5-Piece Clinique Kisses Lipstick Set

Like a YouTube influencer, I'm doing a blog #short today featuring an unbeatable beauty deal on Macy's website namely, the 5-Piece Clinique Kisses Lipstick Set offered cheaper than the usual retail price of a single lipstick!

It makes an excellent, yet tricky holiday gift. Two beauty items I rarely give friends are 1) lipstick and 2) perfume. It's because I must overthink in selecting them! Both are so subject to personal tastes, it's difficult to get either right. I don't know which of the two is harder ... a scent somebody-who-isn't-you loves; or the texture, color, and finish in a lipstick they prefer.

The 5-Piece Clinique Lipstick Set is moisturizing and leans toward natural hues, as opposed to, darker, dramatic colors. Although the 300+ reviews are all over the place, the majority indicate these are high-quality everyday wear lipsticks that keep your lips moist with a hint of color. For deeper pigmentation, you'll have to layer the lipsticks with alternate, not in-the-set lip colors. 

Still, it's what makes it a universally safe gift. Most everyone needs lip balm during the colder seasons, so this Clinique set is a step up from lip balm. Lipstick to moisturize dry lips with a hint of color is a practical beauty gift. You'll reapply the lipstick throughout the day. Plus it's from Clinique, a stellar beauty brand with stellar makeup formulas.

Some of the reviewers are disappointed the colors in the set are much the same, but for moisturizing lipsticks with subtle shades, I don't think it's a dealbreaker.

So I'd both wear the lipsticks and feel good about giving them to family or friends. For $20 bucks, it's a gift set steal!

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5 Festive Advent Calendars

The coveted Liberty of London Avent Calendar sells out in October, so you're out of luck if you didn't buy one, but all is not lost. Here are several other festive Advent Calendars available that are spectacular without breaking the bank like Liberty's beauty calendar does. The 5 more affordable advent calendars below are also delightful to give or get especially when paired with Black Friday to Christmas Eve promotions always offered by department stores during the season. The final sterling silver jewelry advent calendar (#5 below👇) is the most expensive choice, however, an upcoming sale day will lower its retail price, and then you'll get a lovely variety of elegantly designed sterling silver earrings including a mix of hoops, studs, cuffs, and crawlers. So keep an eye out for option #5 to get cheaper!

1) The Rituals of Advent 3-D Advent Calendar: See above👆, it's a 3D Christmas tree  with 24 items - What's inside:

• Wonder Mask, 0.35 oz. 
• Amsterdam Collection Body Mist, 0.67 oz.
• The Ritual of Karma Body Shimmer Oil, 1 oz.
• Fortune Balms - Repair for giftset 0.17 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Shampoo, 1.6 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Conditioner, 1.6 oz.
• The Ritual of Sakura Body Cream, 3.3 oz.
• The Ritual of Namaste Anti-Ageing Day Cream, 0.33 oz.
  
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Scrub Glove
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Coconut Milk Bath Sachet, 3.5 oz.
• The Ritual of Ayurveda Rich Body Oil, 1 oz. 
• Travel - Soleil d'Or, 0.5 oz.
• Elixir Collection Miracle Keratin Recovery Hair Mask, 0.67 oz.
• The Ritual of Karma Mild Body Scrub Clay, 2.3 oz.
• Rituals Homme shower foam, 1.6 oz.
• Sticks for Mini Fragrance Sticks for Advent, 2.3 oz. 
• The Ritual of Jing Hand Lotion, 2.3 oz. 
• The Ritual of Jing Sleep Foaming Shower Gel, 1.6 oz.
• Sport Cooling Shower Gel, 2.3 oz. 
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Savage Garden, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Sweet Jasmine, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Precious Amber, 0.88 oz.
• Advent Mini Candle Private Collection - Suede Vanilla, 0.88 oz.
• The Ritual of Ayurveda USA Mini Fragrance Sticks for Advent, 2.3 oz. 
• Spoon 2022

2) Barbor More to Give Advent Calendar - 24 items - What's inside:

• 
  24 Ampoules (2 ml each): 1 DOC Power Amp Hyaluronic Acid, 1 Hydra Plus, 2
  Algae Vitalizer, 2 Perfect Glow, 3 DOC Power Amp Beta Glucan, 3 Active Night, 3 DOC Power Amp Vitamin C, 3 Multi-Vitamin, 3 3D Firming, 3 Lift Express

Skincare that 

• Lifts, firms, tightens, hydrates, retexturizes, brightens, and minimizes lines and wrinkles for a smoother, glowing more youthful appearance.

