Happily Ever After

This has been an exciting year for many of our fellow Murad colleagues and friends — with a barrage of life events from babies and birthdays to engagements and travels. There is always something worth celebrating in the halls of Murad — and luckily celebrating just so happens to be one of our strong points.

Just recently I was lucky enough to attend the nuptials of our very own Casey Cochran, print and direct mail manager extraordinaire, in none other than the beautiful and exotic Antigua, Guatemala. For those of you unfamiliar with the treasures of this little Central American gem may ask ‘Why Guatemala?’ Hailing from the wilds of Sacramento, CA and the great plains of Nebraska respectively, I’d even put money on the fact that the bride and groom don’t know anyone in a two country radius. On one of their adventures they made their way to Guatemala and fell in love with this little town and felt that what better place to share their love with family and friends. Random? Perhaps. Romantic? Totally.

Upon arrival, we spent the first night dining amongst the ruins of a sixteenth century monastery. The vine covered walls illuminated by the candlelight and flashes of lightening were equally haunting and endearing, we quickly discovered this little town had much more to offer behind its concealing walls of concrete (judging, book, cover — applicable here). Under the ‘more to offer’ category we must include the Irish pub we frequented and the array good restaurants that kept us full and happy throughout our stay, and the pièce de resistance — Cerro de la Cruz, a huge cross perched in the hills overlooking the city below and framed by a dormant(?) volcano was nothing short of awe inspiring.

The grand finale of this amazing adventure concluded with none other than the ceremony (and consequent pandemonium). In a torrent of rain, thunder and lightening the bride and groom said ‘I do’ amongst the quaint group of family and friends. A fire-blessing performed by the local Shaman invoked not only oohs and aahs from the crowd but some serious claps of thunder at all the high points leaving us all to believe this guy really knew his stuff.

The following events of the night were nothing short of spectacular. The musically inclined group celebrated around the piano (and on the dance floor) with the bride serenading the groom with ‘Son of a Preacher Man’ and a wedding guest leading a rendition of ‘Piano Man’. The night concluded with a bang — or, dare a I say ‘splash’— as the bride jumped into a near by pool (wedding dress and all) followed by her loyal wedding party and friends. This high class pool party was one of the best dressed I’ve ever seen.

With just enough time to dry off we caught our flight back to US and reality. As our Murad family grows we welcome them with open arms. Congratulations to our friend and coworker Casey — to many more adventures!

Getting Inclusive!
By Gengy Gonzalez, Public Relations Assistant

Practicing Our Emotional Self-Care on a Hike with Dr. Murad

Last Friday, our team at Murad had a great opportunity to go on an adventurous hike with Dr. Murad through Solstice Canyon in Malibu. As part of Dr. Murad’s Inclusive Health philosophy, taking care of your emotional well being is important in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Before we started the hike, Dr. Murad encouraged us to eat our water by grabbing some fresh fruits and vegetables. I had an orange and half a cucumber and it kept me hydrated throughout the hike. The 2.5 mile hike was a great experience in which everyone was able to explore the various sites the trail had to offer. We even saw a natural waterfall! Keeping up with Dr. Murad was not an easy task, he is an avid hiker and maintains an intense pace that most certainly kept my heart rate up! Everyone had an amazing time and we were lucky to be able to enjoy this day with Dr. Murad.

By taking a day to get Inclusive, we are practicing the 3rd prong of Dr. Murad’s Inclusive Health philosophy — Emotional Self-care. By taking care of ourselves emotionally which can relieve a lot of the stress we experience as part of everyday living, and did you know that stress compromises the health of your cells and therefore the health of your skin too?  So get Inclusive — take some time for yourself and go on an adventure! Explore the mountains, beach or whatever your heart desires — just get out and live!  You’re cells (and your skin) will thank you!

Celeb Beauty Buzz

Celeb Beauty Buzz

Shape Up for…..Your Wedding!
by Talia Sandoval-Cudé

I’m getting married in a few months and I ordered my dress a size too small (I’m sure I’m not the first person to do this). I’m now realizing that it’s time to buckle-down and get into shape before the big day arrives and I end up walking down the aisle with my dream dress splitting at the seams. I know I need to change a few things so I’ve decided to go on a eight week overhaul and write it all down for your reading pleasure. There must be some accountability. And, I hate that my gut is expanding and my prized pair of skinny white jeans are moving slowly to the bottom of a pile of not-so-skinny jeans.

