6 posts tagged "Sonya Dakar"
Slough Love With Sonya Dakar
Whenever celebrity-favorite aesthetician Sonya Dakar is in town from L.A., we make a point to see her—as much for her amazing touch and arsenal of incredibly active products as the pearls of wisdom she readily doles out. And then there are the compliments, of course: “You have baby skin,” she told us when we saw her at a launch event today. “When you’re 45, you’ll look 30!” But we digress. While we exchanged pleasantries and Dakar asked us about our own regimen, her heart seemed to sink when we mentioned the dermatologic-grade glycolic acid pads we’ve recently added to our routine. “Those are too strong for you,” she exclaimed as we dismissively nodded. Then she looked us deep in the eyes and reiterated: “Stop using the pads.”
Once we genuinely conceded, Dakar offered up a very tempting exfoliating alternative—not to mention a great tip: A big fan of gentler lactic acid, the skin savior was giving us the hard sell on her Flash Facial, a cooling, exfoliating gel bolstered by resveratrol and Hylasome (“It’s five times more hydrating than regular hyaluronic acid,” she effused), which does produce almost immediate results, as we—and Gwyneth “Most Beautiful” Paltrow—can attest. The actress apparently gushed over the product during her cover turn on People magazine, causing a mega-spike in sales. Dakar recommends following that up with her soothing, apple stem cell–enriched NutraSphere Nano Mask and saving the glycolic acid pads for rough patches on your knees, heels, and elbows: “Use them twice a week until the pads are gone. Then, good-bye.” A great idea for self-tanning prep—and a skimpy summer wardrobe.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
‘Tis the season to be merry and bright—and yet if you’re anything like us, your skin is anything but. Luckily, Sonya Dakar has slid down the proverbial chimney with an early holiday gift for West Coasters with brighter, more luminous complexions on top of their wish lists. Just in time to save a little face, the Beverly Hills-based skincare guru has introduced her new Snow Facial. Based on the benefits of the IBR-Snowflake concentrate found in her line’s Stem Cell Transformer—a natural Botox alternative—the skin-smoothing treatment is already a hit with Dakar’s celebrity clientele who are starting their awards-season prep now. Rather than use steam to start the service, a practice that has a tendency to break capillaries, according to Dakar, she begins with a cold mist that is followed by a clinical dose of the Transformer, which is then blended with Icelandic Glacial Water, a brand hand-selected by Dakar because of its enviable purity and high-alkaline pH levels. The snow-based mixture is applied to the face for a jolt of rejuvenation, which Dakar believes is an innovation in antiaging, as it tightens and diminishes puffiness, leaving you with a chill—and a glow to match. It’s perfect for West Coasters looking for a break from the California sun—and East Coast vacationers who are yearning to break free from the winter cold and dry indoor heat.
Sonya Dakar Clinic, 9975 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA, (310) 553-7344.
Skin As Fresh As A Daisy
BELIDES / (bell-e-deez) / n. / 1. The extract of Bellis perennis, more commonly known as the daisy flower, which is native to western, central, and northern Europe and classified by its yellow center and white petals; / n. / 2. A forest nymph in Roman mythology who transformed herself into the flower Bellis to avoid the unwanted attention of the orchard god, Vertumbus; / n. / 3. A popular domestic plant symbolic of innocence, purity, and happiness; / n. / 4. A skin-lightening agent that evens out age spots and pigmentation, e.g., “Brighten up your day—and your skin—with a Belides bouquet.”
Try It: Sonya Dakar Nutrasphere Fade Away with Belides, $195, www.sonyadakarskinclinic.com.
Ten Ways to Contribute to the Cure
Evelyn Lauder has been raising public consciousness about breast cancer since 1993, when she laid the groundwork for the nonprofit Breast Cancer Research Foundation and co-created the now-ubiquitous pink ribbon—the worldwide symbol of breast health—of which 110 million have been distributed. Lauder’s efforts over the years to raise funds and recruit retail partners’ support for the BCRF are expected to reach a total of $45 million to date this year—not to mention earn a Guinness World Record for “Most Landmarks Illuminated for a Cause Within 24 Hours” (Schönbrunn Palace in Austria, Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel in India, and Kuala Lumpur Tower in Malaysia were all lit with pink light before the Empire State Building went pink on October 1). “We want this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign message to serve as a call-to-action to women and men to connect with everyone they know and communicate the importance of breast health and early detection, in order to conquer this disease once and for all,” Lauder says. The beauty exec’s admirable goal is to eradicate the disease in her lifetime, and you can do your part by spreading Lauder’s message and, well, shopping. Here are ten limited-edition charitable products to help you contribute to the cause and get properly primped for fall.
