The Friday Forum - May 17

I have a flourishing stand of Siberian iris around my mailbox. I need to divide them because they don't bloom as profusely as they should. Still, they are very pretty at this time of year. I have a miniature white rose behind them, and they bloom at the same time. That was unplanned, but still delights me.

There wasn't much beauty news this week - plus I've spent days on a conservation easement violation. Long story short, new homeowners who bought their home with the easement and terms clearly noted have proposed to violate it with a fence they wish to erect and this week, without notice, they did violate it by cutting down a dead tree that was woodpecker habitat. It was too far away to endanger their home, although they are claiming it was an imminent hazard. That is against the conditions of their deed. They also left all the logs and debris where they fell, harming the understory growth.

They seem rather arrogant about the easement, and so we will probably have to take them to court, incurring costs, but we will sue for damages plus costs. I left the woman a very not-nice phone message, which she has not returned. Our attorneys are preparing a demand letter. Who has to write and document all this? Me, of course, the downside to trying to save forests from development. I probably lost a year of emotional life this week because I've been really angry. When I inspected their property, I found a poor, harmless little snake who was dead, clearly from an injury caused by humans. After spending two days last year trying to save reptiles from the bulldozers (and hurting my body in the process), I was furious to see the fate of the little green snake.

On to beautiful things...Chantecaille introduced a new 24-Hour Waterproof Eye Liner this week - as anticipated with the summer collection. It's available in three colors. If you have a hard time keeping your eyeliner on, check it out on the company's Web site. As soon as it arrives at a local store, I will test it.

In fragrance news, there's big news. Roja Dove, who has created some of the most beautiful fragrances ever, is expanding. His fragrances will be available at Bergodorf Goodman, along with new spaces in elite shops in Germany, France, Switzerland, and Italy. I'll warn you; they are pricey. Once you experience his fragrances, though, you will find a way to buy at least one - or perhaps a decant from someone splitting a bottle (Facebook is great for that). Roja Parfums has been the number-one-selling brand at Harrods, a store that sells a lot of perfume.  There's a reason Dove has been so successful there.

Australian actress Cate Blanchett has been confirmed as the new face of Giorgio Armani Parfums, a division of L’Oréal Luxe. To me, that's news! I find her extraordinarily gorgeous and classy. She's perfect for the brand. Blanchett will be the face of an advertising campaign for a new eau de parfum called Sí that will hit shelves at the end of the summer.

Let's talk today about eyebrows. You've all read about the "perfect eyebrows." Few of us have them - plus, the guidelines change every few years. Right now, full eyebrows are in. Just look at the models on runways and in print advertising.

There are some time-worn guidelines. They usually include holding a pencil or makeup brush handle close to your nose to define the starting point near your tear duct. Take the same straight edge and hold it from the bottom of your nose at an 45-degree angle to define the end point of your brows. The arch is supposed to be directly above your pupil. Few of us have brows that are shaped exactly that way. Despite the fact that the arch is supposed to be directly above the pupils, I've noticed that brow gurus often extend the arch further out toward the hairline - when they have enough to work with. Check out photographs of women who have been named "most beautiful" by People and other publications, and you'll see eyebrows that are far from "ideal" shape. Look at Blanchett's brows in her photo above, for example. One can be stunningly gorgeous without perfect brows, so what good are guidelines?

Cosmetic surgeons are starting to promote the idea that the projection of your brows is more important than their shape. A study presented at last year's American Society of Plastic Surgeons conference concluded that the projection of your eyebrows can positively impact how others perceive your facial attractiveness. "The eyes play an essential role in facial attractiveness and beauty and should be surrounded by high walls, similar to the principle of utilizing frames for pictures on a wall,” said Eser Yuksel, MD, ASPS Member Surgeon and study lead author. “Higher walls allow for greater projection of the eyebrow, which we found, correlates to a greater degree of perceived facial attractiveness." Yikes! What's a gal to do?

We tweeze, wax, and/or use pencils to achieve what nature didn't give us. Some even have surgery to achieve the perfect brows. I think a pair of tweezers to remove strays below my brow line will forever be the extent of any intervention by me. My brows are full and fairly dark. How about you? How do you maintain your brows? Do you tweeze, wax, use pencils to fill in or darken? Would you consider surgery to improve their "projection"?

Don't forget this week's giveaway contest for Chantecaille's luxurious Les Papillons Poudre Délicate in Veil.The deadline for entries is tomorrow, Saturday, May 18, at midnight. Congratulations to Benita! She won the NARS flash giveaway this week.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty, peoplestylewatch, and unknown (brow photo)