The Friday Forum - November 8

Acorns - the stuff of life for squirrels and future oak trees. Years ago - maybe eight - I planted an already large red oak because of the large acorns red oaks produce, which are ideal for my furry friends. Each year, I wait for fall to see if my squirrels were blessed with acorns. So far, nothing. I hope for next year. One year, we will see acorns. The tree has grown well. I even up up a fence to protect it from the undisciplined children who live behind me.

The best and biggest acorns in the general vicinity come from chestnut oaks. They grow at the top of a nearby hill. Each year I used to go uphill to collect them and bring some back to my house. There were plenty for their squirrels and mine. This year, I didn't go. Sadly, several neighbors who welcomed me onto their properties to collect acorns passed away. When I think about all the sweet neighbors I used to have, I get sad. Enough of that.

I placed a rather large order at Sephora early yesterday morning. I had filled my cart earlier this week. By the time I got online at 5:00 am, one item was already sold out: a new Guerlain nail lacquer. I'll live nicely without it. I spent too much, but the lure of that 20% discount got the best of me.

During the last two weeks, I have run out of my stockpile of two favorite hair products that were discontinued a long time ago. I was heartbroken, kicking myself for not ordering more when they were discontinued. I have finally run out of my all-time favorite hair spray, Suave Professional's Weather Protection 365. Fortunately, I found a Suave replacement at CVS: Max Hold Hairspray. I like it just fine. I've searched the earth for a suitable replacement for Catwalk's Frisky, a styling product. I can't find one. Potential replacements all have something wrong with them: a funky smell, too much weight, stickiness. My complaints are endless. At this point, I guess I'll have to return to a mousse. To Catwalk, you lost both me and my hair stylist when you discontinued Frisky. Your "replacement" wasn't even close. Isn't it disappointing when a company discontinues your favorite product? From bras to hairspray, it's personal.

I need to put in a plug for Luckyscent. Nearly each month, the company offers a sample pack for a small price - normally around $35. I seldom pass one up. The packs are a great way to try fragrances before you buy - and have an introduction to new houses or new fragrances. Last month, the pack included a sample of Indult's Tihota, and I have fallen in love with it.

Rapa Nui for sugar, Tihota is, quite simply, The One. The One that will call to you every moment you’re not smelling it; The One that you’ve only had hints of in other vanilla perfumes; The One that lasts and lasts; The One that has perfectly captured the essence of the pure nature of fresh vanilla beans and has harnessed it beyond your wildest dreams. It inspires obsessive devotion with its fragrance of smooth, vanilla bean pods dipped in honeyed water and left to steep. The result is the pure magic, an unbridled vanilla, sweet, raw and achingly desirable. Of course, Tihota isn’t the first perfume to focus on the dark sweetness of vanilla… perfumery is filled with vanillas, but this smells like the dream of a master perfumer who was obsessed with vanilla and was finally given free rein to worship the note with no apologies. It is, without a sliver of a doubt, the finest pure vanilla we’ve ever had the honor of carrying, and it’s so beautiful it pains us to put the bottle down.

To say Tihota is delicious would be an understatement. I'm not even a huge fan of vanilla fragrances, but Tihota captured me quickly. I must have a bottle. It was created by Francis Kurkdjian, a perfumer who creates fragrances for his own line, but many others as well. When I wear Tihota, I may smell like dessert, but if that translates into edible, I can't wait to hear the compliments. Just in case you haven't discovered this yet, men seem to love vanilla and other gourmand fragrances.

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 courtesy of blogs.venturacountystar.com, Suave, and Luckyscent