ERROR:
subscribe to beauty counter blog via RSSDiamond Dolls
February 8, 2012 3:37 pm
There are a few things about star-studded award galas that always remain constant. The (borrowed) rocks will be big, and celebrities’ pores will be small as they take their turn on the red carpet. The right jewelry and the right facial can be the difference between winding up on a best-dressed list and becoming fodder for the fashion police, so it shouldn’t be that surprising that H.Stern and Natura Bisse have teamed up for awards season. Their first stop: the Agua Spa at London’s Sanderson Hotel, where the renowned jewelry company and the Spanish beauty brand have devised a crystal-encrusted complexion-boosting treatment to help Britain’s best actors prep for the BAFTAs this weekend. The Natura Bisse Diamond Ice Facial is based around marine DNA from the aquatic crustacean Artemia salina, that, when infused with energy, has an active property that creates a next-level lifting effect. The experience also involves three targeted massages and the application of very, very cold quartz crystals to power the lifting mechanism (therein lies the ice bit). The best part? Once you pass the array of precious gems on display at the pampering haven, you enter a treatment room equipped with an air pod—a giant tent with 99.9995 percent flowing air. “The tent has been used for ages by athletes. Rafael Nadal has used it after intense matches to clear his system,” explains Elena Serra, communications director of Natura Bisse. “People often confuse air with an oxygen treatment or a hyperbaric chamber, but it’s not—it is just pure air, which after years of research we discovered accelerates the benefits of the facial by aiding the formulation of collagen and elastin. Air also helps to improve concentration, circulation, and respiration.” Apart from Rafa, Beyoncé, January Jones, and Rachel Bilson have all visited the “bubble,” as the destination is called, and other high-profile celebs will get their chance at the end of the month; the H.Stern/Natura Bisse bubble road show is Oscar-bound. A-listers, make your appointments now.
tags: BAFTAs 2012, H. Stern, Natura Bisse, Skincare
Shadow Dancing With Rossano Ferretti
February 6, 2012 11:41 am
Italian hairstyling impresario Rossano Ferretti is making global moves—and fast. Last year saw the expansion of Ferretti’s international salon system to Paris, New York, and L.A., and in January, Ferretti set up shop in London, bringing along “The Method,” his token cutting system that, as far as he’s concerned, is the first major invention in haircutting since the 1960’s. “This is a technique that you cannot learn in three to four days. The more you do it, the better you understand it,” the L’Oréal global ambassador told Style.com on a recent visit to his new U.K. digs while he watched the movements of a protégé.
The experience starts with a meeting between client, colorist, and hairdresser. Here, a history is taken—face shape is discussed, eye/skin color scrutinized, options explored, and even nutritional advice dispensed. An application of color follows, but no foils (”foils are too regimented, so mechanically placed,” colorist Jack Howard explains. “I prefer the balayage technique, which makes it seem like you have been kissed by the sun on holiday.”) Then, following a body-numbing Shu Uemura Ceremony head massage, it’s time for the cut, which is heavy on the texturizing scissors and entails a bizarre shadow dance with quick, 360-degree motions in which hands move around the body, while feet shift constantly in a Muhammad Ali-meets-Mikhail Baryshnikov kind of way. The cut itself is always downward, in stark contrast to the traditional upward snips of most other procedures. “We work with gravity to enhance the contours of the face, the neck,” says Ferretti’s artistic director Pol Garcia. “We also learn not to cut when it is not necessary. Our belief is that each head of hair is different, so each cut is different”—no cookie-cutter Jennifer Aniston bobs here, thanks.
None of this comes cheap, of course (sessions with Ferretti himself can cost upward of $1,500), but you’re paying for quality—and ambience. Ferretti is a master aesthete, whose salons internationally are found in important architectural buildings. His new London space is situated in the former home/office of William Morris, with all of the astonishing Morris-era black chandeliers and wallpaper left intact. “You don’t go to a hotel just to sleep, do you? In the same way, you don’t go to a salon just for hair. It’s a total experience.” Mark it down on your LFW must-see list.
