Dress for Less at Ross!

            This past weekend, my sweet best friend and I decided to meet up for a “girl’s night out,” for some fun. Just recently, we both went through a very tough chapter in our lives and wanted to get our minds off of stressful things. We made plans a few hours before meeting up for the night. This was especially great for me since I was going to spend some quality time with my friend and that it would help me relieve some stress off my shoulders that had lingered on my body for quite some time now. I also needed some emotional support and love from my friend who was going through something similar to mine.

            As I was getting ready to meet with my friend, I looked through my wardrobe closet to decide what the hell I was going to wear that evening. I am a bit high-maintenance in the fashion department because I am a huge fan of fashion and have always been since I was a child. When I was a little girl, I would remember watching my mother getting dressed up for a special night out with my father. My mother always wore wonderful, beautiful fashion pieces. I admired her beauty in fashion which showed off her classic elegance in the way she wore the clothes. My mother wore clothes that defined who she was which strikes sexy to me. I decided to wear black and white for the evening. I wore classic black leggings, checkered piece black and white top, and of course, my signature black jacket. I topped my outfit with black ankle boots.

            For the evening, my friend and I decided to get drinks at a restaurant before heading to the local casino in town to end our fun night out. After we got drinks, my friend and I were admiring each others outfits for the evening and as we got into the car, my friend wanted to shop first. It was close to 9 p.m. and the only store my friend could think of that was open at this time was Ross Dress for Less. When it comes to fashion, I love shopping at Ross getting great deals on clothing, shoes, and accessories. My friend quickly drove to Ross and we just made it in time to shop. The Ross store closes at 9:30. We got there about 8:50. This gave us enough time to shop.

            My friend and I are a huge fan of shoes. We went directly to the shoe department and saw the same similar black heeled boots in different sizes. I took my boot size off the shoe rack and looked at other shoes that may spark my attention. I finally saw a pair of open-peeped royal blue heel shoes that was lying in front of my eyes. I immediately took the shoes off the rack and tried both of the boots and royal blue heels on. I wasn’t too in love with the black boots, but when I tried on the royal blue heels, I was definitely in love. There was something beautiful about those shoes. I am not a big fan of the color blue, but wearing a nice exotic shoe spells “sexy” to me. The price on the shoes? $35! Not bad. I continued shopping through the store and a black striped cardigan and charcoal gray top caught my eye. The clothing pieces were just $10 each! Score!

          As I made my way to the check out counter, I only paid about $60 for a pair of shoes, cardigan, and top. What a deal. Since the economy is tough at this time, many people are trying so hard to save money. If you want to save money on clothing, come to Ross. Ross always has great deals on brand name items from clothing, shoes, accessories, bedding, kitchenware, and much more.

The Value of “Customer Service”

I have been working in customer service since my first year of college a few years ago and have never imagined that I would actually love some aspects of my previous jobs. The thought of writing this article on “customer service” spread through my mind while doing a run to the store for a quick cosmetic shop. As I was looking through the sale on certain cosmetic brands, I remembered I needed some body care stuff. Thank god I brought my list with me just in case I forget what I needed from the store. As I approached the facial skin care aisle, I was approached by a sales associate asking if I needed any help with anything. I asked the sales associate if they sold any eye cream on the aisle. The sales associate led me to the Neutrogena brand which had a sale on their skincare line for that day. It was their last day of sale so I was extremely lucky to be coming into the store before the sale ended.

The sales associate asked if I was looking for a particular type of cream. I particularly was looking for something not too greasy, but an eye cream for easy application with no mess. With the sales associate helpful customer service, I chose the Neutrogena Ageless Restoratives skin renewal moisturizing cream in SPF 30. I’ve never used any kind of Neutrogena products before, but since I have heard good things in the past about this product line and from the sales associate, I gave it a shot to try out. After taking the facial product off the shelf, I felt happy with my choice. The sales associate chatted with me for a bit and asked if I needed any help with anything else. I needed construction paper and binder protective sheets as well and was led by the sales associate to the school supply area. After picking out my last minute items, I thanked the sales associate for her help and walked to the self-checkout line of the store. As I finished my purchases, I still remembered how extremely helpful the sales associate was with her customer service skills.

