Perfume Incident 1 – the guy at the Bobbi Brown counter got my Full Nasal Nuzzle, while I moaned a little in ecstasy. I asked permission to dive in there first. I had to know, what was he wearing? It was Mugler Alien, for women. Wow. It certainly didn´t smell like that on me. Men, out with it – is there some ladies´ fragrance you wear regularly, and do you get any feedback?
Perfume Incident 2 – attending a band concert at Diva´s high school. I was fooling around with my MDCI decants beforehand and threw on the one that Luca Turin mentions has “an intensely animalic jasmine.” Whoops. I had absolutely no time to do anything about it, so in desperation I … sprayed Coco Mademoiselle all over myself! I reeked, but I tell myself at least I smelled like Macy´s and not some sex club. Also, that Coco Mad is kind of growing on me. If I´m wearing some skankalicious number like Youth Dew and need to lighten things up a bit, a little dab´ll do ya.
On to Lipstick. This will be my last post before New Year´s, and probably be my last post on red lips, which appears to have turned into my signature look, including a quick swipe before I walk the twins to the bus stop in the morning. There are people who cheerfully own 27 red lippies, and I am not one of them. I want one or two in each category of red. I tried dozens of red lipsticks (just ask Saint Louise) but only bought a few:
1) Two long-wearing matte reds — MAC Russian Red, which is when I lost my red lipstick virginity; and the slightly warmer NARS Jungle Red. Dry lipped people would, I think, have trouble pulling these off without some kind of lip conditioner. Also, a mirror and a lip pencil or brush are the only way I can work this, it´s a very precision look.
2) A glossy red lipstick. Not a lip gloss, not sheer, not a shimmer. The runners up:
- the ultra-hydrating Lancome Absolute Rouge I am still pining for but is clearly designed for someone with drier lips than mine.
- Bobbi Brown Red, a fun, true red that is not quite as glossy as what I was looking for.
- Clinique´s Party Red, a rich, true red with a light shine to it.
- Shu Uemura 165 featured in Allure as being a universally flattering red, and they showed it on Caucasian, Asian and African-American models. It looked great them but wasn´t particularly flattering on me – too pink and too sheer.
- Sisley has a gorgeous bright red (and I´m sorry I lost the name) with delicious sheen, but I didn´t like the taste.
- Dior 999 Celebrity Red, which frequently winds up in makeup spreads in places like Vogue, an eyecatching red that is slightly warmer than the others I mentioned.
In the end I bought … MAC Brave Red. I am turning into quite the MAC fan. Brave Red managed to 1) be glossy while 2) staying put without a huge amount of effort on my part. It´s a true red on me, and pink on Louise (go figure), so YMMV. I also got the MAC liner in Brick because … the SA was adorable and it looked good? And also their lip primer. And their makeup wipes. And why not that ridiculous Bankroll green eye pencil because I´ve never seen anything like it? I put it over my gray liner which toned the whole thing down.
3) Eventually I relented and bought two blue-reds. It is no surprise that, with my coloring, the SAs kept trying to overcome my resistance to cooler toned reds. I fell in love with and bought:
Clinique in Red-y To Wear, a pinky red which is apparently a smash hit and is sold out at many of their counters, I had to try three stores to get ahold of one to purchase. It´s only $15 and is one of their long wear colors. Surprisingly long lasting. It´s moist enough I need a lip pencil if I want a crisp edge, which I do, but if you don´t care you could probably just slap it on. I bought a cheapie Revlon bright red pencil for this at CVS and it works fine.
We end our lipstick saga with the elegant young Asian woman at the Dior counter at Nordstrom who insisted that I try on some random blue-red lippie, her favorite red in the line, it would look amazing on me blah blah blah. She was so nice eventually I did: Rouge Dior Red Premiere 752, which turns out to be the winner of InStyle magazine’s Best Red Lipstick award for 2008. I stared at myself transfixed, then looked away from the mirror long enough to hand her my MasterCard. If Snow White moved to the big city and went to work in a store that sold expensive, slightly outre leather goods, her lipstick would be this color. It skates the razor edge between red and pink, with color saturation that would make Walt Disney smile and that fabulous tooth-whitening effect that the right cool toned red gives you.
So there you have it. The Big Cheese hasn´t said much about my lips, but I´m kind of enjoying my suburban mom Dita Von Teese moment. Be sure to mention any great holiday loot or guilty pleasures below, particularly of the perfume sort, I love those. I bought myself some vintage Estee Lauder Cinnabar parfum and am awestruck; still waiting for my manky vintage bottle of Youth-Dew bath oil to arrive. Fingers crossed.
Oh, and Happy New Year.
photo: me and my red lips — NARS Jungle Red — photo courtesy of 12-year-old Enigma. I’m wearing a (fake) Mongolian lamb scarf which is what all those wiggly lines are.
Perfume Love for Everyone!
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March – At the risk of sounding overly dramatic,you looked arrestingly beautiful in that photo! Absolutely gorgeous!! I thought it was an ad from the 1970’s.
