The Big Skin Care Scam

Buy It's a Jungle Out There

by Stephanie Williams

Hello Ladies (and some gentlemen). I’m coming to you with a big concern and rant. It’s about something that concerns us all.

Aging!

Yes, sooner or later Father Time is going to catch up with your skin, especially the face. And of course we have a tendency to run out and buy the latest anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, super moisturizing skin care out there.

And a lot of the time, cost be damned!

And we don’t care how crazy the ingredients sound either.

For example, there is a skin care line on one of the home shopping channels that claim that it has some mineral agent from a meteorite from Mars that they found in the Brazilian Rain Forrest.

I swear to you, I kid you not.

When I first heard this I spit out my coffee. The hubtser and our friend were on the floor cracking up to the point they both had tears in their eyes.

Is there no limit how far these companies will go to sucker us in for the Fountain of Youth?

Apparently not. Let me tell you my story.

I am proud to admit, yes proud, to announce my age. I’ll be 48 years old this August.  I look a lot younger and since I lost 50 pounds, I really look young. I also have genetics working for me. The women in my family don’t show any signs of aging (crows feet, marionette lines, vertical lines on lips) until about age 65.

Yeah, I saw the first signs of crowfeets on my mom at age 68! My grandfather on his death bed looked 70, the doctors were shock to find out that he was two months shy of his 99^th birthday.

Grandmother too, looked no more than late 70s even when she passed away at the ripe old age of 95.

So I too, have been blessed with this gene. Still doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t take care of my skin.  You see, I have oily skin and I still battle acne til this day. But I have that way under control too. With the help of Benzoyl Peroxide and exercise you can’t even tell. But the oil is still there and that’s what helps with my youthful appearance.

But I’m still like many women that want to keep Father Time at bay and you’re never too young or old to start fighting the hands of time.

I don’t have to tell you that there are MILLIONS of skin care regimens out there. And everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to make theirs extra special.

Remember Oil of Olay? It was just one bottle. My mom and I’m sure your mom use to use it. A pink bottle with a funny smell.  She just washed her face with Dove soap, put on the Oil of Olay, and she was out the door.

Now Olay, as it’s now called, has over 15 different skin care regimens.

Are you kidding me?

L’Oreal has 10 different lines.

When my mom turned 70 a few years ago, she really started getting concern about aging. She had a hell of a time trying to find something that addressed her needs.

One said if got rid of deep wrinkles. One said it firmed the skin, and yet another said it brightened up sallow skin.

I told her she needed to make a choice. Have sagging, discolored wrinkle free skin. Or firm, wrinkled sallow skin, or bright sagging wrinkled skin.

Can’t one cream do it all?

Oh, yes there is one that claims it does. It’s Olay! They said they have a cream that fights the 7 signs of aging.

But why do they have other creams and serums in that line too? If you fight the 7 signs, aren’t you done? If I buy the rest of your line, am I fighting numbers 8, 9 10 and 11?

Well, let me tell you. I was so happy when I saw on television that Lancôme had a line out that not only fights ALL the signs of aging, but it does it in 7 days! Can the church say Amen!

It’s their Genifique line. 

So guess what your girl did? She went to her nearest high-end department store and headed straight to the counter. There was a very helpful and somewhat pushy Lancôme rep there. And of course she used this product too and it did wonders.

It should, she was all but 28.

Anywho, I told her my problem and what I was trying to accomplish. Keep the wrinkles away, firm the skin and brighten giving me that youthful glowy appearance.

She looked at my skin and told me the products I need right there on the spot.

She said I needed the Génifique Eye Youth Activating Eye Concentrate of course. It’s $60.00

I needed the Génifique Eye Light-Pearl Eye-Illuminating Youth Activating Concentrate, at $68.00

I asked since I had the eye cream, why I needed this. She said I needed to alternate or for maximum benefit, put the serum on first and the cream over it.

Okaaay.

Now for the face. I needed the Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate between $62.00 and $132.00 depending on size. I got the cheaper.

Of course I needed the Génifique Cream Serum Youth Activating Cream Serum at $84.00 to go under that.

Then the night cream. I had to have the Génifique Repair Youth Activating Night Cream at $100.00

Mind you no sunscreen. She tried to sell me that too, but I have one that I’m faithful to.

All in all with tax…. Drum roll please.

$410.00!!!

But I was assured that I would see a visible difference in just 7 days….or my money back. Best believe I kept that receipt.

