What's New at TKB Trading

Recently, we hosted a Lipstick Color Challenge on our forum (mixupyourmakeup.com). Each of the 30 participants received an assortment of pre-colored, pre-finished lipstick bases as well as the tools and containers needed to formulate their own unique color blends.

The idea behind the contest was to make it easy for people to just dig in and have fun with color. At the end of the contest,...

Tomorrow I'm teaching my first class on how to press powders (eye shadows, blushes and so forth). Below is a little video showing my studio!

I worked really hard to conceptualize this cosmetic process for the home cosmetic chemist and while I still have some loose ends, its gratifying to see it come together.

Bottom Line: set deadlines (real ones like a class) and you'll accomplish more, even if...

Long ago I learned to compartmentalize some of my small business owner activities so that they don't overwhelm.

• I order new supplies once a week (Wednesdays) and I don't even think about it in between.
• When bills come in, I immediately tuck them into my "pink folder". I only sort through and pay bills on Friday.
• I come in at 9:00 and leave at 6:00 and weekends are not for working.
  

It's like Maslow's...

Recently I was contacted regarding the company 100% Pure and its patent pending for use of fruit, vegetable, flower and seed pigments for use in cosmetics.

The concern was that if 100% Pure succeeds in their patent then it will negatively affect all natural cosmetic companies.

The author requested that we call the examining attorney Tania Ashby at 571-270-1348and that we write a formal complaint to...

In 2008, Clorox Corp (based here in Oakland, CA) came out with a line of green cleaning products. More than 99% of the ingredients in their new GreenWorks line come from natural, non-petrochemical sources. The ingredients include:

• Water
• Alkyl Polyglucoside. This is a detergent surfactant made from coconut oil
• Ethanol SDA-3C. This is a dirt-dissolving solvent made from corn oil
• Glycerine. A...

It was 1996. EBAY and Craigslist were uncertain startups right along with Lori Schenkelberg's “Pigment Lady” and Kaila Westerman's “TKB Trading”.

“We met in an AOL chat room,” explains Kaila. “What started out as a hobby for us, quickly became micro businesses. Our other chat room buddies...

Last month we took a day off to have a company outing. We took the ferry to San Francisco, then rented bikes and biked across the Golden Gate Bridge. Here are some photos. They should play as a slideshow automatically, just be patient!

My business is a simple one. It boils down to buying large quantities of interesting stuff, packing said stuff into smaller quantities and then shipping it out to people who have the time and energy to play with it.

While it is gratifying to be part of my customers' creative cycle, the work is work. It's routine. I try to be very Zen, to see the task in front of me as meditation. But, during a...