the face. Knowing this, I thought it very important to look for a product that would be good for personal use as well as for the makeup kit and the manicurist kit as well. I wash my hands a lot and this is one of the only products that keep my hands soft, smooth, and hydrated after repeated hand washing.

I have used other Hempz Brand products and love the feel and richness of the product. This particular product, the body butter is a thick crème intended for ultra hydrating and moisturizing dry rough patches of skin. I love using it on hands and feet. It is a light white-yellow color and has a very fresh clean scent. It is especially great for the manicurist/makeup artist kit because the scent isn’t over powering. The scent is comprised of Cucumber, Jasmine, Passion fruit, Plumeria and Violet. It also contains Shea butter, Cocoa butter, Coconut oil and of course the infamous Cannabis Sativa Seed extract, better know as Hemp Seed extract. The Hemp Seed used is 100% organic which is great since there a very few products out on mass market that have this claim. It is THC free, which is the psychoactive element in cannabis, therefore this product is completely safe and albeit edgy to those who may play it safe in life and fear trying the product because of its name and contents.

The ingredients in this product work together nourishing extremely dry skin without feeling greasy or heavy. It’s a great product in the winter when skin is really in need of extra hydration. If your skin is constantly fighting the dryness battle then you will want to use this year round. I tend to use it more for the hands and feet during summer and all over body use during the winter months. In the summer to keep my manicure and pedicure fresh looking this product does wonders for hydrating the cuticle without dulling the shine of the polish. Anyone who invests time and money on a manicure and or pedicure knows that using the right product that won’t destroy the shine of a newly applied polish will love this body butter.

A little of this product goes a long way because it spreads so easily and is very thick and creamy. It comes in a nice handy travel size (that I use in my kit), which is the 1.5 ounce or the back bar size in 8 ounces. The eight-ounce size I have at home for personal use lasts a long time and I haven’t finished going through the whole jar yet. It’s been approximately 7 months and I have about half a jar remaining. So you can see that a little really does go a long way.

This product can be used with both male and female clients, although some male clients might feel the scent is too much for their masculinity. The good thing is the scent doesn’t last long. Most of my male clients haven’t had a problem with it but every once in a while I do have someone ask about the scent. I do however, usually tend to choose products that do not have scents for this reason. But because this product works so well I give it a thumbs up for efficacy for both male and female.

**SPECIAL NOTE FOR MANICURISTS** This product can help eliminate a step and hydrate the cuticle bed without adding the oil if you are pressed for time. But remember you still have to prep the nail before applying the polish. Recommend this product to your clients and they will love you as well as the product. It’s that good!

Verdict: Keep, love and recommending it.

Thanks to One River Media for photographing this product. For more information about this company go to www.onerivermedia.com Tell them I sent you!