Sterling Minerals Is Now An FDA Registered Company!

Well, just to give a quick update.

My company is now registered with the FDA and it was my decision to do this since it is important to me to play by the rules and continue to provide full disclosure of our product line and our ingredients, while creating products that will remain preservative and chemical free.

The FDA is flawed in many regards, but by becoming a registered company, I open myself up to scrutiny and fair play when it comes to bringing attention to the FDA Globalization Act of 2008. Furthermore, it allows me to become an active participant for the potential of exciting change and possible reform which will benefit the cosmetic industry and its' loyal customers.

Since myself and many Indies' are opposed to this draft written in its current form, we can hardly bring argument if the FDA doesn't know we exist. Cottage industry companies are rapidly growing wishing to do their part to bring the consumer choice for better organic and natural sources of exceptional skin care. We are all in this together and have jointly expressed our concerns about the new proposed regulation.

Donna Maria Coles Johnson, Owner and Founder of the Indie Beauty Network, of which I am a member, spearheaded the joint venture of all of us and took up a petition and went to Washington DC earlier this month, along with other industry leaders to make our position and opinons known. You can still sign the petition located here: FDA Globalization Act of 2008 Opposition Petition.

We are continuing our debate of the current draft and will keep all of you informed as things develop. Many thanks to the ladies who lead the way to the steps of DC to make our voices heard, loud and clear. Kudos! You can locate an update here: Indie Blog / Donna Maria / President

Have a great Weekend!

Exercise and the Art of Upper Body Maintenance

Exercise is a tricky topic for me. I'm not the type to go to the gym everyday for two hours. I prefer to spread my movement throughout the day- like the French do! When I lived in France in 2001 I became the ultimate lifestyle detective. I noticed that French women preferred to walk to the market or work- or up 9 flights of stairs in lieu of hitting the gym. And I never saw a French woman in sneakers. Quelle Horreur! I took what inspiration I could from them and ran.

Here is what a typical day for me is like- exercise wise:

When I first wake up, I do yoga for a minimum of 10 minutes. This is more for my peace of mind than anything else. I love stretching and breathing deeply. This really starts me off on the right foot. This is usually followed by 5 - 10 minutes of meditation- which is more exercise for my brain in how to quiet down! Then later in the day I usually take my dog, Gatsby for a 40 minute power walk. Good for me, good for the dog! Lastly, my husband and I live in a three story town house so usually late at night, right before I go to bed, if it strikes my fancy, I usually walk up and down all three flights of stairs 10- 15 times. You get the idea.

This was all great but I became concerned that I wasn't toning my upper body and using weights. Well, as you can imagine, all of these mini exercises that I fit into my day leave room for little else, so I've developed a plan. On weeknights my husband and I watch between one and two hours of TV- a girl's got to keep up with her shows! So I now do reps while watching our favorite shows or during commercials (if I'm not watching our dvr). I'm starting out small- 20 reps of each arm move with 5lb weights. I am loving the results and don't feel guilty just collapsing on the couch!

We'll see how long this goes. I do tend to get bored doing the same thing all the time. I would be interested to find other ways to incorporate exercise into my day...

Spiritual Practice- Incorporate movement and exercise into as many parts of your day as you can. It will help you stay present and remind you to breathe!

Vicky Christina Barcelona and Movie Etiquette

Last night my husband and I went to see Woody Allen’s latest film, Vicky Christina Barcelona at the Loews theatre on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. Firstly, I must say I am not very fond of this theatre- it never feels clean and there is not very much legroom. I must prefer the Landmark at Westside Pavilion. It is a beautiful, brand new complex with stadium seating in its larger arenas and leather love seats in its smaller venues. The best thing about the Landmark is that you can pick your seat! No waiting in line or guessing where you’ll end up sitting! Love that!

Now back to Vicky Christina Barcelona. I love this film. I knew I would. I am a big fan of Woody Allen and I think that he is highly underrated. I’m not sure what people expect from this man but he has written and directed over 40 films in his career and has produced some of the most humorous scenarios and witty dialogues I have seen on the big screen (2005’s Match Point directed by Allen is one of my favorite films of all time).

