Burberry to launch Color Cosmetics Line

Eye shadow just got a bit more high class. Burberry will be launching a line of Cosmetics. More info to come.....stay tuned!

Darphin Hydraskin Essential

This Spring, Darphin is introducing the most luxurious $50 face cream ever- Hydraskin Essential. It’s a super-moisturizing emulsion featuring ingredients like Butterfly Lavender and Organic Shea Butter for the softest, healthiest skin… 

 

To celebrate the launch,  Darphin is inviting women to share their favorite $50 luxury at www.50littleluxuries.com. For every tip shared, a donation will be made to the IDEAL Providence Farms to purchase school supplies for children in Ghana (these are the children of the women harvesting the Organic Shea Butter in Hydraskin Essential as part of Darphin’s efforts to support the community.)  

 

Celebs have already shared theirs- some favorites include:

 

Emmy Rossum treats herself to buying a favorite TV show DVD series and coffee ice cream.

 

Kara DioGuardi indulges in an extra long pedicure massage.

 

Becki Newton spoils herself with fresh flowers.

 

Whitney Port’s $50 pleasure is a manicure and pedicure.

 

Perrey Reeves picks up a great new plant for her garden.

 

On April 21^st, the 50 most creative entries will win a preview of Darphin’s favorite $50 luxury- a full-size Hydraskin Essential. And a grand prize winner will be treated to a New York City Spa Getaway for two- with transportation to NYC, 2 nights at the Surrey Hotel, Darphin treatments and more. Sounds like a fun little contest girls!

Sally Hershberger on HSN

That little HSN network continues to bewilder me. Once again they have a great new line to showcase. Sally charges about $800 a hair cut! She decided to compliment her status by creating a Luxury Line called Salon. It consists of 5 styling products that are so light in formula that they won't leave residue on hair or hands.

It's quite different then the mass market Hershberger products and HSN provides a great new outlet so that the Coiffure genius can demonstrate how to use the products on air! Check HSN for more deets!

RIP Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen has passed apparently by taking his own life. Here is the NY Times article. So sad.

Needle Free Botox?

Apparently our little happy scientists are working hard at making it easier for us to remain youthful. Transdermal wrinkle softeners can be applied topically to fine lines only, not for filling in cheeks and lips. That's not too bad to save us from a little bit of pain, though. Hopefully they will be readily available in the DR.'s office soon.

Calgon take me away

Calgon is getting a makeover for 2K10. The brand that is best known for bringing up relaxing images of long candle lit tubbies wants to spruce up image. 

The new packaging will be surfacing in March. I'm not one for change when it comes to nostalgic products like Calgon, but their new bottles look pretty good.

Halle Berry Pure Orchid

It wouldn't be a regular day unless a beautiful celebrity was in the midst of launching perfume. Halle Berry is rolling out her second fragrance, Pure Orchid, in February.

A lilac shaded bottle houses the scents of crisp Italian lemon, papaya nectar fizz, and jungle cactus flower as the main ingredients with other notes o heart of Masdevallia orchid, blackberry creme concentre and star anise, patchouli leaf and tonka bean.

Beyonce Heat

Although the mercury keeps dropping and the snow won't let up, things are heating up in a couple weeks when Beyonce Knowles launches her new and first fragrance "Heat".

It will be available in most department stores in the first week of February. Just in time to change up your scent for V-Day.

The spicy ads are already a buzz. The bottle channels Beyonce's favorite colors and the fragrance itself????

None other then red vanilla, orchid, magnolia, neroli, and notes of blush peach.

Sounds sexy!

What's hot for 2010?

 What up girls, Happy New Year! Mascara Mondays are taking a backseat so that we can dish out the latest and greatest breakthroughs in skin care.

One of my favs is the Stem cell technology that has been on the fence for a while. According to Marie Claire, doctors are using stem-cell-rich back fat (harvested through liposuction) to plump faces and breasts. When injected into the face (in a procedure plastic surgeons are calling the "stem cell face-lift"), this particular fat lifts the cheeks, restores youthful contours, and smooths the skin, making pigmentation and pores less noticeable. When the stem cells are injected into the breasts, researchers claim they encourage natural fat growth, so the plumped-up areas end up feeling more natural, instead of like an implant. 

I think we are all thinking the same thing 'saved! there is enough fat on my rear that I'll be looking 20 into my 80's' Or maybe I'm just speaking for myself. Who knows maybe they will find a good use for cellulite next.....

Pretty Woman

80 bucks may not make you into a pretty woman, but it can sure help you smell like one. Barbar Orbison, widow of legendary singer Roy Orbison, just launched a new scent inspired from her husband's famous song.

The scent has notes of bergamot, stargazer lily, amber and patchouli, comes in a box of understated beauty.

Bellaboo in the U.S.

Snezna Kerekovic is one of those moms that wants what's best for her daughter. That's what every mom wants right? She took it one step further after noticing there was a lack of teen products with out harsh chemicals.

