Memorial Day

On this picnic and water-sports friendly holiday, please remember what Memorial Day is all about. Take a little quiet time and give thanks for the freedoms that we enjoy. Remember that freedom is NEVER free and tough decisions need to be made every day by those in our Armed Forces.

We cannot always take the easy road or be politically correct when our country and freedoms are at stake. We cannot be gentle with everybody and treat our enemies as though they're no more a threat than the other sports team. We must be tough with our enemies and show them that we are serious about maintaining the integrity of what the USA is all about.

Stand up. Get informed. Get an opinion and EXPRESS it. Don't just sit there assuming our current administration has all the answers. They do not. No administration has had all the answers - ever. It's a collaborative effort and egos must never get in the way.

Our leaders must keep our country the number one priority as decisions are made. The men and women in our armed forces who have served and who are currently service know all of this. Our political leaders need to know it and act upon it as well.

WE as citizens must give our military our respect and honor them and their efforts AT ALL TIMES. They are fighting for US. For YOU and ME.

Take a minute today to appreciate that.

Thank you for allowing me my freedom of speach.

My Favorite Products of all TIME!

Why should you care what MY favorite products are? Maybe you don't, but that's ok. It's my blog, after all. I've been in the cosmetics industry for 30 years. I've worked for all the greats: Chanel, Trish McEvoy, Estee Lauder, Lancome, just to name a few! During this time I've had the opportunity to experience many many products and to learn why they work and why they hold a place on retailers' shelves! Here are some things to check out:

1. Body Cleanser. I love DOVE soap. If you're not a soap person, get the bath gel that matches the fragrance you wear. If you do not wear perfume, then get PHILOSOPHY AMAZING GRACE or PURE GRACE. Nothing but CLEAN!
2. Body Exfoliant: CLINIQUE SPARKLE SCRUB - Couldn't be more refreshing!!!
3. Body Lotion/Cream: NIVEA FIRMING BODY LOTION. Unless you're looking for a lotion to layer with the fragrance you're wearing, This is the way to go! FABULOCITY!!! Great Herbal scent and makes the skin look sleek and smooth!
4. Self Tanner. FAUX TAN from Bare Escentuals! Goes on brown so you can see where you're tanning! No surprises later!
5. Gradual Self Tanner. NEUTROGENA BUILD-A-TAN. Nicely scented! Just use it as your regular lotion until you get your tan!
6. Body Spray/All over scent. AMAZING GRACE or PURE GRACE from Philosophy. No one does this better!!
7. Nail Polish Remover. Well, I've learned that it's all so much alike, just buy what's cheapest! It will all damage your nails!
8. Nail Polish. OPI. Some colors are worth owning even if you don't like them just because the names are so great. If you can't find a color you love in OPI, you may have a problem! ;o)
9. Hand Cream. STUDIO GEAR BRIGHTENING HAND CREAM. Yummy and will lighten skin spots! Love it!
10. Foot Care! Save up and have a pedicure. No one will make your feet prettier than a pro. Go for the Parafin Wax - it feels AMAZING!!!
11. Face Cleanser: Trish McEvoy Glycolic Wash is amazing! Foams up like crazy and feels fabulous!!
12. Face Cleansing Lotion. If you can't take the bubbles, CHANEL CLEANSING MILK!
13. Facial Toner. ERNO LASZLO LIGHT CONTROLLING LOTION. If you're dry, the use CHANTECAILLE PURE ROSEWATER SPRAY.
14. Facial Exfoliant. CLINIQUE SUPER EXFOLIANT. Go lightly! Very effective. if you're super sensitive, TRISH McEVOY BETA PADS. Extremely gently Beta Hdroxy Acid Pads used 3 times per week will keep skin clear of those pesky flakes!
15. Facial Serum. TRISH McEVOY BEAUTY BOOSTER SERUM. Instant gratification. Hyalauronic Acid, Dual Action Peptides, Anti Oxident Vitamins. Food for the skin. Leaves skin smoother IMMEDIATELY.
16. Facial Moisturizer. CREME DE LA MER! All of them. Creme, Lotion. Oil control lotion. You can't go wrong here! Quite pricey though. If you need to mind the budget a little, check out TRISH MCEVOY BEAUTY BOOSTER CREAM WITH SPF 15. If you REALLY need to mind the budget, go for ROC products. All very well done.
17. Eye Cream. NATURA BISSE DIAMOND EYE CREAM. Great for puffiness, as well. For the budget conscious, check out Kiehl's Avocodo Eye Cream.
18. Lip Balm. TRISH McEVOY LUXE BALM. Not only can you use it on your lips, but on your cuticles, around your eyes when you're out in the cold, and I even use a little on the frizzy ends of my hair in humid weather!
19. Neck Cream. You DON'T need a neck cream. Just use everything you use on your face also on your neck! IF YOU INSIST ---Go for ERNO LASZLO DECOLLETE CREAM! It smells amazing and feels even better than it smells!!

