Sensational

Our female reviewers are comprised of 25 volunteers dedicated to learning the truth about health, beauty, and lifestyle products. Our 25 ladies range from 23-58 years of age, and are all alumni from an unnamed sorority at a well respected California university.

	Name: Ashley Plumke Year of Graduation: Class of 2000 Current Occupation: Executive Secretary About Me: I work for a large contracting firm right now, and we’ve been part of the renovation of several major historical hotels and buildings in major metropolitan areas of the country. I’m really blessed to have the position. But to be honest, the most important thing in my life right now is my family, I’m proud to say. Juliette was born a year ago, and she is just beautiful. My husband and I spend hours interpreting her funny little attempts at communicating, talking about what schools we’re going to send her to, and debating what classical composers she should listen to while she sleeps (I say Mozart, he says Bach). She’s so smart, it’s really a treasure to be guiding her life during her first few formative years! All you other mothers out there will understand my joy, though it may seem excessive to some. Most Embarrassing Moment: I’d have to choose my Richard Gere story. I had spotted Richard Gere walking through a park in downtown Paris several years ago. I decided to stroll near him with my girlfriend, in the hopes of catching his attention and maybe getting an autograph. Unfortunately I was so preoccupied with my imminent brush with stardom that I didn’t notice the little dog-mess on the grass in front of me! Yuck! And did I mention I was barefoot?

	Name: Stephanie Rodgers Year of Graduation: 2000 Current Occupation: United States Park Ranger About Me: Growing up with a love of the outdoors, it wasn’t surprising that I ended up in environmental studies. For the better part of my childhood I was considered a tomboy, spending the majority of my time exploring the nearby woods. My love for nature also overlapped in to my desire to live a full and healthy life. All of my friends will tell you that I am psycho when it comes to eating right and taking care of my self, so much so that I can rarely find a dinner partner. Most Embarrassing Moment: I was in a bar with some of my girlfriends, and after quite a bit of drinking, they dared me to get up on the bar and start dancing like that movie Coyote Ugly. As soon as I started making my way up the bar I slipped and fell. This would have been shrugged off as a normal drunken fall, if I hadn’t fallen right into the jumbo gumball machine next to the bar, sending it crashing to the floor and bringing the entire bar to a squealing halt.

	Name: Molly Campo Year of Graduation: Class of 1982 Current Occupation: Real Estate Agent About Me: My name is Molly, and I have worked for the last 14 years as a sales agent for Prudential Realty. After my second child became old enough to leave with daycare, I realized that I had been cooped up for too long, and that it was time to get back out in the workplace. I started selling realty as a way to get my foot back into the world of work, but soon found my commissions increasing. Though I was a World Philosophy & Religion major in college, it turns out I have a real knack for this business. And hey - it pays better than philosophy ever did! Most Embarrassing Moment: I guess my most embarrassing moment was during one of my first house showings. I had dropped my listings into the swimming pool in the back yard, and was reaching to get them…in high heels. You guessed it- I went headfirst into the pool, right in front of my prospective buyers. But you know what? I still closed the sale.

	Name: Christie Marshals Year of Graduation: 1989 Current Occupation: Interior Designer About Me: With an eye for flare, I pride myself on understanding an individual’s ideas and lifestyle and being able to interpret it into their exact vision. Most of my life I have been an over achiever. Through my entire college career I would always stress myself out, to the point of tears if I got anything less then an A+. I consider myself pretty opinionated, and often find myself getting into heated arguments with my friends about current events and politics. If only everyone agreed with me the world would be a better place. Most Embarrassing Moment: On one of my first jobs, right out of school I had this client that was a complete pain in my ass, and I just really didn’t think I would be able to actually complete her job. One day after a meeting with this client, I was venting to some of my co-workers about how much of a pain she was, when all of a sudden I could see in there faces that something was wrong. I turned around and to my dismay, the client. Luckily, she knew she could be a bit of a pain, and we worked out our differences and that job turned out to be one of my best works.

	Name: Sara Olsen Year of Graduation: Class of 2004 Current Occupation: Project Manager About Me: I am a native Californian who loves every minute of the sunny weather we have here. I just got engaged to my boyfriend of 3 years. We plan on getting married sometime in 2006 after he finishes dental school. I am looking forward to going back to school to get my MBA in a few years. Running a business at the highest level is what I want to do and I cannot wait to further my education! Most Embarrassing Moment: My fiancé considers me to be a good girl. So, sorry…no naughty stories! But many of my friends think I am clumsy. One night, my girlfriends and I were out celebrating a friend’s job promotion. We went to a fancy hotel bar downtown. After having a few too many, we were leaving the bar when my heel got caught in the escalator. Needless to say, I went tumbling down the escalator and knocked down everyone standing in front of me as well. I was extremely embarrassed, but luckily, nobody got hurt.

