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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 93 Comments · by

Weekend Open Thread

Fashion

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49Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

Our recommended casual clothing for this weekend is this crazy-good sale item from Soma, which is made from bamboo and should (we hope) be exceptionally soft. This is the kind of thing we'd wear a million places: with jeans on the weekend, as a top layer en route to a gym class, as a “robe” on a chilly morning — and yes, perhaps even with trousers to the office. Was $55, now $26 in heather gray, or $9 in black. Available in sizes S-XL. Willow Bamboo Jacket

(L-0)

Comments

  1. C. Z.

    I am thinking about my summer job in NYC and I’m worried about my hair. I have quite long hair now (little past bra strap in back) and I was thinking about cutting it shorter, but I’m afraid of looking younger. I’m a 2L, Asian, commonly mistaken for college freshman/visiting prospective undergrad, and want to be taken more seriously. Anyone have any suggestions for professional haircuts flattering to round faces?

    I think I’m getting the wardrobe down with the help of Corporette and the commenters, but I’m still struggling with grooming questions!

    • anon

      personally, I think very long hair is more likely to make you look younger. most professional women have hair that’s shoulder-length or shorter.

      • Gillian

        I don’t think that is true. Many women, especially younger women, at my law firm have hair that is past their shoulders. While I might cut it so it is above your bra, I wouldn’t change it unless you want to.

        I also look very young. I think the most important thing you can do is make sure you’re dressed appropriately and you do good work.

        • J

          As an Asian girl with a round face, I would recommend going to just-past-the-shoulders in terms of length. Ask for lots of long layers and part your hair on the side. If you end up sticking with the very long hair, my suggestion would be to always keep it up in a ponytail.

    • C

      For my first interviews/job, I cut my long hair very short- chin length. I missed my hair and now it is long, but I wear it clipped in a bun for work. Nothing looks older than that, but at the end of the day, I have my hair back. If you cut it very short, you need a lot of trims.

      • Delta Sierra

        C: I’m with you. My hair has been long, medium, short, medium, long, short, etc etc etc, back and forth, up and down, over the years, can’t ever make up my mind, drive myself crazy, argh. But I always come back to something in between medium and long, which I can formalize (bun or low-on-neck ponytail) but, as you say, I have my hair back when I’m on my own time.

    • Erin M.

      Don’t worry. Soon enough, you’ll have bags under your eyes and look five years older than you are, just like the rest of us!

      Seriously, though, on the east coast at least most professional women have shorter hair. I wouldn’t worry about looking younger if you cut it. Wear it the way you want to. I also look young enough that I tend to get mistaken for a paralegal or assistant straight out of undergrad. I find that dressing like a lawyer is the most important way to make sure I’m treated like one. Invest in some decent suits and accessorize well.

  2. ?

    Does anyone have suggestions for dealing with an assistant?

    I have one now, for the first time ever, and I’m really not happy with her work. Every time I give her something to do, it comes back to me with the kind of mistakes that five seconds’ proofreading would fix. Since I’m new in this position and at least ten years younger than she is, I don’t feel comfortable coming down hard on her about it, but I’m getting tired of having her redo everything as soon as it’s handed to me. (I also don’t want to piss her off, since I’ve heard that your assistant can make your life miserable if he/she doesn’t like you.)

    What should I do?

    • S

      I feel your pain. I’ve given up on my assistant doing anything for me at all. All she does is take breaks and shop online. Her work is so awful that I stopped giving her anything to do months ago…it came back with MORE mistakes!

      If I could have gotten a job like hers, making decent $ for NO work, I never would have attended law school in the first place!

    • jcb

      This is always an unpleasant thing to have to address. I have dealt with it in the past by giving a lot of very nice feedback. Just mark it up by hand and take it back to her to try again. Do that a few times and she will start noticing the mistakes on her own. That is how I learned to pay more attention – most first years do the same kind of thing.

    • Darlene

      Keep working with her, document everything, and request a new assistant as soon as possible. It’s not always the case, but some assistants try to come across as incompetent in order to get their bosses to give up and do it themselves. I once had an assistant who was a published author but couldn’t type my three-line cover letter without five errors. I tried to work with this assistant for a very long time, thinking that constant feedback would make a difference. When I finally realized that he wasn’t going to change, I began collecting enough evidence of how he was making my job harder so that HR agreed to assign a different assistant to me in the next office move. This quote from “Good to Great” really resonated with me as a result: “The moment you feel the need to tightly manage someone, you’ve made a hiring mistake. The best people don’t need to be managed. Guided, taught, led–yes. But not tightly managed.”

