tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205830942024-03-23T11:15:49.776-07:00Poppy ShopsThe good, the bad, and the fuglyPoppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-46797795070773170022010-04-22T07:31:00.000-07:002010-04-22T07:56:20.414-07:00Today Only: Tarte offering 30 percent discount for Earth Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S9BgC89_l_I/AAAAAAAAC3c/AHkwQSa8V5U/s1600/Tarte-the-toolbox-Beauty-Boomer-Poppy-Shops-Poppy-Buxom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S9BgC89_l_I/AAAAAAAAC3c/AHkwQSa8V5U/s400/Tarte-the-toolbox-Beauty-Boomer-Poppy-Shops-Poppy-Buxom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462971951842564082" border="0" /></a>Tarte.com is running a one-day-only discount of 30 percent with the coupon code EARTHDAY.<br /><br />Well, as Joan Rivers was wont to say: Can we talk? What's the point of running a sale in celebration of Earth Day? What good does it do the earth to ramp up the average American woman's lust for consumer goods?<br /><br />Let's face it; if you take advantage of this generous discount, you'll add to the Earth's problems. Trucks and airplanes and factories will create more pollution. You'll get a package in the mail that will create more solid waste. For all I know, you'll endanger the polar bears and make the baby seals cry.<br /><br />In other words, I smell a sales gimmick, OK? Well, OK then.<br /><br />Say you're in the market for new makeup, anyway. And say you're looking for an eyebrow product that will combine brow color, brow gel, a brow brush, a teeny tiny tweezer, and a mirror, all wrapped up in a compact that's perfect for travel. You couldn't do better than to buy yourself Tarte's <a href="http://tartecosmetics.com/tarte-item-the-toolbox">the toolbox</a>.<br /><br />See how it's claiming to be a $32 value for $18? They're not making that up; I believe I actually did pay $32 for it.<br /><br />But with the EARTHDAY code, you can get it for $12.60. Shipping is $5.00, although is you spend $50, you'll get free shipping.<br /><br />(Just be aware that you'd have to kill a lot of baby seals to take advantage of the free shipping offer.)Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-61879956925198362852010-04-15T10:43:00.001-07:002010-04-15T10:50:39.137-07:00Hans Solo trapped in Carbonite soap FTW!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8dQiS81emI/AAAAAAAAC18/leOLlVouvgI/s1600/300.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8dQiS81emI/AAAAAAAAC18/leOLlVouvgI/s400/300.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460421623342791266" border="0" /></a>The good news is that this is an actual bar of soap. Yes, it's Han Solo that time he got trapped in whatchamacallit in -- was it The Empire Strikes Back? Anyway. If you have a Star Wars geek in your life--and who among us can say she does not--then you need to buy him or her a cake of Luxury Lane's awesome, olive-oil-infused vegan soap. For only $6.50, this could be the Greatest Father's Day Present Of All Time.<br /><br />The bad news is that the <a href="http://luxurylanesoap.bigcartel.com/product/solo-soap">soapmaker</a> is completely backordered, and it will take 4-6 weeks for your order to arrive.<br /><br />Oh well. As they say in another famous movie: nobody's perfect.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-28149480067555166662010-04-13T17:55:00.000-07:002010-04-13T18:13:48.828-07:00Preppy according to Poppy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8UUQBSU81I/AAAAAAAAC0s/XimvQZSMUxY/s1600/The-Official-Preppy-Handbook-Poppy-Shops.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8UUQBSU81I/AAAAAAAAC0s/XimvQZSMUxY/s400/The-Official-Preppy-Handbook-Poppy-Shops.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459792388712362834" border="0" /></a><br />Being able to laugh at <span style="font-style: italic;">The Official Preppy Handbook</span> was my reward for<br /><br />a. having to spend six years at an all-girl school;<br />b. having to play field hockey;<br />c. having to learn Latin;<br />d. being Episcopalian;<br />e. all of the above.<br /><br />If you think I picked e., you're absolutely right. However, not everyone agrees:<br /><br /><object width="580" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lu21HMJJ2Ak&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lu21HMJJ2Ak&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="580" height="360"></embed></object><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8UUQYuIh1I/AAAAAAAAC00/wAYqG9ukGbE/s1600/True-Prep-Poppy-Buxom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S8UUQYuIh1I/AAAAAAAAC00/wAYqG9ukGbE/s400/True-Prep-Poppy-Buxom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459792395003004754" border="0" /></a>It's coming out in September, 2010. And you know I'll buy it. And I'll read it. <br /><br />But I'll be thinking "Tsk, tsk, tsk, buying clothes from the J. Crew catalog doesn't make you a prep. You have to have <span style="font-style: italic;">suffered</span>."Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-21653926784670156352010-04-13T12:11:00.000-07:002010-04-13T18:17:39.187-07:00"I have nothing to declare ... except genius."<div><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/have_nothing_to_declare_except/set?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=17817856"><img src="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFkVBVFJRRFJIM3hHdUIzUjZfXzRMS0EAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg" border="0" height="400" width="400" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">by </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=1474621">PoppyBuxom</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> featuring </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.polyvore.com/topshop/shop?brand=TopShop">TopShop </a></span><br /><br />What not to do with a TopShop haul:<ol><li>Buy a bunch of great stuff from TopShop, like those wooden platform sandals</li><li>excellent <a href="http://www.blogger.com/&storeId=13052&categoryId=198508&parent_category_rn=198504&productId=1646147&langId=-1">"Oscar" cuban-heeled baby blue nubuck lace-up sandals</a></li><li>a squashy-soft luggage brown cross-body bag</li><li>a cream-and-taupe window-pane check scarf</li><li>and then overlook the part where they'll charge me DUTY on these these items because duh, they're imported from England<br /></li><li>and have to shell out $50 for Customs duty when the mailman drops off the package.</li></ol>Where's a harbor so I can throw some tea into it?<br /><br />(Luckily I really love my new loot.)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="font-size: 0.75em;"><b>Items in this set: </b><br /><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/oscar_lace_up_mid_sandals/thing?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=15782243">OSCAR Lace Up Mid Sandals</a>, $100<br /><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/ollie_part_wooden_clogs/thing?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=15162336">OLLIE 2 Part Wooden Clogs</a>, $80<br /><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/washed_two_buckle_satchel/thing?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=14191267">Washed Two Buckle Satchel</a>, $65<br /><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/washed_check_scarf/thing?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=14032915">Washed Check Scarf</a>, $32<br /><a href="http://www.polyvore.com/oscar_wilde_quotes/thing?.embedder=1474621&.mid=embed&id=16499886">Oscar Wilde Quotes</a></div>Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-66048862507254725662010-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:002010-04-06T14:12:29.279-07:00Urban Decay Friends and Family Sale, April 6th-19th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.urbandecay.com"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 333px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S7ujk3Ocl2I/AAAAAAAACzM/eG4bW-zL2Mg/s400/Poppy-Shops-Urban-Decy-Spring2010FF.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457135227184650082" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Visit <a href="http://www.urbandecay.com/index.cfm">Urban Decay</a> to access the site, and use 1SFNSF to get the discount.<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.beautybloggingjunkie.com/2010/04/urban-decay-friends-and-family-30-off.html">Beauty Blogging Junkie</a> for the head's up!Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-65763759787556049862010-03-27T15:17:00.000-07:002010-03-27T15:51:16.808-07:00My Dior Spring 2010 picks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66HkYPvAnI/AAAAAAAACwE/lHQMg0ITAek/s1600/Dior-Spring-2010-Lace-collection-Nordstrom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 209px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66HkYPvAnI/AAAAAAAACwE/lHQMg0ITAek/s320/Dior-Spring-2010-Lace-collection-Nordstrom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453445257845736050" border="0" /></a>The past couple weeks I've gone just a wee bit crazy with the on-line shopping. First of all, Nordstrom was having a "secret" beauty event. (I wouldn't call it all that secret, but I didn't see any print advertising. I guess it's secret if you only hear about it on line.)<br /><br />So I popped for some <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3087581/0%7E2377897%7E2377898%7E6026977?mediumthumbnail=Y&origin=category&searchtype=&pbo=6026977&P=1">Dior makeup</a> from the Spring 2010 collection. And you can hardly blame me. First of all, how seductive is this graphic?<br /><br />And then, most of the makeup in this collection has that lovely lace-y pattern pressed into it.<br /><br />Anyway, I bought two items from the Dior spring collection, the <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3079334?refsid=296480&refcat=0%7E2377897%7E2377898%7E6020424%7E6020436&SourceID=&SlotID=2&origin=related&cm_Sp=Related-Items-_-Product-_-Auto">Dentelles</a> eye shadow quint<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66GT_0QwuI/AAAAAAAACv0/LWrh4rMKeCw/s1600/Dior-eyeshadow-quint-Dentelles-Spring-2010-Nordstrom.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66GT_0QwuI/AAAAAAAACv0/LWrh4rMKeCw/s320/Dior-eyeshadow-quint-Dentelles-Spring-2010-Nordstrom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453443876898521826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Dior 'Dentelle' Iridescent Eyeshadow Palette Pearl Glow 059<br /></span></div><br />and the silver <a href="http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2837584?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=Dior+silver+pearl&origin=searchresults">nailpolish</a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66GUHtK6FI/AAAAAAAACv8/4s8ZbcVOzYc/s1600/Dior-Spring-2010-nail-polish-silver-pearl-604.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S66GUHtK6FI/AAAAAAAACv8/4s8ZbcVOzYc/s320/Dior-Spring-2010-nail-polish-silver-pearl-604.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453443879016261714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dior Vernis Nail Enamel, Silver Pearl 604</span></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" ><br /><br /></span>which is really gorgeous. I thought a fun metallic twist on a gray would be an interesting change from the vampy purples I've been wearing lately.<br /><br />Verdict? Well, the eye shadow palette was an absolute revelation. I've been reading rave reviews of Dior eyeshadow for years, and finally see what all the noise is about. The shades are gorgeous and the finish is incredibly soft. They blend so beautifully.<br /><br />That being said, the shades are lighter in person than they looked on the computer screen. Lovely for spring summer, but they probably wouldn't show up as anything more than a pearly shimmer on darker complexions.<br /><br />I haven't tried the polish, but I will this afternoon. I'm really looking forward to having gorgeous superstar toenails. And I need to have them before sandal season starts, or people will wonder whether I have delusions of glamor.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;" ><br /></span>Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-62457173089646450222010-02-10T14:09:00.000-08:002010-02-10T14:27:13.914-08:00EQUMEN shapewear, for when your husband needs a girdleNothing says I love you more than lingerie, right? So how about buying something to boost your man's spirits? Not to mention his butt. And just in time for Valentine's Day.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span>EQUMEN is offering various undershirts and underpants, all purported to improve posture, reduce back pain and provide core support (i.e., make your keg look more like a six-pack). The guy modeling them is pretty eye-popping, isn't he?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S3Mv3RNlRTI/AAAAAAAACec/NX_PrAUv8A4/s1600-h/EQUMENwaistcincher.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 116px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S3Mv3RNlRTI/AAAAAAAACec/NX_PrAUv8A4/s320/EQUMENwaistcincher.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436741801726002482" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S3Mv3lrYv5I/AAAAAAAACek/7Js4lcOhhic/s1600-h/EQUMENgirdles.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 134px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S3Mv3lrYv5I/AAAAAAAACek/7Js4lcOhhic/s320/EQUMENgirdles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5436741807219720082" border="0" /></a><br />Unfortunately, so are the prices.<br /><br />The Equmen Core Precision Undershirt retails for $89.00 (for the wife-beater), $99.00 (for the v-neck), $109.00 (for the long-sleeved shirt), while the Equmen Precision Underwear retails for $59.00 - $65.00 (for long trunks), $52.00 - $59.00 (for trunks), and $49.00 - $55.00 (Speedo).<br /><br />Thank your lucky stars if your husband doesn't require upper thigh control, because it'll save you ten bucks.<br /><br />For more information about EQUMEN's "core-compression" technology and information on where to buy a mirdle, click <a href="http://international.equmen.com/index.htm">here</a>.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-38640982652198622872010-01-27T20:24:00.000-08:002010-01-27T21:18:47.763-08:00It's like they have little signs hanging off them that say "BUY ME."Urban Decay and OPI--two of my favorite cosmetics companies--have brought out new products to celebrate Tim Burton's new <span style="font-style: italic;">Alice in Wonderland</span> movie.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/4310181477/" title="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4310181477_0c412877c4_o.jpg" alt="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins" width="264" height="300" /></a><br /><br />OPI has four new polishes: Off with her Red! (coral-ly red), Mad as a Hatter (clear with multi-colored glitter,) Absolutely Alice (teal/blue glitter suspended in a clear base,) and Thanks so Muchness (cool red metalic with a bit of red micro-glitter). Retail is $8.50.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/4310181231/" title="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/4310181231/" title="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4310181231_eb958d7426_m.jpg" width="240" height="140" alt="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins" /></a></a><br /><br />Urban Decay's Alice in Wonderland shadow box has 16 shades.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/4310181295/" title="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4310181295_ba62aff398_o.jpg" alt="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins" width="400" height="400" /></a><br /><br />None is new except Mushroom, a soft taupe. The rest of the shades are UD regulars like Polyester Bride, Chopper, and Oil Slick. They've been renamed to go with the movie.<br /><h2><b></b></h2>The set contains 16 eyeshadows (left to right, top to bottom):<br />-Underland (Flash)<br />-Alice (Painkiller)<br />-Oraculum (Baked)<br />-Queen (Last Call)<br />-Cheshire (Chopper)<br />-White Rabbit (Polyester Bride)<br />-Wonderland (Maui Wowie)<br />-Curiouser (Grifter)<br />-Muchness (X)<br />-Mushroom (Mushroom)<br />-Midnight Tea Party (Midnight Cowboy Rides Again)<br />-Vorpal (S&M)<br />-Absolem (Homegrown)<br />-Drink Me Eat Me (Sin)<br />-Mad Hatter (Twice Baked)<br />-Jabberwocky (Oil Slick)<br /><br />There are also two travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils in Zero (black) and Flipside (teal), and a trial-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Sin (champagne shimmer). Retail is $52, and they're flying out of the store.<br /><br />You see my dilemma. I just bought a bottle of Primer Potion in Sin. I also just bought UD's Book of Shadows II. And really, the amount of glittery eye shadow I need or would be likely to wear would fit on the head of a pin.<br /><br />It's just that ... I love the Alice books. So of course I love this stuff. Last summer I visited the Alice shop in Oxford and pored over everything in the store. I mean, I covet the OPI display, let alone the polishes. And what about that adorable pop-up packaging on the eye shadow box? Is that cute or what?<br /><br />And you just know that if I don't pounce, they'll sell out and then the collection will only be available on eBay. For $200.<br /><br />Luckily, I have a 13-year-old daughter, so I can buy these items and pretend I'm doing it for her.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/4310917756/" title="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4310917756_0d09650ffc_o.jpg" alt="Alice in Wonderland tie-ins" width="300" height="315" /></a><br /><br />(You'll never guess what her name is.)Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-59635419976041718602010-01-13T04:00:00.000-08:002010-01-13T05:17:12.901-08:00Now I know what to wear to the Blissdom pajama partyPoppy print pajamas from Neiman Marcus:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod98350144&parentId=cat11690744&masterId=cat11690742&index=8&cmCat=cat000000cat000117cat17740740cat11690742cat11690744"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 270px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S01YXli9VPI/AAAAAAAACcU/qzPBgviDLgY/s400/NMI0272_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426090288290288882" border="0" /></a><br /><br />With pajamas like this, who needs business cards?Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-20855411334428449372010-01-10T21:08:00.000-08:002010-01-10T21:11:10.668-08:00You know things have gotten weird when the GWP is a ball gag ...Has anyone else noticed how bondage-y the average store's shoe department is looking? No? Well, check out these images from the Neiman Marcus website.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw44h3UxI/AAAAAAAACb8/f4cqKW2-EkE/s1600-h/NMX0C37_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw44h3UxI/AAAAAAAACb8/f4cqKW2-EkE/s320/NMX0C37_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343192414769938" border="0" /></a><br />Bettie<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTzPmlkI/AAAAAAAACbc/4oGcerbDJcg/s1600-h/NMX0GKJ_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTzPmlkI/AAAAAAAACbc/4oGcerbDJcg/s320/NMX0GKJ_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340356317582914" border="0" /></a><br />Page<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTSwYnVI/AAAAAAAACbU/O6aFHVzMizA/s1600-h/NMX0DU3_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTSwYnVI/AAAAAAAACbU/O6aFHVzMizA/s320/NMX0DU3_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340347596709202" border="0" /></a><br />is<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTBWYx9I/AAAAAAAACbM/35tQOOZZ8B4/s1600-h/NMX0DQL_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quTBWYx9I/AAAAAAAACbM/35tQOOZZ8B4/s320/NMX0DQL_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340342924265426" border="0" /></a><br />alive<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quGbCXgPI/AAAAAAAACbE/OJL915-RugU/s1600-h/NMX0D85_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quGbCXgPI/AAAAAAAACbE/OJL915-RugU/s320/NMX0D85_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340126481318130" border="0" /></a><br />and<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFx9IhXI/AAAAAAAACa8/jZtpj6k_4gc/s1600-h/NMX0D23_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFx9IhXI/AAAAAAAACa8/jZtpj6k_4gc/s320/NMX0D23_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340115453511026" border="0" /></a><br />well<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFVPonaI/AAAAAAAACa0/3oAh7bYvqyE/s1600-h/NMX0CU8_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFVPonaI/AAAAAAAACa0/3oAh7bYvqyE/s320/NMX0CU8_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340107746483618" border="0" /></a><br />and<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFNzo23I/AAAAAAAACas/GevWOC5C_1I/s1600-h/NMX0C35_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quFNzo23I/AAAAAAAACas/GevWOC5C_1I/s320/NMX0C35_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340105750010738" border="0" /></a><br />shopping<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quE-KtcJI/AAAAAAAACak/_mno0hjwOEk/s1600-h/NMX0C9L_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0quE-KtcJI/AAAAAAAACak/_mno0hjwOEk/s320/NMX0C9L_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425340101551812754" border="0" /></a><br />for<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4o4ar0I/AAAAAAAACb0/NJLaX3X2ULk/s1600-h/NMX0D28_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4o4ar0I/AAAAAAAACb0/NJLaX3X2ULk/s320/NMX0D28_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343188214394690" border="0" /></a><br />shoes<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4XyH42I/AAAAAAAACbs/Ry8qMTqFdgc/s1600-h/NMX0G1A_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4XyH42I/AAAAAAAACbs/Ry8qMTqFdgc/s320/NMX0G1A_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343183624594274" border="0" /></a><br />at<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4ON3o8I/AAAAAAAACbk/TW5E9xS1jKM/s1600-h/NMX0804_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw4ON3o8I/AAAAAAAACbk/TW5E9xS1jKM/s320/NMX0804_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343181056615362" border="0" /></a><br />Neiman<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qxWJy4_BI/AAAAAAAACcM/wDZwfO7IH_o/s1600-h/NMX0DVA_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qxWJy4_BI/AAAAAAAACcM/wDZwfO7IH_o/s320/NMX0DVA_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343695265790994" border="0" /></a><br />Marcus.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw5FuXxzI/AAAAAAAACcE/0oHCYyR4p_I/s1600-h/NMX0CHY_mt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 173px; height: 216px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0qw5FuXxzI/AAAAAAAACcE/0oHCYyR4p_I/s320/NMX0CHY_mt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425343195956889394" border="0" /></a><br />Or if she isn't, she could be.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-72999441296348171872010-01-09T10:48:00.000-08:002010-01-09T11:16:23.393-08:00It's snowing Christmas tree ornamentsI know a few of you out there put up more than one Christmas tree. You have one for the main living area, and a less glamorous tree for the family room/dining room/kitchen. Some of you even put up trees in your bathrooms.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTxqMG8iI/AAAAAAAACaI/bMOi69oc1mc/s1600-h/80003341_01_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTxqMG8iI/AAAAAAAACaI/bMOi69oc1mc/s320/80003341_01_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818601259889186" border="0" /></a><br />I'm not here to judge. (Except bathroom trees? ::cough::getalife::cough::) No, I'm here to confess that I'm a lazy lump who can barely manage to get one (admittedly eight-foot) artificial, already-light-bedecked Christmas tree up and decorated every year. I love Christmas trees, but it's become an enormous ordeal.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTkg7bwcI/AAAAAAAACZw/nwBijK68HvQ/s1600-h/10073658_04_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 285px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTkg7bwcI/AAAAAAAACZw/nwBijK68HvQ/s320/10073658_04_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818375435731394" border="0" /></a><br />This year I decided to cut back. I would only use the ornaments I actually liked. As it turns out, I actually only really like about a third of the ornaments I own.<br /><br />I cut out all the child-oriented ornaments that I used to put all over the place. No Ninja Turtles, no Babar, no Cookie Monsters. I cut out all the commercial stuff: no M&M guys on skis, no Hersey elves, no Disney or Hallmark. No seven-year-old lovingly-produced kindergarten ornaments with missing parts.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTkdUQ0BI/AAAAAAAACZo/8tbXO3jPKFI/s1600-h/10020816_01_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 285px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTkdUQ0BI/AAAAAAAACZo/8tbXO3jPKFI/s320/10020816_01_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818374466129938" border="0" /></a><br />This is what was left:<br /><br />1. Things that are the right color--red, green, white, gold and silver.<br /><br />2. Things with religious/seasonal significance--angels, stars, Father Christmas/Santa Claus.<br /><br />3. Things that are natural--snowflakes, icicles, pine cones, acorns, birds, fruit.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTxDppHGI/AAAAAAAACaA/se1nB3wf24U/s1600-h/80003353_01_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 204px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTxDppHGI/AAAAAAAACaA/se1nB3wf24U/s320/80003353_01_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818590914780258" border="0" /></a><br />I thought I was putting up a minimalist Christmas tree. When you bring up three boxes of ornaments and bring two of them back downstairs, still filled with ornaments, it certainly feels minimalist.<br /><br />But the tree turned out prettier than ever. In fact, I liked it a lot, and I decided to head further in this direction. I would only buy new ornaments if they fit into those three categories.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTjeeWYNI/AAAAAAAACZQ/svhVfSC7Yy0/s1600-h/2009snowflakeornament_02_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 250px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTjeeWYNI/AAAAAAAACZQ/svhVfSC7Yy0/s320/2009snowflakeornament_02_m.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818357597003986" border="0" /></a><br />Enter an email from the Metropolitan Museum. Ten dollars off a purchase of $50.<br /><br />Well, their <a href="http://store.metmuseum.org/browse/forthehome?ex=co_wizr-locayta&template=wz_locayta&pageno=1&itemsperpage=10&collate=ivtype:price:brand:pdxtfeatures:pdxtexhibition:pdxtartculturearea:pdxtartistname:pdxtage:pdxtartisticperiod:pdxtformat:pdxtgenre:pdxtmedium:pdxtpattern:pdxtscarfstyle:pdxtsculpturesubject:pdxtsearchmetal:pdxtsearchstone:pdxtstyle:pdxtcolor:pdxtfabric&fieldinvt=type&termtextinvt=invt&typeinvt=exact&fieldpcatid=pcatid&typepcatid=exact&typepdxtfeatures=exact&fieldpdxtfeatures=pdxtfeatures&termtextpdxtfeatures=Clearance&bklist=icat,3,shop,forthehome">clearance section</a> and <a href="http://store.metmuseum.org/browse/forthehome?ex=co_wizr-locayta&collate=ivtype&collate=price&collate=brand&collate=pdxtfeatures&collate=pdxtexhibition&collate=pdxtartculturearea&collate=pdxtartistname&collate=pdxtage&collate=pdxtartisticperiod&collate=pdxtformat&collate=pdxtgenre&collate=pdxtmedium&collate=pdxtpattern&collate=pdxtscarfstyle&collate=pdxtsculpturesubject&collate=pdxtsearchmetal&collate=pdxtsearchstone&collate=pdxtstyle&collate=pdxtcolor&collate=pdxtfabric&fieldinvt=type&termtextinvt=invt&typeinvt=exact&fieldpdxtfeatures=pdxtfeatures&termtextpdxtfeatures=Sale&typepdxtfeatures=exact&fieldpcatid=pcatid&typepcatid=exact&termorder=invt%3Apdxtfeatures%3Apcatid&template=wz_locayta&pagenum=3&threshold=0&spellcorrect=1&datasource=themetstoreae&setpagenum=1&perpage=10">sale</a> sections brought me a veritable blizzard of new snowflake ornaments! Some of them are obviously chi-chi-poo-poo collectibles, way out of my price range. But others are way marked down, and with code K697, I saved an extra $10.