It´s peak allergy season, and I´ve responded by wearing tried and true fragrances for a few days, because bad allergies put me at the razor edge of migraine. I´ve got tons of samples calling out to me (thanks Kelly and Maria!), but we´re going to be a little random today.
1) Have I shared with you my best bonehead eBay perfume-buying stories? The first was the amazing deal I got on German eBay on a bottle of Floris Summer Limes. I paid something like $3.50. It turns out I´d bought a copy of a Summer Limes advertisement. Heh. Then, on French eBay, I bought a vintage purse spray (I think it was Rochas Femme) which, had I run the French through the translator, I would have discovered was … how you say … “empty.” The French word for empty was clearly on there. More recently I snagged a 3.4 of L´Artisan Mure et Musc, and was feeling pretty smug until I realized it´s the
We´re now moving onto two non-perfume topics. For those of you who don´t give a hoot about handbags or makeup, please follow the link here to the project now happening on Memory and Desire, in which various perfumers (Andy Tauer, Vero Kern, Christophe Laudamiel, Yosh Han and others) have been asked to describe a fragrance based on Ezra Pound´s 14-word poem, In a Station of The Metro. Don’t miss the extensive footnotes. You don´t have to understand/appreciate Pound to marvel at the concept, and I have very much enjoyed the various interpretations of the poem.
1) I went to this consignment store
2) And finally, a long tedious question about foundation for you makeup junkies, I need help. I could never figure out why all those crazy people on MUA talked endlessly about their fruitless search for the foundation Holy Grail — until I tried to buy a foundation.
Two years ago I wore tinted sunscreen (or tinted moisturizing sunscreen) and that was that. Then one day in a moment of boredom I tried Chanel Vitalumiere and I was hooked on the way it toned down the pink in my skin, evened things out subtly (it´s pretty light) and gave me a lovely glow, although I can´t imagine this on oily skin. I wear Limpide (nude) which I think in the
What I want is a light, sheer-to-medium liquid formula to tone down my natural pink color. I don´t care about sunscreen because I wear it over sunscreen, both my dermatologists being of the opinion that, unless you really cake your foundation on and spend most of your time indoors, foundation sunscreen alone is not enough. My skin is dry and sensitive (I use retinols) so I would prefer a minimum of Age-Defying Extras which are potentially irritating, although not necessarily so. Finish-wise, my personal preference is non-matte; while I appreciate the need for a matte finish for women with oily-combination skin, on me it looks mask-like and settles into fine lines.
Shade-wise I am pale but not extremely so – I´m at the pale end of lines with limited colors, like Vitalumiere, but not anywhere near the palest of extensive foundation lines in Estee Lauder or Lancome. While Vitalumiere Limpide is a slightly yellow but good match for me; their other pale one (Ivory?) is in fact almost exactly me but in being so is maybe too pink, I can’t decide. I don´t think subtly adjusting my skin tone on my face using sheer foundation is unreasonable. I didn´t find the right match in Estee, but the SA wasn´t into it. As I type this I am wearing Lancome Clair 20 from their Renergie line on one side of my face, and I-50N from Color Ideal on the other. (Lots of raves about Teint Idole on MUA but it´s discontined.) I like Lancome and wear a lot of their makeup. The Renergie is better because it´s dewier, the other tends to sit up on my face more, if that makes sense. The Clair 20 is close … but I still think it´s a hair too pink (orange?)
If you´ve read this far, you must have some opinion about foundation. Given what I´ve told you (and I think I´ve tried 10 or 15 foundations from various lines), any recommendations, either in terms of lines or how I better communicate what I’m looking for in makeup-speak? Because one more SA slathering me with Pink Bisque is going to break my spirit. Bonus points to anyone who wants to try to explain “cool,” “neutral” and “warm” to me, and whether those terms are consistent across the lines.
hands down the best foundations are made by prescriptives, and the best one they make is called virtual skin. brilliant, sheer, and gorgeous.
Hi March!
You might have good luck with Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation. It’s got a light coverage that covers without looking unnatural and heavy, and there’s tons of shades to choose from. It’s a makeup artist staple.
I read all the reviews on MUA and tried it, it rocks! I’ll cover it in another review.
Okay, here goes. Many…no..several..( I don’t know if that sounds better or not) years ago after the birth of my daughter Kady I discovered that NO ONE on the planet made a foundation that would match my skin color….I had the weirdest undertones going on..most likely a combination of hormones and a radical climate change (from sub-tropical to near-arctic). I terrified SA’s from all the major cosmetic counters…even the fearless ‘…we have a foundation for any skin tone and I WILL find it for you’ type. What I ended up with was a custom blend from the lovely folks at Prescriptives. It really worked. They managed to even out the red,the yellow and whatever else it was I had going on that prevented me from having an even skin tone. After a few years my skin tone settled down so I no longer need the custom blend but I can assure you that if I ever experience something similar I will give Prescriptives another go.
Wow, it sounds like a custom blend was definitely the way for you to go! Certainly people on here have raved about the ability of Prescriptives to do an excellent match. I just have to find a staffed counter. :-\”
SA’s in the stores are there to make a sale off you. If you need unbiased, honest advice on makeup and skincare and how to find what’s right for you, I highly recommend Paula Begoun’s two websites, http://www.beautypedia.com and http://www.cosmeticscop.com. She reviews as many lines as she can all the way from mass retailers and drugstores to the highest end specialty shops. I think of her as the Ralph Nader of makeup and moisturizers. She has recommendations for great products in all price ranges. I’ve been reading her books for over 12 years. She does have her own makeup and skincare line, but it’s very affordable and she’s honest about what her products can and can’t do.
I’m not affiliated with her in any way, except as a customer.
I should join her online site (you have to join, right?) I read her book in the library when I’m killing time, it’s like an addiction. A combination of an encyclopedia format and makeup! Perfect! 😉 I don’t absolutely agree with everything she says, but she’s so great about pointing out things I’d never have noticed.
For you March, I’m going to see if they have more of this bag. It’s great because it totally looks like soft, buttery leather – but it’s cruelty-free.
