Monthly Archives: September 2016

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips

Something New

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Something New
26
Sep

Making Infusions for the first time
using Rosemary & Lavender flowers.
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I thought I would try making Something New especially whilst the kids are at school.I love my interruption-free Production Days as it allows me to concentrate and get into an Essential Oils zone!

Today was the day for my first attempt at making infusions using the Rosemary from my garden and Lavender flowers I had collected near our local allotments.The intention for the Rosemary infusion was to use the water for cleansing the skin, whilst the Lavender flowers for gifts or decorations.

After a few days, I would add a natural preservative to ensure they wouldn’t ferment.   I would see what it smells like, feels like, and looks like once it had time to infuse.

Last year I made an oil/water-based lotion that failed badly. In the Evolution & Experiments blog, I wrote how my son climbed into the fridge and knocked the product to the floor: the oil went one way and the water part another. It created such a mess, but confirmed that my attempted blend had failed.

Today I wanted to overcome this epic fail and have another attempt at making a tiny batch of creamy water & oil blend. I used Beeswax, some natural oil, purified water, and borax together with a few Essential Oils to give the lotion other benefits.  The blend was creamy though I wasn’t sure it was the finish I was after. There is definitely room for improvement and adjustment with the next attempt at making the oil/water blend.

We are currently trialing the products to see how they feel on the skin, using it as a deodorant.  It hasn’t irritated my skin or made me feel stinky which are both very positive signs.

As it is All Natural, as per Our Brand – containing NO Chemicals or Unnatural Preservatives , it is safe enough to use on my kids as they get older and require a little deodorising which is another bonus!

I will keep you posted on how the improvements, scents, and the name we give the product when we’re done!  They will be added to our Shop Categories List.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

If Essentially Lili could make a skincare product JUST FOR YOU, what would it be and why?
What kind of ingredients do you look for when choosing your products?
I look forward to hearing what you suggest and why.Please feel free to add your comments below.I will send samples to a selected 15 people who comment!!

Should you wish to Contact us for more information, email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered.

Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili

 

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips

Evolution & Experiments

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Evolution & Experiments
12
Sep

From Jar sizes, Labels &
Logo Designs/Development, we begin the next phase of re-branding.
 

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Evolution means development, progression, change and transformation.  They are a great way to describe the evolution of Essentially Lili.

When we started, everything was a process of making quick decisions. Our Jump in with Both Feet approach concerned the labels, our colour codes, information for the customer, designing the logo and building the brand.

There will always be someone who does not understand what we like; nor will they comprehend what’s within our heart and drives us forwards.Colour schemes, for example, is a personal preference.We have had humorous and frustrating times making labels from Essentially Lili’s inception.

We tried all sorts of templates, fonts and had some printer malfunctions too. The worst was the classic ‘We have no ink left in the cartridges after printing a few sheets’!This is when we gave all Essentially Lili products their own colour code.

The labels process is still evolving and improving.We hope to change the design to incorporate all the things we loved about the Evolution process.They will be printed professionally so that we can up-grade Our Brand to the next level.

One thing we didn’t want to do was hastily run to the finish line.We felt so much was important to learn and know beforehand, as we aimed for a little perfection and ultimate customer satisfaction.

Regarding the Evolution of Products, there is always space for improvement after making the batch.  When we make the batch, we check to see how the product sets, then how the balm or serum feels on the skin and combine this with the Customer’s feedback.

Sometimes, the products made don’t even make it passed the blending phase or the setting stages when the feedback is ready!

One time, we were making the Mint Body Butter in a whipped cream formation.  The smell of Peppermint was so delish that we had to keep reminding ourselves it was not for internal consumption!  The door-bell rang when our child arrived home from school.We leaned the whisk to the side of the mixing bowl as we buzzed the door open when we heard the massive CRASH!

The bowl of liquid balm mixed with peppermint fell and was all over the stove, leaving a fraction of the product for us to save!   Urgh, the horror, the clean-up, the butter and oil that needed to be collected, and that delightful smell which we were unable to put on our bodies.  Lesson learned … take the whisk out or don’t answer the door!!

Another time, we were experimenting with making an oil and water-based lotion for the first time. We put the blend into a container to set it in the fridge. A few days later, our son decided he wanted something from the fridge and climbed in reaching for the top shelf where the container was located.  It flew right over the top of him and crashed onto the floor!!!

The water content went one way whilst the oil base went the other!  What a crazy sticky watery mess… though he did provide the feedback about the product which hadn’t worked out!

Sometimes, the product concoction is great for those that use it, whilst the chronic suffers finds the blend not strong enough.Other times, the mix of Essential oils is so spot on that the intended results occur after a few weeks of usage and helps the customer gain their ‘life back’.  Refer to Testimonials.

Our main focus is being able to help people not suffer from aches and discomfort.We have to be open to receiving both positive and negative feedback.This helps us to improve, change, transform, develop, and ultimately Evolve Essentially Lili’s products for Customer satisfaction.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

We would love to hear from you.Tell us in the comments below about your Essentially Lili Product(s) that you have used and what you love the most about them?

And for those that are brave, we would love to hear about when you tried to do something for the first time, but it had an EPIC fail as we did in our blending experiments!!   It’s not for criticising anyone, but to look back and laugh about what happened instead!We would love to give some products away to those that participate in this!!You have to let us know what you like!

Should you wish to Contact us for more information, email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered.

Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili

 

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips

Jump In With Both Feet

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Jump in With Both Feet - Ramont, CH
11
Sep

When Essentially Lili was founded
it was pretty much a
‘Jump in with Both Feet’ experience.
Starting a business from scratch
can be quite scary. 
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When Essentially Lili was founded, it was pretty much a ‘Jump In With Both Feet’ kind of experience.