Love, lust and intrigue against the sun-drenched backdrop of Barcelona. Who wouldn’t love that? The casting was spot on, the actors were pitch perfect and the directing was polished. My only complaint with the film was with the clothes. I wasn’t sure why Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall, two beautiful women, were traipsing around Barcelona in frumpy, wrinkled linen pants and baggy button down shirts. I know that was a choice but am unclear as to what it was meant to convey.

Let’s move on to movie etiquette. There is an on going joke amongst my friends and me that I have a curse when it comes to the cinema. I only go to the movies if it is a movie that I am dying to see (otherwise why waste my time). And whenever I go, I always sit next to “that person” that talks throughout the film. The movie going experience for me is a sacred one. I love getting there early and securing my seat. (Unless, of course, I am at the Landmark and it has been selected beforehand). I love popcorn, the previews and totally submerging myself in the world of the film. If I am sitting next to someone who talks periodically, I am taken out of the world of the film. I usually try to implement my spiritual practice during these moments, and rather than stressing out and getting testy, I take a deep breath and accept the moment as it is.

There was a period of time, however, where I was sitting next to the “groaner”. This man, who loves to frequent movie theatres in Santa Monica, and groan loudly during the best parts of the film. Lucky for me, other patrons of the theatre yelled at him to “shut up or die”, and I didn’t have to.

I hadn’t seen the groaner for a long time… until last night. My husband and I had ideal seats in the middle of the theatre. It was slowly filling up, when a very disheveled man with a baseball cap and earphones in his ears, sauntered up to the front of the theatre and leaped into an available seat. The whole way, he was talking to himself. Loudly. Not like on an earphone headset- but to himself. Then he proceeded to take off his shoes and splay his feet on the seat before him. Not groomed feet.

Oh no, I thought, this for sure was the groaner. And why, was he in my viewing of Vicky Christina Barcelona? I had been waiting to see this film for 6 months! Concerned moviegoers looked around at each other. Was this a homeless man that had found his way into the theatre? Was he going to talk the whole way through? I started to panic. What did I do to deserve this curse?

At that point, my husband reminded me to be in the moment and accept the circumstances as they were. I took a deep, cleansing breath and even started laughing. The previews came. The opening credits rolled. And sure enough, Mr. Bad Movie Etiquette got up and left the theatre! It was a miracle! And I was left to thoroughly enjoy, the love, lust, mayhem and intrigue that was Vicky Christina Barcelona.

Spiritual Practice: Pause when agitated. Take deep cleansing breaths and accept the moment as it is. Things just might turn in your favor!

Adventures in Airbrush Tanning!

I had dabbled in self-tanners and tanning beds. Now it was time for the ultimate experience. The custom airbrush tan from Portofino Sun Spa! Luckily I walked up to the salon to make my appointment because I got to dish with the girl at the counter and find out exactly what I needed to do before my sunless tanning experience. She was very friendly and helpful and didn’t seem in the least bit shocked that I had never gotten a spray tan before.

Here were the particulars I needed to know before my appointment. I needed to:
- Exfoliate my entire body the evening before
- Shave my legs for smoothest application
- Not wear lotion, deodorant or make up the day of my appointment
- Wear loose, dark clothing and open toed shoes

Who knew? Whenever I had seen people getting spray tans on TV, like on E!’s Sunset Tan, for example, I had seen women with full-blown make up getting a spray tan. I’m glad I came in beforehand to learn that that is not done at Portofino.

Anyway, the next day, I came fully prepared for my custom tan experience. I was shown into a back room with my tanning associate- I’ll call her Brigit. I told Brigit I had never gotten a spray tan before and I wasn’t sure what the protocol was with regards to what to wear (or not to wear as the case may be). She said most women are naked while they get their tan. I, being modest in nature, opted to keep my undies on. This whole experience was foreign to me anyway and I felt more comfortable with my pants on.

I was instructed to step into the elevated booth that had fabulous faux croc leather wallpaper. Brigit then asked me which scent I would like in my custom tanning mix. The options were vast and varied from cucumber melon, to lavender. I opted for coconut, as I wanted to smell like I just got back from the Virgin Islands. She proceeded to spray on my new faux glow for the next 15 or so minutes. They are very thorough in that you must do a number of yoga-like positions in order for the tan to be evenly distributed across the body.

When it was all through I couldn’t believe how dark I was! My first reaction was not necessarily a good one. I thought I looked good but it didn’t look like me. I was EXTREMELY dark. Brigit informed me that I would be dark for a few hours and then it would go down, especially after I took my first shower, eight hours later.

