I try to get to them as much as possible but sometimes my 'regular' life takes over and it's hard to find time to do everything.That said, here are two recent ones.
Su-pah (Su-pah - I know I still need to do your tag!)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Tag! You're it!
Friday, November 27, 2009
QOTD: Lipgloss or Lipstick -- Which team are you on?
I'm all about lip products as you know. From lip stains to lipglosses, I love it all. But IF I had to choose one over the other, I would have to say I'm very much a lipstick kind of woman. I cannot leave the house without a lipstick. Surprise surprise. I know I posted this question before but I'm interested to see what my new readers think and if my long-time readers have switched 'teams' at all.
Why do I love lipstick? There are so many reasons. There's something about having a tube of lipstick that evokes a more glamorous time. I love how it can alter your overall look with just one swipe. I also love the different finishes, from creamy to sheer. I'm laughing as I write this as I know that this would sound crazy to someone who isn't into what we are into.
So on this Friday, I pose the question to you: Lipstick? Or Lipgloss? Which one and why?
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and happy weekend to everyone else!
Stay tuned for my posts on lipgloss (!) and eyeshadows -- vague eh? Stay tuned!
So on this Friday, I pose the question to you: Lipstick? Or Lipgloss? Which one and why?
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and happy weekend to everyone else!
Stay tuned for my posts on lipgloss (!) and eyeshadows -- vague eh? Stay tuned!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Fave New Blogs: Beautygeeks and BeautyEditor.ca
Time again to feature my favorite reads in the blogsphere and this month I'm focusing on two amazing Canadian blogs: beautygeeks and BeautyEditor
Written by the gorgeous Janine Falcon, Beauty Geeks features beauty/fashion trends, tips and tricks and reviews. I love her writing style and sense of humour. Janine has worked as a beauty editor and continues to write about beauty and fashion for many magazines and newspapers.
Beautyeditor is written by the equally gorgeous Michelle who works as, you guessed it, a beauty editor and writer at a Canadian magazine. Michelle provides us with an inside scoop on being a beauty editor and also shares tips/tricks and news from the beauty industry. Love her honest views on all things beauty.
I read these blogs daily for their fun & witty posts, honest reviews, and their insider's view of what's happening in the industry.
Go check them out -- I'm confident you'll love them as much as I do.
Photo: Janine from BeautyGeeks
Written by the gorgeous Janine Falcon, Beauty Geeks features beauty/fashion trends, tips and tricks and reviews. I love her writing style and sense of humour. Janine has worked as a beauty editor and continues to write about beauty and fashion for many magazines and newspapers.
Beautyeditor is written by the equally gorgeous Michelle who works as, you guessed it, a beauty editor and writer at a Canadian magazine. Michelle provides us with an inside scoop on being a beauty editor and also shares tips/tricks and news from the beauty industry. Love her honest views on all things beauty.
I read these blogs daily for their fun & witty posts, honest reviews, and their insider's view of what's happening in the industry.
Go check them out -- I'm confident you'll love them as much as I do.
Photo: Janine from BeautyGeeks
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
IMATS: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Tired of Toronto IMATS yet? Some of you asked for my take on the event so here it is. I'll keep it brief as it's already been covered extensively by other bloggers.
The Good: first ever IMATS in Toronto; met up with fellow Canadian beauty bloggers; saw some cool makeup; met Enkore and Pursebuzz; hauled some goodies as there were some deals (Naked Cosmetics, Aureline, Crown Brushes)
The Bad: show was smaller than I expected; lots of stuff was sold out by Sunday including Kryolan palettes, OCC lip tars etc. (note to self - go on Saturday next year!). Was very disappointed by this!
The Ugly: no food except a tiny concession stand where there were some unappetizing sandwiches. Makeup junkies need some fuel to keep the shopping and swatching going! Even a hot dog stand outside the venue would have helped!
Lessons Learned: Bring a snack or lunch; wear comfy shoes (saw a girl with mega high heels - I'm sure she didn't feel good after her visit); go to the event on the first day; scope out the products you want to check out in advance or else risk being overwhelmed; and finally, do a walkthrough when you first get there to scope it all out. This is a good way to see who's there, and compare products and deals.
The Verdict: All in all I had a good time at the show and I plan to go again next year. On the Saturday. Hopefully organizers will take into account feedback from attendees and there will be better deals, more stock, and more exhibitors next year.
Stay tuned for my reviews of the products I picked up including lip glazes from Face Atelier, shadows and brushes from Aureline, Crown Brushes, and Naked Cosmetics.
The Good: first ever IMATS in Toronto; met up with fellow Canadian beauty bloggers; saw some cool makeup; met Enkore and Pursebuzz; hauled some goodies as there were some deals (Naked Cosmetics, Aureline, Crown Brushes)
The Bad: show was smaller than I expected; lots of stuff was sold out by Sunday including Kryolan palettes, OCC lip tars etc. (note to self - go on Saturday next year!). Was very disappointed by this!
