When I think Vaseline, I think greasy, thick goop. This was far from the case with this lotion! I was looking for a good hydration lotion and was overwhelmed in the aisle at Wal-Mart. The commercials for the Vaseline Sheer Infusion is a little strange, but made perfect sense, if they did what was claimed.

There are three different scents to choose from, I opted for the Botanical Blend. It has a light, warm but fresh, citrus scent. It goes on very smooth and absorbs quickly without leaving behind a tacky feeling. Absolutely not greasy and I instantly felt like my skin was much softer. Being cold and dry right now, I expected to re-apply pretty often. I put it on about 9pm and still feel very comfortable in my skin. I tend to have what my friend calls “plucked chicken bumps” on the back of my arms and thighs. These are much improved with two applications and I am hopeful that they will be resolved with further use. It made my skin feel like I have always expected body butter style lotions to, but fail.

Scent: 9/10  Very pleasant, not over powering. This one is a little feminine, but one of the other options was pretty neutral.

Price: 6/10 I purchased the 13.5 oz pump bottle for about 9 dollars. It was a much better deal than the 6.8oz without the pump for about 6 dollars. http://www.Target.com offers a $1 off coupon and http://www.vaselinesheerinfusion.com/ offers one for $1.50 off.

Packaging: 6/10 Sleek, but not exceptionally eye-catching. Looks pretty much like any other lotion bottle.

Texture: 10/10 I have to say this is the smoothest lotion I have ever used. It feels creamy, but not thick.

Performance: 10/10 Feels rich going on, rubs in smoothly, absorbs quickly with lasting moisture.

Do you have any experience with this lotion? Share it with us please!

Sorry it’s so late…diarrhea!

Two months of no blogging. Lots of ideas, but no blogging. I’ve written many of what I call ’stubs’, ideas in loose sentence fragments hoping to be fleshed out into complete thoughts at a later date, but I haven’t the had time or motivation to complete any of these stubs.

Typically an idea will occur to me, either as a result of something I’ve read or a conversation I’ve had, and I’ll think, ‘hmmm…that could be interesting’ and I jot it down for when I’ll have the requisite time for research, writing and editing. In a lot of cases I’ll do some light research during my regular daily web surfing, but it mostly serves to stoke a creative fire.

So now, with the day off, I have some time to complete some of these stubs and maybe offer an original thought to the world. Instead, I’d rather take the easy way out and share some of these stubs. Research involves reading and filtering information. Writing involves taking a position on a subject and sticking your neck out. I feel like doing neither of these things today. I’m not sure whether this should be classified as ‘creatively lazy’ or ‘lazily creative’, but here’s a few of my more interesting stubs from the past two months:

Athletes who could’ve played other sports professionally. Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan did it. Hell, even Jose Canseco took a chance on MMA. They say Gretzky could’ve been a pro pitcher and Bure an Olympic diver.

Commonalities in Canadian and American consumer products and the subtle differences between them. Forget political and sociological differences, I’m a product of products and therefore I’m interested in products. An observation of the subtle differences in packaging, branding and marketing in common products between the two countries.

John Fahey being used to sell Vaseline. There’s a new Vaseline commercial that features ‘In Christ There is No East or West’ by fingerpicking wizard John Fahey, how in the Hell did this happen?

The Toronto hardcore scene is effin’ burgeoning. Bands like Fucked Up, Career Suicide and Terminal State are taking hardcore back from the the melodramatic metal heads that turned it into emo-mosh music and taking it back to its angry, sweaty punk rock roots. Awesome.

So there you have it, the choice nuggets from a man unwilling to stick his neck out any further. There are four or five other stubs that I could share, but honestly they’ll likely never  become fully realized, so they’re destined for a stub life sentence.

This weekend, at a family birthday extraveganza, my sister gave me some skincare advice. I wasn’t *asking* for it, she felt simply that it was something I needed. Bitch.

Oh… *heavy sigh*… maybe she was right. Friends, today I thought I would share her wisdom with you, and her wisdom was this: Vaseline. Simple Vaseline. You put apply it librally on your smiling lines and furrowed brow each night and then, two weeks, later you wake up looking like a teenager. FACT.