So got home, showed the hubster and friend what I got and explained everything to them and what I was to expect.

They looked at me like I grew two extra pair of arms, especially after I told them the cost.

The hubster, bless him said he doesn’t even see a line on my face.

I told him I want to keep it that way. He and friend shrugged and left me to talk to my cousin about what I got. She would understand.

So, Sunday I started my new skin-care regimen. In seven days there would be a new me staring back in the mirror.

I used it faithfully as per instructed. It didn’t break me out which I was grateful for. It went on nice, but nothing special. I didn’t even go out of the house or put on any makeup. It was snowing anyway so this was perfect.

Well, next Sunday arrived. I looked in the mirror with new excitement. And what did I see?

Not a damn thing!

I looked and looked. Turned my face from side to side, turned on all the lights, even pulled back a curtain or two. I even went as far as getting the magnifying mirror.

I will say this, my skin felt smoother. But I wanted wrinkle free, lifting, even skin tone, blah, blah, blah.

Which my husband already said I had.

So guess what your girl did again?

I took that sh*&t! back!

There was Miss Sunshine. She remembered me. How nice. She should have, she made a hell of a commission on me.

I had the stuff back in their boxes, the original bag she gave me and receipt in hand. I got up to the counter and handed it all to her.

Lancôme Gal: Oh, you’re bringing it back?

Me: Yes.

Lancôme Gal: Any problem, did it break you out or something.”

Me: No.

Lancôme Gal: Oh, so what’s the problem?”

Me: It didn’t work

Lancôme Gal: What do you mean?

(Note to beauty counter people: Go to college so you know what basic words mean.)

Me: It didn’t do what it was suppose to do in the seven day. I see no difference.

Lancôme Gal: It didn’t! (Total shock in her voice).

Me (In my head) Did you confuse my ass with Halle Berry when I came to the counter?

Me: No it didn’t and I used it faithfully everyday for seven days. No Difference. It’s just not for me. So I’m bringing it back.

Lancôme Gal: (Obviously deflated) Oh. Okay, let me get a supervisor.

Really? It takes someone above you to return something that you guaranteed.

SIGH. Anyway after thirty minuets, I got my money back.

Once I got home the hubster and our friend were smirking. After I sulked for about an hour, the hubster came to me and explained something.

“You do everything natural that’s great for younger skin. Besides your genes, you drink an gallon of water, you work out, you put olive oil and jojoba oil on your skin. (Contrary to popular belief, oily skin can use oil. Jojoba is closest to the skins own sebum and regulates oil production. Actually lessening it.)

You’re skin is toned, lips plump and without makeup, when you wear your sweats, you still need to get carded if you’re buying wine.

You know something? He’s right.

Ladies listen to me. I know this was a long blog, but I need to make a point here so you too won’t get sucked in this Skin Care scam the industry is running on us.

Clean living and just taking care of your skin will help you beat Father Time.

Don’t smoke

Don’t drink alcohol (and there’s a new study that for a woman, a drink a day increases breast cancer) Although, having worked in the medical industry I knew this already.

Exercise! It clears the skin and if you do even light weights it tones and firms it!

Olive Oil or Jojoba. Whether you are dry, combination or oily; these two oils will be your best friends. Grapeseed oil is great antioxidant too.

And if you have to buy a cream or some sort of skin care, here’s a small inexpensive list, with products that are known to actually work

Retin-A and Vitamin C. You can find an inexpensive Vitamin C on Amazon. Just make sure that it’s in the first 5 ingredients on the list. And it will be listed most of the time as  L-Ascorbic Acid. Retin-A you can get from a dermatologist.

Cleanser. A glycolic cleanser is the best. It exfoliates the skin. Witch Hazel for a toner.

That’s it!

So I learned a very expensive lesson. Luckily I was able to get a refund. Just doing what I’ve been doing works great. I have no complaints and prevention doesn’t have to cost me an arm and a leg.

All we need it common sense ladies and we can put the Skin Care Industry out of business! Okay, maybe not. But we won’t have to fall for their bullsh&t! 

FINDING MY TARZAN (Or where do I get my Muses)

     Hello Gang! 

     I get asked a lot who are the muses for my stories. Are they anyone I know, someone I met on the street, blah, blah, blah. I get this question especially my family members. They always think they are in my stories. Truth be told—they aren’t that exciting. 