We were unsure of going ahead with this venture. We were afraid of failing, scared, and worried that it would become such an overwhelming experience, that we would not cope as a result.

I contemplated becoming a consultant for a well-known established Brand as the safer option. But I knew I would be unable to promote products that I was unwilling to use on my own face due to what I suffered in my youth.

I remember feeling somewhat overwhelmed as my brain processed the negative thought process of, ‘What if I can’t?What if I fail? What if no one likes what I do?’It is so easy to remain in a negative mindset and so much harder to pull yourself out with your head held high as you plan to ‘Jump in with Both Feet’!

To help overcome my uncertainty, I went to see what other women and mums were doing in Zurich. These Mums are inspirational, to say the least, as they juggle their often very young families, commitments, and businesses to be a success!   They make, create, sell, inspire, share, help, promote, build each other up and encourage other women to do the same.

I said to myself … ‘Well, why not?  If I don’t try, I will never know and might regret this for the rest of my life.

What if they absolutely LOVE Our Brand containing all-natural ingredients for our homemade Products you can choose at Shop Categories, which have No Chemicals or Unnatural Preservatives?  Wouldn’t it be better for people to use the Essentially Lili Products and share via Word of Mouth their love for it to others?

Excited about the prospect of helping others, the name Essentially Lili came to life by bringing together the use of Essential Oils and my name Lili.

Two days later, with a bag of sample containers obtained from our local Chemist / Drogerie, we cleared the kitchen and began making a batch of Nourishing Face Balm to give out to people.We went to Zurich and handed out Essentially Lili samples with a note about the ingredients contained, details about Essentially Lili and how to contact us for more information.

We waited… and waited… and waited for Feedback.   This was the hardest part, waiting and then collating feedback.

Our first client’s face to face feedback (which can be found in Testimonials had me in tears of joy, as I listened to her story and how the Essentially Lili product had helped her in such a short space of time.

Since then, we have been asked to make so many other products that are now in the Essentially Lili Range.  There is feedback about the various products in the Testimonials part of the website which we hope you will enjoy reading.

It has been a roller-coaster journey so far, with mixed emotions of joy and frustration. We have had to juggle the time around our young family and studies.We have been building the brand and reputation, whilst creating and blending products.  The amazing stories shared by people make this journey all worth it.

Blog Participation:

Do you remember a time when you just ‘Jumped Into’ an adventure, a relationship, a new job, a travel destination or even moved to a new Country?How did this make you feel – scared, excited, anxious, nervous or thrilled to the core?

We would love to hear in the comments below what you did, as sometimes we forget just how brave we really are.

Should you wish to Contact us for more information, email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered.

The photo of the kids was taken at Romont in Switzerland expressing how we feel!!

Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili

 

Brand, Essentially Lili Products, Skincare Tips, Travels

Hello World

Posted on by Lili Giglia
Hello World, Kussnacht am Rigi
06
Sep

Essentially Lili’s first outdoor market
at Kussnacht am Rigi in Switzerland &
introducing our all-natural products.
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Whilst waiting for our webpage to be ready to launch, I bit the bullet and headed off to my first outdoor market at Kussnacht am Rigi. A lovely hot summer day in August, full of locals visiting and curious about the all-natural skincare products on offer. It was so nerve-wracking and scary for me, as my German/Swiss German isn’t very good, but I managed to communicate and explain as best I could!!

In the meantime, our website www.essentiallylili.com is almost ready for the launching to the world!I am writing this blog whilst trying to figure out how WordPress and Woocommerce works!

Sharing the journey of Essentially Lili first began on Facebook . We opened the Facebook business section, though we used it as a diary to share the journey and add Testimonials from customers when we received them.  We wanted to build up credibility and Our Brand. We launched it for public viewing almost a year later which we were really nervous about.

Seeing Essentially Lili Products being talked about on Instagram by our first customer was an amazing feeling!

We set up an Instagram account so we could share more photos and share it with others. Months later, we set up a Twitter account so that we could begin cross-linking the social media avenues to each other. Essentially Lili is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

Today it is necessary to be part of various Social Media avenues in order to build up your reputation and rapport. Though it does take a little getting used to.

In the meantime, the Essentially Lili website was being developed as I continued my studies.  The website has had some highs and lows on the journey, a combination of great feedback and suggestions for change.  We wanted to take on board the comments made by those that took the time to test and check it out.

We are working together in making the website the way Essentially Lili visualises it to be.  The key is being an effective team, listening to each other, bouncing ideas, sharing suggestions and ultimately achieving the goal in sight. Sometimes this part is the hardest.

We believe that sometimes baby steps are better in the long run, as it gives us a chance to reflect, improve, evolve, experiment, change things around before jumping in with both feet and taking the plunge! Whilst we strive for perfection, we realise that perhaps we can never achieve it – but we would like to think we tried hard in getting it right from the beginning.

We will launch sooner than later!  Please let us know what you like about the website and suggested improvements in case we missed something important.

BLOG PARTICIPATION:

Have you had a chance to follow Essentially Lili on either of the Social Media Pages?    Which are your favourites – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest?  Do you think Essentially Lili should join any other means of Social Media?   I would love to hear what you think in the comments below and your suggestions too!

Should you wish to Contact us for more information, email info@essentiallylili.com

You can read more About Lili here, see the range of Products on offer at Shop Categories or refer to our Blog Library for more topics covered.

Kind Regards Lili @ Essentially Lili