I had, at the beginning of the conversation, considered telling her to fuck off but, before her sentence was over, I was on my way to Boots to buy a year’s supply. Not that I’m dramatic in any way.

Since the weekend I’ve tried the routine twice  and found the sensation to be a bit freaking weird; you may find, as I did, that ALL the bed clothes stick to your face within a very short space of sleeping time. That’s odd, and not the nicest thing to wake up to. Plus, importantly, I still look EXACTLY the same, which is disappointing considering how sticky my nights have been. I’ll keep doing it, but. I’m a slave to this kind of bullshit. And I’ll let you know in two weeks whether I’ve halted the aging process in any meaningful way.

Oh and, to continue a theme, and because there’s time to kill, remember this?

I am a LOTION fanatic, it’s a combination of the industry I work in, the alluring scents and simply how soft and luscious it makes my skin feel.  I usually moisturize immediately after I jump out of the shower, I read somewhere that its best to do so as your skin will absorb the moisture more thereby you’re reaping the rewards of your purchase. If you don’t already moisturize daily, I urge you to do so body lotions are affordable and help keeps your skin youthful, glowing and smooth! (;

Here we go, my TOP 3 Daily Moisturizers (and yes, I am guilty of using all 3 in a single day).

1)   Aveeno Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15

Aveeno is already known for their fantastic moisturizers and this SPF 15 daily moisturizer is no exception. I love that this is a daily SPF lotion. It’s a itty bitty bit thicker than I am use to for a daily lotion, BUT the SPF makes up for it and its nothing a little extra rubbing won’t resolve! It absorbs quickly and nicely; leaving your skin soft & protected. It’s non-greasy which is a big big big plus in my book. I use this on my arms, neck, hands, anywhere that’s exposed to the sun before I head out. We all know how harmful the sun and UVA/UVB rays can be to our skin and how it can cause premature wrinkles/age spots… NOBODY WANTS that. So this is at the top of my list. As for fragrance, it has a light scent that most SPF products have and lingers for a little but wholly unnoticeable after a while.

Price: very afforable at $7-$13. Several sizes available. Found at most drugstores (purchased mine at Target).

More info & other great products on: Aveeno.com

2. Vaseline Sheer Infusions (Bontanical Blend)

Hailing from Vaseline a staple brand in homes for many many years, Vaseline’s Sheer Infusion is a new line they just launched and THIS specific lotion is what prompted me to write this blog in the first place.

I’ve only been using this lotion for several days, I have to say, I am in LOVE!  The scent is light and pleasant, I have no idea what’s in it, but the lotion absorbs instantaneously leaving your skin literally feeling soft, smooth, silky and luscious. It’s AMAZING. I can not stop rubbing my arm when I first tried this lotion THAT’S how soft this product makes our skin. Ahhhh, I love silky soft skin don’t you? I’ve only tried the Botanical Blend, but there’s also a Mineral Renewal and Nutrition Burst available in the Sheer Infusion line which I’m sure is equally as great as the Botanical Blend. In summation: Vaseline’s Sheer Infusion: absorbs well, is no-greasy, definitely last 24 hours, has a light pleasant scent making it one of my top daily body moisturizers

Price: affordable at $5.99 – $12. several sizes available. found at most drugstores. (Purchased mine at Target). Get a $1.50 off coupon here: www.vaselinesheerinfusion.com

More info on the line: www.vaselinesheerinfusion.com

3. Victoria Secret’s lotion in PINK

Ok, honestly this lotion isn’t all that great for dry skin. It’s good for your hands after a wash, its good for summer days where you don’t need as much moisture. It’s good to have in the car or your purse when you need quick light weight moisture. BUT what this lotion IS good for is… FRAGRANCE GALORE. This is my all time favorite scent. Its fresh & clean with a great hint of floral. its recommended you layer scents for it to last but in all honestly I put this lotion on my arms, & neck and the scent holds throughout the entire day! I am notorious for switching fragrance constantly, but this scent has been a staple in my arsenal. Lasting scent for those looking for a hint of fragrance, but not into perfumes. Absorbs very well, no greasy feeling.