That's it for skin care! Another time I'll talk about makeup! THAT will be fun!!! PLEASE PLEASE leave me comments on what your agreements and disagreements are!!!

Love
Donna

Men... a short story.

Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes. It's our job to stomp them and keep them in the dark until they mature into something we'd like to have dinner with.

I have a very good friend...

I have a very good friend.
The kind of girl who likes to follow a trend.
She has a personal style
Some people like it, others tend to go wild.
You hear her voice everywhere
Taking the chair
She's a leading lady.
And with no trace of hesitation she keeps going head over heels,
Making her way.
Pushing through unknown jungles every day
She's a girl
With a taste
For the world.....

Yes, I have a very good friend.
She's the most wonderful person I know. She's very entrepreneurial and she's definitely a leader. She has a wonderful husband and she's growing a wonderful business. But... I mean AND...

She's got a handful of D R A M A !!!

She's the type of person that would go to bat for anyone. Who would jump at the suggestion of trouble and would do anything to help anyone!! And she's very capable of helping anyone who needs it!

Recently, she was wondering why she had been called upon to help the most recent recipient of her goodness. I had to tell her that...well.... maybe it wasn't about HER this time. This was someone very close to her. Maybe this time she was just placed in a situation where she was available to help someone.

We all ask ourselves, "Why me?" "Why am I here?" "Why was I the one called upon to help?"

My answer, as one who - thanks be to God - has many answers, was this: Maybe it's not about you this time. Maybe the question isn't "why me?", but "What can I do?" Maybe it's just not about you.

Maybe it's not about you. Maybe you've been called upon to fix a relationship with someone.
Maybe it's not about you. Maybe you've been called upon to show someone a different way of life.
Maybe it's not about you. Maybe you've been called upon to show someone through YOUR life that they can live a BETTER life.
Maybe it's not about you. Maybe you've been called upon to show someone that you love them no matter WHAT they choose. Knowing full well that in the end, they'll see that you were right all along, but for now you just have to love them.

And...maybe a month is enough.... Maybe you had a chance for the last 4 weeks to show them ALL OF IT: You have a good relationship. You've shown them that it can be better for them. You've shown them HOW to have that better life, because YOU have it. And you've shown them that you love them no matter what they choose.

AND...Even more importantly for you,

YOU know that you need to live YOUR life. You can only do so much. You can lead by example. You KNOW that in every area of your life ---- except for this one ---- because it is just SO close to your heart. You know that you need to continue to live your fabulous life. Because to STOP living your fabulous life would make everything you've said to the person you've been trying to help a lie.

Live your life. Show them how it's done. They're close enough to see how it works.

You don't need to turn yourself inside out and upside down to make your point. You've made it. Now just go live.

Be the example
BE the change you wish to see in the world.

I love you.

Convenience of Makeup

Wouldn't it be convenient to have all of your make up in one nice, neat, organized place. Easy to access and then easy to put away. And enough room for your skin care products as well! Wouldn't it be nice it if was a black leather case, maybe even quilted! Tres chic!

So what would you put into it if it was possible to have such a great thing?




Well first, let's talk about the planner. It's approximately 5 inches by 8 inches by 4 inches deep. Maybe a little less that 4 inches deep.

