Reinventing The Wheel

Lately I've been busy...

Like strange busy. While quarantining at home I thought I'd have all this time to do all the things I like to do, like read, blog, do laundry, etc. But I find that I don't have time because lately, I've been doing a lot of reinventing. Social distancing policies have forced me to reinvent how I do my business in the midst of a pandemic, but it's not just work. I find that I'm reinventing different things every day.

Text and FaceTime with my friends and loved ones are the new normal in touching base and letting people know you care thereby reinventing my social interaction. While It's easy to change from your day pajamas to your night pajamas, I choose not to, so I'm reinventing my daily look. I also haven't been loving the lunch that I used pack from home and more often than not and eat on the fly, so I've been reinventing cuisine around here daily. I've become the Rachel Ray in my house and the family dinners have been epic! I forgot how much I like to cook and that I'm good at it because I used to eat out almost Every. Single. Night. The refrigerator is jam-packed like never before, and I keep watch on the food and leftovers so that nothing goes to waste, ready to pounce when something has passed it prime. A TOTAL reinvention, since I used to be never home to notice.

Supermarket, pharmacy lists and filling on-line orders at my store have become spread sheet worthy tasks as necessities are rationed and carefully planned. Trips are shortened and far more productive and deliberate. When completed, I always to then return safely home and wash my hands thoroughly. No detours.

But this one's the shocker.
I've even reinvented my TV habits.
I have hardly watched Netflix, (except for Season 3 of Ozark-loved it!) or Bravo. CNN is my constant companion and its becoming the soundtrack to my quarantine days. Everything lately is a complete reinvention from whom I used to be.

And it's OK. Because although we've been forced to look at life differently in this historic moment in time, it's given me the opportunity to be more thoughtful, more aware and more careful about my choices. It's always been me-but the me who was on the fast track and probably a bit more quick and carefree doesn’t have the same options. It's not that I have really changed who I am, It's more like I've reinvented what and how I navigate through everyday life.

I'm still me. I’m still the same person I was before the pandemic. I just need to pivot and adapt to this strange thing that has hit us all, hard. So I count my blessings and forge ahead. I really don't need to reinvent the wheel.

Selfie Free Zone

Being home ALL DAY LONG has both positives and negatives, as we are all discovering what our new normal looks like. I know this may come as a shock to some of you, so brace yourselves,... 
I haven't worn makeup in about 4 days. 

Normally I wear makeup every day, as it is my business, quite literally, but being at home has given me the freedom to go without makeup and it has been liberating!

Not wearing makeup is something that I am TEMPORARILY enjoying, but this can not be permanent. Not by a long shot. Although I have been sans makeup, I have been really upping my skin care game. I have been deep cleansing my skin, 2x, morning and night and applying face masks and eye gels daily.

This is a great opportunity to try out those skin care products you've been curious about.

• Good time to do a mud/extracting masque. If you do break out, you can weather the decongestion in the privacy of your own home. 

• Exfoliating masks, which clear the skins surface of dead skin, are good to do when you are not wearing makeup because it gives those all powerful skin serums and moisturizers the space to do their work without a layer of makeup to contend with. 

• Brightening products, Vitamin C masks and cleansers can do their job, without the need for extra sunscreen because you are indoors and not outdoors or driving around in your car. 

All great for the skin but as I said, this makeup ban is temporary. In order to maintain my sanity and sense of normalcy, I need to get up and shower and get dressed every day because looking good goes a long way to feeling good and right now we all need to feel good. 

So I'm going to take my own advice and go shower and put on makeup. 

I've got a very busy day ahead of me of  rigorous hand washing and looking out the window.

Trainwreck

I've been a bit of a trainwreck lately.

In the best possible way, of course. But my blogging time has been directly affected. The more The Candy Bar's numbers go up, the less time I have to blog. These are good problems to have because when all is said and done, I gotta devote my time to the thing that pays the bills. All week I had plans to blog, yet I never seemed to find any time. Like this week I had plans to blog about:

• "Don't Discount the Discount"-I went shopping with my high school girl friends on Monday afternoon. We went to a Nordstrom Rack and while there I found at least 6 things that I liked that were cheap. Normally I don't buy cheap items, but these were fashionable and fit well. The price made me think twice? Really? Expensive items don't make me think twice but the cheap ones did? Were they not good quality? Would they last? I bought them anyway and I'm glad I did. I have received lots of compliments on my discounted clothing and heck, if they don't last, it's not like I paid a bundle for them.