3) Macy's 25 Days Of Beauty Advent Calendar - 25 items - What's inside:

• Ahava Ahava 24K Gold Mask, 15 mL / 0.51 fl. oz. 
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Mini Lash Brag, 2.5 mL / 0.08 fl. oz. 
• Bareminerals Mineral Veil Setting Powder, 0.75 g / 0.026 oz.
• Buttah Skin Enterprises Sample Charcoal Detox Mask, 5 mL / 0.016 oz. 
• Cacharel Yes I Am, 5 mL / 0.17 oz.
• Carolina Herrera Good Girl Eau De Parfum, 7 mL / 0.24 oz. 
• Chella Mini Manifest Bronze Eyeshadow Palette, 4 g / 0.14 oz.
• Clinique Moisture Surge™ 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator, 15 mL / 0.50 oz. 
• Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm Deluxe Sample, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream, 29.5 mL / 1 oz. 
• Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Cream, 7 mL / 0.23 oz. 
• Lancome Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Serum, 8 mL / 0.27 fl. oz. 
• Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex, 7 mL / 0.23 oz. 
• MAC Cosmetics Mac Fix+ Stayover, 13 mL / 0.43 oz.
• Origins Mega-Mushroom Treatment Lotion, 7 mL / 0.24 fl. oz. 
• Perricone MD High Potency Classics Face Finishing & Firming Moisturizer, 7.5 mL / 0.25 oz. 
• Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench® Hyaluronic Cloud Hydrating Eye Gel, 3 mL / 0.10 oz. 
• Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, 30 mL / 1 oz.
• Reza Be Obsessed Love My Leave In, 30 mL / 1 fl. oz. 
• Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• Sunday Riley Modern Skincare C.E.O. 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum, 5 mL / 0.16 oz. 
• The Beauty Crop Juice Pot Lip and Cheek Tint - Lychee, 4 mL / 0.14 oz. 
• Tonymoly USA LLC. Plump-Kin Retinol Eye Cream, 10 mL / 0.33 oz. 
• Urban Decay Vice Hydrating Lipstick in Backtalk, 1 g / 0.03 oz. 
• Verb Products Ghost Oil, 17 mL / 0.57 fl. oz.
• Bonus: $10 off your next $40 Macy's Beauty Purchase. Exclusions apply*

4) MAC Bursting With Surprises Advent Calendar - 24 items - What's inside:

• Brow Set Clear
• Dazzleshadow
• 2 Eyeshadows
• Fix+
• Glow Play Lip Balm
• 
  3 Lipsticks
• Liquidlast Liner
• Love Me Liquid Lipcolour
• 2 Mini MAC Lipglasses
• Mini MAC Lipglass Clear
• 2 Mini MAC Lipsticks
• Mini MAC Strobe Cream, 15 ml
• Mini MACStack Mascara
• Paint Pot
• Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour
• Powder Kiss Soft Matte Eye Shadow
• Prep + Prime Essential Oils Grapefruit & Chamomile
• Prep + Prime Lip
• Technakohl Liner

5) Sterling Forever 24 Days of Jewelry Advent Calendar Earrings - The beauty companies may have jumped on the advent calendar bandwagon, but traditionally, advent calendars have other goods inside from chocolates and cookies to heartfelt notes with promises of kindnesses. Here's a calendar for jewelry lovers containing dainty sterling silver (a real precious metal) earrings, and they are gifts to keep.

What's inside: 24 pairs of sterling silver and gold-plated sterling silver earrings - a few with freshwater pearls, as well as, one with an artificial pearl, and some with cubic zirconia.