	Name: Kristin Goodrich Year of Graduation: Class of 1997 Current Occupation: Dancer About Me: : I was born and raised in Santa Monica. I always loved dancing, but I never thought I would dance for a living. I was the annoying, cheesy blond Valley Girl singing Madonnna at the top of my lungs driving down the Pacific Coast Highway. I didn’t actually feel the music until my sophomore year when I took my first ecstasy pill at a desert rave party called ‘Funky Shit Happens’. After that night it was game over…all I cared about was getting lost in the music. Ten years later I am living in NYC dancing on Broadway. I know this gig can’t last forever, but I have a nice ass and I can shake really well on stage…so I am cool for now. Most Embarrassing Moment: I fell off the stage one night in the middle of a show. It hurt like a bitch and I started to cry. I couldn’t go back on. GOD THAT SUCKED!

	Name: Danielle Aitken Year of Graduation: Class of 1998 Current Occupation: Stay at Home Mom About Me: I got pregnant halfway through my Senior year of college, which meant going almost straight from the dorm into raising my baby. My boyfriend Geoff landed a very good job with a computer company, so it has been the baby and I alone together all day, almost every day. I still am very much in love with Geoff, and I love that he has achieved enough success to allow me to stay home with Abigail. I truly believe that children should have at least one parent in the house, and I am happy to have been able to do just that. Most Embarrassing Moment: I’ll spare you the details, but here it is: Geoff, red wine, a new mattress and some clean sheets, and a five year old who couldn’t sleep and wandered into Mommy’s room. Augh! You’ve never seen two naked people scramble so.

	Name: Venus Gohne Year of Graduation: 1996 Current Occupation: Marketing Director About Me: I’m still a flower child at heart. My favorite times are sitting on the deck of my apartment, throwing on some Lenny Kravitz and lighting up a tightly rolled J. I am still together with my college sweetheart, and we are still crazy about each other. My favorite movies are Lost Boys and Dazed & Confused…I’ve seen each of them about 50 times. I don’t eat any form of dairy, but I have started to eat meat again. I have two cats and they are both stoney-ponies. I like pedicures and I get a massage about once a month. I think President Bush is a total fag and I hate what he did to our overseas exchange rate. Most Embarrassing Moment: I was jamming on the treadmill at the gym…fully lost in my headphones and in the zone. I honestly did NOT touch any buttons and the freaking machine just jumped up in speed like double. I was thrown off of the machine and smashed into the wall behind me. The gym was full of people and I felt like a total loser. I joined another gym.

	Name: Lydia Murdock Year of Graduation: Class of 1971 Current Occupation: Homemaker About Me: I’m a very centered and down-to-earth woman. Having three children and being married twice before teaches you to prepare for life’s ups and downs. My husband and I are very involved as members of the United Methodist church [www.umc.org]. Personally I see expression of faith in God through good works as being one of the most important callings in life. Bible readings keep me centered and remind me of my role as a Christian wife and mother. I’m also a very accomplished seamstress. Most Embarrassing Moment: In middle school I had a strong crush on a boy named Brandon. I had gotten quite far during our annual spelling bee, and managed to be among the final five contestants (along with Brandon!). They asked me to spell ‘Brazen’ -- an easy enough word. But not when you’re young and in love! As I stared forward, distracted by Brandon’s presence next to me, I obliviously called out the letters B-R-A-N-D-O-N. Guess who ran out of the auditorium in shame!

	Name: Ginny Thomson Year of Graduation: Class of 1998 Current Occupation: Business Analyst About Me: I still keep in touch with my sorority sisters, especially Ashley Plumke who informed me about this site. I have had no regrets about joining a sorority. I have learned so much from each one of my sisters on various levels. Many of us still keep in contact and usually see each other once a year for a ladies’ weekend out or for our sorority alumni functions. Most Embarrassing Moment: Ashley and I were together visiting Paris when she spotted Richard Gere and ‘walked’ into that uncomfortable situation. That’s my embarrassing moment. I was embarrassed for her! lol

(Photo Unavailable)	Name: Becky Key Year of Graduation: Class of 1990 Current Occupation: Children’s Clothing Store Manager About Me: At this point in my career, I am ready for a change. Not a change in industry but a change in status. I have sacrificed a lot for my family and have had to take less challenging jobs because of it. As a college graduate in Fashion Design, I know I am capable of doing the job that I really want to do and I am now ready to make every to make that a reality! Embarrassing Moment: I don’t know where to start or which story to choose, but my 2 children love attention. My mom and friends say they are going to be entertainers. With that said, they also love to embarrass me…but not intentionally of course. And they always seem to choose the perfect time where others can hear them or see them. But in the end, these things they do aren’t really embarrassing; they just make me laugh.

