What's Your Opinion on MyGlam?

YouTube Beauty Guru Michelle Phan's new pet project MyGlam is causing quite a beauty stir.

Due to poor lighting (couldn't snap any good photos), today's "Thrifty Thursday" post is suspended. Instead, I'd like to open a discussion about the new kid on the monthly beauty product sample club block. Whew, that was a mouthful right? Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, here are the names of the beauty sample clubs and some deets, as reported by Katherine at Handmade Reviews:




United States

• Beautyfix ($49.99/three months)
• You'll choose the 8 products you want to receive and pay $49.99.
• Birchbox ($10/month)
• Each month, you get 4-6 beauty products ranging from samples, deluxe samples, to full sized. You can review the items you receive to earn points and then redeem the points for $ off the full sized products.
• Eco-Emi ($15/month)
• Eco-Emi sends out environmentally friendly products, including cosmetics, health, food, and household items.
• GoGoGirlfriend ($12.95/month)
• Health and beauty samples with two different membership types.
• His Black Box ($12/month)
• Monthly samples for men.
• Julep Maven ($19.99/month)
• Hand, nail and foot care subscription.
• Makeup Monthly ($30/month)
• There have been rumors of this company shipping out discontinued or expired makeup. As there are so many other reliable services available, I do not recommend you try them.
• MyGlam ($10/month)
• Michelle Phan's service in which every month, you receive a Glam Bag with 4 to 5 full-sized products or deluxe-sized samples.
• New Beauty Test Tube ($29.95 + $8.95 shipping = $38.90/three months)
• This is very expensive, but the products you get are also more expensive than the others.

Canada:

• Loose Button or Luxe Box ($12/month)
• Delivers 4-5 deluxe beauty samples monthly.
• Glymm ($10/month)
• Delivers 4-5 deluxe beauty samples every month.

United Kingdom:

• Amarya Beauty Box (£10/month or £120/year.)
• Every month you get one or more full sized product plus samples.
• Boudoir Prive (£10 + £2.95 = £12.95/month)
• You get 5-6 deluxe beauty products every month.
• Feel Unique Beauty Box (£9.95/month)
• You get 5 deluxe beauty products every month.
• GlossyBox (£10 month + £2.95 shipping = £12.95/month)
• Every month GlossyBox delivers a mix of 5 product miniatures packed in a beautiful box.
• Latest In Beauty (starts at £1/month)
• Get monthly boxes for a higher fee or just a sample here and there for cheaper.

Australia:

• Lust Have It ($14.95/month or $160/12 months)
• Monthly Lust Pack with 5 to 6 premium size samples plus a reward program similar to Birchbox.

 And now that you have an idea, let's get to the bread and butter of this post. I have to admit that when I first heard of these "clubs", I wasn't interested. Being a relatively dark skinned kinky/curly haired black woman, I didn't think any of these clubs would be sensitive to my needs or the needs of women like me. In all the blog reviews I've read, forums I've scoured and videos I've watched none of the women like me were impressed with the samples they received. Beauty is a big booming money making industry and there's no sign of its growth abating, this is the reason why beauty subscription clubs will be popular and profitable. But will ethnic women be left out in the cold? Let's take a look at the "stylists" for MyGlam:

These are all wildly popular (based on stats from YouTube) "beauty gurus" from Youtube. Personally, I'm subscribed to three (Michelle, Promise and Andrea) of the five and usually enjoy their videos. Of the three, I like Promise the most because she does transformation tutorials. She once did a tutorial where she turned herself into Mystique (X-Men Character) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldana's character from Avatar). Many of Promise's transformation tuts are usually great for any woman to recreate (men too) regardless of her (or his) ethnicity. I like some of Michelle's videos because she has some great DIY's and tips/tricks. I watch Andrea's videos mostly because she's funny. That being said, rarely do I use any of their regular makeup tutorials...our complexions are just too dissimilar. Despite the glaring differences, I still like them and thus, wanted to support their MyGlam venture. I figured that since the three "gurus" I like are women of ethnicity, perhaps they'd make special concessions when approving products for the "Glam Bags". Just in case though, I wrote them an e-mail...




