Friday, March 25, 2016

The Friday Forum - March 25

The photo above was taken outside my work building at Tysons Corner. Aren't the trees beautiful? If I walk over to a window, I can enjoy that view. I'm loving it.

I also took a photo of my star magnolia last week, before it started to become frowzy from a light frost. I have been gazing at it, particularly as I drive into my driveway. That tree laden with cardinals is like a spring Christmas tree.

I've really enjoyed watching the bald eagle cam the American Eagle Foundation set up so that we can monitor the DC eagle family 24 hours a day. I've been excited to learn so much about eagles - from how the parents behave to sibling rivalry. The first-born little "rotter" tries to push his sibling out of the way at feeding time. I applauded when DC3, the second born, gave him a head bop. If you haven't watched yet, check it out at this link. Just try not to get as obsessed with it as I am!

Last week, I talked about notices of unsubscriptions of the e-mail feed for the blog. There is another thing I meant to mention. Some people check an option that says "ISP requested deletion" or something close to that. These notices always seem to be from people with AOL e-mails. I can't figure this out. I assume that since the mailing list is large, the ISP may see it as spam. Why would AOL or your Internet Service Provider, e.g., Verizon, ask you to unsubscribe from a list? You don't have to do that. Just put the list sender, bestthingsinbeauty@gmail.com in your contacts if you wish to continue to receive my blog e-mails.

I am very excited that I'll get to see Guerlain's Marcus Monson on April 9. After years of not being invited to his events, I'm "on the list." He is so much fun, in addition to being a magnificent makeup artist, he's a must-see. If you are in the DC area and want an appointment, call Karen at the Guerlain counter at Neiman Marcus Tysons Galleria.

It's time for the Friday Forum. I'm sorry it's going up a bit late today. I cannot e-mail images to my work computer. New rule; apparently the company is receiving attachments with malware, and they have workers stupid enough to open them (not nice, but really!). I had intended to insert the photos this morning, but I watched the eagle cam too long and started to run late. Those eagles have captured my world.

The Friday Forum has always been an opportunity to share information. Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Tell us about it! Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Tell us why! Do you have questions others might be able to answer? We can help! Want to talk about skin care? I'm game. Just use the comments. We have busy weekends and slow ones on the forum. I hope you are ready to share. Given that it's Easter weekend, I suspect some of you are away.

Photos by Best Things in Beauty

11 comments:

Sandra said...

How wondwrful to see the photographs of the beautiful, flowering trees, especially your star magnolia! We had snow again yeaterday up here, and today is a very, bleak, gray day, so your lovely photos are so welcome!

The eagle cam is amazing! Thank you for the link. I forwarded it on to a dear, elderly friend who is a bird enthusiist and housebound. She is loving it! I have to pass marshy areas on my way into town from my home, and last summer I was lucky enough to see an eagle hunting, and swooping down to capture its prey! What a wing span! So beautiful! I could not capture the image on my phone, sadly.

I also want to mention that I have been using Chanel's eyeshadow Les 4 Ombres in 232 Tisse Ventien and loving it. The colors can be applied to look quite subtle, but yet make my blue/green eyes pop! I have received lovely comments. Chanel included a sample of their Sublimage La Creme, which seems fabulous, but much too pricey for my budget!

Again, Charlestongirl, thank you for the photos and fascinating post! Such fun!
A wonderful weekend to all!

DRTVrMoi said...

Thank you for the lovely spring photos. I left Alexandira in 2010 and when I read your posts I feel a bit closer to my former home. Have a wonderful Easter holiday

Anonymous said...

The trees are beautiful and the news on the West Coast covered the eaglets as well. I had prior knowledge of them thanks to you :)
I have been trying Ren Radiance Perfection serum for a few weeks. It seems okay, no major changes yet.
Have a nice weekend,
Tanja

Eileen said...

We've been enjoying simply gorgeous spring weather here in So Cal--lengthening days filled with warm sunshine, brilliant blue skies, birds singing, and flowers blooming has inspired my husband and I to do some major garden updates. Yes, spring has sprung tra-la-tra-la and we've been busy little garden elves! LOL

This week I decided I'd try La Mer's new Renewal Oil since Nordstrom is having their triple points going on. Although La Mer calls it an oil and various oils do, indeed, make up the bulk of the product, it is actually more like a serum because it also contains loads of other skin care essentials. Just shake it up and it blends into a lovely, emollient serum/moisturizer. Because I have very dry skin, I tend to be generous with oils and serums and so when I first apply Renewal Oil, it does feel a bit tacky. After a few minutes, though, it has absorbed and my skin feels soooooo velvety. I quite like it. If you test it at the counter, remember to give it a good shake because it is a biphase product.

I also bought one of the new Terracotta bronzers. I wore 00 in the old formula and found that 00 in the reformulated version is still my color. I really like the finish of the reformulated Terracotta. Like the reformulated LE Voyage compact powder that was introduced with the spring collection, the new bronzer has that soft, light-diffusing glow (without shimmer or sparkle) which helps to unify the complexion. I go for a very subtle bronzer application in the classic 3 formation and the new 00 is perfect for adding that hint of warmth and sunshine to my light complexion.