•  "Stop and Smell the Success"-As I stated earlier, I'm getting busier and busier at the store. This is great, and it's about time but I have to remember I am not superwoman. Some days I forget to eat both breakfast AND lunch. Not good when come quitting time I'm so stressed out and I have a headache that I can't even enjoy my down time. I gotta take a moment. I've got to breathe, and let someone else do it. I don't have to always be the one doing. I already am the one worrying about it so I might as well let someone else do it.  

• "Trainwreck"-After an especially stressful day, which resulted in a headache, I took two Advil, ate dinner and watched the movie "Trainwreck". It was just what the doctor ordered. It was a dumb-ass movie, but I loved it! Amy Schumer is hilarious. Who knew LeBron James was funny and a surprise cameo from John Cena made it worthwhile. The sex scene with Cena was worth the two hours alone! He was hysterical! The laugh was a great release and much needed.

Yeah...It seems like I woke up and it was Friday already. Where did the week go?

For now, I'm ok, great in fact. But I've got to remember that this train I'm on will NOT be a wreck.

Light The Strobe Lighting

In today's beauty world the YouTube vloggers have made it a snap for us to up our makeup game. Applying your makeup daily has suddenly entered into an unprecedented realm of technique. Contouring is the one that comes to mind, and the art of applying dark creams and powders to the hollows of your face to produce face slimming, face shaping effects can result in giving the average person an incredibly sculpted look. Truth be told, contouring does take a bit of skill and a bit of product to get the right result which can sometimes means it's not for everyone.

Rest assured there's a new makeup trend that is taking the beauty industry by storm and it's easier than you think. Strobing, is "the new black" in makeup application and it gives you the same sort of sculpted look as contouring, but in a much softer and dewy-er way. 

Strobing is all about the highlighter-which means that it's main component is focused on ONE product which you probably already own already!

What is Strobing? It's all about light-think soft and bright. It's about applying highlighter-light and only light-to the parts of your face that the sun would normally illuminate. The look is a fresh faced, dewy result that says healthy in a "I just had an amazing facial" kind of way. It's similar to highlighting but there's a bit more to it than simple highlighting. The best part is anyone can get the look if you follow these easy steps:

Start with a moisturizer. Add a gorgeous luminizer like Kevyn Aucoin's  The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting to your foundation.This should be the base to give your face that gorgeous dewy look. Avoid anything with a matte finish unless you are very oily. Then apply a highlighter to the areas of you face where sunlight would kiss; the tops of the cheek bones, temples, down the bridge of the nose, the brow bone and the forehead. If you have an oily skin, you may want to use a light hand, so as to not leave the skin looking greasy and shiny.

Cream highlighters like Smashbox's L.A. Light's Lip and Cheek Color Stick in Hollywood & Highlight or Kevyn Aucoin's The Creamy Glow Duo #4  work best to melt into your skin and create a dewy, strobing sensation! Champagne shades of highlighter are great for all skin tones, but if you are super fair, opt for a whiter, silvery looking highlighter like Hollywood & Highlight.

Jump start you summer with the hottest new makeup trend  that's sure to leave you selfie ready! Of course you will want the whole world to see your bright, lit from within glow that is gorgeous and easy. Then you will want to turn up the disco music and strobe lights so you can dance the night away!

Big City Momma!

Today's moms are an incredible hybrid of sorts. Made up of one third Super Woman, one third Bat Girl and one third Wonder Woman, super heroes, if you ask me moms are busy super humans. So it's no wonder that moms, after doing everything they need to for everyone else barely have a moment for themselves. And I'm sorry to tell you ladies-it's beginning to show. But fear not-I may have just come up with a solution!

Busy moms everywhere, take notice!

I'm giving my expert beauty advice to moms on the Big City Mom's blog, click HERE. 

And trust me when I tell you-it gets better. And just when you think you got this mom thing down,  you are left missing them when they grow up and fly the nest. So enjoy it while you still can, but make sure you take a little time for yourself along the way.

Need+ Want+ Value+ Emotion= Happy Shopper Squared!

