Iona Cosmetics

It was SHOW TIME!!!

2008-10-06T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven't written for a while. It seems that most of September was taken up in preparation for the ALL WOMAN SHOW in Winchester and the beginning of October recovering from it!! So I thought I would share my experiences of my first ever exhibition, oh and I'll try my best not to bore you all hee hee.

I had the idea in mind that I would be exhibiting my cosmetics, my aromatherapy collection (thank you Helen), my jewellery collection (thank you Jen) and offering facial makeovers for people on the day. The previous few months to the actual show date (28th September) was spent gathering all the bits and pieces you just never think about - from brush cleaner to table cloth, from company banner to table confetti, from poster stands to gift bags, from corporate T-shirts to disposable mascara brushes. Jeeeezzz the list really was endless. Typical me though, all purchases were made in enough time but what did my hubby and I end up doing ..... a trial run of the table layout at 1 o'clock in the morning in our conservatory, the same day I was actually setting off for Winchester (my best friend was driving us down on the Saturday before the show on the Sunday). Mad or what? Nothing like a bit of stress to get your adrenal glands and your creative juices flowing!!! Take a look at this, doesn't look much does it hee hee

My hubby and I collapsed into bed at 4am after he'd packed all the stock in boxes and filled the hallway ready to load up the car. I have to say at this point that due to my back condition (can't lift anything), my hubby was an absolute star and there was no way I could have done any of this on my own so a big thank you to him.

My best friend Kerrie came to pick me up at 11am, she and Gary loaded up the car and off we went. I tell you, in all honesty, this was soooo liberating. Sorry to go on about my back, I'm not whinging honestly, but to be out and about on my own felt so good!!! My friend and I laughed and chatted all the way down to Winchester and we arrived at 4pm.

We met with Hollie (my lovely makeup model who was helping me with the makeovers on the day) and her boyfriend, and we all went out to dinner in the centre of Winchester around 7.30pm. Now, if only I had the photos to prove this - myself, Kerrie and Hollie ended up in a Karaoke bar at 10pm, all very sober (I couldn't risk drinking too much as I knew the pressures of the next day). Instead of sitting quietly listening to the embarrassing wails of the locals, the three of us got up and sang our own equally embarrassing version of The Love Shack by the B52s. We even had groupees, girls cheering and dancing in front of us. Absolutely hilarious and I can't even blame the alcohol this time ha ha.

After a good night's sleep, slightly disturbed with a mixture of feelings of nervousness for the next day and sheer mortification (is there such a word?) that I got up and sang in front of a complete bunch of strangers, we breakfasted and headed to the Winchester Guildhall. A truly stunning venue for the show:

After much stress and several beads of sweat, the table was set up for the show which began at 10.30am. It was a great atmosphere, fellow exhibitors were all really friendly and supportive. I felt happy with the table layout although, my goodness it looked so different and so FULL compared to our 'conservatory setup' ha ha :

Myself, Kerrie and Hollie were all in our corporate colours, we even had matching makeup on our eyes and lips. We stood for a little while wondering what the day would hold for us, would we be rushed off our feet or left feeling like perhaps this was a bad idea. I think you can tell from the pre-show photograph below, we displayed our nervous grimaces for all to see (I'm the blob in the middle in case you're wondering hee hee) :

Well, we weren't kept looking nervous and out of place for long, we had our first sale at 11am and the day was very hectic from there on in. We figured out very quickly the best way to work together as a threesome, Kerrie taking the orders, working out totals and generally helping me stay organised, Hollie doing the makeovers which were fantastic, lots of bright colours and I was chatting with customers, talking about the company and demonstrating lots of products.

The day itself just flew by, before we knew it the show was closing and it was 4pm (although we made our last sale at 4.05pm hee hee). It was such an amazing day which was only marred by the fact that we didn't even have time to go and have a look at everybody else's exhibitions, although some lovely exhibitors came to chat with us so some useful contacts were made on the day.

Would I do it again, definitely yes, would I do it differently, probably. Life is a journey afterall and we just keep learning all of the time - I for one would definitely get bored if I wasn't challenged mentally.

Finally, I just want to say a personal thank you to my husband Gary, Kerrie, Hollie and her boyfriend David for all their help in making it such a successful show, without them it wouldn't have been possible.

