Yesterday evening, I attended a retirement/going-away party hosted by Neiman Marcus Mazza Gallerie for Jodie Hawk, retiring Lancôme product specialist - and one of the sweetest, most talented people I know. Jodie was celebrated by many representatives of the store, her Lancôme account executive, and customers - customers who are already making her promise to let them know when she will be in the store for special events. I'm one of her many admirers. Jodie is a special person in so many ways. She has an eye and appreciation for beauty of all kinds - not only Lancôme beauty, but also the heart and soul of everyone she knows. Jodie will be missed, and although she will miss her customers, she's looking forward to helping her very pregnant daughter (who was there, along with many other family members) after the birth of her child. Congratulations, Jodie. We love you.
While I was out and about yesterday, I stopped in at Saks Chevy Chase. They are having a three-day Chanel Escape to Venice event, which started yesterday and will continue through Saturday. "Venice...a destination where water, stone, and sky create a unique and fascinating light. Beauty reigns supreme across the canals. Enchant your senses at this exclusive makeup, skin care, and fragrance event." To book an appointment with one of the Chanel specialists who have flown in for the event, call (240) 497-5363. Things were winding down yesterday when I was there (and took this photo), but I suspect it will be hopping there today and Saturday. Still, if you live in the DC area, I hear they have a few appointments left. Snag one!
What else did I see? The new YSL summer color collection has arrived at Saks. I must return to play with the new quads - neutrals with pizazz. Debbie O'Malley would love to tell you all about the collection.
I found - and purchased - Jo Malone's new Osmanthus Blossom Cologne ($110). If you are a Jo fan, this beautiful fragrance will leave you swooning. I'll feature it over the weekend - and tell you all about it. In the meantime, if you'd like to get your hands on this beauty, give Sydelle St. Jules a call at Neiman Marcus at (202) 966-9700, extension 2249. She's a doll and will take good care of you.
One of the highlights of my week was the arrival at my house of a big gift box from NEST Fragrances. I pulled out the new White Narcissus Collection. Steady my heart, it skipped a beat when I sprayed on White Narcissus Body & Soul Spray. It's serious love. I will tell you all about the beautifully packaged collection this weekend. I've been a bit "down" over the hunt for work. White Narcissus perked me right up.
Did you know that Guerlain will be launching a BB Cream called Lingerie de Peau in May? Called a "beauty booster," it's a Skin-Fusion Multi-Perfecting Makeup with SPF 30 PA +++ ($51). That's another news flash I must cover soon - very soon.
Remember I've been showing you a single bud as it opened on my star magnolia tree? That bud and all of the others were in full bloom this week. Today, I fear, the heavy rains will wash many of them away. Nature seldom cooperates. Two days ago, the temperature at my house was 95. Yesterday, it was 88. I could "feel" the blossoms melting.
It's time for the Friday Forum. I love this part of our week. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? 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 early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.
Don't forget to enter this week's
giveaway contest. The winner will enjoy Bobbi Brown's Party Eye Palette. The deadline for entries is tomorrow, Saturday, April 13. Good luck!
Daffodil photo by annscreativephotograpy.com; other photos by Best Things in Beauty
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23 comments:
The roses that are behind Jody are incredible! Wow, what beauty! I am jealous that you have warm temperatures, blue skies and blossoms! Your magnolia tree is glorious. We have the blossoms but continue to have grey skies, rain and cold temperatures, sometimes it dips down into the 30's again, ugh. Thank goodness I'm off to Las Vegas in less than 3 weeks to visit my brother who lives in Henderson. It should be in the 80's or 90's with blue, blue skies. Wonderful!
Well, actually yesterday I dropped into Sephora for the start of VIB week to pick up a few things. I'm going to try out the Dr. Perricone Blue Plasma to see how it does with my skin. I can say after using it last night my face feels much softer than usual. I also have bought some of the new Nars lip pencils which I really like. They're so easy to throw in my bag and run off to work.
I'm a little overwhelmed with all the collections out there, I like so many things but my wallet doesn't! lol I think I will hold back and wait for the Guerlain Terra Ora collection. I really love everything Guerlain puts out for summer every year, plus I'd like to buy some of their new glosses and nail colors.