My first experience as a customer service associate was working at a huge retail store called J.C. Penny. I define “customer service” as reaching a high level of customer satisfaction with the feeling that a product or even a service has met the customer’s expectations. I remembered working as a sales associate that there were some simple basic rules to remember in customer service. Key rules include:

            -Answering the phone.

            -Do not make any promises unless you will keep them.

            -Listening to customers.

            -Deal with complaints in a polite, courteous manner.

            -Be very helpful.

            -Help your co-workers/employees to always be helpful, courteous, and

              knowledgeable.

            -Take the extra step or mile.

            -Throw in something extra special for the customers.

            -Smile! (My favorite!)

 I no longer work in retail anymore, but my experience as a sales associate taught me the understanding of customer service, teamwork, and effort. The joy of serving to customers in a polite, courteous manner is amazing. I’ve had many customers tell me what an outstanding sales associate I was and always putting my customers first. Most importantly, knowing what my customers needs and wants were and to give them the absolute fabulous customer service they deserve.

 

 

Sea Salt Toothpaste

           I was over at a former friend’s house a couple months ago out in the countryside and went to the bathroom to freshen up one afternoon. As I was freshening up my face, I noticed on top of the beauty drawer some “sea salt” toothpaste lying around. I did remembered eating something earlier and my mouth wasn’t feeling that clean at all. I decided to take out my toothbrush from my bag and wanted to try out this “sea salt” toothpaste I saw in the bathroom. I was actually really excited about trying this paste since I’ve never heard of this kind of toothpaste before. I have just always used regular toothpaste, but the thought of brushing my teeth with sea salt paste was something new and fun.

            As I uncapped the toothpaste formula, I watched as the paste drizzled nicely glazed on my toothbrush. I turned on the water facet to warm and rinsed out my mouth first before brushing. I started brushing my teeth and felt the tingling sensation of the fresh sea salt toothpaste against my teeth. The sea salt toothpaste made my teeth feeling extremely mint clean. I have never felt anything like this before with new toothpaste I was experiencing with.

            The sea salt toothpaste? The kind that I used was called “Jason Natural Cosmetics Sea Fresh, All-Natural Sea-Sourced toothpaste, in Deep Sea Spearmint. This sea salt toothpaste contains natural ingredients such as natural whitening polishers, Bamboo Powder, Silica, and Calcium Carbonate. These ingredients help prevent plaque build-up and very gentle and soothing on your teeth than any other whitening ingredients. Included also are anti-bacterial Grapefruit and Perilla seed extract that help block sugar acids and bacteria that forms in your mouth. Gentle Aloe Vera gel helps sooth gums from irritation with essential oils of mint bringing the Deep Sea Spearmint flavor. Other features of this organic sea salt toothpaste include:

            -organic blue green algae

            -sea salts

            -trace minerals

            -natural flavoring

            -natural whitening polishers

            -no fluoride

            -no saccharin

            -no preservatives

            -no artificial coloring

            -no artificial flavoring

            -No animal testing (yeah!)

            -no lauryl sulfates

            -no propylene glycol

           This is an organic product which you can find at pretty much any local store. The Jason Sea Salt toothpaste ranges about $6 for a 6 oz. formula. It is an amazing product. You can also find this toothpaste at an organic or supplement store as well. It doesn’t have to be an organic sea salt paste, but any other brand will work great as long as you feel that fresh clean sea salt experience in your mouth.

Hair Conditioner: For Shaving

              A few months ago, I was going through my old magazines featuring beauty and styling tips. I came upon this one article about shaving with hair conditioner. As I read more into the article and how-to-do-it-yourself shave with just hair conditioner, I was completely amazed. There are sometimes some moments when I run out of shave cream or in a rush in the morning and forget to stock up on them. Even though I had some shave cream stocked up in my body care cabinet, I decided to give my hair conditioner a shot. There are some cheap conditioners that I barely use at all and thought it would be great to shave with them since they were inexpensive products.

