Category: podcast

DATE: March 1st to March 14th 2011

WHAT: Lancôme celebrates women by donating $7 to Look Good Feel Better for every bottle of Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate sold across Canada. In addition, Lancôme will also donate $1 for every new fan of Lancôme Canada’s Facebook page to help women “Look Good and Feel Better”. Look Good Feel Better is Canada’s only cancer charity dedicated to empower women to manage the effects that cancer and its treatment have on their appearance. Lancôme, the world’s largest luxury beauty brand, has pledged to donate a minimum of $10,000 to this charity to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Launched in March 2009, Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate helps even skin tone, refine texture and boost luminosity within just 7 days. Today, more than 3 million bottles of Lancôme’s Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate have been sold.

The $7 donation will be made for every Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate sold at Lancôme counters in Canada or at lancome.ca between March 1st and 14th. The suggested retail prices for Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate are $95 for 30 ML and $125 for 50 ML.

Moreover, Lancôme extends this initiative with social media by donating $1 to Look Good Feel Better for every new fan of the Lancôme Canada Facebook pagebetween March 1st and 14th.

Lancôme is the global leader in luxury cosmetics. Perfume, skincare and make-up which complement each other, innovation and research for the highest quality have all made Lancôme the leading luxury brand, and the ultimate image of French femininity in 135 countries. Created by a pioneering visionary in 1935 to spread French essence and taste throughout the world, Lancôme has always embodied what a fashion beauty brand is. It is synonymous with accomplished and fulfilled femininity, responding perfectly to the needs and expectations of all women, on every continent, regardless of age.

Lancôme Canada is a division of L’Oréal Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of L’Oréal Group, the largest cosmetics company in the world. Headquartered in Montreal, L’Oréal Canada had sales of $858 million in 2010 and employs 1,200 people. The company’s prestigious brand portfolio of over 25 brands encompasses all aspects of beauty.

About Look Good Feel Better Supported by the member companies of the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association and external sponsors, Look Good Feel Better was launched in 1992 to help women manage the appearancerelated effects of cancer and its treatment. Look Good Feel Better offers free, two-hour cosmetics and hair
alternatives workshops at 111 hospitals and cancer-care facilities across Canada. For more information,
visit lookgoodfeelbetter.ca.

My husband Derek Miller passed away on May 3, 2011, after a long battle with cancer. Read more on my personal blog.

I have not been thinking about beauty much this month, but I have been having success with a few good products along the way. I’d love to write detailed reviews, but I’m simply too sad and tired. Becoming a young widow is complicated. And I’m a single mother now, too. So I’ll just list here what I am LOVING, and you may want to leave your two cents in the comments, or perhaps try these products yourself:

1. skoah face skotion SPF 30. I am committed to wear SPF every day. Smells like cucumbers. Not too greasy.
2. Clarins One-Step Facial Cleanser. Removes makeup and makes my life easier. Orange Extract.
3. New Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish. Apply to your dry face. Removes dead skin gently. Cool blue bottle.
4. Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel. No more sun for me! Self tanners save skin and reduce risk of cancer. Best result I’ve ever had with a self-tanner. No streaks, nice golden brown. Not too dark.

Sephora is opening a store in Kewlona, B.C. on Sept. 30, 2011. The new location will be at Orchard Park Shopping Centre.

This is great news for beauty lovers in the beautiful interior of British Columbia.

ABOUT SEPHORA CANADA
Sephora is a visionary beauty-retail concept founded in France in 1970 and acquired from Dominique Mandonnaud (founder of Shop Huit) by Paris-based LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s leading luxury products group, in 1997.

Sephora is a name that is synonymous with beauty. Zipporah is a biblical name; she was the wife of Moses and the daughter of a nomadic chief. She was renowned for her exceptional beauty. Sephos is the Greek term attributed to beauty and vanity. The combination of the two words became Sephora.

Sephora’s unique, open-sell environment features over 140 classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, nail care, smile care, bath & body and haircare, in addition to Sephora’s own private collection.

To build the most knowledgeable and professional team of product consultants in the beauty industry, Sephora developed “Science of Sephora.” This program ensures that our team is skilled to identify skin types, have knowledge of skin physiology, the history of makeup, application techniques, the science of creating fragrances, and most importantly, how to interact with Sephora’s diverse clientele. To further enhance the education program, Sephora opened the doors to an expanded training facility – Sephora University – in San Francisco in October 2007.

Sephora’s highly trained beauty experts are available to assist clients wherever they shop – in stores, online, or via 1-877-SEPHORA.

Stores – Sephora operates approximately 1000 stores in 24 countries worldwide, with an expanding base of over 280 stores across North America. Sephora opened its first US store in New York in 1998, and its first Canadian store in Toronto in 2004. Sephora currently has 25 store in Canada.

Sephora.com – Launched in the US in 1999 and Canada in 2003, the foremost beauty site on the Internet is also Sephora’s largest North American store in terms of sales and selection of products and brands.

Sephora inside JCPenney – In June 2006, Sephora opened its first “store-within-store” concept inside JCPenney. In 2011, there will be more than 300 Sephora inside JCPenney locations across America.

