You...Prettier

You...Prettier Has Moved! Please Visit Us at youprettier.com!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:01:00 +0000

Hello, Beauties!

We've moved over to Wordpress! We have an exciting new look, a much easier navigation system and lots of exciting new content for the fall! Please visit us at youprettier.com!

Yours truly,

Alexandra Mann

For the Boys...But Should You Drink It or Shampoo with It?

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 03:39:00 +0000

It's not often that I write about products for guys, but then again it's not often that a product comes along that's so manly it demands not only attention but also immediate testing and then, well, not to give too much away up front, but ultimate adoration.

Let's start with the promotional materials for the new Clean Brew by Redken...could this guy be any manlier? This shampoo is obviously supposed to remind us all of beer. It comes in a brown beer-like bottle and contains malt, brewer's yeast and orange zest. It boasts a rich, foamy lather. The expanded materials show the promo guy at a bar actually drinking a beer, so, you know, we get the message.

But as a shampoo it promises to "get the grit out of extra dirty hair" and "eliminate dirt and oil while helping to purify the scalp."

Well, there was only one way to find out...send the husband/test subject into the shower with the product. Now I wouldn't say that my husband leads a particularly "gritty" life, but New York can be quite dirty just on a daily basis, so the cleaner one can feel in general, the better.

The results were unexpectedly spectacular. The test subject's hair actually looked and felt softer and fuller (he said he wants to ditch his other shampoo that promises fuller hair but doesn't deliver as well), and I can't say enough about the scent (his hair smelled wonderful). Last but not least, the test subject kept talking about how extra clean his hair felt, without knowing that this was one of the key aspects of the product (I didn't show him the press materials beforehand).

Seems you're onto something, Redken.

Clean Brew is $12 and available in September; redken.com for salons.

City Girls, Get Thee to the Fridge

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Well, no matter where you are this summer, it's hot...and unless you have central air, which many of us city girls do not, your bathroom may be a bit warm. That can wreak havoc on your beauty products, particularly your creams, causing them to go stale faster than usual.

So, if you're like me and the nearest window unit air conditioner is in the bedroom, get thee to the fridge and put in your day and night moisturizers as well as your eye creams and any toners you may use. This will not only extend their lives until the weather turns, but while it's hot will also feel wonderful and have many added benefits.

Warm toner will remove the last of your makeup, but chilled toner will do the same, while also constricting your pores making them look smaller and making your skin look smoother and more refreshed.

Your eye cream will moisturize the delicate skin around the eye area just as well when it's warm, but cold it will also constrict the blood vessels, making your look more awake and perky. Wouldn't that be a plus?

Your day creams will moisturize and provide sunscreen at room temperature, but chilled cream will provide a lifting effect. Wouldn't it be nice to walk out the door that way? At night, after a long day at work and slogging it out in the world, coming home and taking a shower, wouldn't a chilled cream be more refreshing than a lukewarm one?

So, during the dog days of summer, while it might be a little bit of a hassle to add the kitchen to your beauty routine, do your products (and yourself) a favor, and get to the fridge.

Color Me, Pureology!

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 20:50:00 +0000

When you invest in your looks, it makes you kind of greedy. Probably the best example of this is your hair. You get your hair colored or otherwise chemically treated at a salon, along with your usual cut, and suddenly you’ll do – or buy – just about anything to preserve the fabulous way it looks.

Enter Pureology, the industry standardbearer for color conservation. I’ve been coloring my hair for many years – long before I even needed to, just because I wanted to look goth – and my stylist recommended Pureology to me from the first time I ventured into even semi-permanent color. All of their products are sulfate-free and their finishing products contain an “Anti-Fade Complex,” which basically means they have a UVA/UVB sunscreen built right in to help protect from the evil, color-fading sun (a hat in the summer doesn’t hurt, either).

Pureology’s latest awesomeness is Healthy Hair Kits, three weekly purifying shampoo and conditioning treatments designed to rejuvenate and revitalize hair. I was given the “Purify + Essential Repair” for distressed hair (which mine definitely is) to try. The Purify Shampoo is a refreshing and tingly experience that really feels like it’s getting all the buildup out of your hair. It smells amazing. The Restorative Hair Masque stays on for 2-5 minutes (I left it on a little longer because I get my hair chemically straightened so I figured I could use the extra conditioning). My only complaint about either product comes from the conditioner, which smells overly sweet, and the fragrance stays on the hair long after it’s dried.

But this was a small price to pay for the results, which were nothing short of extraordinary. I got my hair colored about three weeks ago, but these products brought amazing depth to my brown color and a glossiness I didn’t have even when I left the salon. My hair was soft, silky and, in short, transformed. I will buy this again even when my sample runs out and use it religiously every week.

The other kits are Purify + HydraWhip for fine hair and Purify + SuperSmooth for frizzy and dry, unruly hair. The kits, like all Pureology products, are available only in salons and are $50 each. They’re also vegan!

My New Color of the Year: Summer Red

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:46:00 +0000

The official Color of the Year this year is Tangerine Tango, a vibrant and rich orange perfect for summer. This is according to Pantone, “the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.” The news of this has affected fashion, home design and cosmetics and is such a big deal that Sephora has created displays of orange products so vast that you literally have to walk around them whenever you enter one of their larger stores. There’s even a free brochure about the new orange cosmetics and how to use them. Of course, with my yellow-based skintone, pure orange makes me look, well, kind of dead. So I have found myself gravitating back to all my deep, rich blue-based reds which are much more appropriate for fall and winter, all the while yearning for a new color to feel fresh for spring and summer.

Then one recent day I saw this gorgeous profile photo of my friend Sophia Lucas on Facebook, where her beautiful red lips were bright and just a little bit sheer. With her dark hair and eyes her lipstick looked so chic…perfect for summer! What red is this, I immediately asked her, expecting the answer to be from some fancy highbrow brand I had somehow missed. The answer was shocking: Are You Red-dy by Maybelline, she told me. Upon purchase, I discovered a creamy texture, lovely coverage in one coat (and the option of practically a whole different matte color if you blot just once), and all this for a grand total of $5.50-$7.50, depending upon which drugstore you choose. It looked great on me, as I had hoped, and when I lined it up on the back of my hand against a few of my other reds, I saw that though it is a pink-based red, the difference is in fact its little shot of orange.

Now I was inspired. I had the cornerstone of a summer red trifecta that could only be completed with nails and cheeks. For nails I turned to Anita Rivas, a.k.a., City Girl in Red Lipstick, one of my favorite blogs, who had recommended Nars Dovima as the ideal red manicure/pedicure. This was a red I had many times passed over in the bottle as too orange, but now was willing to a try. Once on it's stunning. And not that I want to be all match-matchy, but it does match the lipstick as if they are made for each other.

For cheeks, I already owned the most perfect red cream blush, Nars Cactus Flower, but had never noticed its orange shimmery undertones. It has to be used judiciously, but when it is, it can lend a perfect natural glow to cheeks that enhances – and doesn’t compete with – red lipstick the way that pink or peach blush does.

Now with my own Color of the Year, Summer Red, I’m ready for the weather to change.

"The Routine"

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:54:00 +0000

I’ve been very flattered lately to have been asked by a few people what my “routine” is. I hesitate to share this because it should be different for everyone – depending upon your skin’s needs – but I decided there are enough things we all should be doing (and I do have some favorite products) that it was worth a post.

