France taking the lead in making sense of cosmetics claims

It's been a busy and hectic start to the year at Queen Cosmetics especially given the snow which made actually getting to our rural HQ nearly impossible (thanks must go out to friends of Queen for the loan of a Jeep which saved the day and meant at least two of us could keep things moving!). The combination of more online orders because people were holed up at home and had time to surf and shop and the fact that the postal service was seriously disrupted meant some anxious days wondering if anything was getting through to our customers. Like the rest of the nation, we've seriously had enough of extreme winter weather!

The beginning of the year coincided with a nice write-up in Good Housekeeping Magazine's Beauty News pages where our Medicated Cleansing Lotion was tipped. "Gentle cleansers are best and one I always recommend to sensitive-skinned friends is Queen Medicated Cleansing Lotion from little-known brand Queen Cosmetics". See below for the full spiel.

Here at HQ, we are working on developing a number of new products, including a night cream for dry sensitive skin, and on a general launch of a cream which  we make for an individual client who has been using it for three years. We have trialled it over the last six months with other customers and it is proving excellent for those with very dry sensitive skin which doesn't respond well to rich, heavy creams. It's very light and easily absorbed but provides excellent moisturisation and protection. Do call us and ask about our Special Formulation Moisturiser on 01342 312 739 if you want to sample the cream.

Elsewhere in the cosmetics world, we were really interested to read in SPC Magazine (see it online at www.cosmeticsbusiness.com) about some new rules being brought in in France regarding the claims that cosmetics' manufacturers make for their products. The ARPP, a non-governmental body that enacts and enforces rule governing advertising professionals in France, has validated a set of rules which means that a product claiming to be natural will have to have no less than 95% natural or naturally derived ingredients and can only be called organic if 100% of ingredients are from organic farming.

Says SPC: "What's more it's going to put a stop to the infuriating free-from culture that has stigmatised so many cosmetic materials. Phrases like 'paraben-free' or 'without silicones' will be out and perhaps such ingredients may even be able to hold their heads up high again."

Whether or not other countries will follow suit is not yet known but let's hope so.

Late Winter offers will be launched soon so visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to keep up to date!

The Queen Team

Spreading the 'Queen Glow' to the local community

It's been another busy Friday down here at Queen HQ in sunny West Sussex. Our fame is spreading due to a little local word of mouth and we are now getting a steady stream of visitors to our little factory. It's not always convenient as we might just have a batch of something on the go or it's filling time but it's always fun as people really do like to get stuck in and have a try of everything. We've now labelled up a load of samples as testers as we've learned that the one thing you think people won't ask to try (colourless foundation cream, for example) is the one thing they will.

We've never really focused on marketing the products locally before because we've always felt that women don't really choose their cosmetics on the basis of them being made locally - its seems to take away from the glamour and mystique perhaps. However, as people have started sourcing their food locally and have become aware of  - and interested in reducing - their carbon footprint, we have definitely seen an increase in local interest. We love it and people seem to be really taken with our history and track record.

So, what else is new? We received a nice write-up in the salon magazine, a key trade publication for beauty therapists and hair salon. They featured our Sensitive Skin Oil which really is a fabulous product - suitable for massage, for moisturising, as an after-sun, as a body lotion etc etc. It's a blend of three very gentle oils perfect for sensitive skin. I am currently slathering it on my legs to prevent that horrid dry itchiness which can strike as the weather turns colder and we have to crank up the central heating (is anyone else suffering with dry lips in the middle of the night? My Queen Skin Cream is back in it's rightful place on my bedside table to stave off this scourge of winter).

 

the salon, October 2009

Other than that, it's just been a question of cracking on with the orders. Our Mascara for sensitive eyes is on offer currently and is proving really popular. It's ideal for even very sensitive eyes and for contact lens wearers and is just £6.50 at the moment. Try it here. It's fab!

Right well, it's time to put the stirrers to bed and to re-stock the shelves for next week. Don't forget to come and visit us at www.queen-cosmetics.com. We've got some great 'starter pack' offers for every skin type.

Have a great weekend

The Queen Team

Women's Fitness says revive and rehydrate skin with Queen Skin Cream

Just a quickie to say that October's edition of Women's Fitness magazine features a lovely review of our Skin Cream.

Writes Rachael Gibson: 'No handbag is complete with a multi-tasking balm, and this soothing cream is one of the best. Perfect for sunburn, wind burn and chafed skin, you can also use it on bites, blisters, jogger's nipple - the list is endless!'

We've got to admit we are always going on about how fabulous this product is so it's nice to hear someone else back us up.

It's also an absolute life-saver for itchy skin conditions such as eczema or urticaria or for nappy rash, soothing the itch and helping skin to repair. I have managed to keep my feet in shape all summer with nightly use - no cracked heels or scaly bits at all. And, many of our clients use it as their staple moisturiser. As with all our products, it's formulated for even the most sensitive skins.