Ah, but is it cruelty-free if it’s ugly? Musette is having her doubts up there. :d
March…keep the bag…it would be so much worse if you actually owned a real one. I do appreciate the heritage and workmanship of the authentic Hermes, but who would spend that on a bag?? Only okay if you donate LOTS of money to humanitarian causes! And, what’s wrong with a copy?? I guess I differentiate between copies of classic designs and faux designs with faux logos trying to be what they are not. Oh, regarding foundation — I too am of the oh-so-pale persuasion and currectly use Prescriptives Traceless – Level 1; however, I am thinking of giving the MAC one a try as mentioned by Maria, or maybe the Armani. Also, I LOVED the Memory and Desire project and highly recommend it to everyone.
I’m going to have a field day — okay, several field days — trying these different foundations. I can only do one a day because it’s just too much on my skin, having them strip and start over. I show up moisturized and they take it from there… I’ll report back if I find anything interesting.
Ok despite there being 80 other comments here , I had to weigh in. I can’t help too much the color matches, but I can highly recommend EL new Resilience Lift Extreme Ultra Firming makeup in the compact. awesome stuff and all those who i told to get it loved it. The new Doublewear light is also nice but is better for oily skin. The compact one seems to even shape the face somehow.
I have not tried the Armani ones but they are great from what i hear, and yes MAC is always good. they have a new mineral based liquid that might work for you.( and a powder mineral for the daughter, although the new Maybelline mineral powder is quite nice and comes in a liquid also.)
ok, so my own question to you:
Jacinthe de Bois- if I don’t like La Haie Fleurie, would I like this, providing I could get it? I looove hyacinth in general, and big soliflores much like you.
Thanks and good luck.
The notes I found listed for Jacinthe are: tulip, galbanum, sap, broom, narcissus, beeswax, hay, and maté. I had a sample back in the day but looked and can no longer find it. Anyway, my recollection was: mostly hyacinth, less sweet than La Haie, with a lot of green notes. I thought it was very pretty but as galbanum/sap are not my thing, I didn’t pursue it. My recollection was the lasting power was so-so. I hope this helps. BTW you can buy it from Luscious Cargo for $95, maybe they’d send you a sample, I think that’s where mine came from.
Luckily I have escaped making any ebay blunders thus far, but you never know what will happen in the future. I try hard to read the fine print and make any inquiries about size, age, etc.
As for foundation, for drugstore brands, I like both the Rimmel foundation and L’Oreal true match (which has a pretty extensive color range). I think the foundation that the other ladies referred to above may be the new Rimmel Lasting Finish Mineral Foundation, not the Mousse. Anyway, I prefer the Lasting Finish myself. Also, for high end foundation, I agree that Make Up For Ever has a nice line of them.
The Rimmel liquid got overall really high reviews on MUA, of course it’s a lot of younger folks, but worth a try. You can’t beat the price, that’s for sure. And I am pretty sure they have Makeup For Ever at Sephora.
My most frequent dumbass mistake, sometimes ebay-related, sometimes not: buying a book & getting a third of the way through before I realize that not only have I already read it, I already own it. I’d cry but I’m fresh out of kleenices.
Kleenices!! Egg-cellent! Hoo boy … weeping over here, might need some Kleenices myself. :(( Yeah, the old this-book-feels-familiar thing. I feel your pain.
On Saturday in the Scent Bar, LA, I smelled Andy Tauer’s version of In the Metro. He passed it around during his presentation. Now, we were smelling many things, so my recollection will not be precise. I do remember someone commenting that it must represent a SWISS and therefore clean Metro station. It gave me an image of Andy having breakfast while he types on his computer on the train on the way to his job. By the way, the Scent Bar event was outrageously fun. Perfume people are so interesting and nice. 😡
Now, foundation. I have the same fairness problem with pink undertones that you have, March. I use and like very much MAC Select Tint SPF 15 in shade NW25 (their lightest). It’s intended for people with pink tones but neutralizes mine a bit without making me yellow–and, believe me, I’m adverse to yellow on my skin. Its coverage is light but successfully evens out my skin. I have some broken capillaries on my chin; I just put on a second coat there.
P.S. Naturally, I don’t use the foundation as my sunscreen. That just happens to be there. No, I wear it over heavy-duty sun stuff.
I’ve looked all over this weekend for someone’s impressions of the Andy Tauer/ScentBar event. You’re the first I’ve found. Glad you had a good time; it never even crossed my mind that ya’ll would get to sniff the Metro scent. I’m soooooo jealous. I’m sure it was tons of fun. I briefly considered spending my tax return for a weekend flight across the country just to go but student loans seemed more pressing. As well as more fragrance purchases.
Matt, sorry you couldn’t be there. Andy discussed some of the frankincense (Extreme and Rose’) and rose (Rose’ and chypre trial) components, and we were all able to sniff them, as well as the labdanum. We tested out the rose chypre trial version 3.5 as well as his vetiver trial. He wanted us to let him know which one he should make. Either one would be wonderful. I have a feeling, though, that it’s the vetiver that he’ll produce first.
Andy may be back in the fall. Here’s hoping a retailer on the East Coast starts carrying his fragrances.
I bet the Scent Bar was a blast! And I would love to meet Andy sometime.
Yeah, Swiss transit. Probably smells like pine needles or something. 😉 It’s like the system in Vienna. You could eat off the floor and navigate the whole thing in your sleep. Or drunk on sturm, which ended up being our problem. Heh.
Yeah, Paris Metro should definitely have some strong scent. I hadn’t read that poem before, so I loved that part.
You know, I’m going to try that MAC. I get so overwhelmed by their variety, and I give up. But the couple of things I have from MAC (eyeshadow, lipstick) are excellent.
I use MAC a lot–blusher, eye shadow, lipstick. Try the particular foundation shade I mentioned at a MAC counter. Even if you buy a whole bottle and it turns out not to work for you, you won’t be out as much money as you would be with Armani or Chanel.
I’ll definitely give MAC a go. Plus it’s been awhile since I bought a Viva Glam lipstick and I’m overdue.
Hey March – totally off subject, but I’m in love with Strange Invisible Perfume’s Vine, and want to split a bottle badly. sigh. You interested? Anyone else?
Ok. As far as internet screw-ups go, I’ve been pretty lucky. I’ve bought perfumes that were raved about by Luca Turin or Chandler Burr, only to discover that they…stink. Hey. I like “stank”, but stink is a whole different thing. I like ugly-weird-strange, too, so that wasn’t it. Not the same thing as buying an ad thinking you were buying a perfume. ha. I’ve almost done that a number of times.
