Spa Service: Clarins Essential SkinSpa

April 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

When beauty companies promise to instantly banish those dark spots, enlarged pores and dry patches, I usually take them with a huge pinch of salt. So much so, that even when the mirror at Clarins SkinSpa was telling me that my face looked infinitely clearer and brighter, I was loathe to believe in the long term effects of the treatment… till a week had passed and the complements had not stopped rolling in. Honestly! As a 30-something (nope, you are not getting my real age!) frequent traveler with cringe-worthy lifestyle habits, I have a face peppered with hyper-pigmentation, dehydrated patches and uneven texture – all of which, it seems, are par for the course for Clarins’ new Essential SkinSpa Treatments, which push the boundaries of existing therapies to culminate in high efficacy, long lasting benefits and unparalleled pampering.

Clarins has always prided itself on its high-performance plant-based formulas, which are helped along by the precise and concerted movements of their exclusive 100 per cent manual massage techniques – every Clarins beauty therapist undergoes years of intensive training to master the precise hand movements and techniques, right from the correct weight of the hands to the angle, pace and intuitive touch to ensure deep penetration and absorption. All this is now made even more effective with the launch of the newest generation of ClarinsPRO formulas and reinforced, high performance massage techniques that boost treatment efficacy. The results are immediately visible and long lasting. An added bonus ? You dont have to prioritise your skin problems and can even combine two different treatments – in my case, whitening and hydration – for the best looking skin ever!

Excerpted from Casaviva India, May 2011


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Pretty Perfect: Calvin Klein Beauty

April 23, 2011 By 2 Comments

Diane Kruger is undeniably one of the most beautiful people to have walked this planet, so it’s not surprising that she has been tapped as the face for Calvin Klein’s latest perfume, which is simply named ‘Beauty’. And the fragrance does her full justice – with a soft, light, almost jewel-like feel that’s extremely memorable without being overpowering. The enchantingly feminine formulation is built around a new interpretation of a lily – a neo-lily – a sophisticated flower that is the essence of femininity, while also being radiant and powerful. Bringing the neo-lily to life, ambrette seeds enhance the spicy warmth, timeless jasmine elevates the floral signature, and a trail of cedarwood brings warmth and a sense of inner strength to the drydown.

The bottle itself features smooth feminine curves, set atop a luxurious glass base. A metallic silver ring encircles the glass, expressing a woman’s on going strength and confidence, while the golden liquid reflects her luminosity and inner-beauty. The metallic silver cap evokes the sculptural shapes fundamental to the Calvin Klein aesthetic. This is definitely one ornament that’s going to be taking centre stage on my dressing table through the season!

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Aerin Lauder to Launch Her Own Brand

April 5, 2011 By 1 Comment

Aerin Lauder, who has been the most high profile face for the Estée Lauder label since the past several years, today announced that she is in the process of creating her own fashion and lifestyle brand, which shall include fragrance, colour cosmetics, accessories, houseware and jewellery (some of the jewels are said to be based on pieces from her grandmother’s private collection) and will be sold under the name ‘Aerin’.

Besides being the granddaughter of the company’s original founder, Aerin is also the Senior Vice President and Creative Director of Estée Lauder and has been credited for several of the brand’s most successful launches – especially the Private Collection perfume series. She is reportedly aided by none other than Anna Wintour and is rumoured to have recruited White House Deputy Social Secretary Ebs Burnough.

The lady, who has already redefined the contemporary beauty business in so many ways, has set up an office in Manhattan’s Fuller Building – which also houses Tom Ford (terrific choice!) – at a stone’s throw from the Estée Lauder offices. This is pretty practical as Aerin shall continue to have a consulting role in her family business. Besides this, the beauty segment of the Aerin brand will also be sold at Estée Lauder counters, creating a synergy between the new and the time-honoured. According to an Estée Lauder spokesperson, “Aerin Lauder is a vital part of the Estée Lauder Companies and the Estée Lauder brand. She will continue to have a senior creative role with the brand and will continue as a member of the board of directors of the company.”

Aerin explains her move by saying that, “I had a dream of doing this as I was growing up. I am taking the chance to follow my dream.”