	Name: Lee-Ann Gudowski Year of Graduation: Class of 2007 Current Occupation: Columnist About Me: I’m just thrilled with life right now, I’m one of those irrepressibly happy people, probably to the point of annoyance. But what can I say? I’ve got a successful and caring boyfriend, an exciting editorial column with a major independent weekly, family nearby, and the rest of my life to look forward to. I feel like life is something you just have to utterly immerse yourself in. I’m teaching myself to sculpt right now, I just ran my first marathon, and I’m looking forward to my trip to Nepal in the summer. I wish I could narrow down my personal experience to one or two things, but I just don’t have a focus like that -- and I’m glad! Focusing on one thing in life, to me, is like only wearing one color all the time, or only deciding to eat one type of food for the rest of your life. Variety is everything. Most Embarrassing Moment: It’s pretty common to have dreams where you’re in your underwear in public right? Well for me it was no dream. I’m a somnambulist, which means basically that I sleepwalk once in a while, and on very rare occasions I perform basic functions even while asleep, like turning on the television or brushing my hair. Last month, while I was having breakfast with my boyfriend, we received a phone call from our neighbor. Jason looked really embarrassed and shocked while he was on the phone. When he got off the phone he looked at me strangely and asked: “Darling, were you watering the flowers in your underwear this morning? And if so – why???” Good thing I hadn’t decided to sleep naked that night.

	Name: Michelle van Fossen Year of Graduation: Class of 1995 Current Occupation: High School Teacher About Me: Married with one child and one on the way. I was a Spanish major at college and received my Master’s in education two years later. I love my job and I could not see myself doing anything else! Most Embarrassing Moment: An embarrassing moment led to even a more embarrassing one... In 1993, I studied abroad with my college in Spain. I was always trying to impress the locals with my Spanish. One day in a class seminar, a minor incident happened so I apologized to my teacher and said in Spanish how embarrassed I was. As I said that, all of the other Spanish teachers, including my teacher, burst out in laughter. I kept apologizing by saying how embarrassing this situation was to me. And they continued to laugh. In the end, I found out I was not saying how ‘embarrassed’ I was, but instead, I was saying how ‘pregnant’ I was. Apparently, I was not using the right word to express ‘embarrassed.’

	Name: Alexandra Delecke Year of Graduation: Class of 1993 Current Occupation: Administrative Assistant About Me: I work as an assistant in a law firm specializing in civil litigation. My day-to-day life isn’t what I would call “exciting,” or even really “interesting,” but the weekends usually find me out at the club, dancing like a rock star and having blurry encounters with strangers. Most Embarrassing Moment: Almost every Sunday morning of my life.

	Name: Stella Jimenez Year of Graduation: Class of 1983 Current Occupation: Owner, House Cleaning Business About Me: I’m incredibly close to my daughter -- we’re best friends. I think it’s very important to open the lines of communication with your children, even if (and especially when) sensitive subjects are broached. I’m very involved with work; running a business is incredibly difficult at times. Especially when you’ve got clients with million dollar bay-side homes! I started out as an immigrant to this country, and my mother and I would offer our services to offices and home owners. From there it grew, but it hasn’t been easy! My advice to all the entrepreneurial women out there is to just get out there and get started in an industry, and then figure out how to do it yourself, better and cheaper! We all have to start somewhere. Most Embarrassing Moment: In high school one of the major forms of expressing your fondness for boy you had a crush on was to write his initials down on your clothes or shoes. Most girls did it on a fairly out-of-the way place, so that it was more a secret for them than a public display. I guess I took it too far -- one day while I was in line for lunch, right behind Albert (my crush), someone loudly commented on my shoes, in front of everyone. I was horrified, since I had marked up my sneakers with Blake’s initials -- not just once but about a hundred times per shoe. Not only that but I had written his name and drawn little portraits of him on my book-sack, folders, socks, on the back of my hands. I guess I really had a crush on the guy.