As far as foundation goes, I know what you want. I’m a make-up artist for print and commercials – I’ve been doing this for 17 years, and have started to teach it as well – I teach at a school for makeup artists. When I think “warm”, I think colors with yellow/orange/red in them. “Cool” refers to blue tones…anyway, I think you know this, sorry for stating the obvious. “Neutral” might be somewhere in between, more of a beige. I personally use Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer, though I know you don’t really want this. Chantecalle’s Real Skin has gotten raves from my clients, as well as Armani’s foundations. Both aren’t drying and probably have a color that’s slightly yellow to neutralize your red. One of my other favorites is Make-up Forever’s liquid foundation – so lovely and dewy – and their concealer in the tube in #1 puts the right amount of highlight under my tired eyes.
And the fake bag – uh. Ditch it. Donate it. Sorry. I know – I hate the fakes. You’ll never be able to carry it comfortably.
March, I’m afraid I’m with Gina and your sister on this one–ditch the bag. 🙁 I just didn’t have the guts to write it all on my lonesome. They are just too iconic for words, and a fake one… Unless it, too, is orange, with something like lime trim! That would be way fun, a send-up of the whole cultish, “it” thing. (By the way, I’m so out of the trend-thing, I had to have a friend tells me what an “it” bag or anything was. I thought it might be a brand name–just to let everyone know, I’m not a bag snob. Of course, once Patty started talking about Hermes scarves, all I want are “Hermes” scarves–trying to resist an ebay fiasco on that one!) On the other hand, I love the description of your other bag, the one your sister calls fugly.” :d I’d definitely use that one!
Ugly bags need love too, you know? Like my pumpkin-and-gold pleather one. With some random golden studdage. It’s a slouch bag, I wish I could put up a photo easily. It screamed out “buy me!” off the rack of the local TJ Maxx. Or maybe it was just screaming. I had to have it. The joy of it is, it goes with essentially nothing, and thus with everything, if that makes any sense.
The problem with the Birkin is I live in one of those old conservative Chanel-wearing ‘burbs where more folks than average might know what it is – or rather, what it is not. Sneered at by the women at the Lancome counter, can I take the pain? 😕
Gina, thanks very much. I have an art background, a little, and I guess what threw me is I think of pink as “warm” (as opposed to, I don’t know, blue) so was confused. But of course as soon as someone explained it in terms of yellow/pink tones it makes sense.
And two votes AGAINST the fake bag! Huh. Well, I see your point.
No on the split for Vine, thanks — I have to use my sample first, to see how much wear it gets. Have you tried MUA? Or I think somewhere over there to the left we have a board.
You’re so welcome, always.
You should see the ugggggly bag I’m carrying now. It’s purple and gold and just hideous. It’s a bag for an old lady and it goes with nothing, hence, goes with everything, like you said. But as far as the fakes go…it’s just a weird thing I have. And it sounds like you have it too.
I’ll look on MUA for someone who wants to split. I should just use my sample, see how much I like it, but I sort of love it.
I’m so bummed I missed Andy at scentbar. I had to work. wahhhh.
Jealous! =:) I would love a purple and gold bag!!! Plus, have you seen this spring’s fashions? Purple is EVERYWHERE, it’s like the new navy. Work it with some yellow and push all your friends over the edge. 😉
You’re talking PURPLE, right? PURPLE?
Like Good Friday Purple? With yellow? Bright Yellow?
March you are an anarchist!b-)
I’m tellin ya, it’s all over Saks. Purple and yellow, purple and yellow. 8-}
I’ll split a bottle with you when I run out of the one I have!
Patty, I would truly LOVE LOVE LOVE that. Let me know when that bottle runs out. I think you have my email address via theperfumedcourt.com, but if not, let me know:d
Armani if they have a shade that works for you. For something lighter, I’ve been using either the Cle de Peau tinted moisturizer or the Amore Pacific one. Both are great for summer and work really lightly over super-duper sunscreen, which I wear religiously now since I”m spending a bazillion bucks on all these laser treatments and am getting spectacular skin!
My ebay idiocy knows no bounds, but every now and then…. you score majorly, which keeps me in the hunt. 🙂
Squeeeeeee!!!!! I can’t wait to see your new skin! I’m saving up to do my neck, chest area, which looks all old and blotchy. And you def. want to be careful about the sun exposure at your altitude.
Have I mentioned how EXCITED I am for our trip? Huh? Huh?
I buy lots of my clothes at thrift and consignment shops and one reason I do so is to find the high end labels I like and get them for few bucks instradd of a few hundred. Like you I would never knowingly buy a fake anything. So, hey, you didn’t buy the bag knowing it was a fake. Keep it, use it, enjoy it. When you’re done with it, recycle it.
Love vintage/consignment/used stuff. I like things that have already been loved and seen some action. Yeah, I’m going to get some mileage out of that bag.
Ah, when I was an eBay virgin, back in my poor(er) college days…
I purchased a “Gucci” wallet for $25 (logos were all the rage then)
I purchased a “Gucci” tote that was so poorly constructed and fake-looking that I learned two valuable lessons:
1. Don’t buy designer goods on eBay from anyone with less than, like, a 99.9% positive rating. In the United States. As a seller.
2. Logo-totes are lame anyway.
Happy ending: I was horrified, demanded a refund, and luckily the seller was “gracious” about it. (“gracious” that is, for someone who was trying to rip me off.)
Oh, and don’t get me started on the $10 “cashmere” scarves…from Hong Kong…for $20 S&H (I wasn’t big on reading the fine print, back then.)
Ah, what a dumbass I was…
Luckily, I wised up before I discovered perfume blogs! =D
But oh, the $25 ml of vintage Dior Diorama from TPC when I meant to buy the cheapo new version….and I was too embarrassed by my lack of sophistication to admit it and ask for an exchange….
eBay is lousy with fakes. I mean, I wouldn’t buy most designer things like purses on there, unless it’s used. The volume of fake bags on there is enormous. Part of what made me so mad when the kicked all the decanters off. I’m sure they wouldn’t want to cut into their bottom line doing something about the counterfeiters. x(
Bummer about the Diorama! Maybe you could swap it on MUA? There’s always someone on there looking for something.
