Friday, September 27, 2013

The Friday Forum - September 27

This budding fashionista (perfectly put together) sat next to me this week at a fashion show at CUSP within Neiman Marcus, Mazza Gallerie. The seven-year-old has a bunny who accompanies her everywhere. During the show, she practiced her photography skills. Someday, I'll bet she will be in New York for Fashion Week. She was absolutely adorable.

The theme at the show as Rocker Chic - Ken Downing's description of the trend for fashion this season. I don't think of "rocker" and "chic" as being compatible. Fortunately, the clothing modeled was more like Soft Rocker Chic. The outfits were feminine and covet-worthy. Unfortunately, I would never be able to wear most of them to work. Work attire with skinny leather trousers that end way above the ankles is just not appropriate in conservative DC. I'd love to go out for dinner, though, in the some of the clothing modeled.

I loved the emphasis on purple for fall (note the purple handbag), skinny trousers in leather, and soft, embellished sweatshirt fabrics. What are the big colors for fall? Purple, red, black (always), and brown. Animal prints are big too.

Leather and lace? Hardly rocker chic, but definitely chic. I enjoyed the show because there were outfits that drew oohs and aahs. I'm a tough sell on new fashion, but I saw several things I would like to purchase.

Remember that I recently mentioned scratch and sniff computer displays, wishing I could invent one? I guess there's never an original idea. Right after my feature published, I received WWD's latest Beauty Inc. and was astounded to read about a new technologies being developed. Recently, Givaudan's marketing director spoke of an app that would allow users to send an olfactory message from their smartphones. The recipient would be able to smell an olfactive representation of an image. Perhaps your birthday cake, he said.

The Olfactive Project, created by an international team, aims to explore the concept of virtual coffee. Their experiment includes sending an electronic coffee odor around the world using the oPhone. The prototype device will allow oPhone owners to send olfactory messages to oPhone users. As of May, only 10 such phones existed, but it's clearly the wave of the future for fragrance lovers. As I read that, I slipped into "wowsers" mode.

I've now tallied the damage from Neiman Marcus' Beauty Event, and I approach the Saks event with trepidation. I know I'll find things I want. I'm just hoping that I can control the I-wants. I must save for the Guerlain Holiday Collection, set to hit the counters mid-October.

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.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

20 comments:

Anahita said...

I too tremble at the thought of my visa statement. From Neimans, I bought the Carnaby Street kaleidoscope, the eye mask, a liner and lipstick. I am still waiting on my gwps that were missing from my package. From Saks, I ended up getting the Saint Dominquez kaleidoscope, the Dior rouge lipstick that is exclusive to Saks and one of the new blushes. And finally, for Nordstrom triple points, I got the new blush from Sisley, the 4 new ombre shadows and the 2 lipglosses. I've never tried Sisley glosses before so I am excited to use them.

I am also really excited about Guerlain and Chanel holiday. I know alot of ladies think that the Guerlain holiday collection is geared towards a younger group but I find that even their brighter shades are flattering to women ahem of a certain age. I also happen to love hot pink. So I am eagerly awaiting the collection.

Rosemary said...

Hi CG and everyone,

I'm still sick, but I had to go to a meeting last night and finally broke into my new Chanel goodies.

Mystere quad: LOVE this! It may be my favorite quad since Harmonie du Soir last Christmas. Great pigmentation and elegant colors. I was most surprised by the "pale yellow" which I thought would just be another plain-ish brow highlighter, but no. It's like the palest of pale golds with a bit of sparkle. Pretty.

Cream Blush in Revelation: Went on a like dream and the color is buildable. I meant to put it on over my moisturizer before my foundation, but I forgot. It went on beautifully over my liquid foundation. Looking forward to using this during the winter when I don't always want to pile on the powder.

Les Beiges: When I was at the counter, the SA (not my good one) put #20 on me with #30 to contour. I am a Chanel Beige 10 and that combination made my face look like a different color than my neck so I was all :( until my new SA sent me a sample of #10. This is my color for an all over glow. I used it over a light dusting of my loose powder as I didn't expect it to set my makeup or deal with my oily nose. lol. The effect is very subtle, but there. I know you didn't care for it, CG, but I like it for a different look from my Guerlain Meteorites.

That's my beauty news for the week. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Rosemary

Eileen said...

