Friday, December 13, 2013

The Friday Forum - December 13 - and Jo Malone

This has certainly been a painful week. I'm going to work from home one more day, today, and then rest as much as possible this weekend. I do have one little trip I have to make tomorrow (Neiman Marcus Mazza to pick up my new Le Métier de Beauté goodies). I'm actually thinking about taking my walker with me. Having something to lean on helps. There is a trend show tomorrow morning, and if there are seats, I will stay for that. I'll have photos to share next week, as long as there is sunshine Sunday. Unfortunately, snow is a possibility for tomorrow.

The photo above is a grouping of new candles from Jo Malone. The company is winding the clock back to yesteryear with its new individual home candle scents. The Just Like Sunday home candle scents feature Lavender & Lovage, Green Tomato Leaf, Sweet Almond & Macaroon, and Incense & Embers.

Lavender & Lovage is calm and aromatic with the aniseed twist of garden lovage. Green Tomato Leaf is tangy and evocative with cassis and artemesia on a cushion of moss. Sweet Almond & Macaroon is delectable, rich, warm, and softened by vanilla. Incense & Embers is contemplative, sensual, and relaxing with napa leather, vetiver, golden amber, and smoky incense brightened with silver fir and white pepper. I know the two I'll buy, even without a whiff: Green Tomato Leaf and Sweet Almond & Macaroon. I had tomato-scented candles from Williams Sonoma years ago, and I loved them.

I received a lot of boxes this week, and they are all still unopened. Usually, I'm excited when a box is delivered. You know I hurt when I leave them downstairs by the front door. Charlie, not realizing I don't feel well, has been delighted to have me home this week. I work at my desk all day, and he alternates between my lap and his cat cushion at my feet.

It has been so cold, the ice that fell and froze on Monday is still on the ground, particularly in shady places. We aren't used to extended periods of temperatures hovering around 32 degrees, so I'm finding this weather intolerable. I've been putting plenty of food outside for the animals. Mine are feasting on bird seed, peanuts, dog food, and frozen water. I'll fix the water situation soon. I hope you will remember the animals who share our world and leave out food and water.

It's time for the Friday Forum. I love this part of our week. What new products did you discover this week? Did you find any deals you couldn't resist? Are you using a fabulous product and want to sing its praises? Did you find a beauty product disappointing? Do you have a question others might be able to answer? Want to talk about skin care? What's new in your life? Just use the comments. Don't be shy. Just make sure to ask any question you might have over the weekend. By early the next week, most (not all) readers will have moved on.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Update: Just more to say. Have you seen the Two Faced Spring 2014 Collection photos? If not, let me know, and I will post them.

Photo courtesy of Jo Malone

25 comments:

Linda in TX said...

I hope you are feeling better soon. Thank you for remembering the animals in this weather, and thank you for this enjoyable and informative blog. Your writing style and reviews are much appreciated. Happy Holidays.

Anonymous said...

I would love to see the photos of Two Faced for Spring, thanks for the offer. I saw some photos of Chanel for Spring 2014...OMG...can't wait to see in person. I understand some counters have it already. The eyeshadow quad and duo are calling me. In the meantime I am enjoying my Chantecaille purchase from Cyber Monday which I have you to thank for CG, for two reasons, your alert of the fabulous sale and your past review of the HD powder that helped me decide to indulge. I am loving it, so thank you!

Hope you are taking care of yourself like you are the animals! Wishing you well :)

Denise at aeiokid at comcast dot net

Charlestongirl said...

Thank you, Linda. I hope your holidays are everything you wish.

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Denise. I will try to get those posted tonight. They are really pretty!

Moonchime said...

I'm sorry you are still suffering from your fall, CG. Yes, do take your walker with you as you go to Neimans tomorrow. It will help out quite a lot.

You are so kind hearted to feed the precious animals that live outside around us. I love to feed the birds.

Thank you for the Jo Malone new candle review. I am wanting to try the Orange blossom scented candles. I hear that the stores can hardly keep them in stock.

I've been keeping up with the weather in your area, and I had hoped that today wouldn't be so cold. My Aunt Nell died on Sunday morning and was laid to rest today in Waldorf, MD. It's been an extremely sad week.

Please rest and take good care of you! Hugs,~marilyn

Anonymous said...

