The Friday Forum - March 21

In Keira Knightley's third campaign for the Chanel perfume Coco Mademoiselle, she stars in a provocative short film as the character of Coco Mademoiselle, featuring the mystery and adventure of previous ads. There is a link to the fascinating advertisement at the Huffington Post. I watched it this morning and found it to be much more interesting than Coco Mademoiselle (the fragrance). Even though I love Chanel's fragrances, Coco Mademoiselle, created by Jaques Polge, reeks of patchouli. It's too bad that Polge threw in the patch because the perfume would have been a beautiful modern floral without it.

I got an exciting call from Barneys this week. Eve Lom had created a Radiance Perfection Complexion collection that promises to infuse our primer, foundations, powders, and even a bronzer with the award-winning Eve Lom skin care. There is a launch party (sob, I just can't go) this month, and then I will be able to buy some of the products to try them. Test samples are on the way. In fact, I am hoping they will arrive today. I checked out the European Web site and prepared my wish list immediately. I must have Radiance Lift Foundation, and I want to try Golden Radiance Bronzing Powder. I won't have to wait long. The party is this month.

Esxence, an international meeting of fragrance gurus, has started. Held in Italy, people in the industry converge from all over the world. Niche perfumers set up booths - welcoming spaces - where attendees can smell their fragrances and talk, the talk being more fun than the whiffs. Learning about fragrance lines and how individual fragrances were inspired and created is the best part of the conference. There is a formal program too - and you can watch it, as well as interviews with perfumers! The program is live streaming now and will continue throughout the conference. Just go to this link and watch. I've got it running now. Even if you don't have the enthusiasm and passion for perfume that some of us have, you have an opportunity to learn a lot. Maybe you'll become a more informed fragrance fan. If you do watch, let us know what you think, please.

Here are a few news nuggets from WWD.

• Beauty vloggers are running rings around the brands in drawing eyeballs from people interested in beauty. You Tube is where the action is. Of You Tube's 14.9 billion beauty-related video views, just 3% come from companies, while 97% of views come from independent content creators - or vloggers. Basically, entrance to the vlogger stable is easy. As a Sephora executive said, all you need is a camera and your bedroom. Naturally, the popularity of vloggers depends on their personality and suitability to "the camera." Some successful vloggers have turned their hobby into a business. Think Michelle Phan. I do see major attention shifting from blogs to vlogs.
• Givenchy is launching a L’Atelier collection of seven women’s fragrances. Look for the fragrances to arrive in the United States at Saks Fifth Avenue in April. I read the notes, and I'm sure I'll want to try one or two.
• L'Wren Scott's tragic suicide has left the world wondering why she took her life. As you know, she was gorgeous and successful, with a personality her friends called irrepressible and ebullient. She was Mick Jagger's longtime companion and lover. She seemed to have the world at her fingertips. We have learned that she was in debt, but honestly, $5M is not a lot of debt for a business. Some close friends said she struggled with depression, and others noted that she had become unusually uncommunicative in recent months. Still, no one could put the entire picture of her demons together in a way that added up to suicide. She struggled internally, never seeking help, and her final act saddened everyone, leaving the eternal question "why?" I wish we - society - had a better way of preventing suicide. You wonder how a woman who had everything decided to take her own life - without seeking help. Yes, she is at peace, but at what cost to those she left behind? Her death left me very, very sad.

Just as the white stuff from our St. Patrick's Day snowfall is melting, we are learning that it will snow again next Tuesday. My body cannot take another shoveling session. Both knees - even my bionic knee - are screaming angry. My shoulder is shot. I may try to ignore this one and simply drive over the "few inches" expected to "grace" my driveway and flagstone walk. I've had it. It's almost April! Summer makeup collections are about to arrive, including Guerlain's. My mind has moved on, but Mother Nature won't let me forget that she's angry.

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.

Update: Yes! The new Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge powder has arrived at Neiman Marcus. I got the call today. I'm going to see Michael Reinhardt tomorrow. You can reach him at (202) 966-9700, extension 2258, if you need help.

Photos courtesy of the Huffington Post and Eve Lom