September is an out-with-the-old, in-with-the-new month, with change in the air, surprises around the corner, and the heady sense of boundless possibility. (We’ll discuss the fact that the past three months of my life seemed to have fallen down a time-sucking black hole later.) ‘Twas not that long ago young Jolie would be getting ready to go back to school: running amok through the aisles of Target and the Container Store, snapping up notebooks and pens and binders as fast as her little hands could grab them, plotting her coming year with (all-too-temporary) military precision. Teen Jolie thought, “This year will be different! I will study for hours upon end! I will finally get an A in math! Lo, run screaming, chemistry, for I shall conquer you!” And then the school year would begin, and by day two I’d be procrastinating my pre-calculus homework like nobody’s business. (Um, I’d just like to put it on the record, former teachers/loving parents of Jolie, that I was totally right when I adamantly declared my life would be fine even if I got C’s in geometry and algebra and that studying any harder would be a waste of my precious time. Calculators and a modicum of common sense have served me well!)

The buying of the new stuff was, of course, always the best part—school and learning are all well and good but, puh-lease, can anything possibly beat the promise of All! New! school supplies? It’s a theory that transfers to beauty, too–cosmetics companies know it, which is why they maniacally pimp out redesigned fall collections, starting riiiight…about…now. Occasionally, I’ll stop by Saks or Barney’s and wander around the makeup aisles, testing this and sniffing that until I am forced to flee from overzealous, toothily-grinning sales ladies. (Sephora, thank you for understanding the concept of letting a gal browse in peace!) Bobbi Brown usually has excellent fall offerings, and there’s always a flashy little something to catch my eye from Lancome, Giorgio Armani and Guerlain. Ultimately, though, my spontaneous Gotta Have It! fall beauty purchases are the equivalent of the Trapper Keeper I was convinced would result in straight A’s in 7th grade: they’re shiny with lots of gadgets…but we all know Jolie’s going to get bored (read: lazy) in about two minutes and seek comfort in the arms of her trusty standbys. And in the end, if you’re not willing to put the work in, all the new supplies in the world won’t make a damn bit of difference! (Alas, could have saved my parents hundreds of dollars over the years there, huh?)

M. writes: Love your blog and the book… I just have a little question regarding mascara… I know you love Lancome Definicils but you occasionally mention Max Factor Lash Perfection. I am always looking to try new mascaras, so what about the Definicils is better than the Lash Perfection to justify the $18 price difference? Thanks love!

Hi M.!  Thanks for your message! You won’t go wrong with Max Factor Lash Perfection—or Cover Girl Lash Blast, which is my new favorite drugstore offering. (One caveat; as much as I love Lash Blast, I’ve noticed it does have the occasional tendency to flake.  Combat this by running the closed tube under hot water.) Lancome Definicils is an all-time favorite because of the brush, which does a spectacular job at lengthening and defining. Lash Perfection, on the other hand, has a comb brush, which grabs all your lashes and thoroughly pulls the mascara formula through. Both are excellent in their own ways (Max Factor is great for lush, fat lashes, whereas Lancome excels at long and spidery) so in the end, it comes down to whether you feel like spending a few extra bucks for a tube that says Lancome on it!  (Yup, it’s all about marketing.)

By the way, two new mascaras I’m really digging—just in case I didn’t already give you enough options—are Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point (gets every…single…lash!) and Loose Lips Ultimate Volume Mascara (for crazy volume).

I’m having a weird beauty blogger existential dilemma right now.  The Lancome Oscillation mascara, as you might know, is on sale today (for One…Day…Only!) at Sephora.com, Lancome.com and in select boutiques.  (It appears to have already sold out at at Sephora, FYI, but is still currently available on the Lancome website.)  Everybody is freaking out over the fabulosity of said mascara (and by everybody I mean a select group of beauty obsessees, assorted bloggeratti and various editors), and of course I’m also dying to try it, seeing as I’ve championed Lancome’s formulas for years, and have sung their praises all over Beauty Confidential.  But, as I went to the website, filled out my information, and was about to press the “buy” button, I thought, “Wait a second.  What am I really buying this for?”  So that I can feel exclusive?  As though I have the inside track over millions of women who won’t try it until it’s released in December?  I already have six unopened mascaras in the queue, and it’s not as if I’ll be the only beauty blogger writing about it tomorrow.  In that case, is it really worth the $34? 

And if I’m not willing to fork out money for beauty products unless I do actually have the inside track–or am in dire need, feeling impetuous at CVS, or traveling in Europe…does that just make me a cheap bastard? 

Over the years, I’ve written at length about how beauty editors (and now bloggers) receive free products, and I’ll admit that I haven’t paid for any makeup in ages.  Hell, even random items like deodorant and razors often arrive on my doorstep.  We serve as guinea pigs, testing and writing about things so other women can decide for themselves how to spend their cash.  But today, I’m just a beauty consumer like everybody else…and practicality (hey, the economic crisis stretches to Jolie, too!) is winning out over curiosity. 

Teen Vogue Beauty Director Eva Chen has a sneak-peek at Lancome’s new vibrating mascara Oscillation, whose debut you’d better believe the beauty world is watching with a close eye.  (I’m sure it’ll clean up at next year’s CEW awards, and you can probably expect all manner of randomly battery-powered beauty loot in the near future.  Electronic foundation brushes!  Line-dotting khol needles!)  Curious to try it?  Eva reports that Oscillation will be available tomorrow–for one day, only!–at select retailers.  Check out locations here.

When a beauty product becomes discontinued, panic ensues.  How will I live without that perfect, exact, nothing-else-in-this-world-even-comes-close shade of slightly pink, slightly coral, not-too-shimmery, not-too-matte lipgloss?!, you curse the gods.  We girls are damn crazy about our favorites, stubbornly clinging to crumbling compacts and nubby tubes and waxy pencils, angrily shaking off friends who try to press a newer, fancier, better version on us.  (Better?  Ha!  I’ll be the judge of that.)  Sure, there may be scores!, hundreds!, nay thousands! of allllmost identical eye shadows, nail polishes and lipsticks out there…but we likes what we likes, no?  Lucky Magazine’s Beauty Blog lists a few soon-to-be-discontinued gems, including Lancome Juicy Gelee Crystal Clear Lipgloss and Smashbox Smokebox Palette.  Get ‘em before they’re gone!

Anne Hathaway shone at the Grand Palais in Paris yesterday for the over-the-top launch of Lancome ’s latest fragrance Magnifique.  What’s this?  An all-new scent that’s not piggybacking off an existing juice?  Revolutionary!  I’ve never met Anne, but (super lame story to follow, whatever) we were once in the powder room simultaneously at a Broadway premiere, and she was gracious, chatty, friendly and patient when a fan approached.  Even since, I’ve been impressed with her…and I love that she’s pale and proud!

Photo from People.com (Julian Hekemian/WireImage)
This is a hard lip color for many women to pull off, with strong orange-y tones, but it looks lovely on Anne. 

 The music of Cole Porter reportedly played as revelers waited for the name of the new fragrance to be revealed.  Lancome is also launching a new website at Magnifique-Women.com that they’re billing as a community platform to connect and celebrate women via video.  I can’t check it out because it uses Silverlight, and my computer sucks.

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