Eggcreams

I found someone else who just posted about Eggcreams:Egg Cream | Eggcream | Egg Cream Recipe

I posted on this the other day too.

I do love COLOR

I was just oohing and ahing over the Stark Paints. I was reading a piece in ELLE Decor.

Color makes me so happy

Welcome Come to Stark Paint.

Tan results…..Memorial Day Celebrations.

I as promised started with the self tanner on Wednesday, I applied more on Thursday and also last application was yesterday. I see no difference between my two legs. I had my husband take the photo’s on the first day(Thursday)  We took photos yesterday too. I am not sure why I do not see much a difference. I will say that I was tan, and I am wondering if this is why there is no real difference.

I have decided that I am going out to purchase another brand and try this again before I post the pictures. I am also going to find a pale friend to do this too.:-)

I hope that we all will take a moment or more, to stop and Thank our military for the last ten years, for the past and for our future. Because of our military, we do live with many freedoms that others do not have. Those who have given their lives for us, deserve that moment we all should be giving to them on this Memorial Day 2011.

Egg Cream Soda~ Yum

Do only New Yorkers know what  Egg Cream’s are?  NO!!  there are no EGGS in the soda.

I have loved them since childhood. Seltzer is the backbone of an egg cream and the specific chocolate syrup. I honestly do not drink the chocolate egg cream,I have always had the vanilla. I think I am going to have to take a trip out to Carroll Gardens,Brooklyn and sit at the counter and order a Chocolate egg cream form the Brooklyn Fountain Soda shop.

Invented on the Lower East Side?  Is this true, Its said that the inventor of the egg cream is not so well defined.Egg Cream, New York Egg Cream, How To Make An Egg Cream, History of New York Egg Cream, Egg Cream Recipe

Brooklyn Pharmacy & Soda Fountain.Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain – Carroll Gardens – - Time Out New York

Also: Egg cream – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edible Manhattan.Edible Manhattan | Local Food Magazine of Manhattan Great Magazine. I love it!

Try this at home:How to Make a New York Egg Cream: 6 steps (with video) – wikiHow

Tans Tans and Self Tanners

Have you begun wearing your sunscreen on a daily basis?  This is the time of year when the sun is closer to the earth and when over exposure  to the sun occurs. Please start wearing your sunscreen.

If you are addicted to having a tan because you look and feel better about yourself, I understand that.  SELF TANNERS.

Okay Okay, hold on a minute, the self tanners of today are not the “leave you orange brown ” of years before. When I owned my day spa, I found one year at a beauty show this foam self tanner that was tinted dark,I feel in love. The foam application was great, the tint helped with your not leaving any on and creating streaks. The last three years I have not been able to find this product which has led me to try out others. I have one big issue with any self tanner, that odor,I can not stand that smell. Knowing this,I bet you already know I have not had much success in finding a new product. I can tell you I find no foam versions at all. When I have  they are not tinted.

Recently I bought a face only and have tried it a few times. It is a cream, it is not tinted and I do see darkening  of my face in two days or after two applications. The odor is slight so its so far so good for me.

I am going to try the body version by the same company and I will not tell you what brand. I just had the idea that what I would do is put tanner on one leg and  do it for a few days, then show you  the results and then what product I used. I am curious  myself to see if the legs tan up nice like my face.

I leave for work out of town tomorrow, I will start this tanning on Wednesday. I will have my husband photograph both of my lower legs and I will post the picture.  I will apply the tanner to one leg and I will do this for  two days Wednesday and Thrusday and take the next photo and I will continue over the weekend and on Sunday post the last picture. Monday I will reveal which product I used. I want to see  the results and  I hope I like it.

Until Wednesday night.

Napa Valley baby!

I am tickled PINK.   I have worked towards winning a trip for two to Napa Valley this summer. I had hoped my husband would be able to join me,not sure when his annual geek conference was going to be, all I knew was that it was in San Diego.

For the last six months the incentive has been running and it will close on June 12th. The trip to Napa Valley is july 18-22nd.

This is how the trip has been hyped to us:

Un-corked Incentive trip with Votre Vu

I would like to take a moment to Thank my team and my customers for helping me to earn the trip to Napa. I was fortunate to bring a few new business builders in during the incentive period,we needed to have 2 qualified and the rest was sales oriented. I am in the top 5 this year for Best In Sales, I have a great customer base who are “residual” income makers for me and my team. How? because they love the products and have been reordering for years now.This is what is so wonderful about our company,the products are luxury level,made in France  and the customers and personal shoppers love using this product line, as do I.

