Catalpa blooms are a fleeting pleasure in late spring. Their frilly flowers are so feminine, particularly set against the large masculine leaves of the tree. The flowers are like orchids! My tree is a volunteer. I didn't choose its spot, but finally decided to let it grow. I feel nature has a master plan.This week was exciting. I received so many boxes, filled with beauty goodies, I'll be testing and writing for days (weeks?). I had planned to catch up on skin care this week, believing that we were in a lull between the last summer makeup introductions and the first of the fall collections. I got that wrong!
I attended a blogger party at Lord & Taylor this week. I'll have more to tell you about it, hopefully this evening. They invited product representatives to spotlight their spring and summer collections. I spent a lot of time with the Dior rep, and, believe it or not, I bought another Dior Addict lipstick. I don't plan to count the shades I've purchased - it's crazy. I would swatch it for you, but it landed on my desk at work. It's a perfect neutral shade that I can wear with anything. Anyhow, if you have a Lord & Taylor nearby, you must swing by for Friends & Family. Most items in the store are discounted 25%, and they even offer a 10% discount in the beauty department.
If you live anywhere near Neiman Marcus at Mazza Gallerie, there's a new Le Métier de Beauté product specialist named Michael Reinhardt. His Seven Days of Beauty Camp Gorgeous special event is ongoing - until Sunday, June 12. Stop by and say hello to Michael. Tell him Best Things in Beauty sent you. You may find a little gift in your bag when you leave.
A friend gave me a Gloss d'Armani in Pink #400, one of the shades I had not bought (and, thus, not featured). Rather than write Part 4 of my series, proving once and for all that I'm under Giorgio Armani's spell, I decided to show you a swatch photo here, taken in front of the Catalpa leaves. Gorgeous! I guess I am under Armani's spell, otherwise, I would have complained about the tiny print on the labels at the bottom of these gloss vials. Who did they think would be able to read them without a magnifying glass? My eyes are great - much better than my back and knees - but it's a challenge to read the labels.
Enough from me! It's time for The Friday Forum. We use the forum to share information and chat. Did you find any deals you couldn't resist this week? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By Monday, most (not all) readers have moved on.
I have two giveaway contests underway. Both end at midnight Saturday, June 11. I'm surprised there aren't more entries. Rozz J. at FBR Cosmetics is giving away the FBR lip gloss of your choice! Just go to this link to enter. We also have a contest for Aquaphor. Two readers will win an Aquaphor Lip Repair. You can enter that contest here. All winners will be chosen at random. Please give some of my favorite companies a shout-out by entering!
I'm still hyperventilating when I look at Lumières Byzantines de Chanel.
Photos by Best Things in Beauty
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14 comments:
It has been a wild week for you, but thankfully, you're okay :-)
I have a question regarding a gorgeous blush cream stick and an equally gorgeous cream stick bronzer. I want to wear them both together. Which do I apply first? I don't want to over blend either so I'm not sure how to showcase the blush....any help/advice is appreciated!
I'm going on a mini sniffathon today. I have the double stroller ready so hopefully the children are ready too! I'll be heading downtown to test those new Monsillage fragrances I've been reading about. Ipanema sounds right up my alley. Can't wait!
Hi Lovethescents,
Whenever I've had my make-up done at an event, the MAs have always applied the bronzer first to give that sun kissed definition to the face and then they've applied the blusher where a bit of color is needed. I've had my make-up done by some very talented national artists and they've all done it this way whether they were using powder or cream. By the way, which cream sticks did you get? Haven't the bronzers and luminizers been beautiful this year?
Enjoy your "sniffathon"!
Hi Charlestongirl,
You certainly have been keeping the FedX and UPS guys busy! But that just means more for you to play with and more for us to admire :-)
I received my Chantecaille purchases on Monday and have been wearing them every day. I really, really thought I was done with summer collections until you reviewed Chantecaille's St. Barths. Being a Chantecaille fan to begin with, it didn't take much to push me over the edge. You know how it is with us lemmings ;-) The bronzer, St. Barths, is everything you said it was. It's natural, sheer, buildable color is one that I won't necessarily be putting away come autumn. I'm going to get a lot of milage out of it, that's for sure.
I also bought the Poudre Protection Naturelle SPF 46 PA +++ in Light. It's a finely milled loose powder that is matte without being flat or chalky. It's far superior to any of the SPF powders that have been put out by some of the other brands. For those who like a soft velvet finish to their make-up, Protection Naturelle would actually make a nice finishing powder. I prefer a bit of glow, however, and bought it for touch ups during the Dog Days of Summer when the humidity plays havoc with make-up. In short, it will live in my purse du jour.
