Beauty and Fashion Tech » Misc.

Beauty Companies’ Support of SOPA Disappoints

Carleenp — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:45:04 +0000

From Beauty Companies’ Support of SOPA Disappoints via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Are you against SOPA? Did you know that a number of popular beauty companies, such as Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, and Revlon to name a few support this misguided legislation? (You can view a partial list of SOPA supporters here). Beauty and Fashion Bloggers, you can add your link to register your opposition to SOPA at the end of this post.

Normally I would have a pretty picture on a post, but this isn’t a pretty situation, so here is a black square, in line with other black out items that you might be seeing today:

If you are not aware of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the Congress and its Corollary in the Senate, The Protect IP ACT (PIPA), it is a bill seeking to expand the ability of law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online copyright violations. Now, that sounds fine on the surface, heck I hate copyright violators as much as the next person and have issued my share fair of cease and desist notices in the past to protect my own copyright, but the problem is that the legislation goes too far and is unworkable to the point where it could have serious repercussions on internet speech and business.

As originally proposed, SOPA and PIPA would allow the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders a mechanism to obtain court orders against any website accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. The act would enable courts to take a wide range of actions over even the most innocent and accidental act of infringement, including barring advertisers and payment facilitators from doing business with the site, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. Streaming of copyrighted content would also become a crime.

Now, imagine that you own a website, forum, or blog, and one day a use adds content that includes a copyrighted item. Under the current law, the owner can demand removal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and there are penalties for failure to comply. You would be notified, you would remove the offending content, and life would go on. Under SOAP and PIPA, the entire site could be shut down before the owner has any chance to respond. While that might be fine for legitimate and serious copyright violations, the process could easily be abused and the impact on social sharing sites could be huge . Further, the economic effect on multitudes of business, large and small are jeopardized by such a threat. For many smaller sites, a shut down also shuts off the owner’s ability to pay the bills. The Act will also have a chilling effect on speech, with sites being forced to highly censor themselves and others in order to proactively protect themselves. Smaller bloggers and those who seek to call out bad behavior by companies will may become hesitant to act, in fear that any references to companies, or images of their products or actions, could be labeled as a use of copyrighted material (read below for an example). Some predict that it would essentially cripple the internet.

Here is an example of how the legislation, which is meant to do good, could actually cause harm to beauty blogs such as this one: A blogger could place a negative review of a product he or she purchased with a photo of the item. Perhaps they also include a photo of the product they found online or that was given to them by a PR person. The company, angered by the review seeks remedies under SOPA, which would essentially shut down the site. Note that it would not result in simply removing any copyrighted material, instead it could shut down an entire site without notice. Also note that I mentioned items that might not actually be copyright violations. I would argue that they would not be. I used those examples because, in the case of a photo, a company could attempt to argue that their logo shown in the photo was copyrighted, and in the case of a PR photo, I am aware of a past instance where a company demanded removal of such an image from a blog. I believe it was the Estee Lauder Company (A SOPA supporter) at that, and I had another blogger confirm their memory that it was Estee Lauder company, but I am not 100% positive in my recollection there. In any event, in that example, the problem was remedied through communications sent under existing law, and the company was informed that the photo was provided to the blogger to use . Under SOPA, the company, if it felt so inclined, could cause the website to disappear for some time before anything was resolved. Now, imagine what this Act might do to your favorite larger sites such as You Tube, Facebook, and Twitter. If you are a social media fan, you should be very concerned.

Members of the House and Senate have repeatedly shown little understanding of how the internet operates or a real understanding of the actual harm the legislation would cause. Please contact your representatives and express your opposition to SOPA and PIPA!

In the meantime, the Estee Lauder company and companies under their umbrella are on the list of those who support SOPA and PIPA. Please express your disappointment in that!

Are you a Beauty or Fashion Blogger, or Blogger in a closely related area, and are you against SOPA? If so, feel free to add your blog link below to show your opposition to SOPA and disappointment in the companies that support it. (refresh the page if the link tool does not show)

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

About the Author: Carleen Pruess Coulter

Beauty Blog Posts of the Week

Carleenp — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:30:37 +0000

From Beauty Blog Posts of the Week via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Below are a few blog posts from the Beauty Blog Network for your weekend enjoyment.

MAC Cosmetics, what’s happened to you? Megan Murray from Painted Ladies takes a hard look at the declining quality of MAC and what they can do to turn things around.

Phyrra shows a little skin with Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Nude & Pure Opal sparkle powders.

Looking for a new job? The Pink Sithhas some Interview tips to make sure you make a good first impression, talks about an app that will enhance your career networking and offers a giveaway to boot!