The most important thing about your routine is to find out your skin type. Whatever you think your skin type is now, I'm sorry to say you are probably wrong. I know I was. I thought that since I was prone to breakouts that my skin was oily ( a common misconception), so I kept doing things to dry it out, which just made me break out more. Then, thanks to the fact that I write this blog, I was invited to a Skin Type Solutions event about a year ago and was given a set of products by Dr. Leslie Baumann tailored to my skin type. It is not an exaggeration to say that within about a week my skin transformed itself and that I can count on one hand the number of blemishes I’ve had since then. My skin has literally never looked better. So get thee to the skin type solutions website. There you will find out what type you really are.

Once you know your skin type, CLEANSE. I used to be a department store snob, but once Dr. Baumann’s kit introduced me to CeraVe (from the Kinerase family), available at Walgreen's, I no longer turned my nose up at buying my products at drug stores.

Creamy and moisturizing, it’s a great morning cleanser. I used to use it at night, too, but I found that it doesn’t do well at removing makeup so I had to use a washcloth, which was unnecessarily abrasive and defeated the purpose of using a gentle cleanser, so I set about finding a good moisturizing cleanser that removes makeup well. My search landed me very happily with Fresh’s Soy Face Cleanser. It foams just a little bit, smells like heaven, and - in an unexpected bonus - takes off most of my eye makeup without any burning. When I dry my face on my white towels, there is virtually no makeup left behind!

EXFOLIATE. Do this at least a couple of times a week, particularly if you use any type of retinoid product on your skin like I do for acne, as these products speed up cell turnover and exfoliation helps this along. My favorite exfoliator is Biore Even Smoother Microderm Exfoliator (another drugstore superstar) because it’s so gentle and leaves you so glowing without over-stripping or shredding your skin.

And don’t forget to exfoliate your lips, too, particularly in the winter. This will help de-flake and make your lipsticks go on more smoothly.You don’t need to waste money on a product for this. Just wet your lips with some water, rub some granulated sugar over them and rinse! Do this at night and go to bed with some Smith’s Minted Rose Lip Balm on your lips and your lips will be transformed in the morning.

TONE. I use toner to remove the last bits of makeup from my skin, to hydrate and refresh. This is an optional step, but don’t ever, ever use products like Sea Breeze or Bonne Bell’s Ten-O-Six Lotions. You might as well just stick your head in a vat of alcohol. If you’re a dry skin type, there’s clearly no need for this and if you’re oily, you may think you’re doing your skin good, but all you’re doing is making your skin produce more oil to compensate. Gentle is the operative word here. Since my favorite toner, Kinerase Antioxidant Hydrating Mist, was taken off the market, I had to find a new toner, and, again, Fresh to the rescue with its
Rose Marigold Floral Water.
MOISTURIZE. First of all, don’t skip eye cream. I don’t care how old you are or if you have the first signs of wrinkles yet. Your undereye area is incapable of making its own moisture so you have to help it. If you don’t have visible signs of aging yet, simply use a moisturisizing product like Clarins Eye Contour Balm or Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream. If you are older and have various issues under the eyes, there are about a zillion products out there that target each area – puffiness, dark circles, lines and wrinKles, dryness. I’ve done the legwork, though, and still my favorite (and such a bargain!) is Dr. LeWinn’s Lift and Resculpt (see my post), which targets all these issues.
Secondly, moisturize your whole face. Even if your skin is oily, you need some kind of moisture, but follow the recommendation of your Dr. Baumann regimen. During the day I typically use a moisturizing sunscreen (again CeraVe because it has everything I want and need: ceramides and hyaulronic acid, both crucial for water and moisture retention, is non-comedogenic and controlled-release so my skin feels moisturized all day. At night,if I’m particularly dry, I use a moisturizing oil straight out of the shower (a tip from my favorite beauty maven Jean Godfrey June).

My pick for this is the slightly-pricey Clarins Santal Oil for Dry Skin. I follow that with the heavier CeraVe Cream (as opposed to the lighter lotion.

If all this has been too much information, feel free to ignore everything I’ve said except this: DO NOT LEAVE YOUR HOME WITHOUT SUNSCREEN ON YOUR FACE AND HANDS. The brand is not important (although I like CeraVe for the quality, ingredients and the price), but the SPF (at least 30, preferably higher) and the stability of the ingredients is. This step alone will save you from premature aging, skin cancer and age spots. It will, unfortunately, also prevent you from getting enough Vitamin D, so make sure you are not deficient in this (see my previous post about this for details).

Here's to better skin for all in the new year!

Perkiest Nail Polishes for the Depths of Winter

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:57:00 +0000

I love winter…everything about it…the cold, the heavy clothes, even the dark makeup colors. But I was flipping through a magazine from summer the other day while my black manicure was drying and a photo of a woman with her 10 fingers decked out in Dior’s Nirvana from the Rock Your Nails collection from last spring practically jumped off the page at me. Why, I thought, can’t we wear some of spring and summer’s colors to give our nails – if not our spirits – a little boost in the middle of January?

I set about making a short list of those colors that are spring and summer-like but will just give you that little shot of color, not make you look like you’re having a misplaced resort fantasy.

My favorite, and not just because of the name, may be Nirvana. A groovy, dense, more green-than-blue teal, it could BE the cornerstone of your black-cigarette pants and black turtleneck ensemble. It will lift your spirits everytime you do something with your hands.

A few summers ago, Essie came out with one of my all time favorite colors, Lapis of Luxury. I couldn’t stop looking at my toes every time I wore it. Last summer they went one better and darkened the shade, creating Coat Azure. A blue to remind you of the Caribbean you’re not seeing during your urban winter, but a pick-me-up nonetheless.

The orange craze isn’t over, and it’s not just for summer, as evidenced by my young, hip colleague Krista who showed up with her orange manicure this week. My favorite orange for winter is without a doubt Deborah Lippman’s Lara’s Theme (named for model Lara Stone), in part for its opacity but also for lack of blinding brightness.

Summer and pink just go together, meaning your pink nails might look a little strange in February. But not if they’re Graphic Berry. This deep berry is such an odd color in certain light it can almost be mistaken for red. Only it really is a glorious, deep fuchsia.

So there you have it, perk up your nails – and your spirits – for the price of a manicure and/or pedicure.

Stay Out of the Sun For Your Skin, Yes, But Be Aware of the Vitamin D Cost

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:36:00 +0000

It’s become like a mantra now. If you read any magazine or listen to any dermatologist, the first line of defense against aging, they will tell you, is to stay out of the sun and – even for small amounts of daily exposure – to use a high-powered, stable sunscreens on exposed areas.

Well, I listened, and with my giant hats, SPF 50s and regimen of retinols and assorted other potions I managed to slow down the visual manifestations of my own aging process (I say this not out of vanity but because sun spots that began to appear a few years ago have now virtually disappeared and because the crow’s feet and forehead creases are not as deep).

So it is, in fact, true what they say. What they don’t tell you about sun exposure is that if you’re not getting any sun – or getting it but protecting yourself from it with sunscreen – you’re also probably not getting enough Vitamin D, and likely not making up for it with the amount of D you’re getting in your diet. In my case I don’t eat a lot of dairy and don’t eat any eggs or meat, so I was getting virtually none in my diet. One of my doctors brought this up one day after I had proclaimed with pride how healthy my diet was and how I stay out of the sun, thus protecting myself from skin cancer and premature aging. She did a simple blood test, which revealed that I had a Vitamin D level of 13. The normal range is 30-80. Apart from causing bone pain, a deficiency like this can lead to Osteopenia, the precursor to Osteoporosis. My level was so alarming that my doctor put me on a weekly regimen of 50,000 IU (international units) per week, and I now take a maintenance dose of 10,000 IU per week. I’m supposed to be re-tested soon.

So, my point is this, keep staying out of the sun for the sake of protecting yourself from premature aging and skin cancer, keep using your sunscreens and keep eating a healthy diet. But, please, especially my female readers, ask your doctors to include a vitamin D level test in your next round of blood work or checkup, and follow his or her directives based on the results. It was certainly eye-opening for me.

For the Love of An Affordable & Outstanding Eye Cream: Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:08:00 +0000

It's taken me a while to truly appreciate the value of Dr. LeWinn by Kinerase, a new and affordable line of anti-aging products launched about 6 months ago, but come to appreciate it I have. I am a bit of a snob...that is to say, I oftentimes think -- particularly when it comes to beauty products -- that the more expensive something is, the better it is. I know logically this is not the case, and I in fact happily use many drug store products (more on those later), but my favorite eye cream is in fact quite pricey and I am pretty monogamous, so it's hard for me to believe that something from the Duane Reade will be just as good.

But, times being what they are, I'm not currently able to afford to replace my Kinerase Ultra Rich Eye Repair ($88 give or take, depending upon which website I would use). I did, however, some time back get some samples of another Kinerase-related product (Dr. LeWinn's) and while most of the products were good (the Lift and Resculpt Serum XK bears honorable mention), the Lift and Resculpt Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream was simply divine. I used it right down to the bottom of the jar and noticed that my eyes looked and felt great. I'm not sure why I didn't write about it at the time except perhaps I didn't realize that the whole line was quite so affordable and therefore so accessible and amazing. I've also only recently become a convert to all things Kinerase and would follow the name anywhere.

So it was with pure delight that I looked it up online last night and found that it was not only $27 but also available at Walgreens and Duane Reade (now owned by Walgreens). Now I can have it all...the Kinerase name, the Furfuryladenine (say that three times fast) for my antioxidant, the peptides for moisture, and the lack of parabens, fragrances and dyes. All the things I need in one place, and for less than half what I was paying before! Joy!

At Prada, You're Never Fully Dressed Without Smile #151

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 15 May 2011 20:11:00 +0000

Uniform. The word does not ususally inspire…well, much of anything. But what if the uniform was dictated to you by Miuccia Prada? Then it wouldn't be so bad, would it? But this brilliant arbiter of style - or at least her company - didn't stop at clothes for this particular uniform. She went all the way to the sexy red lips.

I discovered this quite by accident while browsing the Prada boutique for Things I Cannot Afford in the Temple of Happiness (Bloomingdale’s), where I was chatting with a lovely young woman (Danielle, pictured) with fantastic red lips and asked her if she happened to know what color it was she was wearing. I do this all the time with total strangers, but her answer surprised me. “Lancome #151,”’ she said definitively. I couldn’t believe she knew the number so I probed further. You know the number?? “Yes," she said. "It’s the same one we all wear,” at which point I glanced around the boutique and noticed that everyone, irrespective of age, haircolor or ethnicity, had the same red lips. All the salesgirls are handed a tube when they are hired along with their Prada patent bow belts.

I had never heard of such a thing! I had heard of wearing uniforms to work, of course, but never of dictating the makeup of one's employees, particularly something that is such a statement as red lipstick. What if it didn't look good on everyone? But this one did! Here was a diverse group of women, and yet #151 (Avant Garde Red, by the way) looked great on all of them. How could there be a universal red I had not yet stumbled upon?

After asking Danielle if I could take her photo and write about her, I immediately searched online to try and find something about this fascinating phenomenon of making lipstick part of a uniform - or about Prada doing it first - and found virtually nothing. Why not, I wondered? Red lipstick is strong, powerful and makes a statement. Why not make something like that part of the image you are projecting for women's clothing, accessories and fragrance?

Anyone who reads this blog (or who even knows me, for that matter) knows that I think red lipstick is appropriate for everything from a night on the town to taking out the trash, so it should absolutely be part of a day at work at a fashion house. And to make it a required part of the uniform? Well, that just ensures that everyone looks equally fabulous.

When You're Faithful to Your Lipstick and Your Lipstick Doesn't Return the Favor...

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:03:00 +0000

Monogamy: the condition or practice of having a single mate during a period of time

This implies an agreement between two parties, yes? So, what happens when one party is monogamous and the other party is not? Well, many of us are unfortunately familiar with this, right?

But what if your monogamous relationship is with your lipstick? That is to say, you have used none other than this one lipstick for years. Then one day, just like in any other relationship, you notice little things…like it’s not so easy to find anymore. It’s not on the front display shelf anymore. Maybe you have to ask for it specially, or “it’s in the back.” Maybe it’s just constantly out of stock. So you do the thing you know you’re never supposed to do for fear of getting the answer you don’t want to get: you ask what's going on. And what you find out is that it’s being discontinued. Like any betrayal, you never know the real reason it’s being discontinued, and if you ask, you probably will not be told the truth; all you know is that someday soon you will not be able to get it anymore, and you go into a panic.

This is happening to my friend Maggie, except that it’s not just any lipstick. It’s the only lipstick she wears, and, more than that, it’s the only makeup she wears. Period. When I found out about this, quite by accident one night by complimenting her on how great her lipstick looked (because I pay attention to these things), she told me of her challenge and her mission to find every last tube of MAC Lip Gelee in Moistly (terrible name) left in the New York City area or online. I understand her devotion. An already gorgeous girl with perfect skin, this not-quite-a-gloss, not-quite-a-lipstick with just a subtle punch of berry stain totally lights up her face.

I told her of my own journey, having survived a betrayal many years ago when Aveda pulled its Redwood Cerise lipstick for no apparent reason and I made my husband drive me around Manhattan to every Aveda store one Saturday, Visa card in hand, buying them all. I still have two tubes left. Of course it’s worth noting that my backlash to that betrayal was nothing like Maggie's: I did not pledge undying allegiance to my color. Instead, I turned into a lipstick whore, abandoning my color and wearing anything that came along, to the point where I now carry around at least 10 lipsticks in different shades to suit my mood and clothing. I even had to buy a bigger makeup bag to suit my loose lips.

But I digress...this is not Maggie’s style, so I pledged to help her find what was left in New York of what is rightfully hers. Her three solid months of work has yielded a total of 13 tubes, procured from online scores, back rooms at MAC counters at Macy’s, and as far afield as a Neiman Marcus or two. Now her friends know of her plight and when they find a tube, she gets them as gifts.

With this cushion of time, I have advised her to refrigerate all of them and when she gets down to her last tube and a half, she is to keep the full tube for herself to use, and bring the half to one of the great miracles of modern makeup, Three Custom Color, handily located in Manhattan on 22nd Street. In addition to their own roster of their own extraordinary products – blushes that make you look like you just came in off the ski slopes and lipsticks named after New York dance clubs from the ‘80s – they will literally replicate for you your long-lost anything…not just lipstick but blush, foundation, powder, brow gel, you name it. Even my very own Redwood Cerise is already in their database.

