Snail serum for sensitive skin anyone?

I was perusing the newspaper over lunch and saw an extraordinary article about the latest anti-ageing creams. They really are getting increasingly bizarre. The latest bonkers ingredients which are claimed to banish wrinkles and lines include: bee mucus extract and a gene found in nectar; placental proteins; cow's first milk or colostrum; extract of purified snail slime; and even crystals extracted from seminal fluid.

One of the products mentioned contains snake venom peptide. This is Syence Skin Care's Snake Venom Memory Cream. Syence has a stand next to Queen in John Bell & Croyden in Wigmore Street so we know the company well. Their cream costs a whopping £180 a pop. And yes, people do buy it. I can't say whether it works or not as I don't get close enough to the customers to be able to tell but presumably there are those who do believe it does.

Our creams and lotions are positively pedestrian in comparison. I don't know whether extract of snail or seminal fluid would irritate sensitive skin and I can't imagine we will ever find out. Even a product name change causes ructions among Queen customers so the introduction of Queen Boiled Pig's Trotter Eye Serum (we are based on a converted pig farm) will have to wait.

Pedestrian or not, Queen products are still finding new fans. This week, like last, has seen lots of new customers graduate to buying full-size products having tried free samples. And word is spreading. An Italian lady writes:

"A friend of mine was given a sample few weeks ago while shopping in John Bell & Croyden at Wigmore Street in London of both Queen Rich Cleanser and Sensiderma Moisturiser. Well, I have to admit she is full of excitement and admiration since she tried so much herself which did not work."

I do like the idea of people being full of admiration and excitement having used our products. Could that be a new strap line for us? Queen - fills you full of admiration and excitement. Hmm, it could work.

Sadly, not everyone has this joyful reaction. One lady, who had requested a free sample and then had, for reasons we don't understand, been charged £1.53 in excess postage and handling fees (despite the package being small enough to fit through the letterbox the postman had not seen fit to deliver it so the lady had to go to her nearest sorting office) was furious with us. She wrote: "Needless to say I am not at all happy about this and would appreciate a reimbursement. I hope this is not normal practice as it does not give a good initial impression of your firm." Ouch! We did, of course, offer her a reimbursement and, in the event she chooses to have anything to do with us again, a discount but I have not yet heard back from her.

This week's stint at John Bell & Croyden was good fun. There were lots of gaps on the Queen shelves which always puts me in a good mood (as long as there are some stocks to replenish supplies). Sir Terry Wogan had been in and there had been lots of good natured chat about the Eurovision Song Contest and what a load of rubbish it was. Of course, I missed him and there were no other celebrities on my shift. Typical!

I did meet a very nice woman who owns a perfumery (Perfumeria Sonia) in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. She seemed very interested in Queen and the idea of speciality beauty products for sensitive skin so perhaps she might become a stockist. Another lady who is setting up a cosmetics' website also listened while I wittered on about Queen and disabused her of the various silly scare stories perpetuated by some companies and journalists. A wonderful Marlene Dietrich impersonator also wandered by so I distracted her from the Vichy counter to have a chat. She is a part-time entertainer. I didn't get her name but gave her the details of the comic impresario I met a few months ago, Hils Jago, in a bid to demonstrate how well connected I am.

Good news for John Bell is that the Public Relations consultants Citigate Dewe Rogerson who represent John Bell's parent company Lloyds Pharmacy have been drafted in to do some public relations for the store. It really is a fabulous place - full of all sorts of products you won't find anywhere else - but it really doesn't have the profile it should have.

My final triumph of the day was to recommend to the horse-racing enthusiasts that they have a (small) each way bet on Dame Judi Dench's horse Smokey Oakey which was running that evening at Sandown. It won at 20/1 so my street cred should be very high when I go in next week. Perhaps the staff will be so pleased they will work extra hard to promote Queen.

