I’ve been sharing what goes on behind the scenes when I’m at HSN but I want to give you a sense of how intense it really is.

This is what I see day in and day out while I’m there. Even in my dreams.

Imagine doing five shows over a 36 or 48 hour period. Now, I have to be at HSN in my green room two hours before each show so in essence, I’m there for 15 of those hours, not including the times I’m there for meetings in between.

Luckily, I love it there! It is truly the friendliest environment I have ever stepped foot in.

Here I am getting makeup done in the green room.

To me, getting makeup done is a serious luxury. even at three times a day of washing and putting on a whole new face. Deana Hawk, who has been doing my makeup, is UH-MAZING and she really knows me by now so she breezes through in 20 minutes! I aboslutely love, love, love her. Check out her sick celebrity chiseled arms! Totally inspiring me to get my bum back to the gym. I don’t think I’ve seen the inside of one more than five times since the inception of Purple Lab!

After every show, there’s a little pow wow to go over what worked, what didn’t, what needs to be changed, from the flow to the models and what shades they wear, to something I said or didn’t say. Todd has been known to be there with a cue card in case I forget to say something.

About ten minutes before the show is when I get mic’d and because I tend to wear dresses, they have to attach the sound pack to my bra which tends to pull it down in the back. A) Not comfy and B) Not the best look for the girls because it makes them off kilter.

I guess solution would be to wear pants. But I’m much more a dress girl.

Speaking of which, I wore a bright and cheerful rose print Thakoon for the 8p.m. show with Colleen. The colors were so perfect for our set. Check out the print up close. The rose stems are legs (I wore this dress to the first Purple Lab launch event for bloggers last year so it has good memories).

This is how it all looked on set.

While there, there’s hardly time to eat. Much of my intake involves power bars and whatever I can snag from the 9th floor of the hotel (they put out snacks at 4p.m. and I tend to raid it).

My whole body tends to feel out of whack and I don’t sleep much either. I’m on a kind of adrenaline high the whole time. I can’t quite explain it. There is nothing like it that I can even compare it to other than the Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island.

By the time I get home, I’m bound for a minimum of 15 hours of sleep.

I can’t wait to be back in August!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab

After the 2a.m. HSN show, it was hard to sleep. I was on such an adrenaline (and Red Bull) rush, but I think I may have dozed off by 6a.m. or so.

The 2p.m. with Amy Morrison was amazing. It was my third time working with her and we have such a good connection. Love her!

I wore leopard print Derek Lam. Feminine. Flirty. Fun. But not too O.T.T. (over the top).

See a clip from the presentation below – and note: about 6:27 in, Jessica Harlow, the winner of the model search contest, is on! Yay Jess!

Funny thing happened at the end. I fell off my little perch that I stand on (if you missed it from my previous blog, I have to stand on a mini platform because I’m such a peanut!).

I literally went backwards and would have wound up on my bum had Amy not caught me! Good times!

Now this is something that came up. I have this habit of standing with my hand at my hip. See…

And…

I don’t think there has been a photo of me without this pose since I’ve been little. Why? At a young age, I was told that a hand on your hip makes your arms look thinner.

Notice how every celebrity stands that way?

I don’t even know I’m doing it. And – here’s where I need an opinion – someone pointed out that it could look like I have an attitude with this stance.

Oh! No! Not! My! Intention!

So next time, I am going to beg the producer to say “hip” in my ear piece when I do it. Must be broken of the habit!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Those who know me know that I am not a night owl. I’m in bed by 10:30, never later than 11. So having a 2a.m. show is not easy for me. It takes an enormous amount of mental prep, not to mention sugar-free Red Bull (the only time I will have caffeine -I never drink any and I hate coffee).

Let’s just say, it took a long time in makeup to get me ready!

At midnight, I was photographed for a before picture. Now this is something that kind of bugs me – everyone kept saying, over and over and over – that I had the “best before and after pictures” (in comparison to the models).

Such a backhanded compliment, don’t you think? It’s like, “you look bad before and with makeup, there’s a drastic difference.”

I know, I know I have dark circles! I get it!

The host was Rachel Huber, a sprightly red head. We met right before the show but it seemed like we were old friends.

Oh, and I wore a burgondy short puffy sleeve lace-trimmed Zac Posen top with black shorts to the knee. Of course, six inch heels go without saying.