Oh, my goodness! What an adorable child! She can be my stylist any day of the week. And, I think that bunny is the perfect accessory for a seven year old fashionista :-) On the subject of fall/winter fashion, I really like what I've seen so far. The makeup has been spectacular, the clothing is so chic, and the accessories have been defining. Put it all together and it is simply divine! I think this will be a good year to do some major updating; especially since proportion and silhouette have been steadily changing over the past year. At least, that's my excuse! LOL

Marcus Monzon will be visiting the local Nordstrom's again next Friday. He was originally scheduled to come in November, but his date got bumped up. Although his visit is between collections, I'd never miss an opportunity to have him do my makeup. He's such a talented, charming, and generous gentleman. So, next Friday I'm all set to be charmed and beautified :-)

Hi Anahita,

I also find myself looking forward to Guerlain's Crazy Paris collection. Although the theme is very young, you're absolutely right that Guerlain never loses sight of their target demographic when crafting their colors. I'm certain, therefore, to find things to please me. I already know that I'll be picking up La Petite Robe Noire Shimmering Face and Hair Powder and the Champs-Élysées Météorites. Since the shimmer powders are a frou-frou extravagance which I totally adore and since I collect LE météorites, both of those items are done deals for me :-) As for the rest, we shall see . . . I actually think it was rather brave of Guerlain to commit to such a bold color statement.

Chanel, on the other hand, seems to be the polar opposite in concept. Whereas Guerlain shouts, "Let's party!", Chanel seems to say, "Let's meet for cocktails and see what happens." I'm particularly interested in the eye palette. Talk about smoldering sophistication! Chanel has been producing some interesting and gorgeous bronzes lately and the new palette with it's touch of purple is spot on as far as color trends go. It's a beauty.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Claire said...

That little girl is darling!! I love that her mom brings her to the show.

Normally, Fall would be the season I'd purchase lots of makeup but this year I found it to be a meh. So far, I only got Chanel Mystere quad (which I elicited last week I'm having trouble enjoying it.. other than the one taupe shade). I also got one of Guerlain automatic liner in Katy Navy and Lipstick in Madame Reve. I passed the shadow duos and the Madame Rougit blush (albeit its glorious beauty). So, that was it, really. I'm thankful that I live nowhere near TF counter -- I'm still regretting not getting the Tainted Love lip/cheek stick from last year's collection.

I'm looking forward to Burberry Oxblood lipstick, though. It's online on Burberry's website but I'm wanting to try it in person before purchasing.

Skin-care wise, I'm upping my game. I'm back now to rx-strength Retin-A micro after almost 3 year hiatus (being pregnant, having a baby, and nursing), the peeling is now tolerable with twice a week use. I'm also trying some SkinMedica TNS and Phloretin CF. Hopefully between all these changes I can enjoy some good skin day when I don't have to use foundation at all.

Melanie said...

Hi CG and other readers!

That girl is so sweet! What a great mother she has to take her to a fashion show. I would have loved that at her age. And I think that I would have left with that purple handbag! Funnily enough, I had on a similar outfit last weekend for our family photos -- just needed the bag!

I gave into the "I wants" this week. I have been trying to get J Crew to track down a pair of red ballerina flats in my size. Just when they find them, they tell me that they don't ship to Canada. Grrr ... Well, that did not deter me. I got on the phone to a Toronto store and, within minutes, the transaction was processed and these romanticized shoes were being sent to me. It was too easy. Almost too easy ...

I had ordered a little cream this summer, a "Best for Anti-Aging" from Truth in Aging, which contains aloe, argan oil and sea buckthorn. When I received, I wondered why I did. Anyhow, with the dramatic drop in humidity, I decided to try it this week. I mean, it's mine now. It's cream wonderful! My skin has stayed hydrated all day long. And so soft. Go figure!

A parting question: when does CHANEL holiday launch in the US? I thought I remember reading September 16th?

Happy weekend to all!

Nemo said...

Hello, Cg. I have a BIG Q for you re LMDB eye kits. My new Carnaby just arrived, and the second I had it in my paw, I knew something was different. It is bigger than the previous eye kits! The bottom label says 0.56 oz (16 gms); the old kits say 0.49 oz (14 gms). What gives? The new one sits a bit taller than the old; I cannot detect a difference in the size of the color pans. Perhaps the LMDB nonexistent PR department could answer the Q!

Heather C. said...

Thanks for sharing the technological developments of The Olfactive Project! Very interesting. Maybe that will be on the iPhone 6 or 7...

Charlestongirl said...

I will be back tomorrow in this chat. Have to go to Saks early, then I get to come home and chill.

Went out to dinner tonight. Full and happy - and maybe a wee bit loopy. :) Extremely tired. I spend my Friday nights that way.

Nemo, I will find out tomorrow. I can tell you that LMdB is moving all its production into the USA.

Eileen said...

