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A Judgment Call That Comes Up A Bit Short

2009-08-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

The first lady stepped off Air Force One during the Obama family's recent mini-vacation out West wearing a pair of moss-colored shorts. They were not the kind of knee-grazing Bermudas or pedal pushers that the fashion industry has long advocated as work-appropriate sportswear during the summer months. They were not tailored, nor were they masquerading as a skirt. Michelle Obama was wearing play shorts -- the kind of casual cotton fare that a woman might choose for a family outing when her itinerary includes hiking around the rim of the Grand Canyon on a hot summer day, which is precisely what the first lady was going to do.

Obama, who joined the president and their two daughters for an excursion to the national park, looked like any other American tourist. Indeed, many sad-sack sightseers could take a few lessons from her style. The shorts fit her figure; she was not wearing a souvenir top that read: "My family went to Washington and all I got was this lousy T-shirt." She was not sporting a fanny pack. Or wearing beaten-up rubber flip-flops. She looked fine.

But that doesn't make the ensemble okay.

(Kind and civil enemies of fashion: Do I have more pressing concerns on my to-discuss list? Yes, I do. But I'm sandwiching this in between negotiating world peace and restricting short selling on Wall Street.)

The noteworthy aspect of Obama's ensemble is that in recent history, first ladies have rarely dressed so informally in public, particularly as they are emerging from Air Force One while a phalanx of photographers stands ready to record the moment. This exclusive group of women might have dressed in a relaxed manner -- khakis or jeans, for instance -- but it was always in a way that suggested that they were keenly aware of the ever-present cameras. None of them revealed as much leg as the current first lady, either -- a fact that has been duly noted on the Internet by a nation that gets more squeamish about an artfully photographed nude than it does over a naked body lying in a pool of fake blood on an episode of "Law & Order."

Of course, none of the other recent first ladies was an avid fitness buff. Magazine articles were not dedicated to speculation about their workout routines. Obama's thigh-skimming shorts speak to body confidence and athleticism rather than fashion, sex appeal or coquettishness. The first lady, after all, was wearing trail shoes with her shorts, not gladiator sandals.

The image of Obama in her shorts was strikingly modern. And for a long time, modern was not a word typically associated with the role of first lady. The women who have most recently occupied that nebulous position often seemed terribly constrained by its traditions, by the contradictory demands of the public, by the desire to do the nation proud and by the need to live a fulfilling and authentic life. Balancing all that is impossible, and so these women have cherry-picked some things that are inviolable and gone on from there. The public has been free to applaud or criticize each woman's choices. The resulting analysis has had first ladies declared, among other things: elitist, dowdy and tragic victims of chauvinism.

Bringing up the subject of the current first lady's shorts -- indeed even admitting to noticing them -- already has people booting up their laptops and taking big, gulping swigs of self-righteousness before firing off e-mails and tweets declaring the whole discussion pointless. But until the West Wing -- and not the East -- starts regularly fielding inquiries regarding china patterns, decorators and the menu for upcoming White House dinners and luncheons, the first lady will be burdened with matters of aesthetics. And her person remains the primary device in communicating her philosophy.

In this case, Obama has espoused an aesthetic rooted in realism and inclusion, as evidenced by a White House that embraces poetry jams, country music and classical technique, as well as formal dinners that get funky with Earth, Wind & Fire.

Fashion can be an indispensable tool for delivering a message about approachability and empathy. But that doesn't mean it would be a good idea for the first lady to wear a pink velour Juicy Couture track suit when she travels, no matter how real and modern and comfortable it might be. No matter that so many other women of her generation choose travel clothes that mimic pajamas. When the first couple disembarks from Air Force One, military personnel stand at attention, shutters click and minions scurry. It's not as though they are climbing out of their own personal RV with their backpacks -- like celebrities caught unawares by the paparazzi.

Ultimately, the first lady can't be -- nor should she be -- just like everyone else. Hers is a life of responsibilities and privileges. She gets the fancy jet. She has to dress for the ride.

Unlike the president, whose entire life, down to his medical history, is available for public scrutiny, or the first children, whose lives are almost entirely private, the first lady lives in a constant tug-of-war between the private and the public. Her private family vacation might have called for sport shorts. Her very public descent from Air Force One would have been less jarring -- what with two stern servicemen standing ramrod-straight and the bulletproof presidential "beast" waiting -- if her attire had been more polished. Was a suit required? A fancy dress? Or any kind of dress, for that matter? Absolutely not. This is 2009, after all, not 1950. But there's a difference between shorts that could be worn jogging and those that one might wear to a backyard barbecue.

Or at least that's as it should be. The reality is that a good portion of the culture has become loudly vocal about how clothes don't matter and how it's snobbish or shallow to suggest that they do. But clothes are part of our broader aesthetic obligation to each other. That commitment pushes homeowners to mow their lawns and not be a blight to the neighborhood. It makes them think twice before painting their houses in psychedelic stripes. The desire to be aesthetically respectful means guests give consideration to what they wear to a friend's wedding or mourners take care in how they dress for a loved one's funeral.

In the White House, the aesthetic demands are higher than they are on Main Street. There are no neat rules, only confounding expectations. First ladies often get caught up in a desire not to appear elitist -- the lingering aftermath of Nancy Reagan's painful lessons in ready-to-wear borrowing. But few observers seem to remember that Rosalynn Carter took her share of criticism for wearing a recycled dress to her husband's inauguration. How miserly!, critics clucked.

Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise. But it does American culture no favors if a first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common.

Hopes up for RP’s bet in Miss Universe beauty tilt in Bahamas

2009-08-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

All is set for the most prestigious beauty pageant, the 2009 Miss Universe contest, which will be held at the Imperial Ballroom of the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas Sunday night (Monday morning in the Philippines).

There are no clear frontrunners in this year’s contest, but Miss Philippines Pamela Bianca Manalo is one of the favorites to win the coveted cape, scepter, and crown, experts said.

“Let me start off by saying this year would probably be the hardest one to pinpoint a clear winner from the get go. It makes it more interesting and it’s anybody’s game. I have carefully assessed all more than 80 plus delegates, and only these 30 girls I see make it,’’ a missosology beauty expert said.

Among those predicted to make it to the Top 15 are candidates from Kosovo, France, USA, Czech Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Russia, Hungary, Dominican Republic, Japan, Ukraine, Slovak Republic, Indonesia, Philippines, Belgium, and Jamaica.

A beauty pageant expert, however, predicted Miss Kosovo to win the crown. But an American bettor said Miss Australia is the favorite to win the pageant.

Venezuela’s Dayana Mendoza is the present holder of the Miss Universe title.

If Manalo makes it to the Top 15, it will mark the end of the 10-year drought for the Philippines in the contest. The last time the Philippines made it to the semifinals was in 1999 when Miriam Quiambao won first runner-up honors.

The United States holds the record for the most number of winners, with seven. It is followed by Puerto Rico and Venezuela with five each. The Philippines has two winners.

The 84 contestants were judged in three categories – in swimsuit, in evening gown and interview – during the preliminary rounds. From there, the judges selected the Top 15 delegates, whose names will be announced on Sunday night.

Organizers said before the pageant night, the last few days for the contestants were spent on rehearsals and a grand parade in the Bahamas.

During the pageant night, the winners for Miss Photogenic and People’s Choice Award will also be announced. The public can still vote for their favorite candidates through the Internet.

The Miss Universe organization has announced that this year’s judges are Dean Cain, actor and producer who is best known for his TV portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman; Colin Cowie, author/television personality/designer to the stars; Gerry DeVeaux, award-winning producer, songwriter and style guru; Farouk, founder and chairman of CHI Hair Care; Heather Kerzner, philanthropist and ambassador for Kerzner International and its many resorts, including Atlantis, Paradise Island;Richard LeFrak, chairman, president and CEO, LeFrak Organization; George Maloof Jr., professional sports mogul and hotelier; Valeria Mazza, international supermodel; Matthew Rolston, leading photographer and director; Andre Leon Talley, award-winning writer and editor; Tamara Tunie, actress, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"; and Keisha Whitaker, fashion maven and founder of the Kissable Couture lip gloss line.

As earlier announced, performers during the show are hip-hop superstar Flo Rida, reality star Heidi Montag, David Guetta and Kelly Rowland. Billy Bush and Claudia Jordan will host the live telecast.

The first Miss Universe pageant was held in Long Beach, California, in 1952. Armi Kuusela from Finland won the contest. However, Kuusela gave up her title when she married Filipino tycoon Virgilio Hilario.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2009/08/photos-mady-gosselins-beauty-shop-meltdown

2009-08-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday, RadarOnline.com reported that Reality TV mom Kate Gosselin took one of her eldest twins Mady for a day of pampering at a local salon--while it started looking like mother-daughter fun, new pics reveal a major meltdown from Cara after their treatment.

Click here for photos of Cara in tears leaving Planet Nails & Tans in Pennsylvania.

Mady, sporting some serious nails for an 8-year-old, wipes tears away as a concerned Kate escorts her to the car.

The soon-to-be-former Mrs. Jon Gosselin is sporting disposable flip flops and freshly painted toes.

While Mady could simply be having a moment, we hope it's not for lack of pedicure--lest Watergate repeat itself again.

One in three teenagers shun a daily shower in favour of deodorant

2009-08-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

A study of 11 to 19-year-old found more than two million (37 per cent) take the "shower in a can" option, using a deodorant instead of soap and water.

And not only are they more likely to use perfume (57 per cent) and mascara (58 per cent) every day than they are to use a body wash or shower gel (51 per cent), more than half don't wash every day.

Alexandra Richmond, senior beauty analyst at consumer analysts Mintel, who carried out the research, said: "An estimated £784 million is spent on beauty and personal care products by or for teens, but only a tiny proportion of beauty products on the shop shelves are specifically for teens.

"Today's teenagers have a keen sense of self and there is a very real need for more products that are relevant to teens.

"Finding a product that hits the right note could even encourage teens to wash more frequently."

The study found teenagers worry about smelling of body odour and use perfumes and deodorants to give them confidence, even if they haven't washed.

Perhaps because they want to mask the fact they haven't showered, smell is a key motivator for eight out of 10 teens when deciding which products they want to buy or use.

And youngsters are more likely to have a say in the purchase of products where scent is most important as almost nine in 10 teens choose their own deodorant or bodyspray rather than allowing their parents to choose it for them.

The study also found that despite countless products for acne, the spotty teenager stereotype persists.

Half of the country's teenagers suffer from spots or acne, yet less than one-in-four (24 per cent) use daily facial washes or wipes, while just 11 per cent use scrubs or specific spot treatments.

Ms Richmond said: "Skincare education is of key importance to this young age group, especially boys, who do not pick up this kind of information from the media in the way that girls do.

"Despite the fact they may not wash every day, cosmetics and toiletries form an important part of many teenagers' grooming routine and it is unsurprising therefore that they want to have a lot of say over the products that they use.

"Eight in 10 teens and teens have a say in the purchase of more than three products in their routine with one in five teenagers choosing 10 or more product purchases themselves, not leaving it to their parents to decide.

"Boys are as likely as girls to influence the deodorant or bodyspray that they use, although girls do typically take a greater interest in the cosmetics and toiletries products that they use. This reinforces the gender divide that carries through into adulthood.

"However, boys are also particular when it comes to choosing their hair styling products. This offers them an opportunity to express their individuality through their hairstyle and isn't necessarily regarded as girlie."

Ask Strangers for Medical Advice

2009-08-21T08:26:00.001-07:00

Some people just can’t get rid of their acne, or chronic pain, or psoriasis, no matter what treatment their doctor recommends. Now, just like looking for a hotel recommendation, they can turn to strangers with the same ailments for advice at an online community called CureTogether.

The website is much like Yelp, but its members review remedies, instead of restaurants and barber shops. It allows anyone who is facing a tough medical decision to draw upon the experience of crowds.

“People with acne report treatments they have tried and rank how well they worked,” said Alexandra Carmichael, co-founder of the website. “Everyone else with acne can then see the community stats.”

The same goes for 350 other conditions including migraines, insomnia, irritable bowel, and acid reflux.

Whole Foods and other retailers peddle countless alternative medicine products, but there is very little data about whether those substances work, and even less incentive for a big drug companies to find out. This may be part of what is driving a trend toward DIY health tracking.

Though it’s not a substitute for professional medical care, members of the CureTogether community can share their experiences with every treatment they’ve tried and help others decide what to buy, how to change their behavior, or what to ask their doctor. Every bit of that user data is also available to researchers, so it could potentially cut the cost of evidence-based medicine research, studies that aim to evaluate the effectiveness of medical treatments.

To keep shameless drugmakers or herbmongers from tainting their information like disgruntled diners and restaurant owners try to do on Yelp at times, CureTogether has several security measures in place, including some active analysis of their log files.

Even if some bad apples make their way into the community, it may still be a better source of information than some peer-reviewed literature, since top scientists have been caught fabricating data about medications and Elsevier has published entire fake journals dedicated to bolstering the reputation of Merck drugs.

Do hair loss and heart break go hand in hand?

2009-08-21T08:23:00.000-07:00

In most successful relationships, couples accept that change is inevitable, for better or for worse. However a recent academic study indicates that one change can bring relationships to breaking point - hair loss, a condition affecting almost 15 million people in the UK.

According to ‘The Viviscal Report: The Hidden Impact of Hair Loss’ by Dr Nigel Hunt, Professor in Psychology at The University of Nottingham, hair loss causes sufferers to develop a mental distance from their previous life and actually feel they have become “someone else”, directly affecting the connection they have with their loved-ones. Furthermore, single sufferers can experience major confidence and self-esteem issues ultimately ruining their chances of approaching and meeting new people in the first place.

To help those wanting to find out more about the issue of hair loss, a new website managinghairloss.com has been launched. The expert-backed website supported by Viviscal, the natural nutritional hair loss supplements range, includes comprehensive information such as how to identify lifestyle choices that can influence the condition of your hair, advice on taking the first steps to dealing with hair loss and how to cope emotionally, as well as video testimonials documenting real-life accounts from hair loss sufferers and their experience.

Trichologist Eoin Wright, from the managinghairloss.com expert panel, has the following piece of advice to help stop hair loss having a negative impact on relationships:

“Talk. Take comfort and support from those close to you. Talking to your spouse, partner, siblings, or parents about your concerns can help reduce negative, detrimental feelings such as fear, stress or embarrassment. If speaking with a family member or close friend is not an option, find a local hair loss support group or your local hairdresser. Someone you trust can give you honest advice about whether they have noticed your hair thinning or falling out and share your concerns with them. An honest opinion will put your hair loss into perspective.”

Find out more from managinghairloss.com and for those who may want to speak to someone face-to-face, Regis and Trade Secret hair salons across the country are offering free Hair Assessments to help those who may be worried to determine whether they have a hair loss issue.

Hair Loss Website Launches Program for Children

2009-08-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

HairLoss.com launches "Hair for Children", a new and innovative charitable program that provides free hair restoration services to children suffering from hair loss conditions such as Alopecia.

Ft. Laudedale, FL (PRWEB) August 20, 2009 -- HairLoss.com, the world's largest online social network community dedicated to all-things hair loss has launched a new and innovative charitable program that will provide hair restoration services to children who are suffering from hair loss conditions while helping to raise public awareness about children's hair loss issues.

The Hair for Children program is part of HairLoss.com's social network website, the HairLoss.com community. The program aims to serve children in the continental United States who fall between the ages of 11 and 17 who have lost their hair temporarily or permanently. Hair for Children is for both boys and girls.

"Hair loss is tough on everyone, especially children," stated Michael Garcia, spokesman for HairLoss.com. "Nobody likes to look different and stand out, even adults. High-level hair restoration is really more about restoring what you lose when you lose your hair, which is the self-confidence and the self-esteem."

While Hair for Children is funded through individual donations made through the hair loss community as well as by business donors and employees, HairLoss.com's significant partner resources - studios that will actually perform the products and services - will absorb most of the costs associated with the restoration procedures.

Most children with hair loss are typically suffering from conditions such as Alopecia Totalis or from hair loss brought on by a medically related condition such as radiation or chemotherapy as a result of Cancer treatments. Because of this, the free services and solutions will likely focus on nonsurgical hair restoration methods, such as high-end hair systems, a hair "prosthetic" that exactly matches the child's hair, from the texture and color, down the part and density.

"Nonsurgical hair systems are the quickest way to restore a person's natural look right away, without surgery or months or more of different therapies that won't deliver the look and density enough to make a difference in the child's life," said Garcia. "An expertly designed and applied hair system can restore a child's appearance in a way that allows them to live their lives fully, such as swimming and showering and sleeping in their new hair."

Those children who are selected for the program will be asked to participate in online case studies in order to help raise awareness about the program as well as the issue of children's hair loss.

To learn more about Hair for Children or to apply for assistance through the Hair for Children program, please visit HairLoss.com.

HairLoss.com is an online community for those seeking guidance and advice on solving hair loss or those simply wanting to become a part of a supportive community of individuals sharing the commonality of hair loss.

Michelle Obama’s Hairstylist Says She ‘Chills’; British Court Sides With Stella McCartney

2009-08-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

HAIR
• Johnny Wright on styling Michelle Obama's hair: "She just kind of chills. I go with whatever she's wearing and I pay attention to the moment. Should it be a little more flirty? Should it be a little more submissive? Should it be a little more strong? I believe hair is a language, if it's not moving it has no voice." [Editors' Blog/W]

• Pairing casual hair with fancy dresses is a growing trend on the red carpet, like last night when Renée Zellweger wore her hair in a relaxed ponytail at the September Issue premiere. [Girls in the Beauty Department/Glamour]

FRAGRANCE
• A British High Court did not pass a bid to block Stella McCartney's new Nude fragrance from going on sale this weekend in Great Britain. Bono's wife, Ali Hewson, and her partner Bryan Meehan filed the complaint on behalf of their company Nude Brands Limited, citing copyright infringement over the word nude. [Independent UK]

SKIN
• Skin-care companies are trying to tap into a growing marketable demographic — twentysomethings who don't want wrinkles. [NYT]

NAILS
• You can find hues like bright orange and subdued gray in Essie's fall collection of nail colors. It's a nice range for transitioning seasons.

Downtown Fashion Walk -- now with a larger shopping radius

2009-08-19T05:16:00.000-07:00

We told you earlier to mark your calendars for the new monthly Downtown Fashion Walk, which starts Thursday and runs from 5:30 to 10 p.m. on the increasingly fashionable streets of the historic core neighborhood. Thirty (at this count) boutiques and fashion-related businesses on Spring and Main streets will open their doors that evening, and the walk – apparently gaining momentum -- has expanded by a couple of blocks, now stretching from 4th Street to 7th Street. Participating designers include Fremont, Skin Graft, Elmer Ave, Soulful Commandoe plus boutiques M’ouments, Blends, Engels and the Ed Hardy Outlet.

DeepGlamour.net still plans a hat show for that evening between 6 and 10 p.m., but has changed the venue from the Farmers and Merchants Building to the Spring Arts Tower (201 W. 5th St.). The event will feature chapeaux by Stella Dottir, Louise Green and Arturo Rios and a book signing by "Project Runway’s" Andrae Gonzalo and Kate Hahn. Those wearing a hat are eligible for a door prize.

Spring and Main streets between 4th and 7th streets, Los Angeles. 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Jackson, MS 2nd Annual HIV/AIDS Fashion Show

2009-08-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

By: Ms. Kyla Latrice, MBA

FOR IMMEDIATE TEMPORARY RELEASE
Contact: Ms. Kenya & Kyla Latrice, CEO & Public Relations
Lady Mirage Models & Entertainment, Inc.
Lady Mirage Women & Mini Divas, LLC.
P.O. Box 575
Horn Lake, MS 38637
LadyMirageEntertainment@gmail.com

August 8, 2009
HIV/AIDS ALL White “Purity” Fashion Show Extravaganza: Restoring and Empowering Our African-American Communities
Jackson, MS- HIV/AIDS: HIV infection is spread primarily through sexual practices or by sharing needles (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Statistics show at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov ) of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, HIV and AIDS have hit African Americans the hardest. The reasons are not directly related to race or ethnicity, but rather to some of the barriers faced by many African Americans. These barriers can include poverty (being poor), sexually transmitted diseases, and stigma (negative attitudes, beliefs, and actions directed at people living with HIV/AIDS or directed at people who do things that might put them at risk for HIV).

When we look at HIV/AIDS by race and ethnicity, we see that African Americans have:

• More illness. Even though blacks (including African Americans) account for about 13% of the US population, they account for about half (49%) of the people who get HIV and AIDS.

• Shorter survival times. Blacks with AIDS often don’t live as long as people of other races and ethnic groups with AIDS. This is due to the barriers mentioned above.

