Giorgio Armani Beauty Belladonna Highlighting Palette in Champagne from the Spring 2014 Collection

The Giorgio Armani Privé Fall Winter 2013/2014 Paris show marked the return of a central theme in the Maestro's work: Nude. More than just a shade, the make-up look interpreted by Linda Cantello for "Nudo" is an evanescent color philosophy that goes back to 30's elegance with a touch of Hollywood glamour. After introducing it in fashion and cosmetics, Giorgio Armani has not innovated with a "peau d’ange" nude - translucent, luminous, feminine, and glamorous, reinvented in modern romanticism.

The Belladonna Highlighter Palette in Champagne ($88) caught my eye immediately. The emblematic palette is an unprecedented, universal illuminating powder. Its shade and texture deliver pure, nude, virtually bare light, for an evanescent "peau d’ange" effect of infinite finesse. The powder features micropearl technology, printed in an ultra-fine flower pattern. The new gel-based formula is prepared using a cold-cast technique and melds immediately with its case, for a feel between powder and cream. It offers a texture that is both dense and incredibly light. The pattern designed in the powder is inspired by a flower with light, subtle petals, with a romantic, feminine, enigmatic tulle fabric. The powder is meant to be applied to the face and décolleté or used as an eyeshadow. Linda Cantello used it in the "Nudo" show to halo the eyes with soft, velvety light. Most of my favorite highlighters are Armani, so I was really anxious to try this one.

As you know, I received it weeks ago. I had no opportunity until today to photograph it. I learned with the first application that it is very, very sheer and sparkly. As you can see, the compact is gorgeous. Open it to a floral design and swoon at its beauty. A brush (rather useless), is tucked into a bottom level.

I took all of my photos in full, mid-day sun. I swatched at the top of my arm with a sponge-tipped applicator, and I used the brush shown above to add a larger swatch below. See how sheer the powder is?

The swatch at the top of my arm was applied very heavily. I did my best to show some color. No one would apply this highlighter with such effort. The larger swatch below is barely visible. I might have had more luck with a better brush - perhaps a kabuki brush?

Acknowledging that this palette might offer more color to darker skin tones, I'm reluctant to offer any sweeping conclusions. On my skin, it adds little more than sparkle. I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts if your skin tone is medium to dark.

I can't wait to try it on my eyelids. I think it's going to be gorgeous if applied heavily.

Last weekend, the collection was not available at my local Neiman Marcus. By now, you should be able to find it at Armani Beauty counters. I ordered my pieces from the collection on the Armani Beauty Web site.

Photo at top courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

Sunday This and That

I thought I would be starting to show you swatches from spring collections today. I don't know when the weather forecasters lost their minds. We don't have sun; we have thick grey clouds. Actually, it looks like it's going to snow any second. I'm fairly frustrated because I have new Armani, Chantecaille, Clarins, Bobbi Brown, Tom Ford, and other treasures to show you.

Speaking of makeup, I passed by the Dior counter. I am sure I would have loved the spring lip colors - I always do - but how many more lipsticks do I need? I had just purchased six from other lines.

Yesterday, I was treated to an extra-long RéVive facial at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria. Kathy Shoreman, a trained aesthetician, did my facial in an upstairs, cozy, and quiet room. I went in with dry skin that looked lifeless. I left with hydrated, plump skin that looked alive - and I felt relaxed and pampered. It was wonderful. I use many RéVive products, but still purchased one I haven't used before: Intensité Moisture Serum Extreme. I need it with the winter we are having, plus there was a promotion available and I got a $50 discount. I will write a full review soon. RéVive has a new serum, made especially for night, and I brought home samples. I can't wait to try it tonight. This super-cold, dry air is killing my dry skin.

This week, Michael Reinhardt had a scheduled Le Métier de Beauté special event, and I had to miss it. I was in a two-day conference call for work that required that I adopt West Coast time. He had two sessions, and I wasn't able to make either one. Then it snowed - a lot. Federal government offices, schools, and many businesses were closed. Not me! I was home talking on the phone with Sacramento, where the weather was lovely. Anyhow, now Michael has to reschedule his event. Even though I am sorry for his bad fortune, I'm happy for me. Now I may get to attend the rescheduled event.

I didn't comment on the Golden Globes fashion and looks because I was still in my blog timeout, but I have to say that I was generally unimpressed. People raved over Amy Adams split-down-to-there oddball color-blocked gown. I thought it was hideous - even thought it was supposed to be reminiscent of her look on American Hustle. Another hideous look? Lena Dunham. Lena, bright yellow is not your color, and those tattoos are ugly. You seem to be a girl with your head on straight, so why let stylists lead you down a dismal path?