On Monday I realized that I had qualified for the VIP Trip for Two to Napa Valley with Votre Vu.  Hurray! Yipee!!  I was and am still so excited to be taking my husband on a luxury vacation,with some VIP extras thrown in.( I can not wait to hear what the VIP extras are)

This is me, the chick who had never been in a direct sale company prior to Votre Vu. Who works this business as a side business to her Interior Design business. I will not tell you, your going be a millionaire in one year. I will tell you this: you get out of this business what you put into it.

Thank-you to my Team ” Empire State of Vu “ You know who you are. Soon, we will be vacationing together as a team.

Our company annual conference LA FETE is next month in Chicago, this is where the company is based. We will find out what the next incentive trip is, I think…. I will have some news to share when I return the end of June.

Sunday~ what are your skin issues?

What if I made Sundays the day when you can send me what is bothering you and your skin? Your skin issues.  Ask for your friend, ask for your brother, sister or child.

Sunday Skin Issue Day.

Example:  I have this redness and bumpy skin on my cheeks, what is this and what can I do?  It certainly sounds like Rosacea

“rosacea |rōˈzā sh (ə)ə| (also acne rosacea)noun A condition in which certain facial blood vessels enlarge, giving the cheeks and nose a flushed appearance.ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Latin, feminine of roseceus in the sense‘rose-colored.”

I am not a Doctor, and if I do not know what may be your skin issue, I will tell you so and recommend that you go see a dermatologist.

So, send me your questions.

Acne

Also known as Acne vulgaris: Far too many people say they have acne, when all they have is a few random pimples. As a licensed esthetician, this drives me buggers. Also, those who claim they have oily skin, when in fact they do not, they have more active oil glands in the T zone, but NOT oily skin, Please take a moment to read this post and educate yourself.

Acne

What is acne?

Acne, or acne vulgaris, is a skin problem that starts when oil and dead skin cells clog up your pores. Some people call it blackheads, blemishes, whiteheads, pimples, or zits. When you have just a few red spots, or pimples, you have a mild form of acne. Severe acne can mean hundreds of pimples that can cover the face, neck, chest, and back. Or it can be bigger, solid, red lumps that are painful (cysts).

Most young people get at least mild acne. It usually gets better after the teen years. But many adult women do have acne in the days before their menstrual periods.

How you feel about your acne may not be related to how bad it is. Some people with severe acne are not bothered by it. Others are embarrassed or upset even though they have only a few pimples.

The good news is that there are many good treatments that can help you get acne under control.

What causes acne?

Acne starts when oil and dead skin cells clog the skin’s pores. If germs get into the pores, the result can be swelling, redness, and pus. See a picture of how pimples formOpens New Window Opens New Window.

For most people, acne starts during the teen years. This is because hormone changes make the skin more oily after puberty starts.

You do not get acne from eating chocolate or greasy foods. But you can make it worse by using oily skin products that clog your pores.

Acne can run in families. If one of your parents had severe acne, you are more likely to have it.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of acne include whiteheads, blackheadsOpens New Window, and pimplesOpens New Window. These can occur on the face, neck, shoulders, back, or chest. Pimples that are large and deep are called cystic lesionsOpens New Window. These can be painful if they get infected. They also can scar the skin.

How is acne treated?

To help control acne, keep your skin clean. Avoid skin products that clog your pores. Look for products that say “noncomedogenic” on the label. Wash your skin once or twice a day with a gentle soap or acne wash. Try not to scrub or pick at your pimples. This can make them worse and can cause scars.

If you have just a few pimples to treat, you can get an acne cream without a prescription. Look for one that has benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. These work best when used just the way the label says.

It can take time to get acne under control. Keep using the same treatment for 6 to 8 weeks. You may even notice that it gets worse before it gets better. If your skin is not better after 8 weeks, try another product.

If your pimples are really bothering you or are scarring your skin, see your doctor. A prescription gel or cream for your skin may be all you need. Your doctor may also order antibioticOpens New Window pills. A mix of treatments may work best. If you are female, taking certain birth control pills may help.

