Then I Saw Her Face, Now I'm A Believer

Hi!

Here's the scoop: This post is about Jafra, so if you don't want to hear anything about it, go 'head and skip this post, m'kay?

Anyhoo.

I started with Jafra at the tender age of 22, in March of 1999. (Before that, one of my BFFs and her mom were trying to get me to join them in Mary Kay, which I bought from them frequently, as much as I was able, until I finally agreed to sit down and try some Jafra products with my then-boss. I signed up that very night.) I was an active seller for a while, and then I got married, got pregnant, and fell into motherhood in September of 2001. For the past ten years, my family and I have been using Jafra products - at first exclusively, as when I had been actively selling it, and then less and less so as budget constraints dictated. But I love it, have always loved it since the beginning, and was a little broken-hearted when I inadvertently went inactive (ie, got 'dropped') at the end of this past August.

Skipping over some major drama with a local gal I almost teamed up with, I signed back up under my old manager down in Florida a week ago. I've decided that, after all this time, I want to use this opportunity to help support my family financially. I'm putting the baking business on the back burner for the time being, and Etsy/the craft business in general is completely unreliable as a source of income, so there's Jafra. But more importantly than that, I actually love the products, the company itself is fantastic, and I've missed using it exclusively.

And when I say "I use Jafra," I mean, I really use Jafra:

• I use every applicable skin care product on my face and body, which sometimes changes as I have aged and as the company updates available products (always for the better!)
• Rob, my husband, used it extensively in the beginning of our marriage, and he looked like a sweet, young kid. He's stopped using it - hasn't touched it in I don't know how long - and, look, as much as I love the guy, he looks every bit of his 39 years. Maybe more, depending on how rough his day has been. I'm eager to get him the new men's skin care set and document the changes in his skin!
• When all three of the kids were babies, I used the Tender Moments line on them. I bathed them with it, massaged them regularly, and sniffed their darling Jafra-scented selves at every available opportunity. (We used the original scent; the Lavendar & Chamomile wasn't available then, but I'd probably still choose it.)
  
• When they became toddlers, I moved to the 1-2-4 toddler line, until I had Sophia. She dumped out all the bottles, wasting my precious product, and I vowed not to let her do that again. Well, she's probably done it 100 more times with my stuff, because that's Sophia. And a little piece of me dies every time. I jest...mostly.
• Of course, the mainstay, the foundation, the pièce de résistance of Jafra is the Royal Jelly collection, which has been around for the entire 55 years of the company's existence. There is no substitute for Royal Jelly. Hands-down, it's the première product line in the skin care industry, IMHO, and Jafra's got it. I just got my new case last night in the mail, and of course a bottle of Royal Jelly Milk Balm was included, so that I might try it and get everyone in the Commonwealth of Virginia to try it, too. (Of course, I used it for years, and yes, it makes your skin feel spectacular.) It retails for $70. It's worth every bit of that. If you'd like to get it for free, ask me how. ;)
• I have to confess, though, that the RJ Body Complex has long been my favorite Jafra product. At $60, it's also not cheap, but it lasts forever and, oh, my gosh, is it heavenly. If you have rough knees and elbows, they'll be gone. If you just like having the softest skin imaginable, then believe me, y'all, it's worth it. And yes, of course, you can get it for free, too. Unlike the old cases when I first signed up, my new case did not include a mini-version of the RJBC. Hello, disappointment! So that will be amongst the first things I order, too, because ah needs it.
• As far as actual make-up? You name it, Jafra has it - and I've got it, too. I have a crapload of Jafra cosmetics, from eye color to foundations to nails and everything in between. There have been the occasional products I haven't liked, like the old formula mascara and... hm. Other than the inkwell eyeliners, which I only had a problem with because I don't always have the steadiest of hands, that's all I can think of.
  
• Royal Almond products have been around since the beginning, too, and they're among the top sellers with good reason. If you live near me, remind me to give you a hand treatment sometime. I give them to myself every week, if not more, and, well, my hands are freakin' soft. It feels amazing. The smell? It makes you want to eat it. (And you can, too, if you really must.) Almond isn't your thing? We can try Ginger or Rose, instead. I'm not a "floral" person, so I prefer the almond or ginger, but that's what's great about Jafra - you have choices, people!
  
• My feet would be so gross without the Peppermint Foot Care goodies. I still have some product from a couple years ago. That's another great thing about Jafra products: they're so highly concentrated, they last for ages, which really makes them comparable to skin care companies that cost (and are worth) less, even though they are top-of-the-line, like your finer department store products.
• Sun Care products: we use them, we love them, and since we live by the beach, we need them. I wouldn't be without them. Swear!
• Our Spa Collection is to-die-for. Have I already used that phrase once in this post? I feel like I have, because to be totally truthful with you, that's how I really feel about Jafra products. Now, I'll be honest and say I haven't used them in a long while since we have kids, but Rob and I used to use them together when we first got married. Let's just say... that may be a factor in why we had four kids in 3½ years! (And nothing smells better than the Ginger and Sea Salt Body Rub. I can still memory-smell it now, after all this time. Mmm. So good.)
• I'm not really big on wearing fragrances, especially in the summertime, but when it cools down, I start to spritz here and there, when I think of it. There's a raspberry-based one I like, but I can't even find it on my own site, so hopefully I can track it down. That's the one for me. As for Rob, he's not big on colognes either, but when he's in that mood, I tell him to put on some JF9, and it does the trick. I love it. It smells great. Period. As for the kids, they'll be getting some of these for Christmas this year for the first time, and I know they'll love that! (Although I have to admit, the name "Skid" for the boys' cologne has always cracked me up. Having an 8yo boy in the house, well, "skid" means something else to me...!)

I could go on and on about Jafra, but I think I already have, and I don't want you to get bored on me! Too late? I'm sorry. I just LOVE it all! The new products, the Jafra PRO line, use the most up-to-date skin care technology, and I can't wait to try them. They come with a price tag that makes me blink a little bit, but when I can get them, I'm going to take before-and-after pictures so I can prove (to myself) that they make the difference.

As for the pictures at the top of this post, they are my "before" (top left) any products at all - and like I said, I've only been using Jafra sporadically lately, which means one or two things and not even every day - and "after" using the Balancing Face Wash, Gentle Exfoliating Scrub, Toner, Royal Jelly Milk Balm, Optimeyes eye treatment, and the new Ultra Nourishing Gold Moisturizer, along with Jafra-only make-up. (Dudes, did you know that in Hollywood, they are putting this gold stuff on their face to the tune of $300-500? Ours costs just $55 for the same thing, which just happens to be the cost of the September case, if you were thinking about joining me on this venture. Meaning, I paid for that and got everything else basically for free! So think about it...) Anyway, I love how it feels on my face, and I'm going to use it day and night, like it says, to get the full effect.

Top Right: my own self-portrait, using my iPhone; Bottom pictures: Rob's iPhone photos of me with my glasses on and off. I'll post pictures again in a fortnight, so we can see if there are any changes after using Jafra products exclusively.

So that's about it from me for now, about Jafra. I want you to try this stuff. More importantly, of course, I want you to (a) buy this stuff (from ME, der), (b) host/ess a party to try it with your friends, and/or (c) join my team. Can you get rich from selling Jafra? Abso-freaking-lutely. (I know some who have, personally.) Do I want to get rich from Jafra? You better believe I do. If, when Rob retires in a year and a half, I've gotten to the point where he can go to school full-time and not have to work, I'll be as happy as a pig in you-know-what!!

So, wish me luck. Here I go.

Fin.