As a shopper and retailer, I am constantly looking into new ways to motivate and understand the reasons that shoppers shop. What brings you to a store? What causes you to purchase and what makes you go weak in the knees-thereby igniting your emotional response to an item you want to buy?

Need is truly personal-if you need something, that sends you out on a mission-ie; the need for something. While you are there or on your way to your need based destination, what causes you to stop and look? Is it a sale sign? Is it a gorgeous feature of a product? Or is it a retail store that literally pops and causes you to inquire within?

Want is another thing entirely. I, for example, could be shopping for something I need and suddenly I am distracted by something I want. That's when the emotion part of the equation comes into play and I usually figure how to justify want over need. Do I really need another something or other? But I really want it! The answer to that, if you are me is YES!

Next up is value. Value and affordability sort of go hand in hand, so if I score a great item on sale, I am happy that I have acquired the item at a great value. Who wouldn't be? But items that are not on the 'great value' spectrum but score high on the want spectrum make a shopper stop and think before they buy. We reason and justify an expensive purchase which makes us evaluate the quality of the item, an important factor too. Value can make or break a purchase decision.

Last is the most influential of all variables in the equation. EMOTION! Shoppers are nothing if not influenced by emotion. Like the $1600.00 Valentino boots I saw on line. Lord knows I don't need them but I want them! The value is there in the quality and feature of the boots, yet the price makes me hesitate to click the BUY button. But it's the emotion that keeps me thinking about them-so much so that I haven't been able to clear that window on my computer. I keep going to that window on my iPad to look at them every few days, hoping I can x-out of it and go on without them...but I can't. My emotional attachment to boots- that aren't even mine- keep me coming back for more.

These are just a few observations on how I shop. Now I want to know how you shop?

So let's do this, I'm going to put up a poll on the side bar with some answers to see what your shopping habits really are! Take the poll and give me your opinion. You will really be helping me out and doing a bit of community service at the same time.

And if I've ignited a fire within the shopper in you, feel free to visit www.candybarcosmetics.com. 

Today's Special:Product Highlight

It's summertime in the city and everyone wants to look and feel fresh and renewed! The warm temperatures and the good times are coming so you want to make sure you are looking your best. Who doesn't want to look luminous? Who doesn't want that complimentary, envious glow that makes all your friend inquire about what's different? A highlighter is the key and if you haven't heard about a cosmetic highlighter, it's time to up your make-up game.

Highlighters are the easiest way to give your complexion that gorgeous glow and they are ever-so-simple to apply. I say this all the time and chances are if you have been to my store, The Candy Bar, you have heard me say it;  a product like Kevyn Aucoin's The Celestial Powder in Candelight can take years off your face and make you the envy of everyone you know. Applied evenly to the top of your cheekbone, your brow bone and down the center of your nose, this light, shimmery powder can cause others to inquire about your special "glow". It's like this: You've just bumped into a friend you haven't seen in months at the grocery store. While you are answering her questions about your husband and the kids, her quizzical stare at your face and the distracted manner in which she responds to you is all the answer you need: SHE'S NOT LISTENING TO YOU BECAUSE SHE'S WONDERING WHAT IT IS ON YOUR CHEEKS THAT IS GIVING YOU THAT GORGEOUS GLOW.

Highlighters today are readily available (thank you Kim Kardashian) and come in many packages-creams,  powders and  liquids- and some are packaged with a contour powder or cream to fill in the hollows of your cheeks to expertly to give your face shape. 

A kit like Kevyn Aucoin's The Creamy Glow Duo #4 is the perfect on the go contour and highlight companion. On the right, Candlelight in a cream and on the left, a contour cream in Medium. Users can apply with a brush or their fingers and blend, blend, blend for a gorgeous summer glow.  Apply the Medium cream under the hollows of the cheek (make a fish face ie; suck you cheeks in) and blend a small amount with your finger. Then use a separate finger to apply the Candlelight on the tops of the cheek bones and blend for maximum benefit and shine. 

Grab yourself some summer fun with a fresh, new highlighter and start taking in all the compliments of your friends. Of course, tell them Candy sent ya!

Today's Special: 2 For 1 A "Real Bargain"

So there has been a lot of funny talk about marriage at The Daily Dandy lately. I called to memory-and even pulled up and recited-a post that made me chuckle. I thought it really put things into perspective then and I still do now, as I have repeated this story more than once in the past week.I hope it brings you a laugh and some perspective too.