The snowflakes, the hair, the lips- everything was so eye-catching.
Thanks very much. I should fess up to the “snow” being added via a fun online program my daughter uses called Picnik (like Photoshop for tweeners, i guess.)
You sure did find the right red! I expect to see the photo on some fabulous book flap with mysterious hints of how it was taken. The MAC ladies here are in some kind of time warp, they tried to persuade me to wear brown lip liner with a pinky lipstick– a look that approaches the “escaped from the home and late for her medication” look for me. So I’m going all vicarious and watching you try on the reds while I stick with lip pencils for color and SPF 30 lip balm for shine.
Yeah, ladies, let’s move on from the contrasting liner. What is the deal with that? There’s an SA here at Estee who’s still working that look, unfortunately. I catch a hint of that every now and again in a photo spread of someone like Pamela Anderson, where they’re using the liner to give extra dimension (as if she needed it) but even in photos it looks weird.
Lip pencils and balm are a completely legit alternative. :)>- In fact two of our hottest MAC girls do that because they can’t be bothered with worrying about touch ups when they’re busy.
My 2 cents for anyone who fears the red lipstick, Bobbi Brown Cranberry lip sheer. A very wearable neutral red. (At least on this olive toned, warm gal).
As for loot, I bought so much for myself in the last few months, I was pretty lootless on the fume-front. Although I did score some nice GCs to Luckyscent and Beautyhabit which are burning some holes on my dresser!!b-)
Weeeell, we should (and I probably will) do a post this spring on sheers, why not? And everybody’s favorite sheer, happy spring color, etc? I have 2 of those Bobbi lip/cheek pots and they’re fab too.
Yay! Makes me want spring to get here even sooner[-o<
Me too. <:-p
That looks amazing. The world is a brighter place when yet another woman embraces red lippies, I think. :d
Oh, yeah. I agree. :*
Oh no, I’m soooo late. I can’t believe I missed a red lipstick post! First, that photo of you is brilliant, send your child to art school. On second thought, don’t, it’d condemn her to a life of starvation.
Second, I’m on a Red Lippie Hunt, myself. I’m devoted to MAC Dubonnet with Auburn pencil. For yrs I warmed that with a dab of O in the center. The old O was a warm reddish bronze frost. My old tube died & I Back To MACed for a new one … which is now a browny frost with purple in it. Gak! I exchanged for Fresh Moroccan, which is nice but has Huge Honking Chunks of Glitter in it. *headdesk*
So, last week I visited the Bobbi Brown counter at Bergdorf & am thinking what will solve the problem is their Burnt Red lippie with a Sangria pencil 🙂
Hope you & yours are warm & safe, and happy new year!!
I HATE it when they change a color! Also I am very much not a fan of big glittery chunks of stuff in my lips (or to some degree on my nails). You have that foxxxy coloring to pull off things named Burnt Red and Sangria… 😡
Okay, I hate you guys. I’m now the proud owner of TWO red lipsticks. I don’t wear red lipsticks ever, but this last red lipstick post finally overcame my sense.
Happy New Year to all of you!
Hahahahaha!!! What’d you buy?!?! It was inevitable. You could exact some sort of revenge. Even if you blot them down, can you wear them then?
I’m a guy, and probably half my absurdly large collection is women’s scents. I smell fantastic and not at all girly in Spellbound, Midnight Poison, Coup de Fouet, Mitsouko, Knowing, Trouble, Nu EDP, Voile D’Ambre, CdG Carnation, Prada EDP, and Bond No.9 Lexington Avenue. For starters.
A good scent is a good scent.
Well, yeah. A good scent is a good scent. And I wish more guys were comfortable with that. There’s clearly this sexist double standard (as usual). I mean, I can wear a man’s fragrance and someone might find that quirky (assuming they even noticed.) But a man wearing a woman’s scent? Might as well put on some lipstick. But men smell so GREAT in women’s scents, I love how unexpected it is. One of my all time faves is Fracas. That and Carnal Flower. :”>
… and where is my bottle of Nu? My canister. I am suddenly craving it.
Fabulous photo–it would look brilliant on a 4ad cover.
Of the feminines I wear, No. 22 gets the most compliments with Rive Gauche and Parfum Sacre close behind.
Oh, lovely list! I really need to get my mitts on some more 22. And Rive Gauche is glorious.
I agree, that Dior Red is excellent, and that pic is great too!! Im glad you found your reds. 🙂
Oh sweet happy Christmas, I scored a bottle of Bois de Iles and a bottle of Chinatown. Siiiiigh…. 😡
Now that is an excellent and very very merry Christmas! Actually, at the risk of disgusting you, I wonder how they’d smell layered? 😕
Hmmm… this might be an experiment I need to try! However, I think I might wait until a night when I won’t be surrounded by people I’d kind of like to see again. 😉
That’s a good thought.
I recognized your sainthood a long time ago!>:)
I recognized your sainthood a long time ago!>:)
Oops,this comment belonged up under Louise’s comments! Don’t know why it didn’t post there.
😡 >:d<>🙂
De debil tred. De debil he say, no tred for you.
Mmmm. If this vintage bottle of Youth Dew has eaten through its plastic packaging, do you think it’s safe on my skin? I’m sure it is.
Wow. I’m intrigued. Let us know if that bottle has any interesting qualities besides eating through plastic. I’m envisioning (what’s the olfactory equivalent of envisioning?) an even more potent Youth Dew, something with supernatural man-attracting powers.
It’s less skanky than my other bottle, which makes me sad. It’s not really that shocking I guess — there’s a lot of alcohol in there, that can’t be good for plastic. It’s a pretty little bottle though, and cheap. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Girl, you look like a model in a magazine! I love that photo. Enigma has quite the photographer’s touch, doesn’t she? Red looks good on you, too. It’s just a great look for you!
Anyway, Happy New Year to you and your wonderful family. I hope to see you again in 2009.
Hugs and love!
She is a good photographer, actually. It’s funny. She’s kind of grumpy about it, and she shoots in a hurry. But sometimes I pick up the digital camera and there are all these interesting shots on there. We’re camera shopping for her online now, trying to score something in the sales.
And a happy, happy new year to you too, hon, I hope P and I head out your way!
Yes, that picture is really striking — yay for strange camera settings and laughing in the snow!
My mother is awesome and got me two of Lipstick Queen’s “saints” this Christmas for stocking stuffers. They’re not red-red, but then, I’m not a lipstick woman; Burt’s Bees lip balm is all I usually wear. Nude is a slightly-warmer intensification of my natural lip color, and Berry is — oh, oh, la la! It’s gorgeous. Sexy, wears until I eat, and moisturizing. I think it was you who steered me to LQ so thank you!
As for moisturizer, I have rosacea and my skin is really touchy. I’ve been avoiding medication because we’re TTC so moisturizer is the only lifeline I’ve got. I like plain jojoba oil (although it does have a faint buttery aroma) and use it sometimes. But the best moisturizer I’ve ever tried is Burt’s Bees Carrot Day Creme. It smells of carrot seed oil and vanilla, which is kinda foody and sweet and sometimes a bit much — okay, sometimes a lot much — but oh, it works like nothing else on my skin. I recommend sniffing it before you buy.
I think Berry is one of the few I don’t have at this point, congrats! Rose is lovely. Coral is interesting … it’s slightly wrong for me, too brown, but with a dab of pink on it it’s stunning. Glad you are enjoying the LQs!
Actually I love the way jojoba oil smells, I have a small bottle I use for my face, nails, hands, etc. Olive oil I love too but it tends to give me the dreaded milia if I am not careful (only on my face, obviously, I still use it on my body). Jojoba does not.
PS I love the Burt’s Bees balms. And I’ll check out the face cream. It actually sounds delicious.
I love it, I really do.
Here’s a shout out for Burt’s Bees from a Watermelon gal…gotta keep the lips moisturized/protected, but can’t really put “stuff” on there…comes off on the mouthplate of ye olde flute…
Burt’s Bees has a Carrot Seed Complexion Mist for Mature and Sun-Damaged Skin that is one of my Essential things. It goes great over a moisturizer and would work great with their carrot cream.
Seriously? Wow, why does that sound so good? It sounds really refreshing.
Cute picture–very Dr. Zhivago!
I wonder if you have tried any of the Shisheido lipsticks? I’ve found them really luscious. I love the Nars colors but they are quite drying. I love Tamango, not a real red but more of a brick color, suits people with a more yellow tone in their skin.
Happy New Year to all!
The brick. I weep at/lust for the brick. The brick is withheld from me, as punishment for my wearing lighter, brighter colors. Brick is all, all wrong on me, like fuschia on warm skin. I lust after it though. It winds up on my fingertips as a mani. 😉
And when I am old I will know how to spell fuchsia.
Fwhooshia?
Fyoushia?
Hey >-)dear- in the drugstore realm of moisturizers, I am a fan of Cetaphyl (spell?)and the cleanser too. And while I havent tried them, FWIW- I have heard good things about the Olay regenerist and that Aveeno calming stuff. (March, I also have issues with milia- we need to get together and invent a zapper)
Milia. So gross. Going to the derm and getting them picked out. :-& Usually I can tell if a product’s heading that way before things get too awful. Cetaphil is what my derm recommends, and I use one of the Aveenos with the sunscreen, haven’t had a problem.
HelenV,
My reply to you is wandering around this thread somewhere….. I put Cetaphil on my list – also the Aveeno calming stuff because my face is freaking completely out! This is the worst time of year for my poor skin…..
(and no, March, I am NOT going to use Crisco! Not![-(
xoxoxo>-)
Yay! Another red lipstick post!! I am really into lipstick right now. Reds are actually pretty good on me. I haven’t experimented quite as much as you have, but I wear MAC’s Classic Dame Mattene and NYC Sheer Red. I recently bought a nude lipstick though, which I am trying to make work. Since my lips are naturally dark, it is more than a little unnatural to try to lighten them up. It’s sort of fun to try new things, though.
