I 'll spend my summer vacations in Italy (Rome,Napoli,Milan,Verona)and in Austria(Vienna).I would like to ask ,especially the women of the Slowtravel forum a questions about...cosmetics.Yes cosmetics and beauty health.As my mother is having her birthday next month i would like to offer her a gift.I think cosmetics would be a good idea.I've heard recently about Boots No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty serum.They say it is something new to anti-aging.So i get to e-bay to buy...and i saw so many products of this label and have no idea which to buy.If one of you ladies know something more,please help.Do you think i'd better wait and buy the product from the cities i'll visit(airports or the stores in the cities) or do it on line?
Please help i have no idea on what to buy and from where.
Thanks so much in advance.

Nice to think of your mother, Antonis.


But do NOT, I repeat NOT, buy her anti-aging or anti-wrinkling cream. I think that most women of a certain age will feel this is what you think they NEED.

Cosmetics are a great idea: Buy her a cream that feels good on the skin, or something that smells good if you know what sort of scents she likes.

Go to a store when you are traveling, and see what looks attractive. I am sure the sales help will take care of you.

Buon viaggio!

As a woman of "a certain age" I gotta tell you I'd kill you if you gave me "anti-aging" cream.

A better idea is go to Santa Maria Novella in Florence and buy their terrific hand creams, sachets, etc..

Hey girls i have to buy my mother an anti-aging cream because she likes using them.As a matter of fact she has spent much money on buying non-effective creams of this kind.She hasn't heard about this new cream yet.I personally believe that she will be very much pleased with my gift.

Sorry for coming on so strong, Antonis. If you know that that's what she wants, by all means buy some for her. But I would still say to do it in a shop while you are vacationing; you can see, smell, touch what you are getting. And get a pretty package too.

IF I were not afraid of getting into an argument with some of my fellow-STers here, I would say that your mother's experience of repeatedly buying ineffective anti-aging creams was likely to continue. But of course I would never say anything like that about such a popular line of products .

I have to support the advice not to give her an anti-aging cream. No matter what a woman buys for herself, she wants to think that others see her as a timeless beauty!

For anti-aging, you'd do better to buy her some nice wild salmon and copy of Perricone's book!

Or a gift certificate to a shop with beauty products- how about Sephora?

Every product at the Santa Maria Novella Pharmica was outstanding. I did notice you didn't have Florence on your itinerary but that is the place to buy face creme. Good Luck and Happy Birthday to your very lucky Mom.

Ginger

If I'm not mistaken, there is a Santa Maria Novella in Rome, in the vicinity of P. Navona. I hope it hasn't closed, because I'm counting on shopping there in October. You couldn't go wrong with their products Antonis.

I think a gift from the SMN Pharmacy would be appreciated by any woman of any age. I know I always appreciate it when someone brings me something from abroad, especially if it is something not readily availabe here.

I would also have to recommend against the Boots no. 7 because that line is now available at Target, I know because I buy a new Boots product every time I go to Target. I know this brand is English but now Target carries the whole line, the (apricot, almond, and olive oil) body butter is my favorite product-it smells delicious.
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/ref=sc_fe_l_2_1042...e=UTF8&node=13827141

Another vote for not getting a lady an anti-age cream, no matter how much she likes to use them, no matter how much she tells you she wants it. The better gift is to tell her she is beautiful. The fact is, as we get older we look older, no matter what we use on our face. Taking this a step further, never get anything for weight loss, for hair removal, for acne, girdles, etc. etc. etc. Please, Antonis, trust us "girls" on this one.

quote:

I know this brand is English but now Target carries the whole line

Actually, what Target carries is just the tip of the iceberg. Boots in the UK carries a vast selection of products, both their own brand and others and the selection at Target is very small. Also, the products are very likely reformulated for the U.S. market. And based on the locations indicated in the first post, Antonis is not going to be anywhere near a Boots location, anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Antonis:
As a matter of fact she has spent much money on buying non-effective creams of this kind.

While I have to agree that an anti-aging product is not the most conventional gift (add me to the list of ladies that would go with something from SMN), I'll address this issue since it's what the OP wants. IMHO, most OTC products don't have a high enough concentration of the anti-aging product. So while a product may advertise retinol, for example, it's not a strong enough strength to make a noticeable difference. I started using Renova, which is prescription only in the U.S. and I like the results, but when I bought drugstore products, I saw no difference and can't imagine the Boots product will live up to the hype.

Of the drugstore brands, I particularly like Avene's Ysthéal line. That's their anti-aging product and when I don't want to use Renova, I use Ystheal. You should be able to find it all over Europe, as it's a European brand and only recently has been sold in the U.S.

Unfortunately, while I'd like to accept aging gracefully, I am a product junkie and constantly looking for hope in a jar.

Antonis, you will be in Milan, whose silks are famously beautiful. Why not offer your mum a silk shawl? It will be easy to transport and is something she can show off all the time, and I'm sure she will.

I wade in with all the others. Even for women who love to use antiwrinkle, anti-weight gain products, these products have a functional aspect and are not what a woman expects from a present. It's like a high tech vacuum machine or the most opulent toilet plunger. Convenience has its place, but a carved SMN bottle or a moiré silk shawl, now, that is a present.

Anti-aging cream?
How about one that helps prevent cancer too?

They make some nice sunscreens in Europe, unscented, less goopy, photostable ones with Mexoryl in levels unavailable in the United States. (The highest you can get here is an SPF 15 or 20.)

Nothing says "I love you" like sunscreen. Every day.

quote:

Originally posted by Antonis:
Hey girls i have to buy my mother an anti-aging cream because she likes using them.

Antonis, you've heard here a lot of advise from the girls. Here are two from a boy:

1. If your Mom loves, likes, needs, etc., an anti-aging cream, whether it works or not is immaterial; what matters is that your Mom would be happy to have it, so buy it.

2. Then, wrap it in a nice silk scarf!

Doru, trust you to come up with the perfect solution

I love Doru's note!
I'm in the camp of you probably know your Mom best so go with your original instinct..most often they are right.

I bought my MIL an expensive cream for Christmas last year that I knew she would never purchase for herself. I'm a product junkie and I don't mind paying for beauty. Guess what? She LOVED it and has since purchased it again for herself.

Just know who you're buying for!

Antonis, as only you know your mom and you think this is what she would like, then go for it.

I am 53 and just recently bought my first bottle of the No.7 lotion - not to hold back aging as I truly don't believe any lotion will hold back Father Time. However, I bought it for the wonderful way it makes your skin feel.

Here in Canada it costs Cdn$25 and the product I purchased was a 30ml,1 US fl ounce of No. 7 "restore and renew".

It's a great product and I'm sure she'll love it.