17 St. George Street, London, 44-207-493-0555; for more information, e-mail london@metodorossanoferretti.com.
tags: Hair, Rossano Ferretti
Drybar Heads North
January 27, 2012 2:14 pm
After officially going bicoastal in September with its first location in Manhattan, Drybar has now set its sights on empire-building. Alli Webb’s blow-dry-only concept salon opened its second store in New York this week, setting up shop at Le Parker Meridien’s brand-new Underground beauty and wellness destination. In collaboration with interior designer Colum McCartan, the luxe hotel in midtown is about to unveil a new 20,000-square-foot mecca for primping, priming, and snacking on organic vegan smoothies. Located in the property’s ample subterranean space that used to house a series of racquetball courts and a Gravity Fitness, the Underground will include a redesigned fitness studio, a Petite Blue Dog Café where you can procure preservative-free locally grown ingredients post-workout, an uptown location of Tenoverten, Tribeca’s go-to for manicures and brow grooming, and Moonshine, Le Parker Meridien’s first-ever spa, which will simply specialize in facials and massages when the concourse opens its doors on March 5. For now, just Drybar is operational, although it’s worth the trip as a stand-alone venue. Just like its sister store in the Flatiron District, the studio offers its regular menu of five different blow-out styles that range from straight and sleek to wavy and high-volume with nine chairs and a selection of styling products from Morrocanoil, L’Orél Paris, and Tigi to boot. And here’s the hook: The uptown outpost will be open until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, which should be music to the ears of editors (and beauty enthusiasts) who keep late hours at offices above 42nd Street.
Drybar at The Underground at Le Parker Meridien, 119 W. 56th St., NYC, (212) 245-5000, www.parkermeridien.com.
tags: Alli Webb, DryBar, Hair, Le Parker Meridien
A Spray Tan Of His Own
January 18, 2012 5:01 pm
For spray-tanning loyalists, James Read needs no introduction. Britain’s man with the golden gun memorably turned Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s very visible limbs an unbelievable shade of bronze for her Burberry Body campaign last summer, and in addition to misting fellow Brit Ellie Goulding, Read frequently tends to visiting dignitaries like Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. Over the past decade, Read has worked his way through the industry’s best self-tan brands, trying and testing them all. But there comes a time in every connoisseur of DHA’s life when he has to make a mist of his own. For Read, that time is now. “It was vital for me to create a tan that didn’t look, feel, or smell like a traditional fake tan,” he tells Style.com of his brand-new, quick-dry, James Read Salon Spray, which just launched exclusively at the Sanderson Hotel’s Agua Spa. “It had to offer the most natural results possible and give clients the opportunity to simply tan-and-go.” The resulting formula is packed with aloe vera, vitamin E, and glycerin to keep skin smooth while a balance of red, green, and blue pigments works together to create near perfect color matches for every skin tone. The long-lasting, odorless mist applies evenly, fades naturally, and can simulate the effect of “anything from two weeks in the Caribbean to a weekend in Cannes,” Read explains, adding that the key to the product’s exceptional faux glow is a meticulous layering process. “It’s about looking real,” Read surmises—even if you can’t get to the islands or the French Riviera anytime soon. You don’t need to book a trip to London to partake in Read’s customizable sprays, either. Word on the street is that his professional tan system is poised to cross the pond later this year.
