The Good Customer

~My Instant Coffee~

~Cup+Coffee~

WHAT? : Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Tumbler

WHY? : Stainless steel interior – wonderful to keep your drinks hot or cold. Even though it is not insulated, it did keep my coffee comfortably hot for about an hour. Tumbler holds 10 oz of liquid – the recommended amount of water per VIA . Unscrew the bottom panel of the tumbler and you will find 6 individual compartments – to house your VIA coffee packets. Compact and portable – Love it!

WHERE? : www.starbucksstore.com ;  Retail Starbucks stores throughout North America

HOW MUCH? : $16.95

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Peel So Smooth~

WHAT? : MD Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel – One box has 30 applications, packaged individually. Great for traveling!

WHY? : A two-step regimen in 2 minutes a day resulting in smoother and firmer skin. A patented system coined “microexfoliation” – a gentle, non-irritating method of removing cellular debris from skin surface. Plus, there is no recovery time.

HOW? : Swipe the moist towelette from the “step 1″ packet over face. Wait 2 minutes, swipe moist towelette from “step 2″ packet over face – this is the neutralizer. Voila! Instant radiance. I recommend to use in the morning for glowing results all day.

COST? : $80 USD

WHERE? : www.mdskincare.com ;  www.sephora.com ;  www.nordstroms.com ;  The Bay Department Store (Canada)

Popularity: 1% [?]

WHAT? : Bloomingdales Friends & Family Event. Save 20% off!

WHY? : Because you can save money, silly!

WHEN? : November 11 – 15, 2009

WHERE? : Valid for in-store OR online shopping

HOW? : Print off the above coupon to use in-store or use the code MERRY upon checkout for online shopping

Popularity: 64% [?]

~BCBG Friends & Family Sale~

What? : BCBG’s Friends & Family Event.     November 05/09 – November08/09.

Why? : Because you can save 30% off your purchase of any regularly priced merchandise.

How? : For online shopping – use code FRIENDS09 at checkout page.  For in-store shopping – click the link below to print off the event page;  present to cashier at time of purchase.

http://view.ed4.net/v/AA1ISJ/OUTU/ZBODA33/VRI43/MAILACTION=1&FORMAT=H

Where? :    www.bcbg.com or any BCBG Maxazria retail store.

Popularity: 6% [?]

~The Goddess Gloss Set~

What? : Luminous Volume Lip Gloss from Beaute Cosmetics – Canadian-based luxury beauty brand.

Why? : Because, ‘girrrl’… this will be last brand of lip gloss you will ever purchase! Not only does this lip gloss plump and shape, it also provides the perfect amount of moisture. You needn’t worry about your hair sticking to your lip gloss – I checked the ingredients… and I didn’t see “glue”. You also won’t be overwhelmed by a gazzillion colours, as Beaute only carries 12 different shades. Colours have great pigmentation and are effortless to apply with their Taklon brush. Finding a complimentary colour from their neutral palette should prove to be an easy feat.

How Much? : $26 each Or $65/$95 for their gift sets:

• Goddess Gloss Set - Heroine, Elitist, Chimera : $65
• Seductress Gloss Set – If, Urge, Paramour : $65
• Temperamental Gloss Set – Heroine, If, Girlie Show, Elitist : $90 

Where? :

http://beaute-cosmetics.com ;  www.studiobeautymix.com ;Holt Renfrew Department Store (Canada) ; Patrick Melville Salon & Spa (45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10011) ; Boutik (B-119 12 Avenue SW, Calgary AB, T2R 0G8) ; Lux Beauty Boutique (10120-124 Street, Edmonton AB, T5N 1P6) ; Buttercup Beauty Cup (402 Academy Road, Winnipeg MB, R3N 0B8)

Popularity: 2% [?]

"Scrub Of Your Life" Body Scrub

What?: The Scrub Of Your Life – body scrub by UK based Soap & Glory.

Why?: Perfect for everyday use. This body scrub is gel based with granules. Bonus: The smell is oh-so-heavenly. Not sure what type of scent notes it carries, but I would imagine that “heaven” would smell like this….Fragrance lingers on you limbs throughout the day. Expect a lot of compliments!

Where?: For all my Canadians – Find it at Shoppers Drug Mart;    For all my Americans – Find it at Target and www.target.com

Popularity: 1% [?]

~Bliss Body Butter~

For all you fans of Bliss spa products….

I came across this “duo set” from Sephora. Apparently the duo package was put together for the products’ 10th anniversary.

In the US, each body butter tube sells for $35 each. The duo package sells for $49…. so, a savings of $21.

In Canada, each body butter tube sells for $37 each. The duo package sells for $64…. so, a savings of $10. (why do the Canadians get the short end of the stick?)

If this is a staple in your spa basket, now is the time to stock up! Available fragrances:  Lemon+Sage, Blood Orange+White Pepper, Naked

Popularity: 8% [?]

~Free VIA Sample + $1.00 off Coupon~

It is totally unfathomable that a coffee conglomerate like Starbucks would launch an instant coffee line…… until now. On Oct 02/09, Starbucks (US & Canada) officially launched VIA  – instant coffee powder that can be dissolved in hot or cold liquids.

Prior to this launch, Starbucks had propagandized their “VIA Taste Challenge” from Oct 02/09 – Oct 05/09. Curious as to what this challenge was all about, I made a visit to Starbucks on Oct 02. When I approached the counter to make my order, I saw a thermos and some cups by the cash register. The counter staff did not offer me any coffee. I inquired if the thermos contained the “VIA” coffee. It was then that she made an effort to offer me a sample. Samples of the coffee and and coupons were only offered on request.

After a bit of research, I found out that the “taste challenge” was where you would sample a VIA and a regular Starbucks brew – to see if you could taste the difference. Sounds fun!

Determined to find a location that had the taste challenge – I made a visit to another Starbucks location. Stark difference from the last location. Did the challenge – picked the wrong coffee (thought the VIA was the brew). The staff at this location were very accommodating and did a great job to promote the product.

Usually receiving consistent service at Starbucks, I was quite surprised in the lack of consistency for the marketing of this product. Perhaps more training for the staff?

Free samples and a $1.00 off coupon for the VIA coffee is offered when you take the “challenge”. For those of you in the US – you also receive a free tall coffee.

Popularity: 1% [?]