      • lulu

        I agree with Darlene and I also think it is key that you don’t give up and just stop giving the assistant things–it contributes to an environment in which all assistants think they can get away with doing poor work.

        I am known for giving brutally honest feedback at assistant evaluation time (often, it comes across harsher than I wanted, but only because no one else is honest and complains) but my concerns have been addressed and now I have a very good assistant.

      • MLB

        I agree — feedback is essential. Women tend to be polite or passive with our assistants and just think — surely she’ll realize she’s screwing up. In some cases, either they want to appear incompetent (as mentioned above) or they actually are, and don’t care to change. D]Counsel her every single time she screws up and document, document, document so HR has ammo when you’re ready to fire her. I wouldn’t let it continue to go on indefinitely – if a secretary can’t type a letter, she’s no good for you.

    • Summer Associate

      As a former assistant myself (now a 2L) I have a few suggestions that may make it possible to avoid “coming down hard” and setting yourself up for misery until she’s out of your hair. It sounds like you haven’t talked with her much about this issue yet, so my suggestions are based on that notion.

      1) Take her to lunch and let her know that the issue is not personal, it’s performance based, and that you are eager to get on the path to a successful working relationship with her.

      2) Tell her that you know that all attorneys have different expectations of their assistants and that you are committed to expressing your needs clearly and having them met effectively by her.

      3) Tell her that you are aware that your success is connected to her excellent performance (or maybe we’re just shooting for adequate here, you decide) and let her know that you want her to thrive professionally as you achieve your own professional goals.

      4) Ask what clarification she needs from you and see if she’s willing to play the game at a higher level.

      The best bosses I ever had clearly explained what they needed from me and have made me feel like an integral part of their professional success. All attorneys need different things from support staff (though we probably all need proof-read drafts!) and I was always frustrated when attorneys acted like their needs were universal. I was always committed to being a great assistant, and once I figured it out what I was missing for each particular boss, I was able to support them and celebrate their professional achievements as a team-player.

      The advice to document the problems is excellent. If you’re really just dealing with an unmotivated staff member who does not respond well to a clear articulation of her bosses expectations, she doesn’t deserve the job she has. In this economy, there are too many people who are desperate to work for a job to be taken up by someone who is unwilling to rise to the occasion.

      Best of luck!

    • C

      I feel your pain, too. I put up with an assistant who constantly made mistakes, and then failed to get them corrected on the second and third tries, for about 15 years. BIG MISTAKE! Document the problems and report them to your supervisor or HR person, whichever is appropriate. A good assistant (which I now have after my former, sweet but not competent, assistant retired) can greatly increase your productivity, not to mention make your work life SO much better.

    • AH

      I’m 27, my assistant is nearing 60. She HATES doing work for me because I’m a first year associate and she has more important lawyers to work for. And I cut into her internet shopping time. She whines about nearly every assignment I give her (I think she does it to see my reaction and what she can get away with), and when she does the work, she does a terrible job.

      It did me a lot of good to simply get to know her. I would chat with her for a few minutes and I took her to lunch a few times. After that, our rapport improved and so when she complains, I have the ability to say, “Too bad! I was hired by this law firm to torture you. Didn’t you get the Memo?” And when she doesn’t do a good job, I give it back to her. It’s a much bigger waste of her time than mine, so her work quickly improved once she realized she was going to get it back if it wasn’t perfect.

      It worked for me, it might work for you!

    • Erin M.

      I’d just set aside time to talk to her about it (don’t spring it on her immediately after she’s given you a document back), ask her if she’s aware of the problem (if you’ve been giving things back to her, I’m sure she is), tell her that you understand her job is stressful but because of her mistakes you feel the need to check up on her work constantly, tell her you think both of you would be happier if you didn’t have to micromanage her work like this, and ask her what she thinks you both can do to ensure it’s not a problem in the future.