To read more about Skin Cream, clicke here. Just £14.95 for a 50g jar and £23.00 for 100g.

See you soon at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: queen cosmetics,queen,www.queen-cosmetics.com,women's fitness magazine,review of skin cream,balm,soothing cream,cream for sensitive skin,cream for jogger's nipple,cream for blisters,cream for eczema,cream for urticaria

Sensitive Skin Oil and reviews for Queen Shampoo

It's been a busy few weeks here at Queen Cosmetics which means blogging has rather taken a back seat. We've launched a lovely new product, Queen Sensitive Skin Oil (left),  a blend of three oils which have fabulous moisturising properties and which are known to be gentle and non-irritating to sensitive skin. Sensitive Skin Oil has has a multitude of uses - as a body or face moisturiser, as a massage oil, as a hair oil or a bath oil or just to give skin a lovely light sheen for a night out. It's been a really popular product in the last few weeks and is on offer for just £12.00 until Monday 31st August so do give it a go at www.queen-cosmetics.com.

We had a great Summer Event evening at our major London stockist, London's landmark pharmacy John Bell & Croyden (JBC) in Wigmore Street, the week before last. The store was the busiest I have ever seen it and shoppers were in a relaxed mood - happy to stop, chat, sample and learn more about our range of skin care and make-up for sensitive skin. These evenings are well worth attending if you are a regular visitor to the West End. A short walk from Oxford Street Debenhams, John Bell & Croyden stocks an amazing array of products you won't find anywhere else from surgical instruments to beauty products to vitamins and with in-house osteopaths, nutritionists and a host of other experts. They hold two events a year, in Summer and at Christmas, when there is 20% off all products (excluding prescriptions and some baby products such as nappies) from 4-9pm.

The store has recently re-launched its website so do take at look at www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk if you have a moment.

Talking of JBC, after a very poor few months on the star/famous faces spotting front, my visit there yesterday turned up a bumper crop of homegrown talent. I say a bumper crop - I spotted three faces I recognised: newsreader David Suchet, Shadows frontman Hank Marvin and Matt Lucas of Little Britain and Shooting Stars (soon to be back on our screens) fame. I wasn't sure if it was Matt Lucas as he has lost so much weight. I last saw him sitting outside a pub in the West End with David Walliams and he was virtually unrecognisable from then. In baseball cap and with his new slimline look, I had to get confirmation from one of the John Bell sales assistants. 'Yes, definitely him. I had a chat with him and asked him how he'd lost so much weight,' she said. Sadly, no great secret was revealed. 'He'd been on a diet', she told me. Tell us more Matt....

We've also been busy making some improvements to the Queen website. The drop down menus were proving really hard to use so we've fixed that and we have also tried to streamline the ordering process. There's still work to do and this is ongoing so do drop us a line at info@queen-cosmetics.com if there's anything you want to see improved. We are also going to see our skincare range featured on the John Bell & Croyden website so we've been working with them on that with a view to bringing our fabulous products to the attention of an even wider audience!

Oh, lastly, we've had a nice review of our Shampoo which is great for sensitive scalps. Says online salon news site, Findasalon.co.uk, which publishes best-selling hair magazines Hair & Beauty, Perfect Hair and Hair Now: "We were excited to hear about Queen's new soothing Shampoo, £9.80. The mild formula contains no perfume, essential oils or fragrance whatsoever but still leaves locks squeaky clean." To read more click here.

Theirs is a sentiment echoed by our customers, one of whom emailed recently to says: "I tried the Shampoo sample this morning and found it delightful!  Just the right amount of lather and left my hair feeling soft and clean.  Seriously!  Thank you. I will be buying some with my next order."

It's now time to replenish our packaging stocks as our summer offers have left the shelves looking rather bare. We're also low on labels and product stocks so the stirrers need to get going.

Have a great bank holiday weekend!

The Queen Team

Technorati Tags: sensitive scalps,queen,queen cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,skincare for sensitive skin,make-up for sensitive skin,shampoo review,matt lucas,John Bell & Croyden,www.johnbellcroyden.co.uk,queen sensitive skin oil

Mascara for sensitive eyes? It was on my doorstep.

Technorati Tags: sensitive eyes,Queen Mascara,mascara for sensitive eyes,Queen Eyelash Cream

We have just run out of stock of our black Mascara which has rather taken us by surprise as there were plenty on the shelves just last week.

A quick look at our Google analytics revealed that mascara for sensitive eyes has been a very popular search term for us in the past few weeks. I have no idea why. Perhaps the new mascaras on the market which can lengthen, curl, thicken and goodness knows what else are causing irritation to sensitive eyes. Or, perhaps it's just that people have been extra patient and have trawled through the search results on Google and found Queen and decided to give us a go (having tried all those other companies who come at the top of the Google rankings!).