It probably wasn’t wise for me to schedule a meeting for 11am (only a half an hour after I had gotten my tan). I was interviewing a girl for my husband’s shoe shop. He and his family own a fabulous European shoe business and they have a store on Montana Ave., just a few blocks down from Portofino.

I assumed that I would just walk out of the Sun Spa with a fabulous tan. It took a few hours to get to that fabulous state… in the meantime; I was incredibly dark, verging on orange.

It was probably in my imagination but my interviewee kept eyeing my skin in a suspicious manner. Later that day, my tan still dark and fierce, I went to see my husband at the warehouse. “Why are you orange?” Is the first thing he said to me.

Great. My worst tanning fear was realized. I holed myself in our townhouse and texted my fab actress friend. This was a beauty crisis. We traded lol’s between tanning anecdotes as I mused that this must be normal. I mean EVERYONE in Los Angeles gets a spray tan, don’t they?

My worries were in vein. Eight hours later, I washed my face and the bronzer in the tan came right off. I had the perfect glow to my skin. And the next morning, after my shower, my tan looked perfect and really natural! It is now five days after having gotten my custom spray tan and it is still going strong. The whole experience was a little harrowing and even more expensive (when all was said and done after tip, it was over $100). But the experience was positive.

Due to the price I probably wont get a spray tan too often (I am a recessionista after all). But I will try out some self-tanners as we head into fall. The next one I’m going to use is “Faux Tan” by Bare Escentuals.

What I gained from this whole experience? Don’t take beauty too seriously. Have fun with yourself and remember that laughter gives you the best glow!

PS- I do wish, however, that I hadn’t worn my Victoria’s Secret boy shorts during the tan because now I have the funkiest tan lines! I don’t know what I was thinking! Should have worn bathing suit bottoms.

Sterling Minerals Joins Facebook and Twitter!

Hey everyone,

This is my husband and I enjoying an evening sunset in Ixtapa, Zihuatanejo, Mexico. My favorite place in the whole wide world.

Just wanted to let you know that I have joined Facebook and Twitter so that I can get to know all of you better and you can get to know me better. Although I love what I do in helping my customers on a professional level, there is nothing I would love more than to create an interactive rapport with those that wish to join me.

You can follow me on Twitter and come tweet with me for instant up to date activities, or get to know more about me on Facebook, including my personal likes and dislikes and develop friendships outside of business.

I am having a great time as I begin to have people follow me and interact on behalf of our daily lives. It is great for making friends and networking with like-minded people. Takes a bit of a learning curve to navigate, but I am understanding how to use the applications the more I use it.

So come on friends, come join me for a bit of fun and entertainment. After all it can't all be work, work, work!

See ya there! Hugs & ;~*

PS Note that permanent links to Facebook and Twitter are located on my sidebar including my favorite blogs from my friends.

New Luxury Spa Brush Line For Super Sensitive Skin

Hello everyone out there in Mineral Makeup Land.

Bringing you a tiny news flash! I am "over the top" excited about Sterling Minerals Cosmetics launching a brand new complete line of pure luxury, spa quality Cosmetic Brushes. We will provide a nice variety for every makeup application you may need. The feel and texture is unbelievable with these new 100% Synthetic Vegan Friendly Brushes. Every skin type will appreciate their high end superior quality.

These brushes are so incredibly soft with their velvet tips, they are perfect for highly sensitive skin types and for applying mineral powders post dermatological procedure. You too will simply be amazed when you experience the first touch to your face. So soft and gentle in texture they can be used on a babys' delicate skin. This means literally zero irritation!!! Fantastic!

We are spreading the word! Tell all of your friends and join with us in our elation!

Everyone at Sterling Minerals is very excited!

People everywhere are showing their excitement!

It is a party full of anticipation of their arrival! ;~)


Well, I guess we can't please everyone!


After much research on the latest technology for accomplishing super soft feel with nylon, I am finally able to provide a brush line with confidence that not only applies mineral powders to perfection, but will offer sheerest to heavy coverage in application that you cannot achieve with natural animal hair brushes. I never thought it possible with synthetics! Our new brushes will not shed, nor will they smell when washed and they are plush, plush, plush! You will simply love the super chunky handles for ease of use as well.

