My Sephora VIB Rouge Shopping Basket

Once a year, Sephora runs a sale on the stuff that never gets marked down—high end makeup, skincare, and fragrances. And the beauty world goes absolutely insane. Mind you, 20 percent isn't a huge discount, but it's a nice opportunity to stock up on tried and true products. VIB Rouge members get first crack at the sale, followed by their far less VI brothers and sisters.

Of course, it's a source of complete shame to me that I'm VIB Rouge at Sephora. COME ON. You have to spend $1,000 in a single year to reach that level. And I'm already on record as believing that Ulta and Nordstrom reward their regular shoppers much better than Sephora does. What do you get when you become Rouge--free makeup classes? Pfft—I could teach makeup classes. Next! Wait—you mean you get a free red lipstick??? YAY. My scorn was infinite.

And then, I made Rouge.

In my defense, when the Girls (bird, Martha MacGyver, and Susie Sunshine) were in town last month, we went to Sephora, where we made epic hauls. And some of the Girls—I name no names—gave the cashier my Sephora ID when they checked out. This added to Sephora's perceived total of my spending, and I qualified for VIB Rouge status.

This makes for a fun time when I search my purchase history. Like today, when I was trying to figure out what to buy to take advantage of the current sale. I'm just bird-brained enough to wonder "But if I bought that foundation, where did I put it? I don't remember trying it, and I can't find it anywhere."

Anyway. I was planning to shop in easy stages, because now that I'm Rouge, I get free three-day shipping. I thought that I could buy the really important stuff first, and then really wallow in guilt ponder through things thoroughly, because I had until November 7th to finish shopping.

But then the one thing I really planned to buy—the thing that made me feel like a Savvy Shopper—went out of stock in a couple of hours. So I went in hard. This is what I bought.

Sunday Riley Good Genes

I just started using this product this summer. I started out with a sample, then popped for Sephora's Power Couple. I've fallen hard for this genius softening-exfoliating-glow-giving wonder product, and planned on buying two large bottles to ensure a constant supply at a discounted price.

I placed two bottles in my shopping cart, but when I went back to purchase them, the large size was out of stock. So I bought two of the one-ounce size.

The large size I didn't get. Pout.

Chanel No. 5 Eau de Parfum

A long-time staple. I've gone through multiple bottles of this and am once more down to a tiny driblet.

Guerlain Rouge G in Gracia

Another staple. I'm currently eking out my oldest tube with a lipbrush at home, and carrying the new one in my purse. When I started wearing this shade, I think it cost $48. Now it's up to $54. If there was ever a product I deserve to save money on, it's this lipstick. Honestly, Guerlain, it's lipstick, not world peace.

Estee Lauder DayWear SPF25

I've been using this oil-free moisturizer for at least two years and really like it, even though it's expensive for what it is. (At Sephora, what isn't?)

Before I switched to this product, I swore by Garnier's SPF28 moisturizer, but the Garnier feels heavier and is generally less cosmetically elegant. The Estee Lauder product feels almost like a creme-gel hybrid and melts into my skin.  I use very high SPF Asian sunblocks when I'm really getting a lot of sun, but this is a good daily moisturizer with decent sun protection. It's extremely hydrating, and it's great under makeup.

Sephora collection Blush 101 Face Palette

Finally, something new and different!

The reviews of this palette mentioned that it is a good value, although the blushes aren't very pigmented. Since I'm very fair-skinned and usually wear the lightest shade of blush I can find, I thought this would make a nice all-purpose palette with both pink and coral shades. Also, it's pretty. and on sale, and for $15 (less 20 percent and a 4 percent rebate from eBates) I decided to go for it.

Off with their heads! or, What we need is a cosmetics revolution

My favorite lipstick, Guerlain's Rouge G in Gracia, retails for $52. It kills me that it's not refillable, because the case with its built-in mirror is so elegant and so handy for touch-ups.

Currently available for $50.47 on Overstock

Over the years, I've used one tube up, have a second in my purse at all times, with a third in reserve, just in case Guerlain decides to discontinue the shade or formula.

I thought I'd get that out there before I start feeling overly smug about my thriftiness. Because I just found out that Tom Ford's Autumn 2016 collection includes a lipstick that will retail for $60.

Available for pre-order, if you must, here

Sure, it's pretty. But I think not. When I bought my first tube of Rouge G,  it cost $45, which was quite bad enough. The price has been inching up, and when it went over $50, I was already hooked.

