It’s no wonder that mineral makeup has become so popular.  It’s good for all skin types, and over time the makeup actually improves your skin. Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation is an affordable mineral powder.  Mainstream powders commonly contain talc, which is a carcinogen.  The great news is that this powder is talc, oil, and fragrance free, so ladies with sensitive skin can use it too.

Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation comes in 5 sheer shades and a bronzer.  We got a real kick out of the packaging.  The powder comes in a container with a brush, so no more cursing when you get powder all over your sink in the morning.  You just shake the brush and you get the perfect amount.  It also has a clear plastic band that covers the brush before you put the cap on.

This powder foundation feels weightless and is sheer. If you’re into full coverage, we suggest you use this to set your liquid foundation.

This article was written by Kristen Jason at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Kristen direct at kcopeland@cosmeticpromotions.com.

Going back to past decades for style is a constant in the fashion and beauty industry.  However, it seems like heavy lip liner with light lipstick is not making a comeback anytime soon.  Using lipliners with lipgloss can have you looking like your channeling the 90’s in just a couple of hours of wear.  If you want to bring  your lip gloss back to 2009 you’ll want to try Prestige Lightshine Sheer Gloss Liner.  It has a shiny finish and a lower level of pigment, so it actually goes with gloss.  At last, no more harsh lines!

This article was written by Kristen Jason at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Kristen direct at kcopeland@cosmeticpromotions.com.

The month of February has been used to recognize black history since 1926. On February 22nd of this year N2 Greek, a provider of African-American Greek paraphernalia, hosted a large scale fashion show and party stroll competition in Carson, CA at the Carson Community Center. Beautiful models from the CosPro agency passed out 2,000 RITEAID gift bags filled with Beauty products from 12:00pm to 5:00pm.

The purpose of the N2Greek Fashion Show and Party Stroll Competition was to commemorate the impact of historically black fraternities and sororities on African American history. Members of nine organizations participated in the fashion show. The sororities displayed their pride in their organization through a combination of dance and traditional stepping in the Party Stroll Competition.

The N2Greek Fashion Show and Party Stroll Competition reached thousands of college educated professionals, members of the organizations, and their families. The crowd loved the gift bags which included samples of Jergens Original Lotion, Just for Me Oil Moisturizing Lotion, Softsoap, Blue Star Ointment, Smooth ‘N Shine hair products, Soft Crème Extra Care Healing Hand Cream, Maybelline, Mane’n Tail and Fantasia hair care. Ten of the 2,000 bags also contained winning cards entitling the recipient to a $100 Rite Aid Gift Card. The bags are part of an annual RITE AID sampling program that Cosmetic Promotions facilitates for RITE AID in 10 major African American Markets. The company also has similar Hispanic and Teen Sampling programs.

Cosmetic Promotions Inc is a marketing company that is celebrating 20 years in business this year. The company specializes in target marketing programs for mass beauty brands at drug and mass retailers. This program is totally paid for by the suppliers and is completely turn-key for the chain.
For more information on how to increase sales at your chain or for your product, contact Kristin Bocox at 972-228-0074 or kristin@cosmeticpromotions.com or go to their website: www.cosproagency.com.

Some people have perfect frizz-free hair, but for the rest of us, serums are a must.  Garnier Fructis Style Brilliantine Shine Glistening Drops is different than most smoothing serums because it doesn’t weigh your hair down, and it’s not greasy.  The ingredients are also a little more sophisticated.  Instead of it just a silicone base , it also has fruit micro-oils that nourish damaged hair.  Here’s how it works: you can put it on wet hair to detangle it, and on dry hair after you flat iron so the frizz monster doesn’t attack.

If your hair is very thin we don’t suggest you use this product.  The bottle may seem small, but all your hair really needs is a few drops applied on the ends of your hair.  Since airlines hardly let you bring anything these days, concentrated products are always appreciated.  Even better, Garnier has coupons for their products posted on the website! To get your $2.00 coupon please go to: http://www.save.ca/garnier_en/ .

The RITE AID Glam Camp program delivers fun and exciting product samples straight into teens hands at local community events throughout the nation. Check out one of the wonderful events we attended below:

Rite Aid Glam Camp and CosPro Agency are proud to be involved in this year’s Mardi Gras Cheer & Dance Nationals event in the Hershey Park Arena, Hershey, PA. Teen girls from Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio come to compete in one of the largest cheerleading competitions in the East. We participated in this event last year, and the competitors loved the gift bags so much, Mardi Gras Spirit contacted us this year and said, “We want you back!” .

Mardi Gras Cheer and Dance events are fun, friendly, fair, and an unforgettable experience for the competitors. The Awards Ceremony is done “Party Gras” Style, complete with a parade and Mardi Gras beads for everyone. Cheer teams competed on Saturday, March 14th, and dance teams on Sunday, March 15th.

Rite Aid Glam Camp is an exciting promotion targeted towards 14-19 year old teenage girls. The first 1,000 girls will receive complimentary Glam Camp Bags filled with over $25 of beauty products and coupons, encouraging them to purchase all their cosmetic and personal items at Rite Aid. The Glam Camp bags are a gift themselves as they are a pink and black small duffle bag with a hip logo that girls can re-use for school, events, or hobbies.

