Friday, February 29, 2008

Caine I help you, Sir?

Another amusing call yesterday from one of our Queen regular customers who signed off by saying 'I've been using Queen products since I was 18. I'm now 81 and I've only got one wrinkle.' She had gone when just a teenager to see a dermatologist with swollen lips (hers not the dermatologist's) after suffering an allergic reaction to lipstick. The dermatologist apparently said: 'Well you must use Queen Cosmetics of course' and she has stuck with us ever since. How's that for loyalty?! We didn't like to ask where the wrinkle was.

Another customer was rather less glowing in her praise. She was having trouble getting our luxuriously thick Sensiderma Rich Cleanser for very dry or mature sensitive skin out of the bottle. She did say it was because she was old and weak but it didn't stop her leaping up and down the stairs on her cordless telephone to examine which products she had in her bathroom so she could re-order them. We settled on a solution to this thorny problem which was to send her the cleanser in a big tub. I didn't dare to tell her that her favourite Sensiderma Day Cream moisturiser now came in a tottle (a cross between a tube and a bottle) as this might have sent her over the edge.

Up at our stockist in London stockist John Bell & Croyden this week, morale was boosted by a very smartly dressed lady who bought several Queen products while proclaiming loudly how much she liked them. I recognised her as someone I had given samples to a few weeks earlier. I am only there one day a week but it is always nice to see that sampling (at the moment I am giving away samples of Queen Moisturiser and Medicated Cleansing Lotion) does work, especially when you can be there to answer questions and really engage with people. So many people do have sensitive skin but find it hard to know what they can or should use with the myriad products on offer in most stores and pharmacies.

Even more exciting was my star spot. Again, it appears I must look like someone who knows what they are doing as a tall bespectacled man wearing a somewhat scruffy baseball cap made an immediate beeline for me asking if I could show him where the shampoos were. 'Of course, Sir Michael,' I grovelled as it was none other than Michael Caine. Seizing the opportunity, I asked if he would like some Queen samples for his wife. 'Sure, show me what you are flogging,' he replied. He very kindly listened to my spiel and took the samples saying: 'I will give them to her and am sure she'll be very interested.' What a nice man. I was thrilled to report back to base that I had been mixing with the rich and famous when a rep who had popped in for a cup of coffee took the wind out of my sales, saying breezily: 'Oh yes, we see him all the time in Sainsbury's in Leatherhead. Was he wearing a scruffy baseball cap?' Oh well.

Well, time to get on. We have been busy sending out 'First Night Boxes' this week. We have a fantastic client called Reanimator Management, a theatrical agency who likes to send its clients a box of Queen products rather than flowers when they open in a show. What makes Reanimator http://www.reanimator.co.uk/ different from most agencies is that every client is a trained dancer. Most of them are highly talented singers as well which is why the agency has clients in every West End show. The agency is run by Suzanne and Piers Gielgud (great nephew of Sir John!) who are themselves trained ballet dancers. Today, Suzanne also makes films and Piers is a wonderful choreographer. They are great fans of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream, having used it themselves when they were dancers, and it's lovely for us that they want to spread the word about Queen products.

Friday, February 22, 2008

The consistently human touch

It's always good to get feedback from our customers and this week we have had some very nice emails and letters about our products for sensitive skin and our customer service. We are only a small company and, as such, we are not particularly sophisticated in many areas. We only have one telephone line, we do not have lots of fancy packaging material and we still use an abacus (that's a lie, we've just upgraded to a calculator). Until very recently, we had one of those old fashioned machines for manually processing credit card transactions. It took a visit from our new customer services manager at the bank (so young he'd never even seen one before) to force us to upgrade to a flashy electronic one which prints out nice professional-looking receipts.

It would appear, however, that most of our customers are - thankfully for us - not really concerned about things like this as long as they get the products they love and trust on time and without us having tinkered with the formulations. When you've got truly sensitive skin, the last thing you need is your chosen brand changing the ingredients or, for that matter, removing your favourite products from sale or replacing them.