Price: $20 one size available unless you buy it in a gift bag/basket. purchase at Victoria’s Secret stores or via online store.

More Info: Victoriassecret.com

dancing at Le Queen

Originally uploaded by jdlavin74

I arrived at the nightclub just past midnight. The doorman nodded at me as if we knew each other and nonchalantly let me in. A hand raised itself and asked for my I.D. When I successfully produced this, the hand snapped for the £5 cover fee. It was a badly manicured hand, the kind that twitched on its spare time and had no friends. How the hell had it managed to get a job here I asked myself, when I was scouring the city all day long for weeks and managing to land nothing – not even a slave boy position in McDees.

Familiar faces floated in and out of my way as I walked towards the bar. I was spending money I didn’t have, ignoring what I needed to pay for tomorrow – my food, my utilities, my life crumbling in an apartment overdue the rent.

‘What can I get you?’ asked the barman, eyeing me up as a potential conversationalist. I saw the disinterest take over when I paid for the cheapest beer available. When he disappeared down the counter to attend another patron I turned towards the moonlit dance floor and faced the people inflecting the latest fashionable moves. Light from the acrylic floor lit up their bodies like a hypnotist carnival. A midsummer nightclub dream permeated the sweaty air.

At first glance, there seemed to be no sense or pattern to the way people danced. Some held bottles or glasses; others had their bags between their feet and kept their dance moves restricted to the imaginary perimeter surrounding them. Nobody looked as alone as myself. Nobody looked at their neighbour for longer than a second.

In the corner, near the emergency exit, I spotted a pair of blond boys I’d never seen before in the club. One of them sported a tight baby blue T-shirt with the word “Vaseline” emblazoned on it. The other wore black from head to toe. At first glance they seemed related to each other, but the deeper and longer I inspected them the more I became certain they were a couple. A new couple. I finished my bottle in one swing and moved closer to them.

The song ended and the boy in black held the other one’s hand. They smiled triumphantly and took a deep breath, ready for whatever the DJ threw at them next. The one in the “Vaseline” T-shirt reminded me of a soldier’s boy I’d once known – the kind with cropped hair and muscles created from a strict upbringing and expectations of joining the army. In this nightclub, however, a flamboyance came through his arms and joined the surrounding youth. Here, he could be himself. How happy he looked as his boy took his hand, pearls of sweat dripping down his face. Eyes blue like the neon in the club’s entryway.

In the shadows, so near I could reach out and touch them, I watched their particular ritual take form. I guessed that the one dressed in black was older. I named him David temporarily, just until I was properly introduced to them. The other blond was Chase because of his American good looks and Midwest air. Chase, the soldier’s boy. David, the melancholic Englishman. I felt myself grow older with every second, as if by simply watching them and losing myself I was piling on the years. I was behaving like someone who no longer took part in the world, had no youth to offer. Who would watch me? Who would follow my every move as I stepped on the dance floor and lost myself to music? Certainly not David and Chase. Their story was just beginning. There was no space for anyone else in it, which is why I felt drawn to them – felt disgustingly tempted to step in and break their spell. Just like it had been done to me when I was their age.

A careful movement took over the dance floor, leading all participants to shift slightly clockwise to the beat of the music. They weren’t aware of it nor was there a coherence to their choreography. The disco ball above their heads seemed to grow in size and glitter with more force. I steadied myself so as not to slip down to the beer-wet floor. David and Chase now held each other as if in a Jane Austen film, giggling and swerving through the groups of dancers to the tune of their own private song. When they crashed into someone, they apologised profusely then dismissed the incident with a laugh as they spun away. They danced away from me and then back – so close that I finally couldn’t resist but step into the light so they could brush against me too. Chase collided into me with his back then turned his head with a startled look. There were no apologies and I immediately knew both boys had known I’d been in the shadows watching them. This infuriated me so I returned to the bar for another bottle of lukewarm beer.

The bartender approached me with a sly look on his face. He could read his clientele like the back of a peeled off bottle label even if they had nothing to offer him. A bottle was almost instantly in my hand, the screw top tossed into an overflowing bin bag by the cash register.