Me:


To Whom It May Concern: I ticked the wrong box for the age question on the sign up quiz, will this affect my subscription at all or is the question strictly for demographic purposes? Also, I'm slightly concerned that none of the gurus on the beauty team are black women. I'm a dark skinned black woman and would really appreciate having a guru that I can more closely identify with. I admire and really like the current panel of gurus, but their tutorials/product choices aren't always appropriate for dark skin. I hope those of us with darker skin tones and coarse hair will be taken into consideration when the Glam Bag products are chosen. Thank you for your time and anticipated sensitivity to my concerns, I'm looking forward to my first Glam Bag.

Regards,
Nicole, A Beauty & Style Enthusiast 

Response from Nicole Robinson-Anderson:  

Hi Nicole,

The quiz answers don't affect what products you will get in your Glam Bag, so no worries. As far as the gurus, Andrea is actually black, but I do understand where you are coming from as her choices are not always suitable for darker skin. I am black, and a few shades darker than Andrea so even some of the stuff she wears is too light for me. My suggestion is that when you find a look you like, when you go to purchase this, you can take the name of the color the guru used and ask someone who works for the store or brand to assist you in finding that same type of look in your own suitable shade.

Hope that helps!!

xoxo
Nicole with MyGlam

Me:

Hi back Nicole,

Thanks so much for writing back, I appreciate it. In all honesty, your response didn't really address my concerns about the products that may or may not be included in the Glam Bags. It's easy enough to watch a tutorial and switch out products that don't work for my dark skin and kinky hair, my concern however, is about the Glam Bag products themselves. Although I know this service is optional and I don't have to participate, I really want to. As I said before, I happen to like some of the gurus who are on board for this project and they are the main reason I chose to support the venture. That being said, I'm still worried that the needs of dark skinned kinky haired women may not be addressed since there doesn't appear to be anyone who fairly represents them. I'm hoping for the best when my first Glam Bag arrives...

Regards, 

Nicole, A Beauty & Style Enthusiast

Response from Nicole Robinson-Anderson:

Hi Nicole,

If you do not like the products, you can cancel at any time for sure. As I stated before, the products sent are not based on skin color, ethnicity, or even personal preference. The point is to allow people to try new things. If the products are not satisfactory for you, just log into your account and cancel, but maybe just try and give it a try for 2 months before you make a final decision.

xoxo
Nicole with MyGlam

**Every customer is V.I.P. at MyGlam**

 End transmission. Now, is it just me or was her last response a little snarky? I don't know much about running a business and marketing, but I do know that customer service/satisfaction is key. If you don't do your best to satisfy the concerns of your customers and provide them with good products and experiences, you can kiss your reputation goodbye. I wasn't pleased with the response I received to say the least. 

So even though I haven't received my first "Glam Bag" (I've certainly been charged though) I'm considering canceling. I would love to take part in one of these monthly beauty sample clubs, but I need to know that the products I receive will reflect me...or at least be something I can use.

What do you think? Am I being overly sensitive about the e-mail response? Should I stick with the subscription for a month or two and see if I can use/like what I receive? What would you do? Let a sistah know please!

By the way, the His Black Box would make a great gift for your significant other/husband/brother/father/etc. ;-)

Wish List Wednesday: Vintage Vixens

Yep, it's that time again! Have you ever come across a piece of clothing that seemed to be made just for? Well, I came across three such dresses on Etsy but...they're all waaaaay too small for me :-(




I love these dresses so much and wish I was small enough to wiggle into
 them but alas, it ain't happenin' captain. check them out anyway...

This beauty right here is a vintage 80's silk color blocked number. As much as I love her, we cannot be together because she's a size small/medium. If she were more medium than small I could probably swing it, she comes with a one way ticket though and I'm not willing to take any chances she won't fit.