• 15-sterling silver and 9-14K gold plated sterling silver earrings
• Approximate diameter of hoop earrings - 0.87", 0.6", 0.25", 1.4", 0.75", imitation pearl - 2mm
• 
  Approximate diameter of stud earrings - 0.2", 0.3", 0.24", 0.25", 0.28", 0.26", 0.35"
• Approximate diameter of drop earrings - 1.25", 1", pearl - 9mm
• Approximate diameter of ear crawlers - 0.6"
• Approximate diameter of ear cuffs - 0.35", 0.31"
• 1 French hook post closure, 1 friction latch closure, 1 threader post closure, 2 open cuff closures, pinch for the perfect fit, 19 posts back closure
• Heart shape imitation pearl 2.15 mm, drop shape freshwater pearl 8.8 mm, baroque pearls 8.8 mm
• 12 cubic zirconia earrings, 1 created faux imitation opal earring
• Lifetime warranty

The holidays are when we tend to splurge a bit on gifts to make friends and family happy, whether it's an advent calendar of makeup, skincare, candies, or jewelry, the packaging ... i.e., the presentation is as thrilling as the gifts inside. A drawer to open ... a gift to look forward to each day of advent.  

Scrambling for exclusive material things brings little-to-no joy! With these 5 festive and desirable advent calendars, nobody will miss those super expensive, limited-edition, calendars that sell out in October!

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Sisi's Stars

I've always loved the famous jewels Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837 - 1898), born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach, wore in her hair. 

The Empress ordered a set of at least 27 10-pointed stars, set with diamonds and pearls, which she could wear as a necklace, tiara, pendant, brooches, or as hair clips.

Star jewelry was popular in the Victorian era, and Sisi's gorgeous set was designed by the Austrian court jeweler, A. E. Köchert in 1855, one year after her marriage to Emperor Franz Joseph. They are eternalized in her celebrated portrait (of 1865) by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, the best royal portrait painter of the age, IMHO. 

After her son, Crown Prince Rudolf's, shocking murder-suicide [known in history as the Mayerling Incident] in 1889, Sisi, never again wore jewelry and give the set away. Some of the stars went to her ladies-in-waiting, and the rest she left to family members. In 1902, Sisi's stars were the something old, her granddaughter and Crown Prince Rudolf's daughter, Elisabeth (known as the Red Archduchess), wore on her wedding day. According to the jeweler, "the trail of the stars has since gone cold, and only three survive."

Nowadays you can still buy a version of Sisi's stars from Köchert. At 4,400 - 5,400 Euros (or $4,544 - $5,578), I'm waiting for my Fairy Godmother👗 to appear to present me with a pair in the form of earrings. Any design is fine, Fairy Mother ... post or dangling! Oh, where is she hiding? C'mon, let's do this, Fairy Godmother, I love them so!"😍

Another place you can get replicas is from the Sisishop, the museum shop of the Schoenbrunn in Vienna, but like the jewelry sold at all museums, they are overpriced. You'll pay 4 - 5 times more than the true value for sterling silver jewelry with cubic zirconia stones ... and why on earth would my Fairy Godmother skimp and not step up her magic powers to ☆・*Bibbidi Bobbodi Boo☆・*。me Sisi's white gold and diamond earrings? Just saying, if she has the magic, and no mortgage to worry about, she'd spare no expense, no?💥😛☆・*。

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Retailers Are Selling Fleece Jackets

Uniqlo specializes in innovative outerwear.

All of us have a personal everyday style of how we see ourselves and sometimes what makes us feel like a million bucks wearing it. I'll tell you mine, and you can tell me yours. One day as I exited my Manhattan apartment building, a kind neighbor in his 70s said, "You're always dressed up and look so nice!" I was surprised and flattered by his compliment. The truth is I wear a t-shirt in some form; slacks or leggings; and a cardigan nearly every day from the fall to the early spring. In the summer I wear lots of casual dresses (some a fit and flare t-shirt style) that can be machine washed and dried, paired with flats or nice sneakers. Nothing fancy, yet coordinated basics.

Photos: Uniqlo, one of my favorite retailers for quality basics

So now we're entering the fall and winter seasons and what I see retailers (such as Macy's, Kohl's, Uniqlo, and Old Navy) selling are warm fleece jackets. Uniqlo designs them to be windproof and toasty warm. I'd never judge another person who favors fleece outerwear -- different strokes for different folks -- but you'll never see me wearing it. Fleece looks too casual for my liking. My personal style tends to be what gets called casual smart. Whatever I put on in the morning, I like for it to carry me through the entire day to avoid the hassle of changing attire (other than for a gala event), so I buy clothing like slacks, dresses, and jackets that can be dressed up or down with a simple change of shoes and/or perhaps by adding a scarf or piece of jewelry. 

The end photos are from Unqlo and the middle photo is from Kohls.