Queen Mascara really does have a good success rate among our clients with sensitive eyes. Its very gentle formula means it does not irritate and it is easy to remove (particularly with Queen Eye Make-up Remover). For a long time, I have been a fan of super-thick, waterproof mascaras and so have not used Queen. Until just recently that is. At Christmas while buying a very expensive mascara as a gift (it had been requested!), I ended up buying one for myself. I was really fed up with the high street brand I was using as it kept clumping on application then flaking so, having been assured by the sales assistant that the same thing wouldn't happen with this one, I bought one. But, the same thing did happen. By lunchtime I would have lots of tiny dry flakes under my eyes and, by evening, would have the typical panda-eyed look. I persevered, using Queen Eyelash Cream at night as I thought it must be my eyelashes, but this made little difference and the mascara got steadily dryer and clumpier so that eventually I couldn't even get the lid of the very glamorous bottle to click closed properly.

A few months ago I decided to give the Queen mascara a go and have been amazed. I thought the fact it was for sensitive eyes (which I don't have despite wearing contact lenses) meant it wouldn't define my lashes enough as it would be too thin or would come off too easily. But it's fantastic - really dark, goes on easily, separates my lashes so they don't clump and comes off without ten minutes of rubbing at night time. I am a convert. Given it's half the price of the expensive brand I tried, I am better off too!

Queen Mascara - brown or black. Just £10.50 from www.queen-cosmetics.com

My favourite quote from one of our customers about our Mascara is:

"I've been delighted to be able to wear your mascara without any
problems and am looking forward to ordering other items. For the last 20 years I've had this eye sensitivity problem and unfortunately have the sort of eyes that need a little help with make-up. The best I've been able to find up to now was (a very expensive brand - we've removed the name!) but this caused a problem with redness and soreness after about an hour so I am very grateful to have found you! I'll probably be going round the village now with eyes far too dramatically enhanced for my rural lifestyle!" Mrs Rose, Dorset

How to get rid of those odd dry, sensitive skin patches which just won't go

I've had this small, dry, scaly patch of skin on the outside of my left nostril just where it joins my face (or upper lip if that helps you visualise it!) now for a good six months. It's been one of those things that I do notice when scrutinising my face in the mirror (I don't do this often - it's not good for morale) but which I am mostly aware of through touch as I seem to have developed an annoying habit of checking it's still there every day. I am not sure when it appeared or why but it just wouldn't go. It hasn't been particularly itchy or sensitive but has been sore when I've had a cold.

I had resigned myself to living with my lizard-like skin when I thought I would try our very own Queen Skin Cream. There's nothing like first-hand experience and, guess what, it's done the job. I put it on every night for a couple of weeks and the patch has gone. I did get a bit complacent last week while on holiday (although still religiously massaging the Skin Cream into my heels) and noticed that it had started to come back but a couple more nights of application and it's gone again.

Now, I know this just sounds like bragging but it is backed up by the comments we repeatedly get from our customers about this product.

An email today from Mrs Golder in London, which prompted this self-congratulatory post, said:

"And by the way, I must just tell you how brilliant your Queen skin cream is!  I had a sample for my toddler's face which worked miracles.  Then I had a dry patch on my face for months.  I tried everything including a hydrocortisone and was beginning to think it was skin cancer (you know the mind works!) when I suddenly thought about your cream and it's absolute magic!  The mysterious patch has disappeared!".

Says Mrs Cliffe, also from London:

"Queen Skin Cream is just wonderful. I suffer from eczema and find it really soothing and it has got rid of dry, scaly patches that I have had for years. I use it on my face, on my feet, on my lips and in areas of eczema on my ankles and face.  It's better than the stuff the doctor has given me. At night, if my legs or ankles start itching, I rub some Skin Cream in really well and it soothes it immediately. It's brilliant, I can't praise it enough."

This product, called Skin Food many years ago when it first came to market, is a miracle cream and every dressing table or bathroom cabinet should have some, whether you suffer from sensitive skin or not.

For sensitive and very dry skin it's great as a moisturiser but it's also brilliant for a whole host of other things, including:

• dry heels and dry elbows
• itchy skin caused by eczema, psoriasis etc
• to repair dry lips (or to keep lips soft and moisturised)
• taking the heat out of minor burns
• it can be used to soothe and repair skin suffering from sun burn, chapped skin and wind burn, making it perfect for the beach, ski slopes or out at sea.
• to soothe itchiness caused by bites or allergic reactions
• to prevent or soothe chafing caused by clothing or shoes. Prevent blisters by rubbing it into areas which are likely to be affected  or cover the blister (or even rub it into the leather of your shoes/boots to soften it!) with the cream to prevent further injury.