This is a RE-POST which first appeared here on July 29th, 2010. Titled "Divine Intervention"

So I was at my store the other day and one of my favorite customers and I were having a chat. We were talking about marriage and spouses and such, seeing as I'm heading down that path again in just 5 short weeks. We talked about longevity and commitment and how marriage is work. I was telling her that my mom has been complaining that she is really frustrated with my dad lately, for one reason or another. My customer then relayed this story to me, which I found to be quite amusing, indeed. I then, immediately relayed the story to my mom. True or not, this is one I will remember.

She told me that she had seen an interview with the Rev Billy Graham and that she always calls it to mind when she is feeling less than amorous with her spouse. She said it gives her peace.
The story goes like this:

The Reverend was asked by the interviewer if the Lord had ever spoken to him directly. The Reverend response was, "Only once." He went on to say that he had been arguing with his wife one day and while shaving his face alone in the bathroom, still stewing over the specifics of their argument, the Lord spoke to him and said, "You're no bargain, either."

I couldn't help but think it was genius.

Whether or not the higher power actually intervened and spoke those words of truth to the Reverend is completely irrelevant to the point, which is, so true.

"You're no bargain, either"

Damn, ain't that the truth.
This is not an endorsement of the Reverends teachings, or a religious or political agenda advancement. It's just a simple take on that age-old commitment of marriage.

It sure puts things into perspective doesn't it?

The New England Experience

A major snow storm is predicted for these parts later today, all day tomorrow and into Wednesday morning. Forecasts predict up to two feet or more of snow dumped into our area in the next 48 hours with close of 32 hours of heavy snowfall.

And that means it's time for the New England experience.

I was born and raised in Massachusetts, so I've seen my fair share of snow storms. I even survived the Blizzard of '78 as a kid who was out of school for over a week. Yes, it snows a lot here and yes, we always manage to survive it. This time they are predicting a blizzard with 24-28 inches of snow with potential flooding and strong damaging winds. OK-so that means a few things to us:

• Check the salt, sand and ice melt in your garage. I can't even imagine what Home Depot looks like today, but I'm pretty sure its got SOLD OUT signs everywhere. 
• Buy batteries, candles, matches and flashlights. These are essential storm preparedness items.  Also-charge all essential electronics, cell phones, lanterns, lap tops and Ipads. 
• Food and Water-It's insane how crazy the region gets over food and water. We have known about the severity of this storm for just about 24 hours and our local markets are already bare bone! I took these pics this morning at our local major supermarket. 

                                                 

• Test the generator. Power outages will be a reality this storm and we don't know for how long. Because of the severity of the weather challenges in this region, most people I know have invested in hard wired generators. It's just smart business for most of us who live in older towns where the power lines are still above the ground and the investment comes back two fold on storms like this. 
• To me-the snow storm means people will home SHOPPING ONLINE! Why not take advantage of this fact and have an ONLINE SALE?!!! Go to www.candybarcosmetics.com this Tuesday, Jan 25th and Wednesday, Jan 26 and use the code SNOWDAY at checkout to receive 20% off your purchase. 

It's like this: we bitch and moan about the big storms and yes, it can be dangerous, inconvenient and bad for business but the one thing we all know to be true is that it is uniquely New England. I was talking to my mom today in who is in Florida and she told me that this snow storm is the lead story on every newscast down there. She then told me that she's a wee bit envious. She said that despite the nuisance of a snow storm, it's that warm and endearing feeling you get while hunkering down with your family that she will miss.  

I gotta agree with her on that. 

Wondrous Wordless Wednesday-"Santa! I Know Him!!"

Today's Special: Top Five Beauty Must Haves

With the last week of the holiday's upon us, I decided to give you my Top 5 Beauty "Must Haves", so that your and yours can have a merry little, beautiful Christmas now!

Topping my list:

1. Eve Lom Cleanser-Voted by Vogue Magazine "probably the best cleanser in the world", this balm cleanser is no short of a beauty wonder. Created by the legendary, world renound esthetician Eve Lom, the award winning cleanser is the basis of her international, best selling line of skin care. Expertly balanced for all types of skin and skin concerns, it deep cleanses, exfoliates and leaves skin radiant and hydrated. Applied with a dry hand to a dry face, it emulsifies into a sleek oil that removes all traces of dirt and makeup. Using the warm, dampened muslin cloth (that comes in the box) to swipe away impurities, your skin is left with an amazing ENVIOUS glow that your more often than not will be asked to explain. In 3 sizes, it starts at $50.00 for 50 ML of gorgeous skin. You won't believe your complexion, or the fact that you just cleansed it with a gorgeous aromatherapy oil that won't clog pores! PURCHASE HERE.