The best part is their ability to hold the minerals in the velvet tips so more minerals go on the face instead of into the brush. This means a savings to you since less mineral powders will be used.

We will be launching our synthetic mineral makeup brushes in September. I would love to show you a picture, but I have decided to wait for the unveiling when we actually launch the new line on the website.

Enjoy your weekend and try to contain your excitement! ;~D

Mineral Makeup and Your Teen

Oh so many years ago I remember when I wanted to start wearing makeup but my mother was adamantly opposed. She asserted makeup was a cause in making little girls grow up too fast. It was suggested young ladies who did this were somehow not following moral values even though this practice was prevalent throughout my school. The picture envisioned as conveyed by my mother and grandmother that we were loosey goosey and would resemble a street walker. However I felt girls everywhere were made up looking quite fabulous in my opinion. If you weren’t wearing makeup you just weren’t with it, although my opinion was quite jaded.

I fought the tyranny of parental guidance by taking makeup with me on the school bus and putting it on after I left the house. This is clearly not something I recommend since after getting to school I bore no resemblance of myself. I had no clue how to apply the stuff. Eye colors I chose looked horrendous and my makeup was way too heavy. Everything was liquid in those days except for the typical pan of pressed powder loaded with Talc. Just because we have a favorite color, doesn’t mean it should get applied to our face. Most times I felt embarrassed and ended up washing the stuff off. I just couldn’t seem to get it right.

Finally, by the time I hit my junior year, I learned how to look good for that particular era with the advice from my best girlfriends. I thought "wow I got it goin' on!" However, frosted everything is not the way to go today. After all though, my girlfriends' experience far surpassed anything mom could tell me....don't you know! I think this is typically how most of us learned life’s lessons. Go to my mother!?.....that was a scary thought! Who did that in those days? When I had my application down to perfection my mother quit bucking the trend.

Today we see much of the same thing, as many girls are struggling to fit in, marching to their own tune and wanting to make friends. Peer pressure, despite parents’ best intentions, can be fraught with emotion. It is not so different from decades before. However, it was my generation that didn’t discuss much but you kind of went by feel.

Now we are the information generation and images of perceived beauty are everywhere. In raising my daughter, I learned from the lessons of my teen years and knew my discipline would be similar to the values my mother taught me with some flexibility thrown in. I had no problem with my daughter wearing makeup, however instead of banning it from her as she turned 14, I would guide her on creating a natural look so she would not suffer the scourge of embarrassment from wearing cookie monster blue eye shadow and red lipstick. Life is tough enough when it comes to fitting in at school and this is one area I knew I could help her with. The best part was my daughter truly enjoyed my interference with the makeup ritual and we were true best girlfriends right to our souls. She is a beautiful girl, completely free of acne, never had skin problems, so I didn’t want her to mask her complexion. The effect was perfection and she didn’t look older, just fresh and healthy looking......a little mascara, soft lip gloss, a bit of muted neutral eye shadow, a smidgeon of powder and a soft blush. Although she continues to be an excellent student majoring in Communications, as she proceeds with college, and is extremely confident anyway, being able to use her minerals gives her that boost to feel and look good without damaging her skin. And the natural SPF is wonderful since her skin resembles Anne Hathaway, the actress. Very fair!

Mineral Makeup is so wonderful for our teens today. It allows them to feel confident by smoothing skin and camouflaging the imperfections they deal with, including acne. Their skin can breathe and it melds so nicely to leave them with nothing short of a perfect healthy complexion. Through the use of mineral cosmetics will help to elevate their self esteem, feel included in the wave of peer pressure, and have a lot of fun with girl talk and sharing different ways to apply this cool stuff. Colors are diverse and are used to create many original looks without looking like they are wearing a mask of goop. A lot of young girls are getting it right as I observe beautiful faces looking more natural than back in the day. But what is truly unique about minerals is the ability to create even a glam look. So if you want to look fabulous for that special occasion, a wedding, a graduation picture, or an evening out, you can accomplish a specific look with mineral cosmetics. You can foil eye shadows for more intensity and wear a richer shade blush and lip color. Adding a bit of bronzer will also create a healthy glow for those with fair skin. My daughter did the glam look for her graduation picture since day to day she rarely has the opportunity to look so formal. This was a fun day for us, yet full of emotion as it marked the transition from high school on to college.

