Happy Thanksgiving - Again!

What would we do without Jen Meade? She is the blogger behind Simply Pretty, and she published some adorable portraits of animals in fancy dress, including the squirrels above, which led me to another site with elaborately costumed animals (Minutest).

If you love animals, take a break from all that cooking, eating, and shopping to check out some entertaining Victorian pictures.

Photos credited above

Happy Thanksgiving!

I want to take this early opportunity to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving with family and/or friends, gathering at some point around a table to share a meal. Equally important will be everyone celebrating Thanksgiving by giving - charities need help now more than ever. If I could stand for hours (still difficult because of back pain), I would be serving dinner to those less fortunate. I'm grateful I can contribute money instead of person power.

I'm thankful for you! I have an extended family: my blog readers. The Internet has given us an opportunity to cross paths in ways most of us wouldn't have imagined 20 years ago. Now, I can chat with readers like Eileen, Val, Clarisse, Ava, and Lovethescents (to name just five of you) - so many miles away - and I get an occasional opportunity to meet a few of you at local events. It's fun to share our worlds and our love of beauty in all its forms. So, thank you for being a big part of my world and for allowing me to be a small part of yours.

I'm grateful for Giorgio Arman Beauty, Le Métier de Beauté, CREED, Chanel, Sisley, RéVive Skin Care - you name it, companies that make my days exciting. I'm also grateful to UPS and FedEx! Those guys make me happy. Maybe it's superficial, but days with a delivery are so much better than those without. I also want to mention my fellow bloggers - especially Gaia and Kari - whose friendships are important to me. Gaia had something to celebrate this week; she's now an American citizen!

You can tell I'm rambling...otherwise my Mom and Charlie would have been at the top of my list. Mom is 89 now, and she's doing well. Charleston (aka Charlie) is the love of my life. I have loved every cat in my life. Somehow, Charlie is different. He's literally a best friend. I think he feels the same way about me, although yesterday may have been an exception. He had to go his doctor for his annual shots. He was not happy.

I'm grateful for all the non-profits that help animals in need and the environment. What would we do without them? I'm afraid that there would be many more endangered species, more helpless animals roaming the streets, and a lot less green space. Please remember them (organizations like Best Friends and the Nature Conservancy) in your year-end giving. I'm also appreciative of the on-the-ground charities, like SHARE in our local area, that help those truly in need.

When I think about it, I have many more things to celebrate this Thanksgiving, including all my friends (one of whom just called from California). So, while I do the "usual things" tomorrow including watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (yes, dorky), probably drinking too much white wine or Champagne leading up to a full meal, and sharing that meal with my Mom, I will remember to be thankful for all of the people and things that are important to me on the other 364 days of the year.

Wishing you a great day tomorrow and a fun weekend,

Charlestongirl

Photo courtesy of theholidayspot.com

NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Como

I have to try new lip glosses, so when Sephora had its recent Friends & Family Sale, I ordered NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss ($26) in Como. It was a tough choice because Tiber was also calling my name. I think I chose well. Como is very pretty!

Outrageously lustrous color meets high-impact shine. Dramatic, stay-in-place shades glide on smoothly and evenly for lips that are more luminous and voluminous than ever before.

These were the features that caught my eye - both before purchase and after.

• High-shine, high-impact finish gives a dramatic effect
• Long-lasting, stay-in-place wear
• Infused with ingredients to nourish and fight free radicals while natural lip enhancers pump up volume
• Shorter-bristle brush delivers the most precise application possible

It was the shorter-bristle brush that captured my attention immediately - right after the pretty color. My first thought was that there was something wrong with the brush. It was narrow and squatty, very different from older NARS gloss applicators. It works perfectly, though, applying a nice, heavy coating of gloss for intense color and lasting wear. It's not anything like those old Bobbi Brown gloss brushes that always splayed when you tried to re-insert them in the tube. It moves back into tube storage with ease.

We had five minutes of sunshine earlier this morning, and I literally ran outside to try to capture photos. Now, as I write, rain has moved back in. Hopefully, it will clear later.

