Shopping and Strolling in Italy
Maurey Lancaster
my USA parents on a whirlwind trip to Italy.. We visited Florence, Rome, Siena,
Venice and Milan, with lots of little stops in between!
It also wasn't primarily a shopping trip, but much more of a sight-seeing
excursion. I did manage to wangle a few things, however! And many thanks to
Lexie and Vicki for making recommendations....
First of all, Mom brought me my birthday presents from the States. I got
Chameleon quad from Hard Candy and Jeni Lee Envy gloss (which I had had and
swapped away--ah well! It's a nice gloss after all). The Chameleon quad I'm
really unsure about. The greenish and mauve colors make me look a bit sick,
and it probably didn't help that I wore it for the first time trying to fight
off a bit of a hangover. It really enhanced my physical state of being, let me
tell you!
I made three real stops in Italy for things: Santa Maria Novella, Madina
Milano and I also got some great Diego Del Palma in the local Mestre Coin
department store. My family bought boatloads of merchandise in Venice, but
since it was my third time, I just watched them go for it! I have some nice
glass jewelry and didn't need anymore...
At Santa Maria Novella in Florence, my mom bought Pomegranate for me as a gift.
It smelled wonderful on... for about two minutes. Then another note appears
on my skin that made my physically ill. I tried it on several different
occasions, and the same thing happened. So, on to the swap list!! Too bad,
really. I love the store, but I've never really been wild about anything that
I've gotten there.... am I missing something??
We stayed in Mestre, a little town just outside of Venice, and there was
actually great shopping there! A very nice Sephora, and I also happened upon a
new display of Diego Della Palma. The line was featuring a line of cream to
powder use anywhere colors--four to a case. I bought two--Gummy Colors (very
natural) and Sparkly Colors (bright and shimmery in the case, very soft on the
skin). The texture and consistency is much like the Chanel Aqualumieres, but
they didn't say anything about adding water, and I never used water with the
Chanel anyway. I like both palettes... the colors are natural and seem to stay
on well.
In Milan, I found Madina Milano, after running around a bit (I forgot the
address!!). The shop was really lovely, and it is really set up for a true
"makeup" person---lots of makeup artist extras. I got a foundation (which I
needed like a hole in the head) which is absolutely gorgeous. It's a cream to
powder foundation, but it's very very light... not much coverage. It lasts all
day and stays matte extremely well too. The proper name is Light Illusion
Foundation. Really really nice. I've worn it every day since I bought it. I
also got a cream cheek color (no. 4--a sheer natural rose/pink) that wears very
well indeed. I hated Milan---all the designer shops were horrible and snooty,
but this line is really worth a look over. I wish that I had gotten the mauve
pink double gloss, and perhaps another cream blush in a warmer shade. But
maybe I'll be back again to check things out.
In short, it was a tiring trip, but it was great fun seeing my parents discover
Italy. Viva Italia! Hopefully I'll be back before too long.... but I have
Paris and Switzerland to conquer in late May first. Ah, the trials of having a
husband who travels for a living...
Maurey (remove "no junk" from my address to email me)
____________________________________________________________________
"Home is within me. I carry everyone and everything I am with me wherever I
go"
~Suheir Hammad, Palestinian/US poet
Blushun
"Maurey Lancaster" wrote in message
> Well, I'd better post this before I forget everything! Brit husband and I
took
> my USA parents on a whirlwind trip to Italy.. We visited Florence, Rome,
Siena,
> Venice and Milan, with lots of little stops in between!
I hope you have some pic's to share with us! I feel like I've been around
the world in a few short days thanks to Edlynne, Audra, and your decripions.
Thank you for sharing your trip.
Blushun