• More deaths. For African Americans and other blacks, HIV/AIDS is a leading cause of death.
Lady Mirage Entertainment invites you to “2nd Chance to do it: ALL White Party and Fashion Extravaganza” on Saturday, August 29, 2009 from 7pm to approximately 10pm at Union Station Ballroom in Jackson, MS, located at 300 West Capitol Street, Downtown Jackson, MS.

This production is founded on the belief that strong people make strong communities and working together to encourage transformation creates loyalty and solid foundations of change. The fashion show, speakers and information handed out at this event will focus on health and wellness, HIV/AIDS knowledge and testing, as well as inspiration performance from local Mississippi Entertainment Industry talent: Recording Artists/Labels, to develop lasting moral character. We want to empower people by encouraging them to make lifestyle choices based upon good judgment and sound principles so that they live virtuous, balanced, and well-rounded lives, while knowing the facts about HIV/AIDS and the importance of getting tested.

The overall message is that HIV/AIDS is affecting communities in general, all over the world & Jackson, MS is the capitol of Mississippi & some restoration, rebuilding and education to enhance the well being of lives in the city, needs to take place: through information gathering. Living through the principles of: it takes a village to raise a child and people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, yet, “knowledge” is POWER.

During the event, featured speakers and vendors will share information on HIV/AIDS as well as provide Testing, for the community, primarily the African-American population. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit the “National AIDS Foundation: Josue Homes”.

If you would like to sign up as a sponsor or vendor, please contact Lady Mirage Models & Entertainment aka Lady Mirage Entertainment at LadyMirageEntertainment@gmail.com.
Sponsors and partners for this event are Lady Mirage Models & Entertainment, Lady Mirage Women & Mini Divas (Speakers & Physicians), Thomas by Design, Donald Warren Group, The Savory, Fabulous Entertainment and DJ CoCo Chanel/ Radio Station 99 Jams (99.7 FM Jackson, MS)

Fall fashion goes a little mad

2009-08-19T05:10:00.000-07:00

Fall fashion is going a little mad this season as popular retailer, Banana Republic launches its collection of Sterling Cooper inspired suits.

Based on the 1960s men of Madison avenue advertising, the AMC series Mad Men becomes the latest in TV fashion takeovers. Much like the Pat Fields fantasy of oversized flowers, ghetto gold, and all things Manolo that took over New York City streets with Sex and the City success, this collection will bring a much needed sixties resurgence to the basic business suit.

Ladies you aren't exactly left out either. Whether you want to celebrate your curves like Joan or play it like Peggy there are plenty of pencil skirts to go around. Also check out some of my personal faves the Jacquard Sheath dress, the Ely suede booty, and the Lady Lace hinge bracelet.

Thank you Banana for embracing the hourglass and making all of our men a little more dapper via Don Draper. If only the man came with the suit!

Check out the entire collection at any of these Banana Republic locations:

Q&A with Seattle designer Logan Neitzel of 'Project Runway'

2009-08-19T05:08:00.001-07:00

When he's not tinkering in his studio south of Safeco Field, Seattle designer Logan Neitzel might be bartending at Moe Bar or Smith.

But don't look for him there Thursday, when Season 6 of fashion reality series "Project Runway" premieres on Lifetime and Neitzel -- one of the show's 16 contestants -- is introduced to a national TV audience.

The 26-year-old Art Institute of Seattle grad will be in Los Angeles -- with Eva Longoria?

Neitzel shared this and other insights in an interview with seattlepi.com:

I hear you know Blayne Walsh, the West Seattle barista who competed in Season 5 of "Project Runway." Did you ever watch him take heat from the judges and think, "Thank God that's not me"?

The funny thing is, we were friends for years and each season we'd say, we should really try this, but we never really did. Then for Season 5 we both flew out to L.A. separately to audition. We didn't even communicate to each other we were doing it. He got in that season, I got on the next one.

Blayne is the type of person that is 100 percent confident in everything that he makes. In that final episode when he ended up leaving, he might have had a few doubts. Seeing Michael Kors attack him -- that was kind of tough to watch. But Blayne's got pretty tough skin. He wouldn't do it if he didn't love it.

You're one of 16 top designers on the show. What's your approach to fashion?

I'd like to say I take more of an artistic approach. I typically don't make things most people would wear day to day. Showing an actual collection in a fashion show is kind of like an artist taking his paintings to a gallery. I like pushing the limits and boundaries of what a typical person would wear. Who I design for has a very strong personality -- confident and powerful people.

What does that look like?

At the moment I'm working a lot on exaggerated proportions and not just following the shape of a body -- doing a really strong shoulder, wearing kind of a bubble skirt, or something that's maybe not the typical thing you'd wear for an attractive silhouette. I'm using the body as a template to create a feeling behind what I make. My last collection was based a lot on leather techniques, using studs, playing off texture. Usually I don't work with a lot of color. It's black, white, grays, then one color to accent.

What are you working on now?

I'm showing a collection -- Spring 2010 -- in New York in September.

Did you feel at all disadvantaged on the show having not come from fashion hubs like New York and L.A.?

The main disadvantage to coming from Seattle is fabric options. You go to New York or L.A. -- it's, like, unlimited. I'm the type of person, though, that even though I'm based here in Seattle I don't consider what I do to be necessary to be from Seattle. I could be doing what I do pretty much anywhere. The inspiration comes from within.

You've said your teachers at the Seattle Art Institute were impressed with your drive early on. What pushes you in your work?

It's not necessarily work for me all the time. It's something I enjoy and something I can really do. I'm my worst critic most times. Throughout school I was learning a lot of pattern sewing, pattern making, but everything I was producing never good enough. I was realizing that the designs I was creating were more advanced than my actual skill level to produce them. That was the main thing that really pushed me.

OK. But why fashion? Why is this what you chose to do?

I'm a very visual person. As soon as you dress somebody up and put them on the runway, that's the ultimate adrenaline rush for me, that's where it comes from. I'm creating live art. Putting clothes on somebody changes so many things about them, their emotions, you can create such a mood, such a feeling behind the clothing.

My problem is getting over-inspired, I think. I'm constantly swarmed and moving from project to project. The hardest part for me design-wise is to focus on one project at a time. I'm always trying seven different things all at once.

What advice would you give to people starting out a fashion career?

I would definitely say it's not a friendly or easy career. You have to have tough skin to really believe in what you do. If you have any doubt at any point people can read into that. When I'm coming forward with a vision of what I think is amazing, I have to believe in that 100 percent. "Project Runway" is a good template. Basically if you're standing up before the judges and not 100 percent confident in what you made, they'll know.

Sounds like confidence was on your mind as you taped the show.

If you're not confident about what you're putting out there on the runway, you're asking for it. I'm the type of designer that, if I have 20 hours, I'll think about it for 19 hours and do it in the last hour. I tend to really read into what I'm doing, you know? It's not just about the clothing; it's about the concept behind it.

Being on talent-based reality shows can be one of the most intense experiences of someone's career. Do you think you're the same designer you were before you filmed the show?

I do and I don't. The main reason for me getting involved in this show was that I was at the point in my career where I felt that this was the best opportunity for me. It was doing something, getting my name out there and throughout the audition process being able to sit in front of Tim Gunn and actually be able to communicate with him ... you really get some valuable feedback.

They also say being on a reality show can change who you are.

My personality is strong enough. I know who I am. There were a few of the other younger designers on the show that I think have a lot more growing to do. I've always been older than my actual age. I know who I am and am confident I won't change personality-wise.

Something that I've held onto so long is my anonymity. I'm kind of a loner of sorts. The whole potential of walking down the street and being recognized ... it's going to be pretty interesting. I didn't really think of that aspect of it in the beginning. I enjoy challenges and auditioning for the show was another challenge. The whole fact of being on television for all of America to watch -- it wasn't on my mind. Now it is.

After its 10-month hiatus while the show moved from Bravo to Lifetime, Season 6 will finally premiere this Thursday. Where will you be watching?

I'm actually flying down to L.A. I'll be spending the evening with some of the "Despearate Housewives" cast. It just kind of happened organically. I know someone who's friends with the producer and he kind of reached out and we linked up.

Rachel Zoe Talks Fashion-Forward Second Season Of Bravo's "The Rachel Zoe Project" Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016130992?Rach

2009-08-19T05:07:00.001-07:00

Anthony Jones - Celebrity News Service Contributor

Miami, FL (CNS) - Rachel Zoe is back with the second season of her reality series "The Rachel Zoe Project," which critics and viewers found "to die" when it debuted last Fall. The 37-year-old celeb stylist returns to Bravo on August 24th with more A-list clients, some of fashion's biggest names, and drama that spans L.A. to Paris.

Season 2 starts off in the middle of the madness for Team Zoe, dressing celebrity clients like Cameron Diaz and Anne Hathaway for the Golden Globes. As a stylist to the stars, Zoe was already in the public eye for various reasons, including criticism for being too thin and dressing other ultra-thin stars like former friend Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan.

But those same celebrity blogs who posted some unstylish stories of the Hollywood fashionista were later quoting her seemingly endless catchphrases as heard on the show's first season. "It's a bit ironic. I think when I decided to do the show, one of my apprehensions was 'Oh, this is just going to give people more fuel to say nasty things about me,'" Zoe said. "But in effect, I really was just myself and I think people got true insight into who I am and what I do."

What she does was enough reason to tune in the first time, with an inside look at how Zoe helps some of Hollywood's biggest names go from dress-less to the Best Dressed list. If the first season was a love letter to fashion, the second season is an opus to some of the biggest designers in the game. On a trip to Paris Fashion Week, Team Zoe has encounters with illustrious designers like Giorgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Karl Lagerfeld.

"For me, the designers are my celebrities. They're my heroes," she said. "So me standing there talking to Karl Lagerfeld or Christian Lacroix, I'm like a sixteen-year-old teenager. Even if I've met them several times before, each time is like the first time." Zoe said the second season's sharper focus on fashion was intentional. "It's really important for me to take the viewer into that world and see them up close and personal. It was a huge priority for me."

But while some elements of reality show formula essentially made the first season of "The Rachel Zoe Project" a success (fabulous lifestyles, on-camera breakdowns, "Quote of the Day"-ready one-liners), Zoe is content that her passion for fashion made her a must-watch television personality. "If public opinion turned a bit for the better, I think it's great," she said. "It wasn't my intention but it makes me happy that they see that I love my family, love my team, and that I'm a normal person."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2009/08/fezzes-and-other-fashion-finds-from-tiki-oasis-9-.html

2009-08-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Much to the chagrin of my editing troika, I bolted out of the office early on Friday to get to Tiki Oasis 9 in time for the Tiki fashion show included in the evening's lineup.

It was exactly the type of thing you'd expect -- lots of floral print shirts, aloha-inspired dresses and bathing suits (this year's theme was "Surf City," after all).

What I hadn't expected were the fezzes that seemed to be as common as Tribbles at a "Star Trek" convention. (It's such a rare choice in head gear, until today I wasn't even sure how to conjugate the plural version.) Turns out they're part of the appreciation for all things retro (think Shriners, Shag paintings or Shag paintings featuring Shriners, of which there are more than few).

I resisted as long as I could, but by mid-day Saturday, I'd lost control of my senses and plunked down my debit card at the Fez-o-rama booth for a swirly red velvet number embroidered with a Moai. I even had the honor of the fez maker himself -- Jason Rodgers -- affixing a black tassel to the top.

I only had a few minutes to chat with Rodgers -- business at his booth in the Tiki Oasis "vendor village" was brisk, but among the details he shared was the story of how he fell into this particular hat racket -- working on a dress pattern one day, he plopped a sleeve atop his head in a moment of silliness and was inspired.

Anyone whose business plan can be summed up as "If it's good enough for Groucho Marx it's good enough for me," is worth talking to in a little more depth. Until I get a chance to chat him up in more depth, you can follow him on Twitter where he hangs his hat (er, fez) as @Fezmonger.

The other fun fashion finds were the cool T-shirts being sold by Portland, Ore.-based Vintage Roadside. The husband-and wife team of Jeff Kunkle and Kelly Burg (who refer to themselves on the fascinating accompanying blog as "Mr. and Mrs. Roadside") have discovered -- and preserved -- authentic advertising images of mom-and-pop roadside businesses that existed from the '30s through the '60s but Rage_shirt have since disappeared.

But they don't just appropriate the images, they meticulously research and catalog the back stories of the now defunct roadside attractions -- and donate a portion of each sale to the National Trust for Historic Preservation,

For example, the mermaid logo Aquarama T-shirt I bought (for Mrs. Rage) speaks to the bygone days of live underwater acts that entertained diners at an Osage Beach, Mo., attraction of the same name in the 1930s, and the entry on the website compiles what information they've been able to find (Kelly told me they even got a chance to interview the restaurant's former "aquamaid.")

The high-quality pre-shrunk T-shirts are worth the $20 price for the artwork alone, but in an era where the fading logos of yesteryear are so often appropriated for kitsch value alone without so much as a second thought, the added benefit of the back story makes them worth many times that.

MinuteClinic Introduces New Services Just In Time for Back to School

2009-08-18T08:06:00.000-07:00

New Acne Care Provides Help for Teenagers Conscious About Skin Conditions

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- MinuteClinic, the pioneer and largest provider of retail-based health care in the United States, is making it easy and affordable for students to go back to school healthy by offering a series of new services that include acne care, sports and college physicals and treatment for minor skin conditions.

The expanded services, provided at convenient MinuteClinic locations inside select CVS/pharmacy stores in 25 states complement an already robust menu of treatments for minor conditions often encountered by students at the beginning of the school year such as conjunctivitis (pink-eye), sore throat, ear infection and mononucleosis.

In addition, MinuteClinic offers nine vaccinations for children including shots for meningitis prevention that are now required by colleges prior to students arriving on campus. Seasonal flu shots for children and adults will be offered daily on demand at MinuteClinic locations nationwide beginning in early September. Teachers and students in medical and nursing schools can also come to MinuteClinic for required TB testing.

MinuteClinic health care centers are open seven days a week with extended evening and weekend hours. No appointment is necessary

"We are a convenient and affordable health care destination for parents and young adults trying to care for personal and medical needs before the school year begins," said Donna Haugland, MinuteClinic chief nursing officer. "Our new acne care services, in particular, can help ease the concerns many teenagers have about skin conditions and pimple breakouts."

Acne is the most common skin disorder among Americans. About 80 percent of preteens and teens develop acne during puberty, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). MinuteClinic nurse practitioners counsel patients on proper skin care based on their skin type, make recommendations on over the counter (OTC) acne remedies and, if clinically appropriate, prescribe topical antibiotics or retinoids for moderate cases. Exams and counseling for acne care are $62 and most insurance is accepted.

For sports and college physicals, MinuteClinic nurse practitioners measure height and weight, review the student's health history and current medications, ensure all necessary immunizations are up to date and conduct a physical exam. At the conclusion of the visit, the practitioner gives each patient a MinuteClinic physical form stating the results of the exam. Forms provided by schools are stamped by the practitioner and reference the results on the official MinuteClinic form. Exams are $30, and additional charges may apply depending on exam requirements. Insurance is not accepted for physical exams.

Lice and scabies are highly contagious skin conditions caused by parasites living under the skin that can affect individuals of all social classes. MinuteClinic practitioners diagnose and treat patients suffering from lice or scabies infestation, offer OTC or prescription recommendations for relieving itching and rashes and provide advice on how to eliminate the parasites and prevent their spread among family members and friends.

MinuteClinic health care centers are staffed by masters-prepared, board certified nurse practitioners who specialize in family health care and are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common family illnesses such as strep throat and ear, eye, sinus, bladder and bronchial infections. Minor wounds, abrasions and joint sprains are treated, and common vaccinations such as influenza, tetanus, MMR, and Hepatitis A & B are available at all locations. In addition, MinuteClinic administers a series of wellness services designed to help consumers identify lifestyle changes needed to improve their current and future health, including screenings for diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

MinuteClinic is in-network with most insurance companies, so patients are responsible for either their copay or the price listed on the treatments and services menu. For those who are uninsured or prefer to pay out-of-pocket, MinuteClinic accepts cash, checks and credit cards.

About MinuteClinic

Minneapolis-based MinuteClinic is a subsidiary of CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), the No. 1 provider of prescriptions and related health care services in the nation. MinuteClinic launched the first retail health care centers in the United States in 2000 and is the first provider to establish a national presence with about 500 locations in 25 states. By creating a health care delivery model that responds to consumer demand, MinuteClinic makes access to high-quality medical treatment easier for more Americans. The company has generated more than 4 million patient visits, with a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating. A recognized leader in the patient-centric health care movement, MinuteClinic consistently brings innovation to the marketplace and sets new standards for clinical quality that exceed the national guidelines established for store-based clinics by the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). MinuteClinic is the first retail health care provider to receive accreditation from The Joint Commission, the national evaluation and certifying agency for nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. For more information, visit www.MinuteClinic.com.

SOURCE MinuteClinic

Mario Badescu Skin Care Launches Acne Resource Center

2009-08-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 17, 2009 -- Mario Badescu Skin Care, one of the top skin care and acne treatment providers, as well as operator of a 36 room Manhattan beauty salon, has launched a new zone on their website called the Acne Resource Center. The new feature offers informational pages about acne as well as details regarding the use of Mario Badescu products in creating an acne treatment regimen.

The Acne Resource Center is broken into two main sections: Acne Information and How To Get Rid of Acne. Combined, these sections add up to over 20 pages of acne knowledge and acne treatment experience from Mario Badescu Skin Care, a leader in the industry and manufacturer of the celebrity cult favorite acne spot-treatment product, their pink Drying Lotion.

The Acne Information section of the resource center contains information about what acne is, what causes acne, and the different types of acne, as well as engaging articles about common acne myths and the link between acne and diet.

The How To Get Rid of Acne section, on the other hand, takes an in-depth look at Mario Badescu's approach to acne treatment. The skin care company believes that personalized regimens are the only way to approach acne treatment. It lays out three detailed acne treatment regimens for different skin types (dry, oily, and combination) using Mario Badescu products, and also features helpful hints, mistakes to avoid, videos about each product, and printable regimen checklists to help customers follow their regimens.

"Here at Mario Badescu we have a wide range of effective acne products and customized skin care regimens for all skin types. We have been helping people clear up their skin for over 40 years, and we are very confident that we can help all people treat their acne, regardless of gender, skin type, or age," said Kelly Barrett, the Assistant Manager and Skin Specialist at Mario Badescu's NYC Salon. "That said, we are also compelled to try to educate our customers by teaching them about acne and the factors that cause it in order to help them prevent acne breakouts in the first place. This Acne Resource Center is our way of doing just that."

About Mario Badescu Skin Care:
For over 40 years, Mario Badescu has been relied upon as a source for quality skin care. Today our products and services are one of New York's best kept secrets. Our valued clientele includes models and actors as well as everyday men and women who understand the importance of good skin care. The brand's enduring success and loyal following are the result of the late Mario Badescu's timeless philosophy that skin care should be simple, gentle and effective. We continue our founder's tradition by using fresh fruits, botanicals and other natural ingredients as the basis for our products and salon services. For more information about Mario Badescu, visit http://www.mariobadescu.com or call (800) B A D E S C U.

Achieve great skin with the right skincare regimen

2009-08-18T07:55:00.000-07:00

We are stepping into a period in fashion where the “au natural look” is in. Embracing our innate natural beauty is something that we all strive for. Bronzer’s, neutral eyeshadows, pale lips, chiseled rosy cheeks, and glamorous eyelashes are unstoppable. But, do you ever find yourself thinking, “I wish that I could enhance my own natural beauty minus the use of cosmetics.” While most women enjoy shopping for color cosmetics, color cosmetics can make one’s daily beauty regimen burdening. Some women utilize color cosmetics almost as a facial mask. It can feel as though you’ve applied layers beyond layers of product on your face. Most women opt for little to no make-up. However, due to age spots, hyper pigmentation, acne etc., one’s confidence can be compensated and the use for make-up can feel like an absolute must.

When using color cosmetics serves as a tool for opposing the natural beauty we’ve been given, ladies, we’ve got a problem. Make-up should be viewed as an option, or a means for enhancing our natural beauty. What most women don’t realize is that more so often they are not caring for their skin correctly. Improper care of the skin can lead to a number of skin problems. It is thought that the use of make-up will help to (momentarily might I add); enhance our skin’s overall resilience. This could not be further from the truth. The key to flawless make-up is great looking skin, bright eyes, and radiance. Everyone can achieve great or maybe even amazing skin with the proper skincare regimen. Once you achieve the skin you’ve dreamed of, using make-up can become a euphoric experience. Here are some helpful tips on how to achieve that radiant glow, with little to no make-up!

Exfoliating:
One of the first must-do’s when caring for your skin and its smoothness is exfoliation. Exfoliating helps to remove the surface damage left from dead cells. It is the only way to achieve healthy-balanced skin. Most acne sufferers are encouraged to use this technique to kill bacteria in the skin’s epidermis. This helps stop a new cycle of break-outs. Depending on your skin’s condition you may need further consultation on whether you need to use a chemical or an acid exfoliator.

This product helps to give your skin instant rejuvenation. This is an automatic boost that your skin is seeking!

Cleanser:
Finding a gentle cleanser that is good for all skin types can be subjective. Where do you start? What works accurately? Does it remove all impurities in the skin left by chemicals or environmental damage? Prevention can help benefit you on your road to gorgeous skin! I’ve been using Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, one step facial cleanser. It seems customers at Sephora agree! This beauty -buy was a best-seller 2008! With a light hint of chamomile, carrot, and sage this scent will leave your skin smelling fresh. The conditioners will also leave your skin feeling supple.

Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple 24 oz. $40.00 at Sephora in the Lehigh Valley Mall

Philosophy’s successful line of products also has a 4-piece skincare system “Make-up Optional “.
This system includes:
Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser
Hope in a Jar Therapeutic Moisturizer
Hope in a Tube (eye and lip firming cream)
When Hope Is Not Enough Facial Firming Serum

Make-up Optional Skincare System Kit (4-Piece) $78.00 at Philosophy.com
This successful system is so effective that you will see results in as little as two weeks of use. These products are also designed for all skin types. The end result is firmer skin, an even- complexion, revitalization, and the need for less make-up!

Moisturizing:
Moisturizing helps to smooth out your skin’s surface while adding radiance to its glow. It also is necessary for moisturizing the epidermis deep beneath the skin’s surface. A common misconception is that moisturizing is a step that can be skipped. The oiliest of skin needs to be moisturized. Skin begins to look dull after a period of not moisturizing. Bare Escentual’s bare Vitamin’s- Skin Rev-er Upper acts as a multi-vitamin that settles itself deep into the skin. It also contains salicylic acid, which defends the skin from acne. It does not contain harsh chemicals or ingredients. Appropriate for all skin types. This also is a best-seller at Sephora!

Bare Escentual’s bare Vitamins-Skin Rev-er Upper $21.00 at Sephora in the Lehigh Valley Mall

The Fake-it Foundation
While on your journey to achieve that flawless glowing complexion lookout for one fine gesture. The king of skincare Mr. Nicholas Perricone has a new defense mechanism for achieving that “au natural look”. This tiny little weapon comes in the form of a tiny brown bottle. “No Foundation Foundation” is the cure to a balanced look with a dose of color. This foundation devotes itself to fighting wrinkles and other signs of aging. It also combats environmental damage, while firming, moisturizing, and brightening the skin’s appearance. It provides a boost of color that blends evenly into every existent complexion! This is a too-cool-tool! Genius!

http://image2.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/P238612_hero.jpg

Perricone M.D No Foundation Foundation $50.00 at Sephora in the Lehigh Valley Mall

Bottom line is that we all have beautiful complexions and unique features. While using make-up is fun and glamorous, why use it everyday? Why, not when necessary? Embrace your natural beauty! Enhance it with an awesome skincare regimen and a hint of color.

High-Quality Makeup at Drugstore Prices?

2009-08-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

The contents of a woman's makeup bag can say as much about her as the shoes that line her closet. A shiny black Chanel eye shadow palette has the same sleek appeal as a sexy pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos.

These days, though, such luxe touches are increasingly commingled with products that proudly telegraph "value" and "I don't need to pay more." The same "high-low" impulse that has women comfortably mixing J.Crew with those Jimmy Choos is working its way into their makeup routines, replacing some department-store buys with products found at the drugstore.

The drugstore is becoming the H&M of the cosmetics world for everyday makeup. Maybelline has its own $15 version of the vibrating mascara wand popularized last year by brands such as Lancome at twice the cost. Revlon makes a foundation that adapts to skin color once it glides onto the face, taking the guesswork out of finding the perfect shade. L'Oreal Color Juice sheer lip glosses have a package, consistency and smell that are similar to Lancome's Juicy Tube glosses - but cost half as much.

And most drugstore brands have added mineral-based powders and foundations to their lines, creating an affordable alternative to the mineral products once exclusive to stores such as Sephora. That's made it easy for shoppers to trade down.

"Makeup is easy to downsize, because there is far less brand loyalty," says Wendy Lewis, president of the New York-based Global Aesthetics Consultancy. Women are more likely to spend money on high-end skin-care brands that make age-reversing serums and eye creams, she adds, but when it comes to cosmetics such as lip gloss and eye shadow, they are stepping back from the department-store counter and into the bright lights of the drugstore.

"There was a time when you wouldn't be caught dead buying in a drugstore," Lewis says. "That stigma is gone."

Indeed, the drugstore cosmetic market has been shining, despite declining sales in the beauty industry as a whole. Total makeup sales dipped 2 percent nationwide in 2008 compared with 2007, according to a study by market research firms NPD Group and Information Resources. But the same study found that while department-store sales of cosmetics dropped 4 percent, the food, drug and mass-merchandiser channel (excluding Wal-Mart) saw a 1 percent increase.

Drugstores have gone after customers by setting aside more space for value cosmetics and finding new ways to lure shoppers. CVS, for example, has launched Beauty 360, an area in select stores that sells niche and prestige cosmetics from lines such as Laura Geller and Cargo.

But for the most part, drugstore shopping still involves confronting a dizzying array of sealed products. To make sense of it all, makeup artist Craig Beaglehole and I set up a drugstore product challenge at a West Hollywood CVS store, piling dozens of tubes, palettes and small bottles into our baskets. We tried out the low-price brands in the store and tested them for a week. One mascara sent my lashes spiking in several directions. And a few eye shadows didn't "move" or glide across the eyelid, creating smudgy streaks instead.

But to our surprise, there were many definite keepers. Beaglehole's top picks - products he says he'd use on clients - were Maybelline Lash Stiletto and L'Oreal Extra Collagen mascaras. He also plans to add the L'Oreal Color Juice lip glosses to his makeup kit to give clients (his include Toni Collette, Elle Macpherson and Lori Loughlin) a super shiny pout for the red carpet.

Mineral Makeup 101: How to master a flawless face using mineral foundation

2009-08-18T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mineral foundation is easy to apply and has a multitude of methods to cover flaws. Mineral foundation powder is consistent with each application onto the skin. Seldom is a need for foundation touch-ups during the day and many of the best mineral makeup brands formulate precise foundation colors that match most skin tones.

The proper mineral foundation will match skin perfectly making it virtually impossible to detect. Chemical foundations are well known to leave tell-tale and can settle in lines, wrinkles, and pores causing skin to appear aged and unhealthy.

A wide range of techniques are available to apply mineral foundation makeup. Mineral foundation application choices include using a mineral foundation or face brush, flocked sponge, or mixing with water or moisturizers.

If a sheer coverage to blur a few facial flaws is what a user requires, then a quick swipe of mineral foundation powder is all that’s needed.

For a heavier coverage to conceal facial flaws, the user can apply a mineral foundation designated for complete coverage, apply more than one layer of mineral powder, or mix the minerals with water or a moisturizer prior to applying.

The secret to mastering the application of mineral foundation is to use a light hand with a natural hair makeup brush designed for use with mineral makeup. Always have on hand when applying mineral foundation, a makeup wedge sponge, mineral makeup foundation or face brush, and a flocked makeup sponge.appearance.

Applicant should use skin care moisturizer suited for their specific skin type, prior to applying any makeup. Allow moisturizer to remain on skin no longer then 10 minutes, then remove any excess product with a tissue.

First apply mineral foundation makeup to any blemishes, under eye circles, and areas prone to redness (rosacea). The best way to cover flawed facial areas will be to use the mineral foundation powder mixed with a small amount of water.

Once mineral powder has dried tap gently until area is appropriately covered, then apply mineral foundation to the remainder of facial areas that need coverage.

If the mineral foundation brand has any shine causing ingredients; bismuth oxychloride, mica, biron, etc., a setting powder will be required to tone down facial shine.

Dust a loose mineral setting veil, mattifier, or resurfacing mineral powder over the foundation. A little mineral setting powder will work unless skin is prone to oil, then a heavier application of absorbing powder will be necessary.

A matte mineral foundation should only be used on combination or oily skin for a flawless appearance without shine.

Always use a light hand when applying mineral foundation. If necessary another layer of mineral foundation can be applied over the first coat for more coverage.

Remember, as with any type of makeup, it’s easier to apply more product than to remove a heavy handed product application.

That’s all that’s needed for a mineral foundation flawless face application.

Fashion Face-Off: Madonna vs. Whitney Houston

2009-07-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Rumble in the jungle! Divas Madonna and Whitney Houston just both happened to wear the same Dolce & Gabbana leopard-print dress on the very same night.

At least they weren't attending the same event, or we're betting a serious catfight would have ensued.

Madonna wore the silver sheath to a dinner with the designers in Milan, where she also brought along much-younger boy-toy Jesus Luz, while Whitney picked the dress for her comeback album debut event in London.

Both musical icons look fab in the animal-print number, but who looked the fiercest?

Sound off on more star style in our Fashion Police gallery!

Have You Always Dreamt of Being a Fashion Designer?

2009-07-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

The University of Washington has a certificate program, Fashion: Concept to Market, that could help you out and get you headed in the right direction! "Participation in the Fashion: Concept to Market Certificate Program is open to all those who wish to start their own product line, whether as a designer or entrepreneur. "

They will be holding an informational meeting about the program next week (Thurs., July 23, 7-8 pm) on the UW campus in Balmer Hall, room 311.

All the information about the program, including the July 23 upcoming meeting and directions to it, can be found here.

More about the program:

Fashion: Concept to Market
Learn to analyze the contemporary fashion market and identify your own niche within it so that your ideas for a line of clothing or accessories will stand out, yet reflect current trends. Understand how to make key decisions on the nature and sourcing of textiles and other materials, costing and pricing, sample making, construction processes, and distribution. Find out how to put together a marketing plan that will bring your work to the attention of your most viable markets.

What the Program Covers

* Refining your concepts and designs
* The steps involved in producing and distributing a line of clothing or accessories
* Marketing plan development

Benefits

You will learn how to make your ideas for a clothing or accessory line a reality and be prepared to take your product line to market.

Who Should Apply

Level: All Experience Levels

* Individuals interested in starting a clothing or accessory line
* Designers
* Entrepreneurs

Fees and Tuition

Tuition is payable on a term-by-term basis. Tuition for the entire program is $2,298 excluding certificate program and application fees and textbooks. There is a $50 nonrefundable certificate program fee to apply to this program and a $35 nonrefundable application fee each term. First-term tuition of $766 plus the nonrefundable registration fee, is due two weeks before the start of the program. The University's tuition exemption policy does not apply to this program. Fees and tuition are subject to change.

Emma Watson makes magic in the fashion industry

2009-07-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

here is not much glamour around Hollywood, the industrial district. But there sure are a lot of fabulous happenings in Hollywood, the movie world. Take for instance the interesting career path of Emma Watson, leading girl in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. From a 10-year old Hermione Granger to a 19-year old red carpet regular, Watson gained a good recognition on her acting. Not only that, she found a comfortable niche in the fashion industry.

Undoubtedly, she used her own magic to transform herself from that bushy-haired Muggle-born witch to a well polished fashion sorceress. Watson, with her notable sense of style, qualified herself to become the face of Burberry. It also led her to fabulous shoots for magazine covers. This August, she is seen on the glossy pages of Teen Vogue and British Elle.

In spite of her popularity, Watson remains rooted to the ground. She said she is willing to have her own clothing line provided it would go to a cause. Having her own perfume does not appeal to her as well when she quipped, "The idea . . . makes me want to vomit."

Currently, this A-student is stepping away from the limelight to focus on her education. Rumors say that she is enrolled at New York's Columbia University and Brown University in Rhode Island.

Sisters take their YouTube success to Seventeen

2009-07-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

It was just about a year ago when 16-year-old Elizabeth “Blair” Fowler, began experimenting with makeup and looking for online reviews of beauty products. This led Blair and her older sister, Lisa “Elle” Fowler, to the beauty community of YouTube.

YouTube is a video-sharing Web site that allows users to upload and share videos.

Blair, who lives in Kingsport, is a rising junior at Dobyns-Bennett High School and Elle, 21, is away at college. Elle and Blair are the daughters of Dr. Scott Fowler, a physician with Holston Medical Group, and Melisa Fowler.

“My sister and I were just starting to get into makeup and finding out that there are more brands than just the drugstore ones. So, we were looking online on Google for reviews of different mascaras, and we stumbled across someone who had an actual video, describing the mascara and we were like, ‘Oh, this is so cool!’ So we clicked on it, and we found out that YouTube has an entire beauty community that is dedicated to just these types of reviews,” said Blair.

Both young women decided to try their hands at creating their own YouTube beauty channels. So using webcams, and doing their own filming and editing, together the two of them have posted nearly 200 videos on YouTube, offering makeup tips, tricks, tutorial and product reviews.

As a result, both ladies have become well-known YouTube beauty personalities.

So much so that Blair says she can no longer walk through an airport without being recognized by her fans.

The numbers, which change daily, speak for themselves. With Blair’s more than 50,000 subscribers to her videos and Elle’s 63,000 subscribers, they’ve garnered quite a following.

Blair and Elle’s YouTube Channel pages have each reached more than 2 million views. A Channel page is where viewers can learn more about the girls, such as contact information, recent activity, subscribers, favorite videos, and can even leave comments for these two “beauty gurus.”

Their Internet fame has led to both girls being featured in the August issue of Seventeen magazine.

“Seventeen found us on YouTube. They saw our videos and then decided that there were so many YouTube beauty girls out there that they wanted to do an article on some of us,” said Blair.

The staff of Seventeen chose 10 young women to be the magazine’s “Beauty Smarties.” Ranging in age from 16 to 22, these YouTubers offer advice on everything from getting flawless skin, to looking date perfect, to eyebrow shaping, to getting perfect lips.

The two sisters were contacted about appearing in Seventeen on the same day. At the time, the magazine staff did not realize the relationship between Blair and Elle.

Blair’s mother, Melisa, says she found out about her daughters’ magazine opportunity almost at the same exact time, even though both girls were miles apart.

“Blair was leaving D-B after school and turned her phone on and saw that she had an e-mail from Seventeen. She got in the car and called me and said, ‘Mom, you’re not going to believe this!’ And at the same time I’m getting a call from Elle saying, ‘Oh, my gosh, Mom, you’re not going to believe this!’” Melisa said.

Blair’s Seventeen feature is how to “Look Pretty for School,” and explains how to use makeup shades of purple and pink to create a subtle look.

“[My feature] explains how to have a very soft, neutral look for school using pink and purple. You might think this would look crazy and wild, but it’s so soft, it just gives you a chance to wear colors, but in a neutral way so that you’re not feeling all crazy about it,” she said.

Blair said ever since she was a little girl she wanted her mom to put blush and lipstick on her, but, she says, her real passion for what she is now doing didn’t manifest until she got a bit older and started learning how to properly apply makeup.

“I mention in my videos that what gets me up in the morning is that I get to go put my makeup on and do a different look everyday. It’s just a lot of fun for me,” she said.

Blair said she’s overwhelmed by how many times her videos have been viewed and by how quickly this has all happened. One video that features an everyday hair tutorial has been viewed more than 600,000 times.

Although not sure exactly where this venture will lead her, Blair says she does know she definitely plans to go to college.

“Maybe this might lead into a career someday. I don’t even know. But I don’t think I’ll be doing YouTube when I’m 35 years old,” she jokes.

She says her videos, though, have led to some possible product endorsements.

But, for right now, being featured in the popular teen beauty magazine is a major milestone for Blair.

“Just being 16 and able to say you were in an issue of Seventeen magazine, is already the biggest dream I could ever wish for,” she said.

Two different looks and outfits were done for the photo shoots at Seventeen, Blair said.

“I did my makeup for one look and a makeup artist did the other one, and they ended up choosing the one I did to appear in the magazine,” she said.

Blair says she and the other “Beauty Smarties” will appear in future issues of Seventeen.

Viewer requests are how Blair says she gets a lot of the ideas for her videos, many of those being from her international fan-base.

“I have so many people from the [United Kingdom] and Canada that just can’t go to the same drugstores that we have here. They will tell me they are going to a party or a graduation and they are looking for certain products or want some help on how to do their makeup. So, I try to find inexpensive products for them to use that can be purchased and shipped internationally online,” Blair said.

She won’t call herself a “professional,” but instead, Blair says she just uses various sources to try to stay well-informed.

“I have learned a lot about makeup through other YouTubers. There are a lot of other girls on there who are actual makeup artists, and they do videos. I watch theirs, and I figure stuff out from their videos,” she said. “I also go to makeup counters, and I’ll ask the girls working, ‘Seriously, can you teach me how to do this so I can teach everyone else?’ So, no, I’m not a professional. I’m totally learning along with everybody else.”

How often she’s able to post new videos is “random,” says this busy teenager.

“Sometimes I’ll get in moods where I’ll do one a day for nine days and then I’ll get in moods where I’ll skip a week and then the next week I’ll do two. It’s really just what I have time to do,” Blair said.

By putting herself out on the Internet, Blair says she realizes she has opened herself up to criticism, but tries not to let it bother her.

“I have so many people who leave me positive comments, saying things just simply like, ‘When I have a bad day I can go watch one of your funny videos and it makes my day better.’ Just for the people like that, that’s totally fine, and I can put up with all the haters. They really don’t faze me. I can just click ‘block’ and that’s the end of them. I think it’s kind of funny, actually, that they spend so much time on someone they don’t even know,” she said.

Though she says a couple of her friends are very supportive of what she does, there are others who don’t really get what all this is about.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand the aspect of what I’m doing and think I’m just going on YouTube putting up videos of me putting on makeup and that I’m doing it for no reason other than that. That’s not it,” she said.

In a time when it seems there aren’t many positive role models for young girls, Blair said she hopes she comes across in her videos as someone her fans can look up to.

“I hope that my videos show that you don’t have to be one of those girls that think it’s cool to go out and party because I definitely don’t. You don’t have to do that to fit in with the crowd,” she said. “If you try hard enough, you can find something you like to do, like I have. For me, trying different looks and putting on makeup, it’s just a lot of fun.”

Blair’s YouTube Channel address is http://www.youtube.com/juicystar07.

Elle’s YouTube Channel address is http://www.youtube.com/allthatglitters21.

The August issue of Seventeen is on newsstands now.

Jordin Sparks talks about beauty, being comfortable with yourself, and boys!

2009-07-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Jordin Sparks made her way to fame from the hit show "American Idol" and hasn't stopped climbing and dominating the charts since. Exclusively in this interview, Jordin reveals her daily struggles to be confident, why she waited until 19 to consider a boyfriend, and why she's still that quirky girl from Arizona! (she's probably a lot like you too!)

What is your daily beauty regimen?

Usually I just wake up, wash my face, put my moisturizer on, and it definitely has to have SPF in it, because the sun does more damage than everyone thinks it does. I’m always using a different type of chapstick, like right now I’m into the Smith Rose Bud Salve, it’s the best stuff.

Is it any different when touring?

I don’t think so. I think it’s the same, just the timing is usually off. Because days run into each other, and how much time you get to sleep is different than another day, you might not have your stuff of the bus. So there’s different times when I’ll probably wash my face and do what I usually do and it’s usually exactly the same.

When you’re touring and on stage, you have a lot of makeup on. Do you have any kind of regimen you do to relax your skin after all of that?

I definitely try to get it all off as soon as possible. Most of the time I use Neutrogena makeup wipes to get it off first, and then I wash my face. On days off, and days where I don’t have to wear makeup, I don’t. I’m not the type of person that wears makeup every single day. It’s weird especially when I have to have so much on, that when not performing I like to keep it very clean and natural.

What are your favorite beauty brands/products?

I’ve actually never had a skin care line that I’ve used, and I’ve just been ok with whatever I can find that works. Now I’m using products from Kate Summerville, she’s based in L.A. She has a little salon out in L.A and I went and got a facial right before the Grammy’s, and it was amazing. So they gave me these products and they are just the best for my skin. I just ran out, so I’m like “Oh my god!”. Hopefully I can find more. As far as makeup goes, I use a whole bunch of different brands. When I get my makeup done, the makeup artists are really cool and sometimes when they use something on me they don’t want to use it on somebody else because it’s not sanitary, of course. So I’ve gathered a whole bunch of makeup over the past 3 years and so awesome and I do my own most of the time. I use Bobbi Brown, MAC, Smashbox, Make up for ever, and a whole bunch of different things. Each brand has one thing that works really well for different things, so I can’t just use one brand-all of them work so well. Oh, Georgio Armani! I just found out that his products work wonderful as well! His foundation works really, really well. I don’t have any personally, but the girl who’s been doing my makeup uses it and it covers, and the elasticity in it is really nice, it doesn’t dry you out.