            One evening when I was getting ready to see a good friend of mine, I hopped in the shower and remembered the hair conditioner trick for shaving. I thought to myself what a great way to use inexpensive conditioner for shaving my body. I changed my cartridge on my razor and proceeded with pouring conditioner on my hand lathering the soft product over my legs. I used Suave hair conditioner. I used my razor to start shaving from my ankles working my way up to my thighs. I repeated the same step to my other leg. I lathered up with the conditioner onto both of my arms and continued shaving. After the finishing touches of shaving, I examined my legs and arms and looked in the mirror. I was amazingly satisfied with the results.

            Not only did the Suave hair conditioner give my skin a smooth look, but made my skin feeling soft, nourished, and beautiful. I was very happy with the results and clapped with joy to the wonderful idea of shaving with conditioner. The great thing about shaving with hair conditioner is that it is so cheap and affordable. Thanks to this wonderful beauty tip in my old magazine, it saved me money.

            Now every time that I need to shave, I use my old hair conditioners for a clean, close shave. I have recommended some of my friends about the benefits of using hair conditioner as a shaving tip. Men can also use it as well for shaving their beards, heads, ingrown hair, or any area in the body that needs shaving. I am extremely proud of the results hair conditioner has shown me on my skin after each shave. My skin is always feeling smooth and soft. It feels like I had just got done with a relaxing spa service. It’s cheap, easy to do, and you don’t need to spend on expensive conditioners. I do suggest using a good razor with good new blades. This can prevent you from having ingrown hairs and nicks on your skin. If you want to save money, use hair conditioner as a substitute instead of regular shaving cream.

 

Baby Lotion: The Benefits for Skin Care

             In the past I have been using many different kinds of facial creams and body lotions from department and drug stores. I am a huge beauty and body care junkie and always place an importance on very good skin care for the rest of my life. As we all get older, our skin will change with not having the same appearance as it once was in our younger years. As a child, my mother would give me beauty and skin care lessons and tips on achieving perfect skin. Just not too long ago, my mother was chatting with me about the benefits of baby lotion.

            When I was a baby, my mother would always lather me up with baby lotion and even into my childhood years. After bathing me, she would immediately rub baby lotion all over my body to achieve a smooth complexion for my skin. Not only did it gave my skin a smooth complexion, but made my body feeling soft and nice. As I got older and started experimenting with different types of body care products, I didn’t care too much about baby lotion anymore. I thought baby lotion was mainly used for babies and small children. I told my mother this and she absolutely said that it was not true. I was thinking, “Come on mother, I’m using adult body care products now, so it’s okay.” My mother told me she still uses baby lotion for her face and body. For my mother’s age, she ages very well and looks like she is only in her mid 30’s. My mother definitely shows a young, healthy youthful glow for her age. I was completely blown away and shocked when she told me this news. So I decided to find out more information from my mother about the use of baby lotion for any age type in both men and women.

            Baby lotion has some key ingredients providing a healthy, smooth complexion with soft, delicate skin all in one. My mother’s all time favorite baby lotion is Johnson’s baby lotion which was actually recommended by our family doctor. She has very sensitive skin so many facial creams and lotions she had used in the past made her skin very irritable. Baby lotion had saved her skin and my mother has been using it for years. She uses Johnson’s baby lotion daily after taking a shower and washing her face at night before bed. This type of lotion is popular for baby and infant skin types which contains ingredients formulated to protect the skin from dryness without leaving a greasy or oily residue. Johnson’s baby lotion is hypoallergenic and clinically proven by doctors to be gentle and mild.

            Main ingredients of Johnson’s baby lotion:

 

-Water

-Propylene Glycol, Myristyl Myristate

-Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid

-Polysorbate 61

-C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

-Sorbitan Stearate

-Cetyl, Stearyl, and benzyl alcohol

-Synthetic Beeswax

-Dimethicone

-Isopropyl Palmitate

-Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben

-Carbomer, Fragrance, BHT, sodium hydroxide, red 33

            Ever since my chat with my mother about baby lotion, I’ve been using baby lotion to achieve that baby soft skin complexion. It actually added a huge difference to my skin. I mostly use baby lotion for my face because my skin is sensitive and needs special attention. Since baby lotions are hypoallergenic, I did not have an allergic reaction to the product. For those of you who want to achieve natural soft skin, I recommend baby lotion. There are also organic baby lotions available in many organic produce stores as well. 