Now, Rachel was coming off of another show right before me. I mentioned this before but I have to say it again because it’s a riot.

When hosts have back-to-back shows, there’s about 10 seconds to get from one studio to the next. And the building is HUGE. So someone rushes them over in a wheelchair where they examine their notes and put on some lip gloss.

Todd caught Rachel in transit!

I also unveiled a new product! Pearlesque Show, a fab silicone-free primer infused wtih crushed pearls (for luminous skin), kiwi (antioxidants galore), honey (anti-bacterial), plumping peptides and other delicious skin care ingredients. Details later. It’s not even on our site yet.

Meet Pearlesque show, whose name was the brainchild of a good F.O.P.L. (friend of Purple Lab) Amanda Green (@LALupusLady on Twitter).

OMG! David’s Cookies was throughout my visit. Every time I walked through the hallways, I smelled the inoxicating scent of freshly baked brownies, blondies and chocolate chunk cookies, my favorite when I was a kid (I used to have the recipe and make them every weekend in 8th grade).

I managed to avoid the sugar the entire time but I caved after my last show. I was literally running frantic to the kitchen, the food styling room, the set to find some.

No luck. I actually got caught red handed while opening a sealed tin that was on a table with a sign that read, “Do Not Touch,” by two HSN VPs! Luckily, they laughed.

I wish I had a picture of the look on my face when they walked in… with a tour of guests! Yeesh!

In the green room, I had a little visit from my friend Carol Brodie. She has a line called Rarities on HSN and she rocked the house. But poor girl – she had a 3a.m. to 5a.m. show. How she manages it and looks so fresh is beyond me! Beeeeyond!

Next time, I’ll need to wear her jewelry! I have my eye on some emerald earrings!

More on the other shows, where I almost fell off my perch.

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

I’m just back from a five show stint on HSN and let me tell you – it’s so much easier the second time around.

Self portrait with Todd below – pre-show and pre-makeup!

First of all, I was A LOT less nervous having done this before. I felt more calm and like myself. I mean, I still had SOME nerves. I can’t lie. But I didn’t feel like I could have passed out at any moment.

We made a few key changes after the first round of shows. The set, for one, was lightened up. Instead of black floors, we swapped them out for white, which really brightened things up.

AND – now this is very important! – I stood on two crates to give me more height (The hosts all seem to be tall and I can barely see over the table without a stoop!).

Standing was also different. The first time around, I was sitting with the host at a high top table. It’s better to stand, turns out. It’s easier to really get in there and play with products and move around more easily.

Some inside peaks at things for a moment…

This is pre-show product preparation. This is what goes on outside of the set, where products are placed on stands and brought in and out of the studio when we’re on air.

This is my view, looking at the cameras, when I’m on air.

Tomorrow, more details from the shows!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Back in January, when we did our speed dating event, HSN filmed me to make a little video called “Behind the Label.” It was shot in a corner of a room at the W Hoboken, overlooking the NYC skyline. Gorgeous.

This is the result – a quick look at the brand, a little about moi, and a lot of love. So happy with it. Thank you, HSN! You are amazing!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Monday and Tuesday, Sharon and I will be doing “desk side,” which are one-on-one meetings with magazine editors at their desks.

The beauty editors – all editors, really – are inundated with event invitations, appointments, and deadlines. When you go to them, it helps make their lives easier.

This is the cute e-vite we did to get them on the books.

It’s not easy to get their attention and PR is really all about relationships at the end of the day. Lucky for Purple Lab, people love Sharon! 

Normally, brands don’t do evites for desk sides, but we wanted to do something more official. It looks professional. Would have loved to have had paper invitations but funding would not allow.

It’s important to be sitting down with editors in this way because they will reall understand the product and the brand, much moreso than by a press release. Monday and Tuesday are the days and we have 18 meetings, all back to back from 9:00 to 5:30p.m.

For each meeting, we’re bringing the products, information (fact sheets) on them and a delisch lip-shaped cookie with our logo in icing, thanks to Crystal of Tasty Morsels Bakery.

We just packed up the Purple Lab branded boxes, arranged with hot pink tissue paper and our products, so we don’t have to scramble last minute to set it all up (cookies, not included – those will be picked up the day of so they’re fresh).

The scene of the crime, below, is taking up a nice portion of my bedroom. 