2. Skin An Apothecary Soy Body Whip-If the previous product is the best in it's category, then this body moisturizer tops all the others for hydrating your body and leaves the competition in the dust! This fluffy, soy based cream is enriched with Vitamin C and Paraben free. The whipped cream soaks into the skin leaving it virtually grease less and amazingly soft. It's like nothing I've ever tried. It literally transforms dry, dull skin into supple, soft glowing skin. It's a Candy Bar best seller and can be PURCHASED HERE.

3. Nest Candles and Diffusers-Nest candles are a long time favorite of mine. These gorgeous scented candles permeate the entire perimeter of your home! My recommendation for this time of the year? Nest Holiday candle in the 3-wick jar is not only long lasting and gorgeous, but will give you the happy scent of the holidays for your friends and family to enjoy. Expertly blended with pomegranate, Mandarin Orange, pine, clove , cinnamon and a hint of vanilla and amber, even Santa will appreciate the joyful scent of the holidays in your home. PURCHASE HERE. 

4. Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara-The Candy Bar's #1 selling product! This tubular formula actually wraps around your lashes creating little tubes that adhere to your own lashes, which allow you to create length and volume with out clumping. It won't smear, smudge or dot onto the eye area and comes off easily with soap and water. This is a stocking stuffer that's sure to please and it only comes in one color-black-so the decision of color is already made for you! PURCHASED HERE.

5. UNO de50 Jewelry-You can never go wrong with a gorgeous gift of jewelry. UNO de50, Spain's premier jeweler has the most unique, distinctive and discriminating designs, perfect for the woman who wants to stand out among the crowd. Sterling silver, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces so remarkable, the toughest decision will be choosing just one! Shop the world of UNO de50! PURCHASE HERE.


Happy shopping bloggers! 10 days and counting!!

Price Wars

Being in retail, my ears perked up when I heard about the newest level of price wars between fast food giants McDonald's and Burger King. Last week Burger King announced a dramatic cut in the cost of it's Chicken Nuggets. Burger King is now offering a 10 piece chicken nugget for $1.49. This comes on the heels of McDonald's ultra popular Monopoly game, which has proven to be a traffic driver for the food mecca. So what does McDonald's do? McDonald's "sees" Burger King's $1.49 10 piece Nugget and "raises" with a $5.00 20 piece nugget, plus offers the fan favorite Monopoly game to boot.

What does all this mean?

It means that in the proverbial pie of fast food sales, there are only so many pieces. The loss leader in competitive sales has become an every day thing. So what does all this mean for a little guy like me? It means a heck of a lot and here's why:

• Retailers make 30% of annual revenues during the holiday season. WHAT THAT USED TO MEAN: Shoppers will shop. Period. WHAT THAT MEANS NOW: Retailers need to attract the customer. Even loyal customers.
• For most retailers, the Internet has changed the way we do business. Heck, the internet has changed the world but for retailers that means there is a World Wide Web of competition out there for goods. We must stay competitive to stay in the game. So how do we do that?
• Black Friday used to be the busiest shopping day of the year! Thanks to "Door Busters", Black Friday sales and deep discounts, retailers have to have a strategy to make their numbers and that spells out DISCOUNT. 
• More sales and discounts are a necessity and are now commonplace in a sales plan. And more frequently that ever before.  

It's amazing to me that even the big guys like McDonald's worry about market shares.I'm aware that they, of course, worry about staying on top and I know that we all worry about the bottom line, but I am surprised to find that the biggies and I share a common ground. It's the new age of competitive sales and in this Internet world, nothing is for sure. Service and reputation are a big part of it, but the facts are what they are. If you can't attract the client to your location or your website or your restaurant, you are all done.

The bottom line now means that they won't buy if they don't come. 

This One's A Beauty

It's about the size of a grape.

Packed inside that tiny green grape sponge is a whole lotta beauty punch! I am so very proud to introduce to you the Beautyblender Micro Mini. 