‘What happened to the air conditioning?’ I asked, doing my best not to look back at the dance floor.

‘It breaks down every Friday night,’ the bartender said disinterestedly.

‘You’d think someone would do something about it by now.’

‘You’d think,’ he echoed.

I offered him some money but he declined.

‘You can pay me later,’ he said. ‘What’s that on your T-shirt?’

‘King Arthur and the round table,’ I said while stretching the T-shirt and giving him the best possible view of the print. ‘Are you new here?’

‘Just started this week,’ he said as he served drinks to people to my left. ‘I feel like I know you from somewhere.’

‘Same here,’ I agreed though I was probably lying. He looked indistinguishable from his predecessor. A great weariness fell on me and I felt as if I would never return to that club, would never dance again.

‘I can tell you come here often.’

‘I do. I used to come with friends but overtime they gave up on me. So I come by myself because I can’t stand to sit alone at home.’

‘Got any requests for the DJ?’

I thought of David and Chase. Which song would make their night? Which song was their favourite? I ran through the nightclub’s previous set lists, all of my own favourite songs, and decided not to set myself up for any disappointments. In any case, as I looked for them again on the dance floor I realised they had disappeared. I spent the rest of the night searching for them then returning for progressively incoherent conversation with the bartender.

On the way home I stopped by a bank machine but there was nothing to be withdrawn.

***

It was the start of the week and the three of us walked down the arborized street, Anna telling us about her change of career.

‘I always wanted to work with animals,’ she said. ‘My family pushed me into this life I didn’t want and all the time I wanted something I could be passionate about, even if it didn’t pay as much money.’ She still wore the smart clothes I was used to seeing her in, a shopping bag to hand, but the sneakers on her feet betrayed her change of profession.

She looked so happy and confident. I wanted a little bit of what she had for myself. The shop she now worked at, tending and caring for people’s pets, was down the road, nudged between a deli and an art video store. On that warm summer afternoon, Anna’s long black hair shone in the daylight. She was invincible and in peace. How can I have a little of that? I asked myself over and over. Anna was so engrossed in telling us about her happiness that she couldn’t read my own sullen face.

‘What are your plans for the week?’ she asked me as we reached her shop’s front door.

‘A bit of this and that,’ I replied. Thankfully, Ivette took over the conversation and launched into a long monologue about how she’d always known Anna was great with animals, that she’d been wasted in those corporate jobs, that the goal in life was for each person to find the job that best suited their soul. I wondered how recently Ivette had read “Generation X” and whether she was being a tad hypocritical since her favourite past time after sex was complaining about her job.

Anna, in her new benevolent state of grace, looked at us like a pair of kids in need of a pat on the head. She stood taller than us, touched by luck and certainty. Lines had disappeared from her face and a glow shimmered beneath her skin.

We said our goodbyes and let Anna go back to her work. Ivette had taken the day off to meet us and do a little shopping in Covent Garden. I was aimless and slightly hung over, as usual. As we entered Covent Garden’s narrow alleys, Ivette launched into an expected bitching session about Anna’s new found profession.

‘How long do you think it will last?’ she asked.

‘I genuinely think she’s happy Ivette. I’ve never seen her like this. I’m a little envious actually.’

‘I wouldn’t bother if I were you. I give her two months max before she decides she hates animals and wants to be a potter, or something.’ Ivette had known Anna since their teen years and always spoke as if she held the key to her soul.

‘That’s a bit harsh.’
‘I can afford to be harsh with people who have rich families that can save them whenever they need. Do you honestly think this new job can pay for her rent?’

‘So what? Let her parents pay for everything and let her be happy scrubbing hamster butt for a living.’

Ivette rolled her eyes and offered to pay for my croissant and mochaccino.

I’m currently sporting two black toenails again (courtesy of my last marathon in early October). I realize I’m not alone in the running world when it comes to this particular affliction. Judging by the many, many questions about it that I saw on various forums and websites – it seems to be a common problem.

I was actually searching online for ways to prevent black toenails, but every site seemed to mention the same things over and over again: buy your running shoes a size larger to prevent your toe from hitting the end of your shoe, tie your laces tight to keep your foot from slipping forward, etc. These suggestions are certainly good advice – but I’ve been doing them for several years and they haven’t prevented my black toenails at all. So, I’m left wondering…what am I doing wrong?

I’ve tried all kinds of preventative measures, to no avail. Taping my toes, thin socks, thick socks, two pairs of socks, massive amounts of Vaseline or BodyGlide. But alas, so far – no relief. I’ve also consciously monitored my toes while running to make sure they are not hitting the top of my shoes (they aren’t).

My latest idea was silicon toe caps, which seemed like a surefire winner. And, I believe wearing toe caps on each of my big toes would have solved my problem, except for one small issue…once my feet became warm and moist from running, the (now sweaty) toe caps just slid off the end of my toes and formed a lump in the ends of my socks. I tested these toe caps on two separate runs (different days). Regrettably, both toe caps slipped off of my toes between mile 4 and mile 5 on both days. I suppose I could try taping the toe cap to my toe – but I’m not too excited about that. At some point, the preparation time and effort of going for a long run becomes too much of a hassle. I’m deeply envious of those who just throw on some shoes and go for a run.

For lack of a real solution to this problem, I’m starting to resign myself to the idea of revolving, colorful toenails. Maybe I’ll paint them over with black toenail polish (midlife crisis?), or have the nails permanently removed (seems a little harsh). I guess there is always the “badge of honor” thing. If anyone has solved this problem or has any (new)  suggestions please feel free to comment.

Cheers

Reprendre quelques requêtes de mes lecteurs qui reviennent souvent, aller à la source et partager les découvertes avec vous; telle est la mission de cette rubrique.

En s’y intéressant sérieusement, nous pouvons apprendre beaucoup… Démarrons avec “imperméabiliser chaussures vaseline” qui découle sans doute de la lecture de cet  article: “18 Façons d’utiliser la vaseline“

 A première vue on a tendance à se demander ce que pourrait donner une telle association. Mais le web a réponse à presque tout: faisant la même requête à mon tour, j’arrive à des sites ou à des blogs assez intéressants.

Voilà pour le petit tour de Secrets de mot clé.

I am probably one of the only people who gained weight while training for a half marathon.  I blame it on not being a runner.  Because of this, I took the training schedule very seriously and stopped going to my normal workout classes and the gym because I needed to “rest”. I also ate everything in sight because I would “run it off later”.  I will give myself credit in saying that I was determined. I ran at least 3 days a week and was strict in keeping to my schedule.  Will I do it again? Probably not.  My knees still haven’t recovered and it has been exactly a month.  If you are going to do it, here is what I recommend:

•      Get Nike +.  It is an insert that goes into your Nike+ adaptable shoe and also into your ipod.  It is like having a training coach.  You type into your ipod exactly how many miles you need to run, and then it talks to you throughout your run (barely interrupting your music) to tell you how far you have run and how many miles you have to go.  The program also records calories burned and personal records.  Once you complete a run, you plug your ipod into a computer and it tracks your run and progress.  Nike+ online also helps you create a training plan to help you achieve your goals.  I am confident in saying that I would not have trained as well without it.
• Vaseline your toes.   Sounds strange, but this is the one tip I read online that saved me.  With somewhat new shoes and being somewhat new to running, my toes would rub against my socks and create little but powerful blisters.  I began to Vaseline, and presto! Problems solved.
• Buy good socks.  I alternated between Nike dry fit and a variety of Footjoy socks.  These socks are not just for golfing anymore! They are not only made from a blend that is perfect when working up a sweat, but they create more comfort and arch support than any other sock I have tried.  Definitely worth the investment.
• Run for a cause. I decided to run the Disneyland Half Marathon for the Special Olympics of Southern California.  I was able to raise a little more than $1000 for the cause, which basically sponsors a special Olympic athlete to compete for a year.  I have always grown up playing sports and I believe competition should be made available to everyone.  It was rough getting all the donations, especially during these economic times, but I knew I had a lot of people invested in me so I couldn’t quit.  I was actually running for a reason.
• Pick the right race.  For me, this one was easy.  I am a closet Disney fanatic so if I was going to run 13.1 miles anywhere, I would want it to be in Disneyland.  This course was amazing, aside from mile 8 where you ran around the Honda center parking lot.  We ran through Disneyland, California Adventure, through Angels Stadium where we were on the jumbo-tron, and back towards Disney. Throughout the course all the characters were cheering you on.  There were performances, bands, and cheerleaders encouraging you to finish the race and at the end we were presented with a HUGE medal.  There are many great courses and races out there, my recommendation is to pick on that is flat, fast and has many attendees to ensure you will have plenty to look at along they way.