On the other side of the coin, little girls want to practice the grown up game as we all did to copy what they see us do each morning as we prepare for our day. Although, the look isn't quite right somehow. It is so cute however, as they pride themselves on what they determine is perfection and model the look with such grace. This we accept as we relate it to their age. However, I still see girls in the tween stage that are using makeup to look older and it is worn so harsh and strong with accentuated eye liners, heavy mascaras and lipsticks, it literally looks like they painted chocolate on their mouths. They are literally hiding their natural beauty instead of showing it off. These young ladies would greatly benefit from either an older peer or from (how we said it) a “with it” mom.

I have discovered moms of my generation are still learning about mineral makeup when they call me for assistance. It is such simple stuff to use and moms you don’t have to fear your girls are growing up too fast since we all know and remember this is the ritual and the right of passage from young girl to young adult we all go through. Rather than fight it, join her since if you help her with her purchases of makeup, it can be a bonding experience for both of you, and you can share in the fun of selecting her favorites....maybe pick up a few for yourself in the process. I can further assist you by providing tips on my page and it will show you how truly simple it is to use our minerals. In fact mineral cosmetics are easier to use than the standard makeup found in the market today. Also we will be producing You Tube videos soon, to show further the many ways our products can be used to achieve that perfect look. Feel confident in the knowledge that you aren’t helping her put goop on her face but helping her with her self esteem by achieving a naturally enhanced look while keeping her young skin healthy and free from chemicals. And don’t forget the sun protection they can offer.

As I learned, we can’t stick our heads in the sand and simply hope most of what we see today will just go away. With MTV, You Tube, Face Book, My Space becoming the surrogate parent, your daughter will certainly get her ideas from somewhere, so wouldn’t you like it to be from you? What a fun way to spend quality time with our daughters, a ritual I only wish I had had with my own mother.

Have a great weekend and Good Luck U.S.A at the 2008 Olympics. Big Cheer! ;~D

FDA Globalization Act Follow Up

Hello everyone,

My post is going to be brief today since I have been extremely busy with working as liason for Idaho to our states Congressmen and Senators. I along with other "Indie" business women are working feverishly to do our part to block the FDA Globalization Act of 2008 discussion draft by writing to our representatives, meeting with representatives at the Committee of Energy and Commerce on August 5th 2008, and strongly voicing our opposition to the Act through petitions and internet blogging to reach as many consumers as we can to help them understand what is happening to their rights as will be dictated by our government.

Instead today, I am going to post links to others within the beauty and cosmetic industry that have shown their disdain to this proposed legislation. The entities (wolves) under the guise of consumer protection agencies (sheeps clothing) are out to literally sabotage the working efforts of those (small independent companies) that truly wish to bring you healthier skin care products separate from the big box companies. We want you, the consumer to keep your right to choose.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is one of those that wish to do harm to us since they are directly opposed to our position and clearly have an agenda that is not in favor of choice or small business. I have rethought my endorsement of this entity along with other Indie companies expressing same. Smaller Boutique Companies are literally the backbone of their organization, yet I have since learned, they are using our companies who signed the compact to support their petition without revealing the scope of their intention.

This is unfortunate since Sterling Minerals Cosmetics is a "full disclosure" company and we only want the best for all consumers. We are and always will be a strong advocate for safer cosmetics. However with the arbitrary information available through their affiliation with the Environmental Working Group, the only safe thing to put on your face is water. According to them, everything else to some level is toxic or carcinogenic. What is a consumer to do?

These watchdog groups, however good their intentions may be, are creating undue paranoia without absolute and unequivocal proof of their claims. They don't reveal real life consumerism of products but safety claims based on industrial standards which occurs with extremely high exposure such as in manufacturing. Casual use of products show little to no support for these claims. Most statements contain a "may cause" claim.

Well, I know for a fact tobacco causes cancer and kills, yet it is not banned. Go figure! This is our government at work controlled and dictated by paid lobbyists that decide for us what is best for the consumer. It makes you think when you purchase from big box companies, how is your consumer dollar really being used?

Please leave comments at any of these blogs since your opinion very much matters. Become a growing effort to educate yourselves to understand and stop this legislation in its' tracks.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend! We value your support!

Follow links or google about this legislation and you will find it dominates the search engines:

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