You have to understand how our stock is arranged. It is basically piles of clearly labeled packing boxes, lids open with color names and product names on the lids. And they all sit atop of a mirrored platform that is part of a piece of art (the sculpture that is meant to be placed on the mirror is not in our possession yet and when it is, I have NO IDEA what we’ll do with the stock!).

Anyway, back to desk sides. They’re really vital right now. The last time I saw editors was when I had nothing but Huge Lips Skinny Hips to show. They likely think of Purple Lab as a one product brand and now I can show how we’re expanding (fingers crossed, we’ll have lab samples of Pearlesque Show, available in April on HSN, as well).

Keep you posted on how it goes. Hope you’ll be reading about it all in the magazines in a few months!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

My last post, I talked about how some of the negative remarks – not even on the products, but about me as a person – were hurtful and upsetting. I received so many beautiful comments that I am so thankful for – all full of support and appreciation.

And I have now fully, 1000000% let it all go.

No need to have that bring me down.

When I created Purple Lab, my first thought was all about women, to build a brand that could be aspirational and inspirational, to have fun, to laugh, to offer something with serious ingredients and a nice side of cheekiness, and most importantly, to empower.

My message is that all of us women should feel fabulous, glamorous, amazing – inside and out, in our sweats or in our heels.

Yes, some of the harsh words on the forums and in other comments on blogs were upsetting. A tear or two streamed down my face (or maybe more than two). Then I had a little heart to heart with myself.

I have SO much emotion tied to Purple Lab. I give it every ounce of my energy and soul, as does Todd. This is truly our baby. We visited our products in stores on Mother’s Day last year!

It was somewhat disappointing to not be able to share that excitement 
with everyone – or feel that it was mutual.

But I am taking a lesson from my own brand – I will transcend the negative words, the frustration, and just do what I love, what makes me happy, and share the passion I have for it every way that I can.

And no more forums for moi. Not a single one!

Thank you all! You rock!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

The best thing about partnering with HSN – I’m living my dream.

The down side - other people have something to say about it and not always so nice.

I don’t think every product is for every person. And I don’t expect the entire planet to live and die for Purple Lab, though I do wish they would! But I never quite expected to see some of the comments that have been popping up on forums and on my AOL blog, Beauty Blab.

One person said I looked like a short, fat Farrah Fawcett in my jumpsuit.

I know I’m short. Yes, I could lose a few lbs. That stung, even though a Farrah comparison is nice (just not the fat part).

Another comment said I should tame my hair.

I don’t like a lot of things about my physical appearance. Believe me. No one is harder on me than I am. But I’m just not a tame hair kind of girl. My crazy unruly curls suit me.

I also saw a little drama going down on one forum. Some people said “shame on HSN” for having Purple Lab and someone who follows us on Twitter and Facebook jumped in to say how and why she loves the brand. Thank you, Tabathia! You’re such a doll!

The person who started the convo, however, did not agree. She retorted, “This must be Karen writing this.”

I was in tears by the end of it. There was a lot of confusion over names of the colors of the lip glosses – like No Panty Lines and Worship Kate. Worship Kate is inspired by my style icon Kate Moss (one person didn’t understand why I’d worship a “drug addict,” but really, it’s about a personal sense of style that I worship, not a substance abuse habit. I don’t even drink!).

I couldn’t understand where so much anger was coming from. Like I said, I welcome all feedback on products – good or bad – because I can learn from them and improve. I know that every product is not for every one. It’s like perfume. My mom wears a Cartier fragrance that I love on her – but it’s horrid on me!  

Don’t get me wrong – there were amazing reviews as well. Yay! For some reason, it’s easy for me to focus on the negative.

I’ve always been the type to look at myself in the mirror and see only the flaws – never would I do that with someone else, but me… I’m fair game! 

Todd threatened divorce if I ever go back. I can’t change the way people see things and not everyone will take the time to really get to know Purple Lab or me as the Creatrix of the products.

So I have sworn them off – forever – and I just hope that we can all be friends! Is that so wrong?

Just my musing for the day.

Enjoy yours.

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Not a moment of rest since HSN went down. We’re in the midst of planning the next group of shows for the April, for which I’ll be bringing contest winner Jessica Harlow with me! (I’m meeting her this week  – so excited!)

Plus, the manic manufacturing phase for Pearlesque Show has begun. Below, a comp of the design for the componentry.