Running a half marathon is a big commitment.  I did not train with a friend, but I bet it would have been easier to have someone else pushing me along through my runs.  You will have good runs and bad runs, get injured, and will probably want to quit at some point.  Don’t.  Crossing that finish line is a feeling that cannot be imitated.  Its amazing.

5 stars

Publicising his new book earlier today, during the course of conversation with Radio 2 presenter Steve Wright, pop-guru Pete Waterman – the man behind Kylie Minogue and various other bubblegum-pop artists – outed, amongst others, both Rod Stewart and Phil Collings as having big ones.

Pete Waterman’s new book is about model train sets, and it transpires that many a grown man in the music business is a closet model train enthusiast.

Rod may be small in some departments...

...but he does own a big model train set.

Apparently we men are drawn to trains, both large and small, due to the smell of the oil reminding us of a certain smell we experienced in the womb.

Tune in next week for the pleasures of Vaseline.

maybe not.

This is a word of mouth campaign like never before. By BBH New York for Vaseline’s Clinical Therapy.

Watch the entire presentation of how BBH did it, before you see the commercials below.

Nothing I type here could possibly prepare you for what you are about to see here.  I am speechless.  I have no speech.

So my roommate, Plague Girl, has had the plague all this week. I said you should really medicate yourself for that or else it’ll spread and that I’m hyper susceptible to colds and sniffles. I’m nice enough not to dislike her for being sick, it happens to all, but its just sitting there with tissues in the main living area that everyone has to be in that gets me. She should have quarantined herself in her room. Now I have it. Last night I felt it coming along and took some cough syrup and then at 5 a.m. I woke up with that horrible… synus (sp?) pressure thing in the forehead and the bridge of your nose and ugggh… The worst. Anyways, I’m glad I chose to come home this weekend because it means I can concentrate on getting better, away from the city hustle. It’s now half eight or so, I’ve lost all sense of taste and smell, colour in my face and I’m running a temperature so my hair is stuck to the sides of my face and has been all afternoon that I spent watching the Disney Channel… The Return of Jafar (an Aladdin spinoff), Wall.E and The Aristocats while wrapped up in a blanket on the couch with only a glass of a vitamin C water thingy, some Sinutabs… or whatever, a pot of Vaseline and Kleenex tissues for company (my dad abandoned me, saying he too wanted to avoid contamination). And the sound of me breathing through my mouth.

Anyways, last night… somewhere after taking the cough syrup and before the 5 a.m. death knell, when I was in bed trying to sleep… I heard a fluttering against my wall and I opened my eyes and I saw a giant, huge, monster moth flying above me. So naturally, I calmly got out of bed and said hello to it and made it a cup of tea. Not really… I just harpooned myself out of the bed, hit the light, grabbed a book  and threw it in the direction of this huge moth, which, no exaggeration, looked like this:

And it got worse because I kinda hit the moth with the book, so it fell onto my bed, but then bounced up and down from it when it was trying to fly again, then, airbourne, it flew right at me.  I covered my face, screamed and accidentally turned around and ran into my closet doors, bruising my right knee. =( In all, a crappy 24-48 hours, probably god’s punishment towards me for all the swine flu jokes made in the past.

All I want right now is some hot chicken soup… and maybe watch something I’ve never watched before but keeping meaning to… like Fight Club.

