PRODUCT REVIEW: Giorgio Armani MAESTRO "Fusion Makeup" and Concealer

Ah the great Armani Maestro savior...It's been hyped for months now all over the internet, all over the blogs and magazines. But I fail to see WHY.  I am really trying to figure out if what these other bloggers reviewed is what is for sale and available to the masses. I didn't get a "press sample" (nor have I ever!) and I am seriously convinced that the press samples they send out are nothing like what actually goes on sale. Because otherwise I would have encountered some kind of miracle water in the Nordstrom Galleria over the weekend and instead I got samples of this shit.

REVIEWS TO COME...Plus a "note" to all salespeople

I just had a (poorly timed, what with Nordstrom Anniversary this week!) huge haul in Chicago over the weekend. So Ill be busting out a few reviews here shortly after I try everything I got!

A few include PhilipB Russian Amber shampoo (jesus H this stuff is ridiculously priced!), ByTerry concealer pen, Tom Ford concealer pen, and a couple Davines products. I just got home and haven't touched anythign yet. So HOPEFULLY they are all winners.

I will say this...attention all salespeople:  I might not be the richest or the poorest, I know I am not thin by any means, and Saturday I woke up to deal with more phone drama, so I wasn't exactly styled for shopping...but just bec I look like a slob doesn't mean I cannot throw down. So don't be a wench to me if you want to make rent this month.

One last update: Review to come..iPhone4S

Photo credit: Forbes.com

Obviously this new iPhone just launched and due to an unfortunate theft of my iPhone4, may she rest in peace with her creator, Steve "god" Jobs, I pre-ordered this new one, because if I was paying in full for the thing, I was getting the new one.

I received it from the UPS dude yesterday morning and tried activating it pretty much right away. That failed. So I set it aside. Tried again. Fail. Then I was on a damn mission. Kept trying. Little did I know that it was the beginning of an 8 hour disaster and a half. Supposedly there were issues with all the Apple-Sold ones, the carrier sold ones were fine. So I gave up. I had purchased a phone in the ATT store where my phone was stolen, and used a wonderful and gorgeous friend's upgrade on her account to fund it at a slightly less obscene pricetag as we were on a fun girls weekend.  When the announcement for the newest messiah phone was made, I immediately decided I was going to just preorder it. While a good idea, in theory, next time I am taking the damn day off and going to wait in line and get free goodies from the store. If the Woz can do it, I CAN DO IT.

I ended up going to the AT&T store last night after I shipped the aforementioned gorgeous friend the phone I had bought on our trip so that she has a nice new iPhone4. She is and was elated. I did however just neglect to mention that I had shipped her that PRIOR to activating my new one. Woops. But thankfully after a fight with traffic, I got to the ATT store, and a few kind sirs were able to make it work.  I got home, synced it. Put on a perfect application of the screen protector--I used a Zagg Invisible Shield. So when I turned it on this morning I was pissed to spot on the middle of the screen a tiny black microfiber, under the screen protector. Gah! Thankfully I had ordered a few new ones to test out by comparison to these.  I will have to do some kind of comparison shots before I peel this off. I cannot deal with things under the screen. Of COURSE it would be a perfect application....

So, as far as the phone, so far I noticed much more "zippiness" in how things are done, I have experienced MUCH faster internet, woohoo! I can read Perez and Dlisted and TMZ faster! I have tested the camera, and so far I love it.  The screen somehow seems nicer than on the 4, and I can't pinpoint why. The iCloud is interesting, though I don't usually use WIFI so I haven't tested out the photo stream thing. I also only have specific things syncing to that, and prefer to keep my backups and syncs on my computer where I have many backups. I might try to do a weekly iCloud backup of stuff only because that way if ALL my stuff walks off one day, I at least have something backed up.  I have NOT tested out Siri, though I might because I want some damn humor in my day, and thankfully Apple has a comedian on staff, because some of the replies I've read are pure gold, Jerry.

I went again with another Speck Candyshell, this time in Pirate Cove Teal and Black. I got it at the Apple store, it's built to work with the verizon version, and works perfectly for the new 4s.

I have only made a few calls, and those have been fantastic, though now I want to go to the few notorious cell dead zones and test this out.

I will do a better review in a few weeks after I have played with it. Not a TON has changed from original.

I do have a huge complaint that I hope Apple addresses in the next iOS5 update: MAKE NEWSSTAND MOVE INTO A FUCKING FOLDER PLEASE. I have my icons arranged 8 to one page and 8 to the other. I had to make another page to put this eyesore on because I can't jam it anywhere.  I have no desire to test it til good magazines are added, and will work in iPhone, so hiding it is important.

It's the Most Won-der-ful Time of the Year! 2011 edition.

It's that time again, Nordstrom Anniversary 2011.