 

Baby Wipes: Great for Make-up Remover?

           One evening I was heading home to pick up a few items before driving to my friend’s house. I was in a bit of a rush and remembered I needed some makeup remover since I was going out with a friend for dinner and may stay overnight at their house. I asked my mother if she had any make-up remover I could borrow. She said no, but mentioned that there were regular baby wipes that I could use and bring with me. I was surprised when she said baby wipes. I was thinking, “Baby wipes for make-up remover?” I turned to my mother who was smiling at me and I said, “Mom, you’re funny, but are you serious, baby wipes?” She said baby wipes are very easy to use when you do not have time in the day to wash your face. My mother said it was a great beauty tool for whenever you’re out somewhere, traveling, or just need a quick beauty fix at home.

            I was a bit hesitant at first because I am always used to buying expensive make-up and eye removers at my nearest drug store. Usually at the drug store I spend about maybe 30 cloths of make-up remover wipes at $6-$7 and sometimes occasionally buy make-up eye remover at about the same price range. My mother says baby wipes are inexpensive and you can buy them for bulk at the Costco store for cheaper. For a plastic tub of Pamper’s baby wipes at the store, you can spend approximately about $5 for 64 wipes (7 cents a wipe). This definitely saves you more money then purchasing expensive brand name wipes for lesser the value of the product.

            The key ingredient in baby wipes? Baby wipes are disposable cloths to cleanse different areas of the face, skin, and body. All the cloths are made from non-woven fabrics very similar to a laundry dryer sheet. They are saturated with a solution of gentle cleansing ingredients. At many stores, baby wipes are packaged in plastic tubs keeping the cloths soft and moist which allows for easy dispensing and use. Water is the main cleansing ingredient in baby wipes which serves as a carrier and a diluting substance for other ingredients added. Mild detergents mixed with moisturizing agents, preservatives, and fragrance are contain in baby wipes. A commonly used detergent used in baby wipes is called amphoteric surfactants, found especially in baby shampoo as well. Primary surfactants used in wipes are sodium diamphoacetate and coco phosphatidyl PG-dimonium chloride that do not strip the skin of its natural oils and beauty. There are many baby wipes that include natural ingredients such as aloe vera or oatmeal extract.

            I have been using baby wipes for awhile now for mostly cleansing my face and removing make-up. It is also great to pack with you in your bag when you head to the gym and wipe off sweat after a hard sweaty work-out. Baby wipes can also be used on different areas of the body such as armpits, neck, or anywhere that needs to be freshly cleaned. Thanks to my mother whom introduced me to amazing baby wipes, I do not spend a lot of money at my local drug store on expensive brand name make-up remover wipes anymore. The baby wipes are great with a tint of natural smelling ingredients and what I love more is that they are not very harsh on your skin. Best of all, baby wipes are great for all skin types.

Michelle Phan: YouTube’s Makeup Artist Guru

Michelle Phan. For those of you who don’t know who she is, she is presented on the famous YouTube network channel as a Makeup Artist demonstrating creative makeup tutorials and other beauty care techniques. I will start with a brief background and introduction on this young professional makeup artist’s life.

Michelle Phan is a Vietnamese American born to Vietnamese parents in Massachusetts. She was raised by her mother in Massachusetts, California, and Florida after her parents divorce when she was only a child. At the age of 12, Phan began taking an interest in painting with watercolors and oil paints. She creatively did her painting skills self-taught. Phan majored in illustration in college and worked as a sushi waitress before she became a makeup artist guru on YouTube.

YouTube’s network channel features live music, videos, short movie clips, and much more. The famous cosmetic line, Lancome, had asked Michelle Phan to be their video spokesperson on YouTube to create make-up and beauty tip tutorials. Phan is also the owner and creator of a new skincare line called, IQQU. IQQU skincare line has its own website online where customers can purchase products at iqqubeauty.com. As of July 2010, Michelle Phan is rated as the “No. 1 YouTube beauty stylist” on the web. She has made about 100 YouTube videos that have been viewed by fans over 150,000,000! Michelle recently celebrated on a short Youtube video clip for having 1 million subscribers on her famous make-up channel! For those of you who have a YouTube account (Free to join), you can subscribe to her tutorial channels. On her channel, she is best known as “RiceBunny.” She uses her screen name as well on other social networking sites such as Xanga, Twitter, and Facebook. There is also her website, michellephan.com that you can easily access too as well.

