7/27/2010
Simple, Soft & Smoky Eyes
2/15/2010
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
6/18/2009
The 5 Minute Smokey Eye
5/8/2009
WE'VE HAD A MAKEOVER
4/15/2009
5 Minutes to Natural Mineral Beauty
3/6/2009
Avoid These Makeup Mistakes
1/16/2009
Sales and New Product Alerts
Nano Particle Information
11/12/2008
MAKEUP TIPS BY SKIN & EYE COLOR
SEASONAL MAKEUP CHANGE ADVICE
8/1/2008
Vacation Makeup
5/3/2008
Spring/Summer Makeup
4/28/2008
APRIL 2008
2/23/2008
SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER
|
Date: 7/27/2010
Title: Simple, Soft & Smoky Eyes
August 2010 Issue of Allure Magazine has a great article on creating a soft smoky eye instead of the traditional dramatic black smoky eye. Using lighter neutral shades of either matte or shimmering eyeshadows you can also create this look.
Some 3 shade color combination suggestions follow-or create your own:
Matte:
Cream smudged across lid, Tiger Tan in the crease & Cocoa along lashes
Beige smudged across lid, Bark in the crease & Espresso along lashes
Orchid smudged across lid, Plumsmoke in the crease, Smoke along lashes
Shimmer:
Nude Shimmer smudged across lid, Salmon in the crease & Cashmere along lashes
Amber smudged across lid, Suede in the crease & Black Diamonds along lashes
Peony smudged across lid, VioletPearls in the crease & Midnight Blue along lashes
Date: 2/15/2010
Title: INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
Our shipping charges DO NOT include customs, duties and/or taxes that may be charged by your country. All international customers are required to contact their customs office and/or postal authority to find out what additional charges you may have to pay when you receive your package.
We have found it necessary to categorize overseas shipping into low risk [EU: European Union*, Israel, Australia & Japan] and high risk [All Other] countires. For low risk countries[ EU: European Union*, Israel, Australia & Japan] you have the option to have your package shipped by 1st Class International Mail or Priority International Mail. For high risk countries [all countries other than EU, Israel, Australia and Japan] we ship by PRIORITY INTERNATIONAL MAIL only which offers tracking. These measures are subject to change as we evaluate how effective they are in insuring that our customers receive their orders, at an affordable rate and yet protect our company from liability due to loss, pilferage and theft.
Paypal offers our customers Buyer Protection if your package is lost or stolen. This means that when your account is credited for a lost package, we are charged back for it. We cannot afford to pay these costs for lost or stolen packages. The surcharge should allow us to continue to ship to our customers in high risk countries. Please fell free to contact us if you have any questions or your country is low risk, but not identified as such: facevalue@greatlakes.net
*Countries in the EU include
¡Austria
¡Belgium
¡Bulgaria
¡Cyprus
¡Czech Republic
¡Denmark
¡Estonia
¡Finland
¡France
¡Germany
¡Greece
¡Hungary
¡Ireland
¡Italy
¡Latvia
¡Lithuania
¡Luxembourg
¡Malta
¡Netherlands
¡Poland
¡Portugal
¡Romania
¡Slovakia
¡Slovenia
¡Spain
¡Sweden
¡United Kingdom
Date: 6/18/2009
Title: The 5 Minute Smokey Eye
The "Smokey Eye" remains a popular trend and is an easy look to accomplish. You can do a quick semi-smokey eye, instructions follow or go all out with a full smokey eye.
There are a few keys to remember for a perfect smokey eye: The smokey eye is about where you place the eyeshadows, not what colors you use. A smokey eye can be any combination of colors. Blend edges where colors meet
Easy 3 Shade Step-By-Step Instructions
A quick classic brown semi-smokey eye can be accomplished by applying a mid-tone brown eyeshadow over the entire eyelid, extended above the crease. Apply black eyeliner to rim the upper eyelid following the curvature of the eye. Apply dark-tone brown eyeshadow to the outer lid and blend up above crease, blending all edges well. Apply dark brown eyeshadow to rim the lower eyelid following the curvature of the eye. Follow with 2-3 coats of black mascara.