      Maybe she has some other real stress that’s impeding her work for you – for instance, maybe she also works for another attorney who really overloads her, so she barely has time for your assignments. If you identify that type of problems, you can try to resolve them. Or maybe she just wants to shop online all day and is hoping you’ll stop giving her work if she does it badly. If that’s the case, she won’t respond well to this conversation and you can begin documenting all your problems with her so you can ask HR for a new secretary.

      Really, don’t piss her off. I’ve had pissed-off secretaries before. Not good.

      Good luck!

    • Rachel

      I also feel your pain. In my case, my assistant was not a good assistant long before she was assigned to me. During the entire time she’s been my assistant, however, she’s been dealing with her husband’s long-term health problems (cancer, and they are to the stage of just trying to keep him pain free). Any attempt to resolve it just results in tears. I give her honest evaluations – praise where praise is due (she’s superbly organized) and criticism where criticism is due. But I’ve long since stopped giving her much to do, and I filter any assignments I can (anything billable) to a paralegal who’s eager for hours.

  3. anon

    Can I get some thoughts on this blazer?

    http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/jacketsblazers/jacketsblazers/PRDOVR~17306/99101805132/ENE~1+2+3+22+4294967294+20~~~20+17+73~90~~~~~~~/17306.jsp

    1) Could you wear the lighter colors in the spring/summer even though it’s velvet, or is velvet strictly for winter?

    2) How would you pair it?

    3) Just for casual Friday/weekend, or could it be dressy enough for regular office wear (no clients, no court)?

    Thanks!

    • Anonymous

      (1) I think it is strictly a cold-weather fabric.

      (2)/(3) With jeans or cords for casual Friday/weekend with a pretty tshirt/blouse/light sweater underneath.

      I don’t think it’d be business-y enough for regular office wear.

      I like it and have been mulling over this purchase myself :)

    • R

      1) I think Velvet can be worn from September into April. Velvet is usually cotton.

      2/3) I think you could wear this to the office (no clients/no court) so long as the rest of your outfit was classic and conservative, e.g., pressed khaki trousers, conservative shoes, white button-up, pearls, conservative hair-do.

    • B

      I think it’s totally fine for regular office wear, but (as always), it depends on your office.

    • A

      I have that blazer in gray, actually, and I love it. You can’t tell from the picture, but it sorta flares out in the back, which helps define my waist. It looks pretty sharp with wider black/dark gray slacks and a deep teal or sapphire blouse. I will probably wear it into about April/May, like the previous poster said, but that’s probably due more to weather concerns (it’s hot here) than fashion sense.

    • J

      I have this blazer in the purple and LURVE it. I don’t think its right for my fairly conservative office, but its my go to weekend/weeknight blazer. It just makes everything a little more festive. I agree that the peplum-y style is super waist flattering. I also agree that its strictly winter/fall, but you might could get away with it at a nicer event over a dress or something — whenever a more opulent fabric is called for in the spring. this is at a great price now– get it!

      • Nancy P

        Ditto to J. I’ve worn this to the office with a nice thin shell underneath and black pants. I’m a biglaw lawyer, but our office isn’t super formal, and this is perfect — it’s a jacket but not a suit.

  4. stargirl

    C.Z. – I am also 2L, Asian, and commonly mistaken for a college freshman. I cut my previously long, straight hair this year to appear more professional. I think it helped. My hair is now about chin length, and a little longer in the front than the back. I agree with anon that the longer hair made me look younger.

  5. MJ

    FYI–Lands End overstock sale is on…really great deals on cashmere. Hop to it! Today was the first day, so there’s still tons of great colors and sizes, including plus sizes and petites.

    • Amy

      Thanks for the tip on this. A dress I really liked was on sale so I got it. They have some suiting pieces for great prices as well. My experience with the Land’s End tailored stuff has always been good, and I love that I can get pants and jeans hemmed to the length I want, which saves me a trip to the tailor’s (and the associated cost).

  6. 3L

    I got excited about the $9 black version of this sweater, but it seems it’s $26 for both colors.

  7. Jay

    Yes, not sure where the $9 in black is coming from. It’s $26.99 for either. Cute find at both prices, though!

  8. RP

    I’m a student attending a conference at Harvard next month… anyone know what kind of dress code that requires? It is a one-day Saturday conference. I would really prefer not to wear a suit if possible, but was thinking maybe a shift dress and cardigan? Thoughts?

  9. M.

    I just got some cute new leather shoes but I have wide feet and the shoes are tight around the baby toe area. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can stretch them out just a little without having to pay a cobbler to do it for me?

    • zee

      If they’re a little tight all around, I sometimes wear sport socks for a little while to stretch them out. Careful not to stretch them out too much, check after a few minutes. The thing with a cobbler is that s/he is a pro and is not going to mess up your shoes, so it’s a matter of if you want to chance it or if it’s worth just paying for it.

    • MelD

      You can get an expandable shoe tree, but I’m not sure that’s going to be any cheaper in the long run than going to a cobbler. The benefit is that you can use it for multiple shoes that may have similar issues.

      • ClerkChic

        It really shouldn’t cost much to go to the cobbler. Last time I had shoes stretched, it was only $4 per shoe.

      • Louise

        I watched the ice-stretching video, and it doesn’t make sense to me. Why wouldn’t the water just expand upward into the empty space at the top of the ziplock baggie?

        I suppose it would be worth trying, though, as the only expense is a couple baggies and some time…

        • Erin M.

          The short answer to your question is gravity. :)

          As the water freezes, it expands in all directions, but the force of the side of the shoes pushing on the baggie it isn’t greater than the force of the water-turning-to-ice pushing on the side of the shoes. So it stretches the side of the shoes. If you put it in, say, a box with steel sides that the force of the water-turning-to-ice couldn’t push out, the sides of the box would force it to expand upwards.

  10. Amber

    It’s only the second weekend of the semester and already stuck in the library Friday night. Hate life. Rant over.

    • Anonymous

      1st week of the semester. Bar prep program offered by my school. All weekend. I win.

    • Woman of Color

      Feel like a total slacker. I have not cracked a book since the semester started. I now have all grades in from first semester, and I did pretty darn well (again without cracking a book until the last three weeks of the semester). I figure I should not mess with a good thing. I am going to enjoy this last semester of law school, especially since I will never, ever, attend school again. Three advanced degrees enough. There are only so many letters that can fit behind your name on a business card. Not to mention, my husband can’t wait for me to start working again.

      • divaliscious11

        LOL…you sound like me last semester of law school… Came back a week late, couldn’t muster energy to go to class (although I was pregnant and didn’t know until sometime in February), went to the Caribbean on spring break (morning sickness recovery) came back and rocked out last semester…

        Hoping that won’t be me this fall when finishing up this MBA….

  11. zee

    This is a thank you shoutout to all the ladies who helped me with my toenail polish problem last week. I selected a neutral pink to match my nails and it was a smashing success. I would have gone with the red, but I was there to impress Rich Old People and decided the pink was safer (although not as fun). I’ll try red next time I wear the shoes. Anyway, thanks for the help!

  12. CJ in CA

    Did anyone watch “The Deep End” last night? What did you think? I missed it, and I was a little sad I missed the opportunity to see the clothes and the complete non-reality of it!

    I’m a 3L, writing a 15 page paper on Friday night, and I’ve got to be at school at 9:30 AM tomorrow, so we can commiserate!

    Also, does anyone have a great moisturizer/ face wash/ treatment for Acne and anti-aging? I feel like I’m old enough now that I should be doing something about aging, but apparently my skin still thinks that clean and clear is the appropriate thing! I’m using Philosophy “On A Clear Day” for mosturizer, primer, cleanser now.

    • MelD

      I use a combination of products and tend to switch days with the anti-acne and milder products. I use a mild cleanser most of the week and Olay Anti-Aging salicylic acid cleanser about once or twice a week in the mornings, Alpha Hydrox glycolic acid lotion in the evenings about 2-3 times a week, and a mild Boots night gel the rest of the week. One thing that’s great about glycolic acid is that it’s good for acne and wrinkles/aging. However, I find that it’s too strong to use more than a few times a week.

      I try to stay away from any of the teen oriented products since most of them seem to be way too drying. I think using anything with benzoyl peroxide for more than spot treatment has the tendency to enhance wrinkles as well.

    • T

      I want to watch it too! I went to abc.go.com to stream it and you can only stream it from the States, I’m in Canada.

