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Friday, November 1, 2013

The Friday Forum - November 1

Right now, it's very dark, rain is falling, and the wind is blowing - all perfect conditions to blow the pretty leaves right off the trees. I'm sure the guy who cuts my lawn will be thrilled when he sees the carpet of yellow and red next week.

I've managed to go a whole week without going to a department store. That leaves me in the dark about any new things that may have arrived. However, I did get a text yesterday from Chantecaille that new colors have arrived. I'll have to pop over to Neiman Marcus tomorrow.

I did finally receive my Le Métier de Beauté Gravité Kaleidoscope Eye Kit, along with the items I ordered to merit the GWP. I had received an e-mail telling me that the company had been overwhelmed with orders. Gravité is much nicer than I expected. Le Métier de Beauté's publicity photo and their swatch photo made the purple color look hideous. It's not. It's actually almost charcoal.  They did themselves a disservice. However, the offer is still on, and the Beauty Vault has been expanded to color, so if you are interested, check it out. I won't be able to swatch it before tomorrow.

Anthropologie has some fabulous fragrances for sale right now. Yosh Han, a well-known and much-loved perfumer, created four scents for the company. I bought all of them! I love Yosh. Yesterday, I tried the first, Sea Ranch ($48), a mineral sea musk with earthy aromatics. It's light and lovely.  These fragrances would make fabulous holiday gifts.

Everyone knows the Sephora sale is coming up? Do you know what you will be ordering? Make sure to look at NEST's Luxury Hand Cream Gift Set ($38). Talk about a nice gift!

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!

Photo courtesy of National Geographic

18 comments:

  1. Hi, CG and fellow BTiB readers!

    Any recommendations for a hand cream? The cold weather (has anybody else heard that we're apparently supposed to have a cold winter this year?) has really brought on the hangnails and dry skin galore this year, which is a bit of a first for me, as my skin has in the past always been more oily than dry. I guess it's a sign that I'm getting older. Bah humbug.

    Also, if anyone lives in the DC region and would like to recommend an orthopedist or podiatrist for a toe surgery, I promise that Santa will be extra generous this holiday season. ;)

    Thanks in advance!

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  2. May, there is a foot surgeon in Commonwealth Orthopedics next to Virginia Hospital Center.

    The Washingtonian has a Best Doctors list of other good ones.

    The least expensive hand cream is Am-Lactin body cream. I use it before I go to bed because I wash my hands too many times during the day. I use fragranced creams while at work.

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  3. Oooh you gotta show us that kaleidoscope palette :-) So it was worth the wait then?

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  4. I took a look at that Nest set over on the Sephora site. However, when I saw a review that said the fragrances are strong, I shut it right down. I've been known to have to go scrub my hands if I try a hand cream that is strongly scented - I just can't stand to continuously smell my hands! If it's a light scent that I like, I'm fine! I even took L'Occitane Hand Cream back to the store - couldn't stomach it. The woman insisted it was unscented...no, it's not. She did give me my money back...

    I also wash my hands way too many times during the day, and I have very dry skin. I apply cream to my hands constantly...and they are still dry. I've also started getting cracks on the tips of my fingers in the winter...another wonderful side-effect of aging!

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  5. I just received my Chantecaille diamonds trio and gasped. They are so beautiful! I can't wait for the Kaleidoscope swatches. I skipped it because they so do not look like any of my colors. My favorite hand cream is by Neutrogena. It is chock full of glycerin, highly moisturizing but not at all greasy.

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  6. Hi CG-
    have you ever used Paula's Choice skincare? thoughts? I think I'll be buying another Guerlein gloss @ Sephora's sale, do you have dates on that?
    @May- my favorite hand cream is L'Occitane, its great in any scent or unscented (original) if you prefer.
    Thanks for the Fri post!
    Mara

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  7. Yep, kissandmakeup. Worth the wait.

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  8. Mara,

    I used to use a few things from Paula's Choice - until she decided to put retinol in her products for uber-sensitive skin. At that point, I left her and never went back. I thought she had lost it in her zest for "retinol for everyone."

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  9. Well, I have two very effective favorite of mine hand creams. First one is on the higher end spectrum is by La Prairie Cellular hand cream - around 100$. But I use it only at night or when I am out to do my shopping. Second one is very affordable is by Shikai Borage therapy dry skin lotion. It's unscented (versus la prairie is very fragranced!). You can by it at whole foods market or there is a great website you can order it from pharmacadotcom. Hope that will help someone

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  10. Hello CG! Enjoyed all your posts as usual this week, and am pleased you find the LMdB eye kit to your liking. Mine also arrived & I am happy I got two!
    I see lots of fab values out there on skin care items in time for holiday shopping. No more online ordering tho- I want to be out and about enjoying the decorations and madness!
    Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve is my saving grace. Saks usually offers great gift options on Kiehl's products- try it out- you might really like it.
    Enjoy the weekend everyone!