My plan was to do the Murad diet according to the Cellulite Solution for eight weeks and use the Firm and Tone Serum and Body Firming Cream combo as well. My knees and the backs of my legs could use some help. At least 30 minutes of some sort of exercise daily. There’s the gym here at work and I live by the beach. I usually have my coffee and bagel whilst watching the pretty people dressed in designer work out clothes go by with their little dogs or smart baby carriages. I’m going to make it out to the boardwalk (we call it The Strand) at least three times a week.

Combining supplements with exercise and a healthy diet seemed easy enough, but having a couple of co-workers doing this regimen with me helped to keep us all on our toes. The best part was after having weekly cellulite treatments on my legs. Only a few weeks in and the esthetician noticed that my legs and knees were cellulite free!

After eight full weeks of taking supplements, making healthy food choices (including two weeks of eating only green vegetables and lean proteins), and working out daily (alone and with a trainer), I can say my clothes were definitely loose and my body is firmer. When I went to try on my dress, it fit too loose! Overall, the experience was a great learning lesson for me that will become part of my lifestyle. I love that I look good and feel good and best of all, the dress looked amazing!

Murad Runners

If you didn’t catch it or didn’t know about it, the Los Angeles Marathon took place on March 21, 2010. The course, dubbed “From the Stadium to the Sea,” stretched from Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park all the way to Santa Monica. Check out the map. It’s mind-boggling to think of running all those 26.2 miles. But 3 Murad employees did! So today’s blog is dedicated to Hilarie Murad, Albin Gielicz, and Katie Scott. Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment!

Read more about their stories and see them on the course on our Facebook page.

Did anyone out there run the L.A. Marathon or any other marathon? We’d love to hear your stories of sports achievements.

Murad’s Halloween Bash

Halloween is one of my most favorite holidays of the year. Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing like celebrating our nation’s birth with a good old fashion barbeque on Independence Day. And who doesn’t like to ring in the New Year while watching the ball drop in Times Square? But there’s just something about Halloween that thrills me like no other holiday does. Maybe it’s the decorations, the orange and blacks, the cats and bats and pumpkins. Maybe it’s the candy and how I feel like a kid again. But I think we all know what it is……the costumes. For one day a year we can be someone else, live out a fantasy and just have fun with our newly created character.

To celebrate this fun-filled holiday, each year Murad throws a Halloween Bash complete with costume contest. It’s a pretty big occasion. All employees turn out for lunch, treats, laughter and of course, to take a gander at the costumes everyone’s wearing.

This year, however, was special. Our very own IT wiz Belsien Thomas went all out and performed for his fellow coworkers a scene right out of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. As he busted a move down the aisle, everyone was clapping and cheering him on. He took first prize of course. But a congratulations is in order for the runners up: Andrea Koons, a cute cupcake, Dina Salcido, a lovely peacock, and Lola Russek and Miko, in coordinating costumes.

Stayed tuned for a special screening of Belsien’s performance on Facebook. If you’re not already a Murad Facebook fan, become one here. And while you’re there, check out more pictures from Murad’s Halloween Bash!

Signs of Fall’s Arrival

In other parts of the country, there is one tell-tale sign of fall’s arrival: autumn foliage. Here in Southern California, however, we don’t get much of that. But we do have crisp air, shorter days and fall collections at department stores—all indications that fall has arrived. And yesterday, as I walked through the office, I noticed another sign that fall is here: boots. Walking up and down the hall, standing in the break room, underneath desks, there they were: boots. Brown, black, and tan—Southern California’s version of foliage. So what better way to welcome the season of snuggly sweaters, fashionable scarves and dark nail polish than with a photo op? Goodbye summer (and summer shorts) and hello autumn!

Now that colder weather is upon us, remember to prepare with the right products to avoid the dreaded winter skin syndrome. To find out how to keep your Murad glow during the colder months, contact our Certified Skincare Specialists.