You unzip the main compartment to find a page. Like a planner page....but it has a magnet to hold all of your little metal pans of color securely in place. A large magnet that measures approximately 4 inches by 7 inches, and fits on rings inside the planner like a binder! On this page you can fit your foundation, your powder. Also, your eyeshadows, your eyeliner, your blush, bronzer, and brow color.

It's wonderful to know that if you want to, you can add another page to hold even more colors that you love!

On the other side of the planner you'll see a few little pouches! What could go in there? I'll tell you what! ALL of your brushes. And not just ANY brushes, but the finest make up brushes ever made. The kind of brushes that if you take care of them, will last you years and years and years. There's also room over there for your mascara and other "tubular" products!

Wow. Put your make up on in no time at all. It's all lined up in there, in perfect order so that you can move from one product to the next quickly and easily. And when you have to wake up at 5 am to get to work and you have mere minutes to get your look together, you'll LOVE how fast this little system works for you!! Just imagine!!

When you open the second zipper compartment, what will you find? I large empty compartment that will comfortably hold EVERYTHING you want to put in there. Skin care, toiletries, anything you want.

it's the ultimate in organization for the Make Up Diva. It's like your personal Paint by Numbers Kit. It's all the make up that used to fill drawers and drawers all condensed into a cute zip around planner!

WANT ONE!????



Get in touch with me and I'll tell you how. OK, OK. I'll tell you now. It's Trish McEvoy. I'd love to show you how to put your planner together. Trish had an brilliant idea. They best organizational system for your cosmetics that you'll ever see!!!

Get in touch with me and I'll put one together for you!!!

"I will sell this house today"

Remember that line from the movie American Beauty? Caroline Burnham, played by Annette Benning so desperately wanted to sell a house that afternoon. And in this movie, she was actually TRYING to sell the house by telling people what they'd get in having that house and why it would be good for them. Strange. Does it ever really work that way?

I really hope someone can explain all of this to me because I'm at my wit's end. Who designed the real estate industry? Why is it that any bored housewife can take a three day crash course on how to answer the realtor test questions correctly, pass the test or get her money back, and then BOOM! She's a realtor!

What does this give her/him the right to do actually? Join up with a real estate office - at 100% commission, based upon their sales. No salary whatsoever. ZERO salary. To me, this just means that a real estate office can "sign up" hundreds of realtors at no cost or sacrifice at all and hope one or two of them will swim....knowing full well 90% of them will sink. And again, what does this cost the real estate firm? ZERO! in fact, they charge these realtors for everything they do - advertising, business cards, signs in yards, etc. Pretty crappy industry in my opinion.

But wait....it gets better....

WHO exactly teaches these people to sell? Sell? A house? What's that?

I've been a "buyer" many times, and I've never had a realtor actually "sell" me a house. All they ever did was drive me around showing me houses and waiting for me to decide I wanted something. If any other sales organization operating in this fashion, they'd be out of business in 10 minutes. Not the real estate industry....just keep going! Someone will BUY a house and a realtor will earn some commission.

I've seen realtors meet with me, tell me how fabulous my home is and that the can sell it for LOADS of money in just a few weeks! LOADS! So guess what I do? I SIGN A BINDING CONTRACT!!! I can't change realtors because I'm committed to this person for the duration of the contract! If I bring my own buyer to the table, with no help at all from the realtor, I still have to pay them a commission.

Now THERE'S a great deal! List a million houses!!! Tell lies and promise the moon to as many people wanting or needing to sell their homes, and then do nothing! Just rely on other realtors to find the house on their multi-list computer program. Someone else will sell the house and you'll get commission just for promising the moon and getting the poor sap to sign a contract because they want to believe you!!

Now, after you get your "sap" to sign that contract so that they have to pay your commission no matter how little you do for them, you can come back to them in a few weeks and tell them they need to lower the price to sell! So you do. Then when it doesn't sell, lower it again. Then when it doesn't sell, re-landscape. Then when it doesn't sell, re-paint and re-carpet the place. Don't forget, your FABULOUS realtor said he or she would sell your house for LOADS of money in just a few weeks!

And whether it's true or not - USUALLY NOT - YOU are committed to this person for the length of their contract.

