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"Plainness has its peculiar temptations quite as much as beauty."
George Eliot

justjbeauty Blog Index

justjbeauty Blog Index

Just...so you know what you're looking at.

This is a brief overview of what I am looking to put on my blog, no doubt the list will grow/change but for now, this is what I'm thinking:

2thePoint

Topical thoughts which I'd like to share with you and see what you think - whether you feel the same or not.

B-U-TIP

Beauty tips and advice - I'll try and keep them as short as possible! They'll be about everything and anything to do with beauty and cosmetics.

B-U-How2

General step-by-step guides which I'll try to keep short and simple - can't guarantee it though! Like the above, a wide range of topics to be covered here.

Get Glossed!

Nothing to do with lip gloss actually. Here I'll define different words which may mystify the everyday beauty addict, especially when it comes to product ingredients and beauty-science jargon.

InFocus

Beauty brand spotlight - product of the month - rare finds

justj Journals

Self-explanatory really. An up-to-date account of what is going on in justj world.

Q&A

I ask, you answer. You ask, I answer.

Testing...

Something I'd like to be part of justj Journals - I'll try things out (be it a eye cream, diet, exercise, method etc.) and report back to you with real results.

Product Bio's

For the products I try/ review / like, I'll record all of their details here.

That's it so far! Please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions re: the above - I'd love to hear them!

Jx

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"I don't like standard beauty - there is no beauty without strangeness"
Karl Lagerfeld

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"Beauty is truth, and truth is Beauty", John Keats

2thePoint: Concession in a Recession

From the Counter: Real Results of the Recession

As I twitter-ed today, I read a post on the Allure magazine's blog and it got me thinking...I did a bit of research and found an article on the Daily Mail online [http://tr.im/iPo9] which expanded upon the same topic - how cosmetic sales seem to be withstanding the current economic decline, notably how the increase in sales of foundations had surpassed those of lipsticks. Marie Claire online remarked the same in December 2008 as well [http://tr.im/iPoj].

After reading these articles I thought I would share my perspective from a counter-side point of view, because it's not as simple as they make out.

The 'Foundation Factor'

On the Bobbi Brown concession that I work for, in January we released Skin Foundation SPF 15, a new foundation with a new formula and a new feel. Since January, I would say that I have sold more foundations that any other product. Why? It is because the foundation is still (relatively) new? Or is it because people are still spending, but are investing in the beauty 'essentials' instead? I for one am undecided.

Looking at my stats, more than 50% of my sales are allocated to face products (foundations, concealers, powders etc.). Although colour still sells at a steady rate, face is a majority.

As makeup artists, we are encouraged to sell skin and face products as it creates brand-loyalty. But if I am honest this ethic does not suit everyone. As a concession it is hard enough having to compete against neighbours Dior, Laura Mercier, MAC and Sisley, luckily we are the only Bobbi concession in town so our sales do not suffer, but my morale is beginning too.

REAL-isation

I love makeup, I love working with it, I hate selling it! Working for a concession means its all about sales and each week has a new target asking for something more. Bobbi is about real makeup, real beauty, real women in a real world - a world that is presently undergoing an economical crisis - so it is time to get real! I can't help thinking, is a mother really going to buy a £26 foundation and £15 lipstick when she needs to fill her childrens' lunchboxes?

Although the makeup does speak for itself (I wouldn't work for a brand who didn't) people still need to be convinced to buy, enticed into a sale, and I am no pushy salesman. I am not disputing the fact that the money maybe there, that women may still want to look and feel good about themselves; what I am saying is that these stats do not represent how hard we have to work to make that sale. Lately our counter has been dead of a weekend - our busiest time of the week. We sit down everyone that even blinks at a Pot Rouge and more and more women are either buying less or not buying at all. This counter culture does not exactly support what these articles are saying does it? We are on-event this weekend so I guess only time will tell.

I suppose I just wanted to remind those that needed reminding that these stats ("15% rise in foundation sales") are because of our hard work and skills, and personally, because of my love for makeup. When I am applying Lip Colour I am sure the last thing on my client's mind is the 'Lipstick Index'...

Jx

Welcome to justjbeauty Blog!

Welcome all to my NEW Blog!

So excited to finally get going with this! I'd like to thank you for visiting my blog and invite you to follow me wherever I go and through whatever I do - hopefully you'll learn as much as I will!

Re: Site Content - there's no point in me posting a list of subjects that I will be focusing on as I am sure the list will continuously grow and right now, I want to post about just-about everything to do with beauty! Please feel free to subscribe and/or find me on twitter. Enjoy!

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Intro...

You know, I laugh (at myself) sometimes for being so narrow-minded. No matter how old I am, where I get to in life, I know I'll always have something else to learn about. This week, i.e. since Saturday, I have learnt that when it comes to beauty, makeup, cosmetics and trying to be the best makeup artist in the world - I am very far from alone!

So I decided to invade Twitter, load my Google Reader, start a new blog, and now I'm totally lost in a world of beauty blogs, Twit-this Twit-that and URL's. I thought by designing my own little header and coming up with a try-to-stand-out-title I'd done it all - but I've got a lot of work to do.

For now, as a general note, my blog, profile, research and life in beauty (re-)starts here! In the meantime, I'm on the last week of my Easter break and haven't done an ounce of work so need to get my arse into gear! Posts will either be short or sparse until I get more time...and more knowledge.

So...ready to learn, willing to listen, see you soon!

Jx