Two pregnant women looked glorious. Olivia Wilde (shown directly above) and Kerry Washington look even more glamorous than some of the best of the best. Their gowns were drop-dead gorgeous. Wilde wore her pregnancy like a badge of honor, while Washington made one concealing concession with a cut-away jacket that was absolutely perfect.

I was also smitten with Taylor Shilling's green gown and Robin Wright - until Wright had a wardrobe malfunction and exposed too much side boob. I could count five or six other women who looked every bit the screen star. Unfortunately, most of the women in attendance, including the adorable Jennifer Lawrence, modeled gowns that were off the mark. Did D&G have a bad day when they dressed Julia Roberts? Even Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé disappointed me (too busy). Maybe they were saving their best gowns for the Academy Awards. What did you think? Any favorites? Any big disappointments?

This will be a crazy week. I'll be waiting for sunshine, and even though I'll be at work, once it appears at a favorable time, I'll be out in front of a 12-story office building taking swatch photos in very cold weather. I predict goose bumps.

Update: It did snow - for all of two minutes.

Photos courtesy of appearancedayspa, the Washington Post, and the New York Times

Bobbi Brown Uber Pinks Collection

Did you see this? It arrived in my e-mail box this morning from Bluemercury. I lifted their copy with minor edits because I am in a two-day conference call. I wanted to show you something to enjoy today. Let's reward them with an order.

Bobbi Brown Antigua "Be Pretty" and Pink Peony "Be Bold" Illuminating Bronzing Powder ($38.00)
This ultra-soft and smooth pressed formula packs a blend of sheer powder and micro-pearls (for a seamlessly glowing finish all over the face). Part of Bobbi’s Uber Pink Collection, this pair of limited-edition compacts feature Pretty Powerful phrases embossed right into the powder - for a real mood lift. Anyone looking for a natural-looking glow plus a pop of soft pink. Choose Antigua when you want to “Be Pretty” and Pink Peony when you want to “Be Bold.”

Bobbi Brown Uber Pinks Nail Polish ($15.00)
A pop of pink for nails? Whatever suits your mood -  now in two limited-edition shades as part of Bobbi’s Uber Pink Collection. It's for mani-pedi fans looking for just the right pink to polish up their fingers and toes.

Bobbi Brown Classic Lip Gloss ($25.00)
Formulated with soothing botanical extracts - including avocado, jojoba and chamomile oils, and aloe extract - to keep lips soft and supple. Scented with a hint of vanilla. The new shade is Baby Pink.

Bobbi Brown Lip Color ($25.00)
Bobbi’s classic lipstick: rich, full coverage with a soft, matte finish. The new shades are Neon Pink and Pink Kiss.

Photos courtesy of Bluemercury

Giorgio Armani Beauty Effetto Nudo Collection for Spring 2014

I'll tell you about my last few days before I show you Giorgio Armani Beauty's gorgeous new spring collection. On Friday,  Dominion Virginia Power went to my mother's house because her power went off late morning. They found a line that had to be replaced and did so. Unfortunately, in fixing it, they sent a power surge through every electrical device in her house: 240 volts through the 120 line!

We couldn't figure out what was wrong - she had lights, but little else - so I got the power company back late Friday night, and they continued to claim that it was something in Mom's house, denying it could have been s surge. Needless to say, the electrician I found online Friday night showed up at 9:00 am Saturday, and the surge was definitively diagnosed. The surge fried her furnace (yes she slept with no heat overnight in very cold temperatures - she wouldn't leave), FIOS, microwave oven, washing machine, clock radio, all telephones, and a few other things like her clock radio. It has been a time-consuming and costly few days getting in repairmen or buying new appliances. A blown transformer or circuit board basically melts you nice electronics. I had a surge protector put on her house, but I understand they can't really prevent these kinds of powerful surges.

I got the Armani photos and press release right before all that happened, and I have not had a second to put them up. My apologies. I wanted you to see them right away. I think the carefully edited collection is superb. My pieces are ordered and on the way.

The Giorgio Armani Privé Fall Winter 2013/2014 Paris show marked the return of a central theme in the Maestro's work: Nude. More than just a shade, the make-up look interpreted by Linda Cantello for "Nudo" is an evanescent color philosophy that goes back to 30's elegance with a touch of Hollywood glamour. After introducing it in fashion and cosmetics, Giorgio Armani has not innovated with a "peau d’ange" nude - translucent, luminous, feminine, and glamorous, reinvented in modern romanticism.

Effetto Nudo unveils this neo-nude by Armani, shimmering with elusive shades. A subtle balance of undefinable tones between shade and light, cold and warm.