Original Beautyblender is long since a #1 Best Seller at The Candy Bar, it's baby sister is just as wonderful and just as powerful as the original. The patented open cell structure of the sponge allows the moisture to hold inside making the sponge "full". Makeup sits on top of the sponge so that product is not absorbed resulting in less product waste every time.

Designed for expert contour and highlighting, this mini sponge helps you to complete makeup application like the pro's.  Swipe a darker pigment in the hollows of your cheeks and blend for contour. Bounce your favorite highlighter on the tops of your cheeks for a gorgeous glow and bounce the pointed top of the mini egg on the inner eye corners for smoothing and complexion perfection. Did I mention how great this baby (literally) is for getting into hard to reach areas? Use it for mineral powders! Use it for mineral powder eye shadows and blend darker pigments flawlessly. It's quite possibly the most perfect mini blending tool in the world! It just may be the ONLY mini blending sponge in the world, and it's compact size makes portability a dream.

It debuted earlier in the month at New York Fashion Week and created a huge beauty buzz. The Beautyblender Micro Mini will change your life! Trust me when I tell you there are no sour grapes about this one.

Today's Special: The Lust List

The high waisted black pencil skirt. A must have fall wardrobe staple! TIP: Order one size bigger than usual, as they tend to run small and fit skin tight.(and this is a bad thing?)

Rachel Zoe Lauren Leather Platform Pumps. I am DYING!!! These gorgeous babies have my name written all over them. BIG PROBLEM: They are SOLD OUT everywhere. Which makes me want them even more....

A nice wool pea coat. This gorgeous one is from Vivien Westwood is gorgeous and especially cozy for the crisp fall temps here in New England. Quite stylish too.

Amatriciana. Quite possibly the worlds most perfect food. I love me some pasta!

This gorgeous leather cuff from Uno De 50. Simple and edgy enough for everyday, this bracelet pairs well with any look for fall. BUY HERE: candybarcosmetics.com

Eve Lom Cleanser-Voted "the best cleanser in the world" by Vogue Magazine, this balmy cleanser emulsifies into a magical oil that cleanses, tones and exfoliates all in one step. Perfect for all skin types, the Eve Lom Cleanser is great for your skin's transition from summer to fall. BUY HERE: candybarcosmetics.com

A cashmere and silk scarf from Louis Vuitton. Every stylish woman knows that a touch of leopard adds just the right amount of style and class. At $895.00 this scarf may be a bit too pricey for everyone's budget, but I'm obsessed with it. TIP: Buying at top dollar means that it will last. At that price this may be the last leopard scarf you will ever need to buy. Like ever.

And last: eggplant colored nails. So many variations on the shades of eggplant, the experts predict that eggplant with be the hot color this fall for nails. TREND ALERT: Also look for Navy, Hunter Green and of course, black.

Now if my wallet would just cooperate, I could add all these glorious things to my wardrobe right now!

Today's Special: The Best $60.00 You Will EVER Spend

After a certain *ahem* age, a complexion product becomes a necessity for most women. The appearance of an even skin tone is the main reason that foundations for the face were created. Women need/want their skin to look it's youngest and best possible with minor effort. In my 20's I got by quite nicely with a tinted moisturizer (aka:BB Cream today) and a bronzer.  After 40 what I realized is that I was missing out on a most magical product. Why had I wasted so much time avoiding foundation?

I know exactly why. I hear the reason almost every day in my store. Foundations got a bad rap for years because of one simple thing. Everyone remembers a girl from high school that always had that tell tale line of demarcation at her chin. Definition: her foundation was too dark for her skin tone which resulted in what we call "floating head syndrome". Two dramatically different tones from head to neck. And if that wasn't enough to make you swear to all that is holy that you would never look like that-said girl from high school ALWAYS wore a white shirt that left a foundation smear all over the collar. Amiright?

Women always say, "I don't wear foundations because I don't want anything heavy on my skin."

I get it-believe me I do because I feel exactly the same way. But trust me when I tell you-foundations have come a long way since the days of that girl from high school. Somebody must have clued the major brands in on this syndrome because technology has perfected the product into simple, subtle, beautiful and LIGHT WEIGHT foundations for all skin types. Matching to your own skin can be tricky but mastered using a simple swatch test at the counter. Once you have chosen the perfect formula for your needs, choose three colors that you think are close to your color and swipe them in a stripe next to each other on your chin. Blend in until you find one that disappears. This is the winner!

