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subscribe to beauty blog via RSSByron Williams Loves Lashes, Lips
November 6, 2009
If you live in L.A. and are remotely beauty-centric, Byron and Tracey is no doubt on your radar. The Beverly Hills salon is a favorite with Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and Nicole Richie, among others, and is the brainchild of Redken’s creative consultant for color, Tracey Cunningham, and Byron Williams, who pulls double duty as hairstylist and makeup artist. Williams counts Rachel Zoe as client numero uno and boasts a glossy list of other fans like Amber Valletta, Demi Moore, and Eva Mendes. We caught up with him in New York this week right off the red-eye, after he had primped and primed Valletta for her Spring 2010 Monrow lookbook. “Me and Rachel [Zoe], right now we’re into red lips and a clean eye,” Williams told us, giving a shout-out to NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in either Cruella or Dragon Girl. “But it’s all about the lashes.” Williams said he typically eschews the full fake lash in favor of applying single hairs individually. Unable to resist, we asked about Latisse. “I can tell you that it works 100 percent, and that it’s very popular with my clients. I don’t know how it affects everyone, but there are definitely side effects.” (Like it’s reported ability to leave dark skin pigmentation around the eyes and permanent brown color change to irises, yikes.) Before he ran off to catch a plane, he let us in on what’s next for him and Cunningham. In addition to repackaging their product line, they’re in talks to expand into makeup. Two guesses as to what the collection will focus on.
tags: Byron Williams, Hair, Makeup, Tracey Cunningham
Liz Earle’s Beauty Of The Month Club
November 6, 2009
Is there a natural beauty junkie on your shopping list? Consider Liz Earle. The cult-favorite botanically active line from the U.K. has cooked up a clever skincare subscription of sorts, where you get one bottle of its best-selling eucalyptus, chamomile, and cocoa butter Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser—plus two pure muslin cloths—once a month for the entire year. The cream formula penetrates deeply to remove daily grime without drying you out and doubles as an effective makeup remover. At $294, the 12-piece deal works out to about $24 per bottle. In addition to including all shipping, handling, and packaging, it’s likely to bump you up to “great gift giver” status.
tags: Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, Liz Earle, Skincare
Tom Pecheux’s Fancy New Title
November 6, 2009
Tom Pecheux has always been one of our favorite makeup artists. There’s his soft-spoken French accent and his perfectly calm, collected, and kind demeanor during the craziness that is fashion week, but what really gets us is his expert ability to paint faces in a natural and beautiful way. There’s also something cool about the fact that despite his early links to Shiseido, he’s been answering to no one for the past few seasons. While his equally renowned peers snatched up creative director titles with big brands like P&G, Pecheux has been working with weapons from his own arsenal of favorites backstage, rather than a regimented selection of brand-specific cosmetics. But it appears as though the corporate sponsors have come a-calling again. Today Pecheux has gotten what is perhaps the biggest prize of all and has been named Creative Makeup Director for Estée Lauder. Charged with “[setting] artistic direction for the next generation” of its makeup, Pecheux will likely bring a new, edgier approach to Lauder’s color collections, as well as a soupçon of Parisian glamour. Yeah, we’re excited.
tags: Est�e Lauder, Makeup, Tom Pecheux
Pretty Is As Pretty Does
November 6, 2009
Did you know that Molly Ringwald sang on two Disney albums in the early eighties, or that Oprah was Miss Black Tennessee at age 17? Neither did we, until we pulled out the informative product inserts-cum-trivia cards inside Margot Elena Wells’ new line, Love + Toast. The colorful lip glosses, hand creams, and scents will get you with their cute packaging and keep you coming back for more with six unique fragrance combinations, including Pomme Poivre and Gin Blossom. Wells, the beauty guru and self-taught illustrator behind the equally eye-catching niche lines TokyoMilk and Lollia, has decided to devote a portion of every sale from the range directly to Girls Inc., a nonprofit that provides mentoring and leadership services to young women—hence the inspirational “Totally Righteous Women Role Models of the ’80s” info inside all of the products. The collection had a soft launch at Urban Outfitters last month and has just gone live on www.beautyhabit.com. Two words: stocking stuffers.
tags: Fragrance, Lollia, Love + Toast, Margot Elena Wells, Skincare, TokyoMilk
Leighton Meester Gets Cheeky
November 6, 2009
Leighton Meester is doing for blush what Blair Waldorf did for the headband; the perfectly pink cheek is becoming her signature. At last night’s Swarovski-hosted book launch for Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman’s You Know You Want It: Style-Inspiration-Confidence, the show’s star placed the happy hue on her apples and dragged it outward toward her cheekbones for contouring. We too have been feeling a little rouge of late (great minds), and have been leaning toward liquid and cream formulations, like Benefit’s Posie Tint, for application ease and a smooth finish. A few drops will take you a long way. Do you like Meester’s rosy glow?