Oh, before I forget, I have just added a survey on our website in order to find out more about the people who visit our site. If you have a spare 90 seconds (it won't take any longer, I promise), please do check it out here or visit our site at www.queen-cosmetics.com. You will receive a 10% discount on your next Queen order. What an incentive!

Time to dispatch the orders.

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,Queen Rich Cleanser,Sensiderma Moisturiser,John Bell & Croyden,Queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,beauty products for sensitive skin,beauty products

Free samples for sensitive skin

Despite building works at our farm HQ which led to me ripping the front bumper off my car (I got lodged on a boulder as I tried to get out of the way of two huge lorries which were careening down the small private road where the farm is based), it has been an encouraging week at Queen with a higher-than-usual number of new customers joining our band of followers.

Due to the fact that, until recently, we had done little or no marketing or promotional activity, we have a loyal and longstanding customer base whom we know well, so well that many will 'phone up saying 'hello, it's X and I'd like my usual'. I confess this does sometimes leave us scrambling through our records to discover what the 'usual' might be but, for the most part, we do tend to have a good idea.

Just as with our promotional work at our stockists such as John Bell & Croyden, it has been sampling which has proved the best method for converting  interest generated by our recent marketing programme into sales. It is hardly surprising that women with sensitive skin want to try new products before they buy so we do make free samples available. On our website www.queen-cosmetics.com, we have a 'Product of the Month' (currently our luxurious Sensiderma Rich Cleanser for very dry or mature skin should you be interested!) which is available to sample free of charge and we hand out samples of some of our best-selling products such as Queen Moisturiser & Medicated Cleansing Lotion every Thursday at John Bell (so do get yourself down there if you can!).

John Bell & Croyden was much busier this Thursday and, with many staff members off sick, promotional 'independents' such as myself were drawn into directing and advising customers which of course offered further opportunity to ply them with Queen samples and to bend their ears with my sales patter. I met a very nice lady called Caroline Pyecroft who runs an agency for make-up artists. She made some helpful comments and said she would look into getting some Queen samples to her clients who would then trial them in their TV, film and magazine work. As per usual, I extolled the virtues of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream which was designed for removing stage make-up. Another woman commented on our packaging and said that it had caught her eye whilst she was browsing (and that was before I had buttonholed her).

A delightful lady from Dublin introduced me to her daughter who said her name was Paula Keogh and that she was an actress who had appeared in Eastenders in a 'minor role'. I didn't confess that I never watch the programme and am now thinking perhaps I should change my ways and tune in.

Our Summer mail-out continues, somewhat stalled by the fact we have run out of brochure and our new ones have not yet arrived. We have asked our customers to let us know if they are interested in our anti-wrinkle cream which is currently undergoing trials and the answer seems to be a resounding 'yes'. One customer called to say that she has always got away with saying that she is 10 years younger than she really is but that someone had recently guessed her real age. 'It was quite a shock,' she said. 'I have decided that the skin around my eyes looks like a rhino's skin and I have to do something about it.' I promised that I would rush her a sample of our anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin as soon as we go into production.

Having just visited the hygienist at my dental surgery, I thought I ought to pass on what I had learned about keeping teeth in pristine condition. Apparently, the four culprits for staining teeth are smoking, coffee, tea and red wine. I am not guilty of indulging in the first two so it must be all the green tea I drink. Oh, and the red wine! Fortunately, with summer on the way (or here already?) I can start to cut down on the hot drinks, up my water intake and switch to refreshing white wine. I must also invest in an electric toothbrush so any advice on the best one is gratefully received.

Time marches on and we have orders to despatch. Have a good weekend and an enjoyable bank holiday.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,free samples,Medicated cleansing lotion,Theatrical Cleansing Lotion,Queen Cosmetics,Sensiderma Rich Cleanser,anti-wrinkle cream for sensitive skin,www.queen-cosmetics.com

Never used a moisturiser? Lucky you!

