SALE!!!!

It's that time of year, and I'm like every other retailer, offering great specials for yourself, your friends, family, teachers, babysitters, and even that nice librarian at your local branch.

Husbands . . . time to treat those wives of yours. And while I can't stand that stereotypical "he wouldn't know what to buy me if it bit him on the nose", a little help isn't a bad thing.

From NOW until DECEMBER 15th

• Receive 10% off all purchases
• Qualify for FREE products
• Receive FREE Shipping

Order online at my website: www.marykay.com/jolineatkins, via email at gjatkins4@comcast.net, or throw me a text or a phone call.

But, at the very least, go check out the great products on my site and shop from the convenience of your own home.

THE CATCH?

In order to insure delivery by Christmas, all orders must be received by DECEMBER 15TH.

Why Mary Kay?

• It's good stuff
• You are supporting a small business owner: ME!
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee: We have no limit to our return policy. You don't like it we'll exchange it or refund it. 'Nuff said.
• 90 gifts under $10. Seriously. 90.

Thank you for another great year. Even with the move, you, my customers stuck with me. Refer me to some new one's . . . you know I'll throw some goodies your way just for talkin' me up!

Thank YOU!

Brand Keys List Places Mary Kay®
in the Top 10!

Mary Kay was the only beauty brand to place in the top 10 in Brand Key’s Customer Loyalty Leaders 2009 list, ranked at number 7 out of 440 brands. “The ‘emotional engagement’ that women share with their favorite beauty brands is still very powerful,” a Brand Keys press release says.

What’s more, Mary Kay® widened its lead with competitors; none were included in the top 10 this year. (Maybelline ranked at number 12 and Estee Lauder at number 13.) And in the new category of Moisturizing Skin Care for non-prestige brands, Mary Kay tied with Aveeno for first place.

You may remember that last year, Mary Kay® ranked at number three on the Loyalty Leaders list, but this year three of the top four places went to wireless handsets from iPhone, Samsung, and Blackberry. Google was ranked first last year but was number 3 this year. Yet, while handhelds and Smart Phones may be inspiring strong loyalty because of the role they play in our fast-paced lives, it’s clear that women still want the beauty, quality and value Mary Kay products provide.

What makes consumers—and Mary Kay customers -- loyal today? It’s quality and value. A recent BrandWeek magazine article says that cosmetics embody the trend of consumers shopping for value instead of price. As the Brand Keys explains, “The old ‘price-value’ equation has been transformed to an instantaneous ‘value-for-dollar’ consumer calculation.” Women today aren’t only considering price--asking how much moisturizer costs, for example--they are also considering the brand’s reputation and the products benefits and asking themselves how much value comes with that price.

Good Cop/Bad Cop: Part Two

My "Product Pink Slip", that is.

Ok, maybe that's a little harsh.

For it's not as if I'm "firing" products.

In my last post I shared my personal favorites in the Mary Kay line. Most likely, I left off a few products that YOU, my customers, and YOU, my sister consultant's love for yourselves.

But, regardless of whether a product on this list is one of your personal favorites, it is indeed time to tell you why I am not a fan.

1. Targeted Action Line Reducer: At $40 a pop, and with a design I just don't get, I am sorely disappointed in this product. The premise is good. The applicator and the price? Not. I can only describe it as "spackle for the cracks". That being said - it does work. I just find it overpriced and as I do believe the research and development team over at corporate are top notch, I think they can and should design a much better tool for applying the goods.

2. Mary Kay Body Care Collection: It's not that I horribly dislike these products that come in two scents: Red Tea and Fig and Lotus and Bamboo. It's just that I find them overpriced. I really like the scent of the Red Tea and Fig (and so does my husband), but in these economic times, an 8 oz bottle of lotion for $16 is just way too high. The Loofah Body Cleanser also comes in at $16 and the body Spritzer at $18. Oh yes, and now there's also the additional Shower Gel at $14. I'm sorry, Mary Kay, but there are so many other options out on the market that also tote antioxidants (like vitamin E), and the prices are lower, and the quantity larger. I do have these on display for my customers to try, and also have some folks (ok, maybe 2) who are using the products, but honestly, I don't keep a full stock of this line on my shelf.

