subscribe to beauty counter blog via RSSWoodley & Bunny Goes Digital
November 23, 2009 2:50 pm
Despite electing to shut down the clothing arm of their Williamsburg-based salon-boutique-apothecary triple play earlier this summer, Woodley & Bunny’s beauty business is booming. Sisters and co-owners Erin and Misha Anderson have just launched an e-commerce site for the well-edited selection of products from Sachajuan, Lipstick Queen, and Nuxe, among others, available at their North 10th Street storefront. Putting on hipster-approved leggings, riding boots, and a fedora to brave the Bedford Avenue L train stop just to get your beauty fix is no longer necessary—hurray.
tags: and Nuxe, Erin Anderson, Fragrance, Hair, Lipstick Queen, Makeup, Misha Anderson, Sachajuan, Skincare, Woodley & Bunny
How To Get The Face Of An Angel, The 2009 Edition
November 20, 2009 12:33 pm
The “biggest show on earth” took place yesterday, with a live performance from Fergie to boot. But before all of the winged action on the Victoria’s Secret runway began, we made our way past the weapon-sniffing dogs and waded through piles of rogue hair extensions backstage to chat up makeup artist Tom Pecheux, who was turning a bevy of supermodels into Angels. Heidi Klum, Doutzen Kroes, Sessilee Lopez, Caroline Winberg, and Chanel Iman pranced around in short pink and white satin robes waiting for their turn in the makeup artist’s chair, where he was applying what he described as a “sophisticated fresh look” on Miranda Kerr. “I’m using gentle shades,” Pecheux said, adding that there would be “no aggressive colors” on his divine creatures. A tan, rosy cheeks and contouring, and pink lipstick topped off with peach gloss are practically pre-requisites at the VS spectaculars. But Pecheux did add his own flair to the signature look, replacing harsh black liner with a gray version that he dragged beyond the outer corner of the eye to dress up taupe and pink shadows, which were pressed into the crease for a “banana” effect. And since he’s of the mind that “a full fringe drags down the face,” he applied single lashes for added glamour. The finishing touch? A lot of glow. Shimmer was generously applied to Kerr’s cheek and brow bones with a little smidgen added to the inner corner of the eye as well. “That’s the bling-bling,” Pecheux said.
tags: Caroline Winberg, Chanel Iman, Doutzen Kroes, Heidi Klum, Makeup, Miranda Kerr, Sessilee Lopez, Tom Pecheux, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The Rules Of Finger Painting
November 19, 2009 6:28 pm
We tend to eschew makeup brushes in favor of the ten free precision tools attached to our hands. The only trouble is, they don’t come with an instruction manual. Enter Galit Strugano. The Girlactik Beauty creator advocates using your fingers instead of synthetic or natural brushes so you can benefit from the natural heat and oils in your skin, which melt the product for a smoother application. She also maintains that each finger applies a different pressure, meaning one is better for patting on concealer and another for spreading eye shadow, etc. Huh, and we’ve just been using whichever digit naturally makes its way into the eye shadow quad. See below for her finger-painting tips:
Ring Finger for Concealer
Using your fourth finger allows for a softer touch when applying concealer, so you make sure you’re not pulling the skin in such a sensitive area. (Visible dark circles trump inadvertently causing the early signs of aging, as far as we’re concerned!)
Index Finger for Shadow
This finger possesses a little more pressure but still has a gentle touch so that your shadow spreads evenly.
Middle Finger for Eye Crease
The middle finger is the strongest, so it’s ideal for framing your eye, creating definition as you move it back and forth.
Pinky for Inner Eye
Your smallest finger is perfect for applying makeup to those hard-to-reach places. It has the least strength of all so, it will also prevent you from globbing on highlighter when you’re trying to be precise.
tags: Galit Strugano, Girlactik Beauty, Makeup
M LAB, The Exclusive Sale
November 16, 2009 5:21 pm
With members-only e-commerce sites gaining steam (the soft launch of Daily Candy’s new Swirl was scheduled for today, but, alas, the “coming soon” homepage is still up on its Web site), the originators of the cyber-shopping phenomenon are looking for ways to distinguish themselves from the new competition. Ideeli.com has chosen beauty as its point of difference and intends on premiering its first dedicated sale for skincare tomorrow. M Lab—a collection comprising creams and cleansers with the highest level of clinically active ingredients on the market—will be the first brand to get its own 36-hour members-only event—and if the idea of increased efficacy hasn’t sold you, there’s a little something else to sweeten the deal. Every purchase you make, while supplies last, comes with a free .5 oz tub of the cosmeceutical line’s Anti-Aging Treatment Cream, which typically costs $50 on its own. And don’t worry if you’re not actually an Ideeli.com member. Being part of the elite club that is Style.com’s reading audience comes with enough clout to get you through the virtual door. Click here to get your shop on come Tuesday.