Shade Ideas:
For a matte classic brown semi-smokey eye: Tiger Eye Tan, Ebony and Cocoa
For a shimmering classic brown semi-smokey eye: Amber Mist, Black Diamonds and Suede
Date: 5/8/2009
Title: WE'VE HAD A MAKEOVER
Our graphics have had a makeover by Studio Beck Design and we are thrilled with the results. Bravo Beckie! We have been busy in our own graphics department re-designing product photos and performing a general spring cleaning. Don't be surprised to see further changes in the near future. Discontinued shades will also be making their way to our Clearance Sale dept. during the upcoming summer months. To all our mother's out there,
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Nancy Erb,
owner
Date: 4/15/2009
Title: 5 Minutes to Natural Mineral Beauty
Start with a clean face allowing moisturizer time to absorb into your skin. Accent the positive by following these guidelines:
1. FOUNDATION: Using a powder that matches your skin tone, apply in center of face, blending out to hairline & under jaw. Don’t forget eyelids & ears!
2. CONCEALER-Eyes: Using one shade lighter than your foundation, brush or use your finger to apply lightly to discolorations in eye area including inner corner and crease under eye. Use a light touch!
3. CONCEALER-Face: Using a shade that matches your skin tone, apply powder directly on the spot you want to disappear, blending out edges.
4. FINISHING VEIL: Apply a sheer coat of finishing veil with a brush over entire face to set makeup and place a veil of light refracting powder to give a flawless appearance to your face.
5. GLOW: Brush this shimmering highlighter onto the top of your cheeks, inside corner of eye and under brow.
6. BLUSH: Brush this brightening color right onto the apple of your cheeks and sweep up to hairline.
7. BRONZER: Brush onto cheeks, nose, chin and forehead for a sun kissed glow. Sweep under cheeks to add definition and warmth to face.
8. EYELINER: Brush on dry or wet following the curvature of your eye to top and bottom lash line.
9. EYESHADOW: With a brush or fingertip, apply a medium color onto center eyelid blending up to crease & out to inner & outer corners. Use a darker color in crease or outer corner for definition if desired.
10. LIP COLOR: Gently line with a liner that matches your lips, then apply a sheer shimmering lip gloss.
Date: 3/6/2009
Title: Avoid These Makeup Mistakes
Allure Magazine [March 2009]
1. Avoid foundation and concealer that is too light. It can look chalky and unflattering. Concealer should be one shade lighter than your foundation for the eye area and the same color as your foundation to touch up spots on the face.
2. Avoid eyeliner that is overdrawn. Eyeliner is meant to be applied as close to your eyelashes as possible to give the appearance of more & thicker lashes. The line does not have to be drawn in one sweep, but little hatch marks will look natural.
3. Avoid emphasizing too many features. Allure Magazine [March 2009] recommends to focus on the eyes or the lips, not both.
4. Avoid over-shimmering. Choose just one, not all: eyes, cheeks or mouth.
5. Avoid adding mascara to bottom lashes, lashes should look natural, not spikey.
6. Avoid whiting out the brow bone. It is pretty to put highlighter just under the brow, but if it is too light it looks chalky, unflattering and over-done. Make sure you use a sheer see-thru powder.
Date: 1/16/2009
Title: Sales and New Product Alerts
In 2009 we plan to send monthly emails offering special sales and alerts as well as new product information to our website customers. On your order form is a sign up Y/N to opt in for this email. Please indicate Y on this line to be included in our monthly emails. If you are not ordering immediately, but still want to be put on our list, please email your request. If you have received the monthly email and wish to be removed from the list please contact us.
email contact for email opt-in or removal:
facevalue@greatlakes.net
Date: 1/16/2009
Title: Nano Particle Information
Recently I have received several inquiries about whether nano particles are used in our makeup. Please be assured that we do not use any micronized minerals. Also, no nano particles are used in our makeup based upon the following information. As I understand it, to be safe all ingredients should be above .1 micron. None of the ingredients we use are below .1 micron. We use an oil dispersible titanium dioxide that is 1.0 - 1.7 microns in particle size, not a micronized titanium dioxide. We have switched to a high micron zinc oxide. The lo micron zinc oxide we previously used averaged .31 micron, still above the danger level. The sericite we use extensively in is 3-5 microns.
Once you begin reading the labels, you will notice that Titanium Dioxide (sometimes listed as Ti02) is a primary ingredient in most mineral-based makeup—in fact, it is a common ingredient in many natural skin care products sold in health food stores. Recent studies have advised of strong health risks associated with using Titanium Dioxide in “nano-particle form in powdered mineral makeup" because when applied, the inhaled Titanium Dioxide nano-particles had a similar effect as asbestos and could cause lung cancer. Does this mean that all mineral cosmetics then are unsafe? The answer again depends on the brand and its formulation. Nano-sized particles, also referred to as micronized particles, are used in some mineral formulations, but not all, so again it is necessary to do your homework and learn which brands avoid the use of micronized or nano particles in their ingredients.