Launch of our Iona Cosmetics Aromatherapy Collection

2008-08-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry I've been quiet again recently. Personally I've had my youngest children's birthdays - my beautiful Jasmine was 3 on the 15th August and my cheeky monkey Elliott was 2 on the 27th August. Big family party on Saturday the 23rd August, it was a mad house with a bouncy castle in the back garden - not sure if that was for the kids or the adults hee hee. It really was heart melting though to see how excited our kids were.

And so, some more great news from me from a business perspective.

Today I launch our

Iona Cosmetics Aromatherapy Collection

I can't quite put into words my excitement as this is the first time I have ever had my own brand of products.

A huge big thank you goes to Helen Hammond, our beautiful and talented qualified aromatherapist. She has worked tirelessly with me these past 3 weeks however the whole process from my perspective, has been an exciting and pleasurable one. Thanks too Helen for not laughing at my stupid questions hee hee. If only everyone was as lovely to work with as Helen although, I must also mention Jen Guezo here who produces stunning handmade jewellery, both women are a credit to the female entrepreneurial population.

So, for your delectation, here is a group photograph of our Iona Cosmetics Aromatherapy Collection:

Over the past 3 weeks, we have developed the labels and the blends for the different products. We also decided to name each skin range after a Celtic (Scottish) Goddess to keep with our Scottish 'Iona' roots. So here are the names of our skin ranges:

Arnamentia (Celtic Goddess of healing & purification) for Sensitive Skin
Coventina (Celtic Goddess of beginnings & inspiration) for Dry Skin
Belisama (Celtic Goddess of water & healing) for Normal Skin
Harimella (Celtic Goddess of protection) for Oily Skin

I think you'll agree, what we've produced are some gorgeous looking products but not only do they look great, they smell and feel fabulous. How do I know this? Well of course I've been pampering myself all in the name of research ha ha (see Helen, I did listen to you :D). I'm sat here typing this Blog with the gentle aroma of Coconut from the Whipped Shea Body Butter I've just used yet again. I smell yummy even if I do say so myself ha ha. I must stop sniffing myself though, people will think I've lost the plot ha ha.

Our range is an extensive one covering numerous products for your skin, from moisturisers to cleansers, from exfoliators to toners, from body butters to foot scrubs to eye gels. Here's just a few more photos because I can't help showing them off hee hee:

However, this is not the end of the Aromatherapy story. Helen and I will continue to work together building on our Iona Cosmetics Aromatherapy Collection and add new and exciting products to an already fantastic range.

Here's where you can find all the details about all our aromatherapy range:

Iona Cosmetics Aromatherapy Collection

Thank you for reading.

Love

Jude xxx

Another Makeup Look

2008-08-16T03:33:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Just a quick one, we have another subtle yet amazing look from Becky, delicate greens and gold eyemakeup. Here's the link:

Go* Cosmetics Green & Dirty Gold Eye Make Up Look

These really are amazing tutorials, they've certainly taught me a lot :D :D.

Love

Jude xxx

Not blogged for a little while

2008-08-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone

Well I haven't posted for a little while. Lots been happening, some good some bad.

I'll start with the bad. Unfortunately my back took a turn for the worse a couple of weeks ago, pain at the base of my spine going into my right buttock (my problems were always on the left). I suffered for a week before contacting the hospital and my GP so I'm currently awaiting an emergency MRI scan to see what's going on. As you can see, the usual non-urgency of the NHS means I haven't got an appointment through but I'm trying to be a patient patient :D :D.

Right, hate to dwell on negatives so the positives of recent weeks. I'm working with a lovely lady called Helen Hammond (some of you reading this will know her). We're working on a gorgeous aromatherapy collection for Iona Cosmetics from cleansers to moisturisers to exfoliators to foot scrubs. I'm soooo enjoying the creative process and Helen is just so easy to work with. The labels are almost complete now, that's been the longest part of the process as I think Helen already has in mind what the products will look and smell like, well with a little input from me too :D :D. The product ranges e.g. for sensitive skin, for oily skin etc. are named after Celtic Goddesses and the reason being the Scottish links of our company name Iona. We're hoping to sell to the Scottish market directly in the near future - I feel a trip to Iona coming on ha ha.

