The Patchouli? Not for me. Don't even get that stuff near me. All of the rest, in my opinion, are divine. I'm wearing Saharienne, which was first presented in 1968 and relaunched in 2011. Fragrantica describes it as a blend of the contrasts of hot desert aromas and fresh tones that are desirable in the summer as the hottest of all fresh waters. Sparkling and invigorating notes of lemon, Italian bergamot, and mandarin give way to the core made of white flower petals, orange leaf, galbanum, and black currant bud. The base is warm and sensual due to the spiciness of pink pepper and ginger, and their is a powdery effect as it dries down. Heavenly.
After smelling all of them, I think I want four. How am I going to pull that off?
As I left Bloomingdale's and got in my car, who should walk by but Loyd Cassler! I haven't seen Loyd in years - since he left Saks Fifth Avenue as "Mr. Armani." I was thrilled to jump out and have a five-minute chat, which we hope to continue on the phone. He is now with Algenist and spends a good bit of time managing the brand in the greater Maryland, DC, and Virginia region. I'd love to see him again soon. We have a lot of catching up to do.
I want to give you a warning about an advertisement you may have seen here or on Facebook. Do not purchase from the scammers that call themselves Dress Lily. I am in the process of a very tedious process with them to return a mis-advertised item. It turns out they are in China. Because of their unresponsiveness, I have filed my first-ever PayPal dispute. Just don't even consider their products. I have blocked their advertisements from showing up here ever again. There is even a Facebook page called People Scammed by Dress Lily.
It's time for The Friday Forum. The Friday Forum has always been an opportunity to share information. Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Tell us about it! Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Tell us why! Do you have questions others might be able to answer? We can help! Want to talk about skin care? I'm game. Just use the comments. We have busy weekends and slow ones on the forum. I hope you are ready to share.
Photo by Best Things in Beauty
This dreary Friday we have a storm moving down from Santa Barabara which would normally be cause for celebration here in drought ridden So Cal, but today is Nancy Reagan's funeral at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. The temperature is dropping, it's misting a bit, and the winds are picking up as they blow the storm our way. We've been the beneficiaries of her love and passion for preserving her husband's legacy because it resulted in a world class presidential library that has featured some incredible exhibitions: multi-cultural, historical, artistic, etc. Anyone who visits LA should make a point of visiting it. Well, the funeral service has just ended and the rain has begun in earnest. Perfect timing.
ReplyDeleteOn the beauty front, as the pictures of the various summer collections begin surfacing (Chanel, Tom Ford, Burberry, Dior, etc.) it looks like this summer is going to be a very neutral one and, of course, there are plenty more lipstick launches coming our way. As I've said before, this is shaping up to be the year of the lipstick and I'm loving the return to a glossier look. I'm particularly interested in TF's new lip lineup.
I haven't purchased anything this week as I'm waiting to see what the summer collections bring. Besides, I've been haunting the nurseries rather than the cosmetic counters as we're in the process of refurbishing and refreshing some of our gardens. I'm sure some of you other ladies have picked up some beautiful goodies, though, so please share :-)
Eileen, I watched the comments by Tom Brokaw and her two adult children. It was moving, and the Library looked gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI saw the Dior items at NM. They sure are all jumping on the contouring bandwagon! The Tom Ford Collection left me cold - so unlike some of its predecessors. I've got the Chanel pictures, but it's still embargoed. Fun, though.
I'm going to go get that Armani palette this weekend. That grey shade, plus the blush, is totally gorgeous.
Hello, dear Cg! How is that little Bengal of yours? As many know, the new Chanel Eyes Speak Volumes came out this week and I ordered immediately. I bought all 3 new eye quads, but nothing else from that particular collection. The shadows arrived today and they are lovely. I will be testing them this week. Please give Charlie a big kiss for me and scratch him behind his little ears for me, too. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteOh good, Nemo! No longer embargoed!
ReplyDeleteI have been loving the new Kate Somerville Exfolikate Cleanser. It smells amazing like a fresh burst of lemons. I got a number of samples from Sephora and it deep cleans without drying out her skin. I find her line to have an excellent range of products and the price point isn't too bad. I'm anxiously awaiting my Barneys order which contains Nars spring
ReplyDeleteGreetings Charleston Girl!