Isn't the cool-toned rose shade pretty? NARS calls it a shimmering berry. It's glossy (as it should be) and offers saturated color. It feels heavy on the lips, like most NARS lip glosses. They are an acquired taste. Once you get used to the feeling of "wearing gloss," you'll realize that the heaviness contributes to the long wear. The pretty color and shine of Como stick with me for a long time.

I think Larger Than Life Lip Gloss in Como is delightful. If you're in the market for a new berry rose gloss, this one's lust-worthy.

You can purchase NARS Larger Than Life Lip Gloss at the NARS Web site, Sephora, and NARS counters (there's one at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria).

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

Hilde Soliani Il Tuo Tulipano Eau de Parfum

It's ugly outside: dark, with steady rain, and chilly. While it's good for the groundwater levels, it's not good for the spirit. That's why I reached for Hilde Soliani's Il Tuo Tulipano Eau de Parfum ($150 - $210). One spray, and I was transported to a fruit orchard, brimming with luscious, juicy fragrance.

Somehow inspired by a walk through a field of red and yellow tulips (I don't pick up tulips in the notes), Il Tuo Tulipano is a fragrance bursting with the joy of life and dazzling in its bright beauty. Seemingly simple at first, it quickly draws you into its brilliant depth, unfolding layer after a layer of notes and revealing that a scent that seems simple at first is, in fact, a masterfully orchestrated harmony of many voices, each singing a joyful song.

The top notes of citruses, peaches, and kiwi have a delicate, juicy fruitiness that complements the fresh and sweet floral heart notes of freesia, lily of the valley, and jasmine. The green quality plays a key part in the composition, keeping the exuberance of fruits and flowers in check and adding an unexpectedly unisex aspect to this outwardly feminine blend. The base of vetiver, sandalwood, and musk is rich, sensual, and long-lasting. Simultaneously classic and quirky, feminine and androgynous, sweet and bitter, ripe and green, Il Tuo Tulipano is a fascinating and delightful floral fragrance.

According to LuckyScent, where I purchased mine, the notes are bergamot, blackberry, lime, peach, kiwi, and passion fruit, freesia, lily of the valley, jasmine, vetiver, sandal, oak moss, and white musk. I selected Il Tuo Tulipano "sight unsmelled" for two reasons: 1) the notes sounded divine, and 2) I wanted to try my first fragrance by Hilde Soliani. I have purchased others since I bought this one. I'm impressed with their beautiful bounty; I want every scent she's created.

Il Tuo Tulipano has it all for gardeners and foodies: fruits, white flowers, and a dry-down that's pretty. It's cheerful and chic - just what I needed today. Beware if you live with a fragrance-loving guy, though. He may sneak spritzes of Il Tuo Tulipano when you aren't looking.

Karen Dubin at Sniffapalooza interviewed the Italian niche perfumer, who is known for light, fruity florals, and taped the interview. You can see it on YouTube. The interesting thing is that Soliani said she creates fragrances for herself, not for "the customer," eschewing commercial trends and following her nose. I could get used to following Soliani's nose.

Hilde Soliani's fragrances are available at LuckyScent and New London Pharmacy. If you need a break from dreary weather, they are a great pick-me-up.

Photos courtesy of LuckyScent, flowerpics.tk, and ifood.tv

Clarins Passion Face Palette for Holiday 2011

Clarins' limited-edition Passion Face Palette ($55) for Holiday 2011 caught my eye immediately, with its Aztec, maze-like pattern inside and out. When it arrived (I ordered online), I was delighted. The colors looked lovely, sprinkled with gold pearl, and the compact itself had the hefty feel of luxury makeup. It has serious heft in the hand. Actually, it's so heavy that I wouldn't consider throwing it in my handbag. It rivals my camera!

Passion subtly illuminates the face and décolleté with gold for a beautiful, festive make-up look Even though the shades look peachy-pink in the pan, it's really not. It's gold, with a touch of bronze on my skin. It's definitely not polished, pure gold.