SAs are always telling me “You don’t NEED to wear foundation.” This is not false modesty – I do need to wear foundation. Aren’t they supposed to be *selling* me something? I am going to be 30 this year, but I stupidly have not taken care of skin (see my “reasons” in the next para for no sun-screen or moisturizer, not washing off stuff before going to bed etc.) I am baby-faced (i.e. fat-faced) and so very regularly have people card me in bars (drinking age is 19 here) or accuse me of being a teen mother (where do people get the nerve?). I feel like shrieking “What teenager has laugh lines and a dry, flakey patch between their eyebrows?!?” I think SAs see me looking like a bag lady and think that I should start with some simple blush, gloss and mascara first. Little do they know that I have mountains of such products that I don’t wear because I’m lazy.
My colouring problem is that my mother is very dark (she is half Native Canadian), tans beautifully and still has great skin at almost 60, and so I guess I thought I would be okay no matter what I did. I neglected to remember my Dad, who is a relatively attractive and fit fellow of the “distinguished” variety who has nevertheless looked about 50 since he was 26, is ghost pale and has skin cancer lesions. I think of myself dark, because I otherwise (hair, facial structure, etc.) look like my mom, but I’m actually a weird skin colour, fairly pale, stranded somewhere between yellow/orange and pink. Both warm and cool foundations and coverups look okay, but not quite right on me. In that foolish old seasons system, I’m a Fall (I look good in orange, green etc.) but I blush pink. So I have no advice for you, but hopefully will benefit from the comments to your post.
Shame on you! [-x Going to use you as an example on my sunscreen post … I keed, I keed. I have variations of the same deal with my daughter — she tans, so can’t see the point of sunscreen. The only thing working for me in that dept. is she also gets moles, and the derm told her she could expect more of the same with a lot of sun exposure.
Well, it sounds like you’re so babyfaced they just want to stick you in some product you already own and don’t use 🙂 How about a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen? That wouldn’t be so Full Face. You could ease into it.
March, thanks for mentioning the Pound poem project! I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to this event and am so happy that people are speaking up to let the perfumers know that they appreciate their originality and their willingness to tackle this really unusual project. Thank you, personally, for your comments in the threads. I love what you do and it felt really great to see your name there.
Well, thank you for all your work. What a great project. I spent a lot of time reading them; it was fascinating the different directions the perfumers took, and not necessarily what I’d expect either based on what little I know of a perfumer’s style. It was hard commenting, though — I wasn’t feeling erudite enough sometimes. :”>
Oh gosh yes, use the bag. It sounds very attractive and I’d far rather carry a beautiful faux than a genuine eyesore. And let’s face it, not all $1,000+ handbags are good to look at.:-&
I can’t use liquid or cream foundation anymore because no matter how moisturizing/age defying/lifting and/or separating it may be advertised as, it still parks itself in my high-country sunworshipper wrinkles and makes me look like nine miles of bad road. (And yet I still suffer from an oily “T” zone during the summer. Go figure.)
I do continue to use a color corrector by pHK Biocosmetica that was recommended to me by a dermatologist friend. Because I’m Saxon fair (pale skin you can see the blue veins through with bright, ruddy cheeks and chin), I use the corrector in the mint shade to tone down the ruddiness and even out my overall skin tone. If I get the application just right, it looks as though I’m wearing an extraordinarily well-applied blush, which is the effect I’m striving for. Too heavy a hand and I look like a spectral Valkyrie of some sort. NOT good. But if you’re concerned with toning down ruddiness, this stuff really does the trick and it doesn’t dry you out at all. It also works beautifully at calming redness due to the occasional blemish.
I’ve been pretty lucky as far as ebay is concerned. In three years, I’ve only been self-stung once. I bought an ‘impression of’ fragrance, which I would have realized if I’d read the fine print at the bottom of the description…it was there, I was in a hurry when I bid and didn’t completely read the ad. That’s one mistake I won’t make again.
I kind of have a soft spot in my head for those monumentally ugly bags. But who spends that kind of dough for them? 😕 My biggest concern is finding the right size — big enough to be useful, but not so big that I look like I’m carrying Mommy’s purse for her, which is not a good look for me.
Giggling about your “impression of” fragrance. I take it that the impression wasn’t favorable? 😉 That would really annoy me.
Thanks for the tip about the color corrector, I’m going to experiment with a few that have been recommended today.
I’ve been lurking for over a year now, and truly enjoy how you all make perfume accessible instead of elitist.
You are discussing my obsession trifecta–add nail polish and that’s my obsession Final Four!
I love vintage clothing and especially handbags. I couldn’t tell you whether the label of the purse is high end or not (so many manufacturers are out of business after all this time), but I can tell if it looks good with an outfit and if I like to carry it.
Have you tried Suki mineral makeup? It’s a liquid and you can alter the color by adding moisturizer. It contains all natural ingredients and was created by someone with sensitive skin. It’s only offered in 2 shades. When I first tried it, it looked far too orange and dark, but after I added a drop or two of moisturizer, the color was dead on. (I’m very light skinned). I find it to be good for day time. For night time, I’ll break out what amounts to kabuki makeup (gloMinerals) because it covers well, and I won’t have it on for too long.
Hey, welcome! And thanks for delurking!
I used to wear nail polish. Sigh. I had ridiculous long nails, natural, and wore these whore-ish OPI colors. Just ‘cuz I could. But with the kids and the fragrance and the gardening and etc. I can’t make a polish stay on, and I get too annoyed touching up the chips. I keep them buffed and oiled and live out all my fantasies on my toes. 😉
I haven’t tried Suki mineral makeup. It was interesting to read about mineral makeups in general on MUA. Some people swear by them, a lot of people with sensitive skin. And then a bunch of people complained about itching and allergic reactions (separate from color complaints.) Not sure what the deal is.
There is this company in NYC called Rescue Beauty Lounge, and they produce their own line of nail polish. This stuff is the best I’ve ever used. It really lasts and doesn’t contain Touluene, Formaldehyde, or DBP. The colors are gorgeous, the reds in particular. Toes deserve a treat, too. After all, baseball season just started; up here, that means it’s pedicure season!
Eeek, I don’t even want to think about my feet! I have horrible, winter feet right now. :-ss
Let me throw one more vote in the ring for Perscriptives: I, too, am of the pale persuasion, with pink-red tendencies. I’ve tried too many brands to count over the years, and the only company that has been able to match my skin with consistency (through summer, winter and pregnancy) has been Perscriptives. I like their lighter formulas (do use the little foundation brush, I think it makes all the difference in the world), and they have been wonderful on my extremely sensitive skin. I love their color pallettes and mascaras. The SAs are usually very friendly, polite and helpful-however, in Houston at least, the Perscriptives in Macy’s rarely have SAs available to help whereas at Dillard’s there is always at least one present.
