Lip-Sticking

The Woman Who Made Furs Fabulous

Article by Chloe Spencer 

While I was doing research for my Huffington Post article I was writing on the fur industry and why you should buy faux fur, I came across a site called Fabulous-Furs. But the furs on this site were faux, and looked just as real as their counterparts.

I was amazed…I looked through the collections of full-length white mink coats, coyote vests, and fox shawls, which all looked so real, except that they were only a few hundred dollars each instead of tens of thousands of dollars each! All beautifully made with high quality fabrics, and the best part, never harmed an animal in the process.

In fact, animals were helped in the process. Fabulous-Furs donates to hundreds of non-profits for animal rights every year. It is also the finest faux fur clothing company in the World, with celebrity customers, TV appearances and products sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. You're probably thinking, wow that is fabulous! All thanks to a woman named Donna Salyers, who put the fabulous into furs.

A Milkshake a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Guest post by Chloe Spencer 

You may be thinking, in regards to the title, how in the heck do milkshakes keep the doctor away? Well, maybe not in literal terms, but when referring to the newly launched non-profit, Milkshake, communities in third world countries and in places suffering because of disease or disaster all over the globe are helped through all sorts of different causes using this new site. Charities on Milkshake also include causes to help the environment, abused animals, and people making a difference.

I love eco-friendly shopping and discovering new creative causes, and I came across Milkshake after it was mentioned to me by a friend. I took a liking to their site and what they were doing, so I got an interview with the founders, and I incorporated all their answers into an article to share with all my readers on Lipsticking.

So, what is Milkshake?

And the Survey says...

We're in a "ME-covery" - not a "RE-covery."

According to a note sent to me this week, Saatchi Wellnes & Health (Time, INC.) conducted a survey that shows "women are taking control of their well-being following the blahs of the recession through what they are buying and how they are shopping."

Interesting. Don't you think?

Here's what the email said (they offered an interview with Managing Director Ned Russell - if you like,I can conduct one to answer questions you'd like me to ask him)...

Earth Day - Everyday

Obviously one cannot escape Earth Day. And, this gal thinks it's something we should observe every day. Each one of us needs to perform those little tasks that can make a difference, because each little thing adds up. Just ask Mary Hunt or Paul Valenti.

I receive a great note from The Nature Conservancy sharing 5 Simple Things To Do on Earth Day which I thought I'd share here. Then, I'm going to add five more, from my own life.

From The Nature Conservancy:

5 Steps to getting started with Social Media Marketing

By Guest Blogger, Donna DeClemente, Donna's Promo Talk

Today I'm going to be presenting a training session on social media to a small group of people that work for the University of Rochester and are involved in their sustainability program. Rocky is their mascot. Today's session is an overview of the basics which I've titled "Demystifying Social Media". I'll be going back in a week for session two which will delve a little more into the area of how they can specifically use social media for marketing and how to sustain a presence.

So since I have this presentation rolling around in my head this morning I thought I'd share part of it with you. I created these five slides titled:

5 Steps to getting started with Social Media Marketing.

Step 1: Define your goal. Why do you want to use social media? Just like all other marketing and PR tactics, you need to outline your objectives and stay focused:

• Increase in brand awareness
• Brand engagement (pages viewed, time on site, items shared)
• Publicity, positive buzz and word of mouth (often uncovering brand evangelists)
• Build Relationships
• Drive traffic to a website
• Convert sales – both online and offline
• Strengthen inbound link generation, which benefits SEO

These are key indicators that when identified up front key help gauge your ROI.

A Little Link Love on a Wednesday

Tuesdays used to be my Fit by Five day. I would write five tips that readers could use to reach the women's market online. I've moved away from that - perhaps wrongly so, but there are numerous places to get tips today, not the least of which is using Twitter.

Today isn't Tuesday, you're thinking - and I know that. But this post is similar to a Fit by Five post, a hankering back to those olden days (if there is such a thing on the net), where I can offer some advice and insight by sharing 5 ways to connect with women. Instead of offering tips, however, I'm going to share Link Love. Here are five sites and blogs that can offer substantial information about women and how they shop.

Greening of My World

The trees have finally, finally! sprouted. I suspect that is not the right term, but it suits. I can see the corner of my suburban neighborhood from my window, and I wait every spring for the trees to finally sprout leaves. It seems like it takes longer every year - that I wait and wait, watching those bare branches wave in the wind, hints of green at their tips...until, finally, in late April, the first few leaves appear.

The grass gets greener about the same time. And bushes and flowering trees bloom, also. The birds are very loud - especially at 5 a.m. I know this because I have my window open.

The renewable energy of Mother Earth coming back to life is impressive. Daily walks around the block reveal a variety of bushes and trees - I'm no arborist, I can't tell a Maple tree from a Chestnut tree(unless chestnuts hit me on the head!), or a patch of pachysandra from a patch of hydrangea...but I can tell the difference between a rose and a daffodil!

Earth Day Approaches: Are You Earthy?

April, contrary to the popular poem about it, is NOT the cruelest month. April is the real advent of spring, with the re-emergence of green grass and budding bushes. I always like to watch the leaves slowly unfold on all the trees in our neighborhood. One day they're just buds of green, the next...they are in full bloom and they seem to reach for the sun with eager passion.

Along with spring we have the advent of Earth Day. I wanted to get a head start on Earth Day and share some tips for participation - which doesn't have to take a lot of time and energy. Mostly, it's a commitment to Mother Earth. You do like Mother Earth, don't you?

How Green is Your World?

I was reminded the other day that I have not been posting "green" topics on Lip-sticking. It was my goal to write something once a week, and for awhile I did. Somehow, time and place got away from me and I slowly veered away from my green initiative.

Let's bring it back, shall we? Green - the popular term for being environmentally safe and sound - is a high priority for women. Real women. Remember, this is 2009 and Lip-sticking's goal going forward is to market to real women online. Not demographics, not groups, not segments - real women: like you.

Earth Day is fast approaching, along with the advent of Spring, a season that can come none too soon for those of us in the East. We made our way through a tough winter this year, but I see green grass out my office window, and there are robins foraging for worms, with squirrels running to and fro. The world, at least outside my window, is at peace, and green abounds.

"What's the Big Idea?" UGC Contest from the Sundance Channel

I've been meaning to write about this for a long time - long being a relative term - let's say weeks, not months. Anyway, the Sundance Channel has announced a new contest that I know some of you will want to enter and be part of.

Here's the scoop: SUNDANCE CHANNEL ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL USER-GENERATED ECO-CONTEST "WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?"

According to the press release I received, "Sundance Channel invites consumers to share their inspired eco-solutions in the second annual national contest entitled "What's the Big Idea?" presented by Lexus Hybrid Living. The contest, in which consumers submit a short film or photo essay demonstrating how they work green, play green, eat green or live green, helps to kick off season two of Sundance Channel's original series "Big Ideas for a Small Planet," which launches on April 1 as part of The Green." See what I mean by "long time..." the contest started the first of this month. But, it goes till May 20th, so you can still enter.

The Green presents a lively mix of original series, documentary premieres and interstitital series about the earth's ecology... and you can find out more at their green page on the site.

Everyone knows, I hope, that the Sundance Channel is under the creative direction of Robert Redford. For this contest, you can access the Advisory Board at this link.

Meanwhile,