tags: ideeli.com, M Lab, Skincare
François Nars, Party Monster
November 13, 2009 5:09 pm
Last night, we bore witness to one of the more epic beauty-and-fashion parties we’ve attended to date. Together in one room were supermodels old and new and rag-trade megastars (see Theyskens, Olivier, and Jacobs, Marc), not to mention one very bedazzled Amanda Lepore—all of whom gathered to celebrate the launch of François Nars’ new photo book, 15×15. The highlight of the night, aside from seeing Nars’ beautiful portraits projected in super-size onto a huge white wall, was watching Daphne Guinness take the bathroom stairs in a pair of completely impractical but entirely unforgettable Alexander McQueen platforms, with not a hand on the banister for assisted balance. It was impressive, to put it mildly. Click here to read our complete party coverage.
tags: 15x15, Alexander McQueen, Amanda Lepore, Daphne Guinness, Fran�ois Nars, Makeup, Marc Jacobs, Olivier Theyskens
Beauty Booty: The Hair Doctor Is In
November 12, 2009 5:50 pm
What: Meet Philip Kingsley and get all of your questions about hair health answered in person (that winter-induced dandruff is treatable!).
When: Friday, November 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Space NK at the newly renovated Bloomingdale’s at 59th Street and Lexington Avenue. Call (212) 705-2772 to book your consultation.
Why: Not only did Kingsley recently answer all of our seasonal-specific hair trauma questions, but he has also kept our tresses chlorine-damage-free through countless trips to the Y with his patented Swim Cap cream. We also like that Kingsley refers to himself as a trichologist, rather than a stylist, implying that his expertise goes beyond mere blow-outs and updos and focuses instead on treating hair problems as a dermatologist would treat skin problems. It makes his whole operation seem that much more legit, which we appreciate.
tags: Bloomingdale's, Hair, Philip Kingsley
Ivanka Trump, Alexa Rodulfo Light Up The Night
November 12, 2009 1:04 pm
If you’re wondering what newly hitched power couple Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner did on their wedding night, we’ve got the steamy details: After their nuptials, the pair sparked up Bois Blanc, from Alexa Rodulfo’s new collection of scented candles. Rodulfo, the go-to hair and makeup artist for New York’s social set, gifted it to Trump, who is one of her devoted, longtime clients. “She can’t shake me,” the heiress and real estate mogul-in-her-own-right joked last night from her jewelry boutique on Madison Avenue, where she hosted an intimate gathering to celebrate Rodulfo’s fragrance endeavor. “I’d like to do a makeup line, sure, but candles have always been my passion,” the Mexican-born face painter said. “Perfume and aroma are like blending colors—there’s no limit.” Clients and friends like Lauren Santo Domingo, Amanda Hearst, Fabiola Beracasa, and Zani Gugelmann were also in attendance to fête the three-piece line, which follows Bois d’Alexa, an instant hit with the jet-set crowd when it debuted last year. “It’s like gangbusters—everything is selling out!” Trump said of the candles, which are currently stocked at Aedes de Venustas in New York and Colette in Paris—not to mention all Trump hotels worldwide. “Quality sells, even in this economy,” she added. “People want substance.”
tags: Alexa Rodulfo, Amanda Hearst, Bois d'Alexa, Fabiola Beracasa, Fragrance, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, Lauren Santo Domingo, Zani Gugelmann
Straight Hair, On The Cheap
November 11, 2009 2:27 pm
For those of you who’ve already experienced the wonder that is a keratin treatment—straighter, more manageable hair, with no re-growth or chemical-exposure issues—you’re also likely aware of the damage it does to your wallet. The process can range from $250 to $500 depending on where you go, but like a fantastic, bliss-inducing drug, once you start, it’s hard to stop. Thankfully, Empire Beauty School is providing the methadone you so desperately need. From now through New Year’s Eve, the national chain is offering keratin treatments for just $48. Yes, advanced students will be administering your service under strict supervision from educators, which should quell the anxiety rising up in your chest a little bit. Click here to find a campus near you.
tags: Empire Beauty School, Hair, Keratin
Byron Williams Loves Lashes, Lips
November 6, 2009 5:02 pm
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 we parted ways, he let us in on what’s next for him and Cunningham. In addition to repackaging their product line, they’re considering expanding into makeup. Two guesses as to what the collection will focus on.
tags: Byron Williams, Hair, Makeup, Tracey Cunningham
Nail Art, The Show
November 3, 2009 5:18 pm
When I first met Brooklyn-based photographer Molly Surno two years ago, we bonded over being ambiguously ethnic-looking Jewish girls with freckles and a mutual love for nail art, subsequently sharing secret nail salon locations all over Brooklyn, where the manicures are cheap and the nail design is exceptional. On November 5 at Capricious Space in Williamsburg, she’ll be showcasing a host of images and ephemera from the trips she’s taken across the borough, exploring the deep and sometimes spiritual relationship that women have with adornment on the smallest of canvases. In collaboration with seven other artists, Surno has curated NEFER/NFR, a display of photography, sound, sculpture, and installation that takes its name from the Egyptian word nfr, meaning both good and beautiful. The overarching theme is dedicated to unearthing how different beauty rituals help shape cultural identity—and yes, there will be a nail artist standing by on Thursday night to help you further “define” yourself while Luiza Sa from CSS mans the decks.
NEFER/NFR opening reception, Thursday, November 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Capricious Space, 103 Broadway, Brooklyn, N.Y., (718) 384-1208.
tags: CSS, Molly Surno, Nails, NEFER/NFR