The Belladonna Highlighter Palette in Champagne ($88) caught my eye immediately. The emblematic palette is an unprecedented, universal illuminating powder. Its shade and texture deliver pure, nude, virtually bare light, for an evanescent "peau d’ange" effect of infinite finesse. The powder features micropearl technology, printed in an ultra-fine flower pattern. The new gel-based formula is prepared using a cold-cast technique and melds immediately with its case, for a feel between powder and cream. It offers a texture that is both dense and incredibly light. The pattern designed in the powder is inspired by a flower with light, subtle petals, with a romantic, feminine, enigmatic tulle fabric. The powder is meant to be applied to the face and décolleté or used as an eyeshadow. Linda Cantello used it in the "Nudo" show to halo the eyes with soft, velvety light. Most of my favorite highlighters are Armani, so I can't wait to use this one.

I love Fluid Sheer, so the new Fluid Sheer Enhancing Fluid (#13, $62), a Giorgio Armani Beauty innovation, excited me. Fluid Sheer Radiant Pigment, enriched with kaleidoscopic pearls, is used to enhance the complexion on the cheekbones or to blend with foundation for a warmed and radiant complexion or as an eyeshadow primer. The color effect travels from pink to gold depending on the angle of the light, for a sculpting, luminous effect. The new shade is translucent and universal, bringing to the complexion a soft, delicately pink radiance and a healthy glow.

Like the black feather necklace seen at the Armani Privé show, Smooth Silk Eye Pencils ($34) contrast to magnify the Effetto Nudo look. The navy blue (#1), chestnut (#10) and brown (#11) accentuate the nudo effect by playing with contrasts. Their lines structure this evanescent makeup look.

For your lips, Flash Lacquer (#314, #514, #614, $30) and Rouge d'Armani Sheers (same numbers as above - go figure, $34) turn nude into light - reinvented for a sheer, glossy mouth. The lips are illuminated into pink, coral, and plum shades in a crystal nude sensation with Flash Lacquer or a slightly pearly effect with Rouge d’Armani Sheers.

"The purest looks are actually the most difficult to achieve because they are very subtle, built with the right colors and the right textures, very simply," said Linda Cantello International Makeup Artist with Giorgio Armani. Given my first look, I'd have to agree. I placed my order and hope it arrives quickly so I can show you this beautiful collection.

You can see this beautiful collection at the Giorgio Armani Beauty Web site.  That's where I ordered my pieces - probably the first of two orders!

Photos courtesy of Giorgio Armani Beauty

Sunday This and That

Like the rest of you, I have been checking out the upcoming spring collections of our favorite lines. I am smitten with the Giorgio Armani photos - and not so smitten with Dior's Trianon Collection. There are a few Dior shades that interest me, but Dior has done that eye palette before. I guess it's a quick way to make money.

Given our cold and icy weather this weekend, I didn't catch up on new arrivals at the local department stores. I did catch up on my sleep. It's amazing how refreshing it can be to alternate naps and reading.

Saturday was a debacle. I discovered mid-morning when I reviewed my bank account online that someone in California had used my debit card (which is in my possession) all week. The creep purchased food and booze. In a 30-minutes in a phone queue, I was unable to get through to the fraud line on the phone, so I went to my bank, where the manager had to wait in the same queue for 30 minutes. It was then that I learned that the creep had also tried to guess my PIN, and the bank denied those three attempts. Should that not have been their clue that my number had been stolen?

Anyhow, my card was whacked immediately after I reported the fraud, and I'm going to have to operate with cash for 7-10 days! That will be extremely inconvenient. I will have to go to the bank tomorrow after work and write a check to get money. I had to limit my gasoline purchase this afternoon to $20 because I realized that I would have no money for parking and lunch at work tomorrow if I used all my cash on gasoline.

For several reasons, including a chewing tooth that cracked Friday and must be fixed after work Tuesday, I'm going to have to take a short vacation from the blog. I won't have enough time to do everything on my "must-do" list, including work, dealing with Mom's medication issues, and write. Tomorrow, I have to buy food (after I get cash), something I was unable to do today. I walked into BJ's, saw lines 15-deep, and walked out. Today, it rained here, so I wasn't able to get photos. What can I show you?

So please forgive my short vacation. I'll be back as soon as I can get my groove back.

Photo courtesy of americanwaste.org

The Friday Forum - January 3

It's a winter wonderland here today. The sun is bright, and the sky is a vivid blue. Unfortunately, it's frigid outside. When I went out this morning to feed the birds and squirrels, I nearly froze. Now I am inside, still trying to regain the warmth I lost. I think I'll grab the heating pad - or coax Charlie to come sit on me.