<br /><br />The truly pathetic, I'm a lazy lump part of this? My tree is still up. Which means that if the package shows up quickly, I might be hanging January clearance ornaments on the December tree.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTjizVbtI/AAAAAAAACZY/18E-8f1QGf8/s1600-h/2009starornament_03_s.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 84px; height: 100px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/S0jTjizVbtI/AAAAAAAACZY/18E-8f1QGf8/s320/2009starornament_03_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424818358758764242" border="0" /></a>Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-29666764087887687942009-12-23T22:58:00.000-08:002009-12-23T23:00:38.081-08:00Why you should put this blog down right now and go buy something at Sephora<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(cross-posted from <a href="http://www.poppisima.blogspot.com">my main blog</a>.)</span></span><br /><br />Hey everybody! <a href="http://www.jennsylvania.com/jennsylvania/">Jen Lancaster</a> sent me a Sephora gift card for my birthday! That is so amazing and cool that you're imploding with sheer envy, right? <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> got a gift card from Jen, and YOU did not. Probably. Unless she likes you, too.<br /><br />So anyway, what with one thing and another, Christmas and condo fires and such, I didn't get around to actually spending it until today. I already knew what I wanted: the Sephora-only Philosophy Winter Escape gift set, consisting of a bottle of Peppermint Hot Cocoa bath gel, Melting Marshmallow body cream, and a tube of Marshmallow lip gloss.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SzLSPsaLwCI/AAAAAAAACRA/ObV0YjL5M7g/s1600-h/P247510_hero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SzLSPsaLwCI/AAAAAAAACRA/ObV0YjL5M7g/s320/P247510_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418624468740980770" border="0" /></a>That would be $25, and with the rest, I could get a bottle of Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SzLSPNOGRkI/AAAAAAAACQ4/qRZog-opjMc/s1600-h/P74310_hero.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SzLSPNOGRkI/AAAAAAAACQ4/qRZog-opjMc/s320/P74310_hero.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5418624460368791106" border="0" /></a><br />I don't know whether you're any kind of makeup maven, but if you check even one Youtube makeup guru, you'll find they all use this stuff before applying their eye shadow. So I wanted some. Even though I can't usually be bothered to wear eye shadow. I just wanted it, OK?<br /><br />OK. So I head to Sephora.com, and discover that my Philosophy Gift Sets are marked down from $25 to $19. So I ordered two of them. And then I put the Urban Decay potion into my shopping basket. Oh, and since it was my birthday month, I got my choice of some cute freebies, so I picked out a trio of lip glosses. As well as the usual samples they like to add. Sephora was also offering free shipping. That's pretty cool, right? Two of my items were marked down, free birthday gift, free samples, free shipping.<br /><br />I was all ready to check out when I remembered to google "Sephora coupon code." Sure enough, retailmenot.com had a code for an extra 20 percent off any sale item. Which knocked down the price of the Philosophy gift sets yet again.<br /><br />You know how when you use a gift card, you always go over because of sales taxes or shipping? And you think, "hey, this gift card is costing me a lot of money." Well, when it was time to check out, I needed to put a total of thirty-six cents on my credit card. Score!<br /><br />So then I went to twitter to brag to the internet about my super-fun Sephora shopping spree. And discovered that in a repeat of Maytaggate, dooce might be about to take on Sephora for some unspecified-but-cryptically-alluded-to crime. And I trembled, because I had just publicly sided with dooce's enemy, Sephora. The Goliath to dooce's David.<br /><br />But then I realized that Sephora is the puny little weakling here. Because I checked their twitter pages, and dooce has 1,558,511 twitter followers, whereas Sephora only has 39,522. Which makes dooce the Goliath, and Sephora the David.<br /><br />Well, I'm always glad to root for the underdog. After all, I'm a Red Sox fan. I'm glad I tweeted about today's sale (which is good until December 31.) I'm glad I'm providing Sephora with free PR in this blog post. If dooce is going after them, Sephora needs all the help it can get.<br /><br />But I'd like to take this further. I'm going to make this my new cause. You can't be a serious blogger until you have a cause. You write an impassioned post (i.e., this one.) Then one of your blogging buddies designs a widget, and your other blogging buddies put your widget in their sidebars, and you feel that you've made the world a better place, oh lord, kumbaya.<br /><br />But your cause has to be something specific. You can't just be green or recycle or against poverty. I mean, I am, I do, and hey, who isn't?<br /><br />No, a blogging cause needs to be something you feel passionate about. And I do. I am extremely passionate about makeup. And so, I want--no, I <span style="font-style: italic;">need</span> lots of people to shop at Sephora. Please, if you have any spare money at all, spend it at Sephora. Do it for the children, and if you don't like children or can't see what they have to do with a luxury makeup chain store, do it for me. I need Sephora to stay in business so I can continue to put my uncanny internet shopping skills to work during their sales. I need to continue to take advantage of their special offers. I need to keep on raking in free birthday lip glosses.<br /><br />So remember. Do the right thing. Shop at Sephora.<br /><br />Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-72957114936572032012009-07-14T16:38:00.000-07:002009-07-15T08:01:32.660-07:00In which I become the Dominotrix<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bathandbodycollector.com/images/products/domino-magazine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 374px;" src="http://www.bathandbodycollector.com/images/products/domino-magazine.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Internet, you'll never guess what foolishness I'm indulging in at the moment. It's insane.<br /><br />Remember <span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span> magazine? Of course you do. It was <span style="font-style: italic;">Lucky</span> for interior decorating.<br /><br />I was never in love with <span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span> the way some of you were. Like <span style="font-style: italic;">Lucky</span>, it frequently went off the deep end of quirky. And sometimes an entire issue would leave me cold.<br /><br />But, as with <span style="font-style: italic;">Lucky</span>, one magazine gave me instant access to super-cool secret insider sources. All of a sudden it was easy to find out how to get my mitts on great stuff. I didn't have to climb into a time machine, become 23 years old, move to New York, and get a magazine internship to do it. I could make all those underpaid 23 year old interns do it for me.<br /><br />So when <span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span> stopped publishing, I mourned a little bit. And bought the <span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span> decorating <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Domino-Decorating-Room-Room-Creating/dp/1416575464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247616031&sr=8-1">book</a>. But that just frustrated me. After all, a book can't provide the same kind of source information that a magazine can.<br /><br />So I did what I always do in these cases; I went mental. I bought the entire run of <span style="font-style: italic;">Domino</span>, from the Spring/Summer 2005 to March, 2009.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FFVL7M1i6E/SdszLGFNl-I/AAAAAAAAIxE/RDW6KPmR0H0/s400/ines+domino+cover+march+2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/__FFVL7M1i6E/SdszLGFNl-I/AAAAAAAAIxE/RDW6KPmR0H0/s400/ines+domino+cover+march+2009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Right now, I plan to read through every issue and bask in the quirkiness. I'm also going to go through it methodically, and when I see something that looks great, I'll check out the website.