Sharon and I are furiosly planning PR and marketing – desk sides with the major magazines, adding content to the site, starting to shoot how-to videos, and a special initiative for Pearlesque Show’s launch (cannot give deets yet – but it will be fierce).

While I shared the design comp for the component, we’re still working on the box it goes in (a.k.a. unit carton). All of the wordage, however, has been sent to HSN’s legal for approval. I’m praying I will get it in the next two weeks so I have time to do something pre-launch.

Always a mad rush. I dream of the day it’s not!

In the meantime, don’t ask me about tax situation. It’s a wreck. And I would guesstimate that I’m a good year away from having a real office, which means I am putting aside baby making plans for later. No way could I imagine having an infant in my home office with five interns, a desk in the living room, no door to shut (the apartment is loft-like, hence no privacy and I often take conference calls in the closet or bathroom), and running around the way I do.

I swear, if I did give birth right now, the baby would surely turn out to be the unibomber. Sorry mom and dad! I have to wait another year – not the best idea considering I’m verrrrry close to 40.  

Thank God my brother is having a child in April – alleviates a little of the grandparent-pressure!

There are big conversations in-office about retail expansion – are we ready and if so, where? It’s hard to grow in the traditional brick and mortar arena.

Imagine you’re in a massive store with 200 locations.

You have to provide point of sale displays to each, along with multiple testers of all products. You have to visit each store regularly, send a team in to train staff and often, you send someone to work the floor in your name. There’s marketing for each location on top of it all.

Meaning: MONEY!

Selling IN is one thing… selling THROUGH is another. That requires support.

Back to MONEY which is not at my disposal, sadly.

Even as you sell products on HSN, any money coming in goes back to fuel the growth of the company, manufacturing, cost of goods, photo shoots for the site. Need I go on?

I’m also talking to the chemists about some products for July for the HSN presentations then. Totally hush-hush so I can’t go there now, but if the testing we’re doing works out, OMG, will I have something insane for your makeup bag!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

You don’t understand. I NEVER stay up late. I don’t go out. I don’t drink. I don’t do coffee. I like to be in bed NO later than 11p.m. When I heard I’d have a 2a.m. slot on HSN, I immediately panicked. How would I make it?

Lots of sugar-free Red Bull (I know it’s poison, but I had no choice). Lots!

First of all, for the slot, I got decked in purple Proenza Schouler sequins and skinny Current/Elliot jeans. Six inch heels go without saying. Hair, kind of Farrah’d out for the night.

Bobbi Ray Carter, a sprightly petite brunette with loads of good energy, hosted. And I have to thank her right now. It was the first time she did a 2a.m. spot in 27 years. Bobbi – to what do I owe this honor? Mwah!

I got to the green room at midnight and watched Diane Gillman’s show, which was right before. The woman is madness on HSN! 28,000 pairs of jeans sold in two hours! I worship at her altar!

Her models were also wearing Purple Lab makeup!

I’m a fan of the cross promotion! Bobbi was donning her white skinnies – and looking skinny!

Oh! Gigi Levangie called in to give a testimonial! She’s the best-selling author of Queen Takes King, Maneater, and the Starter Wife, which was a Lifetime movie with Debra Messing. And she said Huge Lips Skinny Hips is the only gloss she uses! Love you, Gigi!

When a caller is on the line, there’s a screen on set that says “Phone Call from Gigi, Los Angeles, CA” to alert you. The first time we had a call in, I got so excited and blurted it out.

Oops! That’s what the hosts are supposed to do.

I was totally loopy after the show – oddly high on energy and exhausted at once. I had a 10a.m. flight back home the next day. And when I got there, I literally slept for sixteen straight hours!

Before I sign off, I thought I’d share two pictures and moments.

This is Jen Bates, one of the producers I worked with and fellow Jersey girl. She was on hand at speed dating as well, capturing it on film (will have footage soon).

En route to the set as the makeup is touched up and the ear piece is shoved in!

I’ll be back on HSN in April, so stay tuned for more information, new shades of Huge Lips Skinny Hips and Lashionista Modelista in midnight blue (it’s so dark, it’s like black but the blue brings out the whites of the eyes – it’s called Modern Classic because, like a trench, it’s a staple we should all have in our repertoire).

Be on the look out for the new primer, Pearlesque Show. Details to be revealed soon.

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix