In her 2008 book The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle … at Any Age, obstetrician and gynecologist Rebecca Booth M.D. explored the effects on skin and mood when estrogen peaks for a seven-day span known as the "Venus Week" each month. During this time, skin appears more
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Tousled waves and sexy bedhead dominate the spring runways year after year. And while the gifted can wield a curling iron and create a flawless do, the rest of us often end up with strange crimps that fall flat. Luckily, Goody has made a wave-iron-for-dummies so the uncoordinated, too, can
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Designer partnerships with mass-retailers may be a dime a dozen, but Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen nail polish is a bright spot. The spring collection was inspired by Nobuyashi Araki’s photographic series Sensual Flower, described as "beautifully subversive, layered and at further glance very representative of Araki’s work — nuanced with
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The words "light and breezy" are rarely used to describe a Serge Lutens perfume, but his latest fragrance is a refreshing departure from his typical heady scents. Lutens says he wanted to create a "cold" perfume for spring that lasts all day and leaves skin with a "minty feeling." The delicate
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The temperature will spike, but at least your eyeliner will stay in place with Cargo’s new limited-edition Swimmables collection. These five waterproof pencils will survive rain, sweat, and humidity without smudging all over your eyelids. The sleek cream-to-powder texture glides on with ease and comes in intense, jazzy colors like Frosted Steel Blue, Metallic Hot Turquoise, Funky Purple, Sparkling Deep Green, and Electric Green. Fun, practical, and inexpensive means you can dip into summer while your face stays in place.
Cargo Swimmables Waterproof Pencil Collection, $18 at Ulta.com.
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Filed Under: best bets, beauty, cargo, makeup
Lancôme’s new limited-edition Juicy Tubes 100% Natural Origin are great for a few reasons. First, the main ingredient is honey and they include bits of royal jelly extract, beeswax, and shea butter — a formula that makes the consistency of the gloss far less hair-sticking-to-your-lips tacky than the original Juicy (which we do still love, by the way). Also, if you buy one of the $18 glosses at the New York flagship between April 22 and 25, you get a gift with purchase: a free limited-edition T-shirt from rag & bone, Giambattista Valli, Rogan, Chris Benz, Phillip Lim, or House of Diehl. The special deal is in honor of spokesmodel Elettra Wiedemann’s charity, Just One Frickin Day, which is working to raise money to install solar electric panels on a hospital in Burundi.
Lancôme, 201 Columbus Ave., nr. 69th St.; 212-362-4858
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Filed Under: best bets, beauty, lancome
Paul Labrecque recently added a new 3-D Facial to his spa menu, and it costs $1,000. We stopped by recently to give it a test run, and to answer: Is this facial worth more money than our rent? And, if so, will it at least provide us with a brand-new face?
The 90-minute treatment consists of three parts. You begin with a round of microdermabrasion to exfoliate. Then the skin is ready for its first laser treatment, Laser Genesis, which feels like warm beams of pulsating light and is meant to tackle fine wrinkles, large pores, and uneven skin texture. The most painful part is the finale, which calls for the Laser Titan, a laser meant to tighten skin. Even though the Titan’s heat had to be adjusted numerous times, our face still felt like it was being scorched by a branding iron. According to Labrecque’s laser specialist Carmen Tosado, the extreme heat “bruises” the collagen in skin, which promotes new growth, and in about two months you start to notice firmer skin as the fresh collagen develops.
So, is the mini-torture session worth it? Technically, $1,000 is a deal for the treatment. À la carte, a regular Laser Titan session at Labrecque is $1,100, while Genesis and microdermabrasion treatments go for $425 and $150 at the salon, respectively. And while we didn’t get a new face, skin definitely looked more radiant and our fine laugh lines were slightly diminished, though it’s worth mentioning that less expensive facials with other top aestheticians have achieved the same results. To be fair, Tosado did say it takes two months to see a change, so we’ll be patient. She also recommended multiple treatments. Until then, we’ll consider spending a grand on something useful, like Louboutins. At least we can count on those to be far less painful than the Titan.
Paul Labrecque East, 171 E. 65th St., nr. Lexington Ave.; 212-988-7816
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Filed Under: tested, beauty, facials, paul labrecque, skin
Leave it to Chanel’s global creative director, Peter Philips, to whip women into a beauty frenzy (remember how we all died over the Jade polish last year?). Next month the brand is coming out with yet another limited-edition makeup collection, which in all likelihood will sell out in warp speed like the others. Created for the Paris-Shanghai show that took place in Shanghai in December, the polishes ($25) and shadow ($45) stick strictly to a black-and-gold theme. Illusion D’or is a clear polish with subtle gold sparkles (looks mores intense in the bottle), while Gold Lamé has a sexy coppery feel. Unlike its sister Black Satin, Black Velvet is the polar opposite, in an inky matte black. Simply put, Ligne et Ombre de Chanel (matte black eyeliner and sparkly gold shadow) is absolutely stunning. Philips just has a knack for making women look and feel pretty.
Available April 1 at Chanel (15 E. 57th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-355-5050).
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Filed Under: best bets, beauty
For some, a Brazilian hair-straightening treatment is a life changer. For others, the amount of damage to the hair, the painfully long process, the relatively short period of time it lasts, and the hunt to find a good, sulfate-free shampoo doesn’t make the ordeal seem worth it. However, Global Keratin introduced a new patented formula using Juvexin in the application process and in an aftercare line that erases any doubts and fears women may have. Hair is actually nourished, soft and bouncy (apparently the secret lies in New Zealand sheep wool) and this new wave of keratin isn’t “cooked” like others, so proteins aren’t broken down. Here are five reasons why we love it.
1. The treatment is quicker and easier than getting your hair colored.
2. Truly lasts for around five months.
3. There are three different formulas that vary in intensity just in case certain parts need more or less straightening than others.
4. Top salons like Rita Hazan and Gil Ferrer are fans, too.
5. Our resident Brazilian-straightening loyalist is now converted.
Treatment, $350 to $600; products, $19.95 to $24.95 at Rita Hazan (720 Fifth Ave., at 56th St., 11th fl.; 212-586-4343), Gil Ferrer (21 E. 74th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-535-3543), Riccardo Maggiore (136 E. 57th St., at Lexington Ave.; 212-586-6482) and Capelli D’Oro (123 Fifth Ave., nr. 19th St., second fl.; 212-477-3000).
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Filed Under: we love, beauty, juvexin
On March 23, Victoria’s Secret is launching its new body-care collection called Secret Moments. Each scent (Girls’ Night, Island Escape, At First Sight, Room 504, and Good Day Sunshine) was mainly inspired by Alessandra Ambrosio’s personal memories (laying eyes on her daughter for the first time inspired At First Sight). Of course, these endearing memories from the Brazilian bombshell come in the form of Über-sweet combinations of peach, coconut, sugarcane, and blue freesia. For those of us in our early 30s, think of these as a new generation of the Enchanted Apple and Pear Glacé body splashes and lotions we wore in high school and college — just with cuter packaging. Coeds get ready.
$10 to $12 at Victoria’s Secret stores.
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Filed Under: beauty marks, fragrance, victoria’s secret
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