Naturally she took matters into her own hands and created Bellaboo: a line of skin care for teens that are not tested on animal, have minimal and recyclable packaging. The Australian based company has been doing well since entering our Rite Aid and Justice stores this month.

The adorable line includes All that clean skin Facial wash, Buff skin facial exfoliator, Gorgeous skin moisture dew, E Z Blitz Blemish Serum, Sweet Sin Chocolate Face Mask, Berry Nice Face Fix Mask, Clear skin smoothie mask and full size starter kits.

What's even more amazing is that the products are featured on the Bellaboo girls: six teens aged 13-17 who entered into be part of the marketing campaign.

 They are taking a piece of Doves real beauty campaign and featuring real girls. I just love the idea! They also have a web site with other related content for teens www.bellaboobabe.com

Vintage Kate Moss

Kate Moss likes to dabble here and there. You know...Top Shop, Modeling, Fragrance. Her new scent, Vintage, is a delight!

On another note, in an interview with WWD they ask her if she has a Motto. She does and I think I'd like to steal it for my own...."Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." Read the full article by clicking here WWD.

Beauty Nightcap

LabSeries for men has re-launched their site! In case you have been unable to stop into their pop-up shop, visit LabSeries to get the goods.

Set your remote to this

If your not from the West Coast then you may not be aware of the freakn' fabulousness that is Studio Beauty Mix. It started as a beauty counter at Fred Segal, delivering indie brands to all the trend setters in the TMZ. With much succes,s they launched a web site so that the rest of us beauty junkies could get our freshly lacquered paws on the goods....hence StudioBeautyMix. Fast forward to today. The site now brings us Studio Beauty Channel, it will feature video shorts about how real women use their favorite beauty products!

It will also feature ‘It’ girls from New York and LA (well known models, bloggers, artists, designers etc.) trying the products for the first time. The raw and honest videos capture the natural responses to see if they like each product, of course they always do, just like GGZF only the positive gets published! Among the featured content, STUDIO Beauty Channel will include:

·         The Kiss-Off Series - “It” girls making out with their boyfriends, friends, or even strangers to test out the latest lip products.

·         The Band-Its Series - Showcasing up and coming girl bands getting ready to rock a show.

·         The Mascara Cry Test - Starring Alexi Wasser of the wildly popular IMBOYCRAZY.COM blog, watching sad movies, giving herself pep talks, talking about boys and giving her famous dating advice, as she tests new mascaras to see if they can get her through a movie date without looking like a raccoon by the end.

·         Exclusive Access – Insider interviews with the hottest artists and musicians in town. In one of the first installations, SBC catches up with the LA Ladies’ Choir (a group of local songwriters, musicians, artists, designers and other creative women who have formed a collective voice that is slowly, sweetly, sweeping us off our feet) at member and model Frankie Rayder’s house as producer Aaron Rose shoots them for an upcoming video.

So if your already bored with the time change and early darkness, turn off the tube and log on to Studio Beauty Channel instead! I'm personally super psyched. It will get us through the winter and beyond for sure.  

Shop and Spa

Sometimes when new products hit the beauty cases, and you are shimmying through the department hoping that your instincts will lead you to the right new product, panic strikes and many end up purchasing the same old staple.

Beginning next year, Clarins will be rolling out a new concept of treatment rooms (or mini spas) in select Nordstrom and Bloomingdales locations. Not only will you be able to bask in a facial for $75, it will also guide you towards the correct products. There is no better way to sample a product then getting a facial! The majority of the pop up treatment rooms will be in Florida and Cali, but the Bloomies in Chestnut Hill MA and Roosevelt Field NY are among those on the East Coast agenda.

Darphin Aromatic Cleansing Balm inspires books and stars

Demi Moore was just one of the stars to take home Darphin's Aromatic Cleansing Balm, at an event on Monday, to celebrate Laura Day's new book "How to rule the world from your couch". Laura Day created a special ritual for the balm.

Day states that, ritual is how we break old patterns which create the same undesired results and create new habits. When you affirm a NeW ReAlITy habitually in your life, you re-set your subconscious and intuition to look for opportunities for change. Wondering what the ritual is?

With Darphin Aromatic Cleansing Balm…

 

Take the cleanser and scoop it into your hand. As you hold it, think of all the feelings, situations, physical problems and limitations in your life that you would like to cleanse. Empower the product to cleanse your life as you cleanse your face. When you are finished cleansing, take a moment to experience yourself in your clean, new, life. The life you now choose, not the one that your experience and subconscious has chosen for you. Allow yourself to associate the scent of the cleanser with the subconscious cue to create this new life and new you, right now. 

For more info on the Parisian products that are available at Space NK and Blue Mercury and to view details on the Aromatic Cleansing Balm visit www.Darphin.com 

Do your favorite beauty brands make the cut?

It's kind of hard to be toxic-free during beauty maintenance. Some products are more harmful then others, and many new products (especially most featured here!) are 100% toxic free. Many of you have asked if there is a way to know just how toxic some of your own flava favs are.