But $60? The shades of my Puritan ancestors recoil in horror at the thought. In fact, I think I hear the distant rumbling of the tumbrils and the jeers of an angry mob of sans-culottes.

Oh, and if I ever pop for a Christian Louboutin nail polish

Christian Louboutin nail polish in Lady Peep, $50

lip gloss

Christian Louboutin "Loubilaque" lip lacquer in Bengali, $85

or lipstick?

Velvet Matte Lip Colour in Rococotte, $90.00

You have my permission to send me to the guillotine.

The Great Brush de-clutter

You know how everyone is all about decluttering these days? I decided that maybe, just maybe, my makeup brush collection could use a bit of pruning.

The problem with makeup brushes

Makeup brushes can be insanely expensive. To get you to buy them, people will tell you they're an investment. And they're right. Makeup brushes aren't like makeup. They don't go bad, and you never use them up.

Need proof? I have brushes that are 20 years old.

That's the good and bad news about makeup brushes. You buy them, and sooner or later, they're not getting any love. They're still perfectly good, but maybe they're too scratchy. Maybe they shed. Maybe the handles are too short or too long. Maybe the little hairs go awry (this seems to happen all the time with my lip and eyeliner brushes, where precision is key).

Eventually, if you're like me and have a tendency to accumulate stuff, you end up with a ridiculous number of more-or-less expensive, excellent-quality makeup brushes. And it might be time to declutter. So join me, Internet, as I run through my inventory of brushes, and decide which to pitch and which to keep.

Where to start

I decided to start with my face brushes, i.e., blush, foundation, and powder. No need to start fooling around with eye makeup brushes--not yet. I need to husband my resources for that. Baby steps, people.

I took my brushes and laid them out on top of my "battle station" the cream colored painted desk I use as a vanity. I divided them into categories: blush brushes, face powder brushes, and foundation brushes.

These are the blush brushes.

From the top: MAC 168SE contour brush, Chanel blush brush (similar is $55), Shiseido blush brush ($38), MAC 187 duofiber "skunk" brush

Of these, I would keep the Chanel for blushes that need a bit of persuasion, and the Shiseido, which is insanely soft, for blushes that don't need as much help traveling from the blush pan to my face. The MAC brushes are from one of those Nordstrom Anniversary Sale brush sets, and the quality is sub-par. They can go.

These are my face powder, blush, and specialty brushes

Japonesque powder brush ($38); Japonesque blush brush ($35) Guerlain powder brush (similar $45), Lancome duofiber "skunk" brush (similar $27.50), Real Techniques face brush ($9.00), Nars bronzer brush (similar $52)

These are mostly keepers. The only one I'd get rid of is the Nars bronzer brush. It was one of those legendary brushes ... but it picks up and deposits a LOT of product—more than I need. I really don't do bronzer, or contour, for that matter. Nars doesn't sell this brush any more. They've moved on, and so should I.

Other than that, I'm OK with keeping the rest of the brushes.

I like the Japonesque brushes. They shed a little, but they're wonderfully soft.

The Guerlain ... I don't know. I have no idea where I got that brush, and it's scratchy, as most Guerlain brushes can be. On the other hand, when you're dealing with Guerlain's Les Meteorites, you need a brush that will put a little English on the ballz.

The Lancôme is handy when I want to apply the tiniest amount of a scarily vivid shade.

The Real Techniques face brush is fabulous, all-purpose brush. You can use it for blush or powder, and I suppose, liquid foundation, since it has synthetic bristles. I love that you can just stand it up. And it's inexpensive!

Three to pitch

These are my foundation brushes. They all have those Taklon bristles which are supposedly good for blending liquid and cream products. I'm pitching them because I never liked applying liquid foundation with a brush.

cheap no-name, Chanel (similar is $46), Paula Dorf ($35)

I'm chucking these guilt-free. The Chanel brush came in a set I probably bought 15 years ago. The Paula Dorf was passed along at an alt.fashion get-together in Las Vegas that took place in 2001. See what I mean about brushes? They have the half-life of uranium, for God's sake.

My favorites

Finally, these are my workhorse brushes--the ones you'd have to pry out of my cold, dead hands.

Beauty Blender ($20), Bobbi Brown powder brush, Chantecaille powder brush, Rouge Bunny Rouge highlight brush

The Beauty Blender is handy for applying and blending foundation, concealer, loose powder, blush, you name it, the Beauty Blender can do it. And it's so much easier to clean than a brush. Dries faster, too.

