Tech Ideas - Ingenious Stuff!

It is very likely that most of you are finished with your holiday shopping - however, if you are still looking for that one really cool gift then take a look at this cool list of tech gadgets:

1.  The Chargecard (it's not what you think) $25.00 USD

Its a credit-card sized charger for the iPhone 5c/s and latest iPad.  Remember when USB or thumb-drives were long rectangles or credit-card sized drives?  Well now there is a charger the size of a credit card!  Isn't that the best?  Take a look at the site and you will see how small this thing is - however, this next gadget is the-best, the-best, the-best...

2.  Cufflink WiFi/Hot Spot $250.00 USD

Come on - WiFi cufflinks and a 2GB USB drive?  Easy to use for Window/PC platform devices.  You can even tether your mobile device. 

3.  Opena Bottle Opener Case for iPhone ~ $32.00 USD on Amazon

Its a hard-style case for iPhone 5 - your phone slides into the hard case and the bottle opener slides in and out of the inner track on the back once the phone is in the case.  Now, I think this is a really cool tool.  I can not tell you how many times I have been out or even in the house looking for a bottle opener and kicking myself that I have not remembered to just go buy a simple two-dollar tool!  

4.  The DropCam HD Video Monitor Camera ~ $150.00 USD

This video monitor camera usually gets three to five stars in terms of user reviews.  Its easy to set-up, and you can connect it to your home network and monitor activity in your home or where ever you use the device in real-time (IRT).  It does suck-up some bandwidth, but if you have a need for this type of products its probably worth it.  

Have fun!

Tom Ford Arrives at Nordstrom Bellevue Square

It's here. The Tom Ford counter is installed and very very pretty.  This counter presents the entire cosmetics and fragrance line and presents it quite beautifully, I might add.  You can't help but look and feel beautiful under and in front of the lights here.  : )  The Tom Ford Illuminating Primer is especially nice.  It gives you that glowy-dewy look! Its super booty-ful!

We all know how much better it is to be able to buy make-up F2F instead of on-line so I am so glad to see a Tom Ford counter in the Pacific NW.

About shopping, yes, it's easier to shop in your jammies on the sofa with a nice cocktail at your side, but there is something to be said about in-person shopping.  ( I still like the looking-around part and also like saying hi to all the counter managers)

I prefer a combo-approach to shopping when I can; I research the item Im looking for on-line;
*  I find a lot of my new product scanning bunches of sites and trade & fashion mags (hardcopy and digital publications)
*  I google the product;
*  I look for the best price
*  I look for which on-line retailer has the item in stock
*  I look for which on-line retailer is offering an on-line shopping incentive or GWP
*  and finally, my biggest pet-peeve of them all - the shipping charge; if I can find FREE on-line shipping then that one feature will move an on-line retailer to the top of the pile - no joke (I really turn a frown when having to pay for shipping)

If I am not finding too much info on-line because the product is too new (hence, one of the reasons for my blog) then I find who has the item here locally then track it down and check it out F2F.

This kind of combo-shopping really helps me make a "science" out of shopping.  I consider it an art quite frankly.   What about you? 

Happy shopping! 

Nordstrom - Bellevue Square for the Holidays!!

I popped down to one of my favorite places to shop here in the Pacific NorthWest - Nordstrom @ Bellevue Square.  Maybe everyone already knows this but when I walked into the store yesterday (12/12/13) they were completing the install for the Tom Ford cosmetic counter - Yay!  Tom Ford here in Bellevue!  I am probably a little too excited about this but if you only knew what lengths I have gone through to get some of the Tom Ford stuff you might appreciate this tid-bit of news.

I am very excited to have the Tom Ford here F2F - its great to be able to see, touch, and feel what you are buying.  I have primarily been purchasing my Tom Ford over the internet at Neiman Marcus - so trust me when I say I am excited!!

Additionally, I met two new friends:

Amy Sepulveda - Smashbox

Amy Sepulveda - Account Executive for Smashbox and
Marissa Chambers - Smashbox Counter Manager @ Nordstrom

Both were super, super sweet and very very sharp.  They don't know this about me but if they let me I would talk their ear off about make-up.  Amy and Marissa turned me onto to two products;

1.  The Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer
*  Pale pink in color
*  Smooth and soothing under the eye
*  Velvety texture and fragrance free

2.  The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer  (Award Winning)
*  Clear in color
*  Fragrance fee and feels a bit like that silicone type of feel
*  It leaves a smooth layer on the face which allows your base and foundation cosmetics to lay on a flat surface providing a refined surface

Marissa Chambers - Nordstrom

Around my eye I have this flaky fine-line thing happening
(new to me) and I also had puffy-eyes (which I really never have).  Needless-to-say the ladies hooked me up once they saw the state of me and applied the products.  And No-Joke - by the time I got back to the house (about 2 hours later) my little flaky eye and puffy-eye situation were GONE!  I was pretty impressed actually.