Although there's nothing wrong with fleece, per se ... it's too casual and too limited for my personal style. I don't feel dressed up enough (or casual smart) in fleece, and I'd also have to buy another jacket for a night out on the town. I'd rather invest in a multi-purpose wardrobe including outerwear. It means one jacket I never get tired of wearing that makes me feel like a million bucks every time I put it on, plus it carries me through an entire day into the evening.

Uniqlo and Pendelton at Macy's

But I'm just one person, one opinion. Fashion is a matter of taste. Fleece is in vogue! Would you buy a fleece jacket or coat?

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What Does Argireline Do?

As a consumer, I think I'm fairly knowledgeable about anti-aging skincare. I try to take care of my skin by using products backed by science, keeping it as simple as possible, and I learn new information every week. Only recently did I hear of acetyl hexapeptide 8 also known as Argireline on the market. It is sometimes called Botox in a bottle.

Serums and creams with effective anti-aging ingredients contain either: 1) Retin-A (prescription Tretinoin and its non-prescription derivatives, Retinal and Retinol), 2) Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid); 3) glycolic acid (a hygroscopic crystalline compound that is widespread in nature. Longer name: hydroxyacetic acid.) or 4) peptides (defined as two or more amino acids, a compound, linked in a chain). All 4 ingredients work to do different things for the skin.

C34H60N14O12S

Argireline is a peptide compound with a similar chemical structure to botulinum toxin (or Botox). It is used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles caused by repeated facial expressions. As it turns out, just like Botox acetyl hexapeptide 8 works by stopping the production of neurotransmitters, thereby relaxing the facial muscles and softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. If you see acetyl hexapeptide 3 as the listed ingredient, know it's interchangeable with acetyl hexapeptide 8 to confuse us. :)

Argireline also stimulates the skin to produce more collagen, a protein that forms large eosinophilic fibers to rebuild muscles and this also diminishes the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Wham!💥and double wham!!💥😄

Research shows a 30% reduction in wrinkle depth when Argireline is used for 30 days, so acetyl hexapeptide 8 is promoted as an excellent, non-invasive alternative to Botox. Argireline also moisturizes dry skin and improves the skin's elasticity. Sometimes dermatologists talk about protecting or restoring your skin barrier (the outermost layer of skin that is bound together by lipids). Inside the skin cells are keratin and natural moisturizers. Moisturizing with oils, ceramides, and/or Argireline helps to keep your skin barrier healthy. Keeping your skin barrier moist and dewy makes you look younger.

Without a doubt, THE SAVVY SHOPPER recommends Argireline over Botox ... not even close! Think twice before injecting anything artificial and expensive into your face that only lasts 3 - 6 months! What a waste of time and money!! Not to mention you want some expression lines to look natural. The robot look is not beautiful!🤖

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Appalachian Spoon Bread

Photo: Haggicentric

Spoon bread is a popular Appalachian side dish probably of Native American origin. Lighter than cornbread, it's a cross between a soufflè and Yorkville pudding. Neither a bread nor a dessert, the dish goes well with a beef stew dinner or a breakfast with butter and syrup. The recipe below is traditional Appalachian and linked, but unfortunately uncredited. Here's how to make it the authentic way (yet feel free to substitute yellow cornmeal and baking soda if the ingredients are all you have in your cupboard. Yes, it will change the texture, but you can still eat it.):

Appalachian Spoon Bread

Ingredients:

Photo: Only In Your State

2 3/4 milk

1 cup white cornmeal

2 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 pinch salt

Directions:

1) In a saucepan on a stovetop heat the milk and cornmeal, whisking constantly until thick and creamy. Turn the heat off and whisk in the 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of salt. Let the mixture cool a bit.

2) In a mixing bowl whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and whisk the egg yolk mixture into the cooled cornmeal mixture.

3) In a separate mixing bowl use an electric mixer to beat together the egg whites, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt until the egg whites form peaks, then fold the egg whites into the cornmeal mixture.

Photo: Only In Your State

4) Pour into a large buttered cast iron skillet (or buttered dutch oven).

5) Bake in a 350-degree F preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Eat the spoon bread warm and the leftovers cold the next day. Soft, moist, filling, and delish! This is a keeper recipe and that's why it's on the blog, so we can all return here to make it now and again.

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I Can't Watch Mel In Melbourne Anymore

Rodeos, starting at $585+, are Hermès bag charms. Mel collects them.