How has your style changed throughout the years?

I think it’s still the same. I want to wear clothes that I feel good in and feel comfortable in. I’m definitely trying this time around to kind of stand outside my comfort zone a little bit. In performance, I’m now wearing this dress that is a little bit tighter than usual, so I’m stepping outside of my box there. In terms of my style, I’m girly but I’m sporty at the same time. I like to have a little bit of edge mixed with everything. It depends on what I’m feeling that day. Some days I’m feeling frumpy, and other days I feel like wearing a punk rock band t-shirt and being a little bit more edged out, and other days I’m feeling girly.

Did your style change when you moved to Hollywood?

I don’t know. I don’t think so. I mean I definitely do keep up with the trends, I read the magazines and what people say are “in” and what people say are “out”, but I don’t dress according to that. It’s what I agree with. Sometimes it’s like “cool, I guess my dress is going to look great on the red carpet because people love it, I guess.” It’s one of those things were I’m on in Hollywood, so I’m not around it a lot, so I think I’m still just the quirky girl from Arizona.

Do you ever have morning where you wake up and don’t feel beautiful? What do you to to make yourself feel better?

Oh my gosh everybody has morning like that, of course I do! Actually the other day it happened. I woke up and I was just like “today is not my day”. But I think everybody goes through that and as far as confidence goes, I think it’s a daily challenge for me to wake up and be like “you know what? I do look good in my clothes today. I do look good, I am beautiful, and I’m very happy with where I am with my life. Of course there’s days where I just want to crawl under a rock and hide. Everybody definitely has those days, especially me. I know I do. When I have those days, I usually either call my mom, or somebody really close to me and I talk to them. It doesn’t even have to be a long conversation, but just to hear their voice kind of brightens my day a little bit. It’s also good to get confirmation from other people on days like that. Like when my friend comes up to me and is like “Jordin, it’s okay! You look fine” or “you look pretty”. It always helps a little bit.

What is your guiltiest spa pleasure?

Definitely would have to be massages. I could get a massage every day of my life. I love the way they make me feel afterwards.

What is your workout regimen?

As of a couple months ago, I asked for a trainer for the first time. It was just for me, just all about getting healthy and making sure that my body was ok. Last year, I didn’t really work out too much. I would when I felt like it, and I didn’t really push myself. I got sick a lot last year, and paid the price for that. I didn’t really have a lot of energy. This year I was all about, I’ve got an album coming out, I’ve got to perform, and I need to step it up a little bit and get healthy. I had a trainer, did a whole bunch of different things like pushups, cardio, pull-ups, arms, legs. I also fell in love with boxing. He’s not here right now, and I’m not sure if he’s coming on tour. The tour has already started, and we’re still in talks about him actually coming out here and going on the tour with us. I really hope he comes, but right now I’ve kind of been on my own for the first week of the tour and I haven’t really had time to workout. All the extra time I have I try to sleep and recover from all of the no-sleep I’ve gotten. I’m like “sleep or run, sleep or run. Ok, I’m gonna sleep.” If I do have time, I do try to do cardio. I have a bad knee so I go on the elliptical, I love that thing! I also take spin classes when I’m home so I try to get on the stationary bike here and do a couple of light weights, lots of reps. I also have a problem with staying up late and watching infomercials. I have hip-hop abs here, and I can’t wait to try it! *laughs*

What are your favorite hair products?

It’s called Pureology nano-works shampoo and conditioner. The best stuff! It feels good and smells really good as well. My hair products change from month to month. Sometimes one product I’m using on my hair won’t work the next month because of all the straightening of my hair, and the different products that are being used curling it. For curly hair, I use TIGI curls rock leave in conditioner.

What do you have to say to women who think they need a boyfriend to feel beautiful?

Oh my goodness gracious! I was just thinking about that yesterday! Definitely say that it’s not true. You don’t need a boyfriend to feel loved or beautiful. Of course, having a boyfriend is nice, but I was always too busy with sports and my music. I am just now talking to something. I’m 19 years old and I’m just now talking to a boy that could potentially become a boyfriend. It’s been one of those things where I don’t find my worth in what guys think about me, or what mean girls think about me. It’s all about my family and my friends. I have a family that loves me and friends that will always be there for me. That’s all I really need. I would say, make sure you look on the inside first and figure out why you think your worth needs to be found in a guy. Take a serious step back.

Who is your beauty icon?

My mom and my nana, my grandma. They taught me everything I need to know about makeup. I’ve always been told since I was little that beauty is on the inside and it’s cool to be able to wear makeup because it enhances what you have.

How does it make you feel that girls look up to you as their beauty icon?

It’s really cool, because I love to walk around with barely any makeup on. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m glad you like it! The first time I had somebody say that to me, was when American Idol hadn’t even finished and there were these 2 little girls, and I went “hi guys!” and they were taking my picture and said “I want to be like you when I grow up.” I just started bawling. I am so honored that people want to be like me and I’m their role model and I influence them. I’m just me. I’m just a 19 year old girl that had a dream of singing songs and it’s crazy to see how much music can reach people, even at a young age like that. To be a roe model, I don’t take it lightly at all, it’s a big responsibility. But I am so excited to be able to carry that. It’s hard to explain. It’s fun and amazing and flattering, but at the same time its like, I can’t believe this is happening.

Richard Avedon show opens at SFMOMA

2009-07-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Why do I think of MTV when I see the work of Richard Avedon?

Because in his early fashion photographs, Avedon invented pictorial-style-as-branding. It envisions all demeanor as performance and uses movement that meets the camera more than halfway. These qualities reached an unanticipated apex in music videos but made their appearance first in Avedon's innovative magazine pictures of the late 1940s.

For proof see "Richard Avedon: Photographs, 1946-2004," which opens today at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Despite using a still camera, Avedon (1923-2004) found all sorts of ways to get kinetic energy into his pictures.

In 1955, working in Paris, he posed the model Dovima in a Dior evening dress, elegantly splayed between live elephants from the Cirque d'Hiver. She looks as composed as a figure in a designer's sketchbook, but the animal energy of the pachyderms nearly bursts from the frame.

Eight years earlier, Avedon had posed Elise Daniels in a Balenciaga suit amid Parisian street performers, as if high fashion, or the ability to carry it off, presented a human case as odd and exceptional as the contortionist and the strongman who perform alongside Daniels in the photo.

The present exhibition of pictures and ephemera, selected by Helle Crezien of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, and fine-tuned by SFMOMA curator Sandra Phillips, encourages us to discover all the signature qualities of Avedon's art foreshadowed in his early fashion photography.

In "Suzy Parker, Evening Dress by Dior, Paris Studio, August 1956," Avedon widened the camera view to include the rough edges and skylight of the studio that surround the model posing before a seamless background. He compounded the disillusioning effect by letting the negative's black margins into the picture.

Printing the negative margins rather than cropping them out became a mark of Avedon's mature work. It signaled his mindfulness of the materials in hand and of parallel modernist gestures of self-consciousness among artists working in more traditional media.

"Jean Shrimpton, Evening Dress by Cardin, Paris Studio, January 1970" explicitly echoes Futurist Umberto Boccioni's modernist classic, the bronze "Unique Forms of Continuity in Space" (1913/1931).

Framing figured more deeply in Avedon's art as he matured and celebrity portraits eclipsed fashion work as his mainstay beginning in the 1960s.

"Rudolf Nureyev, Dancer, 'En Pointe,' New York, May 31, 1967" evokes the dancer's athleticism, punishing self-discipline and supreme ability with a close-up of his veined, flexed ankle and foot as they keep him vertical.

Slacken your attention to the stance as a feat of strength, and Nureyev's toes seem to reach down delicately to the floor from above. But when the sense of the posture's reality returns, a slightly demonic aspect - as of a cloven hoof - comes with it.

When he photographed "Andy Warhol, Artist, New York, August 20, 1969," Avedon avoided the famous face and had Warhol expose instead the torso scars of his near-fatal shooting by Valerie Solanas in 1968.

The picture quietly marks Avedon's sense of himself as a shooter and risks the charge of sensationalism. But people close to Warhol said that the trauma of the murder attempt changed him irrevocably. Did Avedon sense this?

The portraits continually raise the question of what Avedon could intuit, or thought he knew, about his sitters. A panoramic, nearly life-size group portrait of the Warhol Factory crowd is the centerpiece of the exhibition. In it, Paul Morrissey, whom critics accuse of having ruined Warhol as a filmmaker, appears as a peculiarly sinister figure. Had Avedon already heard gossip about Morrissey's influence? Did Morrissey unwittingly or wittily tip his hand before the camera?

Because of his portraits' unsparing detail, commentators have accused Avedon of merciless scrutiny, yet the few people among his subjects whom I have met, such as Jasper Johns and Doon Arbus, appear very much themselves as they confront Avedon's lens.

Implicitly answering his critics, Avedon said that his true subject was a condition, not the peculiarities of individuals or a stratum of society.

But which condition: embodiment, mortality, subjection to the judgment of others? All of these and one more condition particular to Avedon's time: the inevitability of being photographed.

That fate touched the powerful, the glamorous and the luckless alike through Avedon's oeuvre. To the Facebook generation, mad for self-exposure, that inevitability may seem trivial and like a gift, but the SFMOMA retrospective makes it seem momentous again.

Acne Treatment that Combat the Source

2009-07-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

I have very oily skin and acne has been my face's greatest nemesis. I can't count anymore how many different kinds of acne treatment products I have tried in the past but nothing seems to work as effectively as I expected them to be. Often times, my face became worse than better. Even now that I'm already in my 40's I still get few irritations and breakouts here and there and it's not at all any fun. I came across yet another acne treatment product online which I heard really work wonder. It's good to try products that have been tried by friends and vouched to be effective. Also, the numerous success stories by people who have tried and were happy with the product just make it more appealing.

ZENMED Derma Cleanse acne treatment system help the oil in the skin balanced therefore getting it back to being healthy and clear again. This product has acne fighting ingredients that combat acne at its source, as well as natural healing ingredients that help sooth the skin. The ZENMED Derma Cleanse system differ from other acne treatment products in the sense that it treats acne from surface and internally. It cleans, heals and sustains healthy skin. In just three easy steps, the system arrests the cause rather than just concealing the symptoms. In my desperate quest to find a product that will really help me get rid of acne, this ZENMED Derma Cleanse system looks promising and is worth a try.

What price beauty?

2009-06-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

In this economy, we have all found ways to get our beauty and fashion fixes for less, relying on low-cost alternatives for everything from pricey jeans to expensive shampoo. Still, there are always some things that are just too good to give up. Check out these staff picks to find out our current favorite affordable luxuries and must-have indulgences.

OLD FAVORITE: Lancôme Flash Bronzer Airbrush, $28 for 4 ounces

NEW FAVORITE: Neutrogena Micro Mist Tanning, $10.99 for 5.3 ounces

This drugstore self-tanning spray brings home the gold at less than half the price. The odorless quick-dry formula offers a sunny day-at-the-beach faux glow without the mess or harmful rays.

MUST-HAVE SPLURGE: Renova (prescription), about $120-$140 for 60 grams (Costco)

This wrinkle reducer is not your typical plump and pamper skin soufflé. Its most beneficial ingredient is basic science. The emollient form of tretinoin (also known as Retin-A), not only sloughs off old skin cells to diminish fine lines, but it actually stimulates the growth of collagen. Drugstore retinoid products are just cheap imitators.
-- R.J. Ignelzi

OLD FAVORITE: Philosophy Amazing Grace Perfumed Shave Gel, $15

NEW FAVORITE: Suave Professionals Humectant Conditioner, $2-$3

I used Amazing Grace because the great smell dulled my senses into thinking that maybe leg-shaving was less drudgery. But on the advice of a girlfriend, I traded scents for cents and found that hair conditioner works great as a frugal follicle de-fuzzer. Really, no smell can make this chore less of a snore.

MUST-HAVE SPLURGE: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, $58

There's no Armani hanging in my closet, but I don't feel well-dressed if I'm not wearing this award-winning fab foundation. All the skin superlatives – flawless finish, dewy feel, etc. – fit this makeup perfectly to its last decadent drop. People will compliment your skin, not your makeup.
-- Susan Shroder

OLD FAVORITE: Tigi S-Factor Smoothing Shampoo, $24 for 6.76 ounces

NEW FAVORITE: Garnier Fructis Haircare Fortifying Shampoo, Sleek & Shine, $4 for 13 ounces

Let's get this straight: Both products do wonders for taming frizzy, curly hair, but for the price, you can't beat Garnier's offering. Combine it with the Garnier's Sleek & Shine Conditioner, which also goes for around $4, and you are on your way to the silken hair of your dreams.

MUST-HAVE SPLURGE: Benefit You Rebel Lite SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer, $30 for 1.7 ounces

Not sure if this actually counts as a splurge since Benefit is known for its frugal yet funky cosmetics. Still, plunking down $30 in one pop can be a dicey proposition in this economy. The good news is this product does triple duty, moisturizing as well as providing sun protection and sheer cover. Also, the small tube should last you several months.
-- Jennifer Davies

OLD FAVORITE: Frederic Fekkai Glossing Shampoo, $35 for 16 ounces

NEW FAVORITE: Suave Professionals Sleek Shampoo, $2.50 for 14.5 ounces

Suave is among the most economical (and best-selling) drugstore shampoos. Though I can't say for certain if it really adds luster to dry hair, it smells nice and seems to work just fine. Best of all, you can buy Suave for under $1 if it's on sale at the grocery store and you have a coupon.

MUST-HAVE SPLURGE: Kérastase Resistance Expanseur Extra-Corps, 3.3 ounces for $29.

Spray this on your hair from the roots to the ends after towel-drying. It adds a light hold without feeling sticky like hair spray, helps control frizz and adds volume when drying. Maybe I desperately need it to counteract the effects of shampooing with Suave, but this product works wonders.
-- Jenifer Goodwin

OLD FAVORITE: James jeans, $180 at Neiman Marcus

NEW FAVORITE: Old Navy jeans, $30

There's never been anything that fits as well as James jeans, but Old Navy comes the closest. They have a variety of different styles, from boot cut to skinny, and the price won't make you feel guilty for having more than one pair.

MUST-HAVE SPLURGE: Phytomer Ogenage Initial facial lotion, $79 for 1.6 ounces at Salon Bordeaux

I don't wear much makeup, so it's important that I have good skin. I've tried drugstore moisturizers, but they caused breakouts and left my face feeling oily.
-- Nina Garin

This is one in an occasional series looking at affordable luxuries

Holiday make-up and skin care

2009-06-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Tiana rocks poolside chic in our swimwear shoot. If you’ve got darker skin and you’re fretting about your holiday beauty regime, here are our top tips

Get Tiana’s look
Our make-up artist Shani went for old-school 50s glamour. Using W7 products she created sultry, smouldering eyes by applying a wash of Perfect Eye Shadow in Burnt Plum, £3.95, across Tiana’s eyelids. She then added definition by working Gel Eyeliner in Blackest Black, £2.95, into the base of her lashes. For sex kitten lashes she finished with two coats of Massive Lashes Volumising Mascara, £3.95. To create stylish brows, she used Deluxe Eyebrow Pencil in Black, £2.95, and as no starlet is complete without a perfect pout she finished the look with Hydrating Matt Lipstick in Scarlet Fever, £1.95, applied with a brush.

Make-up
• Holiday eye make-up can be tricky on darker skin because paler summery colours don’t give enough definition. But you don’t have to stick with black. Try olive, plum or blue for a different look, or go metallic. ‘Metallics are great on black skin,’ says make-up artist Shani Robertson. ‘It reflects the natural skin tone and really sets it off.’ We love Gosh Eyeliner in Aqua Life, £4.40.
• You can get away with really strong colours on lips. ‘Go for plums, red- and blue-based colours or coral,’ says Shani. Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Cherry, £3.22, is a perfect summery shade.
• On cheeks, plums, strong reds, chocolate or dark coppery tones look good. ‘Just make sure you go for a shade much brighter than your natural skin tone, you’re aiming to lift and illuminate the face,’ says Shani. Try Too Faced Brightening Blush in Mocha Mi Amore, £14.
• Embrace bronzer. According to Shani, ‘Metallic can be used to add a sheen and highlight cheekbones, or a darker one could be used to contour the face if your skin tone is slightly lighter.’ Try Collection 2000 Shimmering Glow, £2.99, to give your face radiance.

Skincare
• Don’t overload your skin with heavy products – it can create an oil slick. If your skin is dry, shift from a cream to a lotion, and if it’s oily, go for an oil-free lotion to put a stop to shine.
• ‘Facial blotting pads are great for removing excess oil,’ says Shani. ‘They don’t disturb make-up and won’t get cakey.’ The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Blotting Tissues, £3.90, also help fight zits.
• If your skin is naturally dark it’s easy to assume you don’t need to be careful with sun protection but it’s not true. ‘I’d recommend using at least SPF15,’ says Shani. ‘Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturiser, £23.49, has one built in, and Garnier Clear Protection Transparent Body Protection Spray, £12.99, is great for the body because it won’t leave white marks.’

Hair
• Whatever your hair type, it’s important to keep it protected in the sun. ‘Hair protection sprays are essential to stop your hair drying out,’ says Shani. Try L’Oréal Solar Sublime Advanced Protection Conditioning Spray, £11.95.
• Afro hair is prone to be dry and brittle. Keep it smooth and shiny with an oil spray like Avlon Keracare Oil Sheen Spray, £5.82.
• ‘If you don’t have any protection spray to hand when you’re sunbathing, spritz some of the SPF spray you’re using on your body into your hair,’ recommends Shani, ‘It’ll protect it and keep it super moisturised.’ Malibu Dry Oil Spray SPF 20, £4.49, is designed to protect your body and scalp and it smells delicious.

Summer makeup trends: easy, simple, bright

2009-06-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

Diana Akers of Pine Village has noticed the bright color trend for summer makeup in magazines. But the high glamour look isn't exactly for her.

"I try to go natural," said the 45-year-old woman at Tippecanoe Mall in Lafayette. "I think bright colors look pretty on others, but not me."

The fashion trend of bright colors has finally migrated onto the color palette of cosmetics but has yet to catch on in the Greater Lafayette area. Many women said they don't wear any makeup and those who do prefer the natural look, especially during the summer months.

Diane Boener, co-owner of Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio, said to incorporate the trendy, bright colors and avoid looking overdone, women should pick one feature to play up, such as the lips or eyes.

She said the summer trend isn't a high drama look, but fresh skin with a punch of color.

"Pick one area and emphasize it; don't put trendy colors all over your face," she said.

Penny Smith, northwest Indiana district manager for Avon, said the company is also selling trend-bright cosmetics such as eye shadows in tropical bright pinks, lip gloss in coral and yellow nail polish.

"We are right on with trends, if you look at color trends regarding fashion," she said.

Jana Shoaf, Mary Kay beauty consultant and sales director, had a different perspective on summer makeup trends.

She said the trend for the summer is light, sheer and natural looking for women of all ages -- reminiscent of what most local women interviewed said.

But the bright color trend has popped up in the Mary Kay cosmetic line.

Shoaf said the company just introduced a tinted lip balm with sun protection in sheer shades including a poppy or bright pink color.

She also said mineral powder foundations, eye shadows and blushes are good buys for summer because they are long-lasting, easy to apply and natural-looking.

Kristi Johns prefers to go light for her summer face.

She only wears lip gloss and mascara --to compliment her bronze tan.

"I think in the summer it's not a lot of makeup," said the 30-year-old. "It's easy and simple."

Julie Rehwinkel of Lafayette also felt the magazine look of bright cosmetics was too extreme for her.

"Magazines tend to be far out there -- with bold eyes, really bright greens, and bright blues," said the 36-year-old said. "(It's) not something I think the average person would wear on a daily basis."

Amanda Knight of Indianapolis is one woman who has caught on to the bright color makeup trend.

Her everyday look is a smoky eye with a bright eye shadow, pale lips and bronze skin.

"I love bright colors," said the 25-year-old while donning a shimmery bright purple eye shadow at the mall in Lafayette.

How to make bright makeup colors work

2009-06-14T09:40:00.001-07:00

iane Boener, co-owner of Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Lafayette and West Lafayette, gives tips for how to use trendy bright colors to create the perfect summer face.

1. Remove any existing makeup.

2. Apply an oil-free moisturizer.

3. If your foundation does not typically last, use a primer (translucent lotion) that forms a barrier between the skin and makeup. It softens and extends the life of the foundation.

4. Apply an oil-free, waterproof liquid powder foundation. A liquid powder foundation goes on like a liquid but dries like a powder, leaving a matte finish, which is great for oily skin.