The RITE AID Beauty The RITE Way Sampling program delivers fun and exciting product samples straight into consumers hands at local African American community events throughout the nation. Check out one of the wonderful events we attended below:

To commemorate the enormous impact that historically black fraternities and sororities have had on African American history, our present conditions, and our future, N2 Greek hosted a large scale fashion show and Party Stroll competition at the Carson Community center in Los Angeles, CA on February 22, 2009. We were onsite to hand out great sample bags as members from each of the nine organizations participated in a fashion show that displayed the current trends in the black community and Greek letter apparel worn by the sororities. The evening ended with a “Party Stroll” competition with members of each sorority coming together to display their pride in their organization through a combination of dance and traditional stepping.

With over 200 local chapters of the nine organizations in the Southern California region, the event reached thousands of college educated, professional individuals, who are members of one of the nine organizations and their families. The organizers of the event ran a great show. Overall, the crowd loved the gift bags and everyone was very grateful. We were even lucky enough to congratulate a $100 Rite Aid gift card winner!

Eyeliners have long filled our makeup bags, but the CoverGirl Point Plus Eyeliner caught our attention.  It’s self-sharpening AND it’s supposed to glide on easily.  Many self sharpening eyeliners hardly glide; they more so drag on your eyelid. And then there are the self sharpening eyeliners that are too soft, so it breaks when you sharpen it.  We gave the CoverGirl eyeliner a try and we were impressed.  No snagged eyelids and no running eyeliner.  The eyeliner lasts and it’s unique design allows you to make perfect lines.  Our favorite was the grey khaki shade; it’s flattering on most eye colors but is a must have if you have hazel eyes.

The Bonus: There’s a smudge tip at the other side of the eyeliner for a natural, softer look.

Whether you have been selling for years or are just starting out, the current economy is a tough sell. When the economy is booming and there is extra cash flow, almost anyone can sell. However, now is a market where the customers are more selective with their budget, more careful with their large spends and more conservative overall. Now is the time to brush up on the fundamentals and hone your skills. Let’s go back to selling basics:

ASK. LISTEN. BE SINCERE. Seem too easy? Well, this is one of the most overlooked aspects of selling. Most ramp up their product knowledge, competitor knowledge, proposal offers, etc and get so excited about their product or service that they just jump into the sales pitch as soon as they reach a prospect. But you may be highlighting points that are irrelevant to the prospect while convincing them that you have no idea what their needs are. Ask the prospect what aspects of their business they have problems with and then find a way to help them see how your product or service can help with that need. Ask. Listen. Be sincere. In today’s market – you are not a sales person, you are a solution provider.

USE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS. Remember this age old axiom? Well, it became that way because it works. Never ask a question that can be answered with a Yes or No. Customers often don’t like tense sales situations any more than you do and will attempt to escape them as quickly as possible. “Do you like your current supplier?” A customer could easily answer “Yes” and walk away. Instead, if you ask, “What do you like about your current supplier?” They now need to think about it and give you an answer.  The more the customer talks, the more information you’ll get to make the sale.

BE THE EXPERT. Know your product or service, know your prospect and know your competition. Customers need to feel secure that you know your product and their situation. Your product or service should address an important issue that you learned from your questions, such as reducing costs, improving revenues or avoiding a problem- something that will move their business forward. Your product or service offer should be tailored to address the buyer’s business problem. In addition to solving a compelling problem, you need to understand the kind of deal the buyer is used to or expects, such as cost, terms, discounts, incentives, etc. It is important to know the expected, to be an expert, even if you hope to create a different arrangement.

BE PREPARED TO WAIT. Follow up. In today’s market, customers are not willing to make a decision on the spur of the moment. They want to be sure they are spending their money in the right place. They want to know their options. They want to be sure that you will do what you say you will. Don’t become a pest, but follow up with them on a regular and timely basis and be prepared each time. Review your notes from prior conversations so that you are not repeating issues and wasting their time (or yours!). Summarize problems you solved together and find out if there is anything else holding them back. This will also show the customer that you are organized, responsible, conscientious of their problems and are willing to go the extra mile in order to gain their business.

Finally, you have to believe in your product. If you do not believe in your product, how do you expect your customer to believe in it? Just remember though, no matter how great you think it is, your product isn’t going to sell itself. You need to make contact, find out the customers problems and how you can provide them with solutions. Remember, you are not a sales person, you are a solution provider.

This article was written by Tracie Gilbert, VP of Business Development at Cosmetic Promotions. For more information on Cosmetic Promotions, please check out their website www.cosproagency.com or contact Tracie direct at Tracie@cosmeticpromotions.com.

It’s never a good time for a pimple.  But don’t they always seem to appear right before important events?  The next time you have a blemish that is trying to make a debut at your next special occasion before you do, we suggest you try Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Treatment Cream.

This is the fastest working product we’ve ever seen.  The active ingredient, benzoyl peroxide, not only increases skin turnover but is also antibacterial. It clears the dirt and oil out of your clogged pore.  The cream is absorbed pretty quickly in the skin so it didn’t interrupt our make up routine.  Warning: this product is strong and can be very drying if you are over zealous with the application.  Definitely read the back of the box and pay attention to the directions.

The Bonus? Clearasil actually guarantees that you will get clearer skin in just 3 days, or your money back!

For all you recessionistas looking to spend less on cosmetics, Black Radiance is a great brand to try. Their Eyeshadow Quartet (only $3.99 at Walgreens) has 4 complementary colors that are long lasting and easy to blend. Black Radiance is intended for women of color, so the colors are very rich in pigment. We especially liked the 8803 Deep Tapestry Quartet, which contains ever popular purple eye shadow. It was fun to use and stayed put throughout the evening.