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Friday, June 6, 2014

The Friday Forum - June 6

My Catalpa tree picked its own space out front. I didn't want it in a daylily bed, so I kept cutting it down. It refused to die. Finally, I realized it was a message from Mother Nature that it was going to grow there, so I let it grow. It is now about 30 feet tall (maybe taller), and I enjoy its fragrant spring blooms.

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings of Allied troops in Normandy, the largest amphibious invasion in history and the turning point in World War II - one that will never be underestimated. The largest seaborne invasion in history, the operation began the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe, led to the restoration of the French Republic, and contributed to an Allied victory in the war. The operation gained a foothold that the Allies gradually expanded over the coming months. German casualties on D-Day were around 1,000 men. Allied casualties were at least 12,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead - out of 160,000 troops. However, the operation was eventually a success, denying German forces their Atlantic Wall along the French coast. Several times in the last week, I've seen a survivor of the operation describe the operation and the sheer horror of seeing his fellow service men cut down on all sides of him while they were storming onto the beach. It makes me cry to think of the dramatic, bloody conflict. Today, museums, memorials, and war cemeteries in the area host many visitors each year, especially in June, to commemorate the defeat of an evil force. There are many events today - even in my area.

This week flew by. Today, I am enjoying the luxury of working from home. When I finish, I am going to open boxes that have arrived over the last few weeks - yes weeks! My hallway downstairs looks like a storeroom. With the sun out, I should be able to get lots of beauty photos this weekend!

Charlie is a little annoyed with me at the moment because I took the desk chair. I was willing to share it with him, but he probably figured I'd sit on him. He left. I think he's in the bedroom sulking.

Here are some beauty shorts from the week - most from WWD. We need to stay up on the news.
  • Estée Lauder is expanding in the U.K.
  • TSG Consumer Partners sold its stake in Perricone MD to Lion Capital. Remember I mentioned Perricone was being shopped?
  • Get ready for another luxury beauty brand. The Gucci Cosmetics range, set to bow internationally in September, will offer eye, face, lip, nail and skin preparation products that echo its fashion. The cosmetics range will be fronted by Charlotte Casiraghi in an advertising campaign in print, on TV, and across the Web.
  • Fragrance pioneer Frédéric Malle has married his twin passions for perfume and architecture with the opening of his second New York store today in the West Village. Will he ever come to DC? He is also launching a new fragrance - one I've anticipated for a year - called Eau de Magnolia.
  • Burberry is planning a skin-care line.
  • On July 15, Clinique will launch its Smart Custom-Repair Serum, which is positioned as a new generation of skin-care product that is said to be so smart it can zero in on someone’s skin problems like a custom-made product.
  • Neiman Marcus' Camp Gorgeous event is underway. Make sure to stock up on your essentials or find some new treasures so that you can get the GWP bag. Need help? Call Michael Reinhardt at (202) 966-9700, extension 2258.
By now, I'm sure e-mail subscribers have noticed that I am using FeedBlitz to publish my e-mails, and we are back on track. I have been surprised at how many people have unsubscribed, but I wonder if some of them had subscribed, but never validated with Google. I've never understood that. Those notices make me a little sad. Just as quickly as I get unsubscribe notices, I am receiving happy, new subscriber notices, and I am assuming that many of them are the 2014 subscribers I lost when Feedburner deleted my files. This change has left me a little frazzled, but I'm thrilled with the excellent service I'm getting from the FeedBlitz folks. I have to move my Feeds next.

I was even surprised to see that my Twitter feed had disappeared from my blog. I have no idea when that happened! Maybe I need to scan more often. Anyhow, I restored the widget, so you can see my latest tweets again.

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 from the New York Post
One million red rose petals will rain down on the Statue of Liberty during a ceremony honoring the 70th anniversary of ­D-Day today. During the spectacular tribute, a French group will unleash the flower shower from three helicopters to commemorate the fateful day Allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy, on June 6, 1944.

“It’s a powerful symbol. We want to show appreciation,” said Rod Kukurudz, of The French Will Never Forget, which is staging the ceremony. “If it weren’t for the sacrifices, heroism, and courage of all American solders killed in Normandy, who knows where France, or the world, would be now.” The nonprofit worked with state officials and the US Coast Guard and spent roughly $100,000 to stage the event, he said. It also hired workers to count and refrigerate the petals, which weigh 1,200 pounds, Kukurudz said.