<br /><br />And then ... well, I haven't figured out what comes next. I plan to do something about what I find out, like post the link, or write up a separate entry for each source--I haven't figured it out yet. But for the time being, I'd like this blog to become one-stop shopping for Domino-flavored interiors ... as filtered through my admittedly preppy, traditional aesthetic.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-35593593179113640172009-04-22T11:00:00.000-07:002009-04-22T11:48:33.127-07:00Review: that Olay Professional Prox Pro-X crappe<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/poppisima/3465060813/" title="Olay Professional by PoppyBuxom, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3507/3465060813_97af673e11_o.jpg" width="300" height="300" alt="Olay Professional" /></a><br /><br />I posted a <a href="http://www.blogher.com/need-spf-and-anti-aging-wizardry-try-olays-pro-x-line?wrap=beautyhacks/beautyhacks/skin">review</a> of the sunscreen pictured above on BlogHer's Beauty Hacks, so this will be the stripped down, factory-settings version.<br /><br />Olay's Professionals (or ProX or Pro-X) (and it does seem pretty stupid to me to come up with a whole new line of products and give them such a lame name) is by far the most expensive drugstore line. I mean, the starter kit sells for $67. So whatever you call them ("the Olay stuff in the red containers" works for me) the point is, are they actually worth that much money?<br /><br />Now, I'm assuming you aren't the kind of skin-care fanatic who haunts <a href="http://www.makeupalley.com/">makeupalley.com</a>'s skin care board, haunts Ulta and Sephora, and drops $250 a month on the latest, greatest dermatologist-developed/organic/imported products, because if you are, you have no business reading me. I have a passing acquaintance with all of that, but I have a life. And pretty good skin. And I don't expect miracles. Or need them.<br /><br />That being said, if you're over 40, have dry skin, or can't tolerate titanium dioxide, I think you might like these products. They have <span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTXT">niacinamide, </span>(a vitamin B3 derivative) to shore up your stratum corneum, pro-retinol to aid in exfoliation and cellular turnover, <span name="intelliTxt" id="intelliTXT">glucosamine,</span> and a cocktail of chemical sunscreens, all wrapped up in a light-reflective, unscented lotion that doesn't make me break out, leaves me with a matte finish, and a very slightly opalescent glow. There's a slight sunscreen reek when I first apply it, but it dissipates almost immediately.<br /><br />I also got the <a href="http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=208242&catid=147700&trx=PLST-0-CAT&trxp1=147700&trxp2=208242&trxp3=1&trxp4=0&btrx=BUY-PLST-0-CAT">Wrinkle Smoothing Cream</a> ($47) and love it because it's rich, sinks right in, and has no fragrance. Maybe there's a masking fragrance, but I don't detect it. Thank goodness, because the last night cream I bought had ylang-ylang in it, and it drove me crazy.<br /><br />No break-outs, no milia, no stink, and right now, Olay is offering a <a href="http://www.olayprofessional.com/proX.html">$25 rebate</a> off any $50 purchase from the line, which makes <a href="http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=208245&catid=100163">the three-piece starter kit</a> a real bargain.<br /><br />I feel like Mikey in the Life cereal ad--I like it!Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-54538604227068328952009-04-03T10:26:00.000-07:002009-04-03T11:08:20.205-07:00An open letter to the PR flaks out thereDear Idiot:<br /><br />You recently sent me an email suggesting I might want to post about the Easter dresses available on a <a href="http://www.edressme.com/">website</a> you're representing. It's a slow news day, so I checked out the pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRcDPcWI/AAAAAAAACCk/y0gFH6uWhP0/s1600-h/edressme_2045_216589689.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 190px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRcDPcWI/AAAAAAAACCk/y0gFH6uWhP0/s400/edressme_2045_216589689.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320524971767722338" border="0" /></a><br />Now, I don't know what universe you live in, but the last time I checked, Easter is the only major celebration that takes place during the day. Sure, Halloween, New Year's Eve, and Fourth of July celebrations take place at night, but Easter celebrations are pretty much limited to church services, Easter egg hunts, and Easter brunches. As a result, Easter celebrations tend to be over by the middle of the afternoon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRA5Pf4I/AAAAAAAACCU/1t1yYZaHcSQ/s1600-h/edressme_2044_147778792.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRA5Pf4I/AAAAAAAACCU/1t1yYZaHcSQ/s400/edressme_2044_147778792.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320524964478025602" border="0" /></a><br />Now, there are times where looking frisky and sexy is perfectly appropriate--for example, when offering strange gentlemen sexual favors in exchange for money. Or at a summer cocktail party.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRMhzAKI/AAAAAAAACCM/hhp0v_ykE2U/s1600-h/edressme_2048_448285680.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRMhzAKI/AAAAAAAACCM/hhp0v_ykE2U/s400/edressme_2048_448285680.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320524967600914594" border="0" /></a><br />Or at the Ascot races, where you can be as much of an <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2124535/Royal-Ascot-fashion-faux-pas.html">exhibitionist</a> as you like, as long as you're also wearing a huge, preposterous hat. But--just so you know--very tight, low-cut strapless mini-dresses are not usually worn to church at any time. Even if you're going to brunch afterward.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZQKDVGteI/AAAAAAAACCs/NKDGwTCVobs/s1600-h/edressme_2044_21656056.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZQKDVGteI/AAAAAAAACCs/NKDGwTCVobs/s400/edressme_2044_21656056.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320528143407560162" border="0" /></a>So let me give you a hint about daytime events that include religious services, like weddings, Christenings, and Bar Mitzvahs. The idea is to look "ladylike." Please acquaint yourself with the concept before sending me another email.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNQ68EdfI/AAAAAAAACCE/4UXb-Wp-FzU/s1600-h/-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 288px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNQ68EdfI/AAAAAAAACCE/4UXb-Wp-FzU/s400/-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320524962879272434" border="0" /></a><br />To sum up: the Easter bunny should never be confused with the Playboy bunny.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRLKpTXI/AAAAAAAACCc/n0cQAn3C9U8/s1600-h/edressme_2045_76097331.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SdZNRLKpTXI/AAAAAAAACCc/n0cQAn3C9U8/s400/edressme_2045_76097331.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320524967235374450" border="0" /></a><br />You're welcome,<br /><br />PoppyPoppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-47938763585730702662009-03-04T12:16:00.001-08:002009-03-04T12:19:34.162-08:00Can you celebrate St. Patrick's Day with style?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/Sa7h-BVWaPI/AAAAAAAACAM/qpWXD7Dzm0E/s1600-h/fetes682.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 326px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/Sa7h-BVWaPI/AAAAAAAACAM/qpWXD7Dzm0E/s400/fetes682.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309429466342516978" border="0" /></a><br />My latest <a href="http://www.blogher.com/st-patricks-day-fashion-or-pinch-green">post</a> at BlogHer Beauty Hacks--featuring sale items from Cut + Paste, J. Crew, Old Navy, and unique crafty items from Etsy and Bondi Forest says yes, yes, yes!<br /><br />Erin go braless!Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-77056826782715541342009-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:002009-02-20T12:32:16.791-08:00This just in: Martha Stewart is on TwitterHonestly, there's no place to hide from that woman.<br /><br />Follow her @marthastewart. If you must.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-2623735022279746012009-01-08T08:33:00.000-08:002009-01-08T09:00:39.413-08:00My moment of glory, frugally speakingI've mentioned before how I was trying to get up to speed with the (amazingly complicated) CVS ExtraCare Bucks program.<br /><br />Well, I've been working at it pretty assiduously over the past couple of months, and I've gotten pretty good with it.<br /><br />And over the Christmas holiday, I had the opportunity to show off for my entire family. We went to one of those Japanese restaurants where they cook on the table right in front of you ... a crowd-pleaser if there ever was one, especially when you have kids with you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvwsDVQXI/AAAAAAAAB7o/bXBCs_AUQUo/s1600-h/IMG_0075.