One customer writes: 'Thank you so much for sending my products and for your helpful and prompt service. It is a great pleasure to deal with a firm where one actually speaks to real people (as opposed to pressing numerous buttons selecting options) who are pleasant and helpful.'

Another, writing by email to ask if she would be able to get Queen Seaside Cream (not currently available at our online shop because it currently comes in rather utilitarian packaging) in the future, says:

'I recently ordered a new Queen Seaside Cream but wanted to check because I always recommend it to friends. I think it's magic, in fact, and I may be giving it out as Christmas presents this year.

'I certainly hope that the product doesn't get the "full makeover" to include a new name. That would be terrible. I think SEASIDE CREAM says it all. It reminds me of holidays and those hot, sunny, breezy days on the beach, under a clear blue sky, then at night my skin is on fire. So, I reach for the Seaside Cream (in that distinctive, practical container that gets thrown about), rub it into the burnt area and the relief is almost instant. Ahhhhhhhh!'

What can we say?! Clearly, appearances are not everything and it is the quality and consistency of the product which is important. Which is not to say that we don't want the Queen range to look nice. We have repackaged most products over the last few years so they look clean and fresh. We haven't gone overboard, however, as this would not be in line with the Queen philosophy (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/our-philosophy-4-w.asp) and we believe our products do speak for themselves.

The point about consistency was underlined again when I visited John Bell & Croyden this week. An Italian lady came in to buy some Queen Theatrical Cleansing Cream, saying she was glad to have discovered it because another brand she had been using had deteriorated in quality. We do sometimes feel we are rather unfashionable in our dogged adherence to our sensitive skin roots when the rest of the world seems to be obsessed with glamorous and hi-tech products such as anti-wrinkle creams and special eye serums. Yet, talking to and hearing from our lovely and loyal customers does always reassure us we are right in ploughing our lonely furrow!

Among the shoppers in the store this week were actress Sian Phillips and Hermione Norris again who you may remember I spotted a couple of weeks ago. I was also pleased to notice an Arab gentleman who I used to see at Ascot and Sandown Park in the days when I used to go racing regularly. He would always mingle with the rest of us punters, sharing information freely. He has certainly aged in the meantime but I was pleased to see he was still clutching a copy of the Racing Post so he obviously keeps his hand in.

Do come back and see us next week.

The team at Queen

Friday, February 15, 2008

Take time to stop the passage of time

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype surrounding this or that latest new super-duper anti-ageing cream or eye serum or wrinkle filler but the best products are those that have endured for years (such as Queen's range of products for sensitive skin and problem skin!).

It’s a fact that most new products are launched to bring people into a brand in the hope they will then start using the tried and tested favourites or ‘hero’ products. Think of any big cosmetics department brand and it’s the hero products that will take up the most shelf space and the latest wonder-cream – advertised with free gifts, banners and general fanfare - will soon be phased out and replaced by the next miracle cream containing the newest buzz-word ingredient or essence.

The reason is that most of these new products do not live up to the hype. The cosmetics industry is notorious for its over-the-top claims and promises and yes, we all love the glamour and promise these products offer so we do buy them. However, we know those products we can trust and which suit us and most of us will either buy those as well or revert to them once the jar of the glamorous new product has finished.

Cold cream is one of those classic products that has a loyal band of followers and Queen’s Sensiderma Cold Cream is no different. We have just put it under the Sensiderma banner as it is an ideal product for very dry and/or mature skin. As with all our products, it is formulated exclusively for very sensitive skin. According to Wikipedia, the invention of cold cream is credited to a physician in Second century Greece, Galen.

Wikipedia says: Galen the celebrated physician of Pergamus, in Asia, but who distinguished himself at Athens, Alexandria, and Rome... was the inventor of that particular unguent, a mixture of grease and water, which is now distinguished as cold cream in perfumery, and as Ceratum Galeni in pharmacy.