3. Visibly Fit Body Lotion: Again, if I have a customer who is ready to spend $22, I will encourage her to get our Age Fighting Moisturizer. Not this body lotion. I don't stock it. Again, I have a demo, and I like using it out of the shower, but if it's between sharing with someone the miracle of our skin care line or selling an expensive lotion, you know what choice I'll make, and ultimately, what choice they will be happy they made.

4. Eau de Toilette Fragrance Collection: While our Eau de Toilettes smell amazing and are very reasonably priced at $25, the Shower Gel, Sugar Scrub, and Body Lotion that match each of the four scents, are all of 6.5 oz and run for $15 a pop. I am quite partial to the Warm Amber scent, but I think Mary Kay would do them selves a favor by lowering the prices of the body care. For example, Mary Kay debuted two scented limited edition body care sets this holiday season in Peppermint Cream and Gingerbread Wishes. Although the shower gel and the body lotion are only 3 oz. per tube, the customer gets a set, with two products, for $15. Suffice it to say, I hardly ever sell body care, and yet, at this price point I have SOLD A TON of these limited editions sets.

5. TimeWise Age-Fighting Eye Cream: Quite simply, our Firming Eye Cream trumps this product. If you need eye cream, go for the Firming Eye Cream. I don't even stock Age Fighting Eye Cream.

6. Applicators for the Mary Kay Compact: I think it is completely whack that we charge for the small applicators that come in a compact. Eye applicators ($2.50 for 2), cheek brush ($2.50 for 2), and cosmetic sponges (washable, 2-pack for $2.50). To me, that's bogus. The only compact brush that I agree should be sold is the Compact Powder Brush ($4.00).

That wasn't so bad, was it? And as I run my eyes over the list, I breathe a sigh of relief, for as I went page by page through our catalog for this post, these are truly the only Mary Kay products that stood out to me as not meeting my expectations.

This was a great exercise for me as a consultant. It reveals to me the following:

• I'm up to speed on product knowledge and have memorized the entire line. I am pleased that Mary Kay doesn't have a million products. Products really don't change that often. We've got our two skin care lines: TimeWise Age-Fighting and Classic Basic, some stand alone skin care supplements, a ton of color, and a smattering of men's products, fragrances, body care, sun care, and limited edition products. It's a good line. Not too little. Not too much.
  
• I am not afraid to knock a product in our very own catalog. If I don't like it, I'll tell you so. You may love it when you try it and I'll always give you the opportunity to do so. However, that doesn't mean I have to love it. I may not carry it, but I can always order it for a customer.
  
• I really do believe that our body care is overpriced for the size of the products. However, I honestly don't have other shower gels and lotions from competing companies in my bathroom at this time, if only because I have demo's that I can continue using. Everyday. I do have favorite shower gels and lotions from other companies. George has a favorite lotion that I wear, and have worn since 1996. I have stocked up on it and still wear it occasionally. When I run out of the shower gel demo's, I will most likely not purchase a Mary Kay gel, but will set my sights on a shower gel for the entire family that I used to pick up at Whole Foods - where even though the place could gobble up a whole paycheck, they carry a shower gel line that is cheaper than ours for a whole lot less. And that, my friends, was a whole lot of using the word "whole".
  
• I am glad to be representing Mary Kay: So I don't love every product. Is that really such a big deal? If these are the only products which I just don't go ga-ga over, so be it. How many did I actually highlight in this post? Six? (Give or take that the body care collections have numerous products). Not bad. It's good to be objective, to be able to give and receive constructive criticism, and hopefully by sharing this information, you, reader, will see that I am not a "sell out", or drunk on pink kool-ade, but am striving to honestly serve the customer's needs.

Even if that means not getting the sale.

Any feedback on the products that didn't make my cut?

Good Cop/Bad Cop: Part One

Ha!

Caught your eye, huh?

A Mary Kay blog where I actually allude to disliking products that I sell?

"Joline, you are sooo going to knee-cap yourself here!"

Hey, look. I don't drink pink kool-aid. There are products in my Mary Kay line that I absolutely believe are top notch (and my past is full of past product relationships. I've played the field, people), and, well, one's that I don't find up to snuff.

I'm a theater girl.