	Name: Nicole Jameson Year of Graduation: 1994 Current Occupation: Summer Camp Owner About Me: I had my first French kiss at Camp Tamakwa when I was 14-years-old. I snuck out of my cabin after ‘lights out’ to meet Matthew Jameson. Not a cloud in the sky and the full moon lit up Little Indian Trail nicely as I made my way to Devil’s Rock where we met. A mysterious breeze snuck up whistling through the oak trees when Matthew kissed me. My entire body tingled as I first felt my tongue touch another. When we finished that first kiss, the trees stopped whispering. It was a perfect moment in time. We met at Tamaka every summer thereafter and shared a kiss at Devil’s Rock on the first night of camp. I own Camp Tamakwa now with my husband. Most Embarrassing Moment: Matthew and I were counselors at Tamakwa the summer after Freshman Year of college. We snuck away from our quads one night to make out in the rec room. One of Matthew’s campers followed him and snuck into the room with us. The little asshole videotaped us making out! Of course it was one of the times Matthew got BOTH my shirt and pants off. So every little horny dude in the entire camp saw that video up to 50 times each! Thank god the internet was not around yet.

	Name: Kandace Bond-Perkins Year of Graduation: Class of 1997 Current Occupation: Doctor About Me: I consider myself a bit of a Renaissance woman. Of course my profession demands a great deal of my time, as does my darling boy -- but I still try to find time for my multiple interests. For instance, I’m working on a series of portraits of local Alzheimer’s patients for their families to remember them by. Often these individuals are still full of vitality and passion, and deserve to be memorialized somehow. Also, I’m a volunteer at our local SPCA, and I do everything I can to promote awareness about our pets and how we can spay and neuter to keep the stray pet population down. At the end of the day though, being in the health care profession and having the chance to save lives is simply the most rewarding thing I can imagine doing. Most Embarrassing Moment: We were in New York for a medical conference once, and while waiting for our train on the subway, we were treated to some delightful Japanese music. The man was playing a strange one-stringed instrument and the resulting tones and melodies were, to Western ears, very unusual and strange -- though hauntingly beautiful. Many people were gathered around in silence as they waited for the train, and they obviously felt the same way. Suddenly my little boy Ruben suddenly decided to speak his mind: “That’s not music! That sucks! Mommy make him stop!” He yelled so loud I thought I was going to faint. Thankfully the musician, probably used to these remarks, just gave Ruben a little forgiving smile. Kids!

	Name: Suzanne Ames Year of Graduation: Class of 1993 Current Occupation: Production Assistant About Me: Married, with two wonderful children; Marshall, 7 and Allison, 10. Currently working as a production assistant for an advertising company. That's right - I make those ads you see on television. I also enjoy hiking, rockclimbing, and being outdoors. Most Embarrassing Moment: Do you remember how, in grammar school, when a kid would get sick in the hallway the janitor would come and dump weird-smelling sawdust on it? And everyone would see it, and it was only a matter of time before EVERYONE knew who had thrown up, and then that kid would get ruthlessly ridiculed for the next week? Yeah, that was me. So, I guess you'd have to say that my most embarrassing moment was the larger portion of my elementary school career.

	Name: Cass Kleine Year of Graduation: Class of 1997 Current Occupation: Orchestral Musician About Me: I’m basically a bona-fide, dyed-in-the-wool arts lover. I know it’s not so important to a lot of us anymore to connect with our creative sides, but my husband and I spend our lives trying to give a little art [especially music] to people to show them how vital it is. I can’t tell you how many free performances I’ve given in the park, or at social events (little chamber music ensembles mostly). I think that art, whether you’re making it or appreciating it, and whether it’s a book or a painting, is a healthy part of life, just like proper nutrition and exercise. Currently I’m working on a book called The Arts in the Age of the Microchip, which is just something to help everyone rediscover their artistic sides in the modern world. Especially women, who by their very ability to create children are artists by nature! Most Embarrassing Moment: I was hanging around with someone I was dating in college. We were a great couple, but let’s just say that in terms of musical outlook we clashed -- horribly. Whereas I might pick Schubert’s adaptation of Goethe’s poem ‘Du Bist Ruh’ as one of the finest examples of the marriage between lyric and song, he would pick, umm, Meatloaf. Anyway so we were at this party, and they put on this rap song that heavily sampled Beethoven’s 5th. It was a pretty intense song, and everyone was real into it -- I guess it was the hot new single. Anyway as it was fading out I tried to make conversation: “Did you guys notice how they took out the D minor passage? To me that’s the most important part of the composition!“ I looked around: blank stares. I totally ruined that party moment. Later I found out that my boyfriend thought Beethoven was a brand of salami.