I love the Bobbi Brown powder blush for applying blusher; the Chantecaille can't be beat for loose powder, and the Rouge Bunny Rouge highlight brush is great, too, and will really come in handy if I ever decide to get into this strobing thing that all the cool kids are doing.

Review: That thud was me fainting because I actually liked a Sephora birthday gift

I KNOW. I didn't see it coming, either.

The item in question is Makeup Forever's Rouge Artist Natural lipstick in No. 9, Copper Pink, which is a sheer my-lips-but-better shade of slightly warm pink.

Makeup Forever is a subsidiary of luxury retailers LVMH and is available exclusively at Sephora, also an LVMH subsidiary. Can you feel the marketing tonight? Wheels within wheels, people!

More marketing: this particular sample was part of Sephora's 2014 birthday gift, meaning it's a deluxe sized sample, and I got it for free. Um ... a while ago. But it's not quite as lame as it sounds, because my birthday is in December. No mockery, please; I've only been holding onto this lipstick sample for 15 months.

And how is the lipstick, Poppy?

In texture it's very like a lip butter, like Chanel's Rouge Coco Shine or Revlon's Lip Butters. Unlike the Revlon, it doesn't migrate outside of my lipline, and unlike the Chanel shades I own, I can actually see this lipstick on my lips.

It's semi-shiny, which admittedly is not the current mode. In my estimation, however, a sheer, slightly shiny formula like this is fantastic when you want to slap on some color and get on with your day. Lasting power is decent: a couple of quick swipes of this and I'm good for a few hours, as long as I don't spend them drinking coffee. With a shade like this, you don't have to worry about it wearing off too quickly or unevenly. And the shade is so forgiving that I'd feel comfortable reapplying without a mirror.

Mmmm, Guerlain-y

The one problem people appear to have with this lipstick is the fragrance. It's quite pronounced. It doesn't bother me, though, because like Guerlain's Rouge G lipstick, it smells like violets. After years of wearing Guerlain's Les Meteorites powder, I have a Pavlovian response to the scent of violets. It makes me drool. (And chase cats.)

In fact, I could take the Makeup Forever Rouge Artist Natural line as a knock-off of Guerlain's Rouge G, because aside from its lack of Guerlain's incredible fancy-pants Place Vendome packaging, this Make Up For Ever lipstick is pretty close in consistency, level of pigmentation, and fragrance. Also, both lipstick formulas are extremely moisturizing—"HOORAY," shouts she of the chronic dry lips.

Guerlain's Rouge G sells for $54 whereas Makeup Forever's Rouge Artist Natural lipsticks sell for $20, so this lipstick could be considered a mid-range doppelganger.

If you're wondering to yourself "Since when is a $20 lipstick mid-range?" I feel forced to riposte "Since Physician's Formula started selling their foundation for $18.99 at CVS."

Just call me Auntie Haul, or, why I'm not even tempted by this lip palette

I've mentioned that lately, I've been watching and enjoying Kimberly Clark's YouTube videos. Kimberly is a drag queen who has become well-known in the YouTube video community for her anti-haul videos.

Hauls and Anti-Hauls

To get you up to speed in case you don't do YouTube: a haul video is when someone makes a video about the latest stuff they bought. For all I know, gamers do this with games, but I watch the ones about makeup. Sometimes people add first impressions of the products, but mostly it's just young women opening bag after bag of stuff.

Kimberly has a problem with the amount of mindless consumption in Youtube videos, so she started making anti-haul videos, where she talks people out of buying stuff.

YouTube Beauty Gurus

I thought in my own small way, I'd add to the discourse. Not by making a video, because I can't be bothered with all that. Six years ago, you could sit in front of your desktop and just talk to your webcam.

Nowadays beauty gurus always have a full face of makeup, a cute outfit, and perfect hair.  They sit in front of some sort of attractive backdrop. Some use a swath of sequinned fabric, but others will sit in front of their battle station (i.e., vanity) which is artfully decorated, as is the rest of their beauty room. They use an expensive, high quality camera and use a wide variety of editing skills to product the final product.

This is from a parody video by Britney Lee Saunders, but yeah. Pretty much.

All of this to pull lipsticks out of an Ulta bag and chat about them.

