Sometimes a great new product comes on the market, but could use a little tweaking. Such is the case with leg shines. OK, men, optional beauty product intel here, but Michael Kors had a lock on the roll-ups that look like a deodorant but actually are used to moisturize and tan legs with a few quick swipes. The only problem: the somewhat cloying gardenia scent of Michael Kors. (On one hot, humid summer NY day, it almost made me nauseous.) Now Tarte, queen of roll-up products with their cheek stains, has come up with something better: Glam Gams bronzing leg stick. It’s water resistant and not noxiously-scented. You can nab one when they come out in a few weeks at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, and select Sephoras. www.tartecosmetics.com
Summer Legs
July 13, 2009
Beauty Blast-Off: Space NK
June 26, 2009
Nicky Kinnaird has created an enviable situation for herself: she travels around the world seeking the best beauty products. Based upon her findings, for the past 15 years, she’s run a successful UKempire of 55 stores featuring fab fragrances, skin care, makeup and hair and body care. Now, Space NK (guess what that stands for?) has come to US shores, in a multi-year deal with Bloomingdales. Find niche brands like Eve Lom, Talika, by Terry and Chantecaille along with Nars, Dr. Brandt, Diptyque and Frederic Fekkai, with advice from knowledgeable skin care and makeup experts. Particularly fun are the Spa NK bath and body products, which many read as a double-entendre “spank.”
The Scents of Summer
June 20, 2009
Suntan lotion and….Coney Island? That’s the latest terrain master parfumier Laurice Rahmé of Bond No. 9 is interpreting in fragrance, the 29th in her venerated line. Its vivid sea/sky blue bottle hits shelves on June 1, following the scented summertime path blazed by Fire Island and the Hamptons eau de parfum. She says Coney Island melds cool notes of margarita mix, hypnotically seductive chocolate and caramel and cedarwood (3.4 oz., $180 at Bond No. 9 stores in the city and at Saks, Harvey Nichols and Harrods).
For a more traditional beachy vibe, spritz fellow Frenchwoman Laura Mercier’s Almond Coconut eau de toilette spray (1.7 oz, $50 at Neimans, Nordstrom, Sephora and Bloomingdales), a fragrance that captures the essence of almond, coconut milk, soft caramel and buttercream, sandalwood and musk—and sends you right to the water’s edge. If that’s not enough to make you roll out the beach towels, there’s also complementary fragranced Crème Body Wash, Honey Bath, Sugar Scrub and Soufflé Body Crème for an aromatic vacation.
Beauty From the Inside Out
June 18, 2009
Beauty industry veteran Patty Schmucker has come up with a brilliant concept for skincare, based on the centuries-old Indian Ayurvedic philosophy that beauty comes from lifestyle choices that nourish the body and fulfill the mind. Her newly launched line, DoshaCare, utilizes that philosophy to produce customizable skincare for three different types: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, determined by the results of a survey about each person’s physical and emotional makeup that define their constitution, or Dosha. Everyone has a primary and a secondary Dosha, and the line takes these differences into account in creating a regimen to address all of your skin’s characteristics—and how it changes daily and seasonally.
DoshaCare includes cleansers, exfoliants, mosturizers, serums, masques, eye and neck balms, and of course, sunscreen. All of the products are made of 98% botanical ingredients, and most of the packaging is made from recyclable materials. Prices range from $29 to $58. You can take the survey and purchase products from this amazing and effective skincare line at www.doshacare.com
High Wattage Skin Care
June 10, 2009
And speaking of expensive bags, the new issue of W—the one with the breast-feeding Angie on the cover and the grainy photos taken by Mr. Pitt inside—proclaims that—get this—a woman’s face is the new “it” bag. Huh? Oh yeah, justification to spend big bucks on creams that advertise in the mag with the conceit that during these tough economic times, no one will know about your indulgent spending but you—and the sales girl at Needless Markup.