Girl Gloss has an Astara Mask Review

Beauty and Fashion Tech looks at the new Silk’n Flash and Go for permanent hair removal.

Get Free Beauty Samples and More with Free Flys

Carleenp — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:45:59 +0000

From Get Free Beauty Samples and More with Free Flys via Beauty and Fashion Tech

FreeFlys offers the ability to receive name brand beauty samples of a variety of items. It includes beauty items, along with quite a few household and food items and can be a fun way to get free stuff and try new products. Click the banner below to sign up!

Visit FreeFlys

Stila Cosmetics Warehouse Sale Online, Starting Cyber Monday

Carleenp — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:30:01 +0000

From Stila Cosmetics Warehouse Sale Online, Starting Cyber Monday via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Stila is well known for their awesome warehouse sale. Now the Stila warehouse sale goes online begging cyber Monday, 2011 and lasting through Friday, December 2, 2001.

This is an exclusive online sample sale, with up to 80% off of Stila cosmetics. Use it to purchase gifts or to shop for yourself.

Available: Cyber Monday, November 28^th at Stila Cosmetics

Contest! Win a 500 Dollar Sephora Gift Certificate!

Carleenp — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:05:37 +0000

From Contest! Win a 500 Dollar Sephora Gift Certificate! via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Beauty bloggers have joined forces to jointly giveaway a $500 Sephora Gift Certificate. What will you buy if you win?

To enter, wait for the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post to load below (you might have to refresh the page). Each action presented in the widget will earn you another entry. Actions will only be counted one time – even if you click on the widgets on the other participating blogs. You may tweet once per day – just come back here or to any of the blogs listed below. The giveaway is open to people age 18 and over, void where prohibited, International entries are welcome!

Please also be sure to check out all the great bloggers who contributed to make this happen!

Glitter.Gloss.Garbage

Jeweled Thumb

My Beauty Bunny

Bright Lights Big Color

Madame B Fatale

The Polish Aholic

Polarbelle

Polish Galore

Beauty and Fashion Tech

Prime Beauty

Pink Sith

The Plastic Diaries

Cosmetically Challenged

Win a Silver Pass to Affiliate Summit West 2012 in Las Vegas.

Carleenp — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:00:28 +0000

From Win a Silver Pass to Affiliate Summit West 2012 in Las Vegas. via Beauty and Fashion Tech

I have one silver pass available to give away for the Affiliate Summit West, January 8-10, 2012 at Caesar’s Place in Las Vegas. For anyone involved in affiliate marketing, the Affiliate Summit is a great opportunity for networking and learning new tricks and techniques. For those who are just getting started blogging or who want to learn about affiliate marketing, the conference provides opportunities for meeting a lot of key people and obtaining some great information. The free pass gives admission to the Exhibit Hall, Keynotes, and Meet Market, which is great networking event and where you can also pick up party invites for even more networking that evening.

For more info and to enter to win the pass, visit this post on my business site: Win an Affiliate Summit West 2012 Silver Pass.

September Beauty Blog Reading

Carleenp — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 20:34:50 +0000

From September Beauty Blog Reading via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Below is some great reading this week from members of the Beauty Blog Network. Enjoy!

Phyrra ushers you into Fall the new collection from Silk Naturals.

Thu from Painted Ladies reviews Benefit’s They’re Real! mascara.

Is it a keeper? The Pink Sith has finally found a full cover foundation that doesn’t look or feel like a mask with DEX New York Mineral Retouch!

A Touch of Blusher reviews Burberry Light Glow in Peony Blush.

Beauty and Fashion Tech has updated its buyer’s guide on Home Microdermabrasion.

Girl Gloss has MAC Art of Powders Swatches.

Elke shares every single nail look from New York Fashion Week. Thanks to CND.

Cinnamon Kitten falls for Annabelle’s Smudge Paint.

Enjoy Leave-In Conditioner

Carleenp — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:00:18 +0000

From Enjoy Leave-In Conditioner via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Guest Post: Enjoy Leave-In Conditioner Review

Recently my boyfriend got me hooked on some new hair care. Yes, my boyfriend. I never thought my boyfriend would care about his hair more than I do – but I can honestly tell you he has introduced me to some amazing hair care products that I might have never discovered except through him. Before I tried to be frugal by buying what I thought were some fantastic products, only to be disappointed when trying his hair products because they are so much better!

I’m proud of my boyfriend for being a man who loves to try new hair products. At first I didn’t understand why his hair care is so important to him – his hair is so short! But I guess just like a woman, a man also likes to take care of his skin and hair. If a man wants to take care of himself, I think that’s a great thing. I have to proudly admit that he’s doing a great job of taking care of his hair and skin. When I run my fingers through my boyfriend’s hair it is very soft and shiny and I’m about to tell you why.

