Las Vegas Shopping

Fashion Show Mall.

Left: Oddly enough, a fashion show was underway at Fashion Show Mall.
Left: Shopping at the Outlet stores on Sunday.

Left: Marc, wearing a gold masque of some sort...


Last week, John reported back from Vegas, and said:

It seems about the same as last year except there is a bit more desperation in the air

Indeed, at Circus Circus, one cosmetics merchant accosted Sally and said:

You've heard of the Dead Sea, right? The Dead Sea?

Sally was startled and couldn't quite puzzle out the merchant's accent and denied ever hearing of the Dead Sea. We had to skedaddle out of there!

Nevertheless, there are more urbane, suave ways for merchants to approach customers. Charm helps. Thus, and so charmed, we unexpectedly found ourselves in an unfamiliar environment, in an elite shopping establishment, in between the Luxor and the Mandalay Bay, looking at the OroGold line of cosmetics. The fellow said that celebrities frequently come by (which I would believe, at this location) and even dropped a name or two.

A charming fellow named Tony informed us about the value of putting gold onto our skin. He said something to the effect that gold contains electrons and that those electrons infuse the skin and help pull it taut.

Nerd that I am, I wanted to inform him that the gold atom has complete electron shells, and is remarkably inert - in fact, inertness is one of gold's most important features - and that gold can't do much more to your skin than sit on it. But the fellow was so charming I chose to let the point slide....

Both Sally and I tried on the masque, and some eye serum, and thoroughly-enjoyed shopping at a level somewhat above our usual demographic. Because, when business drops off, the high-end merchant has to reach one-level-below to help sustain that precious cash flow.

The cost of what he showed us is about $700.00, which sounds high, but for a two-year's supply of high-end cosmetics, is actually quite reasonable.

I told the fellow I sometimes go to Sephora for cosmetics, but he pooh-poohed that establishment. "They make their cosmetics in China," he said. "Why would you put inferior products on your face?" And the fellow had a point. Why put Chinese seaweed on your face when you can put Italian seaweed on your face?

I mean, really.....