I'm grateful I can work from home today. We have meetings this morning, but I expect the afternoon to be slow. Maybe the sun will have melted the snow on my car by then. Maybe the guy who is supposed to plow our street will show up by then.

This has been a slow beauty week for me. I haven't set foot in a store at all. I try to avoid all mall stores between Thanksgiving and New Year's. Like so many others, I was disappointed with UPS. Two of my boxes did not arrive as promised. One was a box for me that was sent overnight on Monday. It arrived Thursday. Another was a box promised to arrive by December 24. It had gifts inside. It arrived on December 27 at about 7:00 pm.

What I find amazing is the planning failure of UPS. They are not rookies. They should have logistics down pat. We all knew from watching the news that this year we'd see more online shopping, and with the shorter "shopping season," many more last-minute orders. All one had to do was watch the news to know these things. UPS had access, I'm sure, to the market research that generated those stories - but failed to adequately react. They get a "national razzie" for the year. I want to make it clear that my annoyance with the company does not extend to their delivery guys, who are the best of the best. They ran their butts off delivering packages and are to be commended for making it through the shopping season with their health intact and good cheer.

As I write, my warm buddy just came up to join me. I snapped this photo with my iPad one morning recently as Charlie enjoyed the dappled sunshine. He had just finished playing with his tail, then turned to look at me and admit it was silly.

What's new in your life? 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? 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 happy weekend!

Photo at top courtesy of versatiledesigns.net; other photo by Best Things in Beauty

The Rest of the Guerlain Météorites Blossom Collection for Spring 2014

There are pieces in the Guerlain Météorites Blossom Collection for Spring 2014 that I chose not to purchase sight unseen. Most of them didn't appear to have been made for me. I wanted to show them to you because they may be perfect for you - of fill an empty space in your beauty wardrobe.

The Ecrin 4 Eyeshadows ($63.00) in the limited-edition Les Tendres offers a harmony of Ecrin 4 Couleurs eye shadow, composed of four different and specially selected textures to allow you to mix and match for endless combinations. Les Tendres, draws inspiration from the season: iridescent ivory, satiny nude and matte violet-plum shades express an ode to nature and renewal, while a metallic aquatic green adds vibrancy. It's beautiful, but won't be on me. I think it was made for women with dark skin. We fair-skinned blonds look terrible in plum shades , and I see two plums that are off limits for me (think albino bunny). The pink is a maybe. The only color that revs me is the beautiful washed green. As much as I love Guerlain's eye shadows, this one was an immediate no.

Equally unappealing to me, is Ecrin 2 Duo Eyeshadow ($44.00) in the limited-edition shade Two V.I.P. (#09). Guerlain’s new duo eye shadow is the perfect accessory for creating statement looks. Inside the slender gold case are 2 stunning colors - one a pure color and one a luminous veil. Guerlain combined a dazzling violet with an elegant taupe. It's possible I could spring for this duo, but I will have to see it first. Like the quad, I think it will be beautiful on darker skin tones.

I was intrigued by the new Météorites Brush ($42.00), but given the size of my brush wardrobe, I had to pass. The stunning natural pink bristles of the Météorites Brush are longer and softer, perfectly complimenting the new Météorites Pearls. This luxurious brush sweeps lightly over the pearls, taking only the exact quantity of powder required. The pure white handle reflects the promise of luminosity.

Additionally, there is a fascinating new Eyebrow Kit ($52.00) in a permanent shade, Universel (#00). The indispensable finishing touch for radiant eyes, Guerlain’s new Eyebrow Kit structures and styles all eyebrows for a tailored yet natural look. Light, medium, and dark powder shades can be mixed and blended to create a matching shade for every brow line, while the pearly-pink beige highlighter is swept under the brows to emphasis the eyes’ natural beauty. The kit also contains a double-sided applicator, making it a complete eyebrow kit for any look or occasion. If I didn't have full brows, I think this kit could be useful for me. I suspect it will be very popular.

Finally, there is a new, permanent Maxi Lash Mascara ($30.00) in Moka (#03). Guerlain’s Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara guarantees gorgeous eyes every time. Simple to use, easy, and flattering, a combination of three polymers volumizes, lengthens, and strengthens for captivating eyes. Never clumpy, Maxi Lash can be layered to create just the right volume for each moment. Scented with an ultra-feminine violet fragrance and housed in a beautiful gold case, Maxi Lash is a must-have for enviable lashes. I may purchase one when the collection arrives at Neiman Marcus. I love brown mascaras.

Guerlain’s Météorites Blossom collection will be available beginning January 2014 at select locations of Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Sephora, and Bergdorf Goodman - and, of course, at the Guerlain Boutiques and online sources.

Photos courtesy of Guerlain