I've learned that it's no one's job to "sell" a house. All they seem to do is drive people around to houses that are for sale, skulk quietly in the background, waiting to see if the prospective buyer says, "I'll take it!" There's no selling involved. The more you act as chauffeur, the better your chances of selling a house. You don't have to "sell." You just have to drive people around and let them go in and out of random houses until they tell you they want one. That's the job of the selling agent.

The job of the listing agent is just to LIST as many houses as they can, in case someone sells one of the ones they've listed - they get their commission then!!!

WHO IS TEACHING THESE PEOPLE TO SELL???? Sadly, the answer is NO ONE. The "SALES JOB" is convincing you to list your house with them and sign a contract. EVENTUALLY, one of their stupid listings will sell. They hope. Or maybe they'll go back to working part time at The Gap.

SO....again I ask: WHO DESIGNED THIS INDUSTRY??? and Why does no one seem to care how unethical and dishonest and abusive it is?

I apologize if I've offended anyone, but I just don't get it.

I think I'll stick with selling cosmetics. I know I can provide a great service and product that people want and give them something tangible for their money. Without the lies and without playing on peoples emotional needs.

Loooooong day...

We actually had a really good day at work today, after all the sales were added up. We had a Trish training in the store for all of the sales associates and product specialists. Two sessions, one at 12:30 and one at 2:00. Our wonderful trainer Biviana facilitated the training. We learned and taught all kinds of new things and revisited some older Trish basic stuff. I had to take my makeup off in front of the entire group so Biv could put the new colors on me.

I'm just exhausted now! 11 to 7 is a long day. I learned today that I need to embrace the idea of Cosmetics Events at my Store. In the past I've been a non-event person. I want to see a steady, growing business on a regular basis. Day in, day out. But I'm learning that our business isn't going to work that way. Actually, it will, but my bosses will never be happy with that slow and steady growth. They want it to grow FAST and RIGHT NOW. The only way to do that is to host events where we can bring in large sales numbers on various days. So here comes "EVENT GIRL!"

Yuk is all I have to say. But it matters not what I think! I must do it. I must choose a date for an event and call my customers and invite them in for makeovers and to clean up their Trish planners. I can do it! I MUST do it. Tomorrow, I'll have my next 3 months of events planned. That's my goal. Yay for events. Yay for events. If I say that enough times, maybe I'll believe it!! Yay for events! Yay for $$$.

More tomorrow!!

craigyferg Warms the Heart

I'd like to extend a late congratulations to Craig Ferguson for receiving the Peabody Award for his show with Desmond Tutu! I heard about the award a couple of month ago through Craig's Twitter page - I'd follow him anywhere! Remember the drunken Department Store Manager in the old Drew Carey Show? He'd stick his head out of his office now and then and give alcohol saturated orders to his staff. THAT was Craig Ferguson. Now he hosts the wildly successful Late Late Show. This particular show was re-run last night and I was so thankful to have been able to watch it.

Father Tutu is an amazing man. Whether you're into the history and his life or not, he is a sweetheart to watch. He and Craig together were almost like comic church! I learned a great deal from the show, which initially, I thought wasn't going to last long enough to communicate anything of substance, since Craig spent the first 30 minutes of his 60 minute show getting the audience ready for Desmond Tutu's visit. His guests are attending his shows for comedy - so I'm sure the time spent putting them in the right frame of mind was a very wise thing to do.

Although I would never want my blog to be more serious than Lady Gaga's Pink Lipstick, I will say this: Father Tutu was VERY excited about Obama's being elected president. Since our electing him shows that we are accepting of all races - which we should be - and willing to consider them seriously for the most powerful position in the world. That being said, what I didn't hear was what I'm sure would have come if there had been more time on the show for discussion. Knowing the type of man that Father Tutu is, I truly believe he would have said something to the effect of, Now that he's elected, he must continue to make us proud by doing a very good job. He must look out for those who elected him and for those who did not elect him but are counting on him to run their country. Now it's time for Obama to say thank you to his constituents, and move on to protecting his people, the Americans. I just KNOW that something like this is what would have been said. But it wasn't.

There were so many more things discussed by the two of them, that this particular subject may not have struck a chord with others the way it did with me. I was very captivated by the entire conversation between them as were many others.