I want her soooo bad! Look at her, isn't she lovely? She's another vintage 80's color blocked stunner. I love the allover damask leaf pattern print and the color/shape of this dress. She's so pretty and feminine...just way too small :-(

When I showed my daughter this dress, she said it was ugly and plain. I strongly disagree. I think this dress is cute, simple and causal. With or without the blazer, I really love this dress. Too bad she's too small for me :-(

I blogged about this beauty the other day and I am still completely OBSESSED! She may look heavy, but she's decidedly light and all the way awesome. My thrifting partner called her ugly and a monstrosity but I whole heartedly disagree. I'm still stalking her and waiting for her price to come down...then she's alllll mine!


That's actually it for this edition of wish list Wednesday because I have another post I need to work on. What's on your wish list? Let a sistah know!

The Rundown: New Year's Eve (the movie) & Other Things

How you dewin'?





Don't you just love Wendy? I do, lol. Anyway, I'm better than good and working on GREAT and I hope all you loyal readers are doing the same :-)


Last week and the weekend were sooo fun and busy for me! I went to the Refinery29 and TopShop Chicago holiday shopping party last Tuesday, a People Magazine premiere for New year's Eve on Thursday and out thrifting/craft supply gathering/partying/clubbing with my girls on Saturday. By the time Sunday rolled around, I was exhausted, lol.


Let's start with what I wore to the People Magazine premiere party for the new film New Year's Eve...

FOTN (face of the night) = Make Up For Ever Water Proof Eyebrow Corrector in "No 4 Dark Brown Black" (LOVE this stuff, full review to come soon), Mabelline Bronze Glitz Eyeshadow Trio, Mabelline EyeStudio Master Drama Cream Pencil in "Midnight Master" (last blogged about here, full review to come soon), L'Oreal Paris Voluminous False Fiber Lashes in "Blackest Black" (tweeted about the fawesomeness of this mascara, full review to come soon) and Lancome Paris Color Design Cream Lipstick in "Front Page" (fave lippy, soon to be blogged about).

Outfit Deets:


Earrings = F21
Bracelets = F21 & Old Navy
Rings = eBay (seen here) & Charlotte Russe
Necklace = Unique Thrift Store
Scarf = Dollar Tree
Orange Cardi = Alloy
Leopard print blouse = Unique Thrift Store (seen here)
Black Leather Belt = Gap
Dark Brown Super Skinny Twill Pants = Delia's
Brown Booties = Kohl's (seen here)
Leopard Print Satchel = Alloy (seen here)
Black Leather Jacket = Wilson's


I really liked this outfit for a casual night out. I wound up wearing a different coat though because it was freezing that night. Now on to the movie...


NYE is a feel good family oriented film (rated PG-13) directed by Gary Marshall. The ensemble cast features the likes of Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Common, Zac Effron, Sarah Jessica Parker and many many more of Hollywood's elite. Now, you would think that with a cast like that the movie would be a hit right? Wrong! This movie was snore city! Both me and my girl Kristena fell asleep during the movie. What's more, when leaving the theater and talking to other movie patrons, we discovered many of them fell asleep too. Not a good sign. I just have to say that the acting was bad, the script was worse and the overall flow of the movie was like a clogged drain. I'm so glad we saw this movie for free. The People Magazine swagg bag provided very little icing on the cake. Here's what it contained...

In the bag: An issue of People Mag, sample of Halle Berry's perfume "Halle", a bar of Dove soap, a sample of Taster's Choice instant coffee and various coupons (not pictured). Very underwhelming.

Not much to be excited about right? I didn't think so either. The perfume smelled good though. Here's a pic of me and the girls...

L-R: Liesbeth, Ericka, Kristena and Moi. Naimah couldn't make it.

We were happy to be out of that theater, lol.


The movie was Thursday. On Saturday I went with my homegirl Naimah to the fabric store for some crafting supplies. I picked up some buttons...

