Happy New Year!

 

Well, it’s almost here – the new year.  2012 has been a little bit of a weird year but overall, it’s been great.  We’ve brought in new products and changed our logo & branding.  We’ve worked on several Private Label / Custom Formulation projects with some really great brands.  We’ve started the process of expanding our business in Europe.  We’ve been featured in magazines and gift guides.  And we’ve welcomed a lot of new wholesale customers and a host of new retail customers – all of whom we’re eternally grateful for.  And most recently, we’ve moved.  I’ve been very silent about this but with the new year just around the corner and lots of great things on the horizon, it’s time:

I’ve seen some changes in my personal life recently and with those changes, I’ve decided to move back to Virginia.  Virginia is where I was born and raised – I moved to Nashville 11 years ago and that’s where I started Lillian Skincare.  So, a few weeks ago, I packed up my life – and my business – and moved to Virginia.  Nothing will change for Lillian or our customers.  The entire operation has been moved and is back up and running, with only a couple of minor glitches, which have all been remedied – so we’re back to business as usual.

So, in saying all of that, 2012 has been a great year, but I’m looking forward to ushering it out and seeing what 2013 has in store!

Be well, be safe and Happy New Year!!

xo

Angela & the Happy Hipsters

I just got back from another leg of this beautiful journey that is my life – a trip to Memphis.  It wasn’t a very long trip but in my time there, I met some really fantastic and interesting people.

They say a picture is worth 1000 words, and this photo just about sums up my weekend…just about…..

It’s easy to find inspiration when you allow yourself to see the beauty of life.  This weekend, I’ve pulled from many different things – rolling hills, rocky landscapes, the floating yellow leaves of fall (only a few of you will get this reference, the rest should look it up), the mist over the Mississippi River at midnight…definitely the people…and one particularly inspiring tattoo, even though I only saw a fragment of it…and of course, music.  So, I leave you with this – a tiny part of my Memphis weekend playlist.  In the coming weeks and months, we’ll see each of these songs lend itself to new eyeshadow colors, scent blends…and to the C.O. Jones line, as well.

(if you don’t have Spotify, you should check it out – it’s free & fantastic)

It’s time to celebrate – with free shipping!!

Tomorrow, September 6 is my 37th birthday.  To celebrate, we’ve decided to offer free shipping on orders over $37.00

Visit our website to take advantage of this offer…and be sure to check out our newly listed limited edition handmade soaps - currently on sale.

*Free shipping is valid for US orders only.  For orders outside of the US, standard shipping rates apply.

Multipurpose Products

I’ve been meaning to write a blog post about multipurpose products for a while now, but I just got a phone call from a customer that prompted me write the post today.

Apparently – and I did not know this – our Hemp & Crushed Rice Lotion can double as a hair conditioner.  According to the customer I just got off the phone with, she ran out of her normal conditioner and thought “Hey, I like this lotion so much – I think I’ll see how it works as a conditioner”.  Turns out, she said her hair – which is normally dry & lifeless – is manageable and soft.  Now, I guess it’s not *that* far-fetched to think that lotion could be used as conditioner.  After all, they’re made in a very similar way and contain a lot of the same ingredients.  The thing about most hair conditioners though is that most of them contain some sort of silicone product that helps remove tangles and makes the hair more manageable.  Obviously, there’s no silicone in our lotion.

So, needless to say – I’m going to give this a try when I wash my hair tomorrow morning.

Now, for other Lillian Skincare products that can double as something else…

• Hemp Lip Balm – great as a cuticle balm
• Age Reversal Facial Serum – makes a fantastic anti-frizz serum for course & ethnic hair
• Monoi & Coconut Milk Moisturizer – I use this as a leave-in conditioner (a pea-sized amount, rubbed in your palms and applied to damp hair)
• Sweet Emulsion™ Exfoliating Body Polish – works great for a “minute manicure” hand scrub.  Just a quick scrub before your manicure, removes dry skin and leaves your hands soft & smooth.

Have you used any of our products for something other than its intended use?  We’d love to hear your recommendations.

Customer Spotlight: Leafgirl Studio + Organics

Our products are now available at Leafgirl Studio + Organics in Rock Island, IL.  If you’re in the Quad Cities area, be sure to stop in and say hello to Donna.

 

 

Harness the Power of the Sun

I don’t know what part of the world you’re reading this from, but here in Tennessee, it’s been hot – really hot – and humid for the past week.  In my world, hot weather calls for sweet iced tea so I thought I would share my sun tea method with you.

There are some much more elaborate methods of making sun tea, but I like to keep things simple, so here goes:

I use 1 tea bag per quart of water – and, keeping it simple, I use 1 quart jars – so 1 bag per quart jar.  Toss the tea bag in, fill with water and sit outside in the sun.  My house faces west, so I put my jar on the back patio during the morning (full sun), then move it around to the front porch around mid-day.  I typically let my tea sit outside all day, then bring it in as the sun goes down, sweeten it, then let it cool in the refrigerator overnight.  It’ll be ready to pour over some ice the next morning – no need to dilute it.

I can hear it now – all of my northern friends are saying “sweeten it?!?!?!?  yuck!” but hey, I’m a southern girl, so my tea gets sweetened.  And in true southern girl fashion, I’ve found that 1/4 cup of sugar per quart jar makes it nice and sweet – just like Granny made it.

Now, you may ask what type of tea I use for this.  I’m typically quite the tea snob but I don’t use my fancy teas for this, no.  I use plain old Luzianne “family size” tea bags.  Sometimes if I’m feeling fancy, I’ll toss a clove, some cardamom pods and some dried orange peel in each jar.

I hope you’re all having a wonderful (and safe) 4th of July holiday.

Cleaning Makeup Brushes

A lot of customers ask me how to properly clean their makeup brushes.  There are a lot of cleaning methods listed online – from using regular soap, to baby shampoo to alcohol sprays.  In my experience, those methods will indeed get your brushes clean, but depending on the type of brush, they can damage the bristles.  Soap tends to make bristles gummy and brittle over time.  Alcohol is great for removing bacteria but it’s very drying and can cause the bristles to eventually break off.  Baby shampoo seems to be less problematic but if you’re like me, you don’t have baby shampoo just lying around the house.

Cleaning your brushes on a regular basis helps keep the bristles soft.  Dirty brushes can feel sticky or scratchy on your face and can cause irritation – not to mention all of the oil and dirt that gets caught in them – yuck.

So what do I use to clean my brushes?  I use a mixture of 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts hot water.  Brushes are placed head-down in the mixture – I’ve designated a juice glass for this – and let them sit for 10-20 minutes.  Make sure you’re not soaking the wooden handles in the vinegar/water mixture – it can cause wooden handles to crack after time.  Once they’ve soaked for a while, I move the brushes around a bit to agitate them, rinse with warm water, then let them air dry.

Vinegar will kill germs and disinfect the brushes better than other cleansers, in my experience.  You should try to clean your brushes at least once a week.