Note to Retailers...Mind Your Own Business!

With the holiday season upon us, we are all making the mad dash to retail stores to purchase gifts for out loved ones. I love this time of year, it makes me feel all tingly inside to spoil my kids. I enjoy the rush I get when I know that I found the perfect gift for someone. But one thing I really Do Not Like is when the cashiers at these retail stores always ask you for some form of personal information such as your postal code or email address. Which begs to question...why?

What really bothers me about this process which the retailers claim is for marketing purposes (sure it is) is that the cashier never explains why they are asking for your information. Like brain washed robots they just demand your data and sometimes add please. The only time they explain the reason for asking  is when you question them as to why they are asking for your information! I would think that if retailers want this information to compile a customer profile then they should be obligated to say so directly, honestly and explain that to the customer up front.

I used to give my address and number out until my husband one day asked me why I did. I did not have an answer. It did not dawn on me to ask why they wanted to know my information. I just went with the flow, everyone else gave their info so why wouldn't I...there must be a reason for their asking I thought.  Whatever the reason, you are not obligated to give them your information. So why does everybody do it?

I no longer give my information out and when asked for it I always ask the person at the register why they want to know my personal information. Often times they seem shocked that I even say no. But when I put them on the spot they fumble for an answer. I have been to a few stores that were so aggressive in trying to gain my data that I was stunned. First they wanted my phone number, then my postal code and lastly my email address. Each time I said no but the cashier was relentless!

This practice by retailers has become one of my biggest pet peeves. Seriously, my skin itches when I think about it. It does not bother me that the stores are trying to build on their business, I just can't stand the mindless, deliberate and unattached way they go about it. They should have signs at the check out the explains the reason for the process and also inform customers that they in no way have to comply. Just a thought!

I found another really good article about this topic here, give it a read and see if you will be sharing your information so easily next time.

Clairol Perfect 10 - Product Review

I have not delved into product reviews too much on my blog. Who am I to judge the hard work of the people who put these products out to the public. But then I got to thinking, hey I AM a consumer. It is my hard earned money that keeps these companies afloat! So today I share my first ever product review with you.

Sadly I am one of those women who is going prematurely gray. I started coloring my hair about 10 years ago to cover the odd stray gray. Now it is necessary just to keep myself from looking like an old hag. I am too cheap to go to the salon and pay way too much money for hair color when I can do it at home for a fraction of the price. Maybe once or twice a year, I will treat myself to coloring at the salon. Otherwise it is off to the drug store for me to pick a box of color from which there are way too many to choose from (sometimes too much to choose from is not a good thing). I have literally tried every brand on the market. Over the years I have preferred products made by Garnier and L'Oreal. I am so pleased that the products are becoming more user friendly. They smell less, drip less and now process even faster! I was excited then when I saw Clairol introduce their Perfect 10 permanent hair color!

Clairol Perfect 10 hair color claims to process the color in 10 minutes rather than the usual 20-30 minutes of other traditional products. This sounds great right, especially for a busy Mom or if you realize just before you are heading out for a big night out that the grays are just ways too noticeable. I found myself in just that situation, I had dinner plans with friends and did not want to look like the old hag at the table so I picked up a box of Perfect 10.

Clairol claims that Perfect 10 is "an exclusive advanced color creme formula with micropearls delivers color in less time and with less damage. And it gives you high gloss hair color and flawless gray coverage." The product comes complete with its own PerfectColor Comb for even distribution of the solution. Personally I found the comb useless. It got tangled in my hair and I felt as though I had no control over the way it was spreading.

For me the main reason to color my hair is to cover grays. It is important that a product do a good job of that. Perfect 10 claims that is has "flawless gray coverage" and covers 100%. When I read the directions on the box it said 10 minutes should do to cover the grays but if they are stubborn to leave it on for an extra 5 minutes NO MORE than that! (That scared me a bit....just how harsh is this product?) I left it on for the 10 minutes suggested. While overall the color was nice and rich and glossy, the grays did not cover well. Within 2 weeks of doing my hair my grays are completely visible, I have never experienced this with any other product before.

I am disappointed in this product. I think it was just too good to be true. Sure it is great for the younger gals out there who don't have gray hair. But for those of us who do, this product just did not cut it. I was nervous how the instructions strongly recommend to not leave the product on for more than 10 minutes even though it said you could leave it on for an extra 5 for stubborn grays...well...which is it? Yes or No. I am not convinced that this product is less damaging to the hair. I think the company makes this claim because they are trying to convince you that the shorter processing time will be less damaging. Not so sure about that. In all I would not use this product again. I give it 2 Goddesses out of 5.