I saw some earrings just like this in the thrift store today (blog to come on Thursday) for $10. These buttons were marked for $1.75 but after 50% off and 9.5% sales tax, they were a whopping 95 cents. I'm planning a sweet DIY earring project for these babies. My one regret from Saturday's thrifting adventure was not buying this beautiful piece of awesomeness right here...

It physically hurt me not to buy this vintage sequined blouse, my goodness it was beautiful! It cost $40 and I just wasn't prepared to spend that kind of money on one item. I'm now stalking it until the price is reduced. I hope no one steals it from me.


After the adventures in thrifting, my homegirl and I grabbed some pre-party food at nasty ass Taco Hell. I don't usually eat garbage, but I was STARVING. Good thing we went there too because I found something in the restroom...

Yep, it was my lucky day, lol. I wish it had been a $50 instead. After Taco Hell, we both had to rush home and prepare for the night's festivities: a holiday party and a night of house music at Output Lounge. I only have one picture from the fray...

This was me in a cab on the way to the club from the wack holiday party. No offense to my homegirl or her people who threw the party, lol. It wasn't my type of party though. At the club I had a Long Island Iced Tea (after the Bailey's spiked hot cocoa I'd had at the party) and proceeded to get it in on the dance floor until my knees ached and my legs quaked. It was a great night.


And that was my end of the week/weekend rundown. How  was your weekend? Have you started your rotation on the holiday party circuit yet? Let a sistah know!

New In: Attitude, Clothes, Booties, Bits & Pieces

There's just something about Friday that makes everything feel okay...am I right? I'm learning that no matter what happened yesterday, a new day deserves a new attitude. On that note, today I took some time to reflect on my many blessings and I realized that I'm very rich (said loud and obnoxiously like ATL housewife Nene Leakes, lol)!


Now, I'm no millionaire, but I am nevertheless very rich. I have food, shelter, good health, I'm whole in body/spirit/mind, I have an ever expanding circle of good girlfriends (finally!), my children are whole and healthy and doing well and every now and again, I can indulge in a little (discount) retail therapy :-)


Speaking of which, let's get on to the other newness...

Because one can always use a little help, I picked up the InStyle Secrets of Style handbook. Originally priced at $29.99, I picked this baby up at Half-Price Books for less than $8. Score right? It's filled with invaluable advice and great pictures for every style novice. Get you one!

Remember this dress? It was on my "Wish List Wednesday" post from a week or two ago. She's mine now! I bought her during a 30% off site-wide sale. I love making wishes come true :-)

Because I anticipate the acquisition of a new job in my near future, I picked up two pairs of these Super Skinny Twill Pants from Delia's.com. I had a $15 store credit and all pants and jeans were buy one get one 50% off. As a bonus, I received 15% off my order and 4% cash back when I shopped through Ebates.com. Do I know how to shop or what?

I scored these two striped bodycon skirts from F21 for $7.50 each. I also used a code for free shipping *pats self on back*

As you can plainly see, I got these three double sets of lightning bolt earrings from F21 for $1.50 each (free shipping included). The two love rings were $5 each on eBay.

These tan, faux shearling booties were on my wish list for less than two days before I scooped them up for 15% off their original price from Famous Footwear.

These two pairs of sensible but cute booties were 30% off at Kohl's. Oh, shopping through Ebates.com got me 4% cash back and free shipping :-)

All three of these faux suede booties were had for 20% off and free shipping at Alloy.com. Once again, 4% (daily double) cash back when bought through Ebates.com.




Did I do well or did I do well? Have you got anything new in? did you count your blessings today? Let a sistah know!

Eye Spy Oliva Palermo!

That’s right, Olivia Palermo (of MTV’s “The City” fame) and renowned fashion blog Refinery 29, hosted a holiday shopping party at TopShop’s flagship Chicago store. The bigger than life, luxe fashion hub is located on Michigan Avenue downtown Chicago on the historic “Magnificent Mile”. Yours truly was in attendance snapping pics, sipping delish non-alcoholic cocktails and schmoozing with all kinds of impeccably dressed style hounds. Caution: This is a very pic heavy post!

