Clé de Peau Vintage Palette II for Holiday 2010

Do I feel special! I'm wearing a beautiful highlighting powder: the Vintage Palette II ($125), the second annual, limited-edition stunner from Clé de Peau. Look at this compact! How stunning does it get? Second only to animals (my favorites), the raised rays of light on this palette are exquisite.

Inspired by the "timeless allure of vintage jewelry, this face powder melts into skin like silky cream and provides a warm, delicate glow like the solemn sparkle of precious jewels." The finish is achieved with a harmonious blend of colors with pearl pigments. From pinks to golds, the shades combine, with the swipe of a powder brush, to make the face gleam.

There are some micro-sparkles in the powder. I was feeling festive today - a short day at work and the beginning of the long, holiday weekend, so I threw caution to the wind and applied it before work. I loved the way it lit up my face. Although I could see a small amount of micro-sparkling on my cheeks at first, just an hour and a half later, what's left is a gleam. I don't know where those little sparkle devils went, but they aren't on my bright purple jacket, so I'm not sure I care.

I knew this special compact was going to be introduced for the holidays, but I forgot it for a time. When I finally asked about it, Alanna Lee, Clé de Peau Product Specialist at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria, only had two left! Yikes - I'm glad one of them is mine. London Pretty Boy wrote about it in August, so I can't claim I didn't have enough advance notice. Don't make the same mistake I almost made. If you are interested in the Vintage Palette II, look for it now.

You can find this gorgeous holiday palette at Clé de Peau counters at Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. I noticed that it's listed as "not available" at Neiman Marcus online. That means the warehouse sold out.

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus

Shopping with Charlestongirl - Part 1

I consider myself a shopping "expert." I don't mean to brag, but I've perfected the art of shopping, stopping at only the best stores; browsing online at the stores with fabulous extras, shipping deals, and frequent discounts; and generally zeroing in on the best shopping helpers (my favorite sales representatives - those who will go the extra mile for me). I'm going to share some of my favorites with you over the next few days, starting with my favorite outlet mall, the Leesburg Corner (Virginia) Premium Outlets.

Today's feature is for my DC-area friends and readers, some of whom have told me they have never gone to Leesburg to shop. Friends, you don't know what you're missing! The After-Thanksgiving Weekend Sale, Midnight Madness at Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets, kicks off the holiday shopping season. Why not take a nice drive out the toll road and experience the joy of first-class outlet shopping?

All weekend, you'll enjoy exceptional holiday savings and extended shopping hours at Leesburg Corner, plus you can experience Midnight Madness if you are truly crazy. Most stores will open their doors at midnight right after Thanksgiving. I have never gone to the outlet that early; I find 7:00 am is totally adequate, although I do run into dazed shoppers who have clearly been there all night. My sleep is too important, and when I shop, I want to be alert - ready to pounce on the deal that's too good to be true.

There are going to be super-deals at almost every store. You can find all the special offers at this link. My favorite stores at Leesburg? Williams Sonoma (the "cookware queen"), The Company Store (for Estée Lauder Company beauty products), Polo Ralph Lauren, Le Creuset, Cole Haan, Aerosoles, Nike, Puma, Restoration Hardware - gosh, there are too many. I can't list them all. This is a first-class outlet mall. Love it! Will I see you there, if not Friday, this weekend?

Make sure to sign up online to be a VIP. Then, print out the coupons, including the coupon you can use at the visitors' center to get a mall-wide coupon discount book. It will save you money, and you will want to pick up one every time you go. The visitors' center is in the food court area, so you can refuel (or hit the restroom) while you are there.

Later today? I'll tell you about some of my favorite online shopping sites. This long weekend? I'm going to share some of my favorite sales associates and product specialists, both here and in New York. Hopefully, you will share yours in the comments so that we can assemble a "data base" of great shopping experiences. Shopping is necessary, but it should also be fun!

Photo courtesy of Leesburg Premium Outlets

Guerlain Midnight Star Skin Primer for Holiday 2010

Introduced for the holidays, Guerlain's Midnight Star Skin Primer ($73) has star power. I have to admit up front that it's ridiculously expensive for 10 applications. That said, I love it! This new primer from luxury line Guerlain has a lot going for it, beyond its "pretty face."

Guerlain calls it the perfect royal ally for evenings out. Midnight Star helps to dispel signs of fatigue and stress built up during the day. Use one mini-capsule after a long day to revive your complexion and refresh your look - a skin-care primer for the busy holiday season when you want to look your best.

The 10 capsules are housed in the darling bee-decorated plastic magic wand shown above. This is a primer most of us will use in the early evening before we go to a special event. From that perspective, you may not need more than 10 capsules for the holiday season. If you live a life like mine, you'll have a few capsules left over for the New Year. If you're always on the go, save the capsules for the days when you feel dead-tired, and your skin needs an instant radiance boost. Heaven forbid you party too hard and don't get enough sleep, but if that's the case, you will love the effects of Midnight Star.

The primer is a pearly gel. Apply it to bare skin before your moisturizer. It's a serum/primer, not a hydrator. It feels great on the skin - very smooth and light in weight. Midnight Star adds no color to the skin, just a pearlized glow that will look like you, only better - alive, awake, fresh, and ready to greet the world.

The serum is an antioxidant complex with extracts of natural substances that raise the level of oxygen in the skin. It also has an active ingredient, pronoctine, to shield the skin from toxins that include pollution, cigarette smoke, and the like. Guerlain says the treatment has detoxifying effects, just in case your skin is seriously partied out. So much the better!

Midnight Star has a pleasant scent; it's not nearly as fragranced as Guerlain's skin care (fortunately). I don't mind the scent at all, and it fades after 10-15 minutes. I can't use Guerlain's regular skin-care products. The fragrance of Orchidee Imperiale, for example, is just too strong for me. That really disappoints me because I appreciate the luxury of Guerlain.

I've seen Midnight Star listed as a great gift on department store Web sites. I'm a bit conflicted about the idea of recommending it for purchase as a gift. On the one hand, it's a beautiful item, but on the other, it may deliver a message: "Your skin needs help!" I think Midnight Star is better purchased for your own use.

You can find it at Neiman Marcus, where I purchased mine, Saks, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, and all Guerlain counters. It's part of Les Ors Holiday 2010 Collection.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

Photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus and Holistic Skin Care