At least once a month everyone at PCI gathers in our lunchroom to surprise someone of the staff whose birthday happens to be in that month. Sometimes they do not suspect it and are truly surprised and others (like me) really do know what is going on. The fun is not in the actual surprise rather it is how we get someone into the lunch room.  Sometimes it is as simple as “We need you in the kitchen” or as complex as “You received a delivery and it is in the kitchen.” or ” The garbage disposal is broken can you fix it?” My favorite was one that we did not use. It was Paula’s birthday and we had decided to lock all the doors and turn off the lights (she had gone out to lunch and was in the process of returning to the office and we thought it would be cute for her to return to a “closed” office.) Bryan suggested that we put a sign up “Caution Biohazard: Closed for Skin Care Repairs.” I think Paula would have thought that was funny, because she usually does. Once you get her going, she can laugh until tears spill down her cheeks and wreck her makeup. 

We also have a list of all employees’ favorites as far as cakes or pies. While nothing can compare to my Mother’s homemade Chocolate Soufflé some of the Costco cakes that we have had were really good! It always amazes me the different types of people and their discriminating tastes. Some are ”frosting inclined” and others not so much. I remember past birthdays where people specifically requested a corner piece so that they can maximize the amount of frosting they would get. Now, that is obsession and I am not talking about the perfume!

There is also the part about singing Happy Birthday. The hardest part is when we have a lot of birthdays to sing. For example something like:  Happy Birthday Dear Bart, Deborah, Kate, Patrice, Roxanna, Karoline, Ann, Pablo, KoKo and Mark (Pablo and Koko our a few of the 11 dogs we have here in our office). A Verdi opera would be less challenging to sing some months (believe me, I know.) Also, if we leave the door open sometimes the customers on the phone can hear it. I had one customer ask what all the noise was in the background. I was pretty new at the time and so I told her it was the radio. She told me that I would lose my hearing if I kept listening to music so loud!

So next time you call in and hear a lot of noise in the background just ask whose birthday it is at PCI and I promise to to let you know!

Over the years that I have worked for Paula’s Choice many customers have asked “ You must use only her products right?” While I do use several of Paula’s products and follow her advice, one item in my cosmetics wardrobe that is not a Paula’s Choice product is mascara.

I’ve been wearing it since I was 11 and found a tube on my mom’s vanity table. I noticed it made my eyes appear larger, which was a great help given that I wore giant red Sally Jesse Raphael style glasses which made my eyes appear diminutive at best. Combine that with shoulder length mall hair, jelly bracelets, frosty pink lip gloss and I was quite a sight to behold.

Until recently, I had never found a mascara that truly performed for me in all aspects. Most had provided thickness but not much length, or length but not much thickness. Call me greedy, but I just really want a mascara to do both. Last December, while doing some Christmas shopping, I stopped into a local Sephora to check out a mascara I had heard about called Blackout by Dior. It was $25 and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend that much money on a mascara when Paula suggests several which cost much less. I justified this purchase on the principle that a $25 mascara is infinitely cheaper than a Hermes Birkin Bag.  I know Paula would cringe, I didn’t check her review of this product and I spent well over the amount she considers necessary. Thankfully Paula is patient and rarely cares about her employees straying from her path.

I tried the mascara the next day by itself without liner but with a bit of concealer and powder on my eyelids. I had to run to the grocery store for some last minute baking ingredients. As I am pondering the difference between pre-sifted and non pre-sifted flour a customer had asked if I wore false eyelashes or had eyelash extensions. When I told her they were not she asked which brand of mascara I used. This was the first time I had ever had someone stop me in all my years of wearing mascara, so it must be doing something right! The compliments did not end there, I probably did more business for Dior then some of their sales reps!

I’ve since purchased this product two or three more times while, of course, still trying the ‘latest and greatest’. It’s nice to know my Holy Grail of mascara is attainable for less than a designer handbag.

First let me start by saying that at Paula’s Choice everyone in Customer Service is trained and wants to answer questions in as helpful, polite, considerate, intelligent, and personalized manner as possible. Having said that, as the customer service manager and member of this team for more than eight years, the question of my team’s competency is one that has bothered me over the years until a recent experience helped me understand just why a consumer might ask.