I hope you feel better soon and take care when you go out tomorrow. This weather is terrible! I shoveled my driveway the other morning only to find it covered with ice when I came home. My car was slipping backwards onto the street(its inclined)!
I had the chance to smell the Jo Malone Sweet Almond and Macaroon, its lovely!! I wish they had a perfume! As for makeup Im still trying to enjoy my fall/winter 2013 goodies without thinking about 2014, but I couldn't help but notice the beautiful Chanel spring collection! :)

Meredith said...

I'm not sure that you should go out tomorrow. What if you fall again? It could be disastrous. Maybe you should wait until next week to go to Neimans. It's only makeup, however much we love it, but YOU are much more important. You can always investigate the boxes you have at the front door over the weekend for fun. I'm glad Charlie is so pleased to have you at home, dear kitty. I too feed the birds and animals. I threw my TG turkey carcass out into the greenbelt and let the crows and whatever else is out there enjoy themselves. Found out my neighbor did the same thing!

The.Enchantress said...

Take care of yourself. That Green Tomato Leaf candle from Jo Malone London is divine. Have to admit every time I smell it I get hungry for Sautéed Green Tomatoes with a dollop of crabmeat. Simply delectable:-)

Meredith said...

I forgot to add that I was out at the mall today and our Nordstrom in Bellevue, WA has the new Chanel collection for Spring. It is gorgeous, lots to choose from. I was good though and only snatched up one lipstick. I may go back for more though. I didn't have time to linger today.

Sandra Salin said...

Hope you're feeling better. Just purchased an edward Bess bronzer, the light one and lipstick in Demi-buff. Love them. Bronzer more golden. Not as brown as agun and not as pink as Guerlain. Better color for my skin. Love the lipstick Pretty nude shade with out making me look dead having grey hair.

angusmum1 said...

I DID SEE THE PALETTE BUT ITS NOT YET AVAILABLE, LOOKS VERY NICE, WEARABLE AND I HAVE FOUND TF'S SHADOWS TO BE GOOD AND AFFORDABLE. IT SHOUILS BE AVAILABLE Sephora ONLINE JAN 16 IN CANADA

Mamavalveeta03 said...

I can really feel for you, since I've been in that boat before. It's tough emotionally being in constant pain, and exhausting physically. Take care of yourself. Your loyal readers will understand!
My new discoveries this week were Kjaer Weis and RMS beauty. I just received the KW pkg, but haven't had time to try it (took my 15-yr old daughter to "The Hobbit 2" last night at Midnight...returned home at 4a.m....I'm too old for this!! And haven't gotten the RMS yet. But I'm excited to try some organic brands!

Eileen said...

My delightful Chanel gal called me on Tuesday to say their counter had received the Chanel spring collection and she asked me if I wanted to book an appointment with the national artist to "get the look". Yikes! December 10 and they already have Notes du Printemps? Really? Over the past year, Chanel has been pushing hard to get their collections out before their competitors, but at this point in time their accelerated schedule seems utterly ridiculous to me. Why can't Chanel let us enjoy our holiday looks before pushing us towards spring? Isn't January/February early enough to be considering spring looks? I really don't like to purchase an item and then have it sit in a drawer until there's been enough of a seasonal shift to make it relevant. That was the case with the beautiful Mystère. As much as I loved it, it made absolutley no sense whatsoever in Southern California in July, but by the time September rolled around, Mystère looked perfect. To borrow a line, to everything there is a season :-)

The only recent makeup purchase I've made is Chanel's Le Blush Crème in Affinité. Once I got the hang of how to apply this new formula, I found I really liked it. The depth of color in the pan no longer gives me pause because I've learned how beautifully and evenly these vibrant shades can be sheered out for a delicate and natural look even on my fair complexion.

Other than my one makeup purchase, skincare has been my priority as the cold dry winds we've been having have caused my mild rosacea to flare up. Rosey red cheeks when out on a winter walk is delightful, but rosey red cheeks 24/7---not so much :-P So, to strengthen the skin barrier and calm the inflammation, I've been using SKII Cellumination Mask-In Lotion and am astounded at how well it has reduced my redness. I pour about 1/4 teaspoon of the lotion into my palm and then spread it over face and neck and lightly pat it in. It feels sticky for only a minute or so until it dries. I apply the rest of my skincare products over it. Within the first week, the redness on my chin and across the bridge of my nose completely vanished and the redness on my cheeks was dramatically reduced. I now have just a small and very light area of pinkness on each cheek. It actually looks very pretty! It's important to understand that despite the fluid nature of Mask-In Lotion, it is not a toner. It is a treatment product filled with soothing, nurturing, moisturizing, and skin tone evening ingredients which is applied after cleansing the skin and before any other skin care is applied. SKII is an expensive line, but I purchased mine during Sephora's F&F event.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. I hope you're all enjoying the holiday spirit.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Eileen, I selected and purchased four Chanel items in quite a hurry today. I had been at a NM Beauty Trend Show, and then spent time with Michael Reinhardt becoming sultry. I zoomed over the Chanel and chose two blushes, one lip gloss, and the quad. I agree. December is pushing it.