We could not have worse weather here for taking pictures this week. Yesterday, when I snapped these photos, it was almost dark out. Mid-day, the sun was totally obscured by rain clouds. It was "dusk" by 3:30 pm. However, I really wanted to show you this pretty palette, so I did the best I could, knowing that today it would rain continuously. Please keep in mind that everything looks more exciting in person - the palette and the powder on the skin. My camera won't pick up shimmering gold well when there isn't a great light source. I tried to use flash outdoors, but that just washed out my photos.

As I mentioned, while I expected gold with a touch of peach or pink, the color of the mingled shades in the Passion Face Palette is gold on my skin. I don't see pink indoors or out. I see a gold shade that's tinged with bronze.

I applied the powder, swept across all the shades in the compact with a sponge-tipped applicator at the top of my arm and then with a dense blush brush below. I applied both swatches heavily and took my photos in less-than-adequate light. Even with the lighting conditions, my camera picked up the color as I saw it. It's not clear, pure gold. Instead, it has a touch of camel or bronze in it - it all depends on your perspective.

It gleams on the skin. It's not a sparkle bomb. The gold overspray on the powder surface disappears almost immediately, leaving a pretty surface that will accent your skin without glitter. My skin is so fair, the Passion Face Palette could actually serve as a winter bronzer.

The compact comes in a Clarins red velveteen pouch. It's a nice treat. I purchased mine at the Clarins Web site, where there's a gift with purchase through Sunday. With a $40 purchase, you'll receive three deluxe travel goodies. Use the code THANKS at checkout.

Photo at top courtesy of Clarins; other photos, such as they are, by Best Things in Beauty

Beauty Bloggers Charity Auction

The second annual charity auction by BeautyBloggers.org will commence Monday, November 28. The auction is a collaborative effort by more than 50 beauty blogs and companies, including Best Things in Beauty.

The participating bloggers and brands donated the items, plus the cost of shipping, for the auction. All the proceeds will go to Doctors Without Borders, an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. Today, MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) provides independent, impartial assistance in more than 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe - primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF also speaks out to bring attention to neglected crises, challenge inadequacies, or abuse of the aid system and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols. In 1999, MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Some of this year's auction items include a complete set of Le Métier de Beauté skin care ($1,135, donated by Le Métier de Beauté), the complete NARS Holiday Collection ($295, donated by NARS), and Giorgio Armani Beauty's Madre Perla palettes ($98, donated by Giorgio Armani Beauty, and $59, donated by Best Things in Beauty). The selections are stunning!

The auction starts on Monday, November 28, at 8:00 am CST and ends on December 12 at 5:00 pm CST. Until next Monday, you can browse, register, and bookmark your favorite items. When the auction ends, winning bidders will make their contributions directly to Doctors Without Borders, using a secure giving page.

Will you help? Please bid with abandon! It's for a great cause. More later. I wanted to alert you so that you can be prepared. I always like to pour over auction catalogs in advance.

Photo by Bloggers.org

Gwyneth in Glittering Green

She needs no introduction or last name. When I saw photos of Gwyneth Paltrow in this dazzling green Elie Saab gown earlier this month, I changed my opinion of plunging necklines.

She wore this stunner to the Bambi Awards in Wiesbaden, Germany. I think she's got the perfect figure for it. Had she spilled out of the dress, it would have looked vulgar to me. Her Tracey Anderson workout routine, plus what's probably a natural, genetic predisposition with a thin frame, gave her the perfect body to wear the daring gown.

I think everything about her look was stunning. Her simple, characteristic straight blonde hair was a great contrast to the elaborate green sequins. After I got over the mechanics (how much fashion tape does it take to make the "V" stay put, as it did in all the photos?), my eyes fixed on her diamond necklace. If I were given the choice - gown or necklace - I'd choose the necklace, and then plot to have an event, even if I had to host a black-tie party at my house (which I did years ago, it was fun!).

Take a look at her makeup. Just as "simple" as her hair style, it complements the entire look. She appears to have worn natural eye shadow, flattering eyeliner and mascara, a peachy-pink natural blush, and the same peachy-pink tone in her lipstick/lip gloss. She wore no earrings to detract from that amazing necklace.

What do you think? Did you see these photos?

Photos courtesy of Getty Images