I, for one, am all for following dreams – especially those that give us a brand new set of beauty goodies to look forward to :)

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Oscar de la Renta launches first fragrance in 10 years… and that too on Facebook!

April 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In a world exclusive for perfumery, Oscar de la Renta, the master of big impact gowns, has launched his first fragrance in a decade – Esprit d’Oscar – via Facebook. There are free samples of the perfume for those who ‘like’ the label’s Facebook page and the fragrance is also being promoted via Tumblr and Twitter. Described as ”a floral-oriental fragrance” with notes of citrus, jasmine, orange flower and tuberose, and a warm base of musk, heliotrope, tonka bean and vetiver, this is the brand’s first scent after reacquiring its fragrance license in January 2010, following an 18-month legal dispute with its American distributor L’Oreal.

The label’s digital savviness is largely attributed to its public relations manager, who goes by the Twitter name OscarPRGirl. She has over 43,000 followers on her site, even as the Oscar de la Renta Facebook page seems to be fast passing the 1,50,000 mark itself (current number of ‘likes’: 1,41,033).

While other beauty companies – like Old Spice and Yves Saint Laurent’s Belle d’Opium – have turned to social media in the past, this is the first time that a luxury label is almost entirely skipping out on traditional media for such a major launch.

Would love to see how this one plays out!

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Gilding the Skin: La Prairie Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold

April 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Truth be told, I am rather sceptical of the “If it costs more, it works better” mantra, especially where beauty products are concerned. Given my experience with the Olays’ and Eucerins’ of the world, I can safely vouch that sometimes department store budget buys can outperform the priciest luxury formulation by leaps and bounds.

However, ever so often there comes a product that makes you believe in the power of research dollars once more – and the La Prairie Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold is a case in point.

The concept is actually not “new” – the ancients considered gold a source of immortality. The Chinese believe gold possesses the power to heal. Modern medicine uses gold to treat a wide variety of conditions. In diverse civilizations, gold remains a symbol of wealth and luxury. Unfortunately though, till now, gold has remained on the fringes of the modern beauty revolution, with few companies knowing how to distill its fragile potency into a truly effective, off-the-shelf product.

That is set to change with the Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold – a ”super serum” that contains colloidal gold (a liquid suspension of pure gold0, which enables the minuscule flecks to dissolve onto the skin, imparting a healthy, youthful glow. Furthermore, the pure gold in the colloidal gel slows down the breakdown of collagen and elastin, thereby helping to maintain skin’s youthful elasticity and firmness. In addition, the formula employs advanced biotechnology to nourish and energize the skin. It also speeds exfoliation to re-surface and re-texturize the skin… in short, say goodbye to dullness, dryness, lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, freckles and age spots. That’s because, in addition to the pure gold colloid that lightly gilds the skin, Cellular Radiance Concentrate Pure Gold contains three other significant breakthroughs:

  • Hyaluronic Acid Microspheres fill in fine wrinkles and plump the skin within one hour of application, while providing long-term hydration.
  • A new-generation Anti-Wrinkle Neuro-Peptide reduces the depth of wrinkles caused by the contraction of facial expression muscles, especially in the forehead and eye area.
  • Emblica Fruit Extract is a key ingredient in a Mega Brightening and Lightening Complex, which regulates pigmentation and reduces age spots.

These act in tandem with two exclusive La Prairie complexes: Radiance Complex, whose quartz, liquid crystals and reflective pigments disperse the light to subtly illuminate and brighten the skin; and Exclusive Cellular Complex, which nourishes and moisturizes the skin, in addition to stimulating its natural renewal process.

Rounding out the uniquely effective formula are Rejuvenating Plant Extracts, including Soybean Sterols and Wild Yam Root Extract, which improve the skin’s vitality, elasticity and firmness and support it during periods of hormonal imbalance; Glycolic, Malic and Lactic Acids, in synergy with Sweet Almond Protein, which speed exfoliation without irritation; and a potent cocktail of powerful antioxidants, which protect the skin against damaging free radicals.

That, one must admit, is quite a bit to pack into one bottle – even at US$580 a pop!

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