I know others have blogged about bad experiences with social coupons (especially Groupon) but I have to say thus far I have had a good experience with Living Social.

We ran a deal about a month ago, and the response has been very positive. Luckily, we only sold about 300 deals, which was more than expected, but was not the 1,000 plus that retail nightmares are made of. (I just heard about a craft store in Portland that sold 3,000, but even they say it has been great for business)

Those of you that bought the coupons know how the deal works: Living Social offers a “deal” to all of their subscribers. Subscribers have 24 hours to purchase the deal, which limits how many people can buy it. In Camellia’s case, we ran a $30 coupon for only $15. Living Social then got 30% of the commission, and we got the rest to put toward the cost of the inventory. If you can do retail math, you will realize that Camellia is losing money on the deal. But that’s OK! We consider it a worthwhile advertising expense, and far more effective than the hundreds and hundreds of dollars flushed down the toilet on tiny print ads that nobody ever noticed. Small businesses simply don’t have the budget to buy ads large enough or frequently enough to make a difference in how many people walk through the door.

Only time will tell, but I feel like we’ve expanded our customer base. So many of the Living Social customers have been very enthusiastic and genuinely happy to have discovered Camellia Pure Beauty. So for us, it has been worthwhile.

For a while there we thought Julia from Arcana Soaps wasn’t going to be able to make her Caffeinated Death perfume oil anymore. She was having trouble sourcing one of the key ingredients, but she managed to find some! We don’t know how long these will be around and if/when she’ll be able to get some more of the top secret essential oil ingredient, so get them while they last.

This (like all of the Arcana products Camellia Pure Beauty stocks) is made from 100% essential oils and absolutes, with no artificial fragrance.

If the name alone isn’t enough to make you want to wear “Caffeinated Death,” it is “a fatally wired combination of cocoa absolute, coffee, chai spices, Bourbon vanilla and white cognac.” Julia adds, “You can sleep when you’re dead.”

We’ve added two mineral matte blush colors that aren’t too pink: bisque and melon. Melon, as you might guess is a touch peachy, but light enough that it isn’t overpowering. Bisque is almost a bronzer-substitute for fair skinned people, and a great choice for people who want some subtle color without looking like they just came inside from a snowball fight. (Though I am a fan of the pink cheeks).

Another current favorite: Alima’s Sugar Rose Blush. It is a pale pink with a delightful shimmer. Sometimes I wear it alone, sometimes I layer it over a cheek stain, and sometimes I just use it as a highlighter across the tops of my cheekbones, or more accurately where my cheek bones would be if they weren’t obscured by chubby cheeks.

Alchemilla Skincare recently released a couple of Skin Therapy Salves. Both are blended into an organic oil and beeswax base, and all of the botanical ingredients were grown organically on Alchemilla’s farm in Oregon City, Oregon.

The first, Calendula Salve, should be in every first aid kit. Calendula promotes healing, and is great on burns, ragged hang nails, minor cuts, and even diaper rash. I especially like to use calendula salve to sooth my nose when it gets raw from blowing when I have a cold. The small .8 oz jar means it is small enough to tote around in a diaper bag, hand bag or on a day hike. The calendula cream is blended into an organic olive oil and beesewax base.

The Calming Salve contains willowherb, nettle, plantain, agrimony, chamomile, and chickweed extract, along with organic rice bran oil, beeswax, and tamanu oil. The botanical ingredients are known for their soothing, anti-irritant properties. It is especially suitable for insect bites, stings, and minor wounds. Alchemilla says it can also be used as a moisturizer (OK for face!) for people with sensitive skin or rosacea.

Both are available at Camellia Pure Beauty’s Portland boutique, and online at shop.camelliapurebeauty.com.

So I’m a teensy bit behind the times- red flower released their “Nature” skin-care line last February, inspired by the beauty of Finland. I guess the idea is that it is clean, snowy and enjoys saunas and birch switches… O, wait, many of the botanical ingredients are sourced from Finland, and it contains omega 3s and 6s, beta glucans, ellagic acid and “concentrated antioxidants to restore skin to radiant health.”

Because I already love and stock the red flower japan line, the nice people at fed flower sent me a “radiant skin set” that contains generous sample sizes of the six facial elements of the Nature line. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks now, and I really like it overall. The scents are subtle, yet bewitching. Other Emily (my Sunday employee, a.k.a. O.E.) said to me when she smelled the cleanser, “how does it smell like both the forest and the beach?” I don’t know how, but I love it. It isn’t too sudsy and is very gentle and non-drying. I like it all, but other favorites include the arctic cloudberry moisturizing cream and the essential omega fresh berry-oil serum. What can I say, I enjoy well-hydrated skin.

After indulging in the entire six step process (cleanse, exfoliate, lymphatic mask, mist, moisturize and a bit of oil serum for the drier spots) my face is glowing and soft. I am also left with a strange desire to visit Finland. I like it enough that I hope to be able to add it to Camellia Pure Beauty’s line up in the new year, budget allowing.

Here’s what red flower had to say about Nature, in their usual poetic fashion: “one hundred percent botanical. entirely free of all synthetics, parabens, dyes, petrochemicals and sulfates. made with certified organic ingredients. sourced from finland. contains the spirit of life. not tested on animals.”

I remember when I put compact florescent light bulbs  (CFL) in my living fixture.  Yuck!  The light looked so strange and horrible that even my husband complained about it.  (It wasn’t about vanity- the light made us both slightly nauseated).  Unfortunately, it was unpleasant enough that we went back to incandescent bulbs in that room.  We never could figure out why the CFLs are fine in the kitchen and bathroom, but look like death in the living room (I’ve now learned it probably has to do with the shades and the choice of light type).  Finally, EcoStiletto has rescued us all with advice from a lighting designer on how to convert to CFLs without harsh, greenish light.

Tuesday, April 7. II will be visiting my parents in the midwest over the weekend (the shop will be in capable hands and otherwise open regular hours). I’m going home to celebrate my mom’s last radiation treatment!  (That’s after 6+ long months of chemo and radiation).   So I think she deserves an extra day with me, don’t you?

Sunday, April 14. It’s Easter, and therefore a major holiday.  Go hunt some eggs and bite the heads off chocolate bunnies.