How's Karen enjoying the skincare formulating?

[Cupcake]

I hope it's not nosey to ask but I was wondering how Karen's getting on with all the formulating and plans for new skin care? Hopefully having fun. I'd guess there are about a million ideas and things to try. Just wondered if you felt like a chatty thread to share how you're getting on with it? Any firm plans? Any dream formulas you haven't quite cracked yet? Any fabulous new ingredients you're excited about? I guess I'm just enjoying the thought of the fun you'd be having almost as much. Must be a *lot* of hard work, too. Just thought I'd ask in a friendly way, rather than formally asking you as store owner, is it as much fun as it seems and how're you liking the new part your your job?

[karen]

Oh yes...it's fun and frustrating some days. Right now it's sorta like being 39 weeks pregnant...each part of the process is fun, and interesting, and unique...but at 39 weeks I'm just ready to get it out!!! It's been a super long process...I've been testing things off and on for about the past 10 years, and have made some great breakthroughs, and sometimes just big messes. I've been trying to find the most effective, cost effective, not dubious ingredients, and then having to test them for things like stability, safety, contraindications etc. I've gotten rid of, and gotten new freckles it feels like a thousand times...the first time completely by accident, and then I had to figure out what actually did it- and then the right concentrations to make it work quick enough. Same with acne- I'm good at giving myself pimples- but taking them away is kind of a challenge. I may be onto something- yet again.

The technology has changed a lot in the past few years so that helps- but it's also confusing because it seems like there's something new every other week. That's cool...but at the same time it makes it tough because I really don't want to have to reformulate something if I find something cooler- but at the same time I don't want to not have that cooler thing- so I'm trying to figure it all out. It's been a real challenge to sort through literally hundreds of ingredients and find the absolute best of the best. And that's just the formulas..then I have to figure out how to package it, what to name it, what to say about it, actually make it, find room on the shelves for it, and then actually load it onto the site.

Right now I have a list of about 30 things that I have to make at least gumball sized batches of and add to the site- and then there's all of Bill's Sarafina recipes, and you're right, that hasn't even scratched the surface of all of the cool things that could and should be made- including a lot of the requests that people have. I mean if you think about it people are asking for cures to things that the best medical minds have been working on for decades..it's really flattering, and it's cool- and some things I think I can do- but part of me wonders what kind of nerve I have to give it a try too KWIM?? I'm at least more stubborn- so that helps.

When I started SN we didn't really have any customers- and it took me over a year to come up with just a handful of products...perfecting powder, date bait, foundation, the Kisser Slickers, a few blushes, and a handful of eye shadows...Jamie and I were sure that it was plenty- a full line- HA! We've made over 350 products in 2.5 years, and I know there are still a ton of things missing from the line. It never ends, and that's really cool- it's what gets me out of bed, but it's crazy to think back on all of it. New colors aren't a big deal because I already have the formulas pretty well worked-out, but new formulas are tough because I'm just a real perfectionist, and I really want to be sure a product does what it's meant to do. There's just too much snake-oil in the skin care industry, and the last thing I want to do is contribute to it- or make something that turns out to be weird years later like Thalidomide or something like that.

It's interesting, exhausting- and really super fun! And can I just say thank goodness for having really super smart customers? I love it that all of you are so darn bright. It's really an amazing little thing we've all had a hand in here.

[Cupcake]

Ah Karen, thanks so much for sharing - it sounds like you're really living the dream. As with most dreams, they don't just happen overnight, so to see all those years of interest and passion, research and work all come together now - first with the colour cosmetics and now with the skincare - I bet the last two years feel like you've been caught up in a rainbow coloured whirlwind!

I can only speak for myself but I have a feeling a lot of folks will share the sentiment that I find myself here because I've tried all the brands of snake-oil and have fallen for all the smoke and mirrors marketing and through the years of trial and error, figured out what works for me and what doesn't and tried to follow that. So here I am. SN has the best of everything I need in good, honest, reliable formulas that work - not just run of the mill like a hundred other brands, but *right* for me to the point of not going looking for the next big or new thing. I get the impression that's how most of us arrived here - your foundation *is* the HG foundation. Then it turned out that the lippies are HG lippies too. And... and... all these things in one place - that's it, I've found my 'home' brand. So when you started doing skincare, to say it inspired hopefulness is an understatement.

Your skin care products didn't just live up to hopes , you've exceeded them.

Perhaps a lot of ladies turn into 'bathroom chemists' going through the diagnostic process of finding what works and what doesn't. Without the resources, time, access to ingredients and other practicalities, a lot of us are unable to do more than dip our toes in the shallow end of formulating. What you're doing here is living the dream to create the kind of products with integrity, insight and acuity which I for one dream of. It's that hallmark of quality which led us here through the maze of smoke and mirrors brands in the first place, through word of mouth recommendation for the colour lines. The skincare you've already launched - ah I wish you could stand here face to face and see what a difference your products have made to my skin, words fail, and that's just the serums so far.

You know how loved the products are. I'm so glad that you let us in on how you're getting on with things because it is so much fun to be along for the ride.