If you have acne cysts, talk to your doctor about stronger medicine. Isotretinoin works very well, but it can cause birth defects. And using isotretinoin may be linked with depression. Let your doctor know if you have had depression before taking this medicine. And if you are female, you must protect against pregnancy by using two forms of birth control. Even one dose of this medicine can cause birth defects if a woman takes it while she is pregnant. You cannot take isotretinoin if you are breast-feeding.

What can be done about acne scars?

There are skin treatments that can help acne scars look better and feel smoother. Ask your doctor about them. The best treatment for you depends on how severe the scarring is. You can have scar tissue removed or have a shot of collagen. Collagen smoothes a pitted scar by plumping up the skin underneath. You may get the best results with a combination of treatments.

Please look at this website for more information:Health Info

Direct Sales has a bad rap….it is not deserved

As you know if you have been following me from the beginning, I entered into Direct Sales back in Feb/Mar 2008. Votre Vu would be my first foray into direct sales. I had months to share this news and to try and recruit and get others interested in the company too. Did I take advantage of this time? NO NO NO and I regretted it once I started working this business.

Why?  because I was one of those who had heard negative remarks about the world of Direct Sales.You still to this day hear negative remarks, people often say “Oh its one of those Pyramid schemes”  NO, when you receive product in return for your investment, IT IS NOT a PYRAMID scheme, a Pyramid scheme is when you pay in and get nothing back for your investment.  Direct Sales is a good ethical way to do business. The DSA~ Direct Sellers Association sets its standards high and it can take years to be approved into the association( there are bad companies out there, you need to do your research), go to the DSA website and look up the  company your interested in. Votre Vu was accepted into the association in 2010.The DSA has rules of conduct and ethics we have to abide by as a company. Is there a code of ethics and conduct for the consultants?  I have come to find out that we are on our own,we are in control of our behaviors and that there are some,whom I believe are the reason why direct sales still has a negative reputation.I think its a shame these ladies and gents who behave in ways that irritate other consultants in their companies and seem to get away with it, makes me ask the question” Is this fair?  They win incentives,recruit more and sell more all of which makes their business successful,maybe more successful than mine or yours or is it?  Can one really sustain the unethical behaviors, when do the people they are recruiting or selling to have enough?  I hear from others who have been in direct selling for many years, always with one company…that when a consultant jumps form one business to the next it is a sign that maybe their tenure had run out.

Videos Posted by Direct Selling Education Foundation: An Introduction to the DSA Code of Ethics [HQ] (9)

I am still learning as the years go by. I am in my third year and I for most days still very much enjoy this type of work. I do it part time as I  have another business that I work. I love the friendships I have made, I love the fun times we have together, I love that I can call one of them or more of them and ask for help,share my low points and share my high points. They are there to support me. I am not just talking about my upline here. I have friends who are not on my direct team line and I can still call them and ask for help,suggestions,or advice.

Also, with Votre Vu, maybe because I was in early or maybe its because I go out to our yealy conference La Fete,but I have access to the top people in this company. I have the ability to contact them. I have vacationed with them on the incentive trips I have won,how many direct sellers can say that they have access to the Corporate leaders in their companies?

We are women, we know how competitive we can be and when this competition gets to be too big for its britches, this is when I am most unhappy. I try to let myself think about all the good times,positive friendships to get me through these times. As in life we know that sometimes the negatives really spraed themselves wide and deep and it takes a little more time to re group and continue on.I can honestly say that there are more good and positive things about direct selling and I am happy with Votre Vu and glad to have the relationships I have made and to my successful growing team.

I came across this new page on facebbook, called The Direct Selling Education Foundation.  Here is todays video link:

Videos Posted by Direct Selling Education Foundation: Avoid Exaggeration When Recruiting [HQ] (10)

And this one last Friday: Videos Posted by Direct Selling Education Foundation: What is Direct Selling? [HQ] (10)

If you were ever on the fence because you thought, like I did, Direct Sales is questionable…. Look at it again, research the company well and give it a try, you may fall in love with it like I did. Also, go to the facebook page of The Direct Selling  Education Foundation and LIKE IT, you will learn a lot about Direct Sales here.

If you have any questions you can also ask me,leave your question in a comment and I will contact you directly.

Atopic Dermatitis

Do you know what that means?  ” Atopic dermatitis is a skin problem that causes dry skin, intense itching, and then a red, raised rash. It cannot be spread from person to person.”

Health Info continue reading here.