Valentine's Day delivered a personal labor of love; the release of an interview I did with Erin Skarda for Time. The article sheds light on what the world of color forecasting looks like, a little bit of history about the industry and the Color Association of the United States. It also takes a peak at the colors we can expect to see for Fall/Winter 2012-13. Check it out here
Image credit: Getty Images Colors taken from the CAUS Fall / Winter 2012-13 Women's Color Forecast
Inspired by Catherine's video, I couldn't wait until my next trip to Vancouver to pamper my skin. The ever tempting offers from Lifebooker in my inbox were finally too hard to pass up; facials for $39 at the Skin Spa lured me in.
After careful review (and a mini phone consult with Cath), I decided to go for a microderm treatment followed by a peel. Catherine's advice was to spread out the treatments by about a week. So I went in for the exfoliation part of the process first.
This wasn't my first micro experience so I wasn't surprised by the raspy wand that was waved over my skin. For those that have not had microdermabrasion, it feels like a super-powered cat with an extremely rough tongue licking your face over and over. In other words, not painful but not relaxing. Little diamond crystals work to deeply exfoliate rough patches and can even smooth wrinkles. My skin was a little bit red after the procedure, but quickly calmed with a little bit of aloe lotion. I was able to put makeup on right away to cover any blotchiness. That night, my skin felt really smooth and the ever deepening line on my forehead seemed to have faded just a little bit. The clarity of my skin increased over the coming days.
The next week I went in for the peel. I was really surprised by how quick the procedure was. After application, which felt like any old mask, the peel was on my skin for a total of 4.5 minutes. After that, it was washed off, followed by a cooling lotion. My skin wasn't too red after this treatment but tingled slightly. The esthetician figured my skin would probably start to peel in two to three days. I never experienced any kind of peeling action. I did however break out more than I was anticipating. I wasn't aware of this side effect so I was a little caught off guard when I woke up with a number of eruptions. After an emergency call to Cath, I was informed that this was in fact a normal reaction to a peel - so be fair warned...!
It's been a week since the peel and my skin has finally calmed down. Overall I think my skin looks like it has a more even tone and my hyper pigmentation has been somewhat reduced.
A series of three micro/peel combo treatments is recommended to see the best results.
At home treatments are also becoming popular. If you have problem skin or are looking to smooth those pesky fine lines and wrinkles (who isn't...!) then a mini peel may be a good option. Glycolic acid pads are gaining popularity in the market and are available at medical spas for home use.
Product to try: Dermatologic Cosmetic Laboratories (DCL) Glycolic Acid Pads 20%
Check out this little feature on yours truly posted on Beautylish. I ran into editor Ning Chao during Fashion's Night Out at Barneys with Linda Rodin. She was really excited about the intensity of my lip color. The hot pink OCC Lip Tar in Anime got a lot of attention that night...definitely a show-stopper for anyone looking to stir things up!
Image Credit: Beautylish
Last night, New York City was full of energy and life on the street for Fashion's Night Out. I spent the majority of my time at Barneys keeping the fans at bay with Linda Rodin, who made a guest appearance on the beauty floor at the department store.
As a special gift for the FNO event, Linda teamed up with long time friend and artist Lesley Schiff to create a collection of 6 prints--each of which was designed with one of the Olio Lusso products in mind (another example of a collaboration of skincare and art joining forces). Those that were lucky enough to stop by went home with some beautiful works of art. For all of you that missed out, see pictures below.
Insider scoop: stay tuned for a soon to be launching fragrance from the RODIN Olio Lusso collection!
Last spring, I feel in love with Essie's Lapis of Luxury. I finally got around to purchasing it a few weeks ago (and have received a myriad of compliments since brushing it onto my nails).
Over the summer, cool tones have been poking out of sandals at an increasing rate. In July, CS pal Morgan brought a bottle of Rimmel's Aqua Cool to the annual Charm School retreat on the west coast, direct from London. In minutes, every one of us had adorned our fingers and toes with this beautiful conrflower blue.
It would seem that these watery tones are going to continue into the fall, with the biggest trendsetter in nail color, Chanel, launching their line of blues--"Les Jeans de Chanel" at Fashion's Night Out on September 8th.
Each of the Chanel colors is named with a distinct personality : Blue Rebel (deep and dark for the daring), Coco Blue ( feminine, pretty and light), and Blue Boy (slightly more masculine with a 'washed' denim feel). Alternating the three tints and tones will achieve one of the season's other hottest nail trends--the ombre effect. Dark to light or light to dark; either way, these colors are cool.
Moving forward, we can expect the blues to become more and more green-based--from turquoise to teal. My insider knowledge from the Beauty Committee at The Color Association of the United States's Spring/Summer 2013 forecast tells us that the blues and green will be sticking around for awhile. The story Oasis is:
"a direct reflection of water and the life that it breeds. The ocean, the sky, greenery – plants, flowers, birds – all that frame mass bodies of water were key inspirations for this trend. The vibrant extremes that nature produces in the chlorophyll-rich plants to the iridescent feathers of sea-birds, the palette is made up of cool blue, teal and green tones".
This week I attended the second edition of the Elements Showcase--a fragrance tradeshow in NYC. I was excited to see the expansion from the first show (back in November); from its single floor space, to now spanning two levels. There were lots of new and fantastic vendors ranging from fragrance to skincare. Visiting the booths and speaking to the exhibitors, I started to pick up on some distinct trends.
Wood and Natural Materials: The first trend that I see carries over from last season. The use of wood in packaging has an even stronger presence than we've seen in the past months. Everything from the lids on boxes of candles, soap and perfume to entire wooden bottles (TAY) were on display.
Profumi Del Forte took the natural materials trend to another level, creating marble lids for their fragrances
"Box of Chocolates" Packaging There was a definite thread of inspiration derived from the classic beauty and simplicity of chocolate box packaging.
Fine Art Meets Fragrance Another trend that emerged was the inclusion of fine art in the packaging on fragrance bottles and other products in this category.
Among the artist/fragrance duo's, jewelry collaborations were another strong trend popping up. Both Joya (known for its porcelain bottles) and Sage released solid perfume in beautiful amulet's. Joya teamed up with jewelry design company Vane to launch their "Shades of Dusk" collection.
In general, it seems that the fragrance and skincare industries continue to be concerned with 'natural' elements--whether or not their products are chemical-free or are made with sustainable materials. The key is to come across as being concerned about the process of the product, in the form of an eco-friendly looking package or by including an artisanal touch.
Heidi wannabe's rejoice!
The John Barrett Salon in Bergdorf Goodman opens up New York's first Braid Bar.
Great for getting your mane out of your face while looking chic for those humid summer days (the kind that transition into warm evening cocktail parties without time to go home for a change in between).
A good braid can last anywhere from three to five days--perfect for a weekend away!
Any length, shape or style (french, fish or classic) goes for $45 ($60 including a wash) and can be done in approximately 20 minutes.
In celebration of Game 7 tonight; a picture of two of die-hard fans, snapped on the streets of Vancouver by west coast pal Chelsea.
Looks like they're not the only ones willing to shed locks to prove their allegiance...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEI7ZKeX4Qo
The Chop Shop on Granville street in downtown Vancouver is clearly the go-to spot for carving out the team's logos on tufts of hair.
It's not to late to show your pride...
Go 'nucks!