Father Tutu is a kind and gentle soul. Craig Ferguson is a kind and gentle soul (I believe.) It was wonderful to see them laugh together and appreciate each other. They talked about caring, forgiveness and kindness. It was an outstanding show and I hope everyone gets to see it at some point.

High Maintenance

I must say, I've always known I've been a very high maintenance person, but I was quite surprised when I actually added up all of the beauty products I use on a daily basis! Geeze! The cosmetics companies should be sending me thank you notes DAILY!!!

It's a good thing that I enjoy the process. Do I want permanently tattooed eye liner? Lip liner? Hell to the no! If I had that done, then I wouldn't need to apply my eyeliner every morning! I'd miss that! Not kidding! I love every second of doing my makeup!! Whether I'm in a hurry or not!

The question I must answer is this: What is high priority and what can I do without? What if I'm in a hurry and I only have time for 20 or so of my 50 or so product routine? Let's examine the products.

1. Body Wash. I guess I could use my husband's soap, but there are gross hairs on it and I won't touch it. Body Wash - HIGH PRIORITY.
2. Body Exfoliant. VERY different from face exfoliant. Trust me here.
3. Facial Cleanser. Use a SOAP on this fabulous face? NO WAY! Occasionally, when I'm feeling like down sizing a little, I'll use a bar of Clinique Soap, and then use the same soap on my body, but that's as far away from facial cleanser as i"ll get. Facial Cleanser - HIGH PRIORITY.

4. Facial Exfoliant. I only use this about 5 days per week, but I need it SO badly! HIGH
5. Shampoo. Really. HIGH.
6. Conditioner. Really. HIGH. Unless we want to see staticky hair all over the place! HIGH!
7. Conditioning Spray before Blow drying. HIGH!
8. Body Lotion. I'm using a gradual self tanning cream, so actually, this is 2 products in one! YAY FOR ME!!!
9. Hair Spray. HIGHly flamable.

Now let's talk about skin care:

10. Toner. I know all the experts say I don't need it, but I LOVE it. Clinique or Erno Laszlo feel best!
11. SERUM. Trish McEvoy Beauty Booster Serum is HIGH priority. And EVERYONE should be using this product. And NOT because I work for Trish. You'll see as you read on that Trish doesn't hold the highest place on my product list!

12. Eye Cream from Natura Bisse. HIGH
13. Facial Moisturizer from La Mer. HIGH HIGH HIGH.

Let's get into the makeup! Hold on to your keyboard. This could be a bumpy ride.

14. Foundation Primer! Yay for Smashbox Primer. HIGH
15. Eye Shadow Base. I HAVE to use this. It's Trish! It holds the shadow on ALL day AND it's SPARKLY!! HIGH
16. Brow color. It's just a Trish eyeshadow, but it's the PERFECT color.
17. Brow Brush. Did you expect that I'd use my toothbrush?
18. Brow Gel. Holds all of those tiny hairs in place! AND......SPARKLY!!
19. Brown Eyeliner. Every day. Urban Decay in Bourbon.
20. Black Eyeliner. Every day I tightline the Trish black pencil into my lashes - TOP AND BOTTOM. One day, if you're nice to me, I'll teach you how to do it!
21. TINY brush to blend the liners together!
22. All-over Eye shadow color in "Demure" by Trish McEvoy.
23. All-over eye shadow application brush.
24. Tweezerman Tweezers. The hairs show up better on a little light shadow.
25. Eye shadow for my crease!
26. Brush from Trish cut especially for the crease. Thank you Trish.
27. Fun eye shadow color on lid.
28. Fun eye-shadow-color-on-lid-application brush! Again, Trish to the rescue.
29. High Volume Mascara at roots of Lashes.
30. Curling Mascara layered over top of the High Volume Mascara.
31. Rose Gold Lash Curler by Tweezerman. At this point my lashes don't need curled, but for God's sake: It's ROSE GOLD!
32. Concealer. Only 1 for me: Dermablend. Mixed with my eye cream, which I already listed.
33. Special Concealer brush.
34. Erno Laszlo Shake it foundation in Beige! Nothing feels better when it's humid than THIS product!
35. Trish foundation brush to blend Erno around.
36. Bare Minerals Mineral foundation brushed over the Erno Laszlo Shake it.
37. Special brush from Trish that provides the perfect amount of LIGHT coverage used with the Mineral foundation.
38. Bronzer, applied all over so I can fake a little tan.
39. Bronzer brush. $78 from Trish McEvoy. Wow, expensive yet fabulous.
40. Blush applied to the apples of my cheeks.
41. Blush brush to apply the apple blush!
42. Lipstick in a fabulous color.
43. Lipgloss in an equally fabulous color. Usually the glosses are the plumping glosses from Bare Minerals. Yum!
44. Trish McEvoy Luxury Planner in Hermes Orange to hold it all together.
45. Rose water facial spray from Chanticaille because I'm sweating like a farm animal from all this work.
46. Perfume. Trish or Creed in the morning. Chanel at night.
47. Hair glossing cream.
48. Hair Serum.
49. Straightening spray before the flat ironing begins.
50. Brush cleaning spray to clean every brush before I put it back in the Orange Luxury Planner.