1 micron (also called a micrometer) is 1 millionth of a meter
1 nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter
It takes 1,000 nanometers to equal 1 micron.
Titanium Dioxide: 1.0 to 1.7 microns = 1,000-1,700 nanometers
Zinc Oxide, low-micron: 0.31 microns = 310 nanometers
Matter with a diameter less the 10 microns but greater than 2.5 microns are known as Particulate Matter 10 micron fraction (PM10), Particulate Matter with a diameter less than 2.5 but greater than 0.1 microns is known as Particulate Matter 2.5 micron fraction (PM 2.5), particles with a diameter of less than .1 microns are considered as the ultrafine particle fraction (UFP) or Nanoparticles. UFP/Nanoparticles is where the issue lies and more testing on safety needs to be done.
0.1 microns = 100 nm
0.07 microns - may enter the alveolar surfaces of the lung
0.05 microns - may enter cells
0.03 microns - may enter the central nervous system
<0.02 microns - no comprehensive scientific data as yet
The above information was compiled from several sources available to me and is for general informational purposes only. If you want more information, please search the internet for research and studies that are published either online or in book form.
Date: 11/12/2008
Title: MAKEUP TIPS BY SKIN & EYE COLOR
PALE SKIN & LIGHT EYES
Even out skin tone. Spots and blotches are more noticeable on pale skin. Correct these imperfections with concealer to match your foundation. Use cream and earth tones for daytime eyeshadows [cream, beige, tiger-eye tan]. Warmer tones will play up the light color of your eyes. For night consider smokey eyes [orchid, plumsmoke, smoke, violet pearls] and [ebony] eyeliner
FAIR SKIN & DARK EYES
Just a touch of blush can add a little life to brown eyes [tiger-rose blush]. For a natural daytime eyeshadow look use champagne or amber mist. Apply over the entire lid to create a luminous effect. Define the shape of your eye with [cocoa or espresso] eyeliner. For night divide your eyelid into 2 equal sections. On the outer half apply a darker shade-the inner half the lighter shade. Add a touch of gold to the inner corners of your eyes. Eyebrows frame your face, don't forget to define them!
DARK SKIN & LIGHT EYES
Use a highlighter on your face [radiant glow] and balance it with a dark bronzing powder [rio! bronzer]. Eyeshadow shades for daytime that bring out your eyes and brighten your skin are lighter pastel shades [Illusion series: SilverViolet, CopperBronze, VintageGold]. For night: metallic! Use a gold or copper shadow and line your eyes with [espresso or ebony] eyeliner. Use a vanilla pencil on the inner rim of your eyes to give you an extra gleam.
DARK SKIN & DARK EYES
Set your foundation with a satin finish illuminating powder [Radiant Glow]. A deeper blush will help make your eyes pop [Sunset Strip]. For night, black eyeliner is non-negotiable for you. Combine with gemtone eyeshadows [diamond turquoise, sapphire, amethyst].
Date: 11/12/2008
Title: SEASONAL MAKEUP CHANGE ADVICE
Advice on how to keep your makeup routine working for you.
CONSIDER CHANGING YOUR FOUNDATION:
Your skin tone will have changed by 1-2 shades lighter by now since you are exposing it less frequently to the sun. You need to adjust your foundation to better match your skin tone. Many women don't notice this and don't change their foundation, but they should! One way to change foundation for a changing skin tone is to continue to use your current foundation shade, but take the next 1-2 shades lighter foundation and brush it lightly over the t-zone, as you would a bronzer. Eventually increasing the newer shade and decreasing the old shade. Practice this to get the right look for your changing skin tone.
BLUSH THOSE CHEEKS
With the lighter skin tones this fall/winter it is important to add a bit of color to your cheeks. This will help balance your eye makeup and give your paler skin a color boost.
EYE MAKEUP CAN BE MAXED OUT
Eye makeup is so much fun in the cooler seasons! Especially at night, you can express your self and moods with eyeshadow shades and combinations. The most popular eyeshadow looks this season are SMOKEY EYES, METALLICS, GEMTONES.
Specific color tips are outlined in a following newletter.
Date: 8/1/2008
Title: Vacation Makeup
Bronzing powder is perfect for mattifying and intensifying the bronzed tones of a tan. If your skin is greasy, go for products with a matte finish [Rio Matte Bronzer]; if you have normal, combination, or dry skin, choose one with a shimmering finish [Aloha Shimmering Bronzer]. Remember that you can also use bronzing powder on your cheeks: simply use a smaller brush and apply from your hairline to your nose, following the natural line of your cheekbone. You can play up your tan by applying a touch of blush to the apples of your cheeks.