OK, sure, people sometimes do swatches in haul videos. Sometimes they impart useful information about the scent, shade, and consistency of the products ... but basically, I think haul videos are dumb. And, because I'm opinionated yet lazy, it's too much trouble for me to argue that point in a video. Don't get me wrong, Internet. I love you very much, but I'm damned if I'm going to put together a beauty room as an attractive background to my natterings.

Enough intro. Let the anti-haul commence!

Are you a makeup artist?

If the answer is "no," then there is a limit to the number of shades of makeup you need. If you're thinking, "But Poppy, you own every eyeshadow palette ever created!" I have to admit; you have a point. I own far too much eyeshadow. But even I have my limits.

What are these "limits" you speak of?

As out of control as I get about some color cosmetics, I'm proud to say that I'm a fairly reasonable creature when it comes to lipstick.

First of all, I have fairly strict ideas about what's becoming to me. To my mind, lips should be a color found in nature. Some variety of pink/red/brown/plum. Of course, those are the colors that work with my coloring. Other people can rock orange or Barbie pink, but lipstick colors like that would distract attention from my more important features, like my breasts. ONLY KIDDING. Like the rest of my face.

In addition, anything drying is right out. I have a hard enough time keeping my lips moisturized and soft. Those super matte liquid lipsticks that are all over the place are not for me.

Also, when I'm at home (at my battle station) I might use lip balm, lip pencil, lipstick, and lip gloss. But when I'm out and about, I want a lipstick I can pop open and swipe on. No lip pencil, crazy gloss, and multiple layers of colors need apply.

All of that explains why I'm currently on my third tube of Guerlain's Rouge G in Gracia.

Guerlain Rouge G lipstick in Gracia, available at Sephora for $54

It's a sheer plummy color that can be built up to a pretty intense shade. It's moisturizing and comfortable on the lips without being greasy. And the built-in mirror is genius.

On the other hand, I'm sure you understand why I find this kind of thing eminently resistible.

Say hello to my giant friend. This is Bobbi Brown's Artist Palette. It costs $220, contains 54 shades of lipstick, and looks about the same size as my iPad.

Now, if you're a makeup artist, this thing could be genius. Especially if you do a lot of brides, because Bobbi makes pretty, wearable shades, and I'm pretty sure there's a shade in there to suit pretty much everyone. And let's face it—in terms of amount of lipstick per dollar, the Bobbi Brown is a better buy. For the same money, you could only get four Guerlain Rouge G lipsticks.

But lipstick doesn't last forever. The oils go rancid. And this thing is huge. And probably has a lot of colors that will look terrible on you. You will NEVER go through it.

There. I just saved you $220.

February 2016 Empties, Favorites, and Failures

Like any good New Englander, I like to use it up / wear it out / make it do / or do without. (Whenever I'm not shopping my fingers to the bone, that is.) These are the products I actually used up during the last month.

I could provide you with a crappy iPhone photograph of my empty containers, but I honestly don't understand the point of that kind of thing. And it is a thing. I see empties videos and blog posts all the time. Do people of the internet really enjoy looking at pictures of bloggers' trash? Let me know.

In the meantime, I'll make do with much better pictures stolen from various websites.

Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover

Retail price: $34.00/3.4 oz

How old: Ancient. Bird passed this along to me with a whole lot of Chanel loot in August, 2010. I know. The SHAME OF IT. In my defense, I probably didn't open it right away, as chances are I already had a bottle of eye makeup remover in use. Also, I don't use eye makeup remover very often—mostly just in the morning to clean up leftover mascara smudges. WHATEVER, I'm gross.

Will I rebuy: No. It's not a failure, but I can just use micellar water. Which wasn't available back in the dark ages when I got it.

Crest Pro-Health Clean Mint toothpaste

Retail price: $4.19

How old: Old enough to still contain microbeads. Even though I don't like putting microbeads in the trash, where they will end up in a landfill, it's better than having them end up in Lake Michigan. So I threw it out.

Will I rebuy: No.

available at Nordstrom

Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation

Retail price: $63 / oz

How old: Maybe two years.

Will I rebuy: Maybe. It's a good color match, and after fooling around with various oil-free foundations, cushion foundations, and BB creams, it's nice to use a product that melts into my skin when I blend it with my fingers. You know, kicking it old skool with a liquid foundation. In that respect, it's a favorite.

On the other hand, the glass bottle is heavy, which is less than ideal when I travel. Worst of all, because it's so heavy and semi-opaque (or something) I couldn't tell when the bottle was running out. It still looks and feels full. For all I know, I have plenty left and the pump broke, and that's why nothing comes out any more. And it's expensive. So ... I don't know.

