Must Have Beauty Product???

Following is an except from a column in a personal care trade magazine:

Beauty Essentials
Finally, can you guess what beauty product consumers just can do without when they’re out of the house? Lipstick? Foundation? Close, but not quite.

Marie Claire magazine asked about 20,000 readers what their must-have beauty solution is at the office. Surprisingly, 48% cited lip balm as the must-have product, with hand cream a distant second. According to Marie Claire, seven out of 10 people use lip balm every day and most have three or four products at a time.

“They pull it out between one to 12 times a day, so why not a product that is so accessible and so affordable?”

Of course, some formulas are more affordable than others. Balms can be purchased at a drugstore for about a buck, or you can buy Crème de la Mer  “The Lip Balm” for $55. Most formulas are intended to moisturize lips, but some of the newer products contain mildly abrasive agents to exfoliate lips.

The popularity of the stuff has led to question, “Can you  become addicted to lip balm?” No, not in a physiological sense, say experts, but lip balm can become an emotional crutch.

“Applying lip balm soothes the lips, feels good, and is often comforting which can help deal with stress or anxiety,” noted one dermatologist.

Brrrrrrrrrr

It's not quite 127 degrees below zero, but 15 degrees below zero is dangerously cold.  Luckily we have lip balms to help keep our lips from getting too chap in this second round of "polar vortex" weather.  We can supply your business with a variety of lip balms that you can hand out to customers...they will think of you everytime they use the lip balm....hmmmm, that's better than a business card!

When Pig's Fly...

The was a story on NPR's Marketplace program yesterday regarding popular pork dishes in New York that are utilizing unusual parts of pigs.  An except from the story follows: 
"While the supply of pigs might be shrinking, demand for pork has been flying high. "Bacon has been a very big food trend," says brand consultant Debra Kaye, author of Red Thread Thinking. Kaye says our cultural tastes have evolved and we are embracing bacon like never before. "We started to see that sweet, smoky, salty could go together... and what is better salty and smoky than bacon? And that's where it really started to take off."
Case in point: bacon donuts, bacon cocktails, bacon chocolates, bacon-flavored vodka, bacon ice cream, bacon lip balm...
All this new demand + low supply = the price of pork goes up..."

Bacon lip balm caught our eye...and yes, we are guilty...We've made numerous orders of bacon flavored lip balm....

Jump Around...

Our lip balms are traveling again.  We made an appearance at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.  Unfortunately a resounding "Jump Around" rendition between the third and fourth quarters wasn't enough to help our Badgers on to victory.  At least the weather was nicer in Florida than Wisconsin!

IT'S COLDER THAN...

As we prepare for the deep freeze over the next few days, it's hard enough to smile when the temperature dips. But don't make it worse by neglecting your lips, which are especially vulnerable in winter because they don't contain oil glands.  To keep them soft and prevent chapping, keep them moisturized. And don't forget that they're susceptible to sunburn.  Broad Spectrum SPF 15 or 30 will protect your lips from the sun.

What will you give?

A simple question, yet, an impactful response.   

With so much discussion of Black Friday and Cyber Monday following a Day of Thanksgiving—our thoughts recently turned on this Tuesday to: “What will you give?”

Well, our staff here at Alliance Packaging Group, Inc., was quick to answer and responded through action on that very important question.  Through Tuesday, December 3, 2013, our efforts and community involvement reaches locally with useful lip balm samples and donations to the Saukville American Legion and a local bank to share with participants at an annual run/walk.  On a larger scale, our products, (i.e. – lip balms, hand sanitizers and sun screen) were included in care packs that are often shared with the homeless in Milwaukee through the tireless work of Mr. Bob’s “Under the Bridge” program—which was started back in 2007.  In addition, we continue to support the Milwaukee Rescue Mission, Balance Inc., North Texas Rehabilitation Services, Ozaukee County National Night Out, Advocates of Ozaukee County and Celebrate Grafton, Family Sharing of Grafton and Saukville Community Food Pantry.  Yes, a small sampling of giving back, but, on this #GivingTuesday™, it is our way to make mention on how WE GIVE and IMPACT our communities. 

What will you give? 

Have a great #GivingTuesday—EVERYDAY!

Not Just for Lips!

Lip balm is just made for lips, right? Wrong! It turns out lip balm can be used on many other body parts. Here are five surprising lip balm uses.

Joints

No one likes dry, scaly skin, but surprisingly, lip blam can me a miracle worker for more than your luscious lips. Lip balm can be used for any type of chapping. Just ask Jamie Bushman, owner of The Circle Salon in Chicago: "I rub it into my knuckles and elbows when they are dry," she says. Also try lip balm on your knees and feet.

Cuticles

Bushman and Patty Gatter of Scottie Girl cosmetics both vote for lip balm as a cuticle moisturizur. It's not messy and is easy to apply. Bushman says, "It's easy to massage into dry cuticles."
Felicia Alva, a licensed esthetician, educator and makeup artist in Los Angeles points out, "If it can hydrate lips, why not your cuticles too?"

Hair

Fingernails aren't the only things that dry out. "I will use lip balm to smooth the ends of my hair, especially in the winter when my hair is dry," says Bushman. "It is great for curly or very porous ends that need a little extra attention. A little goes a long way."

Makeup

Just because you're using other products on your lips doesn't mean you have to skip the body part lip balm was made for. "Lip balm should be used even when you're using lipstick, if fills in cracks and makes a even surface for the next product being placed on the lips!" says hair and makeup artist Heather C. Adessa.
Also try lip balm on other features. "Lip Balm can be used lightly on the eyelids with eyeshadow to give a shimmer,"says April Meese, owner of Customized Beauty Ltd.
Anne Taintor's Strawberry Daiquiri lip balm is soft, offers SPF 15 and has a nice tint.

Noses

"I know a lot of people who get dry noses from having a cold during the winter from those darn scratchy tissues!" says Adessa. "I tell people to get a medicated chapstick and simply write "N" (for nose) on the top, so you don't use it for your lips, and use that on your nose when you're done blowing. It soothes the skin around the nose so that it doesn't dry and get flaky, and since it's in a stick you don't have to put your finger to apply it to your nose for sanitary reasons."

Eyebrows

Margot Grant, beauty director of Elizabeth Grant Skincare Intl, suggests using lip balm to tame eye-brows gone a-stray.
Alva echoes this trick. "In a pinch I've used lip balm as a brow tamer, along with a spoolie brush/wand." Simply apply a little to the eyebrows and use your eyebrow brush for shaping.