1-877-SEPHORA/Catalogs – Issued three times a year, Sephora’s catalogs offer trends, beauty must-haves, artistry tips and showcase a variety of brands and products.

Beauty Insider – In July 2007, Sephora launched the Beauty Insider program as a way of thanking it most loyal clients with an all-access pass to personalized beauty. In 2009, Sephora introduced a new program tier, VIB (Very Important Beauty Insider), to reward our best clients with specialized events, exclusive products and rewards. The program is available at Sephora stores nationwide and at www.sephora.com.

1. I purchased a set of five of these fabulous door knobs at Anthropologie. They have clothes there, but I could not afford them. The knobs will look fabulous on my closet doors.

2.I found a fan of Lip Gloss and Laptops at Nordstrom Rack. She recognized me and made me feel like Angelina Jolie; internetfamous! She is a huge fan of the podcast, but has never left a comment. It was great to meet her!

3. Daiso! w00t!
We are packing up and heading home now. It was a great trip. I love Seattle. I wish I could stay another week, but alas, reality calls.

MAC Cosmetics has officially released their Cult of Cherry line, which has a cherries and chocolate colour scheme. The colours are bold and rich and dramatic; perfect for Fall.
From the MAC site:

The new forbidden fruit. Deep, dark, dramatic. Lips ripened with juicy cerises and intoxicating kirsches while eyes smoulder in luscious spiced chocolate. With its sense of way-to-go dark, this is how we separate the bitter from the sweet…Fall drama just got more delicious.

I tried the Illegal Purple Nail Laquer and Bing Mattene Lipstick, and they are opaque and super dark. New shades of Lipstick, Lipglass, Powder Blush, and Eyeshadow are also featured in the collection. Check out Cult of Cherry online, or at your local MAC store.

MAC has been releasing promotional videos to accompany some of their new lines. The Cult of Cherry movie stars, and is directed by, Floria Sigismondi, a Canadian photographer/director who has worked with the likes of Interpol, Christina Aguilera, David Bowie, The Raconteurs, and Marilyn Manson.

MAC Cult of Cherry

Maggie Ruggiero, food editor and stylist for Gourmet magazine was asked to be a part of the making of the Cult of Cherry video, (she’s what I’ve deemed the “cherry whisperer” toward the end) and gives us a glimpse behind the scenes.
Inside the Cherry Cult

Airdrie’s Reviews

1. L’Occitane Aromachologie Discipline Mist:

A delicate hair mist, to tame the hair with the lightest touch.
A natural complex of 5 essential oils – Angelica, Lavender, Geranium, Ylang-ylang and Patchouli – plus honey and corn extracts. This leave-on mist helps control hair. It softly holds hair in place, leaving it feeling supple and light. This non-sticky texture preserves the shine of hair and protects against the damaging effects of environmental stresses. Product plus: spray on hair to remove unpleasant odors (cigarette smoke, cooking odors…). (link)

I love this product. The price point is high at $20, but the scent and product is fabulous.

2. REN Clean Skincare Line from London available online or at Barneys New York

3. By TERRY cosmetics from France available to purchase (in stores and online) at Barney’s New York

Kerry Anne’s Reviews

1. Oral B Pulsonic Toothbrush

The rechargeable Oral-B Pulsonic has 27,000 gentle sonic vibrations per minute, super thin bristles for precision cleaning and gentle whitening. It also has two “speeds”; clean, and sensitive.

The product will become available in September and can be pre-ordered until then on Drugstore.com and Amazon.com.

2. Secret Flawless Anti-Perspirant

It’s a good product, and claims that it has “Five Facets” of flawless performance: goes on clear, strong wetness and odor protection, skin-nourishing conditioners (also available in an Olay formula), smooth, lightweight formula, and self-renewing fragrances. I actually think it’s a better product than the Secret Clinical. The downside, apparently it has such an annoying commercial that women are being turned off the product.

Links:

Daiso
Gnomedex Conference
Wine Bra. Thanks to Arieanna of Cooking Gadgets (just one of her blogs) for the link

Blush: The Search for America’s Greatest Makeup Artist
Isis Tsunami of America’s Next Top Model

Reality Check:

Miss Sister 2008 Canceled!

Song of the Week:

“Never Got Her Number” by Alistair Christl from the Podsafe Music Network.

There is a new lip gloss on the market and it’s designed for the everyday woman. New everyday Lip gloss is priced right, has natural ingredients and part of the proceeds go to breast cancer research.

Experience an all natural gloss that comforts and moisturizes your lips while providing a brilliant shine and shimmer.

Crafted from the finest natural ingredients, this lip gloss will seal in moisture without making your lips feel sticky.

Choose from eight beautiful colors that are designed to wear alone or over your favorite lip stick.

Our no-mess application is designed for everyday use.

.15 oz. Tube – $5.00

Opportunities exist to sell everyday Lip Gloss. Click here for wholesale information.

We will be giving this new lip gloss a full review on an upcoming episode of Lip Gloss and Laptops.