The Agua Spa at the Sanderson Hotel, 50 Berners St., London, 44-020-7300-1414, www.sandersonlondon.com.
tags: James Read, Skincare
A New Yorker In Santa Monica
December 29, 2011 12:38 pm
Los Angeles residents have a new reason to be thankful this month: one of New York’s master cutters has pointed her compass due west. Shin An, the stylist who earned her shears at Mark Garrison salon and Paul Labrecque—not to mention being immortalized by Philip B. (the product guru named not one but two styling aids after her, Shin Shine and Shinade Pomade)—has opened up her first, eponymous salon in the heart of Santa Monica. The setting is idyllic in a way that just isn’t possible in New York; the airy cottage (a cottage!) on a stylish stretch of Montana Avenue features cool, Asian-influenced décor like lacquered wood carvings, traditional Asian privacy screens, and colorful mosaics. While the setting may be new, Shin’s signature dry-cutting technique, which has earned her a very devoted clientele, remains the same. “I always say, ‘when the hair is dry, it doesn’t lie,” she explains. “Wet hair can be deceiving. With a dry cut, I am able to visualize the shape and texture of the client’s hair and sculpt the precise look according to what fits.” Let the celebrity spotting begin.
SHIN Salon, 1025 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica; (310) 310-3128; www.shinhair.com.
If You Like It, Then You Better Put Some Bling On It
December 22, 2011 1:00 pm
For those of you who are still riding the nail art train, we imagine you’re beginning to tire of plain old DIY appliqués. Sure, they’re convenient and come in a wealth of different colors and prints. But to some degree, if you’ve seen one zebra-print overlay, you’ve seen them all. Unless, of course, the zebra-print overlay in question has been decked out in crystals. Dashing Diva’s new Design FX Bling in-salon service offers 20 different bejeweled and bedazzled appliqué options to bring the right amount of “festive” to your holiday dinner table: Choose from a single accent nail or a full set of decked-out fingers—and cradle that cup of eggnog with gusto.
Visit www.dashingdiva.com to find a salon near you.
tags: Dashing Diva, Nails
Phyto’s Damage Waiver
December 21, 2011 12:43 pm
Hair may be the focus there, but Phyto Universe is no salon. Yes, your locks will be shampooed and conditioned, blow-dryed, and styled. But before any of that happens, they will be analyzed thoroughly—using the hair trauma center’s patented Phyto Scope, a giant probe that magnetizes your scalp’s every follicle and oil gland. It’s at once cool and creepy, but every treatment at the midtown hair haven begins like this, including the newest addition to the menu, the Botanical Keratin Repair. Thanks to many years of coloring and heat styling aplenty, I was the perfect candidate for the targeted blend of hyaluronic acids and botanical-born keratin, which together help restore weakened or damaged strands. The service begins with a positively heavenly scalp massage using the essential-oil packed Phytopolleine scalp elixir to stimulate circulation. Then comes the Phytonectar oil (which happens to be made with 12 percent egg yolk, an old favorite for hair nourishing), which is slathered onto the lengths and ends before it is steamed for about 15 minutes to ensure optimal penetration. Following a good washing and conditioning with Phytokeratine shampoo and conditioner (each has ceramides, hyaluronic acid, pomegranate extract, and botanical keratin), my aesthetician applied a generous dousing of a silk peptide and Brazilian palm oil-laced serum. But it’s after the subsequent blowout that you can really appreciate the result of all that keratin: My hair was super-soft and shiny, and my color—which was overdue for a re-up—looked almost restored. Not a bad pre-holiday pick-me-up.
$175, available at Phyto Universe, 715 Lexington Ave., NYC, (212) 308-0270, www.phytouniverse.com.
