Friday, December 4, 2009

The Friday Forum - December 4

It's hard to believe it's time again for The Friday Forum - your chance to take the stage as we kick back and get ready to enjoy our weekends.

Our Friday Forum is devoted to what you have to say about anything related to beauty. Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Tell us about it! Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Tell us why! Do you have questions others might be able to answer? Ask! Want to talk about a celebrity miscue? Go for it! We will use the comments for what I hope will be a fun and helpful exchange of information this weekend.

This is totally open-ended, and I don't usually provide a topic or ask you a question to kick off the conversation. Today, I will - just in case you have writer's block. Did you score any great beauty deals over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend?

The microphone is yours!

Photo courtesy of hohme.com/positive-thinking-inspirational-quotes

11 comments:

Charlestongirl said...

Not one person has left a wish list comment since I posted Beauty Gifts and Santa last Saturday. I thought I would be flooded with e-mails. Nothing!

Lots of you enter the giveaway contests. This is like a giveaway contest, and not a single "I'd love to have..." has popped into the comments (and inbox). So what gives here?

K P said...

I ordered 2 Fluid Sheers from Armani using the F&F discount. I'm really excited. Do not tell my husband!!

Unknown said...

Charlestongirl, I just posted- my weeks are crazy with the grad school exams and all.

I was thinking about some ways to increase traffic and I noticed some things other blogs do-

1. Maybe have a Giveaway or Contest category?

2. Many blogs do Friday links where they tell their bloggers about other blogs and their new posts. Try to network with some of them and they will probably "share" their readers with you (i never had my own blog, but i assume most are friendly enough to virtually introduce you to their readers)

I hope this helps! I am still using your samples and I will post a few reviews when i am done with finals next week :)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Anna!

I think a lot of readers missed that part. :)

Do you remember that BTiB had joined the Hyperluxe Media Network? We had those great Friday network features. Then, the network's editor took "time off" this summer. HLMN started up again, but she pulled the plug within a few weeks. Since then, BTiB and other bloggers have been looking for a replacement. All of this has happened while Total Beauty has been dropping bloggers from their rolls, effective early next year. It's a challenging world!

When HLMN went on vacation, I had started writing my own weekly roundups, and if y'all want to see them come back, I will start again. They are fun, I agree! If it snows today, as predicted, I'll pull one together this afternoon.

I do remember grad school exam time, and I'm so glad I don't have to do that again! After I got my Ph.D., I thought it might be "fun" to go to veterinary school. My parents thought it would be a better idea if I got a job. In retrospect, they were right!

Good Luck! Study hard. It's worth it.

Charlestongirl said...

Oh my...it's snowing! One reader, Lisa, reported yesterday's snow in Houston. Now, despite the weather predictions that the rain wouldn't become snow until late in the day, it's coming down at a good clip and already accumulating on every surface except the road - so far.

I have to make it over to CVS for Friends & Family! I'll go soon. Otherwise, I think this is going to be a good day to catch up on reading!

Lisa said...

Houston was a winter wonderland yesterday! So unbelievable to have a blizzard and lots of the white stuff in our yard! I'm enjoying the cold weather today since I've heard it will be nearly 70 next week--go figure!

I was wondering if you use a Clarisonic brush and if you like it? I've heard so much about them, but wonder if they might be too abrassive? Just curious. Have also thought about getting one for my 17year old as a Xmas gift.

I think I would put La Mer at the top of my wish list!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi, Lisa,

"It's beginning to look like Christmas" (as she sings along) here too. Your snow made the news!

It snowed here from morning to night yesterday, and we probably got about three inches. I hear it melting outside now (early), and today most of it should melt away, with the temps in the 40s. My kind of snow: weekend, no worries, and gone quickly!

I have never used a Clarisonic, but everyone I know wants one! When I went to the Nordstrom Beauty Trends show, we were told that they were fabulous, but never to use the scrub that comes with the device. Since this came from Nordstrom's beauty ambassador, I suspect the combination of Clarisonic plus scrub would damage your skin, as she suggested.

That said, I think the Clarisonic is an expensive washcloth (remember that a washcloth with a pile [not some cushy soft thing] is an exfoliator) or the equivalent of a whole lot of exfoliator product! I could be convinced otherwise, but I always have higher priorities for my money.

If I had oily or blemish-prone skin, I would have a whole different outlook, and I'm sure I would have bought one by now! And I think it would be a perfect gift for a teenager. I will tell you that every time I go shopping with a certain 20-something, she lusts after one.

Charlestongirl said...

I just got a Perricone lover's dream offer in my inbox. There are some Perricone products I like, but as a rule, it's not my first-choice brand. I have reacted to Perricone products in the past, so I'm careful now.

However, if you love it, here's the deal. Purchase the Winter Essentials Set ($195) at the link below and get back a $50 gift card.

http://www.perriconemd.com/product/winter+essentials+set.do?utm_content=Winter+Essentials+%2B+Gift+Card+20091206&utm_campaign=December+2009&utm_source=iPost&utm_medium=email&imm_mid=05172c&s_cid=December+2009&s_med=email&origin=iPost&sc_cid=Winter+Essentials+%2B+Gift+Card+20091206

Anonymous said...

Fun, short You Tube for kitty lovers:

http://www.pawnation.com/2009/12/03/suprised-kitty-rampages-across-nation/?icid=main

Charlestongirl said...

Speaking of short videos...

Paris Hilton has launched a hair care line! You can see a short video at the link below.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/05/paris.hilton.celeb/

Charlestongirl said...

Shopping at Lord & Taylor? Look at this nice gift with purchase.

http://www.lordandtaylor.com/eng/CMS/Dec09Eaulalaevent.cfm/?utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=12.6ssmainbar&utm_term=na&cm_mmc=Email%20CML-_-12.6ss-_-mainbar-_-detailspg