One of our longstanding and regular customers, a beauty therapist, has just called to place an order - a rather bigger one than usual which is obviously good news for us! Business must be good, I commented. 'Yes', she said, 'I've got quite a few new customers. Amazingly, a couple of them have never used a moisturiser before so I have, of course, recommended Queen.' She went on to say that both women were under 50 but had never had a skin care routine. 'And they couldn't understand why their skin was feeling dry.' I asked if they had great skin apart from a bit of dryness. 'Oh no, their skin was dull, lifeless and rough. Awful!'

I always find it astounding - but actually rather refreshing - that, despite being bombarded by beauty product advertising and endless column inches discussing the relative merits of everything from lip-plumping serums to skin lightening creams, there are people out there who know nothing about skin care. Good for them, I say. I suspect the reason is that they are just lucky. They've never suffered from the ills that plague most of us so have never had to take an interest. The thing is that they are so behind the curve when they do need to take action, that they don't know where to start. In the case of these two women, Queen Moisturiser will sort them out.

Another of our clients is also having a good week. Reanimator Management, a theatrical agency, is thrilled that six of its clients, all of whom are trained dancers, have won parts in the latest West End show 'Never Forget' at the Savoy Theatre in the Strand. Reanimator sends all of their clients a box of Queen goodies on their opening night so we will be dispatching six boxes (made from recycled card from our neighbours The Tiny Box Company) to arrive on Wednesday. The girls get a Theatrical Cleansing Cream, a Queen Soap and a Moisturiser and the boys a Shampoo, Medicated Cleansing Lotion, a soap and an assortment of minis. Because they are designed for sensitive skin and have no perfume, Queen products are ideal for performers who have to take off thick stage make-up, often a number of times a day. They are gentle enough for even the most sensitive or dry skin and won't stress or dehydrate.

Break a leg, as they say!

Yesterday's trip to John Bell & Croyden, Queen's major London stockist, started somewhat painfully. Due to bad traffic, the station car park was choc-a-bloc. Eventually locating the last space, I just about made the train but was faced with bus problems at Victoria which meant I was an hour late arriving at the store. Fortunately, this wasn't too much of an issue as customers were few and far between with gray skies and showers blamed for keeping people away.

Nevertheless, I did manage to buttonhole a good number of women. One was perusing the Ponds products when I thrust some Queen samples in to her hands. She gasped with surprise saying she had used the range many years ago. She promised to 'come back' the Queen once she had exhausted her current stocks of various other brands. I will be looking out for her! Another revealed she used to live in a village near Queen's East Grinstead HQ. She confessed to being a racing fan - a topic close to my heart - and to having spent quite a bit of time at school gazing out of the window at Lingfield racetrack. When I named the school, she looked quite shocked. I told her I wasn't psychic but that my daughter had gone to the same school although in her day you definitely couldn't see the racetrack.

No star spots again, unfortunately. Regular John Bell customer Roger Moore had been in the previous day but no such luck today.

Well, we must get on with our mail-out and with filling Moisturisers. Our 100g jars did eventually appear so it's all hands to the pump (literally).

Have a good weekend.

Technorati Tags: sensitive skin,theatrical cleansing cream,medicated cleansing lotion,stage make-up,Queen Soap,John Bell & Croyden,dry skin,beauty products for sensitive skin

A hot hive of activity

Bank holidays usually mean we are deluged by a backlog of mail (we have a freepost address which goes to a PO Box) mid-way through the week which then sends us into panic. Sure enough, this proved to be the case following the May bank holiday. While Tuesday and Wednesday were relatively quiet, Thursday and today have brought a flurry of responses to our current mail-out. What with the heat and activity, it has been a rather sweaty day and I am only just able to sit down and write my weekly missive!

We mail our customers three times a year with news and special offers. I always find it interesting that the majority of customers do not take advantage of the special offers but that the letter they receive serves to prompt them to place their usual orders. It is as if the mail-out reminds them that oh yes, they need to replenish their stocks. Perhaps this is an accepted response/behaviour and direct mail experts would be nodding their heads sagely.