So, I think that's about it. I may have missed a product or two, but for the most part this is everything!

There you have it. This is me. What will absolutely SHOCK you after reading through these 50 items is this: I do my makeup in 10 minutes flat I've even done it in the car on the way to work. Not often. I don't trust the other drivers on the road. They're very busy texting. Why can't they just focus and put their makeup on like me?

How Many Products Does the Makeup Diva Use?

Wow. 51. Not counting my toothbrush, or my Clarisonic Brush - I only use the Clarisonic at night. How many products can I live without? Probably 40 of them! I'll edit this and add more tonight! Have a wonderful day, everyone!!

Quite a fun exercise!

Do you know how many beauty/cosmetic products you use each day when you're getting ready for work or to go out? Is the first answer that comes to your mind "10 or so?" Is the first answer that comes to your mind "Geeze, I can't even count them?" It really is quite a fun exercise!

Let's try it! I'd love to get some comments from people who have done this exercise. Men too! You'll be surprised at how many products you use each day. COUNT EVERYTHING! Soap, exfoliant, deodorant, fragrance, aftershave, each hair product, each piece of makeup! Don't leave out anything - ok, maybe don't count the wash cloth or the loofa sponge, but count EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT!

Want my total? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours!

Tomorrow morning.....

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Starting to get it.

OK. I think I'm beginning to understand this blog. I'm looking at other blogs and finding cute things to add. I hope when I find CUTER things to add that I can remember how to remove the first cute things I've added. Geeze.

I remember my old days on MySpace. My page was plain and actually sort of ugly for a very long time. Then one day a friend came over and showed me how to add the code to make things right! From that day on, I wasted at least 4 hours each day hunting relentlessly for items that would make MY Myspace page cooler than yours! Then came Facebook, where you can't do much but update your status. I liked it. No wasted time. Just status and photos. Then Twitter. Just status. Quick. Simple. To the point.

...but a blog is different...

I NEED to find a way to make my blog cool, interesting, engaging, rapturous! I think this is going to be a long process. You see, now, I have a job to go to. I have a husband and a dog and a car that need maintenance and laundry that needs to be folded. I CAN'T waste much time on my blog. I have to MAKE IT COUNT!!!

...so far today I've spent 3 hours just to get it as you see it now. Pathetic, I know. But it's a start. Besides, no one is reading it yet anyway. I found a counter to add and last time I looked, it said 20 people have been to my blog. Honestly, I think all 20 of those people are ME.

Hopefully I'll make some friends soon.

Getting to know GLAM

Wow, this is the first day of my GLAMARAMABABY blog and I must tell you I'm very excited about it. I know that I have a great deal to learn about blogging and how this system of writing works, so please be patient with me while I figure it all out. My plan, at least initially, in this blog is to share with you my many, many years of experience in the Beauty/Cosmetics/Glamour Industry. I've been in this business for over 30 years, so really, I've pretty much seen int all. And since I'm STILL in the industry, I have access to an enormous amount of research and training. SO I'll answer and questions that arise and basically, share my "pearls of wisdom" with you!

...again, please be patient with me.

Glamaramababy

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