Friday, July 30, 2010

The Friday Forum - July 30

It's Friday, which means it's time for The Friday Forum. Today, I have a special question for you. Should I continue The Friday Forum each week? I open up the blog to what you have to say about beauty products, and each week I try to put special offers and discounts in the comments to share them. This summer, there haven't been many comments on The Friday Forum, even though I know from my site counters that you're out there.

I'd like to know if you read this feature and whether you like it or not. Should I continue it, change it, or drop it? Please let me know. If no one comments, it's likely that this is our last Friday Forum (in its current form).

For now, let's enjoy this darling photo together and stick with the original purpose of The Friday Forum - to share information. Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Tell us about it! Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Tell us why! Do you have questions others might be able to answer? We can help! Want to talk about skin care? I'm game! Just use the comments. We have busy weekends and slow ones on the forum. Some are "really slow." That's why I am trying to decide whether to continue with this Friday feature.

As usual, I will share the best beauty bits (noteworthy sales and special offers) with you over the weekend, starting with free shipping this weekend at Ramy.com. Just use the code FREESHIP in the coupon box at checkout. I'll put any other great deals in the comments.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway contest for Josie Maran's Earth Day Essentials Green-On-The-Go Kit. The deadline is Saturday night at midnight. It's a nice prize!

Just a few of the features coming up in the next few days: the incredible Rahua Shampoo; Tarte, one of my favorite brands; Nailene's cool nail products; Exuviance skin care; and more fab fragrance! Thanks for reading!

Comments?

Photo courtesy of community.adn.com

19 comments:

Charlestongirl said...

Here's a great offer from Perricone MD. Purchase Cold Plasma or Advanced Face Firming Activator, and receive a free Nutritive Cleanser (I love this cleanser) with code EVAFAV at checkout. Offer expires 7/31.

Laurie said...

Hey there:) Always a fan of the Forum - but I totally get the need to spice things up and make a change:) Do what feels right!

A good beauty week for me....got my hands on the Urban Decay Naked Palette and I love it. Also obsessed with Fresh's Sugar Plum Lip Treatment -- for me, it's the best of the the three!

Hope you have something fun planned this weekend (even if just relaxing:)

Eileen said...

I bought two of Guerlain's new palettes on Monday (Rue de Sevres and Rue de Passy) and have been happily playing around with them ever since.

My thoughts on the collection: Each of the five new palettes is unique and is comprised of a harmonious selection of shadows and liner geared towards the specific "pop" of color that is in the center. These palettes are so well thought-out and edited that there's not an "off" color or "dup" in the lot of them. And, in all honesty, the pictures I've seen on-line do not begin to do justice to these beauties. Anyone who has actually seen and tested them knows what I'm talking about. The colors are unusual in tint and tone and they have a depth and radiance that sets them apart from all the other current fall offerings. Put these superior eye shadows in a silver case that is a work of art, and you've got a beautiful indulgence that is guaranteed to give you pleasure.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Laurie and Eileen!

Thanks much for commenting.

Eileen, we need to get you reviewing on the blog. Your description of the Guerlain palettes is masterful.

I totally agree - none of the photos, mine included - do justice to the shadows and their combinations.

Hope y'all have a great weekend. I can't wait for mine to start.

Eileen said...

Thank you for the kind words. Have a great weekend!

Charlestongirl said...

I came so close today to buying another Guerlain eye palette. I resisted. Any bets on how long that's going to last?

Laurie said...

Ooh...drooling over Guerlain. Eileen - great description. Drooling over here now! I've almost been avoiding your reviews here of the palettes because I don't want to give in:) They're just so gorgeous though.

Charlestongirl said...

Laurie, you have to go see them. You really have to! Guaranteed you will "need one" when you see them.

Leigh said...

The Friday Forum is great - - just haven't used it much since I started a short time ago. Also, my space bar is broken and it takes me forever to write a paragraph!

You've mentioned dislike of fragranced cosmetics and I join you in that! I just bought and am thrilled with Dior's new Crystal Gloss and was amazed to find that it had none of the "perfumey" scent of most Dior lip products in the past. I DO like a bit of desert on my lips, like Tom Ford's new lip colors, and MAC's scents, but perfume should be left to more appropriate places. The stuff that really turns me off is Givenchy lipstick, and, yes, the new Burberry Lip Cover. D&G is pretty bad, too, but the colors I ordered are great and the smell disappeared quickly. Also too minty for my taste is Buxom gloss - - - I don't mind a little mint, but my lips burn for hours - - - it simply just takes over!! SO, that's my rant for now.

I don't know about you, but occasionally I go "slumming" and don't buy the BEST IN BEAUTY; case in point, Revlon's new "bitten" lip stains - - easy to apply, last through meals, and support several glossings without feathering! MAC's are good, too, but I hate to find things I like that will be one-shot-wonders (limited editions). At my age (60+), I am thrilled to find lip colors that don't bleed; that's why I bought 6 of Tom Ford's offerings and am happy to blend away to get the color I like.