Some more news is that I've become friendly with a lovely and talented young lady through Bebo called Hollie Welch. She is always posting her makeovers on there, her eye makeup etc., and I just thought WOW they're amazing. So we got chatting and she's kindly agreed to do different looks for our website so that I can show examples of the different looks you can have with our cosmetics. Again, I'm loving the creative process and seeing what Hollie will design next. The first of her designs is on the front page of our website, all the blues to match our colour scheme and I've attached it here for you to see:

Expect a lot more different cosmetics looks from Hollie, she really has a got a natural creative talent!!!! Thank you Hollie :D :D.

And lastly I'm still getting ready for the show in September - lots to organise so that my stand at the exhibition will look professional and vibrant!! It's quite staggering how many things you need to think about, from banners to table cloths to jewellery/makeup/aromatherapy stands and I've even had to buy a petty cash box ha ha. I'll be taking lots of photos when we've set it all up before the crowd arrives so I'll be posting on here after the event. Fingers crossed it all goes well.

Thanks for reading, catch up again soon

Love

Jude xxx

Okay so it's not cosmetics ....

2008-08-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is not linked to my cosmetics business but to my other passion (no not my husband and my kids either ha ha), my passion to support my fellow sufferers who have experienced/are experiencing what it's like to live life with a prolapsed disc(s)/sciatic nerve problems. It truly is a debilitating condition and I believe a condition which is totally underestimated as to how it can affect your everyday life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I want to put energy into helping other people, understanding the symptoms, understanding medication, understanding the very complicated NHS system!!

So the idea came from a couple of friends (thank you Nikki B and Helen H you know who you are) who've set up similar sites for different reasons. I've designed and set up a specific SOCIAL NETWORK for people to communicate with each other who have suffered/still suffering from a prolapsed disc. The name of this network, not very inventive I know, is simply called Prolapsed Discs. I was going to call it "Pain In The Buttock" (fellow sufferers will understand that one) but I feared I might get some ill-meaning people joining the site, not a good idea.

As far as I'm aware there is no such site in UK just dedicated to this condition so here it is:

http://www.prolapseddiscs.ning.com/

Fellow sufferers, please join, customise your own page and start discussions with fellow members. All the rest of you lucky lucky people who've never suffered but know of people and seen what affect it can have on their lives, please join and show your support.

Please, lets make this a valuable site for all :D :D.

Love and gentle hugs

Jude xxx

Should have said!!!

2008-07-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

I should have said that I'm also starting a personal journey into the writing world relating to prolapsed/slipped disc problems. For those that don't know, I suffered from this debilitating condition starting November 2007 and after months of physio and heavy medication (1200mg of Gabapentin a day plus Cocodamol if I needed it), I had an operation in May this year (a microdiscectomy) and I'm making a slow but positive recovery.

After reading many many stories of people's experiences of this condition on a fantastic and supportive forum, I'm inviting people to tell me their personal experiences which I'm going to document, like a diary, in a book and get it published (I've already got a publishing company interested).

My reasons for wanting to do this are two-fold - one, to give sufferers some comfort that they're not alone in dealing with this horrendous chronic daily pain and two, to present these stories to the medical community in the UK to highlight the inconsistencies that appear to exist in treatment of patients.

I've been a doula for two and half years now and I completely understand the need for confidentiality and so stories will remain anonymous if the person would like them to be. This is a burning passion and if anyone reading this would like to get involved, please email me using my cosmetics email address salesoffice@ionacosmetics.co.uk.

Thanks for reading

Jude xxx

Lots of new ideas :D

2008-07-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

It's me again :D. Lots of things have been happening this past week or so. I'm happily still working alongside Jen on the handmade jewellery and together we've got lots of ideas for the Wedding part of my website. I've purchased some lovely 'wedding' gift bags and sparkly tissue paper to wrap everything in, I'm just deciding on what goodies to include hee hee.

I'm also busy organising myself for the exhibit in September in Winchester. I'm nervous and excited however I'm going to enjoy it all as much as I can and I'm taking my best friend with me to be my chief check out gal ha ha ha.

I'm also starting to think about Christmas, yes already!!!!! I'm about to add a new page to the website so that I can put together lovely gift sets especially for the festive season - you never know, this may include some nice jewellery for the many parties I hope everyone will be invited to :D.