Michelle is best known for having her own video style incorporating her voice over basic instructions with music and text subtitles. Many of her famous beauty tutorials include, “Romantic Valentine Look,” “Makeup For Glasses,” Lady Gaga’s Poker Face,” “Seductive Vampire,” "Natural Beauty" (My fave), and much more. Due to her make-up and beauty tutorials on YouTube, it has gained Phan significant press, recognition, and success around the world. Phan may be your average girl next door neighbor or someone you bump into at the grocery store, but at the age of only 23 years old, she has gained popularity amongst millions. Michelle was recently at an Los Angeles opening at the Sephora cosmetic store to offer beauty and make-up tips, chatting with fans including the press, and signing autographs as well. This was the make-up artist's first public appearance live at a very huge event. She also appeared on E! Online network applying make-up on a model for a "Lady Gaga" halloween look.

She has appeared in much famous press such as Seventeen Magazine and Forbes magazine. Many of Phan’s video tutorials include the cosmetic line Lancome and her brand IQQU beauty products. She also proudly does other works as well such as working backstage at various fashion show events, including Chris Benz fashion show during New York Fashion Week in 2009. She had also worked backstage at the Michael Kors Spring 2010 Fashion Collection Event in New York City. Michelle also appeared as a makeup artist backstage for the making of the band, Late Night Alumni’s music video, “Finally Found.” A short video clip of Michelle and the band's singer can be seen live on her make-up channel page. Phan is watched by many YouTube fans everyday for her famous make-up and beauty tip tutorials and has changed many people’s lives with just a click of the mouse.

Are Boar Bristle Brushes Worth the Extra Cost?

I know the beauty question that is most on your minds (when you are not thinking about Lady Gaga, Paris Hilton, or Barack Obama)- you want to know if a Boar Bristle  brush is worth the money. It is, after all, hard to trust the idea that a brush partially made from wild hog hair could be more effective when styling your own hair. Several articles are touting the usefulness of having a natural brush versus a cheap, plastic brush, but are the articles correct? Is a Boar Bristle brush really “all that” and more?

Based on my own personal experiences, I say, “Yes.”  Since I started using a Boar Bristle hairbrush, my own hair looks and feels better. However, if you do happen to meet me on the street, please do not judge a Boar Bristle brush by my hair alone- hair artists swear by the brushes. The brushes are even recommended for specialty do’s like the women of Mad Men have. (Read HERE for an article with hot tips on how to achieve the Mad Men hair-look).


The main advantage to a Boar Bristle hairbrush is that it isn’t as rough on the hair as an inexpensive, plastic brush. The natural bristles also spread out any natural oils evenly throughout the hair and hopefully will increase your hair’s natural luxurious shine. (I didn’t personally notice this effect in my own hair, so this claim could be exaggerated.)

Round brushes are recommended for blowing dry your hair and flat brushes are recommended for getting out bad tangles from over-processed hair. When my hairstylist first introduced the brush to me, I was more than a little impressed with her blow-drying skills, but felt as if it would be absolutely impossible for me to duplicate the style at home. While I can’t say that the look was exactly duplicated after I had purchased my own brush, my hair was significantly easier to style than it was previously. I’m telling you, the right brush goes a long way to making your hair feel great.

Boar Bristle brushes are best for thin to normal hair because the bristles may be too soft for thick or coarse hair. As this article points out, cleaning the brushes is a bit trickier- the writer recommends using a fine-toothed comb to get out unwanted hairs and to clean the brush.

Rose Petals Rosewater Spray

 

            I was deciding what to get at my local downtown organic store near my house for dinner and remembered I was out of my all time favorite misting spray. As I got my soup for dinner that evening, I headed to the body care aisle where my favorite spray was located. This spray is called Rose Petals Rosewater by Heritage Products. This magnificent spray mist is great for use at any season during the year.