My boyfriend introduced me to a new hair product called Enjoy Leave -In Conditioner. You can still use your normal shampoo and conditioner in the shower, but when you get out of the shower you put this product into your damp hair. In addition to being a leave-in conditioner, this product is also a color holding formula that locks in your hair color! I personally love this quality about the Enjoy line because I had never heard of a leave-in conditioner that also helps your hair color stay longer! In addition to this remarkable aspect, Enjoy Leave-In Conditioner is also recommended for all hair types and gives hair “extra” moisture, detangling, and protection. In addition, you can either leave it in or rinse it out.

I love to leave my conditioner in because I use it as an alternative to hair gel. Believe it or not, Enjoy Leave-In Conditioner honestly works just as well! Since it is a conditioner it smoothes down your hair, but does not make your hair look oily if you evenly distribute it throughout your head of hair. I have naturally curly hair so I put the conditioner in different sections of my hair, scrunch my hair with my hands, and this creates loose curls that surround my face. It’s very effective; you will achieve a beachy and wavy look that is in style right now without having to put a ton of hair product in your hair. I also was able to find the lowest price on these products so that was certainly helpful if you are wanting to save on cost. It’s great for achieving long lasting and soft waves. For men it softens their hair while making it look very healthy. In conclusion, I would encourage you to try the Enjoy line because I guarantee you will “enjoy” it!

An ocean dreamer at heart and in real life, Sierra Greenman thrives on visiting and living near the beach and could never imagine herself anywhere else. She recently ventured out into the freelance world and now is a Freelance Writer and Social Media Specialist and absolutely loves it. Writing about fashion and style are one of her many passions. You can also find Sierra at her blog Ocean Dreams and follow her on Twitter @oceandreams4u. She also is a featured fashion blogger for JoeShopping.com and her e-mail is oceandreams4sierra@gmail.com if you want to say hello!

Summer Foot Care

Carleenp — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:00:07 +0000

From Summer Foot Care via Beauty and Fashion Tech

Get The Perfect Flip Flop Feet for Summer

For many people, summertime means showing off their feet in strappy sandals and comfortable flip flops. It can also mean the potential for more foot-related problems. The hot temperatures, dry air and increase in outdoor activities can do serious damage to your feet. There are some extra steps you can take to pamper your feet and keep them healthy and beautiful throughout the summer.

Keep Your Feet Neat and Clean

One of the easiest steps toward achieving flip flop feet is daily washing. Feet sweat more during the summer months, and keeping them clean and dry can prevent moisture-loving bacteria from growing. You can use a scented foot powder to soak up excess moisture as well. Wearing sandals or shoes that have adequate airflow will also keep your feet dry. To prevent your skin from becoming chafed, you should always wear shoes that fit properly.
Many people have problems with dry, cracked skin on the bottoms of their feet. This often worsens in the summer weather, especially in areas of low humidity. You can repair your damaged feet by using Philosophy Soul Owner Foot Cream from Nordstrom. This powerful moisturizing cream softens skin and reduces roughness.

Smooth Calluses

Summer feet do a lot of walking. Many people go barefoot in the warm weather. This can create blisters and calluses on the feet. The Dr Scholl’s Callus Reducer is a great tool for easily removing calluses and rough skin with no mess or irritation. You can also use Exuviance heel repair cream to smooth calluses and heal blisters. Vitamin E and other foot-friendly nutrients in the cream condition skin and gently exfoliate rough patches.

Use Foot Refreshing Lotions and Gels

Summertime activities can cause your feet to become sore, tired, and achy. You can refresh your weary feet by using peppermint-based lotions and gels. One of the best foot refreshers is Bliss Foot Patrol, which contains peppermint oil to revitalize feet. It is also rich in aloe which keeps skin silky soft.

Get a Pedicure

While basic foot care is important, it is not the only essential to having beach-worthy feet. Your toes are the most noticeable part of your feet, and they need extra attention during the summer. Dirt, chlorine and exposure to the elements can cause toenails to look unhealthy. The Sephora French Tips & Toes Manicure Pen can keep your toes looking pristine all summer long.

It is not difficult or time-consuming to take care of feet in the summertime. If you want to have silky skin and toes that sparkle, follow these basic steps daily. Creating a beauty regimen to spoil yourself and your feet can make a significant difference. Your feet will be healthy, feel energized and look beautiful for the entire summer. Take care of your feet now, and you will be flip flop ready in very little time.