Wikipedia quotes an 1814 poem credited to "Dr. Russell" which gives the following account of the benefits attributed to cold cream in that day:

WHEN a pot of cold cream to Eliza you send,
You with words to this purpose your present commend;
Whoe'er with this cream shall her countenance smear,
All redness and roughness will strait disappear,
And the skin to a wonder be charmingly clear;
If pimples arise, this will take them away;
If the small-pox should mark you, those marks will decay;
If wrinkled through age, or dawbing the face is,
'Twill be smooth in a trice, as the best Venice glass is;
All this and much more, could I spare time to write it,
(Or my pen go as fast, as your lips would endite it)
You affirm of your cream: and I would not abuse it,
But pray tell me one thing--Do you yourself use it?

Queen’s Sensiderma Cold Cream (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/sensiderma-range-23-c.asp), like all of our range, is formulated especially for sensitive skins and allergy-prone and problem skin so has none of the rose petals that the older version were said to have. One Queen customer tells me that it is due to her Sensiderma Cold Cream that, even at age 81, she receives glowing comments about her smooth, youthful complexion. Her secret, she reveals, is always to pat the cream into her skin. ‘Never pull or drag, only pat’, she says. She removes the cream with a similar patting motion, gently lifting the day’s grime and/or make-up. Her mother told her this when she was a girl and she has always adhered to it.

This must take forever. But that got me thinking that perhaps taking time is the answer. Instead of quick fixes such as anti-ageing serums or plumping creams, we should just spend more time looking after our skin and ensure we always treat it with reverence and respect. That, and keeping out of the sun, sound like a recipe for eternal youth.

Well, enough pontificating about cold cream. This week’s John Bell & Croyden trip was uneventful, the biting cold keeping many customers at home or in their offices. I met lots of nice women though - including ladies from Brazil, Italy and Japan, all of whom spoke impeccable English – and the showbiz spot of the day was Claire Sweeney. She was sporting blonde hair so I wasn’t sure it was her but the rest of the personality-spotting team confirmed it!

Have a good weekend.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Eyelashes and Dale Winton

Eyelash Cream has become the new bestseller at Queen in the last week. This is a lovely and unique product which is one of our classics along with things like Theatrical Cleansing Cream, Cold Cream and the much loved Medicated Cleansing Cream (which, confusingly, isn't actually medicated - when it was created back in the 1920s by the dermatologists who founded Queen, the word denoted purity and that the product wouldn't provoke an allergic reaction. We dare not change the name for risk of causing a riot). We recently decided to talk about a different product each time we send out one of our newsletters and this time it was Eyelash Cream. As with all our products, this little wonder is especially formulated for sensitive skin and eyes.

I was prompted to talk about Eyelash Cream by a conversation with a charming journalist at Men's Vogue. He said that the reason men have better eyelashes than women is because they don't slap mascara on every day (or three times a day) and cause further trauma by removing it every night. It makes sense that this does make eyelashes dry and brittle although quite whether this affects length and thickness, I don't know! Anyway, it does highlight that eyelashes do get quite a raw deal and could do with a bit of TLC which is where Queen Eyelash Cream comes in. It is designed to re-condition lashes and/or to be a substitute for mascara. Some of our clients use it to keep eyebrows in check too. So, really a good all-rounder to have in your make-up bag. Try it (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/eyelash-cream---special-offer-until-end-february-22-p.asp). It's a tiny pot but it will last and last! It can be used by contact lens wearers and is an ideal product for sore, watery eyes which dislike mascara (although you should also try Queen Mascara if you fall into this category).

And so to this week's John Bell and Croyden visit. I approached with a degree of trepidation this week, having made an appointment to see one of our more irrascible customers. I knew she wanted to take me to task about JBC being out of stock (I am unfortunately not in control of what and when they order from us) of her two favourite products, Sensiderma Rich Cleanser and Sensiderma Night Cream. I had taken the precaution of taking these products up in my briefcase and as it turned out, I shouldn't have worried. It seems the previous days irritation with JBC staff had been largely due to a faulty hearing aid and too-loud musak in the store. Fortunately, she had put in the better of her two hearing aids and we were able to converse properly. She was absolutely charming and went away smiling and thanking everyone profusely.