	Name: Melissa McPhilbert Year of Graduation: Class of 2007 Current Occupation: Pre-Veterinary Student About Me: I just graduated from undergrad and have been accepted to two Veterinary Schools for next semester. I know I love animals but I am not sure this is the right choice. I guess I will decide which school to go to and then take the first semester to see if this is really the career path I want to take. Embarrassing Moment: My friends and I went to Spring Break one year in Florida. I asked a friend, Julie, to watch my dog, Haze, while I was away. While on vacation, I received a phone call from Julie saying that Haze must have been sick and was not feeling well because when she returned home from work that day, Haze went to the bathroom all in her house. I was so ashamed that I didn’t know what to say.

	Name: Joanne Brill Year of Graduation: Class of 1985 Current Occupation: Purchasing Associate About Me: It seems like I have been working pretty much nonstop since I was around 12 years old...starting with babysitting, leading into summer jobs, and with my current company for the last seven years. I have four children, though their father has moved to New Mexico. Most Embarrassing Moment: That would have to be the first Christmas I spent with my ex-husband. His mother had not come to our wedding, and I was looking forward to serving a wonderful Christmas dinner for all of us. Everything was going pretty smoothly, until we actually began eating. I heard a loud CRUNCH, and had to smoothly fish something out of my mouth. One of my false nails had come off in the stuffing! I spent the rest of the meal praying it was the only one.

	Name: Roberta Washington Year of Graduation: Class of 2002 Current Occupation: Freelance Copy Editor About Me: My name is Roberta, and I live in Providence, Rhode Island. After graduation, I was visiting friends here and decided to stay. Our "big small town" is truly a unique place to be. Though the life of a freelancer isn't always easy, it allows me plenty of time to pursue new hobbies during my off-hours. I am an avid reader (whatever is on the bestseller list) and enjoy getting my hands dirty in the garden. Most Embarrassing Moment: I had just started on a long term contract with a local publishing house, and was desperate to make a good impression. I don't know if you can list whole DAY as your most embarrassing moment, but it went all wrong - starting with spilling a full cup of coffee down the front of my suit, and ending with getting stuck in the elevator for three hours.

	Name: Julie Hall Year of Graduation: Class of 2001 Current Occupation: Artist/Painter About Me: I have been living and working in Sierra Madre, CA for the last four years. While my own art will always be a priority in my life, lately I have been earning a good living working on set designs. Though it is certainly more technical work than I am used to, I am also finding that there is a reasonable opportunity for self-expression, even in scene painting. Most Embarrassing Moment: When I first started working in set design, I HATED it. I guess it made me feel like a bit of a sellout. To make things more interesting for myself, I used to slide inside jokes into each of my paintings, and then try and spot them from the audience on opening night. Let's just say one of my scenes contained a certain anatomical rendering...that was not at all subtle. I thought I would never work again!

	Name: Vanessa McVeigh Year of Graduation: Class of 1998 Current Occupation: Journalist About Me: After several years of struggling with my writing career, things are finally starting to develop. I currently have a daily column for our local newspaper and it soon may be published in regional newspapers. In addition, I am entertaining offers from several publishers to write a book. This is all a very distressing yet riveting time in my professional career. Embarrassing Moment: In my first year of college, I dated a guy who was a die-hard sports fan. I didn’t know a thing about sports. Trying to impress him, I asked if I could play soccer with his co-ed team. I wasn’t on the field for more than 10 minutes when I had to be substituted because of an ankle injury. That ankle injury turned into a hospital visit which resulted in a fracture. I had to wear a air cast for weeks. Now, I only ‘watch’ sports. :o)

	Name: Linda Capshaw Year of Graduation: Class of 1988 Current Occupation: Media Sales About Me: One of the things it seems to take people a little while to understand about me is that there are many sides to my personality. Most of my friends at work started out thinking I was aggressive, difficult to work with, and back-biting. Get to know me though, and you’ll realize that while I take my job very seriously and work very hard to try and get ahead, I am also kind, lighthearted, and love to laugh. Those who know me best would describe me not as the office tyrant, but as a playful woman who also happens to know what she wants. :) Most Embarrassing Moment: Okay, this is a bad one. Once, in college, I was getting, um, “romantic” with my long-time boyfriend on top of an old “Earthshaker” pinball machine in the back of the student lounge. We not only got caught, but caught by my 65 year old English professor – whose class I had skipped that morning!