I could go on....but that's enough of the advertising spiel. It is fabulous though and great value too as it lasts for ages. Visit www.queen-cosmetics.com to find out more. You won't look back!

Have a good weekend.

Tamiflu mayhem at John Bell and sensitive skins praise Queen

We were up at our main stockist, John Bell & Croyden, in London's Wigmore Street, yesterday and it was absolute mayhem.

John Bell is known to be the top pharmacy in the UK, serving the likes of Harley Street and all the private medical practices in the West End and beyond. There were long queues at the pharmacy counter as people took in their prescriptions for Tamiflu, the anti-viral swine flu drug. Needless to say stocks had run out some days ago and stocks of face masks were also running low, with staff members dashing around bringing up the remaining boxes from storerooms below. Quite how you get your hands on a prescription for Tamiflu, I don't know. I can only assume it's via one's private medical practice, should you have one. The chaos at John Bell just gives a taste of what we can expect if swine flu does take hold in the UK. Terrifying.

On a lighter note, it was a good day for meeting people, both existing users of Queen products and potential customers. One woman who had tried some samples a few weeks ago and had subsequently bought a jar of our Skin Cream told us she was delighted with the product. 'I've tried all sorts of brands and this is the best. It's perfect for my skin.'

That's not the only glowing report we've had.  We have had some lovely emails this week.

Wrote a lady from Northamptonshire: "Hello there. I am delighted to say that of the Queen samples received I have found 3 products already that have not upset my sensitive skin and make it feel actually moisturised!  Woohoo –I have not enjoyed comfortable skin for some considerable time so I am very grateful to have discovered you!"

She continued:

"I am 47 and in recent years my naturally rosy face has become more and more intolerant.  I found a cream which was soothing but within minutes, especially in the winter, my face still felt as if it had been sandpapered and then stretched like a drum skin.  I am sitting here now with my face smoother and soft to the touch and comfortable to boot.  Since receiving the samples I have identified the ones that suit me and I am actually able to cleanse my face twice a day when before I used to dread even touching it.  The Sensiderma Foundation Cream is also a real find as it is making my own foundation sit smoothly whereas before while it was not upsetting my skin it would almost immediately flake and dry out and close up looked horrible. Many, many thanks!  Order to follow!"

And another received today said:

"Thank you for my order and thank you also for such immediate service. I'm delighted with my light night cream! That's what you call a free gift! It's amazing. Full size no less! I'm also impressed with the tinted foundation. A lovely creamy peachy tint and it stays put all day. That's no mean feat with my sensitive skin as the only other foundation to do that has been Kanebo which is very expensive and now only available in the U.K  from Harrods!

"I'm trying to convert my daughter who is 29 & still very prone to acne. I bought the light moisturiser sample for her to try. She already likes the medicated cleanser which she regularly purloins from me!
Thank you once again."

The free Light Night Cream refers to a two-day offer we ran last week. So glad we did it now!

Hmm, was just reading this month's SPC (Soap, Perfumery & Cosmetics - www.cosmeticsbusiness.com) magazine reports that, in France, two thirds of cosmetic products marketed as 'bio' (French for organic) and described as being preservative-free contained traces of preservatives.

The findings come from an investigation carried out by two French agencies, the AFSSAPS which is responsible for health product safety and the DGCCRF, the agency responsible for competition, consumption and fraud focused on 28 bio-cosmetics, of which 22 carried the Ecocert or other natural accreditation.

Of the 28 products, 12 claimed to use no preservatives and 16 claimed that they did not use phenoxyethanol. However, 19 products were found to contain traces of preservatives. The investigators said that it was impossible to conclude whether there had been a deliberate intent to deceive.

Isn't this still rather worrying news though?! If products are certified by a body like Ecocert then surely they should be what they claim to be otherwise the reputation and existence of these bodies should be called into question. Green, natural or organic cosmetics are marketed as being whiter than white and purer than pure yet, in this instance, this is clearly not the case.

SCP reports that the AFSSAPS says that the traces of preservatives could result from the raw materials, especially those coming from a vegetable origin.

I don't know how people are supposed to navigate their way through all this stuff. We always advocate that consumers learn to read ingredients' labels but what's the point when this sort of thing is going on?

This post is already far too long and there's orders to despatch. Enjoy this weather and have a good weekend.

The Queen Team
www.queen-cosmetics.com

Technorati Tags: Sensiderma Foundation Cream,flaking foundation,Ecocert,SCP,phenoxyethanol,sensitive skin,Queen Skin Cream,light night cream,tinted foundation cream for sensitive skin,Queen Cosmetics,www.queen-cosmetics.com,medicated cleanser,light moisturiser,smoother skin,flake and dry out