I purchased most of the new LMdB items, but skipped La Strada. It's meant for women with darker skin. I can't wait for next week when The Countess is expected to arrive.

I'm sorry to hear about the rosacea. Sounds like your immediate action helped.

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Enchantress,

I purchased that Green Tomato candle today. It's divine!

Charlestongirl said...

Oh Moonchime, I am so sorry about your aunt. Had she been sick, or was her passing sudden?

Charlestongirl said...

Everyone,

Thank you for your kind wishes about my body. :) It is very sore. I can't stand or walk for any length of time, but I'm starting to get more flexible

The wound on my right hand is healing. The worst part now is my right hip - the one that always hurts from lumbar spine degeneration.

Charlestongirl said...

Meredith, I put out a turkey breast carcass with meat for my crows. They picked it clean in hours!

Charlestongirl said...

Anonymous, there are a lot of fragrances that smell like that candle. I will have to feature them soon.

Eileen said...

Hi Charlestongirl,

It sounds like you succumbed to the allure of Chanel--so did I! LOL. Despite my grumping about Notes du Printemps being released so early, I stopped by the Chanel counter late this afternoon to take a quick look. The counter, as was the entire makeup department, was a beehive of activity because of the number of special events going on. It was a bit chaotic and hard to get to the testers so I just had the lovely Chanel gal put the quad aside for me and told her that I'd be back Monday morning to make the rest of my selections. Given my coloring, the quad was a slam dunk, and now that SKII has quelled my rosacea flareup, I'm ready to try the beautiful new blushers. As I said in my previous comment, I've really come to like the crème formula. The glosses also looked gorgeous. All the colors are so clear and fresh. They're cheerful and will make a nice alternative to spring's usual array of pinks, lavenders, and soft apricots. So, yeah, I guess it's springtime in December! LOL

I'm glad you had such a successful outing today. After all the excitement, I hope you're now cuddled up with that heating pad and Charlie. Have an enjoyable rest of the weekend.

Anonymous said...

Hallo Charlston Girl, I really hope you're getting well soon. I'm from Austria, so if my English is not the best, please excuse. I love reading your blog, and you seem to be a great person, thinking of other people and what I feel so special also of the poor animals especially in the wintertime. I also love your swatches, and you made me fall in love with Bobbi Browns nude glow shimmer brick, for example. I'm a high end beauty addict, the things bring joy to my life, when its not so great. Almost every day, I take a look at your blog and its really great. The very best wishes from Austria. PS. That's the first comment, I ever left on any blog
Have a great weekend
Gina

Moonchime said...

Thank you Charleston Girl. My Aunt's passing was sudden. Aunt Nell was an RN, and kept herself as healthy as possible, so she could take care of others. She died of a heart attack.

When we last spoke, she was telling me how deeply she missed her husband. He died eleven years ago, and Aunt Nell was saddened to know that she'd be facing yet another Christmas without him.

In my heart, I feel that she just wanted to go be with him. Thinking that way helps ease the pain a bit.

Thank you again for all you do. Please take care and get lots of rest.

Charlestongirl said...

Moonchime, I am in tears. I know you didn't mean for that to happen, but I'm terrible with death. I sob at funerals. I sob at the news of death. I hope there's a heaven, but I always have doubts that I will ever see my loved ones - and those of my friends - ever again. I'm really bad at grief.

Just thinking about what your aunt said set me off because my father died at Christmas time - just a few days after. We spent out Christmas in intensive care. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma, and was trying radiation, but it made him miserable - and obviously didn't help at all. Sometimes, I wonder if he willed himself to die.

Enough of this. I need to write a feature. I am so so sorry for your loss.

Charlestongirl said...

Thank you so much, Gina. xoxo

Charlestongirl said...

Eileen, I did have a good outing. I think I'll write a little post now to tell you what I missed.