Hi Melanie,

I read that Chanel ships on September 16 which means it won't actually arrive on counter for a week or two after that date. I suggest you contact your Chanel counter since different parts of the country receive the collections at different times. My local Nordstrom is receiving the collection this coming week and will have it in time for their beauty day event on Oct. 4.

Eileen said...

Hi Melanie,

Me again! Chanel holiday items are up online at Nordstrom. The eye palette wasn't up when I checked last night, but everything else was. It's not grouped as a collection, but is higgledy-piggledy throughout the various categories--eyes, lips, face, etc. So, the collection should be at your local Nordstrom counter shortly. I don't know about the other stores.

Claire said...

Hi Melanie,
Chanel Holiday is now available already at Nordstrom.com!!

Melanie said...

Thanks so much, Eileen and Claire!

Victoria said...

Gosh, what a coincidence, speaking of Chanel, I ordered a TON of Chanel makeup and they arrived this week. I basically completely converted my makeup collection into the Chanel collection. I originally was only going to pick up a few items for my mother, but as I was running low on my regular items, I figured why not go all out and buy EVERYTHING. Seriously - I think I bought one of every makeup item that Chanel makes, as my mother and I have completely opposite makeup preferences (e.g., I use liquid eyeliner, she prefers pencil or crayon; she uses lipstick, I prefer lip gloss), so when you combine our preferences, it's like two halves of a whole.

I was also given a sample of Chanel's "Le Lift" Creme (Fine), and while I can't say it's "lifted" my face - although I'm not yet at the age where I need the help - gosh, do I LOVE the fragrance. If anyone has sniffed Chanel's "Le Lift" Creme and can identify a similar standalone perfume, I will WORSHIP you on the altar of makeup. I'm actually sad that my sample only lasted a few uses; usually, I can't wait to use up a sample and move on to the next one. In this case, though, I love the scent so much that I'm going to miss falling asleep to the scent at night. I know a lot of people hate fragranced skincare products, but if the scent is one I like, it actually ups the appeal of the product for me. :)

Charlestongirl said...

May, I bought Lift today. So far so good.

Sara said...

Hi CG! Long time no comment! I have been reading your blog every day though. I was up in DC to help my parents who both had planned surgeries within a week. They are both doing fine. However because of that, I never ended up calling Michael to order Carnaby Street, it ended up just passing me by! However the LMDB Saks kaleidoscope looks gorgeous! I have been on the lookout for some good fall lipsticks and will probably order some from the new Chanel collection. I hope you have a good week! - Sara

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Sara,

I think he still has it. Give him a call.

I'm glad to hear your parents are OK! :)

Charlestongirl said...

I'm going to try to come back to the forum tomorrow. This weekend, I had to do my income taxes. That will always put me behind!

Anonymous said...

I just tried a few Cle de Peau shadows and an eyeliner this week while traveling for work. While I've used Shiseido off and on for decades, this is my first time using any CdP product other than lipsticks. The shadows are gorgeous. I'm not sure I've every really experienced a creamy powder shadow until I tried CdP, but these completely embody that description.

The pigmentation is excellent and can be washed out or built up for the desired depth. Though they may appear to have a great deal of shimmer to them, when on, the shimmer is subtle and catch the light nicely. Definitely appropriate for work. I purchased the quad in 208 (mauves) and the individual shadows in 105 and 106. So far 106 is my absolute favorite; it's a wearable plum that contrasts nicely with my dark hair, fair skin and hazel green eyes. I also highly recommend the liner in 202. It's a nice brown-black with a great smudging tool.

While CdP may not be for everyone with it's price point so high, if you can afford it, it's a fabulous line to work with for product quality and options.

Anonymous said...

I just pre-ordered the holiday Cle de Peau sets. I've never seen sets out of CdP before, even during my window shopping years with the line. I was the first to get to play with them at the Nordstroms in Pentagon City and loved them both so much, I did pre-orders on both. Limited quantities are coming in to sach CdP counter and many have already sold out. I think I was 4 out of 5 on the palette and 2 out of 5 on the lip/eye crayons.

As I mentioned, one of the holiday items is a full palette with two cheek and six shadows; blushes were pink and peach tones and shadows were a neutral day trio and a plum trio for an evening look. The set also comes with a rich lipstick (color was a pink/brown neutral, not sure what number though) and a mascara and cream blush. Cream blush appears bright pink in pot but goes on very sheer.

The second set is a set of five crayons; three for eyes - a creamy shadow stick style and two for lips. One neutral for day and one a burgundy for evening.

It's an interesting venture for CdP and I can't wait to get my hands on my orders and play with them for real.

Charlestongirl said...

Those CdP sets are fabulous!