Oh, and P.S. you look beautiful in that picture! I got a kick out of the suburban Dita comment.
Hey, thanks! But I am all distracted now … there is a MAC called Classic Dame?!?! Why do I not own it? Must investigate. (Mattene’s the finish, right?)
The nudes are *so hard.* That whole JLo/LiLo thing? I look like I’m dead. Part of it is clearly the *contrast.* They’re working a nude lip against warmer skin, so it’s like a color. Brown on me is heinous, and anything super pale is horror movie territory.
Unfortunately Classic Dame is discontinued! I picked it up at Cosmetics Company Outlet…so you might find it there. Mattene is the finish. I think it’s quite similar to Russian Red, from pics on Makeupalley, iirc.
I’m going to go look. I want it just for the name. [-(
I just went and bought one. Your fault! :d/ I can’t live without a red MAC lippie called Classic Dame.
BTW the new MAC Dame Edna stuff is a RIOT.
Isn’t it FABULOUS?! Now, there’s a spokeswoman. I’ve been trying the NARS lipsticks, because everybody always talks about them and *gasp, weep* they stopped selling Lipstick Queen at my local store, but I can’t find a NARS that works for me yet. MAC still really has my love, lipstick-wise. My newest find is the absolutely kick-a Viva Glam VI.
I think you’re the second person to mention VI, I’ll have to look at it. Louise has pointed out that at some point I’ll be obsessed with a different color. :”> The Dame Edna had a nice pinky-red…
You found it!? I’m so glad!
Yep, and thanks!
I’m a guy who works at a counter (seems like we can get away with some “controversial” perfume choices) and wear Tabac Blond (this one’s easy to pull off), Vol De Nuit, Carthusia Ligea La Sirena and Nahema (the one I get asked more often “what perfume are you wearing ?”)
Or, lord. I would loooooove to smell Nahema on you. Tabac and Vol I consider unisex anyway. 😉
Happy New Year! March, you and your winter jungle lips look dreamy! I will miss your red lip quest posts- I did buy that Lancome Rouge Absolu (and my lips are too moist too- but it looks great for a spell- and I love the magnetic snap-top of the lid)!
As for the Cheese- I say make a point to give him a few big red kisses and he will notice the red (on his own lips!)
Cheers, hugs, and best wishes for a great 2009! <:-p
Cheers and best wishes for 2009 for you as well! I should have typed that to everyone…
I wish I could get that Absolute Rouge to glue itself on. Great color.
Wow, you look awesome in that photo! I wish I had the porcelain-esque coloring to pull off a red on my lips. Alas, I am way too olive-y. Either that, or I’ll have to look much more diligently than I have. Happy New Year!
I admit I love a red lip against white skin, but surely there are warm reds (and dark reds, which I can’t pull of AT ALL) for olive tones. Actually, if you’re ever in Sephora I wish you’d try Nars LipStain in Daredevil or Indian Red (I forget which one is browner, that’s the one you want). I have seen it on NARS SAs with tan skin and it’s astonishing.
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve never known where to start with reds, and trying one on after the other after the other just seems so daunting. But I’ll give these a shot!
If they’re all sucking on you, I think you need to move in that darker, brick direction that I find so intoxicating — and horrid on me. Let me know if anything works!
March…you look F A N T A S T I C!!! I am on a lifelong quest for the perfect “red” lip and will try some of your suggestions.
Happy New Year!
Thanks! I think the Holy Grail red lip is like the Holy Grail perfume — much of the fun is the process.
love the photo, March! happy new year!!! I recommend HIP L’oreal lipglosses for strongly pigmented gloss and good reds – get ’em before they’re discontinued. oh, did I mention i love the photo??
I’ll check ’em out! Lancome d/c’d my favorite glosses last year. [-(
Happiest of New Years to you dear Ms. March, and to the rest of y’all posse-ites! (Posseans? Posseistas?)
I am continuing down the vintage road. 2008 scores: Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit, Habanita, Scandal and Cuir de Russie, all in parfum. I think I am becoming a bit of chypre/leather freak. Tough perfumes for tough but hopeful times.
😡
Should say–most of those are decants or minis. I looked at my own list after I posted and had a little moment of –my god!
But they are all very good with red lips!
Seriously, why can’t I find something called Scandal at Macy’s? Where’s my sulking emoticon …. [-( just the NAMES. Scandal. My Sin. Shocking. Those were dame perfumes.
Dame perfumes! That’s exactly the phrase I’ve needed. Not that I wear them often (or can even pull most of them off), but I so prefer them to anorectic-teen scents, or cloying candy-counter fragrances. Great phrase! Off to order some vintage decants now. . .
Let me know if you find something you love. We need a post on Dame Perfumes. 😡
I’m going to watch The Lady Eve tonight, with the ultimate Dame — Barbara Stanwyck. Hooray!
I could really get behind a dame post…
😉
Ooh, divine Ms M, you look gorgeous; great photo, E! Living here in the WalMart Wasteland, I appreciate your lippie research as it makes online shopping easier; you’re performing an important public service. o:-) MAC Viva Glam IV is my favorite red-ish shade so far; it looks polished but not over the top, since I’m kinda bashful. /:) The Cliniques sound really good, too.