Employee Profile: Sandra Siegel, Account Executive for New York

How long have you worked for Murad and what do you do?
I have being work with Murad for 2 Years and I am an Account Executive for NY.

What Murad products can you not live without?
IWR for face and eye, skin perfecting lotion, Essential C eye SPF 15 and night reform. It’s the best….

What is your favorite thing about Los Angeles?
The Murad inclusive health center. I wish we have one in NY.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Yokahoma (sushi)

What is your most marked characteristic?
My accent. I was born in Brazil. Once you speak with me, you will never forget.

Who is your biggest celebrity crush?
Brad Pitt. Who doesn’t have a crush on him?

What is your worst fashion faux pas?
I guess was in the 80’s. The big puff hair and the Madonna look a like clothing. I looked like a standard poodle.

What is the last movie you saw or the last book you read?
I read all the Twilight series. Love story, Vampires …. I love all that stuff.

What is your favorite day of the week?
Saturday.

What do you enjoy doing the most?
Love spinning classes. Trying new restaurants.. I love food.

What is your idea of a dream vacation?
Being with Jeff (my hubby) anywhere in a beach without our blackberry’s.

Pick a color that describes you best.
Pink

Quick—what makes you happy? (Don’t think about it—Just answer!)
Being with my family. (My husband, my children)

What do you want to come back as in your next life?
Myself.

What would your best friend say is your motto?
Energetic, lost for life and live spirited

It’s Tuesday. 10 am. You’re boss says, “Take the rest of the day off.” What would you do?
I guess you don’t know Matt. I will continue to work. I love what I do.. I don’t fell is work. I enjoy ….. Maybe in the end of the day I would go for a massage.

What else do you want to share with our Murad fans?
My husband never believes in anything when comes to skin care. He says you ladies put all that stuff on your skin looking for a miracle to happen. Nothing works. Anyway he start to get serious wrinkles on he’s fore head and he was very scared of going for Botox. I told him to start using the Intensive Wrinkle reducer for the face. He hesitated at first, asking how can a serum get rid of his expression lines. Well what a surprise, it did…

Today he is an IWR costumer. Not only does he use IWR for face and eye he also takes the Murad firm and tone supplements religiously. The only problem now is that I also use IWR and my bottle is always missing. Now I just need to get him to use moisturizer with a SPF. This will be next….

Murad Bowling Blast!
By Susan Brogdon, Certified Skincare Specialist, Direct Sales

It’s year two of what’s fast becoming the Murad Customer Care Department’s “Annual Bowling Party Blast!” At least that’s what I’m calling it. Our Customer Care Department (with Magy in tow) burst on the scene at Lucky Strike Bowl last Friday to kick start the Labor Day weekend.

We were pumped! Our teams huddled the week before and chose names like The Gutter Gals, Team Wrecking Ball, The Pin-Up Girls, Bowl’d & the Beautiful, MJ Fanatics and even Team No Name.

To make it even more fun, we had themes with outfits to match. The Pin Up Girls of course wore 50’s get ups making them too adorable for words. The MJ Fanatics donned a Michael Jackson white T-shirt and black pants, kicking their legs high while posing for their photo. Each team looked great and truly showed team spirit supporting each other with high fives and cheers that could be heard throughout the bowling alley. Yes…we were the loudest bowlers.

Of course no Customer Care party is complete without grub–and grub we did! Appetizers at Lucky Strike are Yummo! After eating all we could and bowling till our arms gave out, we had prizes! Some of the categories were Most Spares, Most Strikes, Highest Score and even Most Gutter Balls. Not to name names, but, Laura, we have great hopes that next year you will be handing someone else the prize for most gutter balls, since your prize was a book on Bowling Fundamentals. But toward the end Laura really did improve…really. A big congratulations to Jeremiah Brown for the highest individual score of 149 and receiving the new Zune! I want to say welcome to our new hires. You guys bowled your hearts out. Even my 96 year old mother attended and didn’t hesitate to give out bowling advice since she and my dad bowled every Friday night for at least 45 years!

I can’t wait until next year and hope that when we announce our party that each one of you will not only attend but join in. Thanks for the great afternoon Laura…

We had a blast!