5. Apply an eye shadow primer to the eyes before applying eye shadow. This will increase the longevity of the eye shadow.

6. Add a neutral eye shadow to the eyelid from the base of lashes to the brow. Keep the color concentrated on the lid.

7. Add a darker neutral, in the same color palette, to the crease of the eye.

8. Apply a third, lighter neutral in the same color palette underneath the brow and into the corner of the eye to keep the eyes bright and lively.

9. Apply eye liner. Use the opposite color of your eyes. For brown eyes, use peaches, greens, purples and plums. For blue eyes, use browns, plums and greens. For large, open eyes, line both the top and bottom lashes. For smaller eyes, line the top lashes and a third of the bottom to keep the eyes open.

10. Apply one thin coat of lash primer.

11. Add two good coats of mascara.

12. For lips, try a brightly colored lipstick such as a vibrant magenta. Add gloss to the center of the lips to make them appear fuller. For daytime wear, don't use lip liner.

13. For cheeks, apply a mineral blush. You want your cheek color to be appear as a natural flush of color. Apply to the apples of the cheek and brush back toward the hairline.

14. To transition this look into a look for evening:

# Add a lip liner in a color that coordinates with the lipstick.

# Use a charcoal gray eye liner to outline the eyes.

# Press a shimmery powder on the ball of the eye lid, over the top of the iris.

# Add a little bit of color to eyebrows. Use a powder that is the same color as your eyebrows to create fuller brows and a more polished look.

2009-06-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

HDTV: It's time for the close-up, ready or not

2009-06-14T09:36:00.000-07:00

Professional makeup artists have been scrambling to adapt, especially with Friday's formal, government-mandated switch from analog television to digital.

"I've been in television almost 15 years, and HD has become a makeup artist's nightmare," says Unique London, star of BET network's reality segments "Hair & Makeup." "There was a time when the light was forgiving. Once you go digital and high-def, it's great for football games and National Geographic, but not for faces. You can see flaws you didn't even know you had."

Even though it's not their mug on the screen, makeup artists know they'll be judged based on how their clients look, so they've made friends with lighting directors, told stars to stay out of the sun and get their rest, and they're experimenting with new cosmetic products intended for HDTV.

Their tips and the HD-friendly makeup isn't just for insiders, though. Everyone could benefit from a little better blending and brands such as MAC, Cargo and Make Up For Ever are selling their new, camera-friendly formulas to consumers too. Why not? Most women aren't going to quibble with things that promise them a more flawless appearance.

Also, adds Emmy award-winning artist Marie DelPrete, the public largely develops the standards of beauty based on its celebrities. "Consumers get their ideas from how things look on TV, in films and magazines. ... TV and film is very much a dictator of how we view vanity."

Eventually, she says, Hollywood will master HD, and therefore set the bar higher for everyone else, but in the meantime expect shadows, wrinkles, dark spots and redness.

"Actors who golf, for example, have to be on high alert. The high-definition camera is going to gravitate to the redness they pick up in the sun," DelPrete says. "I was watching a home-improvement show and this guy looked like his nose was on fire! In person, it might have only been a little red."

The new cameras capture a picture three to four times sharper than standard video film, says Nick Gavrelis, vice president of global development at MAC. The focus of the makeup must be on the texture of the skin - you need the perfect canvas, he explains.

"You want makeup to be moisturizing, sheer and in thin layers," Gavrelis advises, singling out MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish/Natural baked face powder. It's smooth and spreadable with a matte finish, he explains, but also uses micronized mica, silicone and wheatgerm oil to give dimension the skin and not leave it flat looking the way heavy powder or old-school pancake makeup would.

Anything that shines - be it frost or shimmer makeup - will appear wet and accentuate wrinkles, warns DelPrete. But anything too matte will appear very dry and flaky.

Padres' wild day ends in dramatic fashion

2009-05-23T07:10:00.000-07:00

AN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres’ whirlwind day started with team keeping their ace pitcher, then finished with the club extending their season-high win streak with a comeback victory.

In between star Jake Peavy vetoing a proposed trade to the Chicago White Sox earlier on Thursday and the victory, the Padres traded for outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr., the son of San Diego Hall of Famer outfielder Tony Gwynn.

Scott Hairston capped off the day by singling in the winning run as the Padres scored twice in the ninth for a 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.

Hairston’s bases-loaded single with two outs off Brian Wilson gave the Padres their season-high sixth straight win and a three-game sweep of the Giants.

“It’s been a crazy 24 hours,” Peavy said before San Diego’s comeback win.

The day would end with the Padres sweeping the Giants and Gwynn Jr. scoring the game-winning run on Hairston’s single after a pinch-hit walk.

“I’m glad to be back,” said Gwynn Jr., who grew up in the Padres’ locker room during his father’s 20-year career, all spent in San Diego. “It still hasn’t really kicked in yet. But my nerves were actually pretty good being up at the plate in the ninth inning.”

San Diego retained Peavy when he turned down a trade to the Chicago White Sox, choosing to remain with his longtime team. The Padres and White Sox had reached an agreement, but needed the 2007 Cy Young Award winner to waive his no-trade clause.

Rays 6, Athletics 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Pinch-hitter Ben Zobrist tied the game with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth and Carl Crawford then won it with an RBI single in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 6-5 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.

Zobrist got the Rays even at 5 with the homer off Andrew Bailey.

After Dioner Navarro doubled and B.J. Upton walked against Brad Ziegler (0-1), Crawford lined the game-winning single to center.

Adam Kennedy had an RBI single and Ryan Sweeney drew a bases-loaded walk off Joe Nelson (1-0) to give Oakland a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth.

Tampa Bay’s Matt Garza allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. Oakland left-hander Dallas Braden gave up three runs and six hits over seven innings.

Two walks and Jason Giambi’s single off the wall in center field against Tampa Bay closer Troy Percival loaded the bases in the ninth. Kennedy’s single made it 4-3 and Sweeney followed with his RBI walk.

Jason Bartlett gave the Rays a 3-2 lead with his sixth homer, a solo shot in the sixth. He had just one homer in 128 games last season. Bartlett went 1 for 4, and is hitting .376 this year.

Oakland tied it at 3 on Orlando Cabrera’s RBI single off Dan Wheeler in the eighth.

Propecia the Male Hair Growth Pill - Buy Propecia with Massive Summer Savings!!

2009-05-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Propecia Hair Growth Pill (Finasteride) works by inhibiting the action of an enzyme in the body that is called type II 5-alpha reductase by doctors. Male Pattern Baldness frequently occurs due to production of male hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Such Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme is responsible for converting the male hormone testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. The said Finasteride in Propecia inhibits action of this enzyme. DHT is a specific hormone that can damage hair follicles and often lead to hair loss in men who are genetically sensitive to it. The (Finasteride) Propecia works in the body by specifically lowering the levels of DHT in the scalp. To prevent further male hair loss, we suggest the sooner you start taking propecia the better it will be.

The drug Propecia works only in men who have pattern baldness. Women are always strongly advised to never administer Propecia, as it was specifically designed for the use of males Only who are suffering from hair-loss or male pattern baldness. It apparently does not help men who have lost hair due to chemotherapy or other medical reasons. Propecia is also not recommended for use by cancer patients.

Buy Propecia Online

The Generic Propecia Online Pharmacy is now offering consumers in the UK, US, Australia the outstanding convenience of ordering Propecia online and having it delivered by super fast first-class mail. Massive Summer Savings are on offer to those who choose to buy propecia online. With or Without a Prescription, Shipping of the pills is usually Free to just about anywhere in the world and for almost any quantities.

Makeup MECCA

2009-05-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Antcipated arrival of big-name beauty emporium has glamourpusses glowing

55For example, first we got a Lululemon -- yay, quality yoga clothes! -- then an Aritzia, one of my faves to hit when in Toronto, and now Winnipeggers have another big-name retailer to get excited about.

Cosmetics giant Sephora is opening its doors next weekend at Polo Park Shopping Centre, much to the delight of city makeup mavens who have been eagerly anticipating the store's arrival for months.

For those who haven't had the opportunity to visit a Sephora, it's best described as a department store entirely devoted to cosmetics, fragrances and skin-care products -- a kind of makeup superstore.

According to Sephora Pro Beauty Team member Nathalie Bechard, it's a one-stop shop for beauty, from head to toe.

"It's a huge mecca where you can find everything from cosmetics to body care and skin care; there are over 100 brands available," says Bechard.

Personally, I find the sheer size of the store to be a bit overwhelming and almost intimidating -- that is a whole lotta product and cosmetics. So, with so much to choose from, where does one begin?

Luckily, Bechard has a few recommendations to keep your skin fresh and glowing, especially given the dry, hot, high-UV summers we get here in Winnipeg.

Exfoliate:

Dead skin can make you look dull. Buff it off with a granular or chemical exfoliant for smooth, bright and clean skin. Or take your daily face wash to the next level with Sephora's No. 1 bestseller, the Clarisonicskin-care system.

Moisturize:

Harsh UV rays and dry air can dehydrate your skin, making it look dull and rough. Investing in a good-quality moisturizer with SPF will not only protect against the suns harsh afternoon rays, but also keep your skin looking healthy and supple.

Bronze:

Fake it till you make it, says Bechard. Bronzers create that sun-kissed look and add a little sheen to your skin without the harmful effects of tanning.

Once you've taken care of your skin, Bechard says, look to golden hues and shimmery glosses to complete your look this summer. For a touch of colour, use a turquoise liner to brighten your eyes or some navy polish to add a little flair to your toes.

Acne scars can be more than skin deep

2009-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

VIRGINIA BEACH -- It's the fear many teens face -- an acne outbreak, especially at prom time.

Britany Hutton is taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen to her. Under the care of nationally-known dermatologist Dr. David McDaniel, the Salem High School senior is undergoing a combination of treatments to clear up her skin.

McDaniel says teens want a more aggressive treatment to get rid of acne faster. Injecting a mild steroid called kenalog into the pimple can make it disappear nearly overnight by reducing the inflammation.

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Kathryn Zapatka began the injection treatment last year as she prepared for prom, but the outbreaks continued. She was referred to Dr. McDaniel.

Acne scars can be more than skin deep; they can damage your self image.

“I tried it and it was like a Godsend. I was so lucky to be referred to him,” she said.

Five months later, Zapatka's skin – and outlook on life -- has improved.

“Before, I really did not have that type of ambition. I was kinda like fine where I was, wasn't trying to venture out, but now I have the confidence to just pursue everything I've wanted to,” she relates.

With a few weeks to go before the prom, Hutton is ready to face the prom and the future with a bright smile.

“It’s working very well and I've only been seeing him for about a month. Lots of people have noticed the breakouts have stopped, so I'm very happy,” Hutton says.

Some medications and injections are often covered by insurance, but other treatments are not. The parents of these teens are paying $200-$300 every two weeks for surface treatments and they say it’s worth it.

Cold Cap could save your hair

2009-04-05T05:48:00.000-07:00

Thousands of women will be diagnosed with cancer this year, and many will lose their hair as a result of chemotherapy.

Or not.

While many patients and physicians accept the inevitability of hair loss during treatment, Marilyn Smith of Mount Pleasant defied the odds by trying a different approach.

The Penguin Cold Cap is just what it sounds like — a plastic cap filled with dry ice that fits on a patient's head while the drugs are being administered.

"When I brought it up to my doctor, he said it wouldn't work," said Smith, a 49-year-old mother of two who was diagnosed with breast cancer in September.

"But he said if I wanted to try it, I could."

When Smith began treatment the next month, she came armed with blue plastic caps and coolers full of dry ice.

"I was determined not to lose my hair if I didn't have to," she said.

Bottom line, it worked.

Smith kept her full head of blond hair and convinced her oncologist that there is an option to wearing wigs and scarves.

Well worth it

Smith heard about the Penguin Cold Cap from an out-of-state friend who used it successfully. An active runner, golfer and tennis player, Smith decided she had nothing to lose but her hair.

Indeed, hair loss is one of the most traumatic aspects of cancer treatment for women. While men endure the indignity better, hair loss carries a more powerful psychological punch for women.

Unfortunately, the Cold Cap is not considered an option in the United States. So Smith went online (www.msc-worldwide.com) to investigate and order the materials from a doctor in London.

The theory behind the product is simple: The cap keeps the scalp cold during intravenous treatments and prevents hair loss.

But it takes some effort on your part.

"You have to be motivated to do it," Smith said. "You have to put the cap on before the treatment begins, change it every 20 minutes to keep it cold, then keep it on for two hours after the treatment.

"I knew it was working when my eyebrows fell out and the hair on my head did not," she said. "It's a little cold and your head feels a little numb. But it's worth it."

A huge deal

Smith's oncologist, David Ellison of Roper St. Francis Hospital, once a skeptic, is now a believer in what the Cold Cap can do for his patients.

"It was used here in the 1980s, and it didn't work that well," Ellison said. "But it's more sophisticated now, and it definitely worked for Marilyn. She did not lose her hair."

Smith's long blond locks are testament that her $825 investment paid off.

"It clearly worked," Ellison said. "And she was taking the kind of drugs that cause hair loss 100 percent of the time.

"The process is somewhat expensive and labor intensive, but it was a wonderful improvement in her quality of life."

And, Ellison said, he would be happy to accommodate any future patients under his care who are willing to try the product.

"Michael Jordan made it cool for men to shave their heads," Ellison said with a keen sense of understanding.

"But for women, this is a huge deal."

Spa Products Show Strongest Growth in 2008

2009-04-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

Historically, the beauty industry has weathered store closings, recession and war with strong sales. Due to one of the worst economic downturns in the nation’s history, 2008 was different. It was the first year each beauty category truly struggled and total prestige beauty sales declined 3% versus 2007, according to The NPD Group, Inc., a leading market research company.
Prestige Makeup

Although fragrance sales have struggled for the past few years, the decline in makeup was most surprising. Annual 2008 marked the first time makeup products posted a decline, dropping 3% in dollars and 6% in units. All segments in the makeup category showed declines including face, eye and lip segments.

And yet, despite the declines, there were still key areas in the category that helped stave off stronger declines within makeup. One bright spot for makeup was natural, which experienced a surge in prestige offerings in the past year. Premium priced products in the face segment also showed strength in 2008, even as other makeup segments struggled with their premium price offerings.
Prestige skin care

Prestige skin care was the only category to stay somewhat afloat, staying even with last year on a dollar basis, and capturing 29% dollar share, an additional share point over 2007, of total prestige beauty sales. Total prestige skin care products, which include face, body, sun and hair products, generated $2.4 billion in 2008.

There were also some beacons of light which had stronger performances: anti-aging and specialization, premium price, and natural brands. Anti-aging face products grew, and products that offered specialization (such as allergy relief, redness and whitening/brightening) were up double digits. Premium priced face products (priced $70 and up) increased 4% in dollars from 2007.

Beauty on a budget

2009-04-05T05:41:00.000-07:00

If you're the sort of woman who caresses your mascara wand and wants to put your anti-ageing cream on the mantelpiece, the idea of beauty on a budget might be enough to make you break out.

But if you need to make serious savings, beauty buys are one area where you can cut back. Whether you'll want to is a whole other psychological argument.

But buying your supplies alongside the groceries is hardly hardship - or unusual - and it doesn't mean a solely soap and water regime (though for less than a cup of coffee Dove does a sensitive skin beauty bar!).

Downshifting to budget brands costing under $25 for makeup means you can easily knock half to two-thirds off prices per item. Good skincare basics can also be found under $25, but for heavy duty creams and serums you'll generally have to exceed that amount by up to $20 more. That takes you well into respected ranges with some serious ingredients (and some seriously silly ingredient names).

A simple care routine and use of sunblock does most of the work in keeping your skin a picture of good health. While luxury brand extras can make extra impact, does quadruple the price actually make you look or feel four times better if your credit card is weighed down?

We found some perfectly serviceable cheaper lines - not all of which need decanting into nicer bottles.

Read labels carefully and try testers as the textures of shadows and creams can vary widely and colour ranges are limited. Do check the functionality of dispensers. And get used to going without those enticing gifts with purchase; the budget equivalent is the mailout discount coupon.

If you're not quite ready to get supermarket savvy, then explore the fertile middle ground inhabited by the likes of industry giants L'Oreal and Revlon. There's also a host of interesting boutique or homegrown organic and natural skincare brands tucked away in pharmacies, health, variety and department stores.

Best bargains

Eyes: Maybelline is the queen of mascaras. There are other good ones about, but you won't go wrong with a Maybelline formula and they all cost under $25, with America's top-selling Great Lash just $17.99. The company does a good range of liners and shadows, but there's competition here, especially for younger consumers, with fun colour options from the likes of Farmers' own brand Chichi, newcomer Bys and trusty English line Rimmel. Australis' multi-colour palettes are amazing value and a great way to experiment.

I'm also impressed with Za. The range isn't large, but includes useful items like a brow brush and coloured mascaras, though these have an unusually fine comb.

Foundations: Covergirl's choices are particularly good, including Advanced Radiance, offering good, moisturising coverage for mature skins. If you opt for the lighter Trublend range, then the shade of foundation you select will have a matching concealer and blush. It comes in a glass jar with a pump dispenser, like a more expensive product. Australis is one of few in this category to make a primer. If you've got the compact, then Moisture Mist's category leading Beauty Cake makeup refill at $27 is only just over our limit.

Makeup days

2009-04-05T05:37:00.000-07:00

Need cosmetics or beauty products? Dillard's at Independence Mall is the place to go this month. Three brands are offering generous bonus gifts to go along with your purchases during April.

For Clarins lovers, come in before Sunday to choose from one of four deluxe Skin Care Collections when you purchase two full-size Clarins products. One product must be skin care, and gift sets count as one product. The bonus gifts each include four items and come in the following choices: restorative, firming, hydrating or brightening.

Through April 13, spend $24.50 or more on Elizabeth Arden products and get a gift set that includes Ceramide Gold Ultra Restorative Capsules for face and throat treatment; Prevage anti-aging night cream; Ceramide Plump Perfect Lipstick in Perfect Ginger; a Quad Eyeshadow Compact with Teak, Sherbet, Limelight and Topaz; Ceramide Purifying Cream Cleanser; a choice of three shades of Intervene Makeup SPF 15; and a choice of a bag with an organizer.

And starting Sunday through April 26, buy $29.50 in Lancome products and get a bonus of lifting cream, night cream, mascara, a compact of four eyeshadows and two full-size lipsticks in your choice of warm or cool colors, all tucked into a bright makeup bag.

If you spend $55 or more, you get to add a full-size cleanser of your choice: clarifying for normal/combination skin or comforting for dry skin.

Fashion for Muslim women hits the runway this weekend in Morton Grove

2009-04-04T10:31:00.000-07:00

Retailers such as Marabo (shown above) offer modest and fashion-forward clothing for Muslim women.

Check out latest spring and summer fashions for Muslim women from e-retailers and Chicago vendors at the Muslim Women's Spring Fashion Show & Bazaar. The event is from 2 to 3 p.m. this Saturday, April 4, at MCC FTS Gymnasium, 8601 N. Menard in Morton Grove.

You'll be supporting Muslim-owned companies who make trendy clothing for Muslim women while helping raise funds for MCCFTS and Gaza relief efforts. Tickets are $20 at the door; $10 for children 11 and under. (Pre-purchsed tickets are $15. Contact muslimwomensfashionshow@gmail.com.)

Fashion retailers include Shukr, Artizara, Primo Moda, Raaz Inc., Contemporary Modestwear, Islamic Outfitters, Marabo, Just Long Shirts.com and El-Jeeb Clothing.

After the show, stay for a bazaar, from 3 to 6 p.m., to shop and snack. Babysitter available for a fee!

Akshay Kumar 'Unbuttoned' at Lakme Fashion Week

2009-04-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

ndia is one of those countries where religion and culture still mix and a lot of things are still considered taboo. But sometimes these things just go a little too far and get blown out of proportion. Maybe it's because people put movie stars on pedestals and expect them to follow rigid standards of what's proper or right. Most of the time they themselves don't even live up to these standards. Or maybe people just think that things are a certain way, when they really aren't.

Well this time the man affected is Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna. That's right-the mega star has had a case filed against him. Why? Because at Lakme Fashion Week when he was getting ready to walk the catwalk, he asked his wife Twinkle Khanna to unbutton his jeans. Seeing as how he's the brand ambassador of Levi's "Unbuttoned", it wasn't like he was being dirty.

Of course, someone out there had to get all bent out of shape and said he was "offended" by the action. The culprit who filed a case against the superstar is a social worker by the name of Anil P. Nayar and he thinks the act was "vulgar and indecent". SG Pandey, a lawyer of the man told Reuters that "After the preliminary inquiry, we will register a case against Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, the abettor of the Lakme Fashion Week show and the top management of the Grand Hyatt and we will take action against them." Do they really think that they'll actually win?