Now, some of you are already familiar with both of these products, but they were new to me.  Something the ladies do not know about me is I can have sensitive skin sometimes, but both products were super soothing on me and I had no adverse reaction to either product what-so-ever.


 The next-day (on clean face) I again applied both products and had an even better experience with both primers (but especially the eye primer).  A great experience I have to say.














































































Here is how good these Smashbox artists are - I left the house yesterday in full face - meaning, I did a pretty good job of applying the paint before I got the day started - however, I did skimp on the brows (full confession) and just brushed some sable brown eye shadow over my brows because I didn't want to take the time to pencil and powder, and dress my brows - Amy totally clocked-me - she said "...let me show you this really great eye pencil..." and filled in my brows for me.  The pencil has a slanted tip to apply the color on one end, and the other end holds a brow wand to dress, set and brush your brows -  (incidentally, I did purchased the pencil as it is a terrific tool to have in your arsenal of cosmetics)


I had applied eye make-up, cheeks and lip gloss before I walked out the door - Im still pretty amazed that she caught the one-thing I skimped on - Well Done!!  : )  That Amy is one sharp exec!  Thanks again for all your help yesterday ladies - it was super fun to meet you!!!


The Smashbox Brow Tech To Go pencil

Smashbox Brow Tech To Go

Now on to gloss.....I walked around the store and was comparing holiday/glitter lipgloss.  In past I have worn the
Chanel Glossimer in colors 151 or 171 - the two clear options - however, I was walking around and found the new Guerlain 'Maxi Shine - Gloss d'Enfer' Lip Gloss in #400 Gold Tchlack.

After walking around the store with gloss all over my hand I purchased the Guerlain because of the reflective properties in the gloss itself - under low-light or night-light you are bound to get the most bang-for-your-buck with this gloss in the gold - its super beautiful and reflective and is not too goopy or thick and is quite lovely as far as glosses go.  The pictures on-line do not do this gloss or the reflective properties justice - its quite stunning in person.

Anyhow, another fun day of make-up - happy holiday shopping everyone!

Breville Does Good for the Holiday!

In our current day-and-age of on-line reviews, pictures and tweets witnessing events, and scathing reviews of purchases and experiences gone-wrong - here is my own story about a company doing right (a little deviation from fashion and beauty but important none-the-less) 

Last August 2012 I purchased the Breville Smart Oven BOV800XL.  This is their compact convection oven that is on every girl's bridal registry and cook's hit-list.  Its a small oven with a convection feature - the oven takes up very little space on the counter and its bakes darn-near everything that will fit inside its ~12 x 12 oven.  But those marvelous features are not the story here.  

A few weeks back when I started my holiday (Thanksgiving) baking the oven went out.  Just like that.  No warning - just would not turn back on.  As a very enthusiastic baker I pretty much lived-and-died (so to speak) by my oven.  It toasted my gluten-free bread in the morning, it baked my hand-made croissant and cookies, and it toasted my tortillas for dinner - but it just stopped working.  

As a technical project manager I am very well versed in research - I often have to research many elements of the project work that I do - so I researched my own little oven.  I found out that there was "potentially" an issue with some of the smart ovens in my series.  Some had a known defect and could potentially stop working.  I started to think my oven might have fallen into that category.  

I could go on and on here but let me get to the story; the day or so before Thanksgiving I sent Breville an email via their site.  In that e-mail I let them know that my sweet little oven stopped working in a little more than one years time and I also attached a copy of my original receipt for the oven and sent it off.  Now again, it was a day or so before the holiday so I had no expectation the organization would get back to me.  But they did......(to my suprize!)


A Breville representative contacted me almost right away the following day.  They asked for a few more bits of information and they answered all my questions (and trust me, I can ask a question or two) and guess what - THEY REPLACED MY FAVORITE OVEN!  Now, personally I think my oven fell into the category of potentially having this pre-existing issue - that said - the company did right by me regardless and sent me a brand-new replacement.  The customer service associate Matt Sutton was responsive, super nice, and shipped my oven out quickly.  (The replacement oven shipped out once I put my now out-of-service oven in the mail with their own FEDEX label they sent to me and P.S. -  I happened to have the original box and shipped it out that day -( I'm a little nerdy about those kind of things).

This was no random-act-of-kindness.  This was a large corporation, Breville, doing right by their customer - this was a large corporation doing the right thing.  It would have been very easy for Breville to say hey, your appliance is over one-year out of warranty, or hey we will send you a refurbished replacement or many other tales - but that did not happen.  The company did what was right.  So often organizations take the easy way out and do nothing or they make you as the consumer work for what is right - and this organization did not do that.  They made the effort to do good by their customer and provided a brand new replacement.  

Breville replacing that oven was the organization acknowledging the issue and fixing the situation (and it was the best holiday gift ever I might add!).  I am grateful to Breville and the customer service associate who helped me, and I firmly and have always believed in going above-and-beyond and out-of-my-way in spreading-the-word when things go right.  So often we hear about companies when they are not-so-great, but this is a story about a company doing really really great.  Thank you Breville!  I am very grateful for your help and when I am ready to buy my next appliance you can bet that I'll be looking to you for that purchase!  
(Yay!  I love my oven)  ; )

Kindly, 

Sandra Sanchez - your customer

Tom Ford Shadow and Primer Review - Dec 2013

I am very excited to review two (2) Tom Ford products from the somewhat newly released cosmetics line.  I will be reviewing the Tom Ford quad eye shadow in Ice Queen and the eye primer.  Let’s get to it – here are the eye shadow and primer reviews:

Box, case, sleeper bag

Tom Ford Eye Color Quad – 14 Ice Queen

Overall – the eye shadows are splendid!!  Pictures can not do the applied product justice – in low-light or night-light WOW! The effects of the shadows are incredibly iridescent (not in a gaudy way – very tasteful) (ill try to take some pics with a real camera instead of my iPhone) They blend well, are very pretty, and can be worn day or evening – depending how you apply the colors  - here are the specifics: 

·      At first look the compact is oversize – measuring in at 4” x 2 11/16”

·      The entire brown and gold eye shadow compact opens all the way flat (which can be helpful when you need a larger viewing area when using the nice mirror inside)

·      No fragrance and about .35 ounces

·      Two applicators are included:

Case opens all the way flat

o   One applicator has a typical black rounded sponge-tip on one end and the other end has a really useful pointed black sponge-tip (I found this particularly useful when I was applying the iridescent silver shadow in the corner of my eye)

o   The second applicator has the rounded sponge-tip applicator and the other end has a slanted white brush (I have not used this yet but that applicator is next to test)

·      There are no formal “names” for each of the colors and there was no literature included in the box for any of the products I purchased (not even on the Tom Ford website as of yet)

·      Here are the colors:

o   The quad includes a super soft grey in upper top left (applied this shadow appears pretty white)

o   To the right is a very translucent iridescent or glitter shadow in silver (the applied color is very very light silver and plenty of sparkle!)

o   The bottom left is a pretty grey – very light

o   The bottom right is a nice very dark charcoal grey/black (not a true black but very dark just the same)

·      Its important to note THESE COLORS ARE HEAVILY PIGMENTED – and that translates into:

o   When you wipe the applicator or brush across the shadow ensure you “tap” off the excel on your hand or tissue before application (I would suggest you not “blow” off the eye shadow as you will wet the shadows and changes the application not in a great way – I broke this habit very early on years ago – but I think some women still practice make-up application this way – it also contaminates your cosmetics)

o   Because the shadows are heavily pigmented you need less shadow

§  Start with less and build the product until you get used to it if you have not previously used a heavily pigmented shadow – even I had to remove my shadow and start over when I received the products)

·      The powders blend really well when used with the primer.  
Please note:  I have found the eyeshadows to be a bit fly-away when not used with a base (primer)  Also, they did bleed or creep and flake after several hours.  Little bit of a bummer there.  

Tom Ford Eye Primer Duo

Overall – the primer creates a nice smooth base for the eye shadow.  Use the included powder sparingly.  (I have not tried the eye shadows without the primer yet but that test is next)

At first glance – the primer duo comes in a small pot about 1 ½” in diameter (with a mirror in the top)

o   The bottom pot holds the cream base primer and the top flip-top contains the setting powder (that is what I am calling it for lack of a better term)

·      As far as I know there is only one color of the primer duo

·      No real fragrance in either the cream base or the powder

·      About .25 ounces (but again, you only need a very small amount)

·      Primer cream base is very light (I tapped it all around the surface of my eye with my ring finger)

·      The included powder is very light (I dusted it all over the eye once I let the cream base set for a minute – I don’t every like to apply any powder to a tacky surface as it will get caught in the moisture and create clumps typically – PLEASE NOTE – when I first used the power I made the mistake of using it like an eye shadow and I used way too much to where it looked like I had applied white eye shadow – probably needless to say I started over and then used much less of the powder)

·      Its nice to have but could be an optional product – The primer encourages the eye shadows to remain in-tact without too much movement – and the shadows stay super in-place and without smudging

Overall - I really loved the shadows and the primer base is nice too.  Again, I would just watch being heavy handed with the shadows - but they are super super great.  The next review will be on L'Oreal Revitalift Eye Treatment, and another Tom Ford shadow in a color trio called She Wolf - those really pretty browns.