From as early as 6th grade, I had a tackle box full of cosmetics and the skin care to remove them after the curtain call. In fact, before starting Mary Kay, my tackle box was so full of crap that I never used, that I worried a Mary Kay business would only perpetuate my addiction. Surely, I would just accumulate more.

I was surprised to find that the opposite occurred.

Instead of tossing more product into that tackle box, my new business actually helped me to purge it down to barely anything (ah, first hint that I still have a few products from other lines hidden securely in my vanity).

I can safely say that my personal stash of skin care and color products is actually LESS than it was 2 years ago. So, wanna know what products I actually use on a regular basis? This list isn't exhaustive, as I do use other Mary Kay products from time to time, but these? These are my closest buddies.

1. TimeWise Miracle Set: You know, it's really not that fancy. It just works. My skin is in fantastic shape for 40. Mary Kay skincare has been a part of my life since 1999 when I started with the Classic Basic Set. It does the job. I happen to like using products from one line. This way, I know that they've been tested against one another. My Miracle Set is like Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner - it's the main meal for my face.
2. TimeWise Microdermabrasion Set: Love. This. Stuff. I am not into any claims that you can see an immediate difference when you try a product for the first time. Except in this case. Because you really can. It refines pores, minimizes fine lines (because it cleans out all that dead, flaky stuff), and leave my skin feeling so smooth. It lasts a good long time, also. Good bang for the buck.
3. Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover: This is the first Mary Kay product I ever used. I was 12. In 6th grade. Playing one of Fagin's Gang, in the musical Oliver. It was a show that ran for 3 months. Part of my overall costume was the black dirt, made by burnt cork, that I smudged on my face each night. Wouldn't you know that Mary Kay Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover took that stuff right off? Takes off eye makeup. Lipstick. Everything. And it's oil free to boot.
4. Acne Treatment Gel: Around the time I opened my Mary Kay business I got one of my huge monthly inspired honkers on my nose. So, I immediately went for a tube a Clearasil. I slapped the goods on my face and went to bed. I woke up the next morning and was horrified to find that the pimple and the area surrounding it was completely inflamed. Bright red. And scaly. Great way to start selling skin care, huh? Upon recounting this to my friend/director Trish, she simply asked, "Why didn't you use Mary Kay's Acne Treatment Gel?" Duh. I had one in my inventory and didn't even think about it. Well, I sure do think about it now, especially during that time of the month. Two applications usually kills the sucker, or, at the very least, decreases it dramatically without any harsh reactions from my skin. And at $7.00, it's a steal.
5. Oil Free Hydrating Gel: I use this during the winter when I just need a little extra hydration. Sometimes I'm tempted to eat it with a spoon.
6. Mary Kay Concealer: Hand's down, the best concealer I have ever used. And I used to be a HUGE concealer junkie. Just a dab will do ya. Long lasting, smooth and creamy. Simply fantastic.
7. Mary Kay Tinted Moisturizer with Sunscreen SPF 20: Here again, I have used several tinted moisturizers and was unhappy with all of them until Mary Kay broke out with this product. I began using it BEFORE becoming a consultant. It's a huge tube. It doesn't separate as I have found with a similar department store brand. Even my mother in law, who is totally into tinted moisturizer, fell in love with this product after using a competitor's attempt. Seriously, this was a fantastic addition on Mary Kay's part back in 2006 (I think). On most days, you'll find me wearing this, and a little Mineral Powder Foundation.
8. Mary Kay Mineral Eye Color: Ok, let's get it out on the table. Prior to Mary Kay, I was a MAC girl. It's what most of the makeup artists used on me for commercial shoots, SAG gave me a huge discount to their stores, and the colors were/are amazing. I still have some favorite colors in my drawer - ones that I just couldn't part with upon starting my Mary Kay business. However, Mary Kay's mineral eye color can totally compete. Back in the summer of 2007, just after the launch of our mineral line, I finally purchased (at 50% off, smile) all new mineral eye colors for myself. Three. Here we are, a spit away from 2010, and I am just about ready to buy replacements. But not on Navy. No way. That color will last forever - I line my lids with it. The colors blend smoothly, wear forever, and I can boldly say that I never need reapply in the evening if I'm going out. I have since earned more colors for free, and have purchased a few others for myself. Plus they have vitamins A, C and E in them. They are intense and fierce. And this once MAC wearer is sold.
9. Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color: Ditto on it. Great colors. Great wear. I will be loyal to Sunny Spice for a good long time.
10. Mary Kay Mineral Bronzing Powder: A great alternative to traditional blush. I dig it. It digs me.
11. Mary Kay Lip Liner: I'm a Neutral girl. Lip Liner may freak some out, but it really does help to define the lips and assists with the wear-ability of lip color. And they are just perfect with our Cream Lipstick which is so creamy and is enhanced with a vitamin E and C derivivative. Translation? That helps ward off free radicals which can contribute to those nasty wrinkles around the lips.
12. Mary Kay 2-in-1 Body Wash and Shave: Smells great. Provides cleanser and shaving cream in one tube. Even Harper loves it. No, she doesn't shave yet, you dope!
13. Mary Kay SPF 30 Sunscreen: Non-greasy, sweat-resistant for 80 minutes, smells divine.
14. Mary Kay After-Sun Replenishing Gel: I'm tempted to turn the tube upside down and just squirt it into my mouth. That's how yummy this is for my skin. Amazing for an after-sun rubdown.