tags: Hair, Phyto Universe
Jo Malone: Bringing The Art Of Fragrance Combining To The West Village
November 28, 2011 3:46 pm
Fresh on the heels of its brand-new boutique in New York’s Grand Central Terminal, Jo Malone’s new flagship on Bleecker Street is officially open for business. “It is the new hub of the West Village,” James Gager, Estée Lauder senior vice president and group creative director for MAC, La Mer, and Jo Malone, says of the store’s location, which is a stone’s throw away from the recently opened NARS boutique, Diptyque’s new digs, and a sprawling Marc by Marc store, as well as the new U.S. outposts of Parisian haunts Maje and Sandro. The design of the 715-square-foot space is meant to bridge the gap between English classicism and English modernity—”it’s luxurious and contemporary but has references to the classic sensibilities of the past,” Gager elaborates. “The thing l like most about the store design is that it feels like a residence,” he continues of the location’s painted cabinetry, black corbelled walls, and carpets, chairs, chandeliers, and sconces. The thing we like most about the store design? It retains the standard Jo Malone “tasting bar,” so you can try out all of your favorite scents and layer them with others to find a new favorite combination. Another bonus: The downtown address is a much more convenient place for us to pick up Jo Malone’s new, limited-edition Roasted Chestnut candle, which we hope to burn for hours (and hours) through the end of the holiday season.
Jo Malone, 330 Bleecker St., NYC, (212) 242-1454, www.jomalone.com.
A Vodka-Infused Toast To Better Pampering
November 17, 2011 3:38 pm
The haute spa race is on in Paris. As Clarins’ new My Blend spa at the Le Royal Monceau and the Guerlain-stocked treatment menu at the new spa at the Mandarin Oriental duke it out for bragging rights, Le Bristol’s revamped relaxation destination arrives with a spin all its own. Spread over three levels, the serene Pierre Yves Rochon-designed space is the new go-to address for La Prairie facials (caviar addicts, take note). It also offers exclusive treatments by niche brands such as My Organic Pharmacy, the aromatherapy-based Russie Blanche and the algae-centric Les Thermes Marins Saint-Malo. But what will really propel this pampering haven over its competitors is the newly erected Russian Room. A first this side of Moscow, it comes fitted with a private hammam, a heated marble table, and a movable horizontal shower. It also serves as the exclusive venue for the Bristol’s Vodka Detox Massage. While we’ve always been under the impression that vodka is best suited to re-toxing, the spa uses the circulation-stimulating alcohol topically as part of a concoction that includes coarse sea salt and sesame seeds (to exfoliate), a citrus essential oil blend (to energize), and sesame oil (to nourish and protect the skin). Make no mistake: ten minutes in the hammam and a top-to-toe rubdown followed by a rinse with that horizontal shower adjusted to hit the meridians just so, will knock you sideways—but only for about half-an-hour. Unlike tossing back a few martinis, this intoxicating pastime leaves you brimming with energy and ready to conquer the world.
Vodka Detox Massage at La Prairie Spa at Le Hotel Bristol, 112 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, +33 1 53 43 43 00 www.lebristolparis.com.
tags: Hotel Le Bristol, La Prairie, Skincare
Caudalie Fast-Forwards
November 16, 2011 4:26 pm
Spending countless hours at Caudalie’s spa at The Plaza in New York is not a difficult task. But if you don’t have time to luxuriate in a two-hour facial followed by a lounge in the relaxation area with a few glasses of fine wine (and more than a few nibbles of fine cheese), there’s a new way to get in, get out, and get your primp on. The Under an Hour collection features four treatment round-ups designed to be completed in 60 minutes or less. Vine Reset offers a detoxifying wrap, scalp massage, body massage, and moisturizing mask; Vine Express showcases a body polish, body wrap, petite facial, and scalp massage; Vine Power includes the spa’s grand facial, which is paired with a manicure and petite pedicure; and Vine Flash combines a petite facial and brow shaping with a bikini wax and polish change. We partook in the Vine Flash on a recent visit to the pampering haven, as it includes four things we typically have to trek all over the city for. The service actually begins with the bikini wax, which is unrushed and thorough, and then transitions into the facial. To keep on schedule, this one comes minus extractions, but a little circulation-boosting massage and deep exfoliation can go along way to enhanced clarity. A brow shaping and lacquer application follow directly after. Needless to say, lunch hour just got way more exciting.
Under an Hour treatments are available at the Caudalie Spa at the Plaza, 1 W. 58th St., NYC, (212) 265-3182, www.caudalie-usa.com.