After the flurry of flowers, 13 World War II veterans will be honored at a ceremony and reception on Liberty Island. Two 60-by-30-foot flags - one French, one American - will be displayed at the foot of Lady Liberty. Meanwhile, 18 world leaders — including President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin — will gather in Normandy to honor the anniversary. Obama on Friday will meet with French President François Hollande for a service at the American Cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, where 9,387 US soldiers are buried. He will also attend a ceremony at Sword Beach, the patch of sand where hundreds of American soldiers died.

World War II vets who survived the historic assault called the anniversary a special day. “There isn’t a day that has gone by in my life where I haven’t thought about something that went on over there,” said Rocco Moretto, 89, who survived the invasion at Omaha Beach. “On D-Day, I pinched myself several times, hoping I would wake up, but I never woke up. We saw things you never saw before, people dying in so many different ways. Stuff that you can’t imagine,” said Moretto, who lived in Hell’s Kitchen until he was drafted into the Army’s 1st Infantry Division at age 18. “As soon as I hit the beach, there were about 12 guys dead or dying. There was people drowning. The water was red with soldiers’ blood. Incidentally, I wasn’t afraid of artillery anymore. I was afraid of drowning. That thought was going around my mind,” he recalled. “All the anniversaries and, in fact, every day of my life, I’ve thought of my buddies [who died]. They were just fantastic people. I don’t know who assembled all those great men and put them in one place. I’ve thought of them throughout the 70 years.”

Nearly 160,000 Allied troops stormed five beaches in northern France on June 6, 1944 to begin the downfall of Nazi Germany. D-day was the biggest sea-based military invasion in history.

Update: The rose petals - how moving!

 Photos by Best Things in Beauty and courtesy of Wikipedia and Mashable

15 comments:

  1. I read that Guerlain is considering making this year's limited edition Terracotta Le Parfum (which we LOVE)a permanent summer fixture. HOPE HOPE HOPE this is true. What have you heard?

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  2. I have no idea, but I'll check with Guerlain.

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  3. I never comment but I have been reading your blog for quite sometime. I enjoy your posts immensely and love when you write about other things going on in the world. Your post really moved me. I loved the ceremony and the rose petals. This is an important day in history and I think most people forget about days like today. Thank you for writing such a lovely post about D-day.

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  4. I am so happy that you switched over to FeedBlitz (even though it sounds like it was a lot of work). I am back to receiving your daily updates by email and enjoy reading each one! This is a beautiful post about the D-day Anniversary, thank you for remembering. Have a wonderful weekend.
    Lisa

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  5. I actually came back from France last week and one of the places we went to was Normandy. We went to Omaha beach and to the American cemetery. It was an incredibly moving experience. They had a ceremony for us where they played the Star-Spangled Banner and everyone who was there from school kids to the workers stopped talking and remained absolutely silent.

    On a totally unrelated topic, I went to the Guerlain boutique in Versailles and Champs Élysées. Talk about beautiful. My wallet is still recovering from the damage: 3 perfumes, one of which is only available in Versailles, a lipstick and face powder exclusive to Chsmps Élysées and the orchidee foundation.

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  6. The Clinique serum appears to already be for sale on their website. I would love to know the ingredients that back up all those claims. Sounds interesting.

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  7. I just want to thank you CG for calling my attention to the Armani coral #305 lipstick earlier this week. I got it today and I am completely smitten. It is beautiful.

    Have a great weekend everyone!

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  8. I purchased the new CC from Armani, it actually has a shade for super fair skin with pink undertones. I also got the Dior It eyeliner, it is fun, in the pink, blue and purple. I also got the eyeshadow. It is had to find a true yellow, not that I would ever use it, but I now have it! The pink in this eyeshadow is more coral, the purple is a nice purple, much like the MAC purple haze that is no longer sold. Love your postings, thanks so much for the info

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  9. Your blog is a daily read for me and I was so touched by your comments today. I grew up with members of my family serving in the Military. My brothers Father died in Normandy on June 8th. He went In ahead of D-Day on June 4th. We have always known of the sheer hell he lived for four days. Our family appreciates people taking time to remember the sacrifices our Military members and their families make for our freedoms then and now.
    I had the privilege of going to Normandy last summer and was touched beyond description. Just seeing the sheer scope of D-Day and what they accomplished is awe inspiring, sad and painful. France has done a marvelous beautiful monument to all those that fought for freedom. It is so peaceful and a beautiful final resting place for the fallen. The French people are so grateful and appreciative. They could not be more gracious or sweet in their sincerity. It is a history lesson all should see if possible.
    Thank you again for your lovely words on behalf of our veterans. We ALL need to speak up more. Because of their sacrifices it is possible for me to read one of my favorite blogs every day. We should not forget either!