Let me start by saying that this store is three stories of completely FAWESOME glass/mirror and wall-to-wall dreamy clothing, accessories, footwear and makeup nirvana! There was so much to see, so much to look at that I do believe I went into sensory overload! I wanted several of everything…and that’s no exaggeration, lol. The best part about this store was the tall sizes department. Though very small (ha, a small tall department, lol) I was super impressed that they had it at all. Most stores only carry their specialty sizes online. I foresee a TopShop shopping spree in my future.

Now let’s get on to Miss Palermo and her styling session. Though I think her looks are a 50/50 mix of hits and misses, many style hounds love her. The event opened with Olivia bringing out 4 models that she’d styled using some of her favorite TopShop pieces from the latest collection:

Close up on the model wearing the chainmail-esque...thingy that I loved...

Closer...

Slightly better pic...

I loved all the looks the models wore…with the exception of the fugly furry pink clutch the purple velvet bootied/goldenrod ankle trousers adorned model is wearing. Oh, those purple velvet booties and goldenrod ankle trousers? I want! I actually want all the pieces the models are wearing, jewelry included, lol. Olivia herself was wearing a very interesting combo:

They aren’t pieces I’d wear together, but I’d mos def wear them. How do I look standing next to Olivia?

I'm wearing: F21 tribal top, Crossroads Trading Company blazer, Alloy stretch super skinny twill trousers, F21 tribal scarf, thrifted gifted necklace, gifted triple row spike bracelet, F21 single row pyramid bracelet, Crossroads Trading Company keyhole ring, Crossroads Trading Company clutch, thrifted tribal earrings, ASOS open toe booties and black Target socks.

She's tiny compared to me, lol. Here are some of the abfab mannequins:

To entice attendees into a buying frenzy, there were free manis, makeovers by professional makeup artists and even hairstylists. I partook of a makeover by a wonderful soul named Matthew. I swear he reminds me of the YouTube “guru” Wayne Goss (GossMakeupArtist). Matthew took me from this…

To this…

I felt pretty damn glam when he was done. Matthew was a true sweetheart and I’m mos def going to keep in touch with him. here are the two of us together:

He resembles Wayne Goss (GossMakeupArtist from YouTube) right?

My homegirl Liesbeth also had a makeover:

My homegirl Nicold (blogger and up and coming Chi-Town accessories designer) had her nails madeover…

After my makeover, I made my way around the room snapping some shots of some snazzily dressed Chicago style hounds:

Jason (in the fur vest) and Bryan both work for the H&M reginal office. They stopped by TopShop to see the haps.

Brittannie (blue beanie and fab Marc Jacobs sneakers) and Bretagne look like Chi-Town style hound royalty.

Kaira(a contributing fashion editor for Design Bureau) was giving me everything in her almost totally vintage shopped 'fit. She's super duper fly!

Sarah (a fashion editor/stylist/fashion show producer) was werrrrrking! You probably can't see them, but her shoes were killing it! Awesome sauce! Her accessories were awe inspiring too...

 

After eating, drinking and seeing my fill of the first floor, I made my way to the lower level shoe haven. Wait until you see all the goo gobs of shoegasmic shoe porn this place has to offer! Wait for it…wait for it…

Want more?

I thought I’d pass out from the sheer awesomeness of it all! I want E V E R Y T H I N G ! ! !

After I just couldn’t take anymore, I made my way back upstairs to the first floor (I didn’t check out TopMan on the third floor) and snapped some shots of some of the accessories…

The jewelry looks like the fare at F21 (although F21is much much cheaper). The prices were too exorbitant IMO considering it’s costume and it'll eventually turn.

And the hit spinning DJ (she was dope)…

And shortly afterwards it was time to go. I hated to leave without spending a single penny, but I spent mucho dinero on Black Friday (post to come later). After being zipped back to the north side by my wonderful BFF, we decided to hang out at my other homegirl’s house and dish on the haps. And that my dears, is a wrap.

Is there a TopShop in your area? Have you been there or bought from the TopShop website? Let a sistah know!