revlon we have a problem: or how the great lip gloss embargo of 2011 failed

A self professed make up junkie since I ‘borrowed’ some lilac eyeshadow from my Barbie head box and added some purloined Great Lash mascara.  Fortunately some level headed adults helped and so my I never really did go crazy, unless you consider continued use of blue sparkly eyeliner, crazy.  Considering it was the 80’s and I was known as the girl in the bright pink lipstick, I think I fared decently.  And since there’s really no photographic evidence, you’ll just have to believe me.

Around 2011 I was lip gloss shamed, and to a certain degree, my shamer wasn’t too far off.  I did have a purse full of very similar variations of a light brown, somewhat lavender gloss, along with several varieties of rosy pink and the occasional darker copper.  And so I decided that maybe it was time to finish up a few of those before adding to the collection.  A sort of conscious consumerism.  Apologies to the anti-Goopers in the crowd.

And for awhile it worked. 

All was well until the makeup companies came up with what, for me, was a dangerous combination.  Make up, in a box. 

Spring 2014 Box from SDM line Quo

Not new you say, well no, but something about the highly stylistic boxes, and myriad of colours, caught me, and I fell hard for that particular marketing scheme.

Fall 2013 Box from SDM Line Quo

So here’s where I admit a certain proclivity for boxes as well. And apparently eyeshadow.

Urban Decay Electric Palette - but can you blame me!

And now, we have an entirely different problem.  More eye shadow than one person can reasonably use in a certain span of time.  Say the next 10 years.  And so now, again, I try to make a conscious attempt to control myself.

Apparently I already announced this in January, so even a public declaration wasn’t enough to stop me.  But now, especially after a trip to the US where I was able to purchase a few items I cannot here, I have decided to be sterner with myself.  Since the truth of the matter is, really, at the end of the day, there’s no real need for a self imposed embargo - I probably already have whatever it is they’re offering.

oh come all ye faithful

With each year that passes we all seem to feel that retail Christmas creeps just a little bit further ahead stretching the season for all it’s worth.  But here’s the thing I can’t quite grasp.  People will Christmas/Hanukah/Insert-Holiday-Celebration-here shop regardless of when you do or don’t start the festivities.

A veteran of retail sales, I can tell you I am almost completely immune to the charms of Christmas carols, unless they became popular after 1993 and that I have a healthy antipathy of the mall during December.  Let’s just say I’m a big fan of order it and pick it up at the store options, letting me get in and out fast.  A quick trip to the liquor store and I’m content to head home and enjoy the holidays that way.

A colleague who has started her own online store asked me what my opinion about when to start talking about the holidays on her site.  I suggest 4 to 5 weeks before her last day to ship, which puts us pretty close to now.  And this is where I see both sides of the argument; 5 to 6 weeks is about what is needed to be successful at a season in retail and like it or not that puts Christmas pretty much immediately, like the-next-day immediately, after Halloween.  And in order to do that well, a retailer has to put stock out with Halloween.  However I do concur that going to Metro on October 31^st and finding a giant Christmas tree made of soda cases, wearing a red hat, was off-putting. 

SDM did a survey via their twitter feed asking when people thought it was a best time to start the caroling and December first was the consensus.  I was a little surprised, I suggested November 23^rd figuring it was a month prior to the holiday and so a decent interval, although, as mentioned above, I’m somewhat immune. 

I guess what I’m trying to say dear retailer, is that they will come faithfully.  So stop trying to shove it down our throats quite so early.

and there's that

What a difference a week, or probably a little longer in reality, makes.

According to the man himself the entire gentleman's deal went down in a van on a country road, which hopefully isn't as untoward as it sounds when you write it down.  The deal gets voted in or out in September but the deal for Loblaw to purchase Shopper's Drug Mart gives them not only an entirely new-ish market segment but also unprecedented urban locations.

So while the webesphere goes on about how 'expensive' these retailers are - not understanding that there is a fairly large group who are not willing to take transit out into the wilds of the 'burbs, walk across a massive parking lot to save 29 cents on a can of tuna - 'we' are wondering how exactly this will look.  However I admit that on those Friday nights when I don't want to cook and I'm standing in the freezer aisle of my local SDM I'm a little stoked that there might be some Blue Menu options.