Barrettes, pins, clips, hair bands and chop-sticks: you’ll do anything to play with your hair. If you are one of those ladies who likes to have fun with your hair you must try new knotheads. They are bendable wires with soft satin washable covers. They come in two sizes, short and long, and do not damage hair like some hair bands can.

I found them a little too slippery to hold my silky hair in place, but when used in conjunction with a clear plastic ponytail holder, you can achieve some really funky looks.

So Derek and I are down in Seattle for a few days. He is attending the Gnomedexconference, and I am going shopping (yay!) I need a few back-to school clothing pieces as I’m working five days a week this year — at least that’s my excuse. I love shopping “cross-border”. There is such a better selection in the USA. I also get to check-out some stores we don’t have in Canada.

L’Occitane has a new Hair Care line. Each product in the collection contains five essential oils designed to strengthen, repair, regenerate, and soften the hair: Angelica, Lavender, Geranium, Ylang-ylang and Patchouli. I’m thinking of buying the Aromachologie Discipline Mist ($20). I tried it out yesterday, and while it did not leave my hair smelling as good as I’d hoped, it did do a great job to re-invigorate my curls after the long drive from Vancouver to Lynwood, where I went shopping at Alderwood Mall.

Today we are going to head-up to one of my favourite Seattle neighbourhoods: Capitol Hill. Home of my first taste of Urban Outfitters, Capitol Hill (aka “Broadway”) is also the colourful gay district, and it has loads of great shops and restaurants.

To change the topic, have you seen the site YearbookYourself yet? You can take a picture of your face and morph it into a yearbook-style photo. The best part is that you can pick dates starting from 1950! The photo below is me, circa 1952. (Thanks to Mace for the idea.)

While I spent the morning walking around Seattle, shopping for back to school clothes, the vibe down the street at Gnomedex this year has taken-on a less materialistic theme. While I know it is unrealistic to think that people just like me will forgo spending money on clothes and cosmetics, and instead donate 100% of that money to needy groups (NGO’s helping with child prostitution and AIDS orphans, or scientific research into cancer or diabetes, to name a few), I can see that there is a balance that can be achieved.

I’m spending this afternoon watching the conference via USTREAMtv, and am extremely impressesed with two of the presenters I’ve seen.

1. Beth Kanter:

Beth Kanter has a great story about tapping her social network in service of a good cause. At Gnomedex 8.0, she’ll tell us how she poked, prodded, tweeted, blogged and mobilized a networked army of supporters to rally their friends and personal networks and raise over $90,000 for Cambodian Orphans, winning the #1 spot for Global Causes for America’s Giving Challenge in January 2008. Come hear the story and the learn the secrets of success for socially-networked, person-to-person fundraising. Hopefully, you will leave the room inspired and ready to use social media for good!

(source)

Beth spoke passionately about her cause. I am inspired by her because she holds so much hope for the future of fund-raising and helping others. We all know what it feels like to suffer from “donor burn-out” (too many causes to donate to, all the while keeping the kids in piano lessons and mom in designer jeans, you know?) and Beth loses sleep over it. She remains positive and makes me think that the next big idea could be just around the corner, in my mind or someone else’s. For example, during her 30 minute talk she inspired the audience and viewers online to raise money for one of her causes. It was amazing. And yes, it did make me re-think how many pairs of jeans I really need; but also made me want to write this blogpost and share her enthusiasm with you –my friends, readers and podcast audience. Do you have an idea, inspiration, concept for raising money for a particular cause that is outside-the-box, different, new? Look at how Beth uses social media to attain her fund-raising goals, and perhaps take a lesson from her in order to attain your goal. Simple. Uncomplicated.

2. Amanda Koster

Amanda is an internationally acclaimed photographer who has made it her mission to raise awareness by documenting some of the world’s more compelling issues. For over a decade she has combined her anthropology background with photographic and media-making skills to create inspiring media content as a means for powerful communication, storytelling and learning.

Her project is called Salaam Garage. Please check it out here.

Chris Pirillo, Gnomedex’s organizer, has told me that he will put all the Gnomedex08 presentation up on YouTube. This may take a few weeks, but when they do become available, try to view Amanda’s presentation.

________________________________

While Beth and Amanda are trying to raise awareness of issues in the Third World, Vancouver blogger Tanya (aka NetChick) is trying to raise money for Diabetes research. I had a chance to talk at length with her at the Gnomedex pre-registration party last night. She needs to raise $4500 in pledges, and will be running a half-marathon as part of Buzz Bishop & 95Crave’s Team Diabetes. Hoping for a viral promotion, she is offering entries into a $500 draw in exchange for blogging about her efforts, and one entry for each $25 donation. Check out her post about the draw. $500 can buy a lot of jeans. Or would make a great donation to a different charity.

I’m sitting here in the bar at the Red Lion, drinking margaritas, watching Gnomedex, trying to write to inspire you all to feel as excited about life as I feel right now. But I’m not sure it it’s working? Are you inspired yet? If not, maybe you should have a margarita and re-read the post.
Or plan to go to Gnomedex next year, or just watch it live at home.