I think I’d feel weirdly embarrassed about a fake Birkin bag, too, even though I’m not into that scene-I think I’d rather proudly display my $15 Target bag than a knock-off, but that’s the snob in me.
I did see on MUA that the Prescriptives lovers were people who felt like they’d searched forever for the right color match, and Prescriptives turned out to be their HG.
The only reason I haven’t looked at them is (weird) the two counters closest to me are never staffed. It’s like DIY time over there. Bizarre. I need to find a good counter, I’m sure there’s one around here. A knowledgeable SA is worth her weight in fragrance. 😉
Okay, whoops, that’s what you said — no staffing! Macy’s in general has bad staffing, but usually there is someone. Not at Prescriptives.
Besides being a perfume slut, I’m a bag slut too… :@) there goes the paycheck! I would definitely GET RID of that Birkin knock off! Here, send it to me, and I’ll make sure you aren’t seen with it! 😡
Wow, that is SO thoughtful of you!!! I am always telling everyone how kind and generous everyone is over here at the Posse. My eyes are welling up with tears…. :d
Best ebay blunder: I was the sole bidder/winner on some Miyako from a French seller who told me he couldn’t send me my bottle because his house was broken into and all his items were stolen. I guess those gendarmes were really on it because the item was magically relisted days later.
Can I ask the name of the consignment store? Secondi is my DC fave but I am always up for trying others.
Foundations: I am extremely fair but also a grease-pit so I use MAC Studio Fix powder foundation. I would suggest trying Laura Mercier. Bobbi Brown’s foundations may be too yellow for you. Good luck!
That is too bad about the Miyako (great scent BTW). I bought a bottle of Diptyque once that the seller turned out not to have, but he was “getting it in.” This after two weeks of waiting, and my inquiry, he never emailed me. I finally cancelled the transaction. Never could figure that out.
The consignment store is on the Eastern Shore, about a 2-hour drive from D.C. Not sure if that’s a little far afield for you — I go there because I’m visiting Kate.
My e-bay experience is nil , just don’t do it , but don’t get me started on the other stupid stuff I have bought unsniffed…
The ” foundation issue… ”
When in Takashimaya last year they were touting this spray
” Perfect foundation ” and I have seen many make-up artists spraying this very thing on make-up sponges…dry for more , moist for lighter coverage. I plan to buy this during sniffa , it ain’t cheap , but if you want some e-mail me and I will get you the name of it ( after sniffa )or I’ll pick one up for ya !
Anyone know what I’m talking about ?
Thanks, Carol — I’ll be at the Sniffa, so I can check it out! And I love Tak. I like going downstairs and having tea.
Bobbi Brown has wonderful yellowish foundations that tone down the pink in anyone’s skin. I would try to check out her line.
I’m wearing True Match these days. The way this blends into the skin is amazing. I became ultratired of blending in.
Lastly, you might check in with a profession aethetician at a dermatologist’s office. See what they have to offer and what they can recommend in the stores.
I feel your pain.
Debbie
It’s a tricky thing, isn’t it, finding that balance in skin tones? I never really thought about all the subtleties until I got started on this venture. I can’t say it hasn’t been interesting, though.
I still can’t believe you like That Perfume. :d
Well, me neither. I mean, on the one hand I’m sort of embarrassed. I think I added lines to my face sneering at it over the years. So maybe it’s some sort of karmic payback. BTW, since you work there, wth does the Cologne smell like anyway? Basil … :-ss
March, you could get both the Vitalumiere Limpide and the Ivory and combine them depending upon how your skin is looking on a particular day. If that is the foundation that you feel is right for you, and the only question is color, customize. Save the dollars that you will spend on testing new ones and spend them on perfume!
God, I hate it when people make practical suggestions! I tried that on a corner of my face the other day and it looked good. I’m going to try the Armani everyone on here’s raving about, but would not be at all surprised to decide to do what you suggest.
March,
Get thee to a Giorgio Armani counter ASAP! I am on my 3rd bottle of their Luminous Silk Foundation, my Holy Grail for years. This is a liquid. I have normal-to-dry skin that gets drier toward winter, swings back toward normal in the summer. I am a complete foundation hoe, and me going thru 3 bottles of this stuff speaks volumes! It’s lightweight, but lasts all day on me. I am fanatical about my skincare, sunscreen, moisturizer, retinols, the whole she-bang. One must start with proper moisturization and skin prepping- my personal faves are Lancome Absolu moisturizer and Laura Mercier Hydrating Primer. After applying the foundation with my fingers, I dust lightly with Laura Mercier translucent loose powder. Powder is the key to making your foundation last. I apply at 7 am and it looks pretty much the same at 11 pm when I take it off. I am not kidding. But a good color match by an experienced SA at the Armani counter is vital.
Also, their newest foundation, Designer Modelling, is another HG for me. This one needs to be applied with a brush, though. I NEVER used a brush before, didn’t understand the concept, thought it was a waste, how much difference can it make, for pete’s sake? Alot, let me tell ya. And get a foundation brush with REAL hair, not that synthetic crap. Trust me on this. Makes all the difference.
Let me know how you do and if you find a good match!
Hokay, ANOTHER recommendation for the Armani LSF. Clearly we are Onto Something. I’m bored and it’s raining and I’m feeling sorry for myself, maybe I’ll drift over to Saks later in the guise of “buying groceries.” Always buying groceries … Big Cheese is getting suspicious. Another tipoff: streaks of not-entirely-removed eyeliner, lipstick, etc., across the back of my hand. :”>
I must be some kind of freak, the foundation version of my scents-last-forever-on-me skin. I noticed all the time on MUA reviews people talking about making their foundation last. Foundation on me lasts … well, until I take it off. 12, 14 hours, whatever, in the heat, in the cold, in a box, with a fox… I like to put it on with my fingers, I feel like I’m better at it, but am tempted by the results I’ve seen with a good brush, so thanks.
Good morning. Allergies made me stop wearing perfume for over a decade, I feel your pain.