I swapped for a partial bottle of Black Orchid last week and I’m loving it. I bought Voile d’Fleur last year and ended up not being able to take the gardenia, tried BO and didn’t like it, and now I can’t get enough. 8-| Perfume can be so fickle.
Thanks to you, I now have CG Ruby Pumps on my toes. Beautiful!@};-
Have you tried Avalanche? It’s a gunmetal gray w/a lavender sheen, kind of like >:)but w/more gray, like 8-x
So glad to hear about your toesies! It’s a fun color, isn’t it? Some of the colors I’ve kept even though I don’t love them in a mani just because I think they’ll be fun in summer (I am too lazy to maintain a pedi in the winter).
Avalanche sounds GORGEOUS, will have to go look at pics of that.
I loved BO, then hated it. I have a full bottle. I’m waiting to love it again, which I see as totally plausible.
OK, you look GORGEOUS in the photo, March! But I have to say, with the blurriness and the snow falling, it looks a bit like a 60’s acid trip!!! Can’t comment on the red lipsticks as I haven’t worn red lipstick in years. Maybe it’s time to experiment. 🙂 Have a wonderful New Year’s!
Hey, you too! And acid-trip wise at least you got my whole face! There were some weird half-face ones. We’d pushed the wrong button on the camera and had this setting that wouldn’t go away — a 10-second delay followed by 3 quick shots. We both kept cracking up, there were a bunch of photos of the ground. /:)
I am LOL…I recall band concerts being so full of incidents that your MDCI/Coco Mad spill will end up as a feature on the highlights reel, but one of many. I would love to have a scent snapshot, though.
Listen, Ms Dita Von Teese rocks in a lot of ways, but YOU can ferociously navigate your current milieu, leave ’em stunned and fascinated in your wake in any number of arenas, and look fabulous at all times. Dita *might* be able to do that…I dunno…but I doubt it. She hasn’t. But I sure know *you* can. You have.
I love how all the guys came out to talk first…their voices were among the things that made Posse talk a happy thing in 2008. [trying to find a waving dude; what I come up with is ;;) Hi, y’all!]
Dita confused me with the Marilyn Manson thing (shudder) but that aside, I’ve read interviews with her and she seems very down to earth. One of the most interesting I remember was some other woman saying to her, snarky/baffled, but you aren’t even all that *pretty.* And her response being, actually, no — but it’s all about presentation and attitude, and that she seems to have plenty of. I’m a big fan, actually.
The menfolk on here make me so happy.
Wow, we are having this bizarre windstorm right now, complete with blizzard. I hope the power doesn’t go out, lights are flickering…
that’s funny…was going to mention the MManson trip as…something…not so good…what IS it with him? look at intelligent but young Evan Rachel Wood (also now finito)…anyway…
Windstorm, eh? Take care, stay warm & safe…hope the power remains!
Limbs are dropping! Power lines down! The lights at our main intersection are off. Praying our power doesn’t fail, I really want a wood stove. [-o<
At first read, I thought you meant human limbs, which really disturbed me, until I realized you meant tree limbs. We’re having the same high winds and snow flurries here in suburban Philadelphia, but so far, all the trees (and people) seem to be maintaining their physical integrity.
Great photo, as everyone else has said. Very glamorous and mysterious.
Happy New Year, everyone!
And happy new year back! I think the wind’s settled down a little. No, my own personal limbs intact. :)>- The kids are sad the snow melted. Wonder if they’ll ever wind up in their snowsuits this year?
Happy New Year to the Perfume Posse crew and readers!
Santa forgot to bring me anything scented :-w so I had to fend for myself on that. I’m expecting a big ol’ bottle of Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel from Saks today — that should take care of the oversight! 😉
March, I’m living vicariously through you on the lipstick and nail polish! I’m such a pale blonde thing that I can’t pull off colors brighter than muted pinks without looking like a strumpet on a bender. You’re performing a valuable community service here — keep it up! :d
Excellent on the Miller Harris! I’m very happy for you.
And pale blondes can pull off great pastels that look absurd on me.
I got a bottle-ette of vintage Femme EdT from a new (and very dear) friend who knows who she is!;) Between her and La Belle Enabler I think I am on my way to full Vintage Femme Love, though the current incarnation is a bit comfier for me on a daily basis.
I indulged in nothing more interesting than moisturizer. It’s very, very dry in this house (I was slow to fire up the humidifiers) and I actually tore the skin on my face! Too painful and too fugly for words. I’m looking for an inexpensive, hydrating moisturizer (all the spendy ones I’ve tried simply don’t do the trick or else they do, but they stink!)
I’m eyeing Olay (say that 3 times, fast!). Anybody have any thoughts on it? I need SUPER hydration-without-grease and I can’t spend a bundle.