L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream Rich in Shea Butter

Retail Price: $44 / 7 oz.

How old: I bought it two years ago, but only opened it this year. I used it up in about a month.

Will I rebuy: Hell yes, I'll rebuy. This is definitely a favorite. It smells great, moisturizes really well, and doesn't leave me greasy (I have very dry skin, though, so keep that in mind.) Especially because I'm currently testing a crazy-expensive Amore Pacific body cream that doesn't work nearly as well.

Big pot on the right, I'm looking at YOU.

Kilian Love and Tears eau de parfum

Retail price: $260, but is refillable
How old: Probably six years
Retail price of a refill: $160

I'm actually down to the last few feeble spritzes of my bottle, which was signed by Kilian himself at an event at Saks in Chicago. I'd stick a crappy cell phone picture of the two of us in here, except he ended up looking so much prettier than I did.

I'm sure you can see why.

The refill

Will I repurchase: Yes, although I'll feel guilty, because I have so many bottles of perfume. But Kilian has just been purchased by the Estée Lauder company, and I'm afraid the fragrances will be reformulated or discontinued. In those circumstances, I think it's OK to grab a refill. It really is a favorite, even if it took me six years to go through a bottle.

NuFountain C20+ Ferulic Vitamin C serum

Retail price: $21.99
How old: Two months
Would I rebuy: Yes! I just ordered some.

Vitamin C serum is a staple in my skincare arsenal, and this one has a 20 percent concentration of L-ascorbic acid as well as ferulic acid, Vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid. It also has a little glycerin, which gives the product a silky feel and keeps my skin comfortable during the 15 to 20 minutes I have to wait before adding any subsequent products (another serum, exfoliating pads, sunscreen, or moisturizer.) This is such a favorite that I wish Amazon offered their subscribe-and-save option. I'd automatically order a new bottle every two months.

Radical Skincare Age-Defying Exfoliating Pads

Retail price: $20 / 15 pads; $75 / 60 pads

How old: Not sure when I received the packet, but I opened it less than a month ago. Yay me! Not only did I use something up, I used up a sample!

Would I repurchase: These are definitely a favorite. I bought the full-sized jar before I had finished the sample packet. They're expensive, so this is the kind of thing I'd put on my wishlist for, say, the Sephora 20 percent off sale, or a beauty event at Saks, Barney's, or SpaceNK, where I needed to spend a certain amount to qualify for a gift. If you want to read a review, you can find it here.

I bought beauty crappe at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Of course I did.

I didn't go mental with color, though--just one thing. The Guerlain "rainbow ballz."

Guerlain Les Météorites Summer Edition Perles, exclusive to Nordstrom

They give a nice glow and aren't as crazy pearly/glittery as some other Guerlain limited edition ballz, so yeah. Nice! But not necessary unless you have a thing for violet-scented prettiness.

On skincare, though, I kind of went mental.

Can you handle a little backstory?

You know those "Buy $150 worth of cosmetics and get this tote of deluxe samples!" deals that show up from time to time at high end stores? I've caved many times for those. Many times. Also, I used to subscribe to a couple of beauty boxes.

As a consequence,  I'm drowning in samples. Lately I've been using a variety of tiny sample pots of eye cream, mostly to clear out the clutter. I'd never noticed that one cream seemed better than another.

BUT (and everyone's got a big but)* lately I've been using this Amore Pacific eye cream--a tiny pot of cream that lasted me a full month, using it twice a day. I really, really liked it. And this in spite of the fact that the company uses the usual blather in its promotional materials, and the cream contains the usual unique, exotic ingredients (this time green tea stem cells, whatever the hell that means) that claim to do everything except fold my laundry and put it away.

But I swear, my eye area really did look fresher and felt firmer. I was jonesing for a full-sized pot.

And I don't care what Paula Begoun says; she'd be all "too much fragrance!" and "no open jars; air destroys the product!" But in my opinion, the proof is in how my skin reacts. And it was reacting well to this stuff.

So I'd been trying to figure out how to buy this stuff slightly less painfully, because the retail on the full size is $260. I KNOW. But I really wanted a jar, so I was thinking--wait for a department-wide discount? Ebates? Mr. Rebates? All three?