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  11. Happy Friday everyone! I hope everyone enjoyed a spirited Halloween where the weather permitted. We had glorious weather for the trick or treaters, young and old alike. Our community is closed to motor vehicle traffic that night, so our neighborhood is like one big block party. It's great to see so many families strolling through the neighborhood, everyone meeting up with friends, ooohing and aaahing over the house decorations and special effects, and laughing at the excited squeals from the little ones when they visit the haunted house. Because we live in a semi-rural area, people car pool from one community to another all along the length of our little valley; bringing fun and excitement with them. We typically get about 200 actual trick or treaters, plus all the parents, grandparents, etc. It's one of my very favorite nights.

    I've been playing with my Charming palette this week and have really come to like it. Everyone needs a good set of neutrals in their stash and this is a particularly lovely and versatile one. I'm pleased that four of the five shades are satin-matte because the other neutral palette that I'm currently enjoying is by Clé de Peau and it is quite shimmery.

    I'm starting my list for the Sephora VIB sale. There's not much I need or want for myself, but there are lots of things I'll be getting as part of my holiday shopping.

    Hi Mara,

    Sephora's VIB 20% off sale is Nov. 7 - 11. Happy shopping!

    Have a wonderful November weekend, everyone!

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  12. Hi CG,
    I just ordered LMdB Carnelian Camelot last night, can't wait to get it and the Gravite Kaleidoscope! I am particularly interested in trying the Peau Vierge Dark Spot Corrector that is the bonus gift. I need all the help I can get with these dark spots of mine!

    I have a question for you and/or your readers: I received a sample of Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment back during the Neiman Marcus beauty event. I've been using it nightly, hoping it would minimize those fine lines and smooth out my lips. It's ok, but before I commit to buying a full size, I am wondering if you have tried it and what you think of it and/or if you could recommend something else to help with wrinkled/rough lips?

    Thanks so much and have a great weekend!
    Laura

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  13. I love Lippman's Rich Girl for hand cream. Very rich but absorbs quickly and doesn't have whatever mystery ingredient that I haven't sorted out that makes me incredibly itchy - have had issues with L'Occitane and Bliss for that reason. No results to report yet, but I picked up SkinCeuticals Advanced Pigment Corrector to try to help fade some cystic acne scars, so hopefully it will live up to its breakthrough hype. Reported to be on par with prescription grade hydroquinone when paired with salicylic acid

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  14. arg. i've been lusting after Gravite Kaleidoscope but i'm already way over the beauty and skincare budget for the year. possibily 2 >.<'

    as for a good hand cream, i've been getting good results with infinite aloe. it actually lasts through a several washings so i don't usually need to reapply until late afternoon. sometimes, it even stretches to before bedtime. i've been loving it especially as a body cream since it seems to be preventing my sjogren's related dry skin rashes.

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  15. Hi CG, I woke up at 3 AM and haven't been able to get back to sleep so I decided to check in on my favorite beauty blog. Can't wait for your swatch of the Tom Ford Bare. I know it isn't new but I haven't taken a look at this shade on my visits to the Tom Ford counter yet. Otherwise I think I'll pass on Ice Queen.

    Hi Laura Z, I use the Kanebo lip treatment and I love it. I think I've used it for about three years so it's one of my staples. I never get chapped lips anymore. I usually just use it at night but sometimes I apply it before lipstick and it really does help with the lip lines.


    Hi May, as for hand cream I use Egyptian Magic on my hands, neck and décolleté every night. I really rub it into my cuticles. I don't get hang nails anymore since I've started using that at night. For daytime use I have a less expensive but still effective product I use. It is Herbalind Glycerin hand cream with AHA and Vitamins A & E. It comes scented, which is just a light scent, nothing overpowering because I don't like scented hand products either, or unscented. You can find it here http://www.smallflower.com/search/herbalind

    I've been making my Sephora list too and I hope I can get at least some of the things I want before they sell out.

    Have a nice weekend everyone!

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  16. My absolute favorite hand cream comes from France. It's not expensive even when you buy it over here. It's called Cica Biafine. It's rather unglamorous and functional looking...but it really works! Very rich, yet soaks right in. Makes hands literally baby soft. It is lightly scented, but the scent is pleasant and fades quickly.
    The Biafine lip balm is amazing too! Super moisturizing.

    I didn't want to post any links on here, but if you google it, you may find it on Ebay or Amazon.

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  17. Laura, I have not tried Kanebo Sensai Total Lip Treatment. Has anyone else? What did you think?

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  18. I have been enjoying the Chanel Charming palette this week as well as the Armani Eccentrico blush- I never would have bought the Eccentrico if I had not seen your swatches because the promo pictures did not do it justice. Besides giving my cheeks great color, it also imparts a sheen that I have received some compliments on! I have not been able to put it down all week. -Sara

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