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvwsDVQXI/AAAAAAAAB7o/bXBCs_AUQUo/s400/IMG_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288967325898588530" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dear Lord, please keep those chopsticks out of her nose ...</span></span><br /></div><br />Also they had silly rum drinks, which pleased me.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvxMCV3hI/AAAAAAAAB7w/ahOyDXB2MlM/s1600-h/IMG_0081.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvxMCV3hI/AAAAAAAAB7w/ahOyDXB2MlM/s400/IMG_0081.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288967334484368914" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Want to feel no pain? Have a Suffering Bastard!</span></span><br /></div><br />But these places are not so big on dessert (which, duh, they should offer Bananas Foster, or some other flaming dessert. But nobody asks me.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvxr7NXSI/AAAAAAAAB74/71mb6S6Kp6U/s1600-h/IMG_0086.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SWYvxr7NXSI/AAAAAAAAB74/71mb6S6Kp6U/s400/IMG_0086.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288967343044386082" border="0" /></a><br />So we decided to leave and buy dessert and take it home. And there was a CVS in the same strip mall.<br /><br />So we went in and picked out dessert. Edy's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream. It was $6.99.<br /><br />I said I'd pay. First I had the cashier swipe my ExtraCare card.<br /><br />Then I used $5.00 in ExtraCare bucks to pay for the ice cream. So it was $1.99.<br /><br />Then my ExtraCare bucks for my fall spending printed up. So I got $8.50 in ExtraCare bucks.<br /><br />So basically, CVS paid me to buy ice cream! And my whole family witnessed it! Woot!<br /><br />(Next time I'll make sure to have a coupon, too.)Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-4625659889115846152008-12-09T21:26:00.000-08:002008-12-10T08:22:39.030-08:00Green gift wrapping for the fashion-forward setGuess what you find if you do an eBay search for "ugly"?<br /><br />A cornucopia of holiday themed sweaters, all being pitched as a cool 80s retro look.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST_oAI8A5EI/AAAAAAAABxQ/j_vdzqJBQ4Y/s1600-h/P1200239.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST_oAI8A5EI/AAAAAAAABxQ/j_vdzqJBQ4Y/s400/P1200239.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278192377398355010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST_oADf4V_I/AAAAAAAABxI/9Zposi2fWcI/s1600-h/a947_1_sbl.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST_oADf4V_I/AAAAAAAABxI/9Zposi2fWcI/s400/a947_1_sbl.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278192375938177010" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9UgOsAcgI/AAAAAAAABw4/Mc8KUwsHlbI/s1600-h/cfe5_1.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9UgOsAcgI/AAAAAAAABw4/Mc8KUwsHlbI/s400/cfe5_1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278030200976732674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnzF8N4I/AAAAAAAABwg/qU2CeGwDusw/s1600-h/201003898_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnzF8N4I/AAAAAAAABwg/qU2CeGwDusw/s400/201003898_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278029231496640386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9Tnx6U56I/AAAAAAAABwY/ak67ssL_wgo/s1600-h/200881119_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9Tnx6U56I/AAAAAAAABwY/ak67ssL_wgo/s400/200881119_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278029231179491234" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnmIHZyI/AAAAAAAABwQ/eXfNvk6SvA0/s1600-h/11-23-08-0553.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnmIHZyI/AAAAAAAABwQ/eXfNvk6SvA0/s400/11-23-08-0553.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278029228016101154" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnW02r3I/AAAAAAAABwI/IXlzPuQTJY0/s1600-h/11-22-08-0288.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/ST9TnW02r3I/AAAAAAAABwI/IXlzPuQTJY0/s400/11-22-08-0288.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278029223908781938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Gosh, I'm feeling nostaligic. I can just imagine Princess Di wearing one of these beauties. But dowdy? Definitely. Unless you have any Gen Y friends who are throwing one of those ironic holiday-sweater-themed cocktail parties, in which case, head to your local thrift shop and pick one up.<br /><br />Otherwise, enjoy these for what they are: a walk through the not-so-distant past when people celebrated Christmas by dressing up as a roll of wrapping paper.<br /><br />Wait a minute. The Christmas light just went on over my head! These sweaters really do look like wrapping paper. And if you have a large, irregularly-sized gift to wrap, what could be more environmentally-friendly than to wrap it in one of them? And just think--this would be the gift that keeps on giving. You could use them year after year after year--how green is that? Just think about how many holiday sweaters you'd be keeping out of the landfills.<br /><br />Martha Stewart is green with envy right this minute. And she's into recycling, so watch for this idea next year in <span style="font-style: italic;">Martha Stewart Living</span> magazine.<br /><br />Really, I am brilliant. Just think--in a pinch, in case of a power outage, you could actually <span style="font-style: italic;">wear them to keep warm</span>.<br /><br />While the electricity is out, of course. Promise me that you'll put them back in the gift-wrap supplies closet as soon as the lights come back on.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-48101191614566726442008-11-18T14:19:00.000-08:002008-11-18T14:53:59.056-08:00Review: L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro-Calcium tinted moisturizer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SSNCjWZZJZI/AAAAAAAABsY/LyByOJS9Zhs/s1600-h/300.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SSNCjWZZJZI/AAAAAAAABsY/LyByOJS9Zhs/s400/300.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270129164028552594" border="0" /></a><br />In my attempts to get up to speed with the CVS <a href="https://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/user/extracare/extracare.jsp">frequent-buyer program</a>, I tried some new products. The one the CVS shopping experts (now dubbed CVSavvies) seemed to be the most excited about was the<br /><h1 style="display: inline;"><br /></h1><h1 style="display: inline;">L'Oreal Age Perfect Pro-Calcium Radiance Perfector Sheer Tint Moisturizer.</h1><br /><br />OK, I admit it. I cut and pasted the above from <a href="http://www.drugstore.com">drugstore.com</a>. And when I saw how huge it turned out, I decided to keep it that way. It illustrates so perfectly that, just as they pack their products with age-fighting, skin-brightening, mega-beautifying ingredients, cosmetics companies pack the names of their products with the kind of high-flown rhetoric that I expect to hear coming out of the mouths of First Lord and Second Lord at the beginning of a Shakespeare play. You know what I mean: "My lord, the king our liege blah blah blah blah'd."<br /><br />You know? But soft, for the review begins:<br /><br />It was on sale for $15.99, down from its regular retail price of $20.00, (and 18.99 at drugstore.com) and it came with $15.99 in ExtraBucks rebates, meaning that after you bought it, you'd get a register coupon for $15.99. Which means it wasn't going to cost me anything to try it.<br /><br />So this morning after my shower, I was all excited about the chance to try my new L'Oreal moisturizer.<br /><br />From what the box said, I expected a tinted moisturizer--something like my Estee Lauder DayWear Plus, which I love and use daily--but with more of the stuff that middle-aged ladies like. You know the drill. Five or six extra-speshul exotic-sounding ingredients that promised to make me look as young as I was when I started reading the fine print on the back of the package. I expected light diffusers, lots of hydration, humectants, anti-oxidants, SPF, eye of newt, throat of turkey, and a soft, dewy finish.<br /><br />The reality?<br /><br />FAIL.<br /><br />It's not moisturizing enough for the "mature, dull" it's supposedly aimed at. With an SPF of only 12, it doesn't have nearly enough sunscreen. Even though it comes in "Light" and "Medium" and promises to transform itself, a la Tangee lipstick (or a mood ring) to match your complexion, the Light shade that I tried wasn't light enough to lesson my under-eye circles or lighten the pinkish-mauve shade my eyelids have developed.<br /><br />Also, the self-blending color?<br /><br />Flash back to your first-generation Q-T self-tanning nightmares.<br /><br />I'm ORANGE.<br /><br />OK, maybe there's some Vitamin C or other wondrous ingredients lurking around in there ... but if I'm going to end up looking like an Oompah-Loompah? Forget it.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-13761685076215029522008-11-17T22:08:00.000-08:002008-11-18T14:57:04.607-08:00Cheap thrills at CVSIf you come by here from time to time to check on my shopping expertise, it may have occurred to you that if I ever had any (which is doubtful) I appear to have lost it.