Well, it's slightly LESS wonderful this year than normal.   I look forward to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale every year. I save up hundreds in gift card funds to buy things at this sale.  This year was quite a disappointment to me.  Attention Nordstrom buyers:  The clothes that were available...eh. The shoes...eh.  The purses were epic failure. Just nothing exciting. And from what I noticed, especially in bags, it seems that the brands that made specific items for this sale, made them of lower quality materials and lesser workmanship than others in the line. Ill use Liebeskind as one example. The leather of the two bags offered are thin, cheap "glazed" leather. I have seen some NICE glazed leathers, these were practically pleather.  Just not nice leather. Stitching not as nice as the Mia and Gloria in their REALLY nice washed leather.  The Chloé bag offered is definitely not up to the par I expect for such a brand, and such a price. It seemed to feel thinner and less impressive than the usual bag of the same name.

This year was an overall letdown for me.  I hope next year they bring it back to snuff.  If you want people in this economy to come spend, this selection ain't the way to do it.

I obtained a few pair of pants, two were nice dress pants, and two were nice KUT denim. I am on that line between plus and regular clothes, and it's frustrating to me that I am sized out of nicer lines. Like I would kill for some Paige or Citizen jeans.  But they don't really go above what a thin size 10 would wear. They show numbers that they would, but they run SO small.  With the average woman in this country being around a size 14-16 in clothing, why do so many designers have to be so exclusive to only skinny chicks? I shouldn't have to starve myself to wear cute stuff.  Michael Kors seems to get it for sure. But I cannot say that for most.

Anyway...I got a few nice things, clothing wise.  But otherwise the big purchase and "win" so far has been La Mer.  Ill do a separate post on that. But to close--I wanna say Thank you and Hi! to Cathy Kozeny.  Fantastically lovely, beautiful and knows her stuff. And we had a great time talking diamonds. :)

PRODUCT REVIEW: CHANEL CORRECTEUR PERFECTION LONG LASTING CONCEALER

While on a totally rad girl's weekend, I went to the Nordstrom at Mall of America. I made a beeline for a few things, one of which was the Chanel counter to pick up this product.  It's retailing for $40, and had it been worth every penny I wouldn't have batted an eye, as I am sure you are aware concealer is my thing since I have serious undereye craziness.

Short version:
If you like your concealer to, I dunno, conceal things, then this is not the product for you to drop $40 on.

PRODUCT REVIEW: the iPhone 4 ...aka the review I never thought I'd be doing

So after Sprint screwed most if not all of their customers, especially long-time customers who were with them over a decade, by taking away their upgrades and credits and employee discounts for some asanine reason they thought was good customer service, I decided I was done. They haven't put out an exciting phone out in years, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They also cannot seem to figure out when I really joined Sprint, despite being repeatedly provided with a copy of my receipt from when I first switched in 1999, New Years Eve to be exact.  I have been told and read several different dates and years, not one is correct.  They wouldn't correct it, even with proof, and of COURSE after repeatedly losing the copy they wanted the original (why, so you can lose that too? No.)

Despite my deep disgust for ATT, and because my husband no longer works for another telecom company and works to support ATT, I figured I might as well start looking around. My entire family and all my coworkers recently had gotten iPhones, simply for lack of any better phone options. None of us were all that excited about Android, and it seems awfully unstable in the times I have played with it, not to mention a battery destroyer.  The folks at the ATT store out by my Boss's house were very helpful with all the guys at work, so I began to harass them about contract buyouts, options, etc.  Because our Sprint Contracts were almost up, they were willing to buy us out, which really was a credit on the bill and I covered the payout to Sprint on my final bill. Easy enough.  We started the port, ironically when there was an outage after a software update for ATT, though I would probably have waited had I talked to the husband first....

Anyway...About the PHONE:

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Pi - Kirkwood Location

This review is strictly towards the Kirkwood location.

My husband and I went there last night for dinner, I had been to this location for carry out and have eaten at the CWE location with success.  Read the rest after the jump...

PRODUCT REVIEW: Smashbox Pro Waterproof Second Skin Concealer

Photo: QVC.com

After viewing a particularly compelling presentation of this on QVC last week I finally decided to try it. I know, I know, you're thinking "the models on there have barely any facial failings so of course a concealer will work wonders!" and you're right, and I still bought it, hook, line and sinker. 

I do not get this "monogram sticker on back window of SUV" trend.

I saw another few today, and I have to say that I think it's pretty..odd.  I started seeing it about maybe mid-summer last year, mostly on the ridiculously wealthy SUVs in Frontenac, a wealthy suburb of St. Louis. I actually recall seeing 4 in a row parked in front of Saks ALL with these large monograms in pink vinyl stuck to the middle of the back window.  It's started to expand into the back windows of the "less ridiculously wealthy" population.

Am I the only one that thinks they look silly and make no sense?  Especially if you drive like shit, which many people in this city are prone to do, why would you want your initials on your vehicle?  Aside from making sure anyone who's ever been around you in traffic to avoid you like the plague in the future.