Are they a miracle? Kind of...or maybe they're just the nice, solid relationship you've been looking for all this time.

High Tea with Jo Malone

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 02:42:00 +0000

I am reminded now of how remiss I've been in never writing here of the fragrance genius that is Jo Malone, the British maven of natural fragrance blends, but going to the launch event for her new Tea Fragrance Blends at Bloomingdale's has slapped me on the wrist for my oversight.

For this was no average launch event. This was High Tea, complete with reserved invitation, service of three different teas, scones, finger sandwiches, waiters, china, silver and three-tiered dessert stands. Here we were, a group of Jo Malone groupies, all chit-chatting with one another about favorite Jo Malone fragrances, least favorites, what had been discontinued and what was best as a gift. All this taking place in a beautifully appointed tiny corner of Bloomingdale’s on the main floor while the rest of the store was a veritable zoo.

Enter Shaun Rowan, a Brit, of course, who explained the importance not only of High Tea, the inspiration for the new Limited Edition Tea Fragrance line comprising Fresh Mint Leaf, Earl Grey & Cucumber and, my personal favorite, Assam and Grapefruit – but of tea in general to British culture. While he gave us a verbal history of Jo Malone and her various inspirations, we were given an olfactory history with paper strips, often being asked to guess the fragrance (being groupies, most of the women knew immediately what they were smelling). The suspense was building. What is Jo Malone's most popular fragrance to date, he asked. Well, I knew that one...mine...English Pear and Freesia, which I stumbled upon as a sample merely two weeks after its introduction while buying a holiday gift for a friend. This was important because the same perfumer, Christine Nigel, who developed English Pear and Freesia, developed the three Tea Fragrances. He definitely had our attention.

Now this is where Blogger needs a fragrance function...how to describe them. They do, in fact, smell like tea...all of them. But, like all Jo Malone fragrances, they are so much more complex than that. If you simply went by her names you would be doing yourself a disservice because there is such complexity beneath the name. The Fresh Mint Leaf smells like, well, fresh mint leaf and will appeal to those who like an herb aroma on themselves, but underneath it is a little violet and water jasmine for depth, so on the skin it doesn't smell like a tea or cooking herb at all. When you first smell Earl Grey and Cucumber you do get the Earl Grey, but then you get the coolness of the cucumber, but it's anchored by vanilla and musk. The Assam and Grapefruit is, in my opinion, the most complex. It wasn't just that I was served some Assam Black Tea while smelling the aroma on a strip, but then I actually tried the scent, and it was intoxicating. As with all of them, you do get the tea scent, but underneath this one is some star anise, almond and vanilla (which I usually find too sweet but in this case works just fine), as well as cardamom, almond and a touch of patchouli, which Shaun kept describing as the "follow me, young man" factor in Jo Malone's fragrances. I'll take that.

That said, the wonderful thing about all Jo Malone scents is that you don’t have to apply them and then walk around a department store for two hours waiting for them to dry down, change and possibly turn on you. Her fragrances are so natural and pure that what you spray on and love is likely to turn into something you love even more. In fact, if there is any change in the fragrance at all, it's usually for the better (I’ve been seen on the subway voraciously smelling my own arm on the way home). Good thing, since Shaun taunted us by saying there were only 10 bottles of this one and 8 bottles of that one left of these limited edition fragrances. The stampede was real. Don't let these get away from you.

It's a Green! It's a Blue! It's a Gray! No, It's...Black Pearl

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:16:00 +0000

If you're suffering from the least little bit of black nail polish malaise, which I assure you I am, there is salvation in this little bottle. Two coats of Chanel's new spring color, Black Pearl, and you have several colors in one. It's like those old-fashioned postcards that give you one view of a landscape and then with a tilt of your hand a completely different view. That's just how this is, except your color choices range from a wonderful pearlescent-seafoam green to an indescribable shade of blue to - finally - an enigmatic grayish black.

With all this versatility of color, you'd think this would be a totally wearable shade for day and night, but I didn't find it to be so. I found it to be great for evening, but pretty heavy for day, and I say that with a lot of snow on the ground in New York, walking around pretty bundled up, so I can only imagine I will feel less like wearing it during the day once the weather warms up. I had a couple of evening events that it was perfect for, but during the day I confess I thought it actually looked a little silly. That said, it is a nice departure from the pinks and lavenders so common in springtime so I'm looking forward to trying it again then.

Now, I have no problem dropping $25 on a Chanel polish (for me it's worth the quality of everything from the lacquer, pigments and brush to the way it lasts), but I do acknowledge that others may not feel the same way. So for those people, this is an especially good color because you literally do get several colors in one. For my money Black Pearl just may be a new and wonderful twist on the black manicure, which has grown so tiresome of late. Why, Black Pearl may be the new black!

Give Yourself a Hand

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:09:00 +0000

With most women’s skincare energies (understandably) focused on their faces, they very often forget that the thing that can often give away their age – sometimes prematurely – is their hands. While we may be unrelenting about putting sunscreen on our faces and necks, how often do we all walk out the door with sunscreen on the backs of our hands? Probably seldom to never. Then we’re encouraged to repeatedly wash our hands to stave off cold and flu germs, we slather bacterial gels all over them and we wipe them down with sanitizing wipes. These harsh drying habits are further compounded by winter weather, during which many of us cast aside our gloves because we can’t use our touch screens with them on. At best, then, we’re exposing our hands more and moisturizing them less. They take quite a beating, especially this time of year.

If you only have dryness, you can consider yourself fortunate, and begin to take preventive measures now, such as using a handcream with an SPF of at least 15 every day, and yes (I know it’s a hassle) re-applying after you wash your hands. If you’re not so lucky and you’ve started to see even the faintest brown spots (they come out more when you get a little sun), there are a number of products at different price points that can help reduce their appearance, as well as some at-home remedies such as lemon, or prescriptions such as hydroquinone.

I’ve seen a couple of brown spots crop up on my hands – no doubt from my carefree youth dousing myself in baby oil beginning the first day of spring like all my friends – and have had to remind myself again and again to protect my hands before I leave the apartment. One thing that’s made it easier is I just put a little of my face cream (Kinerase Daily Defense Cream - specifically designed to protect and heal sun-damaged skin) right on my hands during my morning routine. Any kind of sunscreen you can use on your face is suitable for your hands.

But many companies now make great products specifically for this particular challenge. One of my favorites is Clarins’ Age Control Hand Lotion. Non-greasy, with natural ingredients and a fragrance to die for, it makes you want to reapply just to smell it again and again (although the price makes you think twice about doing that). On the more affordable end, Dove’s ProAge Hand Cream sports an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) content to support cell turnover in the skin. Even better on price, and SPF, Neutrogena’s Age Shield Hand Cream at $5.99 with an SPF of 30 is such a great buy and so small and cheap you can afford to keep one at home and drop one in your bag!

Holiday Lips: No Time to Be Shy

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The holidays are no time to be shy about lip color, and to me they mean it’s time to break out the reds and berries. If you are a neutral-gloss-wearing type who never wears a strong color on your mouth, now’s the time to upgrade to muted red or a berry stain. If, on the other hand, your makeup bag is already bursting with saturated these colors, now is the time of year to go full-on, especially at night and especially for parties, or to even deepen your shades with a bit of black.