The Jo Malone cologne sounds very interesting! I think I'm going to have to look for it and try it out. I'm also very curious about NEST fragrances. Every time you feature them I am nudged a little closer to making a purchase. :)
Now I'm just waiting for spring to arrive so I can put away my thick coats finally but for today, NYC is dreary and soggy instead. oh well! Have a wonderful and relaxing weekend Charlestongirl and my fellow makeup mavens!
You look stunning!
At last I got two works I could see, mostly I just cannot grasp it after a number of times!
This week was not about beauty so much as health. Had scans. Never fun, but all came back normal. Yay! The stress of the week has left me very exhausted at the start of this weekend. Today, my local Chanel rep called to tell me new lipsticks have arrived and Sephora e-mailed a 15% off offer. My reward for the anxiety.
Will it make anyone feel better to know that we still have 2 - 3 feet of snow in our yard?
I do have a question: what would be a better serum to add to fight fine lines and hyperpigmentation, one based with Vitamin C or one with Vitamin A?
Enjoy the weekend!
Hi Meredith,
Although out of character for NM, I think those roses were artificial. I took a close look at one of the leaves, and it looked like fabric.
I've been keeping up with Las Vegas weather through Rhonda at Guerlain. Sounds really nice. :)
Hi Evelyn, I keep forgetting my Sephora discount. Probably a good thing since I have an empty wallet.
I just posted the Terra Ora Collection. I want EVERYTHING. I'm going to have to stand on a street corner with a sign, "Will work for makeup."
You must go try NEST. It's the ultimate in luxury.
We had thunderstorms this morning and driving rain. Now, the sun has re-appeared, but unfortunately too late in the day for photography. I had lunch with an old friend. We went to a new favorite place. Great food (and beer). My pizza was divine. Needed a little nap after all the food. :)
Hi Judith,
At the top of the feature? That's Jodie Hawk. :)
Vitamin C, Melanie. No doubt in my mind.
Scans? Oh oh. Glad you are OK.
Hi Melanie,
I think Vitamin C is best for hyperpigmentation and Vitamin A is best for lines. I highly recommend Marie Veronique Organics Pacific Retinol serum and Vitamin C Lightening Capsules. At night, you mix the powder in the capsule with the serum and you get the best of both worlds, your Vitamin A and Vitamin C, at the same time. The serum has lots of other great ingredients in it too.
Hi CG,
I got my new GA glosses. My favorite is 519 which is the most pigmented and a pretty pink. This weekend I will pick up the new GA bronzer you featured this week.
I hope you find work soon!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Thank you CG and Jo! I just got a vitamin C serum with ferulic acid that I have been hearing lots about. I hope that it can help -- my neck is about two shades lighter than my face and even the lightest of foundations don't seem to match!
Jo, I have heard many good things about MVO. That might be the way I go next. Thanks for the recommendation!
Speaking of Jo Malone, I recently discovered her Orange Blossom fragrance, and I can't believe how much I've fallen in love with it. The citrus opening is rather bland, IMO, but the heart is just too beautiful for words.
Time for my weekly beauty question(s)! ;)
Anyone have sharpener recommendations? My old school sharpener grew legs and ran away.
I like my pencils to be really sharp and fine, but all of the sharpeners I have tried thus far have some sort of "barrier" that grounds down the tip at a certain point (no pun intended ...). I assume this is a safety feature, but gosh darn it, some of us (or maybe just me) live on the wild side and like to risk poking ourselves in the eye.
May, I usually use the ones I get from my Chanel pencils. However, I got one the Premium Dual Pencil Sharpener from Sephora when I needed to top-up an order to get free shipping. I love it. Two pencil widths and it catches all of the mess.
No new beauty for me this week. I've been on a ban and haven't bought anything new in over a month! It's actually not so drastic, in a way it's satisfying to walk away from a counter empty-handed and still be happy. So long as I can play with a few pretties, catch up on the latest releases, I'm fine.
My reason for this restraint has been because just before I started it, I was organizing my stash and began to count up all the products I had never used. It was a shockingly high number! So I resolved to use 20 new, untouched products first before I allow myself to buy any new beauty.
A project pan is way to drastic for me because if I waited to actually use up products, it might take me a year to use up a respectable amount. Besides that isn't my aim, as I want to build up what I have, to be able to have some variety and options within my collection. It's actually working and strangely enough, I have no desire to buy anything new right away, although I do have my list. I suppose it's just taught me that I can wait for some new releases and judging by the time it takes me to even use a product once, I have no need to rush.