If you’ve done any sort of long run, you’ve probably experienced The Chafe. Those red, rubbed-raw spots that appear under your running clothes and along any sort of seam. The benign appearance of the wound is deceiving – it HURTS. And keeps hurting, because it’s unlikely to heal before the next day and the next run – without protection, you are guaranteed to chafe your chafe wound.

There are many products out there, from old-school Vaseline to high-tech liquid powders, but everyone has different preferences and different needs. This New York Times article gives detailed reviews of a number of different products – check it out and be on your way to a smoother run!

Arrêtons de nous plaindre et regardons un peu ce que les autres font de bien.

Les “Jay Chiat Planning Awards” ont décerné cette année leur Grand Prix à la Campagne “Vaseline  Clinical Therapy- Prescribe the Nation” par BBH New-York. Nous donnant ainsi l’occasion de revenir sur l’une des campagnes les plus ingénieuses de l’année.

Le constat de départ était plutôt simple: La crème Vaseline est probablement la meilleure solution pour remédier aux problèmes de peaux sèches, mais avant d’en être convaincu il faut l’essayer.

Second constat: quand un proche nous conseille d’essayer une crème, on s’exécute le plus souvent sans broncher.

Au travers d’un site événementiel ( prescribethenation.com ) et d’un dispositif print et TV soutenu par de multiples vidéos postées sur Youtube, BBH a alors eu l’idée de concrétiser “l’élan de prescription“ qui existe autour des produits Vaseline, en s’associant au quotidien d’une petite ville américaine: Kodiak en Alaska, où le climat éprouvant met la peau de tous ses habitants à rude épreuve.

L’histoire commence donc avec Petal Ruch une quadra native de Kodiak, qui, ayant découvert les bienfaits de la Vaseline Clinical Therapy et l’ayant conseillée à tous ses amis, a été le point de départ d’un raz-de-marée de prescriptions transformant Kodiak en une ville 100% Vaseline.

Petal Ruch (castée par BBH) avait reçu le brief suivant: “essayez la dernière crème Vaseline et si elle vous plaît conseillez-la à ceux de votre entourage qui d’après vous en ont besoin“

Quelques semaines plus tard, le résultat donna ainsi raison à Vaseline, inaugurant alors une seconde phase plus ambitieuse: “Une seule femme peut-elle convaincre tout un pays qu’il existe une solution efficace contre les problèmes de peau ?” ou bien “Petal Ruch et la Vaseline à l’assaut des USA“…à suivre.

Cette utilisation d’un petit village comme point de départ du lancement d’un produit n’est pas sans rappeler ”Le Mystère de Dalaro” orchestré par Volvo pour le lancement de la S40 en 2004, mais il faut admettre que le travail réalisé ici par BBH force le respect tant il est difficile d’observer des stratégies multicanales à ce point intéressantes dans ce type de  catégorie.

Pour les puristes, un case study un peu plus complet est disponible ici

Well — Luckily I’ve been busy working — but as anyone who has read any of the blog knows, I suffer from sleep issues. The worst is when I have a very early call time and I’ve only gotten 3-4 hours of restless sleep.  It doesn’t work for me in this business AT ALL – babies gotta wake up looking refreshed and ready to take on the world.  I’ve discovered a couple tricks that help my skin retain tons of moisture. This seems to be key in making my stressed out skin look healthy and glowy.   If I’m traveling I am that crazy person that puts Vaseline all around her eyes and cheeks – after 5-6 hours the vaseline sinks into my skin and voila, I don’t look like I just got my face kicked in. I know some people swear by Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream for nighttime & travel, but that never really worked for me. And since Vaseline is a little intense to use daily, and doesn’t really work if I have to go to a set where someone is going to start applying loads of makeup on me, I kicked into Dora the Explorer mode and investigated some different solutions. I stumbled upon what I like to call Heaven in a green jar – a product by June Jacobs called Intensive Age Defying Hydrating Mask. I recently started to apply it in the am before I went to set and would rinse it off with tepid water or tissue it off and the makeup artists would immediately comment on how healthy my skin looked.  A fabulous compliment after only a few hours of sleep and a few days in really heavy makeup for several hours. June Jacobs is Paraben free which is essential for me, since my skin seems to react to those nasty little parabens. The intense hydration sinks into my skin making it look glowy and healthy and super fresh – which is something that’s important to me since I don’t like putting on tons of makeup daily.  I use it in my daily life when my skin seems to be dehydrated from a lack of sleep and I want to look well rested before a meeting.  Click here to go to the June Jacobs website. The brand veers towards the luxury end – so if it’s a little steep – take a look at some other terrific hydrating moisture masks online. Places like http://www.skinstore.com carry an array of products that are top of the line and reasonably priced. And of course one my favorite places to get lost in, Target carries several types of hydrating masks that can fit in anyone’s budget. And if you are a do-it-at home kind of gal, you can always slather on a coat of Vaseline before bed time to wake up dewy eyed and refreshed. I’ve done it for years … and always will.