Makeup. Love it, don’t know warm from cool from any of those complicated alphanumerices MUAers refer to. I’m fair, slightly freckled, combo skin & use retinoids too. Over the yrs I’ve been devoted to Prescriptives, Bobbi Brown & Laura Mercier all in turn. I’ve been using the Laura Mercier mineral powder over a good sunscreen (& the mineral powder does add a bit more sunscreen) for summer, topped by a spritz of Evian mist for dewiness. For winter … well, I fell out of love with Bobbi Brown (too dead) & have decided that really, what was left of my ancient Prescriptives 03 Y/O Warm Vellum was a better match. It’s discon of course. And before I got around to Bergdorf’s or someplace to have a discussion w the SA about it I wandered into Space NK where they don’t carry Prescriptives at all.
Space NK is Mecca. They will fix whatever beauty problem you bring them, so long as your pockets are deep enough. The SAs are well trained & will try to select within your budget but it’s not like anything there is actually, oh … cheap. That said … By Terry. Wow. Just wow. I’ve never seen anything like it. Just saying.
I like the *idea* of Bobbi Brown a lot, the overall naturalness of the look (which doesn’t seem as innovative now, but did a few years ago when I felt like she was the only one pushing a neutral palette.) And I have one of her books. In theory I believe her strong fondness for yellow tones as being more flattering. In practice, I have a couple photos of myself in Full Bobbi that are terrifying. Her skin stuff is really yellow on me. It looks great on my daughter, though. I think the BB gel eyeliner is The Bomb, and I have a few of her lipsticks and brushes. Some days are Bobbi days and nothing else will do.
Ooooh, Space NK! I will make a visit. By Terry I’ve heard raves about.
I just tried By Terry a few weeks ago. It really brightened up my worn-out face (5:30p, long day into way longer evening). Try it, March – it’s….what Divalano said!^:)^
Another vote for the bag. I would use it for sure. Hermes Birkins are loony expensive anyway (I mean you could buy a small new CAR for the price), and none of my usual companions would recognize one (real or fake) in any case.
Dummy: My brother’s HG (only fragrance, really) is LLewelyn Stardust for Men, which is discontinued; I buy it periodically for him on Basenotes and Ebay. I once bought the Women’s (not nearly as desired or pricey) on Ebay by mistake, but since the seller didn’t make gender clear, he kindly refunded my money. When I first bought on Ebay, I regularly added too many zeroes, but I caught them before the end and was able to withdraw and rebid. Had a lot of withdrawn bids though. Not very exciting, sorry.
I don’t know how much help I will be on foundations, because I don’t wear it regularly and I’m yellowish anyway, but when I want to use it, my favorite is Cle de Peau (also loony expensive, but not as much as a Birkin, and you can get it on Ebay). Many others like Armani, though. For very sheer, there’s a Prescriptives kind I used to wear.
Okay, you and Elle say nobody will know what it is anyway, so I’m going for it. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one, and (I looked on eBay) they ARE ridiculous. I’m talking 25-50K?!?!!? For a purse? Please. 😮
And thanks for the foundation tips. Another plug for Armani, and I’ll try the Cle, I know their stuff is crazy expensive, but it’s so good! I have a skin thing, and their eyeshadow is gorgeous and non-irritating.
I dunno which Space NK you’re near but if you’re headed to the one in Scarsdale ask for Christine. She used to be the mgr at the Soho shop & she’s amazing with a capital AMAZE. I am still pouting about her moving to the Scarsdale shop.
Have never worn foundation, so can’t help you on that front, but will be reading the comments carefully on the off chance I ever get my lazy derriere around to getting some. As far as the bag goes – you’ve got it now, so why not just have fun w/ it? I enjoy bags, but I’m definitely not a bag person and I doubt I’d ever have realized it was a faux bag – and most people out there probably won’t either.
Am an ebay idiot. Have managed to purchase magazine scent strips, thinking they were real samples, as well as a factice bottle, thinking I had scored a fabulous vintage scent. I also once bought Amouage Gold for Women when what I wanted was the Gold for Men (infinitely better on my skin than the women’s). And screwed up again w/ Amouage and bought some ghastly aquatic scent they make late one night when I was too tired to even see straight, thinking it was Jubilation 25, since the auction billed it as their newest scent. Sigh. I *need* to take the time to read the whole description and I should be banned from ebay between midnight and 5 am – apart from stupid mistakes, am far too prone to making unfortunate impulse purchases during that time. I also have never bid on my own (other than BIN) – would be lost w/out my sniping service.
Hey, you made me feel better! It’s not like everyone will know what The Bag is (or is supposed to be.) It doesn’t have Fake Poseur Birkin spraypainted on the side. It’s just, as you know if you’ve seen one, a great shape and a big bag. It’s the sort of thing I could stash a sweater in, or a pair of flats, and I never have bags big enough for that.
OMG your stories made me laugh so hard!!! You win with the Magazine Scent Strips. Would love to have seen your face. And I camethisclose to buying a Guerlain factice once, took my snipe down at the last minute.
Amouage aquatic. @-) I don’t even want to think about it. Thanks for sharing, I am glad I’m not the only person on there after too many glasses of wine, buying things I look at when they show up and think, huh? >:d<
Well, ok, I’ll weigh in w/ my two cents, too: I’m a huge believer in buying used when possible, so I say carry the bag and enjoy. As to foundation, I’m on my own quest. Have you done any traveling on the slippery slope of mineral foundations? 😮 That’s been my search for my own touchy skin, but it can be maddening. Thanks goodness for online samples and CVS, which takes returns on opened MU items. SA’s never seem to know what to do with me…
I thought about mineral, I’ve tried once or twice, but I hate my skin powdered. Seriously, even when they go to powder my fresh foundation, I won’t let them. I don’t want it “set.” My daughter, though, is a great mineral foundation candidate, and her derm wants me to switch her to a powder foundation, which she prefers on acne-prone skin. So I figure we’ll be off to explore the wonderful world of Bare Minerals and all the rest. I’ll probably have my face done while we’re at it!
And thanks, I will carry the bag guilt free.
Oh, yes, I thought I’d cleverly got myself a cute mini of Gucci by Gucci (the latest one) before it was released in the UK. I couldn’t work out why it smelled so different from all the descriptions. Eventually I realised I had Gucci II…which, as it turns out, I prefer to the one it was supposed to be.