Ojon
If you’ve spent any time trying to re-create the frizzy halos of curls on display at both Sonia Rykiel and Marc Jacobs’ Spring shows, your hair is probably pretty zapped. Ojon’s much-beloved Restorative Hair Treatment, a panacea for the dry and damaged, will help restore moisture and luster to your strands while donating $5 from the sale of each tub to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment, $21, www.ojon.com.
Aveda
Aveda will donate $4 from the sale of each vitamin-rich Hand Relief lotion to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation specifically to fund cruelty-free environmental research for a cure. The tube is slightly bigger than usual—5 oz. versus the usual 4.2 oz.—which is good news for your hands, which are already likely experiencing the drying effects of the changing seasons.
Aveda Hand Relief, $21, www.aveda.com.
Sonya Dakar
While we can’t say we’ll be jumping on Gwyneth’s vegan diet bandwagon anytime soon (our love for cheese is too intense), we are definitely fans of one of her favorite vegan skincare products: Sonya Dakar’s Organic Omega Booster. The natural, moisture-restoring complex goes pink this month, donating $20 of proceeds from sales to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.
Sonya Dakar Organic Omega Booster, $42, www.sonyadakarskinclinic.com.
How To Make It (Look Good) In America
The new HBO series How to Make It In America wraps its freshman season this Sunday—and hopefully the finale won’t be the last we see of it. The show follows the struggles of creative young hipsters trying to make it big in New York City while tooling around the Lower East Side. The cast features stunners like Lake Bell, who plays an up-and-coming interior designer, and her quirky boss, Martha Plimpton, who frequently rocks an offbeat coral lip and keeps a stash of Ecstasy in her top drawer. While fans debate its fate online, we’re more fixated on the beauty looks, which manage to be cool in an effortless, unscripted kind of way. We caught up with the lead makeup artist, Bradley Stenson, to find out how crafting realistic looks actually requires a lot of product—and a little bit of illusion.
The show has drawn a lot of comparisons to Sex and the City for its location and narratives about relationships. But unlike SATC, the looks are not over-the-top trendy. How did you play it subtle-but-distinctive with the makeup?
Well, the thing is, the setting is gritty but the characters should look good. So I focused on fixing imperfections and enhancing an actor’s look, not changing it.
What’s your secret technique?
I take a Polaroid first and look at what needs to be fixed. Mostly it’s a little lift and minor adjustment to make someone’s features more symmetrical. I can line eyes in a way that makes them appear more balanced, or shade a nose with foundation to sculpt it. You have to be like David Copperfield—a master of illusion.
Well, your magic must work because Lake Bell doesn’t appear to be wearing any makeup, even in hi-def. It just seems like she patted on some blush and lipstick.
Oh, you have no idea! You’d be surprised at everything I used.
Please, do tell—spare no details!
OK, I start by putting Sonya Dakar Omega-3 Repair Complex oil all over her face for serious moisture. Then I layer on La Mer Hydrating Infusion, the one in the green bottle, and the La Mer Crème—the really rich one. Next I prep with Laura Mercier Hydrating Foundation Primer and Vincent Longo Water Canvas Base #4 under her eyes and T-zone to give her a new layer of skin. I follow that with La Mer Tinted Moisturizer #3, which is off the hook. I put in on with a sponge and just spread it all over. It gives you a glowy effect that’s amazing. Finally, I swipe Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in that half-moon area under her eyes so the light bounces off her face.
Your makeup kit must weigh a ton. I’ve noticed that you don’t really do the smoky-eye thing, which is pretty pervasive these days. Why have you steered clear of it, for the most part?
Lake’s character has a clean look; she’s easy breezy. I take Yves Saint Laurent Eye Pencil in Deepest Green, which isn’t piercing black, and ridge her lash lines sometimes, but that’s it. The hue has a certain level of intensity, but it’s not screaming “obvious.”
Let’s talk lipstick. It seems to be what makes each character stand out. How did you pick the colors?
Yes, exactly. I wanted the colors to reflect their personalities. Lake is a natural beauty so I chose Vincent Longo Lip & Cheek Gel Stain in Liquid Kiss. For Edie, Martha Plimpton’s character, I went with Clarins Color Quench Lip Balm #4, an offbeat coral. And for Gingy, the downtown gallery owner [played by Shannyn Sossamon], she really has her stuff together, so she’s NARS Jungle Red.
Where do you get your inspiration from? How do you stay up on what’s actually worn on the street?
I love to people-watch all over New York. I spent a lot of time walking around the Village, Harlem, parts of Brooklyn and Queens. I find it really inspiring to see what’s up there. But the subway is actually where I get most of my imagery from. You see everyone on the subway.
So any word on whether we’ll see a second season?
I’ll let you know when I know! No official word yet.