So what about the products I don't particularly gravitate towards? Honestly, I've sold some of everything in our line, and yet, I have always been direct with a customer as to which products I think are worth their weight in gold, and others, which, I don't believe make the cut. And really, with a return policy as liberal as ours, why not be completely honest? We take any product back at any time, so there's no real risk of losing your hard earned cash on a product you wind up not loving. A drawer full of unused product isn't going to make you look any nicer. And it sure won't do anything for the drawer. I can't stand the feeling of having wasted my money - and so do my customers.

So, heh, heh, wanna know which products are on my "Mary Kay, you can do better than this" list?

You'll have to come back.

Your turn. What are you favorite Mary Kay products?

Why? So I can work from home. That's why.

Here it is. The last "why".

Why did I initially begin my Mary Kay business?

Because I had a deep desire to design a work-from-home environment that didn't compete with my family's schedule. One that worked with it rather than against it.

That was my initial reason.

Upon searching a bit deeper, I discovered that I also have a love for writing and am drawn to communicating in print. This once former actress found a new stage on which to perform. Paper. Or, rather, screen - the computer screen, that is.

Mary Kay has enabled me to explore this new found passion. I now desire to marry my love of freelance writing, which isn't yet bringing in a steady income, and my Mary Kay business, which is currently bringing in a consistent amount each month.

The majority of my Mary Kay appointments happen at my dining room table: my base of operations for facials and skin care classes. Yes, I do make product deliveries, and I have occasional appointment out and about, but this has become rare. More often than not, I sell from my dining room, or over email, my website, and the phone.

I also write from home. I blog. I submit articles for publication. Writing and submitting is like auditioning all over again - only now I can do so with a bandanna on my head and slippers on my feet. And sometimes when I write I don't even have my face on - shudder. Just as it was when I was auditioning, I submit my piece and wait to see if it will be chosen and published.

These two businesses work in tandem with one another. Like pedaling a bike. Both pedals need to be rotating in order for the bike to move. My pedals are currently named "Mary Kay Consultant" and "Freelance Writer". This is a big change from former bikes I used to ride. The bikes with way too many pedals: music teacher, acting coach, children's b-day party performer, PR writer, etc. That's a lot of pedals for just two feet.

Mary Kay has freed me up to express myself through writing and has challenged me to take that all important risk of venturing out and stretching ones self. Think about it:

Beginning a Mary Kay business was a risk. But ultimately, it was the positive environment of Mary Kay that pushed me to begin writing.

A freelance writing career is a risk. It takes time, effort, research, and a lot of writing submissions to land a gig. Mary Kay is a source of income that both provides for my family during the dry pockets, and also enables me time to write . . . at home.

At home - where I have three locations to serve you better!

My Dining Room, Living Room, and third floor offices are open for business.

May I offer you a cuppa while we dabble in some skincare and color?

Why? To make more so I can give more. That's why.

I like to give.

I believe we all have something to give.

I desire to give more.