Foundations…I have drawers full of them. Because I’m red-blond, SAs always try to convince me I need something dead pale and pinkish. But I don’t have typical red-head skin – I need something yellow-toned and a step up from the palest in the range. I’ve gone through Chanel, Lauder, Bobbi Brown, YSL, Givenchy, Prescriptives, Clinique, MAC, Molton Brown, BeneFit and heaven knows how many others. For the last couple of years, I’ve stuck with Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser in Nude – it’s got me through winter and summer, fake tan and palely-loitering. And at least the SA will sell it to me without protest (“Noooo…that’s too dark/pale/heavy/sheer/cheap for you. You’d be better with…” One day I will reach across the counter and jab the woman’s eyes out with a precise two-fingered action. It will be a Crime of Passion.
Gucci II is nice! Although I like the new one too. I am glad it worked out for you.
You made me laugh with your two-fingered jab. And all this reading so far about foundation woes I have found oddly comforting – it’s not just me! I was actually surprised to discover I am nowhere near the top of the pale. And reading MUA, the people struggling the hardest seemed to be fair-skinned blondes, I would they’d struggle a lot with not looking washed out or orange in the wrong foundation.
Three votes on the bag–if it works, use it. If that wrap sweater were a knock off [insert some famous sweater-maker name here], would you refuse to wear it, even if it’s warm and cozy? Nah, you’d wear it because it’s warm and cozy. Use the bag.
Now, about complexion and tone. I’ve bought enough foundation to build a house. Some SAs had extra children because I paid for their college education through my foolish pursuit of the perfect foundation. Perscriptives will match your complexion with a foundation. I used and loved theirs for years. I have a strong red undertone (and red spots on my cheek) and the one thing I learned is that putting yellow over a pink undertone makes me look like I’ve escaped from the Home and I’m late for my medication. Your face is not a coloring book, and you can’t slop yellow over red and hide it. Match your color closely and add blush, you’ll look great.
Right now I am a fan of Smashbox. They have a green undertoner for people like me. (And a purple one for people like you.) It’s not a green pigment, it helps the makeup stay color true, so I wear a foundation that is a cool color (pink rather than yellow) and look even-toned all day. They also have an amazing under-eye thing that makes those Birkin-size bags under my eyes shrink and lighten up.
If you wear a foundation that isn’t a good match, there is that tell-tale line by your jaw. And while I’m prattling on, put sunscreen on your neck. I forgot that little detail and my neck now looks like it spent years doing service on a buzzard.
I am a huge user/believer in sunscreen. I’m the poster child for skin cancer (fair, no tan, family history) and unfortunately when I was a child I had some bad burns. I’ve already had a couple of precancerous things removed. I’m always bugging pretty young girls (including my own) to wear sunscreen, including the neck and decollete (not sure I spelled that right) and they can thank me later. 20 or 30 years later. 😉
Thanks for all the information about foundation. It would all be so much easier if my face were one uniform color, but then I wouldn’t be looking for foundation, would I? :”>
PS Okay, carrying the bag shame-free!
I have been using sunscreen for years but only 5 years ago did it dawn on me that I should be doing my neck too! But it is totally worth it.
I have a good friend who is lacking pigment in patches of her skin and has had to use sunscreen for decades, back in the days when you needed a prescription for it! And in our 20’s already, I noticed how great her skin looked so I started using sunscreen (could get it over the counter by then). 20 years later, sure am glad !!
Would love to hear what you think of the Armani if you try it.
I’m definitely going to try the Armani and will report back. On the sunscreen… that is exactly the kind of gospel I’d like to spread to my daughter and all of her friends. The sunscreen products today are so much better than we had, plus all the self tanners. You are noticing the difference now, and you will REALLY notice it as you get older. I wish I’d spent more time sunscreening my neck and chest. /:)
Best bonehead ebay story…well, I keep repeating the same stupid one. I buy extra-small sizes of things (not minis of ‘fume, but skin care, even lipsticks, in a “sample” size), thinking I am getting a great bargain, and of course getting all upset when the wee thing arrives, just as described and ignored by me in the text.
I say enjoy the bag, beleive it to be genuine if it helps. But then again, I love that pumpkin/gold purse, so why are you asking me :)) ?
I really like that Vitalumiere on you…but for other choices, agree on trying Armani-they have several formulas, good color range. Also, I am wearing a new Lorac, which purports to have age-defying stuff in it, but I am only noticing a light, slightly dewy coverage. They also have a great tinted moisturizer, that has pretty good coverage. And…Makeup Forever has several good formulas. Check Sephora.
Ah, and a plug for a sunscreen that is amazing under foundation (I usually moisturize first)-My Blend…at Saks for a gazillion bucks, but amazing wear, high SPF,blends perfectly smooooooth. I use drugstore/derm stuff for reg days, but with foundation, this is wonderful.
Hahahhaahaha — you did like the gold bag!!!! Vindication! You and the lady in Takashimaya. I keep telling Kate these stories and she doesn’t care, if she could burn that thing, she would. Every time we get together she tells me, and don’t bring that fugly purse…
That is HILARIOUS about sample sizes. I’ve done that a couple of times, knowing they were samples, but even then they seem so small! I do like minis, though, an easy way to sample fragrance.
Another vote for Armani. I think Patty likes it too.
Oooooh, they got you with the MyBlend! I’ll have to check it out. I used up my sample of the eye cream, which was really nice. Will also check out the other foundation recommendations, thanks.
No, the really dodo part is that often enough, I think I am ordering a full size…without reading the description (uh-.00007 ounce isn’t much face cream, is it? Is it? :”>
hahahaha — okay, you’re right, that’s what you get for not reading the fine print. I agree, I’m not the math whiz but that doesn’t sound line much product. :d
The other thing I do on those small impulse Buy It Now deals is fail to notice the shipping. So I BIN a $7.00 handcream and then realize they want $8.99 to ship it to me. 🙁
I bought a mini of fracas online. It didn’t say the size, but I was expecting a mini like 5 ml or so. The tiny black glass bottle, including cap, is about 3/4″ tall. It probably holds about 1/3 of a ml. I couldn’t believe they could actually get any perfume into it. Reminds me of the commercial where a couple goes to a fancy resaurant and the food appears to be “elf food”. So I bought “elf pefume”. Seriously, it’s quite shocking how tiny it is.
Dude … seriously, that is a tiny eeny meenie mini. I think they should have put a penny or something in the photo to give you an idea of the size. 😮 How did you find it in the envelope? Oh, wait … you followed the smell!
