News Roundup for week 19, 2011

Posted on Friday, at • 230 views

Please pardon the gaps...

The site is in mid-migration now (manual migration of over 7,000 entries, so there's a lot to be done.) The entry stubs are created for older content, but for the most part, the actual content isn't there quite yet. I am working on it. Unfortunately I have no ETA. But feel free to link to any page! When the content does get populated, the URL will stay the same.

News Roundup for week 19, 2011

We actually had nice weather last weekend. And it's happening again this weekend!! However, my family is vacationing in the Sierras, where it's going to snow. In May. Yes, really. I've actually had to break out the serious sunscreen the past few days; but it's been nice to have the warmer weather!

Up and Coming

Rockeresque Beauty's opening has slipped...to tomorrow. I got my sampler package from them last week (picked it up on Sunday), but haven't had much time to swatch. I'll show everyone the box tomorrow - I've looked at everything, but didn't want to start massive unwrapping until I could photograph the whole thing. I also got my membership package, which will give me a few freebies, advance news of sales, possibly a few members-only specials, the ability to earn free merchandise (points accrual), and other goodies. It's hard to judge this company, because their site isn't open and actually making sales yet and because the only products I've received are one full-size shadow and several samples - so I can't judge their product value. They seem to have initial baseline operations and branding and presentation down pat, though. Which is a nice segue into this week's Good Reads...

Good Reads

Part of doing business is marketing your product; and part of marketing is branding: creating a "style" for your products and your store. It doesn't have to be utterly flash, but what it does have to be is clean and neat and well presented. Little things, like off-centered labels or faded colors or messy business cards (or no business cards at all), can leave folks with the impression that you're not taking things seriously...even if you're a great big company. Don't focus on branding and ignore product quality, and don't think that you have to have the most pizazz colorful branding in the world to generate sales. But...do pay attention to how you look. (It's the equivalent of not going out with food stains on your shirt front, or wearing yesterday's outfit...that you slept in.) Nikhedonia has a good piece for indie business owners about getting sales, indie style...which includes branding advice. (This is actually good straight business advice, regardless of the size of the business. There are so many businesses that don't bother with this, that really really really should.)

And more on the branding, this time from the other end of the spectrum: WE ARE PRETTY PRINCESSES AND WE DEMAND THAT YOU JUMP THROUGH HOOPS TO BUY US. Oh, and we're going to rewrite the dictionary and call basic things by new names, and create a prestige language to sound more exclusive. Who is this? That would be Dermalogica (sigh).

An absolutely breathtaking manicure by Haute Lacquer: monarch butterflies! She mentions seeing this manicure on other blogs and being inspired to try it herself, but this is the first time I've seen it - proof that I don't surf nail blogs that much - so this is as far back as I can credit the source. I think I might have to try something similar. (Possibly for the next HOA board meeting. I'm working hard on confirming my status as the Eccentric.)

Items of Note

Shiro's new collection is out, and it's lovely - more lighter, springier colors in this collection than in Legends or Super Effective. There are still a few richer shades, so if you really prefer those there will be colors to catch your attention; but it's nice to see some increased color range. She's also now on her own website - no more Etsy fees, slightly lower shipping (very slightly), and IMHO a better user experience. (Etsy has some pluses...one of the distinct minuses being that you can't link directly to an individual item listing on Etsy and expect the link to work once that item is sold.) I'm looking forward to getting my sample set and figuring out which colors I'll be getting in full-size!

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