Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The girl can't help herself...

I went to a Neutrimetics "Spa Experience" Monday night (since when did they stop being parties and become Spa Experiences?)

I can tell you now, if you ever plan to invite me to a Neutrimetics, Avon, or any other sort of girly smelly selling party, don't bother. I'll simply show up, drink your wine, eat your food, make smart comments (even though I try so hard not to) and not buy a thing.

The problem, you see, is packaging.

This is how I chose my beauty products:

1. They've got to be packaged in black and white. Or black. Or white. Or sometimes even silver. Light cream or fawn sometimes can slip through... but only if I'm really desperate.

This somewhat limits my options but luckily I rather like those options: Mac, Aesop, Natio, Philosophy and Olay all fit the bill. Oh - and I noticed last time I was in New Zealand that Living Nature have repackaged and now are not only black and white but very very droolworthy...

2. I'd prefer it if they didn't smell. I spend a large amount on a bottle of perfume each year (L'eau d'Issey if you must know) so don't want to complicate things. If they must smell sea is nice. I miss the sea (not that I was ever much of a swimmer...) I love Simple soap (once it's out of the package!) It's plain white and it doesn't smell.

3. My moisturiser has to have SPF 15 at least in it. And, if all this wasn't difficult enough, I'd prefer if it was in a pump pack. David Jones' repackaging of their home brand moisturiser a few years ago into a blue bottle threw me into a total tizzy which was only sorted when I discovered Olay Total Effects. At about quadruple the price (of course!)

Luckily my friend hosting the party last night knew me well enough to say to the consultant "Oh, she won't buy anything - your packaging has colour in it."

I just sat in the corner and continued to much on the carrot sticks and dip while breathing a small sigh of relief...

(Listening to: Loop Select 007: We are here)

2 comments :

Anonymous said...

Ha, thats brilliant. I am understanding your B&W preference! It simplifies life somewhat :)

Margie said...

I refuse to buy anything that comes in a pot. I don't want to have to stick my fingers in and scoop stuff out. It particularly bothers me that the Neutrimetics ladies have got special little spatulas to get the stuff out of their open top jars with. If you *know* it's unhygienic to put your fingers in, why not just put it in a pump?!

I want to hygienically pump out just the little bit that I need for this time. A squeezy bottle will do at a pinch, but really, bits get sucked back in when you are squeezing it out. Eeuw.

(The one exception to the rule is the body shop's strawberry body butter because that stuff smells like heaven and it's so thick that I can convince myself that any bits I've touched are coming out each time.)

And it can't be in a transparent bottle either because any kind of vitamin active ingredient will then die in the first week of light exposure.

I got the new olay 30+ everyday moisturiser (which you will be safe from being tempted to try seeing as the pump has a yellow collar) and my skin has reverted to the worst parts of my teenage years. I'm Mrs Pimpley.
Gah.
Not recommended.