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  10. I love your blog, I visit everyday and recently subscribed! <3

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  11. I'm still on the same tangent as last week lol! Becca Soufflés, Estée Lauder Crystal Baby, and the Bronze Goddess Cheek Glow all have me smitten along with the sculpting lipstick in Decadent! It's been a long time since I've loved an EL item, now I have three at once!
    I've been revisiting old favorites this week also...Shu Stage Performer, RBR Shadows and illuminators, and By Terry Eclat Opulent...good old favorites that will always have their niche in my stash!

    On a more serious note, I was very moved by your inclusion of the Normany Beach invasion anniversary and thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving it such a fitting write up. Thank you again for such a wonderful blog and for such amazing posts...also sincere thanks for all the work you do to bring us those posts. You are a gem!

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  12. Every year, June 6th is a special day when we remember and are so grateful:all the young people who had never heard of France but were brave enough to come and fight to liberate us! some are still alive but so many died on the beaches and battlefields of Normandy... we can't be grateful enough and we'll never forget those sacrifices... Yesterday was a remarkable day with all the heads of States of course but with so many veterans who came all the way back, it was so moving, our eyes were wet...one 93 old American one decided to jump in a parachute just as he had done 70 years ago (somebody was with him, but all the same...) and he declared he had enjoyed doing it in a time of peace: so many lessons of courage... My prayers went to the young ones buried there and a BIG THANK YOU to all the American soldiers who fought for freedom...

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  13. "A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.” -- President John F. Kennedy

    So many powerful acts of gratitude and solemn remembrance throughout the world are worthy tributes to the Allied forces who planned and participated in D-Day. The liberation of France and occupied Europe truly began on that day. No trip to Europe is ever complete until the beaches, fields, and memorials of Normandy have been visited. Thank you, Charlestongirl, for such a touching post about this pivotal event in history and for the information about the rose drop. The significance and symbolism of the rose petals--blood red love raining down upon Liberty Enlightening the World--gave me the chills.

    I've been particularlyinterested in the eye looks for the up-coming fall collections and am liking what I'm seeing in many of the promo pics. I particularly like the look of the YSL Palette Fetish with it's smoldering neutrals and deep teal accent. I've been happy with the two YSL Couture Palettes I bought a couple weeks ago (Parisienne and Avant Guard) and so I'm looking forward to seeing Fetish. It's a classic combination of autumn colors. As for the Chanel promo picture for États Poétiques, the model is drop dead gorgeous but that's a whole lot of intense color on the eyes! Perhaps that's why Chanel is repromoting Mystic Eyes with the collection--give us a neutral selection and let us pick the pop of color we can best handle :-) Clé de Peau and Dior are also introducing new eyeshadow quads this fall so there is a lot of eye-candy just around the corner.

    This week I purchased MUFE's HD cream blusher in 210 Cool Pink and 215 Flamingo Pink. I honestly think MUFE's version of cream to powder blusher is far better than Chanel's when it comes to ease of application, finish, and longevity. MUFE's cream blusher blends smoothly and evenly and then dries to a long-wearing finish that has a soft, real skin glow. I apply it by lightly patting it onto my cheeks with my fingers and then blending the edges with my stipling brush for a very natural and diffused look. If you like cream blusher, these are well worth checking out. Cream blusher certainly has made huge progress during the past five years. Gone are the days when cream blusher meant slip-sliding, color-fading, greasy-looking product.

    Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

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  14. Burberry launching a skin care line huh? Interesting! I didn't know that. This week I've rrrreaaaally been loving my new Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. I just can't get over how great it looks on my skin.

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  15. Wonderful tribute! Thank you once again for such a great post!

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