A touch of concealer in the inner corners of your eyes will open your eyes and blend away circles (if you have a tan), without having to apply make up the entire eye contour. To lift your lid, apply another touch of concealer on the browbone as you would a highlighter. If you are tan, be sure that the color isn't too light or your look will no longer be a natural one.
Your eyes only need a couple of coats of mascara - brown for a natural finish or black for more intensity.
Finally, leave your lips nude, but well-moisturized. Use lipgloss for added volume.
[Thanks fo Elite Pro Makeup Courses for this information extracted from their newsletter]
Date: 5/3/2008
Title: Spring/Summer Makeup
'Less is More' and this is especially true in spring/summer makeup. Here are some techniques for you to consider:
PRIMER
Applying a thin coat of our facePRIME Pore Reducing Silk Primer before foundation will help your foundation to last longer and helps you achieve a finished look. For those with especially oily skin, use face Control powder instead, which will absorb the excess oil on your skin.
FOUNDATION
Put some foundation on your brush, puff or sponge to apply it little by little over your face. Start in the middle and blend outward bit by bit. Use very little product and gradually build it up in areas where you need more coverage (imperfections, blemishes, etc.). Blend carefully around your eyes. Always use a foundation that's the same shade as your skin. If you'd like to make your skin look more bronzed, do it with bronzing powder, not your foundation.
CONCEALER
Once you've applied foundation, it's time to correct undereye circles. Use less product than you normally would. You won't need as much since you are applying it over your foundation. Unlike with the foundation, you will use a brush to apply the concealer. Apply concealer to your darkened areas around the eye only.
FINISHING VEIL
Adds silken translucent finish to your mineral makeup foundation application that will give that flawless appearance to your face. Apply a sheer coat of powder over entire face to blend and set makeup and give a flawless appearance to your face
BROWS
The eyebrows are important because they make your eyes more attractive. Always keep your eyebrows perfectly shaped and groomed. Comb them upwards and use a pencil or a powder to fill them in. Remember to use very little product so as to avoid a harsh look. Always use the same shade as your natural haircolor.
Next, draw a line just under your brows using a light concealer. This touch adds a little lift and an alert look to your eyes. You can also use a shimmer glow highlighter under the brow.
LIDS
Apply shadow to your lid in a light shade that merely colors the lid, but doesn't weigh it down, such as cream, honey, champagne, perfectly pink, salmon, apricot, etc. Don't make up your lower lid. Leave it clean. You can also apply a bit of vanilla-colored pencil to the inner rim of your eyes to open them up even more.
LASHES
Curl your lashes and apply a double coat of mascara. It's very important that the mascara isn't at all clumpy. To remove clumps, comb your lashes with a lash brush or a clean mascara brush.
Make your skin POP try these professional techniques:
GLOW
Now use a glow that's slightly lighter than your skin, applying it to your cheekbones, chin, and forehead, and blending it lightly with your fingertips. This will add light to your face. The idea is to brighten your face. It shouldn't be obvious. Remember that less is more.
BLUSH
To finish, apply powder blush to the apples of your cheeks. Try it – you'll see how quickly it adds freshness to your face. Blend well. Remember that you're going for a natural look that you can still see.
BRONZER
Choose a natural-looking bronzing powderand apply it the tops of cheeks, bridge of nose and lightly across forehead and chin. Blend edges out well to achieve a natural looking sun-kissed glow.
CONTOUR
Use blush or bronzing powder (very trendy this season) to contour the face. Choose a natural-looking matte shade and apply it the hollows of your cheeks and lightly on your temples and chin. Your goal is to give form to the surface of your face, while at the same time making it look more oval-shaped. Blend well so only a slight shading effect can be seen.
LIPS
The final step is to apply a moisturing gloss to your lips. If it is a special occasion or if you need more color in your face, you can use lipstick in a berry or orange tone.
Date: 4/28/2008
Title: APRIL 2008
NEW SHADES
Due to customer request, we have completed development and have to offer you:
*LIGHT PEARLESCENT FINISHING VEIL. This is a slightly shimmering veil product in the Perfectly Bare shade range. Offered as a sample, 12g refill, 1oz bulk and packaged in a 30g sifter jar. It is beautiful! Try some today ~ Perfect for summer!