When I called my local cell phone company to get information on current plans and upcoming new phones, I was met with the standard “Thank you for calling [xyz company], how may I help you?” but it seemed to go downhill from there. As I asked the questions about what new plans and phones were available, I was advised that “all of this information is on our website” and then there was silence. Was that just a recording I heard? I wasn’t really sure so I replied, “Okay….Is the number I’m calling right now not for questions only to place an order?” Although slightly modified, I just asked the very question I had come to dislike over the years (it was like a light bulb turning on), is this just an ordering line or can you answer questions? What else is customer service for is not to ask questions and have someone with knowledge and patience to take care of you. If the phone number is an ordering phone number, just tell me that up front don’t waste my time redirecting me.

To test if I could get the help I needed, I changed my question to; “Can you just tell me when my contract is up?” I wanted to see if the risk of losing my business would stir a better response. She knew that answer right away and then said “is there anything else I can help you with?” I’m thinking you haven’t even helped me yet, and you’re not getting that I’m so frustrated I’m considering changing providers. Believe me, my team is never going to do that to any Paula’s Choice customer.

So for future reference, please know that when you call Paula’s Choice, our team does take orders, BUT we also answer questions and most importantly we DO care and appreciate that you chose our company to serve your skincare and cosmetics needs. Thank you again for choosing Paula’s Choice! We look forward to speaking with you.

Along with our coffee, review of new emails and start of a game plan for upcoming tasks, there are the standard “Good Mornings” extended to each employee in the office and this doesn’t just apply to our human employees.

From divas such as Satine, Coco, Bella and Daisy to carefree boys like Pablo, Sponge Bob, Timmy, Bo, Boris and Danny, the office dogs at Paula’s Choice have become a staple in our day. As if on the time clock themselves, these dogs wouldn’t miss a day of work and feel as though they are just as productive as everyone else; even attending meetings from time to time. Of course there are the daily breaks as well and this means literally getting on the floor and for a good old fashioned belly rub. Okay, the dogs not us (although that doesn’t sound bad) and don’t think Paula is exempt. In fact, the dogs know when she’s entered the building by the sound of her voice and also know she will give them each a moment of undivided attention on the floor, high heels and all!

With wagging tails and an almost smile on their face at times, I have witnessed a great example of a win-win situation. These office dogs (some rescued) need a certain something and add a certain something to our team at the same time. Without effort, they manage to bring out the best and friendliest in each and every one of us.

While this maybe a little strange or different to other companies, Paula’s Choice wouldn’t have it any other way. After all, who would explain to our canine partners that they can no longer come to work? We just can’t imagine the office without them! 

For those of you who know Paula’s work, and given I’m Paula’s Customer Service manager, you may think that sounds blasphemous. Well, that was my stance a few years back. Being both African American and Caucasian, I have naturally tan skin that rarely burns so, I figured there was no need for sunscreen. Interestingly enough, I actually got this idea from my mother who is Caucasian even though she herself wore sunscreen due to having a fair complexion.

Of course along with others, I enjoyed many days outdoors without a care or thought about how the sun was affecting my skin. Who could blame me? Since the damage is silent and for the most case invisible (unless you get a burn), it seems as if nothing is happening.

When I began working for Paula’s Choice, I found that while people with a darker complexion may have a lower risk of sunburn and skin cancer, they are in no way immune to the damage caused by the sun. I also found out that sun exposure is a huge contributor to wrinkles and those pesky little brown spots and ashy skin tone women of color like me don’t like.

Unfortunately, I didn’t just read about these things, I actually began to see them happening (even though I was now using sunscreen, some damage had already been done from my years of neglect). My skin started to look a little blotchy, uneven and didn’t seem to feel as soft. The dead give away though; you got it, those darn brown spots which I had always thought were just age spots anyway. While the first noticeable one above my lip wasn’t bad (I actually even thought of it as little Marilyn Monroe-ish), they seemed to be creeping up all over now and not just on my face. I began to notice a few on my chest and forearms.

Flash backs of baby oil and water bottles came to mind along with full days out in the sun, just lying there soaking it all up. What the heck had I been thinking? Actually I wasn’t thinking and that is the difference between then and now. There is information available and there are products that can help address damage that has already been done as well as products that will help prevent future damage. Trust me, sunscreen is a part of my routine now 365 days a year, rain or shine without fail. It has just become a habit and a good one that I share with the rest of my family (especially my teenage girls) and my skin definitely looks the better for it. Paula often comments on how beautiful my skin looks.