The Big Cheese was in Stockholm once, some fancypants restaurant. 140 euros for four courses of elf food. Everything on giant plates (I love this story). So they bring him a plate, big flourish, and it’s got … this tiny crackerish thing on it. They trot off, he stares at it, pops it in his mouth. It’s the size of a 50-cent piece. And THEN the guy comes BACK with a quail egg, which was supposed to go ON TOP of the crackerish thing. Whoops. The Cheese said the man looked daggers at him. I’d have been tempted to grab the spoon from the man’s hand and pop that egg in my mouth like a jelly bean.
Armani LSF in 2 could do the trick.
Thanks! Their SAs scare me. I’ll carry my faux Birkin (my firkin?) and stomp over there and ask for help.
I know nothing about foundation, make-up or skin regimens (I’m a slob with oily skin and water is my friend. I’m wrinkle-free at nearly 40 – dunno how). But skin tone is best shown by a colour test I think – if cool tones look better on you than warm ones, you’ve got a rosy / bluish undertone. If the other way round, olive. I’m pretty sure you’re the former, rather than the latter – the English rose type.@};- But I’m sure you know a hell of a lot more about all this than I do…
As for the bag, if you like it, use it. If people want to think snootily of you, so much the worse for them.
I’ve had no ebay disasters, but I love hearing about yours. I’ve stopped buying perfume, it seems…@-)
You’re wrinkle-free due to clean living, of course 8-|
Well, let’s see … you have nice, oily skin, you live in a humid climate, and you get 29 days of sunshine a year. So yes, your skin should look gorgeous, and it does.
Well, everyone says carry the bag. So: officially getting over myself.
That is SO weird, for a second up there I thought you had typed: It seems I’ve stopped buying perfume. Hey, what have you done with Lee? Is this Matt?!? You untie Lee this instant. [-x
LOL!!!=))
Sorry to be laughing, but I spent soooo many years looking for just the right foundation, found it, but keep looking for other “perfect” ones anyway….just because. I’m afraid my search would be of no use to you, I am extremely oily, and Estee Lauder doesn’t make a foundation light enough for me. I currently use one of the Lancome powder foundations, but I have noticed that Clinique has a wide color range as well.
I haven’t done anything really stupid on Ebay, but for sure the opportunities are there. If you like the bag, carry it =:) (don’t know what that emoticon means, but I like it!)
I’ve definitely been enjoying the last couple of weeks on the Memory&Desire blog. Very interesting!
Clinique has a GREAT color range, but my problem was even the most “dewy” of those, the most non-matte, were too matte on me. I have always thought of Clinique as being great for oilier skin. The SA insisted otherwise, but none of them blended well with my skin, she kept complaining, you’re too *dry*! Well … yeah. Which is why I’m looking for a foundation for dry skin. [-(
so how many other entries are filed in dumbasses? lol.
so up till very recently i was wearing 40 dollar NARS foundation. then i pulled a sample (a little goop on the underside of a sticker) of rimmel 16hr matte foundation out of a magazine. it’s very light, not mask-matte, just not greasy looking. and it costs like 7 bucks at longs!
ignore the review about the school dance. it really is good stuff.
ok, the deal w/ cool vs warm has to do with your undertones. for instance, i have lightish skin, but its olive-toned. i tan easily and its not orangey. i have warm undertones. OTOH, someone with a peaches and cream complexion (rosy) or one with bluish undertones would be classified under cool……… ok, i just read what i wrote and that is not going to help you at ALL but ill leave it in the off chance that you glean a little something from it.
and about stupid online buying escapades: i have havent had any… yet. every time i buy unsniffed im afraid, but usually it works out. and now that im a member of MUA, i know where to unload anything i dont like! haha. i guess not being able to go grocery shopping because i have a new bottle or a bunch of new samples may be construed as irresponsible and dumb, but i dont usually regret it. unless i see something after clicking send payment that i should have bought instead. ok this is like the longest one-sided conversation in the history of the world so im going to end it before people say “does she have a life but at all?”
Well, it looks like there are seven filed in dumbasses over there …. I forgot the category, then was looking for where to plug this in, and it seemed like the perfect match, no?
That Rimmel! I tried the same goopy magazine thing! And I thought it looked great! I’m tempted to guess-buy the shade just because it’s so CHEAP. If it looks all wrong I’ll give it to Diva (who is darker and shinier than I am.)
No, no, that helps! I have cool tones, definitely. Creamy with a generous dollop of pink. But do you think it’s nutty of me to try, then, to tone it down with a warm tone? I’m not trying to give myself a tan or change 15 shades — what the Limpide does is mask my cool tones under a slight warm tone. Or is that not the way to think of foundation? Is it … all my fault? :((
i dunno.. that might be asking a lot of a drugstore foundation lol.
well, I don’t wear foundation but I do sometimes wear that Erno Laszlo tinted toner stuff in porcelain. I find that it takes the edge off the shiny bit that I get from my Anthelios sunscreen. It looks like hell for the first minute then just melts in and mattes out that glow-in-the-dark whiteness the sunscreen imparts.
The Anthelios! Snerk. One of these days I’m gonna stick up my post on my favorite sunscreens. And yeah, to some degree or another, all the titanium/zinc ones turn you white for a little bit, although the the tinted ones aren’t bad. But think how gorgeous we’ll look in 20 years… 😡
Anthelios is da bomb! A little ooky-thick…but pretty bombissimo for all that. I ride 300-400 miles a day on the summer weekends and it keeps my skin in the decent-to-good range. Even on overcast/rainy days I still wear a moisturizer w/sunscreen(Clinique)…just in case.
Even El O, who is about as roughneck as they come, slathers on the Anthelios now. He had a couple of pre-c things, scared the heck out of him (he’s very fair).
The Bag: looks like you’re keeping it and that’s excellent. You like it, you wear it! Anybody who’s checking your labels should get a smack on the nose anyway!
I have a kelly-green ostrich Kelly-like bag from Florence that cost 1/100th of the ‘real’ thing…and even the snooty Hermes gals swoon over it!
Here’s a~o) for the allergies!
Oh, your bag sounds so beautiful! What could be more gorgeous than a kelly-green ostrich bag … and the great thing about bags from Italy is even if they’re cheap they tend to be beautiful, and out of decent leather.
And I really hope to meet you next time I’m in your neck of the woods.