subscribe to beauty blog via RSSGood, Clean Holiday Fun
December 3, 2008
If you have some oatmeal, leftover coffee grounds, and a few empty tofu containers lying around your kitchen, you, too, can be a part of the bespoke beauty movement. With Bramble Berry’s complete kits of high-quality organic ingredients (and no shortage of Web wisdom to help you make sense of it all) you can use your own household items to make natural soaps, lip balm, body lotion, and even eye shadows. It’s the perfect way to flex your green muscles and reduce, reuse, and restrain your spending in the coming weeks—everyone loves a (useful, not altogether unfortunate) handicraft on the holidays.
tags: Bramble Berry, Makeup, Skincare
For “Anxious Sweaters,” Some Good News
December 3, 2008
Those of you who refrain from throwing your hands in the air and waving them like you just don’t care for fear of unsightly sweat stains and body odor might be pleased to know that Unilever feels your pain. The makers of wetness-protection giant Sure will debut a new, high-performance deodorant next month as part of an extension of the popular brand, targeting what they’re calling the “anxious sweater” demographic—or people who worry their deodorant isn’t working effectively. According to Marketingweek.com, the two new antiperspirant deodorant products, Sure Woman Maximum Protection and Sure Men Maximum Protection, claim to offer twice the protection of the best-selling antiperspirant of popular jingle fame, promising up to 48 hours of efficacy. And get this, the new formula—which comes as a cream stick applicator—is applied before going to bed, the premise being that at night sweat glands are less active and the skin is therefore more receptive. Fingers crossed this isn’t just a marketing ploy, so that silk shirts can finally become acceptable year-round attire.
tags: Antiperspirant, Deodorant, Skincare, Sure Maximum Protection, Unilever
Holy Makeover Madness
December 3, 2008
Forgoing the vampy, Dita Von Teese tribute look she was sporting only a month ago, Evan Rachel Wood debuted a new ginger hue at the 18th Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards last night—with eyebrows to match. (Her affinity for gold satin dresses apparently remains.) What say you—better as a brunette, or do you appreciate her attempt to lighten up?
tags: Dita Von Teese, Evan Rachel Wood, Hair
Sowing The Seeds Of Skin Radiance
December 3, 2008
APPLESEED EXTRACT/ (a-pel-seed ek-strakt)/n./ 1. A substance derived from the fertilized, ripened ovules of a flowering, edible pomme fruit, typically found on a cultivated tree of the rose family; /n./ 2. Possessing powerful antioxidants and rich in polyphenols, essential fatty acids, and AHAs, the seeds from one of fall’s favorite fruits have become popular among beauty enthusiasts for their antiaging and brightening capabilities, e.g., “With its natural, complexion- enhancing, skin-resurfacing power, an apple a day keeps more than just the doctor away.”
Try it: Fresh Appleseed Brightening Essence, $95, www.fresh.com.
tags: AHA, Antioxidants, Fresh Appleseed Brightening Essence, Polyphenols, Skincare
Tarte Introduces Affordable Excess
December 2, 2008
As a follow-up to last year’s “we wish you wealth” palette—which would’ve perhaps been better suited to this season’s economic climate—Tarte Cosmetics’ new holiday offering, the Vanity, is a steal for the frugal shopper, despite the frivolous connotations of its name. A triple-tiered, limited-edition makeup treasure trove, the purple and gold box holds 16 eyeshadows, 16 different lip glosses, and the brand’s best-selling Deluxe Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara; Mineral Powder Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess; and luminizer. But wait, there’s more. The third swivel tray also includes four powder blushes, stacked above an eye shadow and eyeliner brush. It’s basically an opportunity to stock up on all of the makeup you might want/need in the new year, for just $52. Go on, rationalize the purchase.
tags: Makeup, Tarte Cosmetics, the Vanity
Perfume You Can Literally Bathe In
December 2, 2008
If you have a few thousand dollars to burn this holiday season, Chanel has the answer for what to get the No. 5 lover in your life: that would be No. 5, supersized. The French brand is releasing three special-edition bottles of the classic scent, in 225, 450, and 900 ml sizes, the latter of which equals approximately four cups of the floral blend—enough fragrance to last for many Christmases to come. Previously only available by special order through Paris, the gigantic flacons will be sold exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City.
tags: Chanel No. 5, Fragrance, Saks Fifth Avenue
Antioxidants: A Big Ol’ Scam?
