Back in the blogging saddle after a busy week last week which meant I didn't even find the time to get online and vent my spleen about various issues. I am sure we were missed......Anyway, it was probably a good thing as the blood does cool with time, albeit not much. We had a run on lovely Queen Soap again and John Bell & Croyden placed a large order (due, we like to think, to our promotional efforts at their Summer evening event the week before last!).
I was becoming increasingly irritated with all the emails requesting samples which clearly weren't genuine. One woman (or it could have been a man from the email address) asked for about four different skin-care samples (which we dutifully sent -more fool us). Two weeks later, another email came asking for samples of all of our make-up products. I kindly - and I wasn't feeling kind - replied to say that we were limited to only a few samples per person and that, anyway, we don't have samples of our make-up. He/she was welcome to buy some make-up, however, and would receive a full refund if unhappy with anything. Sure enough, an email appeared with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line. Grrrrrr.
I really do not understand why people bother to request free samples of things they clearly have no real interest in. Is it just to have something for free or is it to get one over companies they see as faceless corporates trying to rip them off? Or are they just deeply sad? Anyone know the answer, I'd be pleased to hear it.
Anyway, this week I have conceded defeat and have now amended the Queen website to say that free samples are available but only by 'phone or by writing in. That should sort the wheat from the chaff.
The other thing bothering me last week was social/business networking sites. We have joined a few and have 'met' some really genuine (that word again) and helpful people but I am just astounded that there are so many loons out there. I keep receiving emails which make no sense at all. I would like to copy some examples here but that probably isn't the done thing. I feel that when the contact with and from lunatics begins to outweigh that from normal, sane individuals then that is the time to head for the hills. Perhaps you might say that no sane individual joins one of these networks in the first place but the founders do usually have integrity and a desire to help people make contacts and do business. Sadly, they can't screen for the bonkers contingent which means the site loses credibility.
Moving on, I have booked a make-up lesson at a local beauty salon. As you get older, it's good to update your look and highlight the good parts while hiding the not-so-good ones! I was given the lesson as a gift, I hasten to add. It's not something I would have initiated myself but I thought it would make good market research. I was told on the 'phone that a certain brand of 'very natural' mineral make-up was used and that 'i may like to buy some' to take home with me. While I am looking forward to it, I am concerned that the whole thing is going to be a promotional exercise for the products they use which is not what I want at all. I use a variety of different brands, including Queen of course (in particular our eye-liners, blushers and Tinted Foundation Cream) and don't want to change. And if I wanted a 'promotional' make-over, I would go to one of the large department stores where you get that part for free and just pay for the products. I will update you on what happened next week.
Anyway, the word 'natural' was like a red rag to a bull so I did a little research into the ingredients contained in the brand which will be used on me. There is lots of praise for mineral make-up and I am not getting into discussing its efficacy and I am certainly not looking to criticise it. I was just interested if the 'natural' claim held up and I discovered that the brand to be used on me (not ALL brands use this ingredient) contains something called bismuth oxychloride which doesn't sound very natural and which, I found, is used to impart the pearlescent effect the make-up has. A quick Google search revealed it is a by product of lead and copper ore processing. In as much as lead and copper are natural, it has natural origins but that's about it. It goes through a lengthy chemical processing and refinement to make the product which actually goes in the make-up.
My research revealed lots of scare stories written about bismuth oxychloride too but, like the rubbish written about parabens etc, these seem to be perpetuated by the companies which are not using it, enabling them to therefore claim that their products are better/safer/more trustworthy than those that do. I am not an expert on this ingredient so cannot comment but it just underlines that even in the world of mineral make-up, there is hypocrisy and one-upmanship! Some companies are claiming to be natural when they're not and others are claiming ingredients used by their competitors are dangerous when they are not (if they were, they wouldn't be allowed to be used).
I will be interested to hear if i get a long marketing spiel at my make-up lesson. I may have to casually ask if they use bismuth oxychloride and see if a) they actually know and b) what they say if I say it's not natural. I will report back next week.
I do seem to have got carried away with my 'issues' this week, so much so that I haven't told you that Queen Sensiderma Refine & Renew (I think this is the name of our new anti-wrinkle cream) will be on sale in October. We can't wait!
Have a good weekend.
x
1 comment:
Interesting article, particularly what is and isn't a natural ingredient in mineral cosmetics.
There does seem to be a diversity in mineral make up ingredients, whith some firms using only earth minerals, others using by-products, such as Bismuth.
I found an interesting post, which also provides a link to a mineral make-up business owner over at hot make up secrets. Be interesting to hear what they have to say about Bismuth
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