I suppose it must be because I am getting on in life and because I wear a suit and a visitors' badge that many customers make a beeline for me assuming I running the store. There was one hair-raising incident when an elderly lady approached me at great speed waving papers under my nose and shrieking that she needed my signature on her driving licence application because her father had worked at John Bell 50 years' ago. Fortunately, a member of staff intercepted her and she was led away to see 'Dr so-and-so'. Whether this a regular occurence or Dr so-and-so could actually sign her licence, I don't know!

Once again, I met lots of delightful people and it was a day when they were all interested in the products with no refusals to take a brochure and/or sample. No matter how hardened one becomes to it, it is always disheartening when someone waves you away and barks 'not interested' without even knowing what it is you are offering. But then, the converse is those people who are kind enought to stop and chat and show interest in the range. Last week I met a lovely young woman called Alexia Somerville. She is the fashion stylist at the exclusive fashion bible Luxure Magazine. She took the time to drop me a line this week to say she thought the samples she had tried were 'spectacular'. It is always fantastic to hear feedback like that. We can only hope she will spread the word!

Showbiz personalities were a bit thin on the ground this week. There were a couple of familiar faces but noone was able to put names to them. Fortunately, I was saved by none other than Dale Winton who was sitting outside a cafe in Marylebone High Street enjoying a coffee. He looked his usual hale and hearty self although whether this was due to the cold weather or make-up, I'm not sure....

The stirrers are on for a new batch of Moisturiser so better go and check all is going smoothly.

Please come back soon.

Friday, February 1, 2008

The ingredients of good sense

While we do have a very high success rate in terms of the number of people with even very sensitive skin who can use Queen (http://www.queen-cosmetics.com/), we do occasionally come across customers who really do suffer and cannot tolerate some of our products. For this reason, we offer a bespoke service where we work with the client to formulate something that their sensitive or problem skin can tolerate. We are able to do this because we are a small company which can make small quantities of a product without too much disruption to our day to day schedule.

Where customers know they are allergic to a particular ingredient because they have had skin patch tests, this makes the job relatively easy. Sometimes, however, a client will have been able to use a particular brand for years when suddenly the product is either withdrawn, leaving them in the lurch, or the formulation has been changed and their skin reacts. In this case, they will ask if we can make something similar to the original. Assuming they have kept the ingredients' listing or the box, we are usually able to help.

We are in the process of working with one new client who has had great success with most of our products but can't use our cleansers. It has been very interesting to chat to her and to share her experiences. She has done a lot of research into cosmetic ingredients and talked about the great confusion caused by natural/organic ranges which claim that they are suitable for sensitive skin but which use all sorts of extracts, essential oils and perfumes which can create havoc for many allergy-prone skin types.

This week's trip to John Bell & Croyden, our central London stockist, underlined that the so-called experts who go into stores to promote and sell these, and other, ranges are not qualified to help consumers through the confusion. As part of the Queen philosophy of educating people about the cosmetics industry, I try to assist the cosmetics' department staff at JBC to understand cosmetic labelling and the function of the various ingredients contained in products. It enables them to answer customer questions with hard facts rather than a load of senseless waffle. When I arrived at the store, there was a 'training session' being held by the sales consultants of a range of £50+ a pot skin creams for a number of the girls from the JBC cosmetics' counter. I was delighted to hear on of the JBC girls ask some questions about the ingredients used in the products, including what preservative did they use. Unfortunately, the product 'consultant' was completely unable to answer! For the public it is certainly a case of caveat emptor.

To more interesting matters....Having spotted Hermione Norris last week, this Thursday it was the turn of the star of Kingdom himself, Stephen Fry. He spent about an hour strolling around, largely unrecognised by both staff and public.

Time for some lunch here at Queen!

Have a good weekend.