December 2, 2008
As if the the beauty industry needed more bad news, what with its grim holiday retail prospects, a new study just released out of University College London claims that there is “no clear evidence” that antioxidants slow down the aging process. The findings are based on genetically manipulated nematode worms whose comparable lifespan to non-manipulated placebo worms, suggest that oxidative stress—which antioxidants serve to minimize—is less of a factor in cellular aging than previously thought. According to Cosmetics Business, the Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA) has responded by saying the study may not be directly relevant to the complex process of aging as it happens in humans—adding that by law, cosmetic companies have to substantiate any claims they make. But the idea that the research could negate almost a decade of superfruit pushing, Vitamin C loading, and global consumer dollars poured into antioxidant rich creams is likely sending a chill down the spines of more than a few beauty bigwigs.
tags: Anitoxidants, Cosmetic Toiletry & Perfumery Association, Skincare, Superfruits, Vitamin C
Sharon Stone, Fresh Off The Chopping Block
December 2, 2008
Slightly intrigued by Sharon Stone’s choppy blond bob at last night’s 23rd Annual American Cinematheque Awards, we went in for a closer look. Upon further inspection, the straight angles in the front appear to transition into some serious makeshift graduation in the back—simultaneously reminding us of the drunken haircut scene from the epic post-prom party in John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles and begging the question: Is the Basic Instinct star currently moonlighting as her own stylist? No, really. We want to know…
tags: Hair, Sharon Stone, Sixteen Candles
Patyka, An Exercise In Practicing What You Preach
December 2, 2008
The charming apothecary is alive and well in New York’s West Village—reaching beyond C.O. Bigelow’s monolithic Sixth Avenue digs and stretching down to Carmine Street, where the first stand-alone Patyka store in the United States recently opened its doors. Decorated with mostly earth tones, the 450-square-foot space is the visual embodiment of the French company’s commitment to making sophisticated organic products in a simple but luxurious way. Vintage and repurposed fixtures adorn the cabinets and oak tables display face care products, body oils, washes, fragrances, and more from all three of Patyka’s full lines. Stocking Biokaliftin, the most effective organic cosmeceuticals on
the market; its classic line of signature skincare products, which have been repackaged in PET instead of glass to minimize the company’s carbon footprint; and the new Green line, a diffusion (read: affordable) body and face line in which nothing exceeds $19, the store serves as both calming retail oasis and high-brow recycling depot: As part of Patyka’s commitment to sustainable beauty, there will be a redemption service for any/all empty bottles brought in.
Patyka is located at 33 Carmine Street, between Bleecker and Bedford streets
in New York City.
tags: Biokaliftin, C.O. Bigelow, Fragrance, Patyka, Skincare
Fake Flush, The Real Deal
December 1, 2008
In this season of wind-burnt cheeks, I have rediscovered an affinity for blush—or rouge, as my grandmother called it (terminology that is long overdue for a comeback, as far as I’m concerned). Since standing outside for long periods of time or pinching your way to a perfect pink is both uncomfortable and excessive, simulating a flushed, I-just-came-in-from-the-cold -and-boy-do-I-look-fabulous face is a great way to perk up your complexion, which has likely lost its summer glow. This gem from makeup artist Alice Ghendrih is currently driving my application aspirations. While I’d like to be able to duplicate her placement—reminiscent of doll makeup and applied slightly higher on the apples of the model’s cheeks than usual—and that searing shade of rose (a pink so pink that one might be inclined to cry digital enhancement), I will most likely continue to reach for something a little more conservative, like Benefit Cosmetics’ Posietint applied dead center. You, however, dear reader, should feel free to venture outside of your comfort zone.
tags: Alice Ghendrih, Benefit Cosmetics, Blush, Makeup, Posietint
websites: