ABC Conference In Orange County

Last week we went to the Association Of Bridal Consultants conference at the Surf and Sand Hotel in Laguna Beach. Jill Watson, one of our favorite wedding planners in Orange County, was kind enough to invite us to the monthly ABC event. Now that we are expanding our custom wedding favors we thought it would be nice to meet with other vendors and wedding planners. Jill Watson was kind enough to take us under her wing and introduce our products to other wedding planners and vendors in our area. Jill is a very well established and wonderful wedding planner who actually planned our intern’s sister’s wedding this past October. The wedding was flawless thanks to Jill’s hard work (see photo above).

The ABC event was magnificent! There was live music, wonderful food and a beautiful view of the ocean. We got to meet some of the best wedding coordinators and vendors in all of Orange County.

If you are planning a wedding or any event and looking for a special dessert you must look into hiring Fry Girl. The owner Shelley Beals comes to events with her mini donut-making machine and makes delicious, warm bite size donuts on the spot. Guests can pick from a variety of toppings. We definitely ate our share!

It is so important to have a wedding coordinator when planning a wedding and we met some great ones. In case you are in need of a wedding coordinator here are a few planners to contact:

Jill Watson: www.thepamperedbride.net

Susan MacDonald: www.sumacproductions.com

Wendy Dahl: www.dahlweddingcompany.com

Lisa Simpson: www.lisasimpsonweddings.com

We are excited to be presenting Chivas Skin Care custom order products at the ABC conference on August 11^th. We had such a wonderful time and just wanted to congratulate ABC and Surf and Sand Hotel for putting on such a wonderful event. 

Recap of 2009's Ojai Lavender Festival

On Saturday, June 27, Chivas attended the Lavender Festival in Ojai, and it was so much fun! Along with our Lavender Oatmeal and Lavender Pine Chamomile soaps, we also featured our other soaps, facial crèmes, and lip balms. It was smelling pretty nice and fragrant over there!

We also had a fun give-away contest going on where people guessed how many lip balms were in the mason jar – Lili was our winner for the day and received a $50 gift certificate to our online store.

Chivas seemed to be a hit – perhaps because our interns put some of our soap into the women’s bathroom?

All-in-all, the Lavender Festival was a great day for spreading the word (and the soap) about Chivas Skin Care.

Chivas at the Ojai Lavender Festival!

This Saturday, June 25^th, is the 2009 Ojai Valley Lavender Festival in Downtown Ojai, where over 50 vendors (Chivas included!) will gather to showcase their products, all of which are infused with lavender (it is called the Lavender Festival, after all).

We will be there with our Lavender Oatmeal Goat Milk Soap, Lavender Pine Chamomile Goat Milk Soap, lavender sachets, and more. We’ll also have our other Chivas products for you to check out.

Need more convincing to make your way to Ojai this Saturday? Check out some of the benefits of hooking yourself up with lavender.

• claimed to soothe and heal insect bites
• lavender oil is said to soothe headaches
• Lavender oil (or extract of Lavender) is claimed to heal acne when used diluted 1:10 with water, rosewater, or witch hazel
• used in the treatment of skin burns and inflammatory conditions
• has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties

Lavender; it’s a beautiful thing.

Q&A with Carrie & Taylor, our summer interns

Taylor Harkins and Carrie Widder grew up together in Newport Beach, California. We're excited for the energy they bring to our team! Taylor attends Santa Clara University where she studies Marketing and is a member of their women’s water polo team. She will help us expand our custom order business and work on sales and marketing efforts. Carrie will contribute to our social media efforts, including writing for our blog and newsletter. An aspiring journalist, she is currently an English major at New York University. To get to know them a little better, we had Taylor and Carrie interview one another for our blog. Here's what they had to say:

Taylor: So, Carrie, how did you hear about Chivas?

Carrie: Funny you should mention that. You actually told me about Chivas and how much you were loving your summer internship. How did you hear about Chivas?

Taylor: I heard about it through someone who had worked with Angie [our marketing/sales director] previously and knew Chivas was looking for interns. I applied and now here I am, playing with goats and computers - not together, for obvious reasons. So, I have a fun question for you. If you had a goat of your own, what would you name it and why?

Carrie: I love the show Lost, so I think I would name the goat after one of my favorite characters - either Desmond, Sayid, or Sawyer. Should my goat procreate, there are an endless amount of character names on the show to continue the naming legacy. What would you name your goat?

Taylor: My first instinct is Santa, but that's a lot of pressure for a goat. I think I'll settle on Blitzen, one of his reindeer. Also, fun fact, Blitz means lightning in German. Bet you didn't know that.

Carrie: Actually, I did, because I'm the one who just told you that.

Taylor: Sassy.

Carrie: I know. You mentioned that there are some pretty crazy animals at the Johanson's house, like tortoises and pigs. I'm excited to meet them when we're at the farm tomorrow. What animal would you add to the mix?

Taylor: Ideally, a baby elephant. Unfortunately, due to size limitations, climate, and probably health codes, that's not really a possibility. More realistically, I think I would bring in a female German Shepherd so that Moose [the Johanson's male German Shephard] could not only have a companion but also a girlfriend. Carrie, last question. What is your favorite Chivas product and why?

Carrie: I have to say the Chivas Original Vegan Lip Balm. Not only is it perfect for summer, it doesn't use that lanolin nonsense! After helping to research the answers for our lip balm FAQ, I was a little grossed out by the idea of putting lanolin on my lips.

Your Questions Answered: Lip Balm 101

When I found myself 'addicted' to my many brands of medicated lip balm, I realized I needed an intervention. And so my mom and I formulated Chivas Vegan Lip Balm using high-quality ingredients, quite different from many of the 'other' lip balms on the market. The result? I've officially kicked my must-reapply habit. And so can you! 



What makes our lip balms different? And what exactly is a Vegan lip balm? And what are some of those ingredients in the 'other' lip balms anyway? You asked; we answer.

Q: I often see lanolin as an ingredient in lip balm. What is it? Why doesn't Chivas use it?

A: Lanolin is a greasy yellow substance secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool bearing animals, usually sheep. Different forms of lanolin can be found in shoe polish, printing ink, and hairspray.

For some people, using cosmetic products that contain impure lanolin can result in an allergic reaction.

That certainly doesn't sound too appealing to us! Unlike many others on the market, our lip balm is proudly lanolin-free.

Q: What does it mean when you say your lip balm is vegan?

A: A vegan product is a product that does not contain any kind of animal product. That said, you won't find animal products like lanolin and beeswax in our lip balm. Instead of beeswax we use plant-derived candelilla wax, which serves as the hardening agent in the balm. We also add coconut oil and Shea Butter, which at room temperature are hard oils. This combination keeps our lip balm firm yet smooth.

Q: What other ingredients are unique to Chivas' lip balm?

A: The other oils contained in our lip balm are not often found in lip balms. Why? Because they are of such high quality.

These high quality oils set our Chivas Original Vegan Lip Balm ahead of the rest:

• Jojoba Oil: Made from the seed of the jojoba plant, and is an exceptional moisturizer.
• Rosehip Oil: Has a high vitamin-C content and is often found in anti-aging products. The fatty acids in rosehip oil are good at regenerating the skin and smoothing out wrinkles.
• Vitamin-E: Nourishes the skin and leaves it soft.
• Neem Oil: A vegetable oil made from the fruits and seeds of Neem trees. Also said to be very therapeutic.