      I will tell you this. My heroes are a prototype of someone very close to me. My husband, Giuseppe. And this is so true for my latest book IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE, a story in the 1NightStand series. You see, like with most of my heroes in my books, I just look at my hubby and take the best parts of him and do a composite. For my latest book, I basically took a snapshot and Cut n’ Paste. LOL! 

            My character Maxwell Evans, is an actor. He’s introduced in my story, filming a scene for a Tarzan movie they are doing. He’s also thinking about the one nightstand he set up. He’s in full costume. Loincloth and jungle beads. Mmm. Nice. 

            Well, if you read the description of him (Buy the book, and you can get a blow by blow on the looks. LOL). he’s a carbon copy of my husband—just twelve years younger. But it’s how I remember meeting my Tarzan. It was over twenty-three years ago. 

            When I lived in Los Angles, I use to hang out at the Beverly Hills Wiltshire Hotel on Wednesdays. That’s the day they played free classical music. Anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE classical music and opera, especially since I sing opera. Different blog. Anyway, this particular Wednesday, I sat at my regular table. They served free finger food and wine at the time, too. I sat there listening to the music, I believe it was Mozart Night. 

            As I sat there the place was getting packed. Before I knew it, a man asked me if the seat at my table was taken. I looked up. WOW! Tall dark and handsome. Cliché, I know. But the long dark hair and banging body nearly knocked me out of my seat. 

            His accent was thick, and dreamy.  He started flirting with me, even had the nerve to tell me he could teach me Italian in one night. Oh brother! I told him, in Italian that I spoke it just fine, and that he needed another line. But that didn’t deter him. He told me that he was actually Sicilian and that he could teach me Sicilian in one night instead. Sicilian is actually a different language. 

            I laughed and told him no thanks, but he was persistent. I was dating someone at the time, so he was of no interest to me. He gave his number anyway. I took it and tucked in my purse, just so I wasn’t rude. 

            Well flash forward six months. My boyfriend moved to the East Coast, which I wasn’t ready to do. During that time, there was a thing called the Renaissance Fair that was in town. These are fun. You dress up in Old English clothes, and go have a blast, like the used to in Merry Ole’ England. I wanted to go, but none of my friends or family members were available at the time. But guess what? I found Giuseppe’s number, still in my bag. I called him and asked if he would like to go. He said sure. 

            We got our costumes and off we went. We remained friends—very good friends ever since. We didn’t started dating until six years ago and got married five years ago. Needless to say, we’re tight.     

            So as you can see, this man swept me off my feet. It took only 23 years, but hey, good things come to those who wait. LOL! 

            So long story short (I know, too late LOL). All of my heroes stem from this good-looking man that caught my eye over two decades ago, and will continue to do so. IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE, I took the liberty to describe him more fully. You see, he used to be an International Bodybuilder too. He still works out and is still in shape. In fact, he looks better now in is 40’s!

            I made a dedication in IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. It says: To all the Janes looking for their Tarzan. 

            I found mine and never looked back.

**WIN a copy of It's a Jungle Out There! 

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Coming Soon!

May 20, 2011
It's a Jungle Out There
Stephanie Williams

Olivia Carter is no longer fooling herself. She knows there is no such thing as the perfect man. Tired of the crazy dating scene, she decides to take the advice of her best friend and sign up with 1NightStand. Her requirements are simple: Drop dead gorgeous, strong silent type, great in bed. Simple, to the point, and no expectations of anything grander. Madame Eve has no problem fulfilling her list.

Maxwell Evans is a hot and upcoming actor. But already he’s disillusioned about finding the ideal woman. Sick of dating nothing but shallow beauties who are more interested in riding his coattails than anything else, he checks out 1NightStand. He rather have a night of passion with a woman that knows nothing about his fame, than a long-term relationship with someone that has hopes of fame and fortune.

Max and Olivia will find out that they both wanted more than they’re willing to admit.

May 24, 2011

GLBT

The Middlesex Suite

Gwendolyn Page

How do you divide two sexes by three people—and end up with a One Night Stand? 

For three to be company, somebody has to cross the bi-barrier. That’s why Chad and Linda had called it quits—neither one would take the plunge. Their dream of three-way love was doomed by the facts of life: when it comes to sex, there are only two choices.

Enter the mysterious Madame Evangeline, who has arranged for each the perfect blind date, on the same night, same city—same hotel suite.  When a beautiful blonde Jeri knocks on their door they still can’t do the math, but is there more to her than meets the eye?  Is that their long-awaited solution in her pocket, or is she just happy to see them?