Even though I didn't buy anything, I have been experimenting a little bit. This week I decided to try out a Glossimer on my eyes! I didn't wear it out, only at home, but it was an exceptionally pretty look. It was also a clear one (Aragonite), with no red or pink dyes that can potentially irritate eyes.
I think wearing it on bare lids, with no colour underneath, is the way to go for a more wearable glossy eye. Coloured glossy eyes can look great, but very editorial. The clear base and fine pink and blue shimmers gave a delicate sheen and subtle brightness to the eyes. I'm still not sure whether I would wear it out, but I do feel like it is a very summery look and I have a few looks in mind (pretty much all dewy, fresh-faced and subtle).
It's wonderful that you have blossom, we still don't have any, which is so unusual here (England), they've usually been out for at least a month by now in other years. On the bright side, there was a change in the air this week, seems like out much delayed spring is finally coming.
Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Leila
Hi Jo,
Crash course! You really need both C and retinol (A). Use your CE Ferulic in the AM and your retinol in the PM. If you want to use C at night as well, apply it first and wait about 30 minutes for your skin's PH to normalize before applying your retinol. The reason for this is that C and retinol require different PH levels to function at their most efficacious. C requires a low level whereas retinol requires a higher level in order to convert to retinoic acid which is the collagen stimulating wrinkle fighter. If you opt for a prescription retinoid (Retin A, Renova, etc.), you don't need to wait between serum applications because you've skipped over the need to convert the retinol to retinoic acid. In any case, whether you're using OTC retinol or prescription retinoic acid, use your retinoid at night. There is an informative article by the engaging John Su at Future Derm about combining C and retinoids that every woman should read.
Hi Eileen,
I think you misunderstood, I too was saying that you need both Vitamin C (for hyperpigmentation) and Vitamin A (for lines). I am actually a bit of a skin care junkie so I'm up on skin care ingredients. It was Marie Veronique herself who told me it was fine to mix her Vitamin C capsules with her retinol serum. I use Retin A Micro three times per week and don't use Vitamin C on the same nights. The other four days I mix MVO serum and capsules at night. I used to used Skinceuticals CE Ferulic in the morning but then Marie introduced me to her capsules which she thinks is the best way to get Vitamin C because it is fresh so there's no chance of oxidation. Marie is in her Mill Valley store on Saturdays so I am going to call there tomorrow and hopefully get some clarification from her as to why she says it is OK to use her capsules and serum at the same time. I am not saying that you can combine a VItamin C serum with a retinol I am just saying that I think it is OK to mix Marie's capsules and retinol serum. I can't remember why she told me it was OK so I'll try to get some clarification from her and then post it here. Marie is an expert formulator and has done lots of research so there must be a good reason she told me to mix the two.
Hi Jo,
Silly me! I meant to address my comments to Melanie :-P. Mea Culpa!
Hi Melanie,
The comment about C and A that I addressed to Jo was actually meant for you. Sorry about the good up ladies.
Ugh!!!!! Should say sorry about the goof up; not good up. Dang autofill! LOL
Eileen and Jo, this is so informative! I will be saving this post. I wondered if I could use both alternatively morning and night. I think I will now also invest in the retinol product that I have wanted to try as well. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Jo, if you have a cell phone, would you please e-mail me a swatch photo of 519? Thanks!
May, I adore Orange Blossom. I have every form Jo makes!
I'm a bad one to ask about sharpeners. When I need a new one, I just ask an Armani counter rep. They give them out for free.
Hi Liela,
Last summer, Armani released a lip gloss that was advertised for dual use as a lid gloss. I wasn't at all sold on it. That gloss was sticky on my eyes.
Makeup artists use Vaseline. Works just as well. :) It is a pretty look.
As for the C vs. A dialog last night after I went to bed, A has the same effects on me as retinol. I burn and peel, and almost bleed. Anyone who is not tolerant to retinol should go easy on A.
One can also overdose on variations of vitamin A (including retinol). So my advice is to know your skin. Unfortunately, that comes with experience.
Most women can use C and A, but I can only use C. Frankly, there are laser procedures that are better than any topical for hyperpigmentation, and they are becoming more and more affordable.
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