ReplyDeletePlease DO let me sing the praises of Hourglass! For me, the liquid lipstick has the staying power of a stain but is more moisturizing while the crème lipstick has a nice texture and a fragrance that reminds me a bit of graham crackers (go figure!. I recently purchased their lip liner and this may be the best lip liner I have used. I often use lip liner all over and then perhaps a lipstick and/or gloss to provide some hydration as most pencils seem to have a fairly flat finish. However, with the Hourglass liner, the moisture content is so high, I don't feel I need to add anything else. There is also not the problem of a gloss slipping off quickly. It has quite a bit of staying power and is now my go-to liner. The veil mineral primer is also a winner in my book. One item I recently purchased that I am spinning on a bit is the Cover FX drops. I am still trying to get a hang on the best way to use this. Since it tends to change the texture of whatever I am using with it, I am having a hard time getting the ratio/coverage down pat. If you or any readers have any tips on how to best use these drops, I'm all ears. Have yourself a wonderful weekend!
Sorry to hear about your problems with the scammers. I hope you'll manage to get your money back.
ReplyDeleteOn the beauty front, I wanted to ask you for some advice if I may. If you are still using the Armani Cheek fabric bronzer #100, would you recommend it for someone with very strong pink undertones and some redness or would the undertones clash? I know that you also have fair / light skin but I'm not sure of your undertone.
Thank you.
Good Evening, CG! I, too, was excited to see the Chanel Eyes Speak Volumes ad, and am trying to make a decision on which neutral I want! I do have a question for you and your readers regarding waterproof mascara. I am a huge fan of Chanel Inmitable Intense, and want to know if anyone has used the warerproof version of this. Also, is the Guerlain Bronzer still a favorite of yours? I am so happy Spring is arriving, and cannot wait to see what the nurseries up here in the North Country will be offering this year! A great weekend to all!
ReplyDeleteSandy
Anahita, I love most Kare Somerville products. Not the ExfoliKate, but many others. Good choice! As for NARS, I'm not impressed. The quality has become unpredictable. I'll always love The Multiples, but I can find the same products elsewhere. Better products.
ReplyDeleteHi AnnieM, I love Hourglass. While the new Stobing Powders didn't knock my socks off, they make so many wonderful goodies, I've forgiven. :) I've been wearing an Ambient Blush every day!
ReplyDeleteMaybe someone else can help with Cover FX?
Anne, I have pink undertones. I love the Armani products, and I'm pretty accomplished at applying them. However, that Face Fabric may not be your best choice. Try one of the quick and easy Hourglass blushes. They come in a nice range of colors. If you want a cream, give LMdB or Chantecaille a try.
ReplyDeleteThank you CG, that's very helpful.
ReplyDeleteSandra, I don't need and don't wear waterproof mascara. I don't want to struggle to remove it. If you don't need a waterproof version, stick with what you love!
ReplyDeleteYes! Guerlain continues to be one of my very favorite bronzers.
I so wish I still had the body to garden. My garden used to be on tours. To see the weed-riddled flower beds is depressing. I still love the blooms. Right now, I have a crocus patch, snowdrops, Lenten roses, and a star magnolia in bloom. They make me happy.
Thank you, CG! I will stick with my regular mascara -- did not even think about how difficult it is to remove waterproof! I will try the Guerlain bronzer this year since Chanel discontinued my fav!
ReplyDeleteI am so jealous,of your growing season in the South, and your beautiful plants. Here in VT we cannot even start planting until after Mother's Day, I love star magnolias and had one when we lived in NJ. We do not have much success growing them up here. Perhaps if you have a chance, you will take a photo and post it! I will pretend I can smell the lovely fragrance!
Will do, Sandra! I almost took a photo today, but it got really cloudy late. It gets frosted two years out of three. It wasn't the best chouce when I was planning my garden.
