Welcome, everyone to the first french beauty lesson on behalf of Le Club des createurs de beaute (CCB). My name is "Mademoiselle Etoilee" (that’s Miss Starry for those of you who aren’t paying attention at the back) and I will be your teacher for today.

Ready?

Let’s begin.

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LESSON ONE - Who are the createurs de beaute?

~ They are France’s premier beauty experts, each with their own range of high quality skincare, bodycare, haircare and perfume. The main createurs and specialities featured in the collection include:

- Michael Klein - has several fragrances and bath products
- Agnes b - predominently concentrates on make-up items
- Professor Jean Cotte - endorses the Cosmence skin and body care range
- Corrine Cobson - a recent addition in the past year, her products include fragrance and accessories
- Jean-Marc Maniatis - specialises in hair care and styling products
- Tan Giudicelli - fragrance
- Pascal Schaller - fragrance

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LESSON TWO - How do I order the products

~ A lot of people (myself included) were introduced to CCB through magazines such as Marie Claire who regularly run special offers, money off deals and free gifts when you place your first order.

~ You can also find out more information from their website: www.ccb-paris.com/uk

~ On the website, you can read about the range, order online and sign up for their email updates and newsletter as well as getting beauty advice and tips on how to use the products. You can also request a free catalogue too if you prefer to order offline.

~ If, like me, you do not want to order via the internet, you can place your order by phone, fax or post. You can pay by credit or debit card and they also accept cheques but these can only be used if you send your order by post.

~ Currently delivery costs £2.95, usually takes about 7-10 days and the products arrive beautifully wrapped in yellow and pink tissue paper within a simple, white cardboard box. You can go for "express" delivery for £2 extra and they aim to deliver the products in two working days. I have not used the express method as I don’t mind waiting, so I can’t really comment on what the service is like.

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LESSON THREE - How much does everything cost?

~ With your first order you receive a free copy of the current, glossy catalogue (if you don’t already have one) and when you open it, your first words will be "I’ll never be able to afford anything!"

~ However, for offline customers, every 4-6 weeks you receive a newsletter and mini catalogue which details current special offers. There is always at least one free gift that you get for ordering and these are of very high quality. These offers can also be found on the website too.

~ The discounts are amazing too and vary from month to month. For example, I had my eye on an Agnes b eyeshadow set a while back, but it was priced at £12.50 which I thought was a bit expensive. However a few months ago, they were offering a 50% discount on the first product ordered and I ended up paying only £6.25 for it. So it definitely pays to wait for the special offers.

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LESSON FOUR - My thoughts

~ The free gifts that you receive are very good and so far I have managed to accrue several Cosmence skincare products, a watch, beauty secrets book, silver ring and a chain. I have also received Agnes b goodies such as a make up bag, photo frame, rucksack and some make-up products.

~ CCB is one of the few outlets where you can get Agnes b make-up which is of a high standard and, I have to admit, usually makes up the bulk of my order.

~ It is not an exclusive club that you have to place an order with every month. I went through a spell of not ordering anything for about five months (because the offers had been so good previously that I had stocked up on what I wanted). I received a letter from them saying that they had noticed that I hadn’t ordered for a while and that they would take me off their mailing list if I wished. So if you decided that you did not want to receive correspondence from them, then they will not bombard you for ever and ever.

~ They have a fifteen day guarantee where you can return products that you aren’t happy with for a refund or exchange (even if they have been opened and used).

~ Their customer service team are very efficient whenever I have had reason to contact them (which isn’t very often). A few months ago, I did not receive one of my free gifts in my parcel so I phoned them up to let them know. A few days later the gift arrived with a letter of apology and a £5 gift voucher.

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So overall I have nothing but praise for CCB. Their products are of very good quality, the offer prices and discounts are very reasonable and any complaints or queries are dealt with quickly and without fuss. Because their ranges aren’t available in the high street, they make good Birthday or Christmas presents - Agnes B products are particularly good for the hip and trendy friend who has everything!

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Class dismissed.

Now, what are you all waiting for? Go try it out!!