DISCONTINUED SHADES
*Sierra Matte Bronzer has been replaced with RIO! Matte Bronzer
*Fair/Light-Neutral is our only offering in this level, Cool & Warm discontinued.
*Glows & Eyeshadows/Liners are being evaluated for elimination this summer.
GET * REAL SKIN CARE LINE
Get*Real products contain all natural real ingredients. We offer a skin serum that is 100% Botanical Olive Squalane Oil. Our eye butter ingredients are so delicious you could eat it [Distilled Water, Avocado Butter, Beeswax Pastilles, Jojoba Oil, Olive Squalane Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Juice, coenzyme Q10]. Moisturizing mist rounds out the trio. We hope to expand this offering to include a face cream and change the packaging for the Fall2008/Winter2009 season.
Why be concerned with using real ingredients on your face? Everything you put on your skin gets absorbed into your body. Beware of these ingredients:
Parabens: Synthetic preservatives that may disrupt endocrines
Sulfates [Sodim Lauryl/Larueth Sulfate]: Synthetic cleansing agents that can potentially remove natural oils from the lipid layer of your skin.
Petrochemicals [Petrolatum/Mineral Oil/Paraffin]: Non-renewable crude oil by-products with potential impurities.
Chemical Sunscreens [Oxybenzone/Avobenzone]: Synthetic sunscreens that are absorbed into the body with potential hormone balance disruption.
WHOLESALE
We now offer Sales Aids for our wholesale customers. If this proves popular, we will increase our product offerings in this category. We have in stock the acrylic counter displays and Mineral Makeup signs. Perfect for salons & spas as well as summer fairs/fetes/markets. The counter display holds an assortment of mineral makeup jar sizes and products. The optional Mineral Makeup sign is generic and offered in several styles. For more details, look under the TOOLS category, SALES AIDS.
Cheers!
Nancy
Date: 2/23/2008
Title: SPRING 2008 NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
Rather than clutter up your inbox with news, I have decided to do a quarterly newsletter accessible to you from this blog, issued in conjunction with the seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter.
WHOLESALE
Wholesale customers will notice that I have increased the product offering to help them package and sell their products, available under TOOLS. I have an ongoing interest to improve our wholesale presence. Please look for an increase in select products offered here over time.
INTERNATIONAL
It is enjoyable to prepare an order for shipping to faraway places. My workmat is a laminated world map and I always look-up where my customers reside. Although packages sent First Class International Mail have an estimated delivery of 6-10 days, packages can take 3-4 weeks for delivery.
PACKAGING- I have eliminated the 10 gram jar option for all our makeup:
Face & Color products are now packaged in the 30 & 20 gram sifter jar [respectively] with an elegant black rim clear cap. Quite frankly, it is just too awkward using the 10 gram size and I am sure you will much prefer these sizes. Our powder content will be changed to fill to the shoulder of the jar to eliminate over-filling the jars with powder.
Eye products are now limited to being packaged in the 5 gram sifter jar with a solid black shiny cap. The eye products last a long time, and as the industry recommends discarding eye products after 6 months, we will commit to this size. Minerals are inorganic, but continued use introduces body oils through your brush/finger and I would prefer you be safe. If you want more powder, consider ordering the 12gram refill ziplock bag.
As before, all products are available in ziplock bags for samples, refills & bulk. Also, I will be offering the empty 10 gram clear base/cap sifter jars.
NEW SHADES
The new Spring2008 eyeshadow shades are now available in Chai, Honey, Apricot, Prim, Lilac & Aqua. The intent was to create a muted/shaded semi-matte eyeshadow. The result is a satiny/shimmering grouping that is very wearable and blendable in nicely muted colors. If they prove popular, I will make them a permanent shade selection. A new blush, bronzer and bronzing blush are in development.
DISCONTINUED SHADES
I am re-evaluating all shades and over the next month will be discontinuing several in all categories to make room for the new.
RE-FORMULATED SHADES
As with new lots of any product, when my makeup is produced, exact duplicates of shades is nearly impossible. My raw minerals are not always uniform. Also, an ongoing effort is made to improve the texture and color of shades. It is planned to produce the most popular products in larger quantities so that those lots are available over a longer time frame.
MAKEUP TIPS
The best tip I can give you is this: Acquire skills in how to apply makeup for day and night wear. Don't expect the skills you learned at age 15 to carry you through your lifetime. As we age, skill becomes even more important in looking fabulous. There are many books & videos available online, at bookstores & your local library [plus, my website].
I will be updating the newsletters throughout the seasons, so check back often.
Cheers!
Nancy
|