tags: Benefit, Eric Daman, Gossip Girl, Leighton Meester, Makeup, Posie Tint
Oh, That Holiday Smell
November 5, 2009
I just finalized my December travel plans—Christmas in Montana, very excited. It took actually purchasing said plane ticket to conjure that warm and fuzzy holiday feeling, but there’s an easy and significantly cheaper way to get a jumpstart on some Yule-time glee if heading to Big Sky country isn’t in your future: Jo Malone’s limited-edition Pine & Eucalyptus collection. One whiff of the extra-large luxury candle’s crisp, fresh scent and you can envision what few moments of Zen you may be able to steal away in between the endearing familial arguments that are sure to come. The range also includes bath soaps, a bath oil, and a cologne.
Forever 21: The Makeup, New “Dracula Therapy,” And More…
November 5, 2009
We told you it was coming. Here, a sneak peak at Forever 21’s new makeup line. It looks…affordable? [Examiner]
The newest antiaging trend? Injecting your own blood into your face. Vampire references—so hot right now. [Daily Mail]
The MediSpa industry has come under scrutiny. Should you really lipo where you facial? [NYT]
Exercise does not, in fact, take the weight off. You can stop doing those painful squats now. ]NYT]
More beauty pageantry, this time from across the pond, where Miss England allegedly punched Miss Manchester in the face in a bar brawl over a guy. Only in the U.K. [Sky News]
tags: Dracula Therapy, Forever 21, Makeup, Skincare
Decléor Gets Night Vision
November 5, 2009
Having secured a loyal celeb following that includes Katie Holmes, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, and one Brad Pitt (he’s a fan of the facials), Decléor is turning its attention to one of the industry’s biggest trends-of-the-moment: the night treatment. Its new Aroma Night collection features seven unique plant-derived formulas that target different skin types using a holistic approach to boost energy, rejuvenate, and protect against the early onset of aging. The jury is still out on whether or not there’s any truth to new claims that nighttime is the right time for skin repair, but we will say this much: slathering on its Regenerating Night Beauty Cream’s combo of evening primrose oil and black orchid extract, before bed definitely helps us wake up with a supple canvas for concealer applications. As for its long-term benefits, there’s always wishful thinking.
tags: Brad Pitt, Christina Aguilera, Decl�or, Katie Holmes, Mariah Carey, Regenerating Night Beauty Cream, Skincare
Kruger Vs. Lively In An Eyeliner Showdown
November 5, 2009
At last night’s Chanel Fine Jewelry Fête d’Hiver benefit in New York, black and navy were the evening’s big colors, with similarly dark shades of eyeliner also getting a lot of play. If you can focus your attention beyond the ginormous diamond-encrusted camellia around Blake Lively’s neck, how do you like the liner on the inner rims of her eyes with mascara on both the top and bottom lash lines? Do you prefer Diane Kruger’s full brow and softer top-lid-only liner with mauve-y shadow pulled underneath the lower lashes for a touch of subtle smoke? Let us know below.
tags: Blake Lively, Chanel, Diane Kruger, F�te d'Hiver, Makeup
When Makeup Begets Fragrance
November 4, 2009
With news that prominent fashion brands with fragrances, like Burberry and Michael Kors, are turning to color cosmetics for some good old-fashioned revenue-boosting, it’s perhaps not surprising that well-known makeup visionaries are now launching their own signature scents. We’re all for spreading the wealth, aren’t you? Bare Escentuals founder Leslie Blodgett introduced Bare Skin last month. The first fragrance from her eponymous Perfume Diaries collection, the anise, vanilla, and labdanum eau is based on scent memories of a sun-drenched trip to Mexico. The idea of revisiting pivotal moments through fragrance also fueled QVC darling Mally Roncal’s fruity-floral venture, which officially went on sale last week. Mally Beauty Fragrance pays homage to Roncal’s Filipino roots and uses the country’s night-blooming sampaguita flower as its heart. If only they’d add haircare to their product offerings, they’d have the whole brand-loyalty thing all sewn up.
tags: Bare Escentuals, Bare Skin, Fragrance, Leslie Blodgett, Makeup, Mally Beauty Fragrance, Maly Roncal