    • SUCL 3L

      The Deep End = Grey’s Anatomy with lawyers.
      I use Skin ID by Neutrogena. I have mild/moderate acne and I like that the regimens are tailored to individual skin issues. But I’m not sure what they have (if anything) as far as anti-aging.
      Another point on anti-aging. CJ, if you don’t mind me being nosey, but how old are you? If you’re the age of a “typical” 3L, you’re only 24-25 and don’t actually need to be using anti-aging. I became good friends with a woman who is quite a bit older than me and works as an esthetician. I asked her when I should start using anti-aging products and she no earlier than 30. The best thing you can do before then, she told me, is just to make sure your skin is always well moisterized.

      • MelD

        Maybe I’m alone here, but I always got annoyed in law school when people presumed my age was 24 in 3L. The average age of my class in 1L was 24 and most people came in with at least a year or two in the workforce. I asked another friend who went to another top tier law school whether I was off base, and she said not many in her school went straight through either.

        • SUCL 3L

          My apologies if I offended. I asked about age because I know there are people that go to law school who aren’t coming straight from undergrad. From there, I only commented as to what I know about the thread topic.
          And at my school, the vast majority of students do come directly from undergrad. Therefore, the “typical” 3L here would be 24-25. But, all schools have differently student body profiles.

          • CJ in CA

            You didn’t offend me. I just turned 26. I sort of thought that now that I’m in my “mid to late” 20s I maybe should be doing something.

            Your comment was helpful to me! Maybe I don’t need to worry about it yet, but my guess is it will still be a problem in 4 years!

    • Amy

      Neutrogena makes an anti-acne/anti-aging line that is great. I’ve been using for years. A dermatologist told me that Neutrogena actually is a great line because they have put a ton of money into research, more so even than more expensive “boutique” brands. I use the cleanser and then the anti-wrinkle retinol creams.

      The other line I think is great for aging skin with acne concerns is Patricia Wexler, sold through Bath and Body Works. They have some great serums that really work on fine lines but don’t cause breakouts. Another line backed by a lot of research.

      I live in the Southwest where there’s a lot of sun damage potential, and I see a lot of sun damage on relatively young faces all the time. I don’t think 25 is too young to start worrying about aging if you live in a high-altitude or sunny location, but you definitely don’t need to go full-bore into anti-aging treatment unless you actually have lines (and since so much of aging is genetic, I think that totally is a possibility. I have a friend who’s 33 and already has significant wrinkles, which she could have predicted based on the way her mother and grandmother aged). I think for now using something that will treat both problems – the wrinkles and the acne – is sufficient, and then closer to 30 you might want to consider stepping things up.

      One thing I have bought that really helped my skin – both acne- and wrinkle-wise – is the Clarisonic skin brush:
      http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P137406
      It is pricey, and when I bought it I was kicking myself, but within two weeks of use it had cleared up my chin acne and reduced the fine lines on my forehead. I look like I’ve just had a spa facial, all the time. Considering that the brush was cost of two facials, I think it was a worthwhile purchase. Nothing else I’ve done for my skin has made as much difference. You might want to think about getting a Clarisonic rather than embarking on a full-on anti-aging skin routine. HTH

      • divaliscious11

        Here Here on the Clarisonic. I used to get facials monthly, but have scaled back to quarterly since using my Clarisonic. Most people think I am at least 10 years younger and its definitely in part because my skin looks great!

        • Erin M.

          Is there any polite way to mention that it’s “hear, hear” not “here, here” (meaning, basically, that’s right, let’s hear it again!)? I’m not doing it to be nitpicky, but it’s a common mistake and one that could be embarrassing.

          • divaliscious11

            Well, its not a declaration that I would ever put on a formal document so I wouldn’t likely ever be embarrassed about it. I don’t actually recall what I typed, but I did type it from my iPhone, so ot sure what the auto spell may have filled. Am more surprised it doesn’t say her her…

        • AN

          If you’re below 30, then the best thing you can do for your skin is regular (=daily)sunscreen, and i mean SPF15 or more! That, plus a moisturiser for face and neck should take you through 30. I’m 35 (skin looks about 26/27) and I’ve done this since I was 15! It works!

          Now I’m well and truly into my 30s, need to hunt for the holy grail anti aging stuff:)

    • Erin M.

      I like Neutrogena products. I use their deep action cleanser, and follow it up with an astringent by Johnson Clean and Clear (I have very oily skin) and Burts Bees Naturally Ageless eye cream.

      • C. Z.