Today's panic has been further heightened by a lack of packaging. We were poised to fill some new batches of Moisturiser and Sensiderma Cold Cream this morning but have been scuppered by the fact that the 100g jars we expected to arrive yesterday or first thing today have gone AWOL. We've just had a call from a company on the other side of town saying they've received a box of lids labelled Queen. This doesn't bode well.  The jars are nowhere to be found and the lids are languishing at a completely different company. We have been desperately hunting down stray empty 100g jars to get this afternoon's orders out.

This balmy summer weather (I do hope you took note of my tips last week to get skin ready for summer clothes) is just amazing and puts everyone in a good mood, from the chap who delivers our stationery to our customers who, it has to be said, are generally very good humoured. I have just put the 'phone down to a lady who called to place her usual order of two 100g Moisturisers (fingers crossed the jars arrive on Monday).

"I think there is something wrong with me,' she revealed. 'Every sunny morning this week, I can think of nothing else but getting washing on the line. I'm ripping clothes off my family's backs. Even the dog isn't safe."

When I said that I'd been listening to callers to radio station LBC extolling the virtues of ironing and surely that was rather more worrying she had to admit that she never let anyone else touch her ironing. "I like to do it my way."  As the old adage goes, there's nowt so queer as folk.

Following a visit two weeks ago from a very nice lady who lives up the road from Queen's farm HQ, her husband came to see us today. "My wife has sent me down here to buy some cream. What do you recommend?" He told us he uses an anti-wrinkle cream and his skin did look amazing - very smooth and youthful. I cheekily asked him how old he was and was amazed at his response. Incredible! We have been trialling an anti-wrinkle cream for the last few months so we sent him off with a sample. I just hope it keeps him looking as good as he does at the moment.

It was a timely visit as we had just been reading about a well known actress who we know lives locally. There was a photo and a glowing report about her in Baz Bamigboye's column in the Daily Mail today. We have long wanted to get in touch with her to give her a sample of our Theatrical Cleansing Cream. I asked our visitor if he knew her. He said yes and that he would alert her to our existence and give her a brochure on our behalf. It would be great to meet her and see if she would be willing to try the products. She is due to appear in theatre this summer so Queen Theatrical would be ideal.

This week's John Bell & Croyden visit was enjoyable. I have given two of the girls who work there some samples and they have promised to try them, having complained that they can't find anything to suit them. I warned them that I would be able to tell and would be watching for them developing what I call the Queen glow. It would be good if they do get on with the products as I will be able to point to them as living examples of what you can look like when you use Queen.

Of the women I spoke to, at least 20 said they considered themselves to have sensitive skin. As usually happens, I was in the stockroom or grovelling in the warehouse whenever someone actually bought a product. I have come to the conclusion that not being on the shop floor is a sure fire way to ensure a Queen customer will come in.

I didn't do well on the celebrity spots. Jonathan Meades came in apparently but I couldn't see him. I do like his writing and television programmes and know he is a fan of Rodez in the Aveyron region of France where I have spent quite a lot of time. Someone said that Yoko Ono was in the store but I can't believe it was her. I must check the news to see if she has been in London this week....

Have a good weekend and enjoy the sunshine (sensitive skins take care though).

Time to face up to summer

I know the weather forecasters gave us a few days notice last week that Saturday was going to be a nice day but I didn't really believe it until it dawned warm and bright. With friends arriving at lunchtime, I was faced with the dilemma of do i attempt a rush-job of hair removal, moisturising, self-tanning and toenail painting to enable me to wear something vaguely summery or do i remain concealed under trousers and shoes (with a t-shirt as a small concession to the heat). I am afraid to say I chose the latter.

This is naughty as last month Queen published a guide to getting sensitive skin ready for summer. It was a call to arms - start strimming, moisturising and buffing NOW and, when those first few nice days start to appear, you can smugly reveal that you are in perfect shape. Its a shame I didn't heed our own advice.

