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subscribe to beauty counter blog via RSSPretty Is As Pretty Does
November 6, 2009 11:58 am
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
Decléor Gets Night Vision
November 5, 2009 12:14 pm
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
Kiehl’s Taps KAWS For A Little Art Therapy
November 4, 2009 3:58 pm
Shiseido isn’t the only beauty company joining forces with a renowned artist in support of RxArt this season. Kiehl’s has teamed up with graffiti legend and Kanye West favorite KAWS, a.k.a. Brian Donnelly, to create a limited-edition bottle of the brand’s cult-favorite Crème de Corps body lotion. One-hundred percent of the net profits from the sale of each jojoba butter-, shea butter-, and sweet almond oil-packed container will be donated to RxArt, which helps support art programs in pediatric hospitals around the world. The collab won’t officially hit stores until the 15th, but you can buy it online now if you can’t bear to wait that long.
tags: Creme de Corps, KAWS, Kiehl's Since 1851, RxArt, Skincare
MAC Gets Gaga—And Cyndi Lauper, Too
November 3, 2009 12:21 pm
Last night, something entirely epic happened. To celebrate the announcement that Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper have been named the latest faces of the MAC AIDS Fund, both women gathered in the same room—Champagne in hand—all but a foot away from us. (Calling the moment “life-changing” would not be an overstatement.) The newest campaign, which is called From Our Lips, will break on February 25 and includes two new lipsticks, aptly called MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipstick and Viva Glam Cyndi Lipstick, with 100 percent of the proceeds being donated to the MAC AIDS Fund. The collection itself won’t hit stores until March, but MAC has issued two different Miracles Happen Viva Glam Lip Kits for the holidays to keep you satisfied in the interim. Coming in Neutral Pink and Terracotta-Plum, they’re a great way to give back—and give the gift of a perfect pout.
tags: Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, MAC AIDS Fund, MAC Cosmetics, Makeup, Miracles Happen Viva Glam Lip Kits
Cover Girl Blasts Off
November 2, 2009 12:16 pm
Backstage at Donna Karan and Anna Sui’s Spring shows, makeup artist and Cover Girl creative director Pat McGrath took us on a quick run through some of the bigger launches she’s got planned for the brand this year. Particularly noteworthy was the new Blast collection, featuring LashBlast Length Mascara, which is cleverly designed with product reservoirs at the tip of its brush to grab and extend fine, hard-to-reach corner lashes; Smoky ShadowBlast, a double-ended shadow stick for lining and smudging; and ShineBlast Lip Gloss. The range won’t officially hit stores until the end of the year, but Cover Girl has decided to release a limited quantity as a preview beginning today. (We saw McGrath demo one of the Smoky ShadowBlast sticks on Lily Donaldson, and for the record, it looked pretty darn good.) Click here to get in on the action while supplies last.
tags: Anna Sui, CoverGirl, Donna Karan, LashBlast Length Mascara, Lily Donaldson, Pat McGrath, ShineBlast Lip Gloss, Smoky ShadowBlast
Michael Kors Does Makeup
October 30, 2009 2:58 pm
Michael Kors is the latest designer to embrace the world of color cosmetics. The Project Runway judge has inked a deal with Estée Lauder to bring his Very Hollywood concept from fragrance to makeup. Scheduled to launch in January, the 19-piece line is awash in beige, corals, pinks, and shimmer. Less about “heavy makeup” than it is about a “sporty glow,” the collection is an homage to a low-key, modern Hollywood glamour that the designer equates with wearing flip-flops and eating grilled cheese at the Beverly Hills Hotel, one of his own favorite pastimes. So, more Kate Hudson, less Cary Grant. [WWD]
tags: Carrie Grant, Est�e Lauder, Kate Hudson, Makeup, Michael Kors
Bobbi Brown Takes The Silver
October 28, 2009 12:15 pm
Speaking of metallic makeup (see J. Lo item, below), for those of you who use the holidays as an opportunity to dabble in things of the shimmery variety, Bobbi Brown is making it particularly easy to shine. Her new Chrome Collection features an eye and lip palette that packs ten crystalline shadows and four glittering glosses into one fold-out case—with full-size mirror for application ease. As readers of this blog know, I am on the fence about all things sparkly, finding myself leaning more toward matte or dewy finishes, but there’s something about this time of year that makes experimentation with iridescence somewhat more acceptable in my book. ‘Tis the season, I guess.