            Rose Petals Rosewater is all organic made from natural European roses with a splash of gourmet flavoring. This spray is great for use as a perfume or body mist, for your hair or even bath water. The scent of the Rosewater mist is not over powering or strong at all and provides a light scented rosy mist. You can also add this mist to your essential and therapeutic oils to make your very own scented formula. It’s kind of like mixing an alcoholic beverage or margarita drink. This is different but combining your own favorite scents with just a splash or more with this all natural, pure Rosewater mist to any occasion.  More surprisingly, I read this Rosewater mist was highly recommended in the Edgar Cayce readings. For those of you who don’t know who Edgar Cayce is, he is an American man claimed to be a psychic with abilities to channel answers to questions on various subjects while in a state of self-induced trance.

            This light scented Rosewater mist is not only great for toning your skin, but refreshing your face as well. It has ingredients that help nourish your skin without any harsh chemicals that can irritate your skin. You can also leave this spray in the fridge and take it out when misting this over your face, hair, or body for a cooling, soothing, and refreshing feel. This Rosewater spray has natural rose oil which leaves your skin complexion feeling healthy and clean. I have oily skin so having this product as part of my daily body care routine is very important. The Rosewater spray helps relieve stress as well.

            This Rosewater spray is one of my favorite products to use during the summer since the weather can get very hot and humid. I discovered this spray through an acquaintance and have been in love with the scent ever since. It comes in two different sizes, a 4 oz and an 8 oz bottle. The 4 oz bottle is great for travel or to put into your bag for on the go. You’re pay about $4-$5 for a 4 oz bottle. For an 8 oz bottle ranges from $9, but is great to add to your bathroom body care shelf for everyday use.

 

 

Victoria’s Secret: Secret Garden Collection

      My best girlfriend and I went to the mall this past weekend to do some shopping together.  Since my friend was leaving for a short mini vacation in early October, she wanted to shop for new clothes since most of her clothes do not fit anymore after giving birth early this year. As we reached the shopping mall parking lot, my friend and I made a stop to all the stores she wanted to shop at. I remembered I was in need for some bath and body products.

     Victoria’s Secret came to my mind instantly. I knew Victoria’s Secret is most famous for their yearly semi-annual sale every year and had rocking good deals on many lingerie and intimate apparel. After having dinner at a burger diner at the mall, my friend and I stopped by Victoria’s Secret. We were first approached by a beautiful sales associate who asked us if we needed any help with anything. I politely answered that we were just looking around. I instantly went to the “Secret Garden Collection,” and they had a fabulous sale on the bath and body products for 3/$24 or 5/$30 sale! Score! This was an amazing deal I was not going to pass on.

     The “Secret Garden Collection,” consists of many beautiful, exotic scents. Here are some lists of many of their famous ones.

-Love Spell (my absolute favorite): Rich blend of peach, cherry blossom and white jasmine. Nourishing aloe, oat and grape seed extracts, with antioxidant vitamins C and E.

-Pure Seduction: Blend of casaba melon, plum and freesia.

-Amber Romance: Blend of black cherry, crème anglaise, vanilla and sandalwood.

-Secret Charm: Blend of honeysuckle, gala apples and stephanotis.

-Lost in Fantasy (new favorite): Fruity, floral mix of sweet passion fruit, wild Brazilian orchid and warm musk.

-Luscious Kisses: Blend of Valencia orange, coconut and tonka bean.

-Coconut Passion: Blend of vanilla, coconut and lily of the valley.

-Berry Kiss: Blend of wild raspberry, rose and praline.

-Vanilla Lace: Blend of vanilla, orchid, amber and musk.

-Endless Love: Blend of apple blossom, honeydew and ylang ylang.

-Pear Glace: Blend of pear nectar, cassis and violet.

-Strawberries and Champagne: Blend of strawberry, champagne and cassis.

     The sale goes on now at Victoria’s Secret for these fabulous, beautiful scents! I discovered these beautiful scented products about 2 years ago and I must say I’ve been in love with them ever since. Whenever I get the break to head to the nearest mall, I always come into Victoria’s Secret for these fabulous deals.

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