But you do have me seeing RED and for me, that means MakeUpForever. They have a red that it very flattering to me. I don’t do ‘casual red’ – it almost has to be Kabuki for me to pull it off, with full face and appropriate clothing. A lot of work for this gal.
Oh, and Mistress March? Could you look any more fabulous? And I’m with MattS – you should definitely rock whatever scent you want. There’s more than enough Macy Moms out there – you skank it up, help make their lives a bit more 😕
Happiest New Year Wishes to you and yours!
xo>-)
Facial moisturizer is soooooo tricky. I get milia (those annoying little white bumps) and am always loath to fool around too much with different brands. Drugstore wise I’m fond of original Olay, and I know there are variations. I’ve read nice things about Aveeno. I used Clinique Dramatically Different for years until I had a couple bottles go rancid before they were done… Clinique Comfort on Call is spendier ($40?) but I’ve read some nice things about it as well. Super hydration without grease is hard, not sure any of these are intense enough for you.
Happy 2009, sweetums. >:d< Enjoy that vintage Femme. It's not garnering that much love around here from my helpless victims, but I adore it. PS I need to go look at that MUFE red again...
Okay, moisturizer IS something I pay attention to and am picky about, and even swap around depending on season. The Aveeno is a good one for me…soaks in with just a teensy bit that hangs out for the extra oomph, then is gone. No added oiliness, which is important on my skin, which can have very odd reactions for something that looks all stable/peachy/smooth/etc. I read recently about the Clinique CoC, too, and am ready to try. Certain Neutrogenas, yes; others, no. I loved my Awake samples, but it violated my worth spending rule. You really can do just fine in the drugstore…I used to compare all the time, when I had unlimited access to samps. 😉
Then there’s evening primrose oil. You can ingest it, or apply it. :-s But it works!
Some of the Neutrogenas SMELL. What is the deal with all the perfume in face stuff? That’s why I won’t wear a lot of the Lancome products, which otherwise I like. >:p
I know what you mean! Yuck for me, too.
Just throwing my two cents in about moisturizers: Eucerin Q10 for sensitive skin. My skin is really dry, touchy and um, mature, and I’m on my second jar. Found it at Walgreen’s. I use it day and night, and at night I add a few drops of grapeseed oil. Completely did away with flakiness (on my face, anyway.) ;;)
Ah! Hadn’t seen Eucerin for face…and while Q10 is no longer the hot ingredient, I’ve gotta say, me and my maturing skin have noticed a difference with products containing it.
Huh. Who knew? I will definitely check it out. Total Beauty did a skin ‘thing’ – they recommended Albolene cleanser for mature skin and VASELINE! Um…..I don’t think I can handle the vaseling (like March I get those milia and don’t need any more)
I think this will be Drugstore Season. I’m going to try the Cetaphil (thanks helenV)and definitely the Aveeno calming stuff – my skin is very nervous these days!
You know what’s great about this – I have plenty of time to try these at leisure, as winter tends to hang around here for awhile and my rough math estimates that I can try these until I find the HG – and I still will be under the cost of a single niche moisturizer that may or may not work.
Btw – on smells: my least favorite line is Estee Lauder. Every. single. thing. they put out, including lipsticks, is so heavily scented that it makes me itch just to smell them.
It’s To Walgreens for me, babies!!!! Happy New Year!
xoxoxo >-)
Really. Does it smell? I mean, a little smell is fine. Like the smell of whatever it’s made out of. But not super-perfumey? I like my Eucerin hand stuff a lot.
oh, and it does smell a tad citrus-y upon application but I can’t smell it after that.
here’s a link. It’s $36 but you only need to apply a dab so it lasts a long time.
http://www.origins.com/templates/products/sp_nonshaded.tmpl?CATEGORY_ID=CATEGORY5756&PRODUCT_ID=PROD7704
I have very sensitive skin that can get flaky-dry yet also break out in the T-area and cheeks at sight of extra oil or ‘gunk’. So I am very picky about what goes on my face, especially since I am appalled at having more acne after the age of 40 than I did as a teenager!!
I swear by Johnson and Johnson Clean and Clear Oil-Free Oxygenating Ultra-Light Moisturizer SPF 15 – I know, a lot of words in the name but it is great.
In winter when I can handle a bit more moisture, I use Neutrogena Visibly Firm Face Lotion SPF 20 with Active Copper. I have found the other Neutrogena products to be too oily or heavy for my skin. But to recover from breakouts I use Neutrogena’s Rapid Clear Spot Gel with salicylic acid – I became very friendly with it while narrowing down the field of moisturizers!
The Reve de Miel hand creme is amazing and maybe their face lotions might be great – I haven’t tried them but maybe others could comment.
Musette! I have been thinking of you lately because for whatever reason I pulled out an old, neglected decant of Rochas Femme that I got in a swap. I never gave it a proper try before but took it with me on a trip. I’m in LOVE. I think falling for L’Arte di Gucci opened me up to Femme. It is by far the sexiest fragrance I’ve worn in awhile. I even re-read your review here and the comments just recently.