Vincent Longo has created one of the best foundations on the market today. Water Canvas Foundation is a creme to powder foundation like no other-and here's the crazy thing-I'm not recommending this as your only foundation. I am recommending this for finishing areas and for touch ups. This product is the most perfect compact foundation to carry in your purse. And it's simply the best $60.00 you will ever spend.

I know you are thinking 'She's crazy! I'm not spending $57.00 on a foundation to carry in my purse.' My response to that is once you try/buy/fall in love with this product you will agree with me. I apply my regular foundation (Kevyn Aucoin Liquid Fondation) with a mineral powder and bronzer for the day-then I use the Vincent Longo Water Canvas around my eye area (on the lid and under the eye area) and my nose and chin WITH MY FINGERS. Yes ladies-I use my fingers.  Can you believe it? I'm not recommending you use some $20-$35.00 tool to apply this product. The fingers that God gave you are the perfect tool to apply this product flawlessly. One to two swirls (do not dig) of your finger over this creamy, pliable product applied to the face is damn near perfect. And here's the BEST thing about Vincent Longo's Water Canvas Foundation, use it mid day, with your fingers for a touch up around the eye area, nose, cheek and chin area and blend outward for the freshest, most flawless touch up EVER!!!!

Call me a liar.
Call me whatever you want-but I challenge you to not try this product and love it.
It's the anti- "Floating Head Syndrome" product for the most curious foundation lover.

SHOP VINCENT LONGO WATER CANVAS NOW
These are the most popular colors:
Bisque #5
Warm Beige #6
Sandy Beige #7
Golden Beige #8

It's A Launch Party!

Hey Bloggers! Happy Friday!

I've been super busy with my new project. I have launched my online store!!!
I'm giddy with excitement about the launch of my new website: www.candybarcosmetics.com. 

To celebrate, I'm throwing a launch party! Shop at www.candybarcosmetics.com till August 6th, 2014 and take 30% off your purchase! Now you can Find your Candy Bar Style wherever you are!

Click on the links above now and join the party!
Have a great weekend and be sure to Find your Candy Bar Style on line!

Fab 5 Summer Finds

1. Ramen! I just realized that my great big bowl of sodium from my college days has undergone a makeover. Ramen is in Vogue all over the country. Ramen restaurants have become a new destination for a big, healthy bowl of deliciousness. An incredible meal in a bowl, this is not your daughter's Ramen! Now I'm hungry...

2. Nothing says summer like a gorgeous pair of wedge sandals. Simple, chic and comfortable wedges elongate the leg in summer shorts and give you a sexy addition to any outfit. Jeans, shorts, skirts and maxi dresses-the options are endless. Owning even one pair of neutral wedges can take you through an entire summer of fashions! Of course I can never have just one pair..

3. Hot dogs-what is it about a hot dog fresh off the grill on a hot summer night? It just makes me happy. We all know the bad rap that hot dogs have gotten in the past, as far as fillers and ingredients, but there are lots of hot dog brands out there that are made up of good ingredients. Pearl is my favorite. I like my dog old school. Mustard only. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll add some diced onion. Couple that with a Corona and a lime and I can die happy. 

4. This is a new development. I've become concerned about exposing certain parts of my body to the sun without an SPF 50. In the past few years I've always armed myself with SPF 30 for my face, but after a discussion with my doctor this month, we both decided that a woman of my *ahem* age should protect the decollete (chest and neck) and the face with at least an SPF 50. Eve Lom's Daily Protection SPF 50, is my favorite weapon against damaging sun rays and the aging process.It's a 2 in 1 daily product. A powerful anti-aging moisturizer and a SPF protector. Available at The Candy Bar: BUY NOW 

5. I just finished this book and I have to tell you that I may re-read it all over again! Sophia Amoruso is the founder and creator of NastyGal.com, a fast growing multi-million dollar company. I love this girl! She happened upon her success by doing something she was passionate about. She created her FREE advertising buzz on social media that directed her shoppers to her eBay sales. Her concept was simple: BUY LOW/SELL HIGH. Or sell a bit higher. With her eye for style and photography, she built her brand by utilizing social media to create a cult following with her 90,000 devoted My Space followers. Even if you are not a retailer(like I am) this book is a quick and inspirational read for any #GIRLBOSS.