Seems like this guy's just after some money and probably just needs to get out more. If he's so offended by silly things like this, why was he at a fashion show where he would undoubtedly see scantily clad women? This is on par with people in the slums trying to sue Danny Boyle because his movie was titled 'Slumdog Millionaire', people forcing Shahrukh Khan to change his recent movie from 'Billu Barber' to just 'Billu', or my personal favorite the Richard Gere/Shilpa Shetty kiss of 2007.

These people just seem to come out of the woodwork and never seem to reflect the views of the majority. It's lucky for Akshay Kumar that he is a big star. He and his wife probably have their own set of lawyers to deal with this incident.

So what do our readers think about this latest case? Do you think that the social worker was going too far? Or do you think that it was "vulgar and indecent" for a husband to ask his wife to unbutton his jeans before he went on stage for a brand of jeans called "Unbuttoned"? Let us know your thoughts on this incident.

Michelle Obama: Fashion Icon?

2009-04-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

e crowd as she leaves Palais Rohan in Strasbourg, France, April 3, 2009.

The Obamas' trip to Europe marks the president's debut on the world stage, but it's his wife who has been stealing tabloid headlines.

The European reaction to the Obamas recalls the Kennedys' trip to Paris in 1961, when Jacqueline Kennedy wowed with her glamorous style and fluent French. The attention and reception the first lady received on that trip prompted the president to joke about his standing in the power couple. "I am the man who accompanies Jacqueline Kennedy to Paris," Kennedy said.

Michelle Obama has also won rave reviews from a once-skeptical public, with a recent Gallup poll giving her a 72 percent favorability rating, slightly higher than the president’s. Though detractors still occasionally pan her fashion choices or cluck prudishly over her athletic bare arms, Americans clearly have taken to their new first lady.

The triumph of Michelle Obama is a tale as surprising and as profound as the election of her husband, the nation’s first black president. The first lady is a national icon, a mirror for our changing mores, a symbol of our aspirations for wives and mothers, a role model for gracious hostesses and socially conscious volunteers.

Longer school days will make up for snow losses

2009-04-04T10:04:00.003-07:00

HARVARD -- Further changes have been announced to the Harvard school calendar, due to the additional snow days used this stormy winter.

Massachusetts law requires students to attend class for 180 days in a school year. Following the lost school days due to December's ice storm, the school calendar was adjusted. Lost time would have been made up by holding a half-day of school on Good Friday, April 10 (which is traditionally a holiday break from school) and extending the last day of school to Friday, June 26.

However, there were two more snow days used even after those adjustments were made. Harvard School Superintendent Thomas Jefferson then petitioned the state for relief from the 180-day requirement.

Jefferson announced to the School Committee at Monday's meeting, and again with pre-recorded ConnectEd telephone calls to student family households on Tuesday, that the Commissioner of Education has provided the Harvard schools with a conditional waiver to the 180-day requirement. But there were strings attached.

To help make up the lost time, eight school days will be extended by adding 45 more minutes of instructional time to the end of regular school days. The extended days will occur on a series of seven Mondays and one Tuesday, as listed below. The extended day will apply to both Harvard Elementary and Bromfield School students. Parents were told that the School Department is aware that particular family needs may require releasing students at an earlier

time and so regular procedures for the early release of a student should be followed in those eventualities.

The eight school days lengthened by 45 minutes each will be on Monday, March 30; Monday, April 6; Monday, April 13; Monday, April 27; Monday, May 4; Monday, May 11; Monday, May 18; and Tuesday, May 26.

Moment of silence

The School Committee opened its meeting with a moment of silence in memory of Jessica Peterson and in support of the Peterson family. A Bromfield freshman, "Jessie" was killed last weekend when a dead tree fell on her and her mother at their East Bare Hill Road home.

Economic stimulus for Harvard

It's a "good kind of problem we've never had before," said Superintendent Jefferson.

Jefferson was pleased to report to the School Committee that the Harvard School System will receive federal economic stimulus funds, to the tune of $53,277.

Gov. Deval Patrick announced last Thursday that $168 million in federal education recovery funds were being divided between cities and towns for school districts for fiscal year 2010.

In addition, Jefferson told the committee he expects a second round of education spending for FY2010, and that preliminary estimates he's heard could bring the town an additional $170,000 in funding over two years via the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act. Jefferson said Harvard was eligible for the money because its Chapter 70 reimbursement remained below the 17.5 percent target established in the state's revised formula.

Because it's a windfall and not a steady revenue stream, Jefferson warned that the money should not be used for funding personnel for fear of having to cut back again later. Rather, Jefferson suggested spending for intervention programs, professional development, and upgrading technology, which "are all key goal areas aligned with our strategic plan."

When the committee considered pulling back on a town meeting request for funding for additional Smart Board units for the classroom, Jefferson advised that the warrant article be left in place until all the conditions for the stimulus money are more clearly understood over the next couple of weeks.

School choice advertising

The Harvard schools are projected to receive some $408,000 this year thanks to school choice enrollment. However, seven students are due to graduate.

Jefferson announced he'll start advertising to fill potential openings in grades K (half-day slot only), three, six, 10 and 11. The addition of 10 more school choice students into the system would help keep the town "on target" to meet the $425,000 school choice funding stream built into the School Department's proposed FY2010 budget.

Makeup of boards to change

2009-04-04T09:57:00.001-07:00

Of the several area surrounding school districts, only three will be holding school board elections on Tuesday.

At Tri-County R-7 in Jamesport, there are four candidates vying for two open seats. Among them are Stephanie Eckert, incumbent, who is finishing up her second term on the board. Others seeking a seat on the R-7 panel are Heath Cook, David Bequette and Luke Skinner. District officials say Ron Ledesma, who is finishing up his first term on the board, has not refiled because he is leaving the area.

Five people are seeking four seats on the Dwight Grade School District 232 Board of Education. The candidates are incumbents Ron Colebank, Stacey Connolly, Tim Harris and Steve Tock. The fifth candidate is challenger Marc Ellis.
Five persons are also seeking four seats on the Dwight Township High School Board. The incumbent candidates are Amy Hansen, Paul Ferrari, Kathy Perry and Gerald Earing. The challenger seeking a seat is Brian Perschnick.
Voters in the Odell Community Consolidated School District will be choosing four board members from a field of six candidates.
Seeking the posts are Jeff LaBorence, Mary A. Hilleary, Mark K. Johnson, Shari Hoegger, Lana Hoegger and Kevin Olson.
In the Tri-Point School District voters will be asked to choose four persons out of a field of six candidates.
The candidates are Lloyd Vaughn, Carl Smicker, Amy Fecht, Jeff Roach, Dewaine Haag and Cherie Smolkovich.
Pontiac school board members in Districts 90 and in 429 will have some new and old candidates vying for four-year terms on their respective boards.
District 429 board has only has one board member — Dale Larkin — seeking re-election this year. Board members Josh Thompson and Allen Finkenbinder are not seeking re-election.
Two candidates who are seeking their first term on the board are Adeana Fox and Dan Krueger.
In District 90, board president Scott Bauknecht and Dale Hoke are not seeking re-election. However, board members Robby Rich and Ron Schultz are vying for another term.
Carla Chandler and Roger Corrigan are challenging for seats.
Five candidates will be looking to fill three seats on the Prairie Central Community Unit School District 8 board.
The incumbents are Patricia Haberkorn and Brett Johnson. The other three vying for a seat are Mark Slagel, Jason Dotterer and Jeff Austman. Retiring from the board are board president Roger Brown and board secretary Dan Froelich.
Austman is a native of Forrest. His wife is Kate and they have three children. He has a bachelor’s degree in agriculture.
Dotterer moved from Ohio to the area when he was 7 years old and was a Prairie Central graduate in 1996. He married the former Lynn Steidinger and they have four children.
Slagel is from Strawn and has been married to wife Suzanne for 17 years. They have four children. Slagel is a Fairbury native and farmed in the area for about 10 years. He worked for Bachtold Brothers for 10 years and, in 1988, moved to Strawn. He owns and operates Slagel Manufacturing Inc.; is the chief of the Strawn Fire Department and was vice president of the Livingston County Mutual Aid Association.
Haberkorn is from Chatsworth and has been married to her husband, Lenny, for 23 years. They have four children. She is a registered nurse and is the Health Services director at Futures, Inc. in Pontiac.
Johnson is of Chenoa who served on the Chenoa School Board for about four years. He has been married to his wife, Sara, for 22 years and they have four children. Johnson is a native of Princeton and joined the Marines Corp after graduating. He attended Illinois Valley Community College and is a 1988 graduate of Illinois State University. He has worked at State Farm since 1989.
(Doris L. White contributed to this story)

America's Beauty Show Challenges Toxic Salons

2009-03-29T08:52:00.001-07:00

CHICAGO, March 27, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ ----America's Beauty Show, March 28-30 in Chicago, is dedicated to safe and healthy beauty salons. By doing so, the Show raises serious and decades overdue concerns on the dangers of conventional nationwide salons.

Salon products are generally dispensed from bulk containers without labeled ingredients. Of particular concern is the cumulative contamination of air, particularly in poorly ventilated salons, with volatile ingredients and fine particles, particularly from hair sprays. Known as aerosols, these can penetrate deeply into the lungs of clients, and even more so their stylists working a usual five-day week.

Products used in the great majority of nationwide salons contain a wide range of toxic ingredients, including carcinogens, hormonal ingredients, and allergens. Exposure to them poses hidden dangers to clients, and much more so their stylists.

Stylists, particularly in small hair and beauty salons, tend to drift in and out of their jobs. So formal long-term studies to investigate dangers to their health, known as epidemiological, are not feasible. Moreover, there is substantial and long standing evidence on a wide range of toxic effects in salon workers, particularly hairdressers and beauty stylists. These include nausea, sleep disorders, fatigue, and numbness and pain in the fingers. They also include allergic dermatitis, acute lung irritation, asthma, and chronic bronchitis.

An additional poorly recognized danger from salon and personal use relates to hair straighteners based on thioglycolic acid. Besides causing hair to become brittle and break, they can also irritate the scalp and cause pustular and allergic reactions.

Of particular concern are hair dyes. About 35 percent of women and 10 percent of men are regularly exposed to these dyes in salons or by personal use. Black and dark brown permanent and semi-permanent dyes contain carcinogens, particularly those known as phenylenediamines. These have been shown to cause cancers, particularly non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and multiple myeloma, besides breast and bladder cancers. However, in spite of this long standing evidence, stylists, let alone their clients, remain unaware of these avoidable risks of sometimes lethal cancers. In sharp contrast to the U.S., these dyes have been banned in Europe.

The continued use of these dangerous hair dyes is all the more reckless. Safe certified organic dyes, particularly those marketed by Logona, a German company, are now available in the U.S. These dyes achieve stable and long-lasting colors, ranging from brown to black.

A recently recognized concern relates to the potent carcinogen vinyl chloride, a propellant in some pressure sprays, which has been incriminated as a cause of fatal liver cancer. Another recent concern relates to hormonal phthalates in sprays to which pregnant women may be exposed, and have been incriminated as a cause of congenital abnormalities in their male infants.

Of critical importance is the protection of clients and, even more so, their stylists by establishing efficient ventilation of salons, and their workstations. The efficiency of this ventilation should conform to certified national standards.

Information on all ingredients in all products used in salons, including their risks and recommended safety precautions, should be detailed and made readily available to all stylists in standard Material Safety Data Sheets. This information is legally required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for all workplaces with ten or more employees. However, this requirement is observed more in the breach than the performance. This information should also be made readily available to clients.

Pressure sprays should be banned. They release very fine particles which are readily inhaled into the depths of the lungs and can irritate and cause toxic effects. Pump spray products are very much safer as their particles are at least tenfold larger, and large enough to be filtered out through the nose. Polyvinyl pyrrolidine, a common ingredient in hair sprays, is designed to increase smoothness and flexibility of the hair. However, it can cause chronic lung damage and should be banned.

Finally, eyeliners, skin lightening creams, and some brands of mascara used in salons, besides being available for purchase in beauty supply stores, contain mercury as a preservative. However, even small doses of mercury accumulate and can cause neurological damage following long term exposure.

Samuel S. Epstein, MD

Chairman, Cancer Prevention Coalition

Professor emeritus Environmental & Occupational Medicine

University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health

Chicago, Illinois

Author of Toxic Beauty, 2009, BenBella Books, www.benbellabooks.com

e-mail epstein@uic.edu

312.996.2297

www.preventcancer.com

SOURCE Cancer Prevention Coalition

http://www.benbellabooks.com/

How our obsession with beauty is changing our kids.

2009-03-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

There's a scene in "Toddlers & Tiaras," the TLC reality series, where 2-year-old Marleigh is perched in front of a mirror, smothering her face with blush and lipstick. She giggles as her mother attempts to hold the squealing toddler still, lathering her legs with self-tanner. "Marleigh loves to get tan," her mom says, as the girl presses her face against the mirror.

Marleigh is one of many pageant girls on the show, egged on by obsessive mothers who train their tots to strut and swagger, flip their hair and pout their lips. I watch, mesmerized by the freakishness of it all, but wonder how different Marleigh is from average girls all across America. On a recent Sunday in Brooklyn, I stumble into a spa that brands itself for the 0 to 12 set, full of tweens getting facialed and glossed, hands and feet outstretched for manis and pedis. "The girls just love it," says Daria Einhorn, the 21-year-old spa owner, who was inspired by watching her 5-year-old niece play with toy beauty kits.

Sounds extreme? Maybe. But this, my friends, is the new normal: a generation that primps and dyes and pulls and shapes, younger and with more vigor. Girls today are salon vets before they enter elementary school. Forget having mom trim your bangs, fourth graders are in the market for lush $50 haircuts; by the time they hit high school, $150 highlights are standard. Five-year-olds have spa days and pedicure parties. And instead of shaving their legs the old-fashioned way—with a 99-cent drugstore razor—teens get laser hair removal, the most common cosmetic procedure of that age group. If these trends continue, by the time your tween hits the Botox years, she'll have spent thousands on the beauty treatments once reserved for the "Beverly Hills, 90210" set, not junior highs in Madison, Wis.

Reared on reality TV and celebrity makeovers, girls as young as Marleigh are using beauty products earlier, spending more and still feeling worse about themselves. Four years ago, a survey by the NPD Group showed that, on average, women began using beauty products at 17. Today, the average is 13—and that's got to be an overstatement. According to market-research firm Experian, 43 percent of 6- to 9-year-olds are already using lipstick or lip gloss; 38 percent use hairstyling products; and 12 percent use other cosmetics. And the level of interest is making the girls of "Toddlers & Tiaras" look ordinary. "My daughter is 8, and she's like, so into this stuff it's unbelievable," says Anna Solomon, a Brooklyn social worker. "From the clothes to the hair to the nails, school is like No. 10 on the list of priorities."

Much has been made of the oversexualization of today's tweens. But what hasn't been discussed is what we might call their "diva-ization"—before they even hit the tween years. Consider this: according to a newsweek examination of the most common beauty trends, by the time your 10-year-old is 50, she'll have spent nearly $300,000 on just her hair and face. It's not that women haven't always been slaves to their appearance; as Yeats wrote, "To be born woman is to know … that we must labour to be beautiful." But today's girls are getting caught up in the beauty maintenance game at ages when they should be learning how to read—and long before their beauty needs enhancing. Twenty years ago, a second grader might have played clumsily with her mother's lipstick, but she probably didn't insist on carrying her own lip gloss to school.

New Methods, Old Message
Why are this generation's standards different? To start, this is a group that's grown up on pop culture that screams, again and again, that everything, everything, is a candidate for upgrading. These girls are maturing in an age when older women are taking ever more extreme measures, from Botox to liposuction, to stay sexually competitive. They've watched bodies transformed on "Extreme Makeover"; faces taken apart and pieced back together on "I Want a Famous Face." They compare themselves to the overly airbrushed models in celebrity and women's magazines, and learn about makeup from the girls of "Toddlers & Tiaras," or the show's WEtv competitor, "Little Miss Perfect." And while we might make fun of the spoiled teens on MTV's "My Super Sweet 16," these shows raise the bar for what's considered over the top.

A combination of new technology and the Web, is responsible—at least in part—for this transformation in attitudes. Ads for the latest fashions, makeup tips and grooming products are circulated with a speed and fury unique to this millennium—on millions of ads, message boards and Facebook pages. Digital cameras come complete with retouching options, and anyone can learn how to use Photoshop to blend and tighten and thin. It's been estimated that girls 11 to 14 are subjected to some 500 advertisements a day—the majority of them nipped, tucked and airbrushed to perfection. And, according to a University of Minnesota study, staring at those airbrushed images from just one to three minutes can have a negative impact on girls' self-esteem. "None of this existed when I was growing up, and now it's just like, in your face," says Solomon, 30. "Kids aren't exempt just because they're young."

Gold's Gym is conducting a variety of fundraisers for the American Diabetes Association.

2009-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

Dine-out fundraisers will be held as follows: all day Monday at CiCi's, 26 Mountain Road, Pasadena; 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. April 6 at Chick-fil-A, 6709 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie, and all day at Applebee's April 9. Patrons should mention Gold's Gym for the restaurant to donate a portion of proceeds to ADA.

A quarter auction will be held Friday at Wynwood, 6323 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the auction starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Gold's Gym will hold "Classes for a Cure" from 8 a.m. to noon April 25 at three Anne Arundel locations, with 100 percent of the $10 per hour fee going to ADA. Gold's is at 1625 Crofton Centre; 6324 Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie; and 7900 Ritchie Highway, Marley Station.

Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille, 3213-A Solomon Island Road, Edgewater, will help United Way raise money for its Emergency Response Fund during business hours Tuesday.

The restaurant will donate 10 percent of its proceeds from that day's sales to the fund. United Way's goal is $1 million to support frontline agencies that provide food, shelter and utility assistance to Central Maryland residents in need.

Greene Turtle will also offer a "5 for $20" special that includes an appetizer, two soups and/or salads, and two entrees for two people.

Information: 410-547-8000.

Kohl's Department Store will offer women free makeup and skin care consultations with Steven Bernard between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday at the Severn store, 418 George Clauss Blvd.

This annual event features consultations and beauty care from Bernard and a team of experts in skin care with the American Beauty, Good Skin, FLIRT! and Grassroots Research Labs brands.

Appointments: 410-590-6420.

Chesapeake Treasures, an upscale consignment and resale shop that benefits Hospice of the Chesapeake, is open with newly stocked spring and summer merchandise and Easter gift baskets.

All clothing, with the exception of consignment and designer rack items, will be specially priced at $3 for tops and $5 for all bottom pieces.

Beginning Wednesday, hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and until 7 p.m. Thursdays. Chesapeake Treasures is in the Park Plaza Shopping Center on Ritchie Highway, Severna Park.

The shop is also seeking volunteers for various duties and shifts.

Information: 410-384-9260.

Greenstreet Gardens will celebrate Easter with the Easter Bunny, egg hunts and a family comedy show Saturday at 391 W. Bay Front Road, Lothian.

Egg hunts will be held at 10:30 a.m. for crawling babies to pre-kindergarten; 11:30 a.m. for kindergartners through second grade, and third through fifth grades. Children should take a basket.

The magic show will be at 10:45 a.m. The cost is $5 for the egg hunt and show.

The Easter Bunny will be available for visits and photos from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and April 5 and 11.

Stick to lipstick shade that is best for you, not a trend

2009-03-29T07:22:00.001-07:00

Q: I love bright lipstick, especially red. But now it seems I cannot wear red lipstick and be in fashion. I noticed about half the stars at the Oscars were wearing pale colors.

A: And the other half were wearing ... ?

That's right -- your favorite. Red.

I checked my latest Allure magazine, a good source for all things cosmetic. The lipstick colors featured in the editorials and advertisements ranged from nude, lilac and pastel pink to deep rose, blood orange and the reddest red.

The message is clear: There are lots of choices out there, but your choice is yours alone. What a red-carpet celebrity wears to an awards show is her choice (or that of her stylist). It is not a rule to be followed mindlessly.

I put your question to Tim Quinn, head chief artist for Armani Cosmetics. His advice: Forget the thousands of lipstick shades out there, and ignore color fads that come and go. All a woman really needs is one signature lipstick, a go-to color that she can wear with just about everything.

Armani tweaks its lipstick palette every season, says Quinn, but there is always a red shade and always a nude. That's because about 50 percent of women like a nude shade, and the other half -- you included -- prefer red.

So stick with your favorite. It will do wonders for your smile.

A GOOD FOUNDATION

Q: How do I really know whether a foundation works for me if I can't first try it on?