On a more personal note, my lovely Mum has been ill these past couple of weeks and she went into hospital yesterday. Fortunately she has come home with lots of strong pain relief and she will wait for a full assessment of her condition - she has scoliosis of the spine, very very painful indeed. She's a brave woman though and I know she'll be fighting all the way. Good on ya Mum.

Signing off for now, see you all again.

Love

Jude xxxx

Gorgeous simply gorgeous!!!!

2008-07-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Jen has done it, she's made her first pieces for Iona Cosmetics. Please have a look at the website under Handmade Jewellery, there are three sets of necklaces with matching earrings, very classy. I just love them and wish I could keep them for myself ha ha.

Okay they do say that friends perhaps shouldn't go into business together, but we're both so easy going and we've known each for a good while now that I'm so positive it's all going to work out. I'm such a massive fan of her talents - she's just made a couple of bracelets for my daughter for her birthday - my daughter is just going to say "oh wow Mummy, thank you", that's what she always says when she's excited about receiving something hee hee.

Anyway, just wanted to share with you all - I feel giddy at the prospect of being able to help promote Jen's gorgeous work although I personally think her jewellery just sells itself.

Signing off for now

Jude xxxxx

Unique Handmade Jewellery

2008-07-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Well more great news which I'm so excited about.

A very talented lady, Jen Guezo, who makes the most gorgeous handmade unique jewellery is going to be making pieces exclusive for Iona Cosmetics. Each piece will be totally unique and not available anywhere else. Fantastic value for money too.

I'm so pleased to be working with Jen, we've known each other for about 18 months now and I've purchased some of her pieces for myself and for my daughter. She really is so creative and talented and I feel so honoured that she has agreed to work with me.

Keep watching the website, a special page is on there ready and waiting :D.

Things are moving on :D

2008-07-17T16:49:00.001-07:00

Hi there

Another little update from me. I've been very busy lately promoting Iona Cosmetics. I've got a Squidoo lens now, check out the link on the left of my Blog. I'm also talking via email to lot of other fantastic women who, like me, are working from home whilst caring for their kids - good on ya ladies!!

We had our first order to Bulgaria the other day which was fantastic and we've had quite a few orders to the US, Canada and Sweden. Of course, we've also got our regular customers in the UK who'd I'd like to personally thank for their continued support :D.

As for homelife, well my eldest son (who's 13) finishes school for summer this week so I'll have his raging hormones to contend with lol. My two little ones are growing so fast it's quite scary. My daughter who will be 3 in August will start part time nursery soon - I don't really want her to go but I know it will be of benefit to her. My little boy who will be 2 in August will really miss her I think but I suppose it'll be the first time he's had one to one with me for a few hours bless him.

We have got a night off from it all though tomorrow night as my hubby and I are going to watch Kylie in concert - woohoo, can't wait, think it'll be brilliant.

So that's me for now. See you all again and thanks for reading.

Love

Jude xxx

My first exhibit

2008-07-12T15:49:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update from me.

I've just booked to do my first exhibit of Iona Cosmetics. I'm very excited. I'll be selling my cosmetics plus doing makeovers for people.

See below for a link to the details for the show on the 28th September, you'll find me in the King Charles & Keats Room of the Winchester Guildhall. Can't wait!!!!

http://www.winchester.gov.uk/Events/Event.asp?id=SX9452-A7841C68

Love

Jude xxx

When we rebranded

2008-07-03T05:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

Well I decided a couple of months ago that I wanted to step up a professional level and rebrand our website and all that goes with it.

At the end of May, me and my husband (who's also a partner in the business) settled on the name Iona Cosmetics. This has special meaning for us. We honeymooned in Scotland 3 years ago and we visited the beautiful Isle of Iona. We loved it so much that we gave our daughter Iona as her middle name.

And so the name was born. Then I contacted a professional web designer (thank you Kevin Twitchett) and between us we came up with the logo that we've now got. The photo used is actually one that I took on honeymoon of Iona.

So where are we now? Well the website is up and running and doing well although it's still early days. We've had a lot more international orders recently which is fantastic, from the USA to Denmark to Sweden to Germany :D.

I've even set up a Party Plan side to our business aswell and we already have our first Iona Cosmetics Consultant on the books woohoo.

And so that's where I am with the business at the moment. Oh and I have 3 children too so life is busy but good :D :D.

Love

Jude xxx