Then the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale was going online, and I was browsing through the beauty exclusives, and feeling very underwhelmed ("Oh goody, MAC travel sized brushes ... I bet they won't be scratchy and all but useless, no siree, not at all ... because MAC would never release outlet-quality brushes for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale ... Oh, look, here are--what--three? four? beige-to-brown eye shadow palettes to choose from, in case I don't have enough ... YAWN) and I saw this:

'Time Response' Luxury Eye Collection ($473 Value)
$260.00

- Time Response Skin Renewal Crème (0.27 oz.)

- Time Response Eye Renewal Crème (0.5 oz.)

- Treatment Enzyme Peel Exfoliator (0.7 oz.)

- Time Response Targeted Eye Masque (4 masks)

Basically, they're charging the regular price for the regular size of the eye cream, and including three small sizes of some other stuff. I'd like to try the Time Response face cream because I really like the eye cream. And the exfoliator and eye masks will be fun to play with (and hopefully not fall in love with.)

But then! I saw they had an Amore Pacific gift-with-purchase! If I spent $300. Oh Nordstrom, you  manipulative minx!

Here's the GWP:

-Time Response Skin Renewal Crème

-Eye Renewal Crème

-Moisture Bound Sleeping Recovery Masque

-Luminous Effect Brightening Serum

OK, now I can score another tiny pot of eye cream, and another tiny pot of face cream, plus extras.

But I need to spend another $40 to make it happen. So what was my extra Amore Pacific purchase, so I'd qualify for the GWP?

Glad you asked:

'Time Response' Introductory Regimen ($175)

- Time Response Skin Renewal Crème (0.5 oz.) 

- Time Response Eye Renewal Crème (0.1 oz.)

- Time Response Skin Renewal Toner (1 oz.)

- Time Response Skin Renewal Fluid (1 oz.)

-  Time Response Skin Renewal Serum (0.17 oz.) - 

- All Day Balancing Care Serum (0.33 oz.)

- Moisture Bound Skin Energy Hydration Delivery System (1 oz.)

OK. More eye cream, more face cream, and a crazy amount of samples. Clearly, this is tiny pot overkill. And why on earth would someone want or need the Skin Renewal Fluid and the Skin Renewal Creme? Aren't they the same thing, except the fluid is ... more fluid?

But where do I get off trying to sound logical now? Whom am I trying to kid? Not thee, Gentle Reader.

On the down side, I have clearly not helped the drowning-in-samples situation.

On the up side, I've been using the eye cream and the face cream assiduously since they arrived, and I love them. They're so light, yet rich, with incredible slip. Two expensively-moisturized thumbs up.

Also, I've purchased my first Korean cosmetics, which means I can sit with the cool kids at lunch.

But yes, I just spent over $400 on my crow's feet. Apparently, that's who you're dealing with here.

p.s. I opted for Ebates. (That's a referral link. I'll make $5 if you sign up. I know, I know--but I've got crow's feet to pay for, people.)

* Trust me to toss in a Pee-Wee's Big Adventure allusion. Eighties comedies FTW!

Where I've been lately

1. Trying to work on my "favorite products of 2013" series, except travel, and illness, and dry, dry, dry, desert-y dry skin.

I mean, is it possible to assess my various B.B. creams when my skin is so dry that I'm carrying a sample-sized pot of Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Seriously Rich Cream For Seriously Rich Old Ladies* everywhere I go, so I can dab a little on the places that might crack when I start laughing at my own jokes?

2. Shopping. And for high-end products. Chantecaille, Guerlain, the aforemention Estee Lauder cream.

3. Watching YouTube Beauty Gurus. And, naturally, emulating them:

* OK, that isn't really its name, but what is up with the long-ass names cosmetics companies give their products? Who can remember them? I can't remember the actual, official name of my day-time moisturizer, and I've used it for years. If I ever got laid up in bed and had to send my husband out to buy it for me, I'd tell him to get "the Garnier lotion in the ugly green pump bottle."

Today's outfit

Just back from lunch with friends at RL in Chicago. It's a beautiful day! Too bad this picture turned out so dark.

Clothes

Two-year-old Lafayette 148 white tunic with embroidery and clear sequins

Ancient NYDJ bootcut jeans

Accessories

Tory Burch gold/bronze Prescot flats
Chanel Blanc Fonce 226 reissue with gold hardware

Jewelry

Hermes bangles in white and yellow gold
YG Michael Kors watch

and my favorite new lipgloss: Guerlain KissKiss in Figue Plaisir

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!