A: Actually, you can try on foundation -- provided you shop in a store with hands-on makeup counters. These allow you to test cosmetics before you buy. Most also provide tiny samples you can try at home at your leisure and in a variety of lighting conditions. And all have associates to help you make your selection and demonstrate how to apply products.

Specialty cosmetics boutiques, such as Sephora, all feature sampling stations for a wide range of brands. Usually, all the foundations are concentrated in one area, lipsticks in another, and so on -- which makes comparison shopping a breeze.

Department stores also encourage testing, but each brand is confined to its own counter. To try a variety of brands, you have to go counter-hopping around the cosmetics department.

Cosmetics in specialty boutiques and department stores are generally more expensive than in discount and drugstores. But if you are buying a product for the first time, it may be worth paying a little more for testing, sampling and personal service.

And a word about cosmetics-buying etiquette. You are not obliged to buy anything, just because you have tested it or an associate has spent time advising you or doing your makeup. However, if you do decide to purchase products -- initially or later -- try to purchase from the person who spent time with you, because she probably works on commission.

BLACK NAIL POLISH

Q: Is there such a thing as matte black nail polish? My daughter says she has seen it on models in her magazines, but we can't seem to find it at the drugstores.

A: Knock Out Cosmetics makes three shades of polish with a nonshiny finish -- which they dub flatte, not matte.

There are three shades: Flatte Black, Flatte Powder (ivory) and Flatte Calamine (pink). Each starts flatte and wears to a satin finish. For some reason, the flatte colors seem to look best on short nails. Quite pricey at $22 a bottle, the Knock Out polishes can be ordered at koknockout.com.

Fashion writer Jean Patteson welcomes your questionsto jpatteson@orlandosentinel.com.

Integral Sense Brands To Distribute NVEY ECO, Premium Organic Make-up Line In Canada

2009-03-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

(1888PressRelease) March 29, 2009 - Vancouver, BC - Integral Sense Brands is pleased to announce the latest organic product line added to its growing portfolio of all natural and certified organic personal care product lines, NVEY ECO, the leader in luxury organic make-up line. Integral Sense Brands has been picked by NVEY ECO to exclusively distribute the line and successfully promote it in Canada.

Manufactured in Australia, NVEY ECO is made with the most natural organic ingredients and contains the highest color value pigments ensuring professional, easy-to-achieve application and results. A pioneer in the industry, NVEY ECO is a luxurious and comprehensive collection of makeup colors suited for all skin types and ages and is certified organic by the Organic Food Chain/OFC as well as the Australian Government.

NVEY ECO is one of the first organic cosmetics brands in the Canadian market. Formulated with a careful blend of plant and mineral ingredients, natural botanical extracts and antioxidants, NVEY ECO products offer pure, gentle and beautiful make-up products for the most discerning beauty buffs. Ingredients from this unique line of make-up include Natural Beeswax, Rose Absolute, Jojoba Oil, Chamomile and selected proven vitamins such as A, E and C known for their restorative and soothing properties. NVEY ECOs wide range of long-lasting eye shadows, bronzers, foundations, lipsticks, and mascaras run the gamut in hues, textures, and finishes offering eco-friendly make-up choices for sexy green consumers.

NVEY ECO is the green child of its parent company, NVEY Le Maquillage, founded by Rohan Widdison. It has been one of the most trusted names and top-selling make-up brands in Australia and is now sold in more than 25 countries worldwide. NVEY ECO is the culmination of six stringent years of research, testing, and access to the expertise that comes with NVEYs legacy in the beauty industry. For more information on NVEY ECO, please visit www.nveymakeup.com.

Integral Sense Brands was born of a consciousness to offer only the finest organic lines available. ISB is a Canadian distributor of premium, certified organic, non-toxic personal care products from around the world. For more information, please visit www.integralsense.com or call 1.866.933.1744.

Treat acne now for a perfect prom night complexion

2009-03-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

till Waters Medical Spa is now offering the revolutionary new acne treatment with the Aesthera Deep Pore purification system. This is the only IPL laser treatment system that combines vacuum and broadband light to destroy acne- causing bacteria and it's the only FDA approved painless laser/light-based treatment for acne.

This treatment was recently featured in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Elle magazines as a "unique treatment that gets rid of acne fast" and " a new breakthrough treatment to effectively minimize and clear pores on a long-term basis."

A recent clinical study also showed that 64 percent of acne patients who had not responded to oral medications, topicals and traditional lasers in the past had shown greater than a 75 percent clearance or acne lesions after treatment with the Aesthera systems. After four treatments, an 88 percent reduction in papular, pustu- lar, comedonal and nodular acne was observed.

Still Waters Day & Medical Spa is located conveniently downtown Pensacola and also carries full line of product to care for all of your skin care needs. Dr. Jack Kotlarz, ENT and Facial Plastic Surgeon medically supervise Still Waters. Acne consults with our nurse practitioners and nurses are free. Call 432-6772. # 20 North Tarragona St. Pensacola.

Now Opening | Lanvin’s New Flagship

2009-03-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

HE'S the man behind some of fashion's most romantic creations so it seems only right that while Alber Elbaz was in town last night, to celebrate the launch of Lanvin's London flagship store on Mount Street, he seduce a select few members of the fashion pack along the way. With a "girls only" policy (during the day, at least), the creative director of the legendary fashion house treated his loyal fans to a personal guided tour of the spring/summer 2009 collection.

Parisian chic has finally landed in London with the opening yesterday of the glistening Lanvin flagship on Mount Street. Rather than throwing a large party, Lanvin celebrated with three intimate, hourlong salon-style presentations hosted by the label’s affable designer, Alber Elbaz.
The first two were women-only, with gentlemen (and celebrities) being allowed to join the 7 p.m. session. Elbaz talked the 50 guests at each presentation through highlights of the spring/summer 2009 collection, including dresses that look like separates but actually zip up the side and — the hit of the evening — a black T-shirt dress with a hidden belt that women were scrambling to try on after the show. It was very haute couture and super-intimate, but Elbaz’s wit — he even quipped about his new protein diet — kept the atmosphere relaxed.
Among the guests from the fashion-art-music axis were Yasmin Le Bon, Bryan Ferry, Dinos Chapman, Zandra Rhodes, Juergen Teller, Sadie Coles, Marc Newson, Stephen Jones and Samantha Cameron (the wife of the leader of England’s opposition party). After the presentation there was an exclusive dinner party at the home of Ivor Braka, the super-connected London art dealer, before Elbaz jetted off to Paris to pack for his holiday. We miss you already, Alber — come back soon!

The shop carries the main Lanvin, Blanche and Faubourg 22 collections as well as the capsule collection created in collaboration with Acne. It is located at 128 Mount Street W1 and opens to the public today.

Nordstrom Opens New Store in New Jersey at Cherry Hill Mall

2009-03-28T07:09:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE, March 27, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ ----Leading fashion specialty retailer Nordstrom opened the doors to its new store in South Jersey today at Cherry Hill Mall. The 138,000 square-foot store is the second Nordstrom to serve the greater Philadelphia area and will offer a well-edited selection of designer, luxury and quality fashion brands for women, men and children.

"We're thrilled to be opening a store in the updated Cherry Hill Mall," said Jennifer Strugala, Cherry Hill store manager. "We look forward to serving our customers in South Jersey and hope to offer them a great shopping experience."

The new two-level Nordstrom store features a compelling selection of clothing, accessories, cosmetics and shoes, including a designer offering of American and European collections. Customers can shop from well-known designers such as Blumarine, Burberry, Lida Baday, Missoni, Ports 1961 and Temperley. Other hot brands and designers include Clu, Helmut Lang, Tracy Reese and Vince. To complement this offering, the store also offers Chloe, Marc Jacobs and Versace handbags, as well as footwear from Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman and Tory Burch.

Nordstrom at Cherry Hill Mall offers a number of services to enhance the shopping experience. These amenities include in-store alterations and tailor shop, certified bra and prosthesis fitters, shoe shine, complimentary gift boxes and Personal Touch -- a complimentary wardrobe and shopping service. The store will also feature two food offerings: a Marketplace Cafe and an espresso bar.

Opening day started at 8:00 a.m. with Nordstrom hosting a cosmetics Beauty Bash. Shoppers learned about the newest cosmetics and fragrances for the spring season, and enjoyed complimentary skincare consultations and makeup lessons from Nordstrom beauty advisors. When the store opened at 10:00 a.m., more than 300 excited employees lined the aisles and cheered enthusiastically to welcome customers through the doors.

On Wednesday night, over 1,250 guests attended a gala hosted by Nordstrom. The event raised more than $125,000 for three local nonprofits: The Links, Incorporated, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Symphony in C.

Nordstrom opened its first store in the Philadelphia area at King of Prussia in 1996. The new Nordstrom at Cherry Hill Mall is the retailer's fifth store in New Jersey.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 172 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 110 full-line stores, 58 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and two clearance stores. Nordstrom also serves customers through its online presence at www.nordstrom.com and through its catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.

Nordstrom hired 220 people from the area, said Nordstrom spokeswoman Nicole Pietromonaco; department managers were brought in from existing stores to oversee operations in Cherry Hill. All told, the new store will employ some 300 workers, she said.

The new store is comparable in size with other Nordstrom locations being built, but is much smaller than the retailer’s King of Prussia, Pa., store, which weighs in at 238,000 square feet, according to Pietromonaco.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20001011/NORDLOGO)

CONTACT: Nicole Pietromonaco
Nordstrom, Inc.
(206) 841-0144

SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.

http://www.nordstrom.com

Find a new but inexpensive look

2009-03-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

In today’s effort to stay fashionable on a budget, makeup and other beauty products are the easiest way to experiment cheaply.

Why not play with a new eye color or smooth those fine lines with high-tech foundation?

For a fraction of what you would pay for an outfit, you can have a new look with a stroke of a brush.

InStyle magazine beauty director Amy Synnott-D’Annibale says women are spending less, but they want more value for their money. They also want products that do multiple things, she said.

So the magazine showcases 2009’s best beauty buys in its April issue, which is now on stands, with actress Salma Hayek on the cover.

“Are you going to spend money on yellow shoes? Maybe not, but you can get a $5 yellow nail polish and still be fashionable,” Synnott-D’Annibale said.

“It’s not expensive to play with makeup, and it gives us an opportunity to fun our look.”

More than 100 experts — in makeup, skin care, hair and nails — reviewed hundreds of items to reveal the best new and tried-and-true products.

InStyle editors also weigh in on their favorites.

Among the drugstore brands, L’Oréal received the most awards.

Here are some of the winners:

•Inexpensive lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous, $8, Walgreens

• Inexpensive lip gloss with best color range: Maybelline Shine Seduction, $8, Wal-Mart

• Inexpensive mascara: L’Oréal Voluminous, $8, various drugstores.

• Inexpensive concealer: Max Factor Erace Cover Up, $5, various drugstores.

• Inexpensive foundation: L’Oréal Paris True Match, $11 at various drugstores.

• Inexpensive brush line: Sonia Kashuk, $2-$13, Target

• Eye makeup remover: Lancôme Bi-Facil, $26, various department stores.

• Inexpensive night cream: Olay Regenerist, $19, various drugstores.

• Daytime moisturizer with SPF: Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45, $13, various drugstores.

• Green makeup line: Cargo Plant Love, $16-$30, Sephora.

If you have a favorite Recessionista beauty product, I would love to hear about it.

Luxury makeup store coming to J.C. Penney

2009-03-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

ADVERTISEMENT
2 Photos
Story Photo
Staff photo by Raul R. Rubiera
Roxanne McLaurin is the owner of Off the Top of My Head, a new hat shop on Hay Street downtown.

Today’s top two tidbits are going to affect chic shoppers primarily from the neck up.

A fun new hat shop is headed for Hay Street.

And — in major news in the world of makeup — Sephora will be opening one of its “stores within stores” inside Cross Creek Mall’s J.C. Penney this fall.

Let’s start with Sephora.

Sephora is a cosmetics division of the luxury products group Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. J.C. Penney announced in 2006 that it would start opening Sephora stores inside its walls.

Much was written at the time about how this was an effort by J.C. Penney to entice younger female customers into its stores.

Of course, J.C. Penney spokeswoman Ann Marie Bishop told me via e-mail this week that: “Sephoras inside JCPenney appeal to a wide age range, various ethnic backgrounds, and across a span of geographies.”

Anyway ...

Bishop said there are currently Sephora locations inside 105 of its more than 1,100 J.C. Penney stores. Plans call for adding another 50 this year.

They carry brands including cult makeup lines such as Bare Escentuals, Stila and Smashbox; skincare lines such as Peter Thomas Roth, Korres, Cosmedicine and Philosophy; and fragrance offerings from Dior, DKNY, Aquolina and Sean John, according to Bishop.

And, of course, Sephora has its own collection of makeup, skincare, etc.

Construction of the Sephora on the first floor of J.C. Penney will begin this summer and be finished by early October, said Jeff Gauker, manager of Fayetteville’s J.C. Penney, who is quite excited about the activity this will generate in his store.

There’s a Sephora inside Burlington’s not quite two-year-old J.C. Penney.

But that’s been it so far for North Carolina, Gauker said.

There are, of course, stand-alone Sephora store at malls such as Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh and the Streets at Southpoint in Durham.

All of this is happening at the same time that J.C. Penney is running those “We’re stepping up our style” commercials that have seemed inescapable lately.

The chain has been heavily promoting some of its newer lines, such as Fabulosity by Kimora Lee Simmons, ALLEN B. by Allen Schwartz and I “Heart” Ronson by designer Charlotte Ronson.
Hats on

OK, now back to the hats.

Roxanne McLaurin is gearing up to open Off the Top of My Head at 103 Hay St.

This is a lady who can wear a hat and loves to do just that.

She has for years.

But McLaurin said she’s always had trouble finding ones that she likes.

“That’s why I said ‘If I can’t find them, there must be other people like me,’
” she said.

McLaurin has long been wanting to open a little hat shop. Yet the right place never presented itself until she saw narrow space right near the Market House with interior brick walls and a little ledge perfect for hats.

The front of the shop will be for the ladies — with a private section where women can try on hats and get suggestions from McLaurin if requested.

The back room will be for the men who will be fitted for cowboy hats, fedoras and the like.

McLaurin said Off the Top of My head will carry a wide range of brands, styles and prices.

She had some of her inventory in the day I popped by. But more shipments were on the way — including one from Juicy Couture, which makes an eclectic collection in everything from canvas to raffia.

McLaurin doesn’t want to open the door until her selection is up to her standards. That might mean early April but maybe not before April 4.

Too bad.

That’s the day of the Stoneybrook Steeplechase in Hoke County. And Off the Top of My Head would be the perfect place to shop for that hat-tastic event.
Follow the frosting

Time to check in on the game of musical jewelers.

As you’ll recall, Whitehall and Lundstrom jewelers closed in Cross Creek mall’s center court late last year.

Harris Jewelers is hanging out in one of those two spots for the moment while Harris does some remodeling on its regular space near Sears — a spot that it should be back in by June, the mall’s manager Matt Holligan said in an e-mail.

Later this summer, Helzberg Diamonds will be moving into the mall’s center court, according to Holligan.

That will make two new jewelers in a relatively short period of time seeing how Kay Jewelers is on track for a late April opening down by the food court.

By the by, Holligan said construction is slated to start soon on a permanent location for Chocolate Covered, which is going next to Kay. And Forever 21 is plugging right along with the hope of opening before — but no later than — June 1, according to Holligan.
Out and about

Here’s a little something for region readers.

A Row of Purls Too will open Wednesday at 1015 S. Madison St. in Whiteville.

Barbara Blackmon, will be running the show at that location.

Her daughter, Sheri Houghton, will continue running a Row of Purls in Stedman.

In addition to carrying speciality yarns and knitting supplies, Blackmon plans on offering a variety of classes at the Whiteville location — including looming, for which she said there’s lately been much demand.

Speaking of classes, Soo Chic Boutique in Elizabethtown will be offering some classes now that the business has moved to a bigger spot at 214 W. Broad St.

“If you’re in Fayetteville you’ve got classes at Michael’s and AC Moore and all that. But we don’t really have anything like that here,” said Melissa Singletary, one of Soo Chic Boutique’s owners.

Some of the crafters who consign things at the boutique, which celebrated its grand opening in the new spot last week, will be running the classes.
Vroom

I’ve lately devoted so much ink to the rapidly expanding O’Reilly Auto Parts that I’m determined to handle this week’s status check in one sentence. Ready?

O’Reilly’s Yadkin Road store opened its doors last weekend, two months after O’Reilly opened in Lumberton, meaning that the next O’Reilly out of the gate will be the one under construction on Raeford Road in Fayetteville followed by a second Robeson County location in Pembroke.
P.S.

Aeropostale announced this month that it will be launching a new concept — a chain of stores that may appeal to little brothers and sisters of those who already frequent Aeropostale.

The new concept will be called P.S. by Aero and will focus on clothing elementary school age children, said the company’s CEO Julian Geigerd during an analyst conference call.

Granted, this doesn’t mean much for the Fayetteville area shopper at present. Aeropostale is clustering its initial grouping of P.S. stores around metropolitan New York, Geigerd said.

But company officials told analysts that there may be potential to grow rather quickly. I could quite easily see myself revisiting this subject a few years from now.
Then again ...

It’s been five years since I said in this very column that I could envision myself writing about BJ’s Wholesale Club in the future.

In 2004, I’d heard some serious rumblings about BJ’s digging around Fayetteville for potential digs. (BJ’s never confirmed said rumblings.)

But seeing how it’s now 2009 and we’re still BJ’s-less, if the wholesale club’s real estate scouts were shopping around Fayetteville back then, they were apparently just browsing.

If they’ve been snooping around lately, the local developers aren’t telling me.

During a BJ’s analyst conference call this month, company officials said they are picking up their expansion pace with plans to open seven clubs in 2009 compared with four clubs last year.

One of those is a relocation. And there are three clubs (in Florida, New Jersey and New York) listed as “opening soon” on BJ’s Web site.

So that leaves three, which means odds aren’t great that Fayetteville would be one of those. But who knows? Apparently not me.

Laser treatments driving cosmetic surgery industry, reports annual survey

2009-03-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

MARCH 24, 2009--Laser technology is steering the future of plastic surgery, says the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS), referring to its newly released Procedural Survey report. This year's most notable finding: the shift towards non-invasive laser treatments. The report reveals a huge increase in both males (456%) and females (215%) electing to have laser resurfacing over the past three years, mainly to minimize wrinkles and lines on the face. In addition, laser hair removal has jumped to the number two position for most performed non-invasive cosmetic procedures.

These laser procedures seem to be recession resistant, says the academy, and demand is driven in part by increasing affordability. For instance, laser resurfacing has dropped by about $450 since 2002. The AACS predicts that demand will continue to remain steady.

"Cosmetic surgery technology is advancing at the speed of light," states AACS President Patrick McMenamin, MD. "As we learn more about the cosmetic uses for lasers, the more patients benefit from effective results and quicker recovery time. It is an exciting time for both cosmetic surgery patients and physicians."

Other notable findings from the survey include:

+ In 2008, cosmetic surgeons saw a 29% increase in their female clientele. Despite the economy, women are continuing to invest in their appearances. In addition, cosmetic surgeons have seen a 2% decline male patients proving that when times are tough, cosmetic surgery is the one of the first things men delete from their wish lists.

+ The top three most performed invasive cosmetic procedures in 2008 include: liposuction, blepharoplasty (eyelid reconstruction) and breast augmentation; while the most popular non-invasive cosmetic procedures were Botox injections, laser hair removal and hyaluronic acid.

The 2008 Procedural Data is based on a survey of U.S.-based AACS members completed in December 2008. The entire report, conducted by RH Research, is available by contacting the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery.

Hair Loss Treatment Truths: What Manufacturers Forget To Mention

2009-03-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.

It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.

Hair loss is a symptom of another systemic physical condition or conditions, and the simple the hair loss treatment truth is that the hair loss will continue until that condition is identified.

The manufacturers of hair loss medications, however, do not want this hair loss treatment truth to be widely known, and keep promising that as long as you use their products, you hair loss will The two most widely known hair loss treatments, Rogaine and Propecia, both require ongoing use or their effectiveness will end.

Another hair loss treatment truth of which the pharmaceutical companies would like you to remain unaware is that Rogaine and Propecia, while helping restore some hair growth, are not effective on frontal scalp baldness.

Natural Treatments

But the basic hair loss treatment truth is that hair loss can either be prevented or terminated, and that hair follicles which have shut down can be stimulated to begin producing healthy hair once again. Because hair loss is often linked to other like hypertension and cardiovascular impairment, successful treatment of those problems can solve hair loss as well.