tags: Bobbi Brown, Chrome Collection, Makeup
Dior Makes A Case For The Compact
October 27, 2009 12:33 pm
Whether or not you’re ready to accept it, the holidays are quickly approaching. It’s unclear what actually demarcates the beginning of the season—whether it’s the first appearance of Christmas lights or the nascent pangs of stress that come with making your Thanksgiving travel plans—but in our world, the arrival of repackaged makeup sets means it has begun. Dior has proven particularly adept at luring consumers this time of year by miniaturizing its coveted Cannage tote and re-creating it in palette form, the idea being, if you can’t have the bag, you should at least have its corresponding lip quad. Its holiday collection includes a limited-edition red patent stitched leather case with a lip balm, gloss, and two versatile colors; a black patent leather version with four iridescent eye shadows; and a silver deluxe model with a shade range for eyes, lips, and cheeks. They’re a great way to pre-reward yourself for the tolerance, patience, and “serenity now” chants that you’re going to be relying on in the months to come.
Drugstore Discovery Of The Week
October 26, 2009 1:25 pm
As previously mentioned, we’re currently doing battle with dry skin—and winning! Our patented mask/face oil/cream moisturizer strategy is doing wonders for our face, but sadly, our body is still suffering. Having shortsightedly left our hippie skin salve at home when we ventured across the pond last week, we were forced to peruse London’s drugstore aisles for something to use in the interim, which is when we discovered Bio-Oil. It gained Euro cult status a few years ago when it appeared on the scene as a revolutionary new stretch-mark treatment/scar healer, but we were drawn to the white-capped, peach bottle for its other claims, which include combating uneven skin tone and revitalizing aging and dehydrated skin. Boasting a clean, fresh almondlike scent, the surprisingly thin, nongreasy oil is formulated with PurCellin Oil, a laboratory re-creation of the preen gland oil of ducks, which distributes a lubricant film over the bird’s entire plumage to allow for enhanced swimming abilities. In skincare form, this acts as a carrier, helping to deliver vitamins A and E to the skin for improved elasticity and softness; also included are hefty helpings of clarifying calendula oil and soothing lavender and rosemary oils. Bio-Oil does contain paraffinum liquidum, a.k.a mineral oil, a.k.a a no-no for true green-leaning types. But if you’re willing to look beyond that, you’ll probably really enjoy slathering this one all over your parched limbs. And conveniently enough, it’s available stateside at a CVS near you.
La Mer To The Rescue
October 21, 2009 10:39 am
Faithful readers of this blog may have noticed that we are fairly inquisitive about ways to remedy dry skin of late. (See this week’s Doctor Is In column with Dr. Ellen Marmur for more information.) It’s mostly because we’ve recently found ourselves at a seasonally transitional skin crossroads that has left our face tight, cracked, and not at all appropriate for social activity. We switched out our summertime exfoliating scrub for a gentler cleansing milk and have been “self-medicating” with layers of argan oil topped off with a thick coating of Prescriptives Comfort Cream (R.I.P). But all of our efforts have only provided a temporary fix. Then we remembered two simple words that infinitely helped us last winter when we suffered a similar misfortune: La Mer [www.lamer.com]. The luxe skincare range with fabled cure-all properties can be as miraculous as it is rumored to be, provided you use its precious, marine-based ingredients in the right form. The Crème, for example, is much too heavy for us, but we’ve had success with the moisturizing lotion in the past. The brand has just released its Hydrating Facial, an eight-minute, two-piece mask that fits over the top and bottom of your face for proper delivery of its special blend of dark green algae, avocado and melon plant extracts, and cellular lipids. With nowhere else to turn, we gave it a go this morning. And perhaps unsurprisingly, all of the press release’s promises came true: dry complexion, renewed; skin transformation, visible; glow, resilient and healthy. Yes, it is pricey, but not as exorbitant as you’d think. The packets come six to a box for $250, which is about how much a really fancy spa facial can run you with tip—and that’s a one-shot deal. If you’re thinking about treating yourself—and desperately in search of something that will let you wear concealer again without all of the flaking—we highly recommend giving these a go.
tags: La Mer