Now it’s TAR’s turn to tout a face cream. Still an indulgence, but a fraction of the price of elixirs from La Mer and La Prairie, which just brought out a $1,000 called Cellular Cream Platinum Rare. Electric Body is an all in one face and eye cream made from New Zealand colostrum, a byproduct of grass fed cows, which is said to promote collagen production. TMI? Here’s more: no preservatives, parabens or alcohol.
It’s called Electric Body, but it’s for your face,
1.7 ounce pump bottle, $125, www.electricbody.com
A Kiss is More Than Just a Kiss
May 24, 2009
She’s the stunning other half of Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, and now Keisha Nash-Whitaker has teamed with noted makeup artist AJ Crimson to create Kissable Couture, a shimmery lip gloss collection meant to evoke the sensuality and magic of a kiss. Named for men who presumably are very good kissers, the First Kiss Collection consists of seven shades including Dylan, a light peach shimmer, David, a sun-kissed bronze and Tyler, a deep purple shimmer. And of course, we must give a shout-out to Forest, a rich burgundy wine shimmer.
Kissable Couture, $22 each at Fred Segal Apothia and Henri Bendel, www.kissablecouture.com
Beauty Sleep, Sleek and Smooth
May 19, 2009
We’ve been traveling everywhere with a new silk pillowcase, billed to keep your hair in place while you sleep and to prevent those icky creases that come with high thread count territory when you wake up on cotton sheets. Guess what? Branché Beauty’s silk charmeuse pillowcase really works and, we’re told, is a bedtime favorite of leading ladies including Jade Pinkett Smith and Reese Witherspoon. Available in silver, ivory, blush, blue, sage, and gold, you can find them at Palmetto, Planet Blue, C.O. Bigelow, and the full list online. www.branchebeautysleep.com
You Won’t Believe Your Eyes
May 2, 2009
It sounds illogical that slapping on a clear eyeliner at night can make lashes grow longer and thicker, but TAR has it on good authority that these potions actually work, with a little patience and a lot of persistence. The best: RevitaLash, which is making some long-lashed believers out of those who use it regularly for 3-4 weeks, when results kick in. Try it yourself, and save the time spent on often over-hyped lash extensions. And there’s a great backstory: ophthalmologist Michael Brinkenhoff originally developed the product for his wife Gayle, who was losing her eyelashes during chemotherapy for breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds of each tube sold ($150) goes to breast cancer research.
www.revitalash.com, 877.909-5274
Hair Apparent
April 18, 2009
Celebrity hairdressers are a dime a dozen, but when you find one as cool, grounded and talented as Steve Lococo, you’ve hit the jackpot. In business for 20 years with partner Albert Borelli (and now with Kim Vo), Lococo works his hair magic by doing it all: coloring, cutting and styling. He’s also created a line of Borelli products and the newly-launchedTahitian Noni hair care line. “Using great products makes people feel they are doing something good for themselves,” says Lococo, who oversees more than 30 stylists, aestheticians, and manicurists in a three-salon “cottage industry” within a two-mile radius (Borrelli Beverly Hills, on Burton Way and B2V/Borrelli Vo, two side-by-side cottages on North Doheny.)
Doheny Dr. Salon: B2V/Borelli Vo, 648 N. Doheny Dr., WeHo, 310.777-7648
The Material Face
April 5, 2009
Michelle Peck has been doing Madonna’s face for years. No, it’s not what you think. The LA-based aesthetician goes on the road with Madge to give her skin hyperbaric oxygen treatments with professional equipment (combined with serum) made by Intraceuticals. Word is Mrs. Richie has one in every one of her homes. The Intraceuticals Infusion™ uses hyperbaric pressure to let oxygen and serum reach deeper layers of skin, rejuvenating from the inside out.
Select salons in NY and CA, www.intraceuticals.com
Network upfront presentations and parties fill venues through New York City May 14-17. Look for some big programming announcements from Fox, Univision, NBC, USA Networks and the CW.
CONNECT WITH THE ATKIN REPORT