The real star of the collection, though, is the Poudre Perle in Perle Biwa. It's summer in powder form: translucent coral with a touch of pink and golden sparkle. When I first brushed it lightly over my cheek bones, I thought it would be better as an evening highlighter because the micro glitter was evident. But then, something magical happened
as I was applying the rest of my make-up: the sparkles disappeared and the faint color seemed to merge with my skin. The finished result was a soft, warm, glistening highlight that set my cheekbones off to perfection. I was amazed. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful highlighters in my collection. It is neither frosty nor sparkly. It just glistens and glows with a subtle warmth. I know there is nothing I can say to convince those of you who are firmly in the matte camp, but for the rest of us, this is sheer gorgeousness. I certainly hope Chantecaille comes out with another Poudre Perle for the winter holidays. From my lips to Chantecaille's ear :-)
Hi Lovethescents!
A few huge bruises (I look a bit like I got into a fight).
I agree with Eileen. Apply the bronzer first, making sure to contour with it, then use the blush on the high points of your cheekbones.
Ooooh, sniffathon. What fun!
Yes, Eileen! Isn't it amazing the way Biwa settles into the skin and looks like it evolved there? I've bought two of them - so far. There may be a third one in my future. I would love to see more shades - pronto!
Dear Eileen and Charlestongirl, thank you so much for your excellent and thoughtful advice. I'll try exactly what you recommend. I've never had my makeup done by anyone truly talented, so far. A few MAC MAs, one EL one, and a silly girl at Chanel who made me look drunk (what's with the blush on my nose???).
Eileen, the bronzer I got is the NARS Laguna Multiple and the blush is Chantecaille's Aquablush in Frivolous. A new and lovely friend had them sent to me from another country. Am I spoilt or what? :-)
I really did enjoy sniffing today. The children were so good too! I explored the Monsillage range. I ended buying two bottles: Ipanema, floral with hints of fruits and salt; Dupont Circle, floral and bit chypred although the oakmoss is barely detectable.
Thank you again for your advice!
Hi Lovethescents,
What a winning combination you've got! A pop of Frivolous over Laguna and you'll look like you've been on vacation. You have a lovely friend, indeed.
Hi Charlestongirl,
I think we should organize a grass roots campagne to get more colors in Poudre Perle. In fact, I think I'll send an e-mail off to Chantecaille tomorrow.
Have a great weekend, ladies.
I've been searching out a new body scrub for the summer. I tried Clarin's New Skin scrub, and it was mediocre. Does anyone have any ideas? By the way, I purchased Chantecaille's new Ultra Sun Protection SPF 50, I have to agree with Best Things in Beauty, it's a keeper!! Lovely, sleek packaging too.
OMG, Lovethescents, I laughed out loud when I got up this morning and read your account of blush on your nose. Mine has quite enough pink, thank you. :)
Ipanema sounds interesting. Hope you enjoy it! I wish we had better niche fragrances sources in my area.
Eileen, I will be seeing a Chantecaille national artist today, and I'll make sure to bring up our request. I will also e-mail it to my friends at Chantecaille. We want more!
Laetitia, have you tried the Brown Sugar Body Polish from Fresh? I love it!
What a fun chat....I love this forum ;-)
Eileen, it is a gorgeous combination and Frivolous is perfect for my yellowy-olive skin tone. I'm so happy! Also, the Laguna is so different from any other bronzer I have and is an excellent addition to my growing collection. Read about it on Best Things in Beauty first!
Charelstongirl, the Monsillage samples will go in with the rest of your lot, rest assured :-) Again, if you're ever after something niche, let me know...send me your wishlist!
Isn't that Chanel story ridiculous? Stay away from that vodka :-)
Laetitia, last winter, I was introduced to and fell in love with Dermalogica's Buffing Cloth. You can use any body wash or soap on it to scrub away dead skin, loosen ingrown hairs, etc. By far, my new favorite exfoliant. Pop it in the washing machine to clean it and it's as good as new. Enjoy!
I love the forum too. My favorite aspect is that I can go to work and count on y'all to carry on! Love you!
I'm going out to publish a photo of my Chanel bruises (what we do for beauty) on Twitter. :)
Charlestongirl, now I'm going to sound archaic, but how do you Twitter? Do you have to be registered there to follow?
By the way, I picked up the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser today. Can't wait to try it tonight :-)
Lovethescents, you are going to love the Fresh soy cleanser. It's addictive.
I could give you a Twitter tutorial on the phone. I think there's one on Twitter, though. Start by signing up with a name you want (maybe Lovethescents?). If I recall correctly, you just enter your screen name and your e-mail to register. You can upload a photo or use a standard icon. Then start following people. It's easy. Plus, tweeting is a piece of cake.
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