It happened today. Finally, I deleted Mel In Melbourne's link from THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S sidebar.

Her many luxury buys on YouTube are starting to alarm me, and nobody is asking how she's paying for a ton of unboxings worth thousands and thousands of dollars each and every week! Her collection of the most exclusive luxuries easily adds up to 1/2 million dollars+, and yet every single week, she buys another Hermès, Chanel, Dior, or Louis Vuitton bag, outfit, jewelry, or pair of shoes. Then there are her repeated trips abroad to Hawaii, Dubai, South Korea, and Europe to shop while raising two children with a husband, who buys one Rolex watch after another. Something isn't adding up and IMHO it is a total lack of transparency.

Unless an ordinary person is in organized crime with luxury goods falling off the back of a truck, how does one pay for so many high-ticket items? It's a vital, indispensable part of the story that isn't being told. Therefore, the most interesting piece of the puzzle is missing leaving a huge hole in Mel's YouTube channel, and after a period of time, the unboxings get rather boring. I mean, what is the value to followers that Mel In Melbourne is, again and again, excited about acquiring yet another Birken, Kelly, or Rodeo in a new color? It's insane!

Mel is an engaging influencer and if meeting her, I think I'd like her if she's anything at all like her YouTube persona. Also, I don't have to be a luxury bag collector myself to enjoy an informative browse, or to learn about luxury goods. Likewise, if visiting a mansion, I know I'm not a lord of the manor, and when looking at a Rembrandt, Van Dyke, or Van Gogh, I don't expect to tack the paintings up on my own walls. But more and more I'm becoming a minimalist of material goods for a myriad of reasons. For one, 1% of the world's population uses about 80% of the world's resources, while much of the world lives in abject poverty. In 2022 the number of people entering poverty is rising. The imbalance makes excessive, over-the-top spending not right! Dare I say even a little vulgar.

After watching a year of Mel's videos, her overconsumption is not aligning with my own values of being a more mindful shopper. I might indulge in a once-in-a-while splurge, but then stop buying after my need is met. I can't eat cotton candy every day of the week either!

IMHO, Mel must level with her viewers to stay relevant. I waited long enough for the answer to how she is able to afford her ongoing non-stop shopping sprees, plus I'd like to know why nobody else on social media talks about it? To boot, we only see the you-go-girl type of comments under her videos. Really?

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Trend Alert: Chunky Necklaces

Matthew Williams for Givenchy

While researching upcoming jewelry trends, I stumbled upon another craze predicted to come our way in 2022: Chunky Necklaces, but to be fair, chunky necklaces were also predicted to be a fad in 2020 as I reported here, so where have today's fashion editors been? I can only guess that with everybody staying home during COVID the trend got delayed until now. I also think regardless of what year it is, a chunky necklace is always timeless as a statement piece.🙂

It's a great reason to do a roundup of several beautiful and very wearable Chunky Necklaces designed by Givenchy's American creative director, Mathew Williams.

Photos courtesy of The New York Times of Givenchy during Paris Fashion Week.

Associates say Mr. Williams is calm, nice, and collaborative ... always asking his crew what they think of new designs. Many people who have worked with him say he really cares about the work, the design and is a bit of a Renaissance man who brings his interests of art and science to the worktable. He researches fabrics, materials, and their origins.

The left photo is from Saks and the right photo is from Givenchy

The left photo is from Mantle magazine and the right photo is from Neiman Marcus.

The left and right necklaces are available at Neiman Marcus. Many of the Givenchy necklaces come in silver, gold, or 2-tone.

Mr. Williams judges fashion by whether or not he would wear it. This American brings a touch of European urbanism to the House of Givenchy. The chunky padlock necklace is his creation. Givenchy's newest Creative Director "likes the idea that fashion can give us some sense of escape, beauty and ''imagination of the future,'' yet he also embraces ''tradition ... warmth, comfort, ease ... security ... (out of) knowing there's so much chaos around us.'' His work is also practical and accessible, with a trace of softness -- all of which are sure to become his signature at Givenchy. What I love about the chunky necklaces is there's something clean about them, and you would wear them off the runway as the design isn't over-the-top, excessive, or ridiculous. The top necklace is gorgeous! With Matthew Williams at the helm, Givenchy is the fashion house to watch!

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