One more thing - - I subscribe to Marie Claire and Allure and am wondering which magazines you find to be the best for coverage of beauty products - - - at 60ish, I'm not into high fashion, but still love cosmetics, and am truly a lip color junkie.

Ciao for now - - - I need to find out about the cat in your article!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Leigh!

Sounds like it's time for a new keyboard!

I second your observations on all those lip products and their fragrances. I got the BUXOM gloss as a 500-point freebie from Sephora and couldn't believe how tingly it was. I have already given away one of them, and the others are likely to go too. Too bad because the colors are nice.

I read Allure cover to cover. I also like InStyle and InStyle Makeover (a Makeover came yesterday, with all ULTA ads). There's another InStyle I buy - forget the title. They have lots of beauty coverage.

I love the industry's WWD Beauty Biz. If you are really serious about beauty coverage, WWD's Beauty Biz is the best.

Of the rest of the magazines, my favorite for beauty coverage is Bazaar. They have fashion baby boomers can wear, and they usually have good beauty coverage. Lucky has good beauty coverage too.

I read and like Elle, but they can be a bit too "young" sometimes. Vogue's beauty coverage has become slim and boring. Then there are blogs! I have more fun on blogs than in most mags.

Thanks for the comment! Don't know how you did it without a space bar. :)

I did cover Just Bitten and try to cover the best drugstore items. I haunt CVS and Rite Aid all the time. I wear Maybelline mascara every day. I'll be really sad if they ever discontinue Define-a-Lash.

Charlestongirl said...

Laurie, I have been wondering about the new Sugar Plum Lip Treatment. How flavorful is it?

Unknown said...

I enjoy the Friday Forum and do check it even when I don't comment but you should not feel tied to it if it is eating up a lot of time.

I just got the Clé de Peau Anti-Age Spot serum after Gaia's glowing review a few weeks ago. I don't know yet if it is doing anything to my freckles and discoloration but the difference in my skin's texture is undeniable. My T-zone is less oily and more balanced. I'm exceed to see what the next few weeks of use bring!

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Daseined!

Actually, I like The Friday Forum and would love to continue it. I just wondered if it bored readers, since some weekends we have so few comments. I think you gals saved it - for now at least. Thank you!!

I love conversations, and I love what y'all have to say. I learn from you!

Clé de Peau makes undeniably fab products. I wish they weren't so expensive. For a while, my friend Chris Coles represented the line at Nordstrom, and he gave me advance samples for the blog reviews. I really appreciated that. I want to try their concealer. I have seen him use it on my friends, and it really works without any gloppy texture.

I'm afraid the only way I will totally get rid of my (few) sun spots is with a laser treatment.

Eileen said...

Ahhh. . .you mentioned two things that I love: Cle de Peau concealer and laser treatment for errant spots. The concealer is a wonderful product that can be applied sheerly or more heavily depending on what's needed. I apply it with a brush and finish it off with a very light dusting of Guerlain's Meteorites. That way, it blends in with my foundation and stays put. The price is absurd, but I've never found anything to equal it. And, it does last a very long time.

In regards to lasers, I recently had four IPL sessions on my face, neck, and chest and was stunned by the change it made in my complexion. Even though I take very good care of my skin, I am 62, so I had brown and red splotchiness from years of fun in the sun. The IPL was like setting the clock back. My result was a creamy, even toned complexion. I don't care about looking young. I care about looking healthy and nothing says good health like a glowing complexion.

Laurie said...

The Fresh Sugar Plum isn't overly flavorful - there's a nice hint of plum/lemon and then it sort of fades away. I love the color it imparts - so subtle yet gives a polished look!

Charlestongirl said...

Eileen, I think you just nudged me into the laser treatment. I have been considering it to get rid of my sun spots. I only have a total of four, but I would love to say goodbye to them. Maybe when I get my year-end bonus at work. I wouldn't mind getting a little filler in my parentheses either.

I think when you find something you love, like the Clé de Peau concealer, you just have to spend the money. Our appearance is the first thing people notice - right or wrong. When you are a baby boomer, you need to look your best to be competitive in the workplace. There's young 62 and old 62! I think we all want to look young 62. :) I'll always select the beauty product if it's a choice between that and a few extra restaurant meals.

I haven't tried that concealer - only because I am happy with Armani's. Sooner or later, though, I will.

Charlestongirl said...

Good! Thanks, Laurie. I'll buy it. I was afraid it was very flavorful from the description. The color is gorgeous!

Leigh said...

Thanks much for your input on the magazines; am about to follow your advice and order a couple!

And I DO have a space "button" - - just not a space "bar". All I really need to do is have a pro slip the bar back onto the button, but well, you know how that goes - - - to the tune of $300!! I'd rather buy new cosmetics!!

Are the cat and dog yours?

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Leigh!

They are not mine, but they are so adorable, I'd adopt them in a heartbeat.

I put a photo of Charlie and Savannah on the blog a long time ago. I'll have to feature them again soon.

Get WWD Beauty Biz - you will love it.