My all-time favorite red, as I've said here before, is Giorgio Armani Rouge d’Armani #400 (not 401 as inexplicably recommended by Lucky in their September 2010 red lipstick piece – it’s way too orange). A close second and quite an unsung hero among reds is NARS’s Red Lizard. While everyone is falling all over themselves over Lancome’s Absolute Rouge, NARS’s Jungle Red and MAC’s Russian Red, Red Lizard is an incredibly flattering shade and a much truer, richer red than these, although its texture is just a tad dry. Further along the glossy spectrum, one product stands alone (please forgive me, I've said this before, too): Chanel’s Dragon Satin Lip Lacquer. Applied generously with the wand, it’s rich, saturated and striking. Patted down with your finger or a tissue it’s muted more like a stain. A more recent addition to my makeup bag is a lifesaver for on-the-subway-on-the-way-to-the-party touchups: NARS’s Cruella Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. So quick and so easy, I often wear it during the day, but I have long extolled the virtues of wearing red lips all the time so if you're not up for this don't despair. If you have a darker complexion or are a woman of color, MAC’s Ruby Woo will be a knockout on you. For fairer-skinned among us, this color looks clownish, but I have literally stopped Asian and African American women on the street and asked them what they are wearing and often this is the color.

In the berry family, the home run in my opinion is Chanel’s Lune Rousse. As a member of the Rouge Coco line, its texture couldn’t be more perfect, it feels like a dream going on and lasts seemingly forever. Despite all the press about Ballet Russe (it has seemed to show up in every magazine lately), I find it too severe. Other lovely berry shades are MAC’s old standby Diva and Lancome’s Le Rouge Absolu in Merlot.

If you’ve already ventured into red and berry territory and want to turn it up a notch, add a dab of MAC Lipmix in Black to your lipcolor. Lipmix is the next generation following Mattene lipstick in Midnight Media from a couple of years ago that sold out so fast everyone’s heads were spinning.

If all this is still too much for you and you still have the urge to leave your lips neutral, I’ll leave you with one idea that I stumbled upon last New Year’s: swipe a bit of sheer orange gloss over your usual lipstick for a festive pop of color that will go with just about anything but will help your look stand out. My personal favorite – because it’s not too orange-y – is Smashbox’s Alluring. Use it over a neutral pencil, on top of your usual neutral color, or even combined with a stronger color (I use it in the center of my top and bottom lips even over red when I’m going out at night).

Happy holidays!

Grey Eyes: Never Out of Style

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:30:00 +0000

Why is everyone just now “re”-discovering grey eyeshadow and liner? It’s always been terribly chic and beautiful, infinitely wearable on most eye colors both day and night. The benefit of everyone liking it now is that most of the makeup lines are producing their own versions of grey, be it gunmetal, silver, pewter or platinum. Still, some are better than others…

If you’re just joining the grey brigade, I recommend doing one of two things: 1) try Givenchy’s Le Prisme Mono Eyeshadow in Hip Grey because, for your money, you get essentially four different shades of grey, from matte to shimmer, that you can blend to varying effect; or 2) choose one of Sephora’s many takes on grey and silver from their Colorful Mono Eyeshadow Collection. At $12 a pop, you can afford to make a mistake, try several at a time or mix a couple together.

If you want to commit to one grey to start, you can’t go wrong with Laura Mercier’s Celestial . Just voted one of Allure’s Best of Beauty eyeshadows, I agree it’s lovely, but if you’re looking at Laura Mercier’s shadows you should also check out Black Ice, which is advertised as black but reads as gray and has more depth than Celestial. A little further along the shimmer spectrum but totally wearable is NARS Night Life. The name notwithstanding, I wear this color day or night. It has some shimmer, but not so much that it’s overpowering. Sweep it lightly all over – by itself or over a matte neutral color – or build it up on its own.

For the grey neophyte who wants a true smoky eye, Smashbox has you covered. With its new Smoky Eye Kit, a holiday three-piece set containing Gunmetal platinum shadow, Obsidian shadow and Caviar cream liner, plus a step-by-step guide, you can’t go wrong (plus the price is half what the three products would be on their own).

If you’re feeling brave and you have some holiday parties coming up, there are two must-have greys/silvers, but they are real statement-makers, so don’t use them unless you mean it. First up is Urban Decay Stardust in Void. Not for the faint of heart, this shadow goes beyond shimmer and provides all-out sparkly irredescence (if you’re not quite ready for this commitment but you like the shade, try Urban Decay’s Heavy Metal Glitter Liner instead).

At the maximum saturation point on the spectrum, which I save for really special occasions, is Illamasqua Liquid Metal. The greys in this extraordinary British cosmetics line are Phenomena (Molten Silver) and Surge (Molten Pewter). My only advice when working with the Liquid Metal line is to practice with them when you have some free time…don’t wait until 15 minutes before you have to leave for a party or you’ll be cursing, making a mess and starting all over (trust me...this advice comes from hard-earned experience). They go on easily but they do migrate and then they dry and stay put, including on your fingers, so be prepared to use some eye makeup remover on your hands. If you choose to use eyliner, use it on top of these after they dry.

So there you have it. Be chic and beautiful with your grey eyes and don’t let anyone tell you they are ever out of fashion.

The Lavender Life (La Vie Lavande)

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 02:37:00 +0000

My love affair with lavender began when I was a tiny little person taking baths in my grandmother's bathtub whenever I visited her. She always had Yardley English Lavender Soap, which I not only thought was exotic and rare but also made me feel terribly grown up (I didn't find out until much later that it was available at most drug stores, but I never loved it any less).

About 15 years ago, the company changed the formula, the bar, the packaging, everything...no longer an ovoid brownish bar in an old-fashioned box, it became a light purple bar just like every other lavender on the market, in a matching purple and more modern box. Even the fragrance changed. I didn't love it so much anymore.

I had to seek out another lavender. I moved on to fancier brands...The Body Shop...L'Occitane en Provence...Caswell & Massey...Crabtree & Evelyn. Many were lovely but each had its own fatal flaw - maybe a synthetic fragrance, or some - like Pre de Provence - which promised exfoliation with its tiny pieces of actual lavender in the soap (this, let me assure you, only leaves you with little twiggy stuff you need to rinse off and is really annoying).

The clouds parted when I discovered Kiss My Face. Their Lavender and Olive bar soap, apart from being incredibly moisturizing, smells like lavender should smell, lasts forever, and (I know this is going to sound weird) dissolves nicely, without jagged edges and those strange layers that some bar soaps get after a week or two on the side of your tub. Their Lavender and Shea Moisture Shave makes shaving well, maybe not fun, but at least not the chore it can be, and it comes in a handy pump that acknowledges that we have our razor in one hand and are probably standing on one foot in the shower so we can't be bothered with any two-handed maneuver to dispense shave cream without risking concussion.

A new addition to the Kiss My Face lavender line is its Lavender Mandarin Castile Peace Soap. It's just generally beyond fabulous and smells divine. You can wash literally anything with it, and 10% of proﬁts from each product sold supports Seeds of Peace and its mission to help young people from regions of conflict develop the leadership skills necessary to advance reconciliation and coexistence. So far, I've used it as bubble bath, laundry soap, jewelry cleaner and to clean pretty much our whole bathroom. It's amazing and does good at the same time. What could be better?

