6 posts tagged "Santa Maria Novella"
Santa Maria Novella In Expansion Mode, Beyoncé’s In-Flight Beauty Routine, And More…
It just got easier to get your hands on Santa Maria Novella’s storied bath and body products. The thirteenth-century Florentine brand’s U.S. distributor, Lafco, will open a fifth free-standing store for the brand this May in Maryland, with its eyes on Denver and Toronto for continued growth. [WWD]
Aesop is also expounding on its U.S. expansion. The Aussie skincare favorite has revealed that it will open four, not three, New York stores by Christmas, including a kiosk in Grand Central station, standalone storefronts in Greenwich Village and Nolita (as previously reported), and a Bleecker Street flagship, if everything goes according to plan. [Racked]
After a whirlwind weekend of outfit changes and café hopping in Paris, Jay-Z and Beyoncé are headed back to the states. Bey’s in-flight beauty look? A middle-parted low-laying bun and a bright red lip—L’Oréal Infallible, presumably. It’s just like her commercial says: When she has to be on, there’s only one lipstick she trusts to stay on…through an eight-hour flight and then some. [Just Jared]
Pucker up for Morphine Lips—a new balm that contains 4 percent benzocaine to numb your lips into a permanent pout. The brand tried a 12 percent formulation at first, but it reportedly “numbed your whole face.” Not cute. [Fashionista]
Santa Maria Novella Gets More Face Time
The Lafco boutique on New York’s Lafayette Street is pretty much the ultimate respite for the shopping-weary. A quiet, airy space packed with a treasure trove of beauty products, it shares little in common with the mega-brand stores lining nearby lower Broadway. Its most admirable feature, of course, is that it’s the sole U.S. importer of the 400-year-old Santa Maria Novella line. Shelves are lined with classics from the Florentine brand, like its Rose Water (which works wonders on puffy eyes and overheated skin) and Acqua di Colonia fragrance (go for the Honeysuckle or Violet scents), as well as its Anti-Hysteria Water, which dates back to 1614, when it was used to calm women driven into a frenzy by tight corsets (now it soothes both indigestion and motion sickness). The well-appointed shop has just started stocking the new Aetus Salubris face collection as well. Latin for “time of life,” the four-piece range comprises the rich, milk-thistle-based Nonox Day Cream, the Indian mulberry and algae-filled replenishing Noni Night Cream, and the super-emollient Protective Oil. We’ve become particularly fond of the apple stem cell-packed, antiaging Regenerative Serum, designed to brighten and smooth the skin while helping to ward off UV damage. Its lightweight texture and effective formula should make for a stellar summer moisturizer, if and when warmer weather ever arrives.
The 411: Jon Bresler
Making the jump from lawyer to purveyor of high-end European personal care products may seem like an odd transition to some. But not to LAFCO New York founder Jon Bresler. Fans know Bresler as the man who convinced Italian brand Santa Maria Novella to let him import its prestigious bath, body, and fragrance products to America for the first time. But the thirteenth-century pharmacist-cum-beauty brand isn’t the only Southern European standout he’s responsible for bringing to our attention. LAFCO opened its flagship over ten years ago with Claus Porto, a 130-year-old, family-owned Portuguese soap-making outfit that Bresler updated with archive-sourced brightly colored Art Deco wrappings. After that, he turned his attention to Eau d’Italie fragrances and perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi’s covetable niche line. Now also selling an eponymous brand of scented candles created in collaboration with creative director Vincent LaRouche, Bresler’s Nolita boutique boasts satellite locations in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami. Here, he shares his favorite primping essentials—no, not all self-proclaimed “beauty junkies” are female.
The Pro: Jon Bresler, founder of LAFCO NYC.
The Destination Spa: Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires
“I run a very hands-on type of business and visit this bucolic spot at least three times a year to unwind and regenerate. The elegant ambience and perfect accommodations are balanced with the breathtaking grounds and scenery. I discovered my ‘Breathing Guru,’ Mark, and his class, The Power of Breath, on one of my recent visits. These particular classes have literally changed my life.”
Canyon Ranch, 165 Kemble St., Lenox, Mass., (800) 742-9000, www.canyonranch.com.
The Hot Little Number: LAFCO’s House & Home Bedroom Candle
“Being in the beauty business, I know that sleep is essential for true and complete health, since while we are resting, our bodies are building, repairing, regenerating, and stocking up for the onslaught of the next day. This candle’s soothing chamomile lavender fragrance lingers on, creating a truly restful environment. There is really nothing quite like it.”
LAFCO House & Home Master Bedroom Candle, $55, www.lafcony.com.
The Skincare Must-Have: Erbe Rosemary Toner
“During a facial at the Erbe Spa [in Soho], I received the most beneficial beauty advice. The facialist told me one of the most damaging things for one’s skin is the chemical and pollutant residue left on your face by tap water, so she recommended using a toner [instead]. Ever since, I’ve been using Erbe’s rosemary toner post-cleansing and shaving. It’s calming and balancing.”