        I use Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Face Wash and Moisturizer (SPF 30) and exfoliate 1x/week with Nivea cleansing cream (has little beads in it) and a washcloth. It keeps my skin perfectly clear and really soft, and maybe it’s in my head, but I think my freckles are getting lighter. I don’t have oily skin except on my nose, and my cheeks are very dry, but both of the Neutrogena products seem well-balanced and make my skin feel its best.

  13. Tidy

    I watched The Deep End, and as a very employable unemployed 3L in this market, I was both entertained and annoyed. Great, more reasons for people who (a) don’t know a thing about lawyers (except that they hate them!) and (b) don’t seem to understand just how bad the market is to shame my unemployed self! “But isn’t it like ‘The Deep End?’ Can’t you just apply for a job?”– I can just hear it now…!

    Ok, rant over. Show was cute, but I doubt it’ll become part of my normal tv schedule.

    • Sarah

      A-men on the frustrating misrepresentations of the media vis a vis the legal world. See last week’s weekend comment. One of my friends is moving to NJ, and she said, “OO! Get a job in NYC and you can live with me + hubby!” I was like, “Um, it doesn’t exaaactly work like that.”

      Not only because I’d rather NOT live in Hoboken. No offense to Hobokeners on here, just not my cup ‘o’ tea. :-)

  14. Claire

    Along the lines of the skin care question–Can anyone recommend a really good eye cream. I’m in my twenties so this will be my first anti-aging purchase and I have no clue what the best skincare lines are for this type of product. I’ve noticed that my upper eyelids are starting to droop ever so slightly (my mother has this too so I’m guessing it’s genetic) and the skin around my eyes has started to feel rather dry and delicate.

    • K

      I like Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged eye cream. No idea if the tourmaline and other assorted hippie ingredients actually do anything special, but it’s very nicely moisturizing and I like the scent!

    • AIMS

      I have tried many (drugstore & dept) and I am not sure I have noticed that much difference with one exception — there’s a new Origins eye cream that’s mainly formulated for young-ish skin and that’s fantastic at just adding the right amount of moisture and de-puffing. As I get older, “bags” are definitely becoming a problem (and working late & surviving on coffee doesn’t help), and this is the only thing that’s made any dent. I’m not sure its exact name but it’s some sort of pun on being awake & has caffeine. If you ask at their shops, they’ll know what it is.

  15. housecounsel

    My favorite eye cream is Bobbi Brown’s eye balm. It’s pretty heavy, but I am pushing 40. In my twenties I was a big fan of Clinique – I think the stuff I used was called Daily Eye Benefits.

    I rely solely on Botox to prevent aging around the eyes now, and the eye balm is just to keep me from drying out.

  16. Marla

    Here’s a pretty specific laptop bag/tote question:
    I have far too many laptop bags, but want one that is better for travel than any of my current ones. Requirements:
    – Must NOT be open at the top. (i.e., has to have a zipper top)
    – Needs spot for a 13 or 15 inch laptop. Prefer built-in padding but could add a sleeve on my own.
    – Has to have room for my ziploc baggie of liquids when traveling
    – Needs room for file folders
    – Needs room for the random electronics — iphone, Kindle, Bose headphones and the chargers.
    – HAS to be black.
    Any thoughts? Thinking about this one:
    http://www.tumi.com/alpha/t-pass-medium-capacity-laptop-brief/

  17. dr

    Hi gals. I was SHOCKED to go to Macy’s this weekend only to find that Prescriptives has shut down. Of course they shuttled me to their Clinique counter. I’m not thrilled, but was in a dire situation in terms of foundation. The price differential also worried me, able to get two bottles of clinique for what I would pay for one at prescriptives.

    So here’s the situation. I need spf, regular moisturizing (although I’m 51), have no acne nor oily skin. I have olive skin which is light in the winter and can darken alot in the summer. However, there is the issue of under eye circling and I have melasma – more pigmentation above my upper lip and across the cheek to cheek area on my face than normal for ageing skin. (That was due to an md not listening and giving me estrogen as she thought I was into perimenopause in my 41st year of life, despite having regular periods. I got so sensitized to estrogen that I spent 3 years w/my body thinking it was pg…it was horrid. This is just one of the side effects. Dermatologist creams haven’t done anything to lighten it and sun exposure makes it darker/worse.)