The Ugly: no food except a tiny concession stand where there were some unappetizing sandwiches. Makeup junkies need some fuel to keep the shopping and swatching going! Even a hot dog stand outside the venue would have helped!
Lessons Learned: Bring a snack or lunch; wear comfy shoes (saw a girl with mega high heels - I'm sure she didn't feel good after her visit); go to the event on the first day; scope out the products you want to check out in advance or else risk being overwhelmed; and finally, do a walkthrough when you first get there to scope it all out. This is a good way to see who's there, and compare products and deals.
The Verdict: All in all I had a good time at the show and I plan to go again next year. On the Saturday. Hopefully organizers will take into account feedback from attendees and there will be better deals, more stock, and more exhibitors next year.
Stay tuned for my reviews of the products I picked up including lip glazes from Face Atelier, shadows and brushes from Aureline, Crown Brushes, and Naked Cosmetics.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tales from IMATS: Perspectives on beauty bloggers
I thought I'd share an observation that came from IMATS. It was interesting to see in person, how we, meaning beauty bloggers, are perceived by the various companies represented at the show. Some didn't seem to care, others were mindly interested, and some didn't seem to take us seriously at all. While others, got it and were really encouraging and inclusive of us.
A representative from one company told us that everyone can call themselves a beauty blogger. As a small business, she admitted that she can't afford to send every single blogger product for review. I thought that was a valid point and fair. I completely get that companies are increasingly being bombarded by requests from bloggers or feeling the pressure to engage in some kind of blogger activity. Given how new a media source we are, I can see how difficult it is for companies to determine what their blogger strategy should be, if they even want to have one.
But there was something this representative said that slightly irritated me. She said that when it comes to sending out products, 'if it's for a blogger, I tell my PR to send a sample but if it's Vogue we'll send them a full size.' Of course we aren't Vogue, nor do we claim to be. But to me, a statement like this seems dismissive. And it got under my skin.
I get that it is expensive to send out products for review and that you have to be selective about who you send to. I get that perhaps some bloggers are actually demanding freebies from companies. I get that. But don't dismiss all bloggers and most of all, don't think of us as being second rate. Maybe this isn't what she meant but that is how it came across to me. Maybe I'm just sensitive.
On the other end of the spectrum, we had an amazing conversation with the co-founder of Cover FX, a Canadian makeup brand. This company is one that seems to really get how to work with bloggers. And it extends from their marketing team all the way to the top. The company's co-creator Lee Graff, who we were fortunate enough to be introduced to at the booth, said some really encouraging words to us. She told us that beauty bloggers are important, that 'editors in New York at the fashion magazines are afraid of you!', and encouraged us to stay true to ourselves and what we write. She seemed to understood the impact that we have on our readers, their purchasing habits and that the majority of us are doing this, not for 'freebies', but because we are passionate about the beauty industry. It was so inspiring and all of us were a bit speechless after it.
So there you have it. Two very different conversations that gave me a lot of food for thought.
Enough serious stuff.
Like the photo that Farah took? Here, a Ben Nye rep decided to do some mega swatching on my hands at the show. Too bad you can't see the gold sparkle on the one hand. It was pretty cool.
A representative from one company told us that everyone can call themselves a beauty blogger. As a small business, she admitted that she can't afford to send every single blogger product for review. I thought that was a valid point and fair. I completely get that companies are increasingly being bombarded by requests from bloggers or feeling the pressure to engage in some kind of blogger activity. Given how new a media source we are, I can see how difficult it is for companies to determine what their blogger strategy should be, if they even want to have one.
But there was something this representative said that slightly irritated me. She said that when it comes to sending out products, 'if it's for a blogger, I tell my PR to send a sample but if it's Vogue we'll send them a full size.' Of course we aren't Vogue, nor do we claim to be. But to me, a statement like this seems dismissive. And it got under my skin.
I get that it is expensive to send out products for review and that you have to be selective about who you send to. I get that perhaps some bloggers are actually demanding freebies from companies. I get that. But don't dismiss all bloggers and most of all, don't think of us as being second rate. Maybe this isn't what she meant but that is how it came across to me. Maybe I'm just sensitive.
On the other end of the spectrum, we had an amazing conversation with the co-founder of Cover FX, a Canadian makeup brand. This company is one that seems to really get how to work with bloggers. And it extends from their marketing team all the way to the top. The company's co-creator Lee Graff, who we were fortunate enough to be introduced to at the booth, said some really encouraging words to us. She told us that beauty bloggers are important, that 'editors in New York at the fashion magazines are afraid of you!', and encouraged us to stay true to ourselves and what we write. She seemed to understood the impact that we have on our readers, their purchasing habits and that the majority of us are doing this, not for 'freebies', but because we are passionate about the beauty industry. It was so inspiring and all of us were a bit speechless after it.
So there you have it. Two very different conversations that gave me a lot of food for thought.
Enough serious stuff.
Like the photo that Farah took? Here, a Ben Nye rep decided to do some mega swatching on my hands at the show. Too bad you can't see the gold sparkle on the one hand. It was pretty cool.
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