I also have a little sample of what I think is the reformulated, modern Femme. I think I prefer the vintage, unfortunately. But given your post here I should really give my sample of the New Femme a chance.
They’re really, really different. Both great but I don’t recognize anything of the old in the new. The new one has a strong cumin-y smell, which people either like or … don’t. 🙂 I love it. The vintage always seemed Too Much to/on me until this winter. The drydown is astonishing — kind of a leather/plum combo.
I did dab my sample Femme and got some cumin I think. My husband sniffed it and said it’s a totally different scent. (He LOVED the vintage Femme.) I must not quite smell nuances as well b/c I was second guessing whether the mystery sample Femme was the new version…they both have fruitiness, I guess….
They both have fruitiness but the new is much more armpit 🙂 you know, that spicy smell. And if your husband loves the vintage Femme, give him a big, fat kiss and tell him he has excellent taste.
In the never ending puzzle that is my emerging likes, I like new Femme. Who woulda predicted THAT out of me???
Um, not me. 😮
Me, either! But I think you and Lindsey have joined the Sisterhood! Vintage Femme is a completely different animal – I think it’s less sweet/more animalic, which makes it a rough row to hoe for everyday wear…but when the occasion is right……;)
I luuurve them both!
xo>-)
Okay…the new year is here…full disclosure…I also was introduced to Theo Fennell, and do believe I enjoyed that ride, at least first time around. But I wore Bois des Isles for NYEve…so the world isn’t entirely inside out…
Oooo! I just got a bottle of Femme parfum and I’m basking in its umm, plum-i-ness? As for skin, I want super-hydration and I don’t even mind grease at the moment. I might even just dunk my face in two handfuls of olive oil.
Wait. New or vintage? And I think you and I are the Sisters of the Dry Skin.
I think it’s vintage. It’s in the lace coffret. Louise said it is. Not too cumin-y.
Yep, that sounds like the vintage. 😡
Moisturizer- I use Origins’ A Perfect World. I’m sure you can try it at their counter. It’s going to initially scare you because it goes on greasy feeling (slick really) but within a couple of minutes it soaks in and leaves your skin feeling like a teenagers, simply dew kissed! You can neither see it or feel it after it soaks in. I have flaky skin and it’s way dry here in Albuquerque. I use this year round actually, it amazes me that it works perfectly in all seasons. If I’m having a super duper dry day I put on a second application after the first one dries. It took me years to find something that works so well for me. Good luck with your search! (and remember to drink plenty of water;)
I’ll try it tomorrow, thanks! And I sooooooooo don’t miss that dryness of NM, it was very hard on my skin. Although I miss it in every other way. 🙁
Wow! Finally my sainthood is recognized! And for such a profoundly important cause o:-)
In fact, doll, it’s been so much fun that I am kinda sad that we won’t be in quest of this particular necessity anymore 🙁 And while I fully recognized the subtle differences between reds before, your careful experimentation honed my eye for sure. My fav of the bunch was Brave Red, but that MAC SA surely skewed my eye (both, actually) 8-}
I won’t allow myself to count my red lippies, but just added Saint Rouge to my collection on my recent jaunt to Boston (blessings to our dear Chaya!), and was sorely tempted by a By Terry creamy deep crimson. I did show restraint on the latter $-) I will add my recommendation for another too-pricey red-Chanel’s Sexy, just perfect.
My favorite “women’s” perfumes on men may go largely unrecognized, since the dudes morph most anything into something charmingly butch. One spectacular scent is MdO’s Carnation on a certain British blogger well known to us @};- and a great number of skanky vintage bits on a Boston buddy.
You do look stunning in the pic =d>, but even more so in real life.S’possible? Wanna go shopping?
Happy New Year to All @};-@};-@};-
That guy was so hot it was ridiculous. Did you ever end up doing your eyes like that again? I’ve also been wearing more eyeshadow — your fault, you know. Nothing kabuki, but there.
I’m trying to wrap up some required end-of-calendar-year biz, I think you’re back online? Duh, since you commented. I’ll email you.
I haven’t quite gone as goth dark as Hotness made me up (what color were his eyes, anyway?…I couldnotlookaway), but have been doing more undereye smudgy dark in his honor.
Sure, page me….don’t we have a YLBB/MLBB spring research to plan :d/? I’ve already begun some advance work :”>
Um, yeah. Time to move on to another color, right? 😕
Great photo !
Let me say I am enjoying immensely the lipstick chapters altought red lipstick is hideous on me so it’s all academic.
All the best for 2009 <:-p
Thanks, hon! We went out last night so I’m already pre-hung-over :”> Best to you in 2009 as well.
Prada EDP. That’s the one I wear regularly AND get compliments. I was even complimented once by a very straight guy, whatever that means. Guess I man it up some?
Kudos to the Alien-wearing guy ~ I just love Alien and wish I had the cojones to strut it out in public.
You may have noticed that I’ve been incommunicado recently but that should in no way suggest that I don’t love you guys. Because I do, I love you guys to bits, it’s just that I’ve been going through a really rough patch in the past months & well, for the sake of not getting emotional on here, I’ll just leave it at that.