ReplyDeleteI dabbled in a brand that I normally ignore: Benefit. I bought "They're Real" mascara and I'm underwhelmed. I had read good reviews, and maybe it works for people with already long and gorgeous lashes to begin with, but for my skimpy lashes...Nada! Bupkis!!! I layered and layered, but my eyelashes are unimpressed. It's not easy to remove, either. No more Benefit. Any super-duper mascara favorites out there for us not blessed in the lash department? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra,
ReplyDeleteGuerlain's basic Terracotta bronzers (I wear 00) are legendary and for good reason: There's one for just about every skintone, the colors are believable, they have a natural looking finish, and they're smooth and finely milled. When I was getting my makeup done last month, I was told that Guerlain would be releasing a limited edition Sun Celebration bronzer/blusher in a wooden compact (The wood compacts in the past have been real collector's items). You can see pictures of Sun Celebration on ReallyRee. Although her photographs are not very good, you can get an idea of what to expect. Our local Guerlain SAs went to school at the beginning of the month to learn about the upcoming Terracotta and summer releases so I plan on dropping by the counter next week to learn what I can learn :-)
Hi CG, you say in your reply to Sandra that Guerlain remains one of your favourite bronzers. May I ask what other bronzer are also your favorite? Many thanks. Kate
ReplyDeleteHi Charlestongirl,
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I noticed about Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2016 was the large number of repromotes. (Even the model promo picture isn't new!) I don't mind seeing some of the products again because TF is always very clear about what is being repromoted and he has definitely created some summer goodies that deserve a spotlight every year--things like the Fire Lust Illuminator, the Pink Sands cream cheek color, his coveted bronzing powders, etc. I was disappointed, though, to see the same cream/powder eyeshadow duos being repromoted, but since he just recently released new quads and some new cream eyeshadows, I suppose I can't really complain. He does have loads of new lipsticks, though, so this year I'll probably just get some of those along with a new Pink Sands cream blusher. It was my go-to blusher last summer. It's such a gorgeous pink-leaning coral with a golden pearl that gives it plenty of glow without sparkle. A new deeper bronze color was added this year, but it's not for me. When it comes to summer looks, I do sunkissed; not suntanned.
As for Chanel, I'm much more enthusiastic about the Eyes Speak Volumes collection than I was about Chanel's misnamed LA Sunrise. All three of the quads look very nice and I'd be hard pressed to make a decision. I can easily see why dear Nemo ordered them all :-)
Hi ladies- I too am very excited about the Eyes Speak Volumes collection but I want all the eye stylos! It has taken everything in my power to not order them all - we're saving to adopt and I've already spent my beauty budget this month. Hopefully by April I'll be able to see some swatches and know the colors work for me. I bought them all from last summer but the Olive one and love them! Eye shadow sticks are just kinda my thing. I like the quads but don't think I love one enough to prioritize it over other things I want. Fortunately not too much from the TF summer temps me (I'd get the blush duo if I had the funds) - I noted too the model picture is the same! I'm also not that interested in the Chanel summer line. The quad seems so close to the tisse d'autome from last fall. I'm also not sure I'm digging anything from Dior's summer line. As excited as I get for all the new releases I'm almost grateful when they sometimes don't appeal to me because I don't have to stress about the budget so much!! ;)
ReplyDeleteI had a sample of the Cover FX drops and could never figure them out either. I've heard that from many beauty people I follow and respect. The only thing that even seemed to work was as a tinted moisturizer but I'll just use a tinted moisturizer in that regard as I have so many I already like.
Hope everyone is having a gorgeous weekend!
Also, Eileen, thanks for your comments on the Good Genes a while back! I had read some critiques but did not realize the ph was that low!! Why would Sunday Riley even do that? Of course I'd still love to try the Luna and her new Blue Moon and Tidal products!
ReplyDeleteJill, I visited with Chanel's new eye collection today and came home with Vert, the gorgeous olive eye shadow. I'll get swatch photos in a few days. We aren't expected to see sun until mid-week next week. I decided the quads weren't perfect for me. I know, however, that the all-matte neutrals will appeal to many.
ReplyDeleteEileen, yes, the re-promotes bother me too! Plus nothing in the collection screamed, "Buy me!"
ReplyDeleteMamaVal, I used to buy Benefit, but finally stopped because I wasn't wearing the items. Pretty, but...
ReplyDeleteOh Anonymous, Kate, I have such a list of great bronzers. I'll dig them out and feature them soon.
ReplyDeleteHello CG, thank you. Really looking forward to reading about your favorite bronzers. Kate
ReplyDelete