Poop out on Popularity

Maybe I just wanted to say the word "poop" in a blog posting.  Maybe I'm steamed that more and more companies are making everything to be about popularity.  Maybe a little bit of both.

Earlier this week, I received a PR pitch about a company's contest to be held on Facebook.  The gist was that you had to have the most likes on a Facebook wall posting in order to win a really awesome prize (a prize, by the way, that I've been dreaming of since I was 16 years old).  I swallowed that dream moment and decided to write back the company and let them know that this is WAY against Facebook's Terms of Service and as much as I want to compete and win, I cannot participate.

Really?  Really.  Straight from Facebook. (click to see larger)

Letter "v".

Now, I additionally work for a public relations firm myself.

And it's HARD to get fans to engage with you sometimes! But breaking Facebook rules isn't the answer because it can get your Page removed.

Additionally, I just hate popularity contests. I hate bugging everyone I know to please "comment on this photo" or "share this status" or "like this page". Also I refuse to pay people to like/share/comment for me (oh yes, this happens more than you know).  I don't like losing either - and frankly, I lose a lot when it comes to popularity.  (Except that ONE TIME I won Miss Congeniality in the same scholarship pageant that Eva Longoria won years ago. Seriously. Yes it was the last sentence in the article but I was proud of it.)

A dear friend from The Plastic Diaries wrote a similar posting today, which sparked mine.  Please click on her logo to be directed to her blog posting.

And now I'm off for an evening of Zumba and later - blogging. I want to try out my new buttons.

Oh yes, and

Nothing To Disclose

FTC Updates to Disclosure Regulations

Image Courtesy of 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic

Because nothing is simple anymore.

The FTC has decided to update its Disclosure Regulations in regards to the dot com'ers. You are more than welcome to read the 50+ page PDF here.

The gist is that the FTC wants to make sure that when I got something for free, then YOU KNOW I GOT IT FREE.  They also don't want me to use an affiliate link without you realizing HEY, IF YOU CLICK HERE AND BUY SOMETHING, I WILL GET SOMETHING IN RETURN. (For the record, the ONLY affiliate link on PolishGalore is my Julep Maven subscription link in the blog posting here.)

Any other links on PolishGalore are just straight from Google, nothing hidden, nothing that will give me a kick back, nada.

Any time I use a product that was given to me by the company or the public relations firm that represents the company, you'll see a disclosure at the bottom of that blog posting about it. You can also read it on my Legals posting here or on my About Me page here.  Additionally, my spreadsheet has every Press Sample listed as "PR" if it was indeed a press sample bottle.

NEW! Now after the product picture that I post, you will see one of the two following buttons.

Press Sample      Nothing To Disclose

Clicking on either button will take you to my legals page.  Many thanks to 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic. Note: You will only see the actual button on my website. The CSS will not show up on mobile or in an RSS reader although the link and wording will.
 
A few of the lovely women from the Beauty Blog Coalition have also written about this matter. I've included them below and will keep updating this blog post as more of us write about the issue.

Raging Rouge – FTC Updates Disclosure Regulations Online 
Beauty & Fashion Tech – For Bloggers: How to Comply With The New FTC Guidance on Disclosing Products Provided For Review
Beauty & Fashion Tech – For Bloggers: How To Make Disclosure Buttons For WordPress
Gouldylox Reviews – Full Disclosure
Beauty Info Zone – Our Policies and the new FTC Disclosure rules  
15 Minute Beauty Fanatic – New Disclosures on 15 Minute Beauty
Pink Sith – FTC Update and Disclaimer
The Fabzilla – Changes  
Beyond Beauty Lounge - What is all this FTC Disclosure Chatter anyway?   
Vampy Varnish – Boring Ole FTC
Midnight Manicures – FTC Guidelines for Bloggers and How  
Painted Ladies – New FTC Guidelines
Primed & Polished – Update to FTC  
Portrait of Mai – Google Reader & FTC Disclosure Changes
Phyrra - Update to the FTC on Disclosures
BeautyJudy - New FTC disclosure policies
Pammy Blogs Beauty -  FTC Updates & Full Disclosure
Hello Dollface – Bloggers Discuss Changes to FTC Guidelines

Goodbye Google Reader.