If you're not clean and fragrant enough at this point, you might want to complete your Lavender Life with my most recent discovery - EO's All Purpose Lavender Sanitizing Cleansing Wipes, especially if you live in a city where public transportation is a part of your daily life. Available online and at Whole Foods, I whip one of these out after a long haul on the subway, it comes away filthy and my hands smell delightful. In the summer it's refreshing and in the winter I feel protected from flu germs.

Now that's the Lavender Life.

From Selma’s Chic Green Fingertips Straight to Your Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 03:56:00 +0000

Selma Blair (and her chic green nails) with my friend Christopher (Tofer) Matthew Papish

Most women herald the arrival of fall with a new sweater, an on-trend bag, maybe a new pair of fabulous boots. Me, I’m looking mostly at nails and lips. By August I pretty much know which two or three new lipsticks I’ll be carrying around with me for the Season, as well as which nail colors I’ll be waiting for, as I always assume my good taste will align with that of other New York women and that I will be waiting for something.

I had heard about my soon-to-be new favorite color before Chanel even released it, but I couldn’t tell from their ads and promos if it was really something I couldn’t live without. The color of which I speak is Khaki Vert, an indescribable creamy green and one of the three new Khakis that also includes Brun (a gorgeous rich greenish-brown) and Rose (a woodsy rose). But it wasn’t until I saw it for the first time gracing the beautiful hands of the resplendent Selma Blair that I realized what a knockout it was…and that I could not, in fact, live without it.

But here the actress was, graciously hosting the Chernobyl Children's International Project (CCPI ) auction of Helena Christensen’s photography at Stella McCartney on Fashion’s Night Out, wearing a gorgeous white dress, emerald and diamond ring, with her fingertips freshly painted in Khaki Vert. My friend Christopher (Tofer) Matthew Papish, President of Water, e t al., Inc. and Selma were discussing the Fund and its founder’s Angels, both here and abroad. They also stopped to note each other’s outfits. She loved his vintage swank bolo tie over an Oscar de la Renta necktie, and he – being a little like me about these things – was stunned by her perfect nail color.

But I digress from the real point of the evening, which was to benefit Chernobyl Children's Project International, founded in Ireland by the incomparable Ms. Adi Roche, the organization’s Executive Director, who has tirelessly worked since 1990 to provide aid to the children of Belarus, Western Russia and Ukraine. She, along with CCPI, film director Maryanne De Leo, and Kathy Ryan, of CCPI’s U.S. Division, are the forces behind the truly incredible Oscar-Winning Short Subject Documentary Chernobyl Heart.

Now, for the record, my life is not nearly as interesting nor as humanitarian as either Ms. Blair’s or Ms. Roche’s, so I satisfied myself with looking through Tofer’s photos from the event, which included the above – at least to the nail-color obsessed – show-stopper of an image. The very next day I headed off to my Temple of Happiness, the Bloomingdale’s cosmetics floor, where I was able to score the last bottle they had on hand of Khaki Vert.

I have never – and I do mean never – received as many comments on my nails as I did during the week I wore it. Some people said nothing and just stared while I did mundane things like swiped my debit card and signed receipts. Whenever it seemed appropriate, I mentioned where I first saw it, what the event was and who was wearing it. And now that you’ve read this and you know what I know, and how to get more information, you may decide you want to donate your time or resources to the cause where I first saw it make its public appearance.

Can a nail polish be a gateway to doing good for humankind? If it’s this one, it can.

Special note about this post: this would not have been possible without the tireless help and dedication of my dear friend Tofer, my new friend Angela Trofi, whom I am honored to know now because of writing this, and Kathy Ryan herself, who approved the text despite her relentless schedule. If you read this and are moved to action, please consider contacting and donating to CCPI and sharing this information with your friends. Makeup enhances our beauty and confidence, but it's our beautiful deeds that make a better world.

Most of You Are Buying the Wrong Products for Your Skin and Dr. Leslie Baumann Wants to Change That

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:23:00 +0000

Note: This post was originally written for HeyDoYou.com, a lifestyle, fashion and beauty blog for the cute, clever and connected. I'm a Guest Blogger for them and attended this event on November 9th.

It’s been five years since women all over America who had been wearing the wrong bra size – 80% of them evidently – cast their old bras aside at Oprah Winfrey’s urging, and got properly fitted for new bras, thus enhancing their self confidence and style. Now it’s time for 80% of women – hopefully not the same 80% – to turn their attention to their skin.

Enter Dr. Leslie Baumann, who has dedicated her practice and research to ensuring that her patients are properly educated on the actual type of skin they have (not the type they think they have), for only then can they treat it properly and protect it, nurture it and make it look its best. Dr. Baumann was in New York today to promote her book, The Skin Type Solution, her new PBS special airing this month (check your local listings) and her website, skintypesolutions.com.

Dr. Baumann’s 16 skin types are based on being either Oily or Dry; Resistant or Sensitive (i.e., having acne, rosacea, burning, etc.); Pigmented or Non-Pigmented (this is not related to ethnicity but rather to unwanted brown spots); and Wrinkled or Tight. “Eighty percent of women think they know their skin type and they’re wrong,” Dr. Baumann said. “Oily people think they’re dry and wrinkled people think they’re less wrinkled..."

You get the idea.

Dr. Baumann’s system evolved from 400 questions and her work with thousands of patients’ skin. The result is a questionnaire that literally anyone can fill out online. Based on the type of skin one has, Dr. Baumann and her team then recommend a full complement of skin care products from a range of brands that are best for you (“I’m not affiliated with particular brands,” she says).

Once you go through the process of getting properly typed – which I did today – it makes you wonder why we are all so willing to spend our hard-earned money on products that promise the world but might be totally wrong for us. Vanity? I think it’s safe to say that’s certainly a component of caring for our skin, but if that’s the case then wouldn’t we want to do it right? I can’t recall a department store cosmetics salesperson asking me if I ever smoked cigarettes (I did but don’t anymore), how much cumulative time I’ve spent in the sun (quite a bit ages ago but never now), or if I am usually able to use hotel soaps on my face without incident (I am). But Dr. Baumann did ask me, and she will ask you, too…

I won’t tell you my type, but I will tell you I’m now in the 20%.

Dr. Leslie Baumann addressing the group on Tuesday

The Devil in the Details: Job Interview Makeup

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 20:23:00 +0000

When we see Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada getting ready for her Human Resources interview at Runway Magazine, her entire beauty regimen – even for this important occasion – comprises brushing her teeth and putting on ChapStick. This scene is juxtaposed with the über-fabulous fashionistas who are getting ready for their jobs, curling their lashes and putting on eyeliner, lipstick and shadow. It clearly draws the conclusion for us that a lack of makeup is a component of being frumpy, particularly for an interview. Now, nevermind that Anne Hathaway is one of the most gorgeous women alive and could have swine flu and probably still look stunning, but it got me thinking: when mere mortals go on job interviews, we spend time choosing our clothes to look appropriate and professional, but, for women, should our specific makeup choices also be a factor?

I decided to ask an expert, someone who sees job candidates day in and day out. Jenn Marcotte is an Associate with Chaloner Associates, a national executive search firm specializing in communications, marketing, advertising and interactive recruitment. With offices in Boston and New York, Chaloner works with corporate, agency, consulting and non-profit clients in all industries across the US and Canada.