Erbe Rosemary Water, $66, www.erbeskincare.com
Pet Fancier
Louis Vuitton monogrammed carriers, Juicy Couture studded collars, and Coach striped sweaters. To suggest that pets have become as well pampered and accessorized as children would be a massive understatement. If you remain unconvinced, here’s further proof: An order of Dominican monks who have been producing traditional beauty products since 1221 have turned their attention to the four-legged set. The Santa Maria Novella collection of pet products is, much like its humans-only beauty items, focused on top-of-the-line herbal, natural ingredients, and gentle, preservative-free formulations. The rose-scented No-Rinse Detergent Foam is the equivalent of dry shampoo for animals; the chamomile and witch hazel Eye Lotion removes the gunk that can gather around pet’s peepers (pug owners, take note!); and the Lemongrass Lotion spray keeps mosquitoes at bay. Smells of all varieties, meanwhile, are banished with the white musk-scented Deodorant and the lemony Mouthwash Gel. If your mangy mutt needs some beautifying, get your paws on this collection stat.
Fashion’s Night Out For Beauty Junkies
Fashion’s Night Out is quickly approaching, and for those of you whose hearts go pitter-patter for makeovers more than for extended hours at Louis Vuitton, here are a few initiatives that should get the blood pumping—that is, if the Diddy PSA didn’t already do the trick. Click here for a full list of participants and check out Vogue Daily’s neighborhood maps with all the best beauty happenings on September 10.
Jurlique
Get a free, full-size cleanser with any purchase of two products or more. That’s $40 worth of certified biodynamic goodness made with pure-living botanicals, free.
Stop By: Visit Jurlique at 477 Madison Ave. between 51st and 52nd St. or 436 W. Broadway at Prince St. in Soho.
C.O. Bigelow
In keeping with the old pharmacy tradition of selling food and beverages along with creams and salves for what ails you, the oldest apothecary in America will be offering complimentary sodas from its vintage soda fountain all day. It’ll also be handing out free Mentha Lip Shines—you know, so you can gloss-it-up post slurping.
Stop By: 414 Ave. of the Americas at W. 9th St.
Sally Hansen
Sally Hansen manicurists will be offering complimentary manicures at Tracy Reese’s boutique in honor of the limited-edition nail polish collections Hansen has created for Reese’s runway presentations for the past seven seasons.
Stop By: 641 Hudson St. between Horatio and Gansevoort St.
The Plaza Beauty by Warren-Tricomi
The experts and icons behind the elite beauty brands carried at the Plaza Retail Collection will combine forces for the occasion. Makeup artists from Smashbox and Becca will be on site for free consultations, representatives from Sjal Skincare and Comfort Zone will be providing mini facials, hand massages, and other spa treatments, and renowned stylists Joel Warren and Edward Tricomi will be presenting hair demonstrations showcasing fall’s key trends. Samples of Lisa Hoffman Skincare, Tocca, Revitalash, Luzern Skincare, Kai, Santa Maria Novella, MLAB, and Sponge Skincare will also abound—and who doesn’t like free samples?
Stop By: 1 W. 58th St. at Fifth Ave.
Korres
Make the Greek apothecary your late-night stop on the 10th. It’s planned an evening of cocktails and makeovers, including a detox bar serving complimentary antioxidant-infused beverages based on the skincare brand’s star ingredients—wild rose, pomegranate, thyme honey, and sugar crystal. There will also be makeovers using the company’s green makeup line as well as gift bags. And cupcakes.
Stop By: Korres Manhattan, 110 Wooster St. between Prince and Spring St., or Korres Brooklyn, 140 Montague St. between Clinton and Henry St.
Cle de Peau
The luxe makeup brand’s color creator, Lucia Pieroni, will be holding court at Bergdorf Goodman for the day and offering consultations at the counter. As one of our favorite editorial artists and a backstage favorite at New York and Paris fashion weeks, the chance to have Pieroni assess your face isn’t so much an opportunity as an honor. See you there.
Stop By: 754 Fifth Ave. at 57th St.
Clarins
Clarins will be staging a series of “beauty parties” at locations across the city (as well as at Macy’s counters across the state) equipped with gratis Champagne and hors d’oeuvres, not to mention a series of complimentary mini beauty treatments.
Stop By: Click here for a list of citywide locations.
Angel by Thierry Mugler
Lovers of the original gourmand fragrance will have a chance to experience its creation through a hands-on workshop about its construction, followed by a mini spa olfactory journey with treatments using the award-winning Angel Les Parfums Corps collection.
Stop By: Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and Saks stores throughout the city as well as Macy’s locations in Rego Park and Cross County.