So, for those of you, like me, who haven't started facing up to the fact that summer may just be on its way, I am going to reiterate some of these tips in an effort to galvanize us into action.

Queen's Seven Summer Survival Tips for Sensitive Skin

1) Start NOW
Start the routine below now to give yourself a good eight week head-start before summer really arrives. Not only does poor winter skin need time to get over its weeks of neglect but also it is better that you find a routine which works for you now rather than suffering an adverse reaction when you assault your skin two days before your holiday or that lovely summer wedding.

2) Hair-removal - find a method that works for you NOW
Hair removal can cause problems for the hardiest of skins so if you have sensitive skin do make sure you know which method is least likely to send your skin into overdrive. Shaving may be the best option as it is not too stressful for skin - before shaving, work up a good foam from a soap or other product you know does not cause your skin to react.

3) Gentle buffing
Sensitive skin should not be subjected to harsh exfoliators but it is good to try and get rid of dead, dull skin. Even a soft flannel will do or, if you are feeling adventurous, a handful of oats (the type you get for porridge!). Moisten the oats and rub gently over your body. Yes, it is messy (you could wrap them in a muslin) but you can shower them off.

4) Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise
If you are not already doing so to keep winter dryness, flakiness and itching at bay, start moisturising NOW. After your morning shower, massage in as much lotion as you can, concentrating on dry, problem areas such as feet, elbows and shins. Let the lotion sink in before getting dressed.

5) Pay attention to your feet
Heels, ankles and even the tops of feet can look dry, scaly and generally rather unappealing after a winter of thick socks and boots. If your skin can tolerate a pumice stone, use it gently on those areas where skin is thick and dry. Afterwards, rub in a super-thick footcream or other cream for very dry skin. Let it sink in before dressing. Before you go to bed, massage in more cream so that it can work while you sleep. Ensure that you massage the cream into and around your nails to prepare them for nail varnish. Painting your toenails will give your feet an instant lift. Doing it ahead of time means you can take your time and make sure they look perfect. Choose a pale pink or neutral colour to avoid staining and to make removal or touch-ups easier.

6) Fake it
So, the sun is here and you are in the lucky position of being able to reveal your lovingly prepared limbs. If you are not able to use fake tans, add a bit of colour by mixing some of your favourite foundation with your moisturiser and smoothing it all over your skin. Or, keep skin pale but glossy with extra lashings of body lotion.

7) Take great care in the sun
If you skin can tolerate a sunscreen, use products which contain one or use a suntan lotion under your make-up. Try and keep out of direct sun and cover up if you must go out in the heat of the day.

This week's trip to John Bell & Croyden was a boost to morale as sales have continued to be good while other reps were complaining that sales of their products have been subdued. While I was there, two regular customers came in and headed straight for Queen and a lady who said she worked in the fashion industry made a beeline for me to tell me that she had tried the samples I gave her and thought the products were excellent. She is exhibiting at The Luxury Fair in Chelsea in mid-May and said she would do a little bit of promotion on Queen's behalf while she was there.

Again, there were no famous faces this week. Perhaps I should swap days at Thursdays have been very dry on this front for nearly a month now. One of the staff did mutter something about a member of Monty Python but I didn't recognise him and I like to think I know my stuff! There were instead lots of international customers who are always charming.

Back at the farm, I found a very nice email from a regular client. Last month she wrote to say that she didn't like the new handcream packaging (more about our packaging trials in future blogs) but this time the subject line of her email read 'lovely cream!'.

"Having complained about the new handcream some time ago, I feel I should also write and tell you how pleased I am with the rich Skin Cream.  After a sudden flare up of eczema on my face (this is new!) I used the cream and it has been really helpful, calming both the redness and the itch.  Also, the Eyelash Cream was so nice that I have got some for a friend as a present! Thank you again."

What a nice way to end the week.

Come back next week please!