    Thoughts about a new brand? My husband, darling, says “you get what you pay for” and wondered about the cosmetic line’s partner aka Lancome. Or even something at Nordstrom or Saks. I hear about Nars alot, but really am now a speckled fish out of water.

    Many thanks gals. Hope a breath of spring is on it’s way to all, not just in the closet.

    • anon

      If you have access, hit a Giorgio Armani cosmetics counter and try their foundations. It will be the best money you ever spend.

    • la peagoise

      was also crushed by prescriptives going out (first parisians turns into belk and now prescriptives is gone… AWFUL!). my mom used prescriptives exclusively- was the ONLY makeup she’d bought since high school. my advice to her was to walk into a sephora (or any other place with LOTS of different make-up brands and very knowledgeable staff), explain what she wanted, and try, try, try until she found something she liked (she’s experimenting with nars and lancome right now).

      i suggested sephora over a general department store since you don’t have to hop from counter to counter (you can compare products right there), the staff usually know what they’re talking about (and aren’t giving you a hard sell on one brand, usually), and they have a pretty decent return policy (up to half the product used on skin care, at least). plus, get that free rewards card and free SAMPLES!!!

      that said, she has been ordering all of her products online while she still can and stocking up.

      hope that helps!

      • Amber

        At Sephora they’ll also make up little samples of anything in the store for you to take home and try so you don’t even have to worry with purchasing something and returning it later.

    • Erin M.

      I don’t know about specific brands because I never used Prescriptives so I can’t compare it, but when I’m looking for new products I usually visit the site http://www.makeupalley.org to look at reviews and see if anyone has any samples to swap.

    • ClerkChic

      I absolutely LIVE by product reviews from Paula Begoun. She wrote “Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me” and has the website cosmeticscop.com. You can subscribe on the website for product reviews or read her book, which is available for free at my local library! She is fearless about recomending an inexpensive product if it works and trashing a pricy product that doesn’t, but she’ll also give you the honest assessment of “you get what you pay for” and other maxims that we all seem to hear from puberty on. The products she sells are all top notch – I’ve used them since my acne-prone teens and, now that I’m in my less hormonal late twenties, I get compliements on my skin all the time. Make-up and Skin Care alike – great products at shockingly reasonable prices.

      • newassociate

        ditto. her skin care line is GREAT and ridiculously affordable – only a bit more than the cetaphil/neutrogena i was buying at target. her reviews are fair, and i love the debunking reviews of expensive products. paula led me to maybelline’s colossal mascara, which is now my favorite.

      • pinkrobot

        I also second the motion to read Paula’s book, especially the section on ingredients. Citations from peer reviewed journals should guide what you put on your skin.

    • Lucy

      Def try to get samples b/c the light at the shops & sephora is not great, and you always need to see what you look like in natural daylight.

      Had a less than stellar experience with Clinique recently, so don’t recommend them. I don’t wear foundation often but my favorites (if needed) are Chanel and Laura Mercier. A friend who is a make up artist turned me on to both & even though they’re pricey, I think they’re worth it. Chanel is particularly good for dry skin.

      Also, Sheseido (check Sephora) has a fantastic foundation for older women — I have heard lovely things.

    • AN

      I have medium/dark brown skin and what works really well is Chanel’s Teint Innocence for the days I need to look more ‘polished’. Or Vincent Longo’s concealer (should take care of your circles).

      Good luck!

  18. Jo M

    Over the years, I have used Clinique, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Bobby Brown, Laura Mercier, Clarins, to name just a few for skincare. Now I have switched to products available only online and I LOVE them. They come from Paula’s Choice — http://www.cosmeticscop.com. They have a wide array of skincare products that span the gamut from very oily to very dry skin. I highly recommend them. And if you are not sure, for a very nominal sum you can buy a sample pack of the skincare line that is right for your skin.

    I will never buy department store skin creams again.

    • ClerkChic

      I didn’t see this before I wrote my recommendation. Yes! cosmeticscop is the best!

  19. housecounsel

    Don’t go to http://www.makeupalley.com! You will end up wasting a million hours reading reviews, like I do, and you’ll end up spending a gazillion dollars on products you didn’t know you needed!

    If the sarcasm wasn’t evident, please know that I love the site.

  20. Anonymous

    Does anyone work at USAA? I am thinking about applying for an in house position there.

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