When I began my Mary Kay business in 2007, I made a decision to tithe 10% of my profits to organizations that support women. And while initially I planned to give only to faith-based organizations, my desire to give has now morphed into a monthly listening session during which I pray and discern where to direct my tithe. The answer is not always a faith-based organization, but rather a specific person who has need.

One of the major factors in choosing an organization through which to give, was whether I could designate funds to an actual person, rather than the overall organization itself.

See, I work one on one with women, or in small groups. Whether it's a facial, double facial, class, or encouraging the women on my team, I am committed to giving personalized attention to women and want to carry that over in my giving.

And so I do. Whether supporting a women entrepreneur in Kenya who needs help funding a loan so she can stock her store, or an old friend walking for an amazing cause, I keep track every month of my profit, and then, at the end of the month channel the funds where my heart leads.

Mary Kay allows me to give back. Give back to my family. Give back to women in need.

And isn't now, a time when the economy is rocking everyone's world, the best time to step out in faith and give from the little you have?

For I'm no millionaire. I just went over our family budget by eating at the new sushi restaurant twice this week, but when I give out of my small surplus, I allow God to reign over the finances that I do have.

And, simply, it helps someone else.

That's what it's all about. Treating others the way you would would like to be treated.

Why do I continue my Mary Kay business? To make more so I can give more.

Why? To help women feel important. That's why.

Ok, let's get one thing straight before I delve into today's "Why".

Over emphasizing the importance of self-esteem and whether one has a strong self-esteem, or a poor self-esteem drives me a bit batty.

I can be, well, a bit insensitive towards "self-help" talk. I'm not against a strong self-image. Who would be? I am just of the opinion that we as a society go overboard in the time and energy we invest in self, self, self. Me. Me. Me.

Felt good to get that out on the table.

This leads me to my second "Why" as to what drove me to start a Mary Kay business.

I'm a mother. Time is rarely my own. When something happens in our family unit that involves schedules changing, it is usually my schedule that has to give.

I know tons of mothers.

I also know tons of single women.

My circle of friends includes both demographics. I don't enjoy only spending my time with the married with children set. I also don't enjoy spending my time solely with single folk.

I like to mix it up.

What I've found through interacting with both these demographics is that women have an overall sense of having to take care of others. Some, at the risk of denying or putting ALL of their personal needs behind everyone and everything else. They have difficulty allowing themselves to take personal time. Any personal time. I'm not talking about hours upon hours, or weekends away at the spa. More like, an hour or two a week.

I hear the following flow out of the mouths of women quite frequently - almost as if these phrases have become habitual:

"I'm too busy."
"It's a lot on my husband to have me out at night."
"I don't want my friends to feel pressured to buy anything."
"My children need me home."

All these statements make me want to preach. Preach about choosing busyness (my personal platform). Preach about partnership in marriage. Preach against living a life where one always feels a sense of obligation. Preach against "helicopter parenting".

Now, I certainly don't believe that getting a Mary Kay makeover or even starting one's own Mary Kay business is the ultimate answer to building a woman's self-esteem. Nor do I believe the lie that a woman's outer shell determines her importance and self-worth.

I DO believe that women benefit from relationships. Female relationships. Time with other women. Relationships that expand outward from their husband and children or room-mates and co-workers.

My Mary Kay business is, "more than just lipstick." Yes, that sounds so cliche, gushy, and fluffy. I can not deny, however, that during facial appointments, I have been BLESSED to actually get to know my customers more deeply then what formula of skincare they use, or what colors they like.

When I sit with a client, I do my typical showcasing of the product, I squirt that product into their tray, I tell them the cost of the product, and then I shut-up and let them talk.

And talk, they do.

I have made so many female friendships over pink trays and bottles of Age Fighting products which somehow lend themselves to create an environment that encourages depth and transparency. Funny what happens when one's face is bare.

Yes, I make money running my business.

But I also make friendships. Many friendships.

Hopefully, when you Mary Kay with me, I can offer a little something to make you feel better about your outer shell. But I also genuinely hope that our discussion over the tray will develop into a new friendship. A friendship that encourages you to understand WHOSE you are - an important woman created and loved by God - and that this truth will serve as the fuel that drives your self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth.

Now, put a little lipstick on that and you got it going on.