<br /><br />This is in part because I'm not doing a lot of shopping. I mean, I am kind of a goofball, and that is certainly a factor, but right now, for me and my fellow Americans, it's the dawning of the Age of Austerity. Right?<br /><br />Well, pardon me for going all <span style="font-style: italic;">I was there first</span> on you, but I stopped shopping <span style="font-style: italic;">long</span> before real estate values started their steep dive and the stock market ended up in the toilet. And you know what? I take a perverse pride in that.<br /><br />And now, as a grizzled veteran of the Compact, FlyLady, and voluntary simplicity--as a person who recognized Real Simplicity for the marketing scam it is--when I look around at the mountains of crap I already own, I'm surprised I ever step into a store. So mostly, I don't.<br /><br />But you know, a girl needs to buy toothpaste. And toilet paper. And batteries.<br /><br />So my latest hobby is shopping at <a href="http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/user/home/home.jsp">CVS</a> and using my <a href="https://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/user/extracare/extracare.jsp">ExtraCare Rewards Card</a>.<br /><br />Now, I don't have the time or energy to explain what Extra Bucks are. I'll just say that every week there are items on sale that give you Extra Bucks back, which you can then spend like money. I learned about it from Crystal at <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/cvs-101.html">Money Saving Mom</a>. Her post "<a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/cvs-101.html">CVS 101</a>" has the best explanation of how to use ExtraCare Bucks I've ever seen. Her <a href="http://www.moneysavingmom.com/money_saving_mom/2008/03/qa-making-cvs-w.html">follow-up post</a> is equally good.<br /><br />For example, this week Duracell batteries were on sale, and if you bought $20 worth of them, you'd get a coupon for $15 in ExtraCare Bucks.<br /><br />Today I spent $100 at CVS. I got back $45 in Extra Bucks. This is pretty good start, although the hard core people, the real CVSavvies, come out of the store with bags of stuff that was free. Still, I saved a bunch of money on stuff like batteries, toilet paper, and Honey Nut Cheeries.<br /><br />Of course, I'm probably going to have to build an addition onto my house to store all the buy one, get one free Colgate toothpaste I bought. But it gives me such a warm, housewifely feeling to have a few tubes squirreled away.<br /><br />OK. Ten tubes. <span style="font-style: italic;">WHATEVER</span>.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-305409682780635072008-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:002008-10-11T19:49:05.816-07:00How to score a free Waterford crystal decanterI like my wedding presents boring and traditional. How boring and traditional? Extremely.<br /><br />In my opinion, a wedding present isn't any good unless the bride leaves it in its original box for a minimum of 5 years after her wedding. Sure, she'll get a kick out of the inflatable Munch's The Scream punching bag or the hilariously retro Conestoga Wagon lamp, but someday she'll have a real dinner party, and matching place settings will start to seem like a good idea. This is when I shine.<br /><br />At my age, you'd think I'd be done buying wedding presents until a niece or nephew gets married, but I'm not. And recently I needed to come up with something nice for my brother and his fiancée.<br /><br />They registered for gifts at Crate and Barrel, William Sonoma, and Bloomingdales. Their Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma lists were OK, but not exciting, because they revolved way too much around cooking appliances. And the problem with cooking appliances is that is that this year's panini maker is next year's yogurt maker. Or bread machine. Or <span style="font-style: italic;">electric wok</span>. With a <span style="font-style: italic;">teflon lining</span>.<br /><br />And that's why my default present is something like china, crystal, or silver.<br /><br />In this case, the bride had selected Waterford's Lismore crystal pattern, and I had to wade through a couple of screens full of highball glasses and port glasses and such before I hit pay dirt. Behold the crystal ship's decanter:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SPFVVBlJ_gI/AAAAAAAABKI/2fPG61iyaK4/s1600-h/474056001md.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SPFVVBlJ_gI/AAAAAAAABKI/2fPG61iyaK4/s320/474056001md.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256076059807972866" border="0" /></a>Which retails at Bloomingdale's for a cool $375.<br /><br />So here's how to get one for free. First, sign up for the <a href="http://www.chasecreditcards.com/amazon-visa.asp">Amazon.com Visa card</a>.<br /><br />With every 2,500 reward points you accumulate, you receive a $25 Amazon.com Reward Certificate. So start accumulating points.<br /><br />How do you get points? Well:<br /><br />You get 3 points for purchases made on Amazon or through Amazon.<br />You get 2 points for purchases of gasoline, drugstores, and some restaurants.<br />You get 1 point for purchases made anyplace else.<br /><br />How many points have we accumulated? I'm not exactly sure, but in the past year and a half, I shaved about $300 off a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/qid=1223779016/ref=a9_sc_1?ie=UTF8&search-alias=aps&field-keywords=nikon%20d80">Nikon</a> camera, $400 off the price of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=MacBook&x=0&y=0">MacBook</a>, and snagged the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Waterford-Lismore-Ships-Decanter/dp/B000662NSU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1223779139&sr=8-1">Waterford crystal decanter</a> for free.<br /><br />Before this, we used the Citibank American Airlines card. But that only gets us free travel on American Airlines, and sometimes I'm not in the mood for travel. I also have a Brooks Brothers platinum card, which yields me a $20 gift card once in a while--but that's only useful at Brooks Brothers.<br /><br />The beauty of the Amazon.com card is that it gives us substantial discounts on anything you can buy through Amazon, whether it's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gf?url=node%3D3950491&field-keywords=Me+%26+Ro&x=12&y=16">Me & Ro jewelry</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gf?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Gwen+Stefani+doll&x=18&y=20">Gwen Stefani dolls</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_t?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=iPod&x=14&y=16">iPods</a>, or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gf?url=node%3D3950491&field-keywords=PG+tips+tea&x=0&y=0">PG Tips tea.</a><br />And this means that you can use your Amazon.com Visa card for boring stuff like groceries and gas and dry cleaning and little Tommy's cello lessons--basic, utilitarian stuff--and build up a little stack of discounts on much more fun stuff like Waterford crystal decanters.<br /><br />Or you can use your discount to buy the Clearisil Ultra Acne Solution System for $21.95. It's your call.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-69001190580785495372008-09-22T21:02:00.000-07:002008-09-23T07:20:17.847-07:00ShopSmart's guide to buying cosmetics on-linewith the addition of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">clickable</span> links<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> and my own takes:</span></span><br /><br />Best Overall Selection: <a href="http://www.beauty.com/">Beauty.com</a><br />Shipping Free if you spend $49 or more.<br />Return policy 30 days on unopened products or, for certain items, if you don’t like the color. Returns cost $4.99 unless a product is damaged or incorrect or the color is wrong.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Best selection? As if! This is like an Ulta store--Smashbox, Lorac, Urban Decay--with no sampling. Plus the model on the site is wearing the worst makeup I've ever seen. Honestly, my 11 year old daughter could do better. And she tends to color in her eyebrows with blue eye crayon.</span></span><br /><br />Great for Hard-to-Find Products: <a href="http://www.beautyhabit.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Beautyhabit</span>.com</a><br />Shipping Free on orders of $100 or more; otherwise $5.95.<br />Return policy 14 days on most items. No returns on opened or used products. <br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The products all the cool kids like--Tocca candles, Kai and Child fragrances, Paul and Joe makeup, goose down powder puffs from France. You like it? You can get it here. Me? Meh. </span></span><br /><br />Great for Trendy Brands: <a href="http://www.beautyofasite.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Beautyofasite</span>.com</a><br />Shipping Free on orders over $75; otherwise $5.95 to $8.95.<br />Return policy 30 days. You pay for return shipping unless the product was damaged. All returns are for exchange or store credit only. There are no refunds or returns on color cosmetics. <br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It's like Bravco, but on line instead of on Oak Street--a few niche makeup lines, but lots of hair, skincare, and nails. Probably the best nail products assortment I've seen on line.