A few years ago I complemented a friend on her handbag. It was a really nice grey patent leather bag, and was big enough to hold all her necessities as well as a notebook. When she said it was Coach I was intrigued. I’d never purchased anything from Coach and my initial thought was “I’d better check them out”. To make a long story short, I know own three Coach bags plus a wallet, and have been very happy with the quality and functionality.

If I’m so happy with my Coach bags, why did I just declare “I’ll never spend another dime with Coach”? Customer Service is why! Not only will I never spend with them again, I’m selling the three bags I own and getting rid of anything Coach I currently own.

Why? After my first purchase I was invited to join the Coach mailing list for future promotion notices. Normally I never give out my  (snail or email) information because I’m too busy to sort through all the junk, but I made an exception in this instance. Well was I about to find out how poor the customer service is at Coach. I started receiving mail a few weeks after signing up. The address was correct, but my name was wrong. I am NOT “Charlotte” Bennett. I was pretty disappointed and felt like Coach really didn’t care about me as their customer. I’d become just another name on a junk mail list.

I visited the store where I signed up FIVE times to have this corrected. Yes, FIVE times, in person, driving out of my way, taking up my valuable time! Each time I was greeted with “I’m so sorry, this will be corrected immediately”. I also heard many “excuses” like “our computer is down”, “head office makes these changes”, “I can’t imaging why it didn’t update”.

It’s been over six months and FIVE visits to the Coach store in Chinook Mall (Calgary) and still I am receiving incorrectly addressed mail. This is even after my FIFTH visit when I requested to be taken off the mailing list all together. Yesterday when I picked up my mail after being out of town for a few weeks, I noticed yet another incorrectly addressed envelope from Coach. I’m still not “Charlotte” Bennett and I’m now pissed off and taking my dollars elsewhere. I just updated my bag for spring and Michael Kors received my business.

So the moral of this story is “If your customer service sucks, not matter how much I like the product/service, I’m going to discontinue doing business with you and let friends know what a bad experience I’ve had”.

xoxo
Tricia

pee ess: If you have any customer service feedback for Tricia Bennett Portraits, please let me know at 1-800-247-3185 so that I may fix the issue to your satisfaction the first time.

pee ess ess:  Here’s my new Michael Kors bag (mine is hot pink)

http://www.michaelkors.com/p/MICHAEL-Michael-Kors-MICHAEL-Michael-Kors-Jet-Set-Chain-Medium-Gather-Shoulder-Tote-Tan-VIEW-ALL-HANDBAGS/prod14630004_cat3003_cat8501_/?index=54&cmCat=cat000000cat8501cat3003&isEditorial=false

Looking youthful and healthy is one of my goals as a 40-something woman. I still feel 20-something inside but look more mature these days. To keep a youthful look, I’ve done a bit of research on what’s best for my evolving face. Besides using 30+ SPF every single day, I have changed my makeup routine to suit my more mature skin.  Here are my favourite tips:

Start with exfoliation. A wall of dead skin cells prevents your moisturizer from penetrating and doing its job and leaves your face looking dull and old.  Whether it’s a series of facials or using a Clarisonic Mia at home, getting rid of those dulling dead cells is a must. Hydration plus sunscreen is my next step. While I’m in Arizona my daytime moisturizer is the Olay Regenerist 50SPF; in Calgary I switch to the Olay 30SPF daytime moisturizer.  I use these from my forehead to  bust-line so that the top of my chest (the part a v-neck shirt exposes) isn’t without SPF coverage.

If I’m going to be wearing foundation, a makeup primer comes next. The Smashbox Primer Light is my choice because it’s lightweight and does an excellent job at keeping shine under control and keeping my makeup fresh looking all day. My foundations vary and range from Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer  Oil Free 20SPF to L’Oreal’s True Match foundation in C3. Both of these options give me excellent coverage without feeling mask-like. I add concealer under my eyes and on any little spots as required after my foundation. Yves St. Laurent’s Touche Eclat or Bobbi Brown’s Concealer under my eyes and Neutrogena’s Skin Clearning Blemish Concealer on any spots are my products of choice.  Now my skin looks even and fresh and ready for makeup. When it comes to your foundation think sheer, radiant, and glowy.  Avoid at all costs:  matte finish, drying water-based products and mineral powder formulas as they will leave your skin looking opaque and aged and intensify any lines you are tying to avoid.

Blush is a subtle sweep of a soft pink color on the apples of my cheeks.  Gone are the days when I used two colors trying to create cheekbones or used bronzer – I just ended up looking dirty. I now use a pop of pink on my cheeks applied with a big fluffy brush for a more natural look.  Because I’m fair, the color that looks best on me is Bobbi Brown’s Pale Pink. I’ve tried NARS Orgasm blush for evening too and as long as I use it sparingly, it’s not too shimmery.