Swiffer, Are You Listening?

As my good friend The Walking Man can attest, The Candy Bar, is an all white, light and bright retail beauty destination. It has been compared to heaven on more than one occasion so we have since taken to calling it "Beauty Heaven".

see what I mean?

So I'm watching TV and I see that cute little couple who do the commercials for the Swiffer products, Lee and Morty Kaufman. They are so adorable that you can't help but remember the line,"Morty, are you listening?" They even do a cute little dance on the kitchen floor after they have effortlessly cleaned their floors with the Swiffer products.

Everyday when we close The Candy Bar, we vacuum then mop our floors with the Swiffer Wet Jet. Every day..The Wet Jet is by far, the best cleaning tool we have at our disposal to keep The Candy Bar, " Beauty Heaven White" I always say we would be one heck of a Swiffer commercial. The store, being all white top to bottom, shows every little dirt deposit and smudge from a mile away and the Swiffer Wet Jet is our best defense.

Like the adorable little couple, we marvel with the ease that the Wet Jet allows for us to clean and shine the floor. The Swiffer Dusters with the extendable handles make dusting the shelving a snap and when we receive compliments on how clean our store is we smile a little bit on the inside knowing that the Swiffer products help us at The Candy Bar look our best every day.

Swiffer, are you listening?

Because right now we are doing a little dance around our bight and shiny white floors, just like Lee and Morty.

A Shameless Plug

So I've been watching a lot of Bravo TV lately and I will admit to being a Real Housewives Addict. I watch them all...It's my favorite guilty pleasure (besides Modern Family) and I'm not ashamed to admit it. My Guy believes that the Real Housewives franchise is responsible for part of the "dumbing down of America". I say Andy Cohen for President!

Once in a while I will go to the Bravo cast blogs to see if I can dredge up any new juicy tidbits from the Housewives. Yesterday I finally found something somewhat redeeming for my time spent and something I can use!! 

Carlton Gebbia-a new cast member from Real Housewives Beverly Hills wrote in her latest blog post dated Jan 8, 2014:

"For a gift last year David had a surprise pentagram necklace made for me by "King Baby" with our children's names engraved on it. Sometimes with silver jewelry it has no substance to it, it's flimsy, but 'King Baby' jewelry has some real weight. It's a solid gorgeous piece of jewelry."

Music to my ears Carlton! I agree wholeheartedly!! That's why The Candy Bar has been carrying the unmistakable King Baby brand for 4 years. King Baby is best described as designed for "the chosen few". So if you are looking for an edgy and unique way to express yourself, look no further. 

Happy weekend bloggers. And celebrate your inner King Baby...

Buy-agra!

Tis the season....

So I'm watching Sunday Morning yesterday and they did this piece on buying on sale and what it does to your brain. Journalist Mark Elwood, who wrote the book, "Bargain Fever", says we are more conditioned to buying items on sale than we are at full price. Elwood noted when we are presented with a savings when making a purchase, our brains release a chemical that makes us feel good about buying and makes us come back for more. He stated that a decade ago, retailers sold between 15-20%  of their inventory at sale. Today that number is more like 40-45% and rising. 

The dopamine in my brain responded to this. Yes, I could completely relate. Not only do I love to get a bargain, but as a retailer myself, I see an increase in sales when I offer a discount at The Candy Bar. Since Black Friday, I have seen offers of 20-30% off flooding my email inbox daily. I even took advantage of these deals this morning when I shopped at Old Navy and Macy's online. I received 20 and 30% on both purchases AND free shipping! (which I couldn't take advantage of because I worried that they wouldn't be here in time for Xmas) Even during non-holiday times there are coupon sites you can use to apply discounts to your purchases online and we offer discount incentives multiple times throughout the year. It's a must to stay competitive in the retail world.

It really is BUY-agra!  And I'm not calling my physician if the sensation lasts for more than 4 hours either! 

So what does this say about brick and mortar competing with online shopping sites? The jury is still out on that one, but if Cyber Monday's sales totals this year say anything, (the largest online shopping day to date with over $2 BILLION recorded in sales) all signs point to easy access with the click of a mouse. 

It just confirms that an online presence for any retailer is as important as great products at a great value.

Tell me what you think?