It's simple. Visit Safe Cosmetics, a site designated to keeping harmful chemicals out of beauty and home products. The site provides a vast amount of information to clear up many of your inquiries!

Trick or Treat

Not only is Philosophy so charitable with their Breast Cancer bubble bath, but they are dressing up for All Hallows Eve with some fun smelling treats!

Philosophy trick or treat high-foaming shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath duo

philosophy's trick-or-treat set includes pumpkin spice muffin and caramel apple scented shampoo, shower gel & bubble baths for a surprisingly spirited treat for your senses! enjoy an ultra-rich lather with these high-foaming formulas created to gently cleanse and condition skin and hair. $20 at www.philosophy.com

 

Philosophy the haunted house high foaming shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath trio

philosophy's haunted house is packed full of delicious treats! the hunted house includes 6 oz. bottles of black licorice, caramel apple and pumpkin spice muffin high foaming shampoo, shower gel and bubble baths. these high foaming formulas gently cleanse skin to leave it feeling soft, and they smell positively scrumptious.

$30 at www.philosophy.com

This kind of makes me feel like as adults, we should be able to walk through the mall with our Louis Vuitton Speedy bags wide open and screaming trick or treat. Maybe a lipgloss from the M.A.C. a bracelet from Tiffany....you know....the basics.

Francis Kurkdjian

I can't get enough of new perfumes. Even when I know the scent does not compliment my own body chemistry, just sniffing the bottle can lift my mood. We are about to get a parade of scents from Francis Kurkdjian to enter our lives.

Francis Kurkdjian is known among the small world of fragrance aficionados as one of the greatest living perfumers. He has created more than 20 of the best-selling fragrances of all time and has created perfumes for the great houses of Chanel, Lanvin, Dior, Narcisco Rodriguez, Yves Saint Laurent and even created Male, the first perfume for men by Jean Paul Gaultier.  Named Chevalier of Arts and Letters in July 2008. Kurkdjian has been deemed “ Paris ’ most daring young nose.”

 

Francis also sees clients by appointment to create tailor-made fragrances. He opens his magic box kit of over 200 ingredients to create a truly (secret) signature formula for each individual client, without ever revealing it to anyone else. 

 

After years of conjuring up top-selling perfumes, he now LaUNcHeS Maison Francis Kurkdjian, his own fragrance house. A new boutique, located on rue d'Alger near Place Vendome in Paris , will offer Francis's first edition of cologne, eau de toilettes, eau de parfum, candles, interior perfumes, incense, a perfumed bracelet, even a unique collection of scented bubbles. The collection is designed to reinvent the way we think about “fragrancing” our world, 24/7.

 

Listens up! This is the part that concerns us. The Maison Francis Kurkdjian collection will be available at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus starting this brisk month of October. Visit franciskurkdjian.com for more deets! 

Breast Cancer Awareness

While some of you are busy taking our Beauty Poll, others are still trying to give back by making conscious purchases. Some of our favorites below may guide you!

Sweet Grass Farm Hope, Courage & Faith Fragrance Stick Set  $29.95…like a beautiful bouquet of flowers--your eye is drawn to this ensemble.  Sophisticated and charming, Carnation and Pink Peppercorn Fragrance begins with a heady burst of spicy carnation, with light notes of pepperberry.  The top notes are balanced out with the exotic and grounding notes of pink peppercorn along with green notes of cedar.  

Long lasting, yet soft and steady, the fragrance is a gentle reminder of hope for those touched by Breast Cancer.  Year round Sweet Grass Farm will support National Breast Cancer Awareness Month by donating 10% of the proceeds for each sale of its Hope, Courage & Faith Fragrance Stick Set to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  www.sweetgrassonline.com    

 

DecorativeThings.com Keep Calm and Carry On Poster – $20.00 ($124.00 framed) –   Available in Red/White, Sea Green, Baby Pink, Sky Blue, and Charcoal.  

Poster Included. 1/2" wide, wood frame with Plexiglas. Screen printed by hand on high quality 170gm fine paper with a matte finish.  Imported from England.  Framed poster: 17 1/2 x 24 3/4.  Frame available in black or white. $5.00 of each poster sale will be donated to the Israel Cancer Research Fund.  www.decorativethings.com  

 

CURLS™ is proud to help the fight against breast cancer by introducing an exclusive breast cancer awareness package for October 2009.  20% of sales for the month will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  The package contains two of CURLS™’ best selling “cocktail” inspired products in a special pink CURLS™ bag ($34.00) to show support for the cause.  www.curls.biz

·         Quenched Curls Moisturizer ~ Give your curls just what they need…moisture! Use daily or alone as a second day curl refresher or under any CURLS™ styler for curl prepping. It’s “underwear for your hair.” 

·         Curl Gel-les’c (Curl Jealousy) ~ It isn’t a gel, and not quite a serum, it’s Curl Gel-les’c (pronounced Curl Jealousy). 

Hopefully these goodies will satisfy the charitable side of your gorgeous selves!