When you sit down with a candidate, you certainly notice their appearance overall – whether they are dressed appropriately and appear well-groomed and neat – in short, professional. But with women, does makeup play a part in your overall? If so, what would make you notice a candidate’s makeup?

I have to admit that when I reflect on all the elements that comprise a candidate's overall appearance, makeup is the last thing that comes to mind, and that’s a good thing! To me, this means that most women are wearing an appropriate amount of makeup to interviews. Well-applied makeup shouldn't jump out at me - it should just enhance your overall appearance. When I do notice makeup, it's when there's too much of it - or it's too loud.

Do you ever meet candidates who are well-dressed and professional in their clothing but are wearing too little or no makeup at all? What sort of impression does this leave you with? How little is too little?

Love it or hate it, it's just a fact that overall appearance will play a part in how well a candidate does during an interview. And ladies, before you get too upset, this doesn't apply only to females – an unkempt beard or mustache on a man can be just as distracting. An employer needs to have confidence that you'll represent them well while on the job. In the industry for which we recruit, PR and communications professionals often serve as corporate spokespeople and may need to be interviewed on camera. So while employers aren't looking for a movie star, they want to know that you'll come across as polished and put together while representing their organization. For women, makeup is a part of the overall appearance equation. Not wearing any makeup could give you that "just rolled out of bed" appearance and you want to demonstrate to a potential employer that you care about your job and take it seriously. A nice foundation to even out your skin tone, a dab of blush and some lip gloss can go a long way!

On the other hand, if a candidate is overly made-up, what kind of an impression does that give you and what would you recommend to women who tend to err on this side for interviews? How much is too much?

My advice is always to err on the safe side. Save the bright colors for the weekend and stick with neutral tones. When you're being considered for a position, all of the choices that you make are being evaluated. This means everything from choosing to show up 15 minutes late without calling or sending a quick e-mail to let me know, to choosing to wear bright blue eye shadow. Interviewers often only get to spend an hour or less with a candidate before recommending them for a position, so they have to learn to trust their instincts. And if your instincts told you to wear bright blue eye shadow to a conservative law firm, then you might not be the right candidate for their place of business. Think about it this way: you want to be remembered for the great ideas you brought to the table and the success stories you shared from your current job - not for the bright red lipstick you wore.

Is there a “golden rule” you would recommend to women about interview makeup, and do you think this changes according to the industry for which a woman is interviewing?

We recently hosted a talk with stylist and personal brand image consultant, Darcey Howard, of LifeStyled, Ltd. Darcey gave a great piece of advice that I'd like to borrow: Before you leave the house, quickly turn around in a mirror and glance at your reflection. If your eye is drawn to one particular part of your face, you may want to rethink your makeup choices in that area. You don't want too much blush or too dark a shade of lipstick to be a distraction to your interview. You want 100% of their attention focused on what you have to say.

As for the industry, know your audience. Certainly creative or entertainment-focused industries could be more open-minded to bolder makeup choices than the corporate world so there may be more room to have fun with your look. In 95% percent of cases, however, I'd still recommend sticking to neutrals to even out skin tone and lightly highlight your best features. If you're unsure of your makeup choices, ask a trusted friend, or stop by a Sephora or Bloomingdale’s for some professional advice.

Prescriptives: The Wonka Factory of Cosmetics

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Some months ago, nearly a year now, when the announcement was made that the beloved Prescriptives would be closing its department store counters and phasing out its products online, you could practically hear the collective cry of dismay rise up from women everywhere. It was painful. First the counters ran out of everything, leaving the Prescriptives make-up artists and skin analysts standing around looking simultaneously bored and apologetic, halfheartedly pointing women toward Clinique. Then the counters closed for good, and we all started clamoring for the website, where when something was out of stock we assumed it was out of stock forever. I stockpiled three concealers and two powder compacts, while most of the other products I used were long gone. One girlfriend told me that she used the bulk of a paycheck from a freelance job – delaying financial allocations to things like rent and food – to stock up on her Prescriptives favorites.

Why all this fuss and dedication? Because Prescriptives is that one line that, above all others, makes it truly look like you aren’t wearing any makeup. This is because they have, hands-down, the best color matching system I know of for base makeup (foundation, powders, concealers), and if their basic range of colors didn't work for you they would - and still will - mix a custom color just for your skin tone. What could be better?

But then something strange happened. Once we all had stocked up on what we could get our hands on, or found what we thought were suitable replacements, mysterious AVAILABLE NOW e-mails started coming from Prescriptives again. It started to remind me of how Willy Wonka’s Factory shut its gates for several years, only to begin production of chocolate treats again without ever opening its doors. “Nobody ever goes in…nobody ever comes out.” And that’s kind of true, since Prescriptives is now just a website.

How is all this happening? They say: “We are pleased to tell you that due to the continuing high volume of online demand for certain Prescriptives products from our loyal customers, we have made the decision to resume production of our top-selling products at this time.”

I say: it might just be that Oompa-Loompas have turned from chocolate to Makeup Development and Cosmetology.

Tarte Knew What We Needed Before We Knew We Needed It

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:08:00 +0000

It's always nice when a cosmetics line anticipates what you need next, like a partner in a healthy relationship. So it was with Tarte this year. Amid the frenzy of lip stains that came out last spring, ranging from the horrendous felt tip pens of Cover Girl Outlast Lip Stain and Revlon Just Bitten (even more work than CG with its annoying two-step process of covering the gross, dry felt tip pen with balm), all the way to goopy glosses by the major cosmetic houses that could hardly call themselves stains at all, came a parting of the clouds known as Tarte's Lipsurgence.

Already a perennial favorite of mine starting with its Flush cheek and lip stain many years ago, Tarte introduced Lipsurgence this spring claiming that it would increase my lips' moisture content by 6000% in 28 days. Really? Well, I don't care and I really have no idea how I would even figure out if this were true. All I know is that I totally fell in love with this product, and the timing could not have been more perfect. Spring turned into one of the hottest and driest summers on record, a summer when it was hard to be bothered with makeup at all (or what we all had on melted right off) and here was this lovely-textured lip color and balm, sheer enough to put on without a mirror but pretty enough to be noticeable, with its jojoba oil, its peppermint for awesome taste and smell, and vitamins C and E.

But now this wretched summer is over and, as if on cue, my Lipsurgence is running out. It didn't seem right to replace it with more of the same - Tarte seemed to have made this product just for summer. So imagine my glee when I walked into Sephora for my usual survey of new products, only to find a whole new line of Lipsurgence natural matte lip stains, custom-made for fall in matte colors! The colors are similar to the original line-up, but more muted and subtle, more...well...fall-like. The texture is, as expected, drier (although they're holding to that 6000%!) but the colors are lovely and the matte finish is just what the season needs when you don't really want to go all lipstick-y but you want more than a lip balm or your ChapStick. My favorite is Lively.

Thank you, Tarte, for knowing what we needed, when we needed it!