So if you’re feeling the way I used to, the whole ”I don’t really need sunscreen” thing,  think again because everything you do comes to light one day and unless you are going for that uneven, weathered, freckly look, then I suggest you get your hands on a good broad spectrum product and start applying liberally!

Almost eight years ago I sat in Paula Begoun’s office in my red sport coat and tie having a conversation (OK, an interview) that would drastically change my future. I was working as a retail manager in cosmetics, and was ready for a change. Having been a fan of Paula’s books for years, I decided to visit her Web site, something I had not done in several months. As luck would have it, there was an employment ad on the home page for a makeup artist/journalist. I knew the makeup part quite well, and journalism was what I studied in college, so I applied. I had no idea if I would hear back from Paula. I didn’t know if she’d be comfortable talking with a man about cosmetics, seeing as her readership was predominantly female. But you never know unless you give it a go, so I did. About a week later I was meeting the Cosmetics Cop in person, being quizzed about ingredients, what I like and don’t like about working in the cosmetics industry, even which fashion magazines I routinely read. Although I was nervous, it was the first interview in my working life that felt natural rather than stilted.

The original interview actually turned into several more, with various job-related tests being assigned. Paula was nervous about hiring a co-writer, and had doubts that she’d be able to work on a book project with another writer without egos and viewpoints clashing. One of my assignments was to review the cosmetics line I was working for at the time. Paula wanted to see how well my writing style would blend with hers. I took to the project with gusto, turning in my “review” the next day. Paula was impressed, and that led to the next interview, which I’ll detail in another blog. Shortly after I began working for Paula, she told me that she initially thought my review of Aveda was just a minor re-write of what was in her book. She exclaimed I had some nerve if I thought she wouldn’t notice I just gave her own words a slight tweaking. But that wasn’t the case—I wrote the review from scratch (every writer’s fear: a blank computer screen save for the flashing cursor) and hoped for the best. It wasn’t until Paula passed my piece to others in the office that they pointed out I had not simply retooled her review. Rather, my writing style just happened to match hers in a nearly seamless manner. In essence, we had the same “voice” and I officially became Paula’s “mini-me”. So nearly eight years later, with five books, countless newsletters, and pages upon pages of Web content written with Paula, I’m still gainfully employed! Despite Paula’s concerns about sharing writing responsibilities, our working relationship has rarely been strained. Her experience, perspectives, and unfailing sense of humor blend perfectly with mine, and have seen us through many daunting projects. And she isn’t shy about celebrating, which is always a treat!

I’ve been involved in some aspect of the cosmetics industry for over a dozen years, and in that time (especially since working with Paula) I have seen, researched and reviewed thousands of products. You’d think that with all I am exposed to that my bathroom would be bursting at the seams with all manner of creams, lotions, scrubs, and serums. Guess what? It isn’t. Admittedly, I use more skin-care products per day than the average soap-and-water guy, but given what I do for a living, I don’t think its overkill.

I tend to be very loyal to products that work. Once I find something that really works for me, I am resistant to change. In contrast, most women I know tend to go from product to product, seemingly at the whim of the cosmetics industry’s next proclamation of the “best” ingredient or product line. Women also tend to be more accepting of a skin-care routine encompassing several products, many of which are superfluous. I get the allure of such a routine and the temptation to try what’s new is undeniably strong. After all, shouldn’t products keep getting better and better? Won’t they eventually work as claimed? As for me, I prefer to stick with what I know works, not only formula-wise, but for my skin’s needs.

My daily routine consists of seven skin-care products, spaced between daytime and evening. See, that’s definitely more than most men use, but not as much as most women following a skin-care routine of some kind. So I guess when it comes to grooming, I’m medium maintenance. At least until you check out my supply of hair-care products. Then there’s no denying that high maintenance is the name of the game!

Before this blog comes to an end, I wanted to share with you the Paula’s Choice products that I have had in my routine for years because they have never failed me. I am a devoted user of our One Step Face Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin, Skin Balancing Moisture Gel, 1% Beta Hydroxy Acid Lotion, and Close Comfort Shave Gel. I do like experimenting with various sunscreens, including those we have in development at Paula’s Choice. And I alternate sunscreens based on their SPF rating, the season, and how long I’ll be exposed…uh-oh….I’m either becoming high maintenance with skin care too or just have too many worthwhile choices!