Eyebrows are the frame to your beautiful eyes. Gravity can be nasty to our eyebrows so pay attention to them. Regular grooming is great if you’re not confident with tweezers at home.  Remember that full brows look younger than over tweezed brows. Have a look at magazine ads and pay attention to the models’ eyebrows. They are full, arched beautifully and not tweezed into thin lines.  If yours are thin, consider filling them out with a bit of eyebrow pencil using tiny little strokes in the direction of the hair growth.  Eyebrow powder applied with a tiny brush will do the same thing as a pencil and often looks more natural depending on how much you use.  When in doubt, consult a brow pro then just copy the look afterward at home.

Eye shadow formulations get tricky as you mature. Opt for a mid-tone shadow with a very slight sheen. Your eyes will look alive and bright. My current favourite product is Bobbi Brown’s Long-Wear Cream Shadow pots. I wear the Nude Beach or Cool Lilac as a base. On casual days I just add liner and mascara. For added drama, I’ll layer a powder shadow over the cream on the crease for extra depth. When using eyeliner, I put it as close to my upper lash line as possible and lift the tail at the outer corner rather than following the natural curve downward. Skip eyeliner on the lower lash line for daytime. Mascara is an absolute must for me because I’m blonde and I need it for defining my eyes. L’Oreal and Lancome make the best mascaras for the money in my opinion. Pay attention to the outer corners of your lashes. This helps to lift the eye, and makes it look more vibrant. I skip mascara on the bottom lashes all the time, but if you like the  look, use mascara on the bottom for evening.  Avoid like the plague: frosty or glittery shadows, chalky whitish colors, or thick black eyeliner all around your eyes.

Use a neutral toned lip liner if you need one. You’ll know if you need one if you see fine lines on your lip line and get “bleeding” of your lip color  into the lines. A mid-toned color with a soft sheen will make the lips look fuller. A soft pink-beige or soft coral work well. One or two shades away from your natural lip color look best.  Right now I’m loving all the sheer lip products on the market. Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, Armani, L’Oreal, and Lancome make my favourite products.  Avoid at all costs: Dark shades (more than 2 shades darker than your natural lips) and matte formulas. Also stay away from goopy overly glossy lips because this highlights any loss of volume and looks silly on anyone but the very young.

If you’d like to learn how to do your makeup with the goal of looking more youthful, have a professional makeover / makeup lesson as part of your photo session with me.  As part of my service to you, during your makeup application with my professional makeup artist you’ll receive a face chart explaining all the products used and where they were applied. You can copy this look at home by referring back to your face chart.  For more information on booking a photo session, give me a call toll  free at 1-800-247-3185 or in Calgary at 403-608-0748.

Tricia
xoxo

It’s official! Belle Femme Boudoir Photography is now Tricia Bennett Portraits.  Why the change? Well, simply put I’m not just a boudoir photographer and the new name better reflects who I am and what I do.  Changing has been a process and I’m not 100% completed, but it’s great to have a new name and a new logo. Transitioning from my current URL (www.BelleFemmeBoudoir.ca) to the new URL is still in the process but everything else is migrating smoothly.

If you’re looking for great boudoir images, I’m still your girl.

If you’re looking for glamorous portraits, I’m your girl.

If you’re looking for fun, fashionable, lifestyle images, I’m your girl.

Not only will you look great, but you’ll feel great in the process.

For more information, please give me a call at my new toll free number 1-800-247-3185.

xoxo

Tricia

“Celebrating feminine allure with relaxed elegance and a fashion flair.”

As some of you may know, I’ve been working with a photography mentor since January. One of the recent suggestions is to change my company name to something less complicated (“Belle Femme Boudoir Photography by Tricia Bennett” is pretty long). Not only is the name long, but by using “Boudoir” I’m limiting what I do in the consumers’ mind. I also produce beautiful portraits of women with all their clothes on

I’ve been thinking about simplifying recently and have been brainstorming a new name to meet two important criteria: 1. uses my own name and 2. identifies what I do. There are a few names I’m testing and running through corporate name searches and I’m excited about the new possibilities this change will bring.

Once I’ve finalized my new name and roll it out, I’ll be sure to announce it and invite all of you to celebrate with me. Stay tuned for the big reveal.

xoxo

Tricia

“Celebrating feminine allure with relaxed elegance and a fashion flair.”

I am so excited to show you these images of Ms. Jaimie. Not only is she absolutely gorgeous, but she’s a really talented hair designer. These portraits were taken in the DC Ranch area of Scottsdale, AZ on a warm spring day. The breeze was blowing and the smell of jasmine was in the air.  After working with Lenea Sadler for make up, Jaimie rocked her photo shoot with a smile that was as warm as the breeze.

If you’d like to experience a photo shoot with Tricia Bennett, please call 1-800-247-3185 for your FREE consultation.

xoxo

Tricia

“Celebrating feminine allure with relaxed elegance and a fashion flair.”