</span><br /></span><br />Best Prices: <a href="http://www.buymebeauty.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Buymebeauty</span>.com</a><br />Shipping Free on orders of $35 or more; $4.95 on orders of less than $35.<br />Return policy 30 days. Products must be unused and unopened, unless they are defective. You have to call or e-mail before returning products; you will also have to pay the costs of return shipping. <br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is a random selection of what looks like discounted, sometimes discontinued products. Worth a look if you're looking for a bargain or for something hard to find.</span></span><br /><br />Great Return Policy: <a href="http://www.cosmeticmall.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cosmeticmall</span>.com</a><br />Shipping $5.95 plus 93 cents per pound. Return policy 30 days. You can return most products for any reason, even after they’re opened. <br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">NB: This place has a fantastic selection of perfumes, and the Chanel ones, at least, come in every known form, from EDT to pure perfume to scented bath powder, shower gel, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">deodorant</span>--from the looks of it, you could wash and wax your car with Allure or Chanel #5. And they have Helena <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Rubenstein</span> skincare and makeup!</span></span><br /><br />Great Drugstore Makeup Section: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.Drugstore.com">Drugstore.com</a><br />Shipping Free on your first nonprescription order of $25 or more; free on orders of $49 or more after that.<br />Return policy 30 days. Returns are free if a product is damaged, defective, or incorrect. Returns are free on certain products if you don’t like the color. Otherwise, products must be unopened and unused. <br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">NB: And of course, this is really Amazon, with all that implies: fast reliable shipping, good prices, reviews from your fellow shoppers, gift certificates and rebates, and no sales tax.</span></span><br /><br />Great for Freebies: <a href="http://www.sephora.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Sephora</span>.com </a><br />Shipping Free on orders over $50; otherwise $5.95. Return policy 60 days. Free return shipping. Store credit after 60 days.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">N.B. Always check for coupon codes before ordering from Sephora; they usually have several. And join their frequent buyer's club, while you're at it. You'll get a birthday present! </span></span><br /><br />Great for Organic Products: <a href="http://www.skinbotanica.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Skinbotanica</span>.com</a><br />Shipping Free on orders over $49; otherwise $5.95.<br />Return policy 60 days.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Meh. I don't do organic.</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">If I wanted to smell like hemp, I'd smoke pot.</span></span><br /><br /><br />Best Shipping Deal: <a href="http://www.skin-one.com/">Skin-One.com</a><br />Shipping Free.<br />Return policy 30 days. Product must be at least 75 percent full. You have to pay return shipping fees, and no returns are allowed of an opened product if you received a sample of it with your order.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >N.B. Did my Chicago readers know that this boutique skin-care store is local? There's a store not far from me at 680 Lake Shore Drive. It's a tiny shoebox of a place with tons of fabulous, hard-to-find skincare. I don't do </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" >internet</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > ordering from them, though ... and I do pay sales tax.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br />Best Online Version of a Walk-In Store: <a href="http://www.walgreens.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Walgreens</span>.com</a><br />Shipping Many items qualify for free shipping of purchases of $50 or more; otherwise $5.49 for 10 pounds or less.<br />Return policy 30 days.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">N.B. </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">CVS</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.com is also worth checking out, especially if you're interested in the frequent buyer ExtraCare card program. This is so complicated that I still haven't figured it out myself, but smart people swear by it, so I keep trying.</span><br /></span><br />Sad Site: <a href="http://www.beautydepot.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">BeautyDepot</span>.com</a> This site <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">didn</span>’t have a wide selection of products. You have to buy $99 worth of stuff to get free shipping; otherwise you could end up paying $7.95 or more for UPS ground. Cosmetics (and many other products) were not returnable, and there’s no toll-free customer-service number.Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-43962095422154633302008-09-11T14:43:00.000-07:002008-09-11T14:44:18.778-07:00Worst clothes at New York Fashion Week, part 1From Betsy Johnson, who apparently hasn't gotten the memo that maternity dresses are no longer in style, this combination of Gwen Stefani's new perfume bottles with out-takes from Little House on the Prairie:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv593phdI/AAAAAAAABG8/K92NLrej_5Y/s1600-h/9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv593phdI/AAAAAAAABG8/K92NLrej_5Y/s320/9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244775913956672978" border="0" /></a><br />From Marc Jacobs, who is apparently trying to resurrect the glory days of Lady Di in the early 1980s, proof that sometimes even an Earl's daughter gets dressed by digging through the dirty clothes hamper and throwing stuff on in the dark:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv6AeJX8I/AAAAAAAABHE/xQzY1GBu-SQ/s1600-h/11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv6AeJX8I/AAAAAAAABHE/xQzY1GBu-SQ/s320/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244775914655014850" border="0" /></a><br />And from Philip Lim, a sad-faced Fashion Criminal realizes that the guards probably won't let her accessorize her prison jumpsuit with her kicky polka-dot handbag.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv6OBkr0I/AAAAAAAABHM/4BN4JcqJP3k/s1600-h/16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SMkv6OBkr0I/AAAAAAAABHM/4BN4JcqJP3k/s320/16.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5244775918293266242" border="0" /></a>Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20583094.post-29140132902992328872008-08-29T10:46:00.000-07:002008-08-29T11:03:42.412-07:00Duh-rool, duh-roolOK, I go to the Neiman Marcus website to check out the latest Beauty Event in order to reinforce my knowledge that I have quite enough makeup and skincare, thankyouverymuch.<br /><br />And the first thing I see is this amazing <a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod69910008&parentId=cat000295&masterId=cat000294&index=2&cmCat=cat000000cat000285cat4830738cat000294cat000295">Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Artist's lip palette</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SLg2unk98KI/AAAAAAAABGE/OQR__2Xu4dw/s1600-h/NMC0FQM_mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SLg2unk98KI/AAAAAAAABGE/OQR__2Xu4dw/s320/NMC0FQM_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239998340971491490" border="0" /></a>Which I so totally don't need at all. But want, anyway. Even though I already have two or three--OK four--Bobbi Brown palettes with lipsticks and glosses in them.<br /><br />(Which I always buy at the Cosmetics Company outlet store for way less than the $200 this little beauty would cost.)<br /><br />I know what's going to happen. I'm going to find myself buying something else equally unnecessary but will cost less. Like the <a href="http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=prod69960001&parentId=cat000295&masterId=cat000294&index=1&cmCat=cat000000cat000285cat4830738cat000294cat000295">Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Shimmering Nudes palette</a>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SLg3zHvgyNI/AAAAAAAABGM/yXDuDvMa870/s1600-h/NMC0FQR_mn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N0QwxalPdb8/SLg3zHvgyNI/AAAAAAAABGM/yXDuDvMa870/s320/NMC0FQR_mn.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239999517836757202" border="0" /></a>This could be mine for a comparatively cheap (yet still extravagant) $50. Even though if I lined up all the beige and brown eyeshadows I already own, they would fill the Grand Canyon. And even though I just blogged about <a href="http://www.blogher.com/falling-drugstore-makeup">how great the Bonne Bell shimmering beige quad is</a>, which I bought two weeks ago for the low, low price of $3.99.<br /><br />I can has common sense?<br /><br />HALP!Poppy B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01532483657395207695noreply@blogger.com9