So yesterday, I got a notice on my Google Reader that it's being retired on July 1, 2013. I heavily rely on Google Reader to read the 412 RSS feeds of various blogs that I follow, so I'm frustrated like the rest of y'all. (Really frustrated.)

If you're in the same boat, I'd like to let you know that you can follow me on BlogLovin and they are currently advertising that you can import all your RSS feeds in your Google Reader feeds into BlogLovin through this page.

To follow me on BlogLovin, just click this button. (Also found in my sidebar.) 


Cheers!

China Glaze Avant Garden

I first got to show you this collection last July at Cosmoprof and I'm definitely a sucker for pretty pastels.  (Even the not so pretty green one - yes I said it)  I know you can still pick these up at Sally's Beauty Supply and online at Head 2 Toe Beauty & Transdesign.  (Images courtesy of AII)

BLOSSOM INTO SPRING WITH CHINA GLAZE®

China Glaze® Nail Lacquer Invites You to Visit the Avant Garden

Los Angeles (January 2012) – Spring is here and China Glaze® is blossoming with vibrant color with its new collection, Avant Garden. The delectable palette flows between soft hues and vibrant pops of color, offering an unconventional bouquet of cheerful and vivid shades. Take a stroll down the China Glaze® path, passing a bubbling brook of light and bright blues. Take in the view of the mossy green meadow and stop to enjoy the fragrant flowers of soft pink and white.  Let Avant Garden take you away to a playful, romantic field of color and innovation this Spring.  

The Avant Garden shades include:

Budding Romance

moss green

Sunday Funday

bright blue

Fancy Pants

indigo with pink and purple shimmer

Snap My Dragon

bright red with pink shimmer

Passion for Petals

bright salmon-pink

Mimosas Before Manis

coral with a light wash of shimmer

Life is Rosy

blushed mauve

Pink-ie Promise

iridescent baby pink

Tart-y for the Party

light lavender creme

Fade Into Hue

periwinkle creme

Keep Calm, Paint On

sea foam green

Dandy Lyin’ Around

shimmery vanilla icing

China Glaze® Avant Garden is also available in:

6 Piece Collection of “Blooming Brights”

6 Piece Collection of “Pastel Petals”

12 Piece 3D Counter Display

36 Piece Rack

China Glaze® Avant Garden will be available March 2013. Individual shades retail for $7; 6-piece collections retail for $42.

China Glaze® is free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde.

China Glaze® nail lacquers are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, please visit www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze® on Facebook (@ChinaGlazeOfficlal), Twitter (@ChinaGlaze) and Pinterest (pinterest.com/chinaglaze).

China Glaze® is a division of American International Industries.

About American International Industries

For 42 years, AII has been the leading manufacturer and worldwide distributor of innovative, quality beauty and skin care products for men and women.  Our product lines include Andrea, Ardell, Body Drench, Bye Bye Blemish, Checi, China Glaze, Clean + Easy, Clubman/Pinaud, Duo, European Secrets, EzFlow, Fright Night, Gena, GiGi, Gypsy Lash, IBD, It’s So Easy, Jeris-Lustray, LASH BeLONG, Nail Tek, No Tweeze/Micro Tweeze, 'N Rage, Poshe, Prolinc, RAW, Seche, SuperNail, Surgi-Care, Waterworks, Winning Nails, Woltra, Woody’s, and Youthair. For more information, visit our website: www.aiibeauty.com. 

China Glaze Wait Teal You See!

Press Sample

This morning I told you about the new China Glaze Ombré sets - now I have the above to show you!  

I was surprised to see that these were full sized bottles - I knew that from the press release but the packaging just made the bottles seem so small in my hand.

The back of the package shows you a step by step of how to do it.

The ten pull apart 6 sided sponges.  Each one is slightly larger than a quarter.

First I painted my nail with White on White and then I decided to put my colors on a sandwich bag for easy clean up.  

RAWR MESSY SPONGE TIME. Now I think I needed more of the Turned Up Turquoise on my sponge because it just doesn't work as well for my eyes. Also you see how bumpy my sponge is?

Top coat that stuff.  Yep - it helps smooth out the spongy look... well, kinda.

I used my default e.l.f. Professional Concealer brush for cleanup.  They only cost $1 and are so awesome at cleaning up my cuticles.

The China Glaze Ombré sets are available for a limited time at Sally's Beauty Supply for $13.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.