New Sponges (Not Peace and Love) Solve Bacterial Warfare

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 23:55:00 +0000

You go to the makeup counter or drug store (or wherever you buy your products) and purchase your powder compact, either for home or handbag take-along use. It comes with an applicator sponge or puff, usually round or rectangular in shape. You use it for a few weeks and notice that it becomes a little, shall we say, gunky on the applicator side, as well as perhaps a little dirty on the side you have had your hand on. You decide on the lesser of two evils and flip it over. A few more weeks go by. Soon the "new" side is indistinguishable from the first side. But, wait, your sponge is spent and you haven't even worn a hole in your powder yet? What are you supposed to do? Please don't answer this question (even in your head) by saying "keep using the sponge until the powder runs out." This is the wrong answer and will lead to a sponge that looks like this:

This formerly-bright white specimen (for that is the only word I can think to use for it) is, alas, real, and belonged to a dear friend of mine who now knows what I am about to tell you: The sponge that comes with your compact will never last as long as the powder! Why is this important to know? Because as your sponge becomes more used, it's accumulating oils and dirt from your face, and every time you use the powder (perhaps to cover a breakout or two or to absorb oily shine?) you are doing yourself a great disservice because you are merely clogging your skin up further with your own dirt, oil and dead skin cells from earlier, which has now become all mixed together with the lovely powder you spent your good money on. This witches' brew of bacteria and grime is going back into your pores every time you whip out that sponge. Moreover, if you're prone to breakouts to begin with, you are probably breaking yourself out even more.

Since you now know that your sponge will never last as long as your powder, you should always have an endless supply of replacement sponges of similar size and shape ready to switch out every few weeks...more frequently in the summer (sometimes I switch out once a week during the hot months). These sponges are fortunately easy to find, and - best of all - cheap. You can find them at any drug store, Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond or other store that has a healthy supply of beauty products. If you are fortunate enough to live in New York, the best place to find replacement sponges in my humble opinion is that incomparable Temple of Beauty and magenta wigs, Ricky's. There, among many other things (more on that in another post) you can find my personal favorites, the 24-pack replacement sponges for $4.99!

And there you have it...one of the secrets to clean, clear, bacteria-free skin! And so easy!

The Red Lipstick Hall of Fame: Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:27:00 +0000

I know for a fact that I am not the only woman who has long wandered the vast desert of red lipsticks, searching for "the one" - the one that isn't too orange, isn't too blue, isn't too pink, the one that looks glamorous enough for a night out on the town with a date or for a special party but could also be worn straight out the door for no other reason than it just makes you look great.

I also know that I am not the only woman who has bought, sometimes at ridiculous prices, the red lipstick that, in the store, appeared to be "the one," only to come home and find out that I was dreadfully, horribly wrong. I know now (as should you) that most department stores will take back these bad decisions - even if used - particularly if you are willing to exchange it for something else. The best advice for anyone searching for a red lipstick is to do it during the day, try one on and then step outside and look at yourself in natural light. SMILE. If you like what you see, you're in business. That said, several years of research has led me to develop what I will affectionately refer to, going forward, as The Red Lipstick Hall of Fame.

My current favorite, which has sent all the other reds rattling around in my makeup bag to the Makeup Purgatory of my bathroom drawer, is Giorgio Armani Rouge d'Armani #400. It's a true red with just enough blue, just enough pink and no orange whatsoever. The texture is a dream and it lasts, while maybe not the advertised six hours, longer than most products with this texture. Availability on this is pretty good now, although when it came out a few months ago I was waitlisted along with a lot of other people. It should be available on their website, if not at your nearest department store.

If this red doesn't strike your fancy, runners up that I've tested, purchased and used during the past couple of years that are also worth mentioning are:

Chanel's New York Red, a gorgeous color although its texture is a bit on the dry side. I used this faithfully, day and night, until Armani #400 came out. Also by Chanel is Rouge Allure Lacque #75 in Dragon, a notable exception to my no-lip-gloss rule. The color is divine, and you can glob it on if you are a fan of the I-just-ate-some-greasy-fries look, or you can blot it so it comes up more as a stain (my personal preference).
Nars Red Lizard is quite cherry and quite matte...a lovely, lovely color all the way around though some may find it a bit dry.
At the drugstore, you can find Max Factor's #44, an inexpensive alternative and quite a nice red with a good texture. Revlon's In the Red, also available at drugstores, and Mattese's Approachable, available at Ricky's, are both brick reds that I would highly recommend. In fact, I mentioned Approachable on Facebook the day I found it, and at least three friends are still using it!
If you have a darker complexion, you can skip all of the above advice and go straight to MAC's Ruby Woo. I have long wished I could wear this color, but alas it looks terrible on me, as I am fair-skinned and light-eyed; however, on darker complexions this shade is a knockout. I have literally stopped Asian and African-American women on the street or in stores and asked them what lipstick they are wearing, and in many cases this has been the answer.

While we're on the topic of MAC, you may be wondering why more of them are not in my Hall of Fame. Much has been written about MAC's reds (Russian Red, MAC Red, Brave Red, etc.). Women everywhere, Madonna and Gwen Stefani included, have sung the praises of Russian Red in particular. If it works for you, that's great, I've just never found that they've worked for my complexion or coloring.

Let me know what your votes are for your personal Red Lipstick Halls of Fame, and in the meantime, I hope you're wearing them during the day! Red lips are not just for evening...they are for any strong, sexy, confident woman, and if you think you are none of these things, I swear, red lips will turn you into one!

Let the Sun Shine In...Just Not On Your Face

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Mann) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:47:00 +0000

I do not pretend to be the sole keeper of the secret of the Fountain of Youth...countless dermatologists and beauty editors before me have said the same thing, but it certainly bears repeating: to avoid the single most insidious cause of premature aging, wear a good sunblock every single day, even if it's cloudy, and in the summer add to that a big floppy hat and sunglasses.

I'm going to leave it to you to find your own chic floppy hat and glasses (the glasses can be inexpensive, just make sure they have 100% UVA/UVB protection) but what I am going to tell you to do is to check out my two new favorite sunscreens on the market. They are my favorites because, unlike their predecessors that were almost always white, goopy and seemed to transform my makeup to into some other new, non-spreadable chemical compound, these two really are as they promise to be: ultra sheer, dry and absorbent. They are so good at disappearing into the skin's surface, in fact, that I would go so far as to say that they almost serve as a skin mattifier or serum, but with the endless benefits of sun protection. They both even smell faintly nice although they are technically unscented.

First up, on the more expensive end, is Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Defense SPF 50+, available at Kiehl's stores as well as Bloomingdale's, Barney's and other high-end department stores for $32. Kiehl's doesn't specify how the product is photostabilized, but I trust them that it is in fact stabilized. It's also water-resistant and oil free, and if you have a Kiehl's near you and buy a bottle, they'll sweeten the deal with a sample of Midnight Recovery Concentrate (another favorite of mine - more on that another time) and Ultra Facial Moisturizer, which can help make that price tag seem a little less pricey.

On the less expensive end is Neutrogena's new Ultra Sheer Liquid Daily Sunblock SPF 70 or SPF 55 (please, always choose the highest SPF possible). Available at drugstores everywhere at an easy-on-your-wallet $11.99, Neutrogena claims that their water-light texture spreads easily over skin, absorbing instantly for an invisible, weightless feel, and I have to agree. I have been a longtime user of their previous generation of dry-touch sunscreens and thought they were anything but dry-touch and had to wait around while the white goo turned clear enough to rub in. This one truly is ultra sheer and has a lovely texture. Its photostabilizer is the much-publicized Helioplex®, which, even though we may not understand exactly what it is, at least gives us the fancy scientific name to look for that we've heard of before.

So get out there and let the sun shine in, just not on your pretty face.