Sunday This and That

I don't know what came over me. I walked into the Ralph Lauren store at Tysons Galleria. I know not to do that; it's too tempting. I could live in Ralph Lauren - if only I were rich. After some pleasant chit chat at the door, I did a quick tour and found this amazing Velvet Lanigan Jacket in Cabernet Red, made with Italian cotton velvet. I'd call it aubergine. It snared me. I couldn't leave without it. They had a size 4, and it went out the door - with me.

A friend gave me her Fall 2012 issue of Ralph Lauren's catalog, which is like an image book. It's really dangerous to read. There's about $15,000 worth of much-have clothing in it. There's probably another $15,000 worth of nice-to-have items. Who can afford to be a Ralph man or woman?

I'm sure it didn't escape your notice that Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York was filled with beautiful designs for Spring/Summer 2013. Ralph Lauren never fails to show beautiful clothing. I can see myself wearing the outfit below. I'm not sure where. I might need a camisole under that blouse, but I'd be happy to look so pulled together.

Now that Neiman Marcus' Beauty Week is over, we are facing two more beauty events! Saks Fifth Avenue's starts on September 27 and runs through October 6. They are offering your choice of three very large, ostrich-imprint totes in navy, dark green, and mustard - supposedly filled with samples. One can be yours with a $100 purchase in the beauty department.

I called Saks at Chevy Chase this afternoon and found out they have the Blue Illusion de Chanel Collection available. If you missed the collection at Chanel.com, give Loyd or Georgia a call at (240) 497-5363 or (240) 497-5301.

There are two other events underway or about to start. I believe the Barneys GWP event starts very soon. I'm sorry I don't have the date to give you. I'll find it. If you live in the U.K., Liberty's has a fabulous GWP event underway. I wish they shipped to the U.S.

I'm not sure how I feel about Bobbi Brown signing Katie Holmes to be the face of Bobbi Brown. It's clear the celebrity bandwagon is still marching. Max Factor has signed Gwyneth Paltrow.  According to WWD, Paltrow will star in a six-month Max Factor campaign, starting in November, in which she’ll model looks created by the brand’s makeup artists to reflect the different aspects of her life. Paltrow also signed to be the ambassador for Hugo Boss's new women's fragrance Boss Nuit Pour Femme. She's going to be a busy lady.

I had an opportunity to talk to a skin-care insider this weekend. He was only vaguely aware of the FDA's mandate to Lancôme to adjust its advertising claims within 15 days. We talked about what that would mean industry-wide. He said that many companies will have to change their packaging, package inserts, Web sites, training materials, magazine advertisements, and other media placements and that there was no way it could be accomplished in 15 days. How the Lancôme case plays out in the industry will be an interesting test. The FDA threatened seizure and injunctions for products that  claim to "boost the activity of genes" or "stimulate cell regeneration" to reduce the signs of aging.

I'll leave you with one more random thought. I read in WWD that this season's makeup texture is velvet. Deep, rich colors with a plush finish dominate makeup artists’ offerings, from lushly opaque liquid lipsticks in deep hues, like those by Hourglass and Shiseido.Velvet textures are said to be tactile and sensuous. Keep your eyes open. You'll see velvet in the names of many new offerings. Estée Lauder's limited-edition Pure Color Velvet Lipstick in Black Cassis is shown above.

Photos courtesy of Ralph Lauren and Estée Lauder