Wishing you and all of Posse readers an absolutely magical holiday season! Gosh we could use some of that magic, couldn’t we?
Now give me a hug!
Love you 🙂
>:d< Here ya go, sweetie and a ~o) to get you through the day! I hope your 2009 is uneventful, in the nicest possible way - just hang in there! xo>-)
I have long held that they’ve mixed the juice up. Prada Homme is way more femme than the original Prada, which I have grown to like very much but IMO is quite masculine. I’m always happy to run across its scent in public.
And my warm thoughts and hopes for you in 2009 as you struggle in the rough patch. @};-
Mmmmm…sexy mama…who knew the suburbs had it so great? I think you should go to the kids’ school functions smelling like a sex club; it’ll give the other parents something to talk about.
Women’s perfumes I wear: Le Maroc Pour Elle always gets me compliments; like Tom, I wear Bandit; also Azuree, Jubilation XXV, Mitsouko, Givenchy III, occasionally a spritz of Fracas, but not yet out of the house; and yesterday I tried the Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere and enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. Glad I got my mom that big ol’ bottle for Christmas; I might have to swipe a lil’ bit when she’s not looking.
For Christmas, I got a bee bottle of Derby and an engraved bell jar of Iris Silver Mist. And the most beautiful niece in the world. So Christmas has been pretty excellent. I’ve changed diapers for the first time and I didn’t even mind.:)
Congrats to Unca Matt >:d< and kudos to you to be man enough to change them nappies !
Thank you, thank you. It has shocked me and amazed everyone around me how I’ve taken to this baby, having never had any interests or patience for babies/children. I’m changing diapers, heating bottles, dressing her, rocking her, and loving every minute of it. I think I’m a natural, like maybe I should become an au pair.
Or Daddy:o
Hey, congrats on the haul of fragrance loot! (And double congrats on the baby, diaper duty isn’t really that bad). I love the list of fragrances you wear, what a nice change from the coffee-woody stuff, not that there’s anything wrong with that. :)>-
Hey, did you get your dad anything this year? Didn’t you get him Yatagan or Borneo or something naughty last year? 😕
I was thrilled about those two bottles. I dropped quite a few hints about the Derby but wasn’t expecting the ISM at all. Wasn’t really expecting anything, with the baby coming and all. She is a treasure and suddenly I’m learning how to sit still and care and not care.
My dad, my eager perfume guinea pig, is generally open game for anything scentwise, except women’s stuff and incense, which he thinks he doesn’t like, though he loves the men’s Jubilation and most Andy Tauer’s. So I spritz him down with stuff all the time, Yatagan being one he loves. So given his openness to try whatever I spray his way, naughty, funky, or otherwise, I was shocked when he asked for the Prada Infusion d’Homme for Christmas. Not that it’s a bad scent, I just felt like he was ready for something a little more Out There. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to give him something with some skank.
First of all that is a beautiful photo! Good job mom and daughter:)
Yatagan, I don’t get anything naughty from it. Hmmm. I wonder if I’m anosmic to its naughty or if I just don’t “get” it. I’m going to try it again. Does anyone else not get its naughtiness?
Me! Me! *hops up and down and waves* I swear, Yatagan smelled almost lovely on me, like flowers, and I was, like, “Huh? What the . . . ?!” Especially after I’d read so much about how skanky and dirty it was. Alas, it only showed me its virginal ‘tude.
Oooooh, Le Maroc Pour Elle on a guy! I will have to spritz it on my husband while he’s sleeping.
Do it! It’s a lot more barnyard skank on my skin. Yet I’ve received a ton of compliments on it.
Well, I do wear Bandit and think I pull it off.
I think the scarf/ redhead/ red lips thing is really working the Rene Russo thing, except you look younger.
Will you marry me? And tell me every day that I remind you of a younger Rene Russo? I’ll let you borrow my perfume.
March,
First of all, I love that photo. It’s HOT.
Second, I was trained in Nars a few months ago, mostly for fun because I’ve known the account exec for like 14 years or more and our Nars counter is in the top ten in the US…who’d have thought….and because of school I have a lot of random free time. Anyways, Jungle Red is the hottest red in my opinion anywhere…and (I swear this is not a biased remark), every time I have asked a woman which hot red she was wearing on her lips or nails (I don’t know why I ask, I just do things like that) she has responded Jungle Red. (I don’t do drag, not that there’s anything wrong with that). I love that you love the color. (Red has always been my favorite color and I think that’s why I notice it so often. I don’t think enough women wear the shade on their lips).
So, wear it and wear it well, my dear and Happy New Year to you and yours.
Oh, what a great comment to start off my post! >:d< I get weird looks .... I think a lot of women find red lips weird, or Too Much. Or aging, which to me it only is if it's the wrong color or applied incorrectly. I realize that I'm now developing preferences for the reds depending on what I will be *doing* (and also on whether I'll be eating, ie, things that affect longevity and touchup) more so than what I am wearing. If it's an all out funfest and I want some serious pop, Jungle Red is *it.*