Another product that I'm really enjoying is also by Guerlain. It's the LE Carosel Météorites. I've been using it primarily as a highlighter cum blush. I use Tom Ford's large bronzer brush to apply it for that magical Météorites glow with a hint of warm pink. It's become my daily finishing touch :-)

I finally saw the model pictures for Chanel's summer collection. With all the light sand, golden blond, and faded khaki green, the layout seems to have a safari vibe to it. The products look very pretty. I wonder if the quad is that super creamy-soft formula that Chanel occasionally uses for LE quads.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

hytrud said...

since your asking, I'd like more information on eyebrows & products since they are as important for the shape of our eyes and our faces as a whole. I see so many shapes in many photo's but haven't a clue as to what is the right shape for my eyes and face. And, how to apply the different powders or gels, and/or colors. I think looking for stencils is perhaps the place I should start at, not sure and try a few of the styles first. I have natural brows ( that I get colored with the same hair color from the salon) which gives them the fullness I desire. I've never had to tweeze or pluck, just trim the top of my brows, but as I age, I see the end is getting more sparse as many females point out with aging. If you can help me on this new, but old quest, I believe other females would be deeply appreciative. Thank you.

Charlestongirl said...

Trud, I was blessed with full eyebrows, so I don't often use or test eyebrow products. I can tell you that your own needs will dictate the type of product you use.

I can't help with shapes. There are many sites that can, as you have seen. Frankly, there is one shape that works for all, but I can't find my photo right now.

To fill in sparse spots, use a pencil and feather it into your skin. Don't draw lines. If you have a brow brush, blur your work so that it disappears into your own brows. Try to use a color that may be slightly lighter than your chosen color. Too dark a shade will look fake.

I have never tried a powder. Maybe someone here can comment.

My hair stylist uses Rogaine on her brows. I'll have to ask her next week how she applies it.

Eileen said...

Hi Trud,

If you google best eyebrow shapes for different face shapes, you'll see a popular chart that shows the common face shapes and what types of brows work "best". I put "best" in quotation marks because these charts are only rough guidelines. There are also numerous charts that show where to start the brow, where the arch should be, and where the tail should end and there are product charts that indicate what types of products work bes to meet particular needs. Once again, these are only guidelines. As for stencils, they've never really caught on most probably because they don't take into account all the variations and combinations of features. After all, we're not just disembodied eyebrows (Instagram! LOL). Our beauty is determined by a combination of features working in harmony and your perfect brow is the one that makes the most of your particular features when seen as a whole. Anyway, Trud, those charts plus Charlestongirl's application tips should have you discovering your perfect brow in no time. If all else fails, take the plunge and schedule an appointment with a well-reviewed eyebrow specialist for an initial shaping. Once you've had a good shaping, it's easy to maintain it. I know several women who have gone to Anastasia's salon and they were very pleased with the results. Like any salon service, though, it's important to tell the beautician what you're after and just how much time and effort you're willing to spend on your brows.

Now, to the subject of those infamous disappearing eyebrow tails! Like Charlestongirl, I was blessed with thick, dark brows that have a natural arch so aside from plucking the occasional strays or filling in the occasional bald spot (I use Anastasia Brow Wiz in Granite for that), I do very little other than comb them in place. About ten years ago, though, I started losing the tails of my brows and developed a number of other symptoms that indicated hypothyroidism. My blood work confirmed it and the doctor started me on thyroid medication. Gradually, my various symptoms began to resolve except for my eyebrows. I started using Rogain (5% women's foam) every night on just the tails and over the course of a few months, my brows were fully restored. Nowadays, I only use it 3-4 times a week to maintain the tails. Be aware that using Rogain on eyebrows is quite popular, but it is considered "off label". In other words, it was never tested or cleared for that use. A friend of mine who uses Latisse on her eyelashes also uses it on her eyebrows (also an "off label" use) and she's been happy with that. There are also a number of other eyelash/eyebrow growth products on the market.

hytrud said...

Thank you both for a great place to start repairing my eyebrow health & shape.

TravelingBlush said...

Wow CG, you just got me hooked on the family of eagles. Love live camera action. They're so precious, this little family. Brings a smile to my day. I'll be visiting them often.

Let's see, weather-wise it's back to humid humid humid here in Jakarta, after a stint of the rainy season.

Have a good week ahead, my lovely CG.

Charlestongirl said...

Traveling,

I'm so obsessed. The eaglets are growing so fast. Unfortunately, spring here has taken a turn back toward winter. I hope they all stay warm.

Charlestongirl said...

To all,

I'm sorry I disappeared over the weekend. I had no power. A severe windstorm knocked out my electricity for 26 hours. I spent most of that time huddled under blankets. Power returned at midnight this morning.