Oh & click on this to learn more about why Paraben Free is important.

Read any beauty magazine or website, and there will usually be at least one product that is referred to by its cult status. Although they can be loved by many and regarded as staple products, for others they are considered a waste of money. Here is my take on some of the products recommended year after year.

YSL Touche Eclat – for me this is the ultimate product that no other imitations can beat. The packaging, the ease of application, the look all makes it one of the best selling products of all cosmetics time, pretty good going! It is an instant highlighter used to brighten the undereye area (can also be used around lip contours and sides of the nose to increase radiance), make you look awake and refreshed and can help reduce dark circles. What it doesn’t do is conceal dark circles and this seems to be where the confusion is when the product perhaps doesn’t have the effect you want.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour cream – this has been around since 1930 so must have something good going for it! You can use this cream for absolutely everything, really! From chapped lips, dry skin, cuts, even used to tame hair frizziness, this is one of those products that everyone should keep in their handbag. While it does smell medicinal and not to everyone’s taste, it is worth persevering with this one as it really does deserve its cult status. And it is not as my mother put it, ‘a pricey version of Vaseline’! It is much more than that!

Vaseline – I suppose this should follow next seeing as the two are meant to do the same. Now I have never really got on with Vaseline as much as I want to as their little lip balm pots are so ideal . I found it did nothing for chapped lips except make them feel greasy, not good.

Chanel No. 5 perfume – another product that has been out for years, this fragrance became available in 1921. Like marmite, you either love this or hate it, I’m somewhere in the middle. Its a heavy scented fragrance that I couldn’t wear every day, but it’s nice for evenings when you want to feel demure and sophisticated (perhaps…). Now Coco Mademoiselle on the other hand is much more my thing.

Palmers Cocoa Butter – available in various forms, lip balm, lotion, butter… If you like chocolate and don’t mind smelling of it, this could be the product for you. The smell lingers all day and I find it can be a bit sickly after a while so want to wash it off, defeats the point really. The lip balm is nice though and isn’t as overpowering as the creams and lotions. Does what it says on the tin though and keeps skin soft.

Clinique Almost lipstick in Black Honey – this incredibly sheer lipstick was freely available up until a few years back when it was discontinued. Why Clinique discontinued it was beyond me, but they have now reissued it to coincide with one of their collections and surprise surprise, is selling fast. When you first see the colour, it is dark (well, black I suppose, hence the name and all…) but don’t let that put you off. The Almost lipsticks apply with the sheerness of a gloss, but without the stickiness and Black Honey is just a really pretty berry shade that would suit all skintones.

Dr. Hauschka Rose day cream – I wanted to like this cream as I’d heard great reviews about it, apparently one tube is sold every six minutes in the UK. Instead it made my face far too greasy, and smelt sickly. No-one wants that.

Benefit High Beam/Moon Beam – fantastic highlighters that last an age! Although Moon beam is more for warm skintone and High beam for cooler tones, personally I wear both. High beam has feint pink shimmer, Moon beam is golden and both give an ‘awake’ fresh look to the skin without being overly shimmery. Use on browbone, cheeks, along nose, anywhere to give a glimpse of highlight.

Would be interested to see how others fare to these. Yay/Nay? Anything else worth its cult status?