One very well hidden hair loss treatment truth is that, in spite of the huge sums of money which pharmaceutical companies put into developing their own solutions, they have yet to find one which works any better than the many natural treatments, available to consumers at far less cost, may.

Before turning to expensive drug treatments to help with your hair loss, who not test the natural solutions? One hair loss treatment truth is that anything which the hair can cause hair loss; if you hair style involves corn-rows, or tightly banded braids or a pony tail, you may be weakening your hair at its roots and causing it to fall out.

And while many people recommend brushing one’s hair vigorously for one hundred strokes each day, doing so also cause weakening of the hair roots if done too vigorously.

While vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause hair loss, the hair loss treatment truth is that it will not be limited to the scalp but will affect the entire body. So if your hair loss is limited to your head, a deficiency is probably not the cause.

Hair Loss Shampoos

Hair loss treatment truths about shampoos? Hair loss treatment shampoos are great for getting rid of all the leftover styling gunk, excess sebum, and dirt which might be clogging your hair follicles. Some of them are even to remove excessive amount of the hair loss-inducing hormone DHT from your scalp. And some of them even have ingredients to stimulate your scalp’s blood circulation.

All these things make good hair loss treatment shampoos useful in creating an environment in which your hair follicle scan do their best work, but will not restore production in follicles have shut down. So most hair loss shampoos manufacturers recommend that you supplement the use of their shampoos with more concentrated “extracts” of their active ingredients.

Dr. Simon Ourian, Pioneer Laser Surgeon, Appears on The Doctors TV Show

2009-03-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Dr. Simon Ourian, a pioneer laser surgeon in Beverly Hills, appeared on The Doctors TV Show, a new CBS talk show. Dr. Ourian's Epione Center is among the most comprehensive center specializing in laser technology and non-invasive aesthetic procedures including BOTOX®, Juvéderm, Radiesse, Restylane and Sculptra.

Beverly Hills, CA (PRWEB) March 24, 2009 -- Dr. Simon Ourian, a leading authority on non-surgical facial rejuvenation, appeared March 17 on CBS TV's The Doctors show to explain how his patients reduce the effects of crow's feet and other signs of aging.

he Doctors TV Show produced by Dr. Phil McGraw and his son Jay McGraw, invites top physicians, pediatricians, plastic surgeons, and reconstructive surgeons to speak about a variety of health topics.

The Doctors television show called on Dr. Ourian to appear on the CBS TV show to share his expertise. The doctor, who appeared with Dr. Drew Ordon on the CBS Los Angeles show, regularly offers advice about skin care, skin care products, anti wrinkle creams, skin treatments and anti aging products.

'"You can make a person look younger, better and fresher without major down time and without major cost. My job is to give patients the look they want. I tell patients that if you take care of your face, you can stop the signs of aging, Dr. Ourian said. "This is a young, youth oriented society. If you look better, people will perceive you in a better way. You will have more self esteem.''

Ourian told the Doctors TV show that he talks with patients about Botox injections, laser skin resurfacing and dermal fillers. These procedures are cost-effective, less invasive and safer alternatives to eyelid surgery, plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery.

One of the first signs of aging are crow's feet, wrinkles that appear at the corners of the eyes. Crow's feet are created by the flexion of the orbicularis oculi muscle, a circular, sphincter-like muscle surrounding the eye. The muscle protects the eye from brightness and physical contact. For example, we squint to protect our eyes when it's sunny out, or when we face high winds.

While home remedies including the use of a hat or visor, moisturizers, sunscreen and exfoliation can help, Dr. Ourian is able to erase these crow's feet in less than an hour using a variety of techniques.

"I usually hand the client a mirror and say, 'Let's discuss the issues that bother you,' In order to achieve the result my patients are looking for, I believe it is important to carefully listen to all their suggestions, questions, and comments,'' Dr. Ourian said. ''Once I have an understanding of their expectations and goals, I meticulously address the appropriate areas. It is my personal goal, to achieve the desired results for each my patients."

The host of the CBS Daytime show is ER doctor and The Bachelor contestant Dr. Travis Stork. Other doctors on the show include pediatrician Dr. Jim Sears, obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Lisa Masterson, marriage and family therapist Tara Fields, and Ordon, a plastic surgeon. More information about the show is available at thedoctorstv.com. CBS podcasts are available.

The Doctors talk show chose Dr. Ourian of Epione Medical Corporation in Beverly Hills, California to speak because according to BOTOX® producer, Allergan Inc., Dr. Ourian is the number one provider of this wrinkle-busting treatment. He performs more BOTOX® injections on a yearly basis, than any other physician in California. Epione is currently among Allergan's elite Diamond Program (only awarded to the top 1% injectors in the country).

The horizontal wrinkles of the forehead, the vertical "frown" wrinkles of the brow (between the two eyebrows) and the crow's feet beside the eyes are areas that are extremely well suited to treatment with Botox, said Dr. Ourian.

Patients marvel at the results after receiving these treatments at Dr. Ourian's Epione Medical Corporation.

''I received Botox treatment last month for the first time,'' says Los Angeles area resident Olivia, who came to Dr. Ourian to treat wrinkles in her forehead. ''I love the result; I would recommend him to everyone.''

Dr. Ourian also helps so many patients eager to erase acne, scars and other imperfections. He developed the Coolaser™, which he calls ''the wave of the future.'' As men and women age, the collagen in their skin shrinks and loosens. Coolaser™ stimulates the body to make more collagen. That jolt of collagen covers acne, scars and aging. Alternatives, such as collagen injections, fade over time while the collagen created by the laser is retained in the skin for a longer period.

Dr. Ourian's Epione Medical Corporation, located in Beverly Hills Golden Triangle, is among the most comprehensive and state-of-the-art laser and aesthetic surgery centers. Dr. Ourian has been a pioneer for laser technology and non-invasive aesthetic procedures not only with BOTOX® and Coolaser™, but also with Restylane, Juvéderm, Radiesse and Sculptra. These treatments are used for correction or reversal of a variety of conditions such as acne, acne scars, acne scar removal, skin discoloration, lip enhancement, wrinkles, stretch marks, varicose veins, unwanted hair, and tattoos and cellulite. For further information please contact 888-951-3377 or visit: www.epione.com.

Perrigo gets acne treatment approval

2009-03-25T08:21:00.001-07:00

TPerrigo announces FDA approval for sulfacetamide sodium topical suspension USP, 10% Co announces that it has received final approval from the FDA to market Sulfacetamide Sodium Topical Suspension, 10% (Lotion). The product has been determined to be therapeutically equivalent to Sanofi-Aventis' (SNY) Klaron (Sodium Sulfacetamide) Lotion, 10%, which is indicated for the topical treatment of acne. Klaron Lotion had sales of approx $15 mln for the 12 months ended January 2009, as measured by Wolters Kluwer Health.

Pharmaceutical firm Perrigo Company (Nasdaq:PRGO; TASE:PRGO) said it has received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its version of a Sanofi-Aventis acne medication, Klaron.

Perrigo can begin to market Sulfacetamide Sodium Topical Suspension, 10% (Lotion). Perrigo's version is therapeutically equivalent to the Klaron (10%) lotion developed by Sanofi-Aventis. Klaron is used for the topical treatment of acne.

Article continues after advertisements

Klaron lotion had sales of approximately $15 million for the 12 months ended January 2009, as measured by Wolters Kluwer Health.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (Nasdaq: TEVA; TASE: TEVA) also received FDA approval last week for an acne treatment, Solodyn, but reached an agreement with Medicis, the developer, to wait until 2011 to market its version, in return for Medicis dropping legal claims against Teva.

Perrigo chairman and CEO Joseph C. Papa said, "This approval is another example of our commitment to invest in and bring new products to market. It further demonstrates our strategy to deliver quality affordable healthcare both behind and over the counter."

Perrigo develops, manufactures, and sells over the counter and generic prescription pharmaceuticals, nutritional products, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and consumer products.

Shares in Perrigo closed at $22.95, up 2.8%. Its market cap is $2.11 billion.

Chanel's Absence from Lotte Allows Competitors to Thrive

2009-03-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

channel is the most famouse make-up brand , all of us like thier lipsticks , foundations and other cosmetices

Since Chanel shut its cosmetic business in seven branches of the Lotte Department Store, Korea's largest department store chain, on Jan. 30, competitors' sales have been soaring.

In the case of its main branch in Sogong-dong, Seoul, the French cosmetic brand has been replaced by Amore Pacific and Kevin Aucoin, a U.S. brand specializing in color makeup. Since their opening on Feb. 13, the two brands' combined sales topped W1.3 billion (US$1=W1,384) for only a month -- three times the sales of Chanel at the same site. Competitors near the former Chanel site also benefited, with Lancome posting 46 percent growth and Dior 21 percent growth, contributing to a two percent rise in the total sales of the cosmetic section at the branch.

Experts say the sales growth is attributable to diversification in the cosmetic industry. "Four or five foreign cosmetic brands wielded absolute power in the industry a few years ago. But now, diverse brands are emerging in the market. It means consumers have a wider range of choice," an industry insider said.

Jennifer Aniston Film Seeks Extras With Weight, Skin Problems to Emotionally Abuse

2009-03-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

Are you a normal person with acne or a weight problem who is interested in letting the likes of Jennifer Aniston demean you?

Well, today is your lucky day.

A casting company has posted an ad on Craigslist
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/tfr/1076494800.html
seeking extras for Aniston’s new film with Jason Bateman, "The Baster."

In the film, the 40-year-old actress and co-star Jason Bateman play will play best friends Wally and Kassie. According to THR, when Wally learns that Kassie plans to become pregnant through artificial insemination, he replaces the donor’s semen with his own and must live with the secret that he is the father of her child.

But just make sure you are okay with being emotionally abused, as the ad calls for people who are comfortable having profanities shouted at them.

The agency seeks a “heavy set woman who is able to ride a bike and comfortable in provocative wardrobe who is comfortable having profanities thrown at her,” in addition to a woman “with a round face, small eyes and upturned nose who is comfortable having profanities shouted at her in a comedic scene,” and a “rail thin teen boy with bad skin, bad acne.”

Those who are sensitive, or live outside the New York area, need not respond.

"The Baster" is set for release in 2010.

Laser Acne Treatment

2009-03-24T04:11:00.000-07:00

or some people, acne isn't just a nuisance, but a serious and disfiguring skin problem. Fortunately, there are good treatments available for all but for the most severe cases. One such treatment is showing remarkable results, not with the use of drugs, but rather with a laser.

Being a teenager is tough enough, but add severe acne to the mix and you can imagine what Ashley Torres felt like.

"I was self conscious about how my skin looked, waking up looking in the mirror and I was always breaking out," Torres said. "I wanted to wear makeup all the time, just cover it up. I didn't want to go to school without makeup."

Ashley tried the usual treatments, prescription ointments, creams and antibiotics, but nothing worked for long.

Accutane use is severely restricted. Without other options, young people like Ashley are left scarred both physically and psychologically.

"It really kills their self esteem. They don't have dates, they don't have friends, they don't go to parties," said dermatologist Dr. Judith Hellman. "It can interfere with their jobs, with their job quest."

Fortunately for Ashley, a new laser treatment is clearing up her skin. Protective goggles and a little cooling gel are part of the prep.

Then it's just a few minutes of lasering the acne lesions. The laser energy is absorbed by the blood vessels that give the cysts their nasty red color.

"After a number of treatments, there are no more blood vessels to feed and support the cyst, so the acne simply does not come back," Dr. Hellman said.

It takes four to six treatments to get the cysts to dry up. The laser not only clears the skin but, so far, the results have lasted for three or more years.

Ashley had two treatments and has already seen a significant improvement. "This side before had all breakouts, but now it's all smooth. They were all here, and also I had a lot on my chin, but they've gone down, very smooth."

an amazing natural acne remdy

Apply tea tree oil to the area several times each day. Some research indicates that tea tree oil is just as effective as benzoyl peroxide, the number one over-the-counter acne treatment.

New tools helping women (and men) fight hair loss

2009-03-24T03:55:00.002-07:00

Full, glorious hair -- it is a big part of what defines beauty. But baldness doesn't just happen to men. It happens to millions of women, too.

"Hair loss is quite common in women," said Dr. Brad Limmer, a hair transplant specialist. "I think a lot of women feel they're suffering alone. But the reality is that 40% of women will suffer from androgenetic alopecia."

That's hereditary hair loss, and it comes from both sides of the family. While men start showing signs of losing their hair in their 20s, it is often difficult to diagnosis women at an earlier age.

But now there's a way to know if a woman or a man is at risk for losing their hair; a simple DNA test can tell if a person carries the gene for baldness. The test takes generally three weeks for results.

"I think hair loss in women is often borne in silence," said dermatologist Shelley Sekula. "I think women don't realize that there are things that can be done."

Women who discover they have the gene can start looking for things to slow the process down using the same medications as men, like Rogaine, which is a topical foam.

Experts say that the earlier you catch it, the better medications work. The medications can preserve hair, but are not as effective at regrowing hair.

"The sooner you start therapy, the more hair you hang on to," said Limmer.

Doctors like him have been seeing more women like Mary Beth McAllister.

"You get so self conscious when people look at you, and they're just staring at the top of your head," said McAllister.

But after undergoing her third transplant, she's noticed a difference.

"You're not looking at the top of my head," she said.

The test by HairDX is in clinical trials. Limmer plans to start offering it to his patients even though it may cut down on business.

"It will allow us to diagnose at an earlier age, which I think is critical in keeping patients from needing a hair transplant," he said.

from my experince I fonund that Nioxin and Rogaine are among the most popular and most effective products to treat hair loss. but The key to success with these products is using them regularly.

The reason behind why women's locks are thinning

2009-03-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

From Lady Godiva to Penelope Cruz, from L'Oreal ads to America's Next Top Model, hair has always been a symbol of a woman's sexiness and style.

"You can't pick up a woman's magazine without seeing dozens of ads for hair products, articles telling you how to make your hair more beautiful, and hair styles of celebrities," says Portland, Ore., artist Leslie Ann Butler who, for 30 years, has had very little hair as a result of an autoimmune disorder.

Her book, If Your Hair Falls Out, Keep Dancing, addresses the issue while stressing that "beauty is not on your head, it's in your heart."

Most women are extremely affected by this distressing condition, confirms Dr. Jerry Shapiro, a University of B.C. dermatology professor and a specialist in treating women's hair loss.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, women's hair loss is a growing problem affecting more than 30 million women in North America.

"Some can't leave the house, or can't work, and some feel so sad that it leads to depression," says Shapiro

Some 37% of women will experience some type of hair loss within their lifetime, he says.

"We lose about 100 hairs a day, so if you are starting to lose 200 or 300 every day, you know you have a problem. You can tell because your ponytail is half the width that it used to be: The elastic that goes around the ponytail now goes around many times instead of just once."

Hair loss is referred to as alopecia, but there are many types and many causes. It takes a family doctor or a dermatologist to figure out what kind and why.

The most common reason, says Shapiro, is genetic: Called female pattern hair loss, it displays a particular pattern of more thinning on the top of the scalp than in the back."

Other types of hair loss may be a result of autoimmune disease, thyroid disorders, a lack of iron in the diet, or polycystic ovary syndrome (a common hormonal problem.)

Starting or stopping the birth control pill can also produce hair changes in women as can having a baby.

Braiding hair or overbrushing (forget about those 100 strokes a day!) can also be a cause.

And taking certain drugs can induce hair loss: For a list of drugs related to hair loss, check out the American Hair Loss Association's helpful website (www.american hairloss.org).

Today there are so many available treatments, says Shapiro. "The treatment depends on the cause. If its female pattern hair loss, say, then it's topical minoxidil." Cortisone injections, finasteride, and androgen-receptor blockers may also be used.

Shapiro cautions patients to have patience when they're losing hair because it takes time to get to the "root" of the problem: "First get a proper diagnosis, then talk over the kinds of treatments that are appropriate, then decide whether the medical or surgical approach is best or a combination of the two."

Of course, there's always a wig.

here is a great natural recipe

mix castor oil + olive oil
and apply it for four hours once a week

it will work very well

Clarins Puts On Its Best Face in U.S.

2009-03-23T04:58:00.000-07:00

Clarins Group is trying to remake its American face.

Next month, the upscale French beauty brand will begin opening spas inside department stores, eventually reaching locations across the U.S.

New products, counters and services are also in the works, and Clarins will increase its efforts to woo Hispanic women -- all part of an effort to revamp Clarins's classic French image in the U.S.
[Clarins Puts On Its Best Face in U.S.] Clarins

Clarins, the top-selling luxury skin-care brand in Europe, is pushing for wider recognition in the U.S., where it trails Clinique, Estée Lauder and Lancôme.

In Europe, Clarins is the top-selling luxury skin-care brand. But it ranks fourth -- behind Estée Lauder Cos.' Clinique and Estée Lauder brands and L'Oréal SA's Lancôme -- in the U.S., where Clarins is better known for sunscreen and self-tanners than its primary specialty and biggest seller: facial products.

"We're famous in the U.S. for only a small part of our business," says Jonathan Zrihen, the Clarins U.S. president charged with retooling the brand's reputation among Americans. "I'm changing our image to be seen as the total expert in skin care, not just one part of it."

Clarins plans to be more hands on, opening treatment rooms inside department stores, including Macy's Inc.'s Bloomingdale's. To catch shoppers' notice, new images used at counters will portray fewer "classic French women" and more women with "makeup that's more sexy," Mr. Zrihen says.

French notions of what's sensual don't always align with American sensibilities, Clarins executives have found. New counter photos promoting Clarins "Body Lift" skin cream, for instance, were deemed too revealing, and the model's shorts were retouched to make them longer.

In September, Clarins will relaunch its Line Prevention Multi-Active skin-care products, which are popular in Europe but haven't reached the same heights in the U.S. The new formula includes a name change to Multi-Active Early Wrinkle Correction.

"I think the message about prevention didn't go over as strong in the U.S. as in Europe," says Mr. Zrihen. American consumers are "much more results-oriented in their skin-care usage than Europeans, who also look at the pleasure," he says. In the U.S., "you have to communicate the efficiency of your product, and it has to be fast and easy to use."

Clarins is also going after a particularly lucrative group of U.S. beauty shoppers: Hispanics. Over the last few years, it has hired more Spanish-speaking beauty advisers at U.S. counters and increased the product information available in Spanish. In January, Clarins retained an agency specializing in Hispanic marketing. This week, Clarins is gathering beauty editors from leading Hispanic magazines at its New York spa to tout its products.

atino women are an important target consumer because "they grew up in a culture where you spend a lot of money on your appearance," says Candace Corlett, president of the consultancy WSL Strategic Retail. "And Clarins has the European heritage that Latino women aspire to in their beauty brands."

Clarins's new efforts come amid difficult times for prestige beauty products in the U.S., where sales fell 3% to $8.38 billion last year, according to market researcher NPD Group. Meanwhile, U.S. department stores are eager to find new ways to bring consumers into their stores. "The spa opportunity is something we're trying to go after," says Bloomingdale's Executive Vice President Francine Klein, noting that in-store treatments help increase store loyalty and the frequency of shopping trips.

But luring women to invest in high-end skin-care regimens is challenging when shoppers are cutting back, says Euromonitor International Inc. analyst Virginia Lee. Splurging on a new lipstick is an easy and inexpensive way to spruce up your look, she says, "but to convince someone to spend $80 or more on skin-care products takes a lot more education and selling."

The new Clarins department-store skin spas, which will open first in California and eventually extend to cities including Miami, suburban New York and Newton, Mass., will offer 45-minute and 60-minute facials for $50 and $75, respectively. Clarins products generally range in price from $35 to $155.

Clarins enjoys some cover from the slide its competitors' stock prices have suffered in recent months. Last summer, relatives of deceased founder Jacques Courtin-Clarins took the company private. Free from short-term shareholder pressure, Clarins is investing in long-term objectives, said Chairman Christian Courtin-Clarins, in an interview late last year, noting that "the U.S. is a priority."

Among other efforts to boost that business, Clarins is training its U.S. beauty advisers to offer free, 20-minute facials at counters, allowing shoppers to test skin-type-appropriate products and learn application techniques. Such treatments also beautify sales: When a shopper has one, she buys -- on average -- at least two products, the company says.

Body Shop cuts prices of 200 products by 30%

2009-03-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Body Shop (TBS), an iconic UK-based personal product brand, has slashed prices of over 200 of its best-selling products in India by
about 20-30% in a bid to push sales amid softening demand.

TBS is a global manufacturer and retailer of ethically-produced beauty and cosmetics products and the second-largest cosmetics franchise in the world. Given the recessionary trends in the US, the UK and Europe, among other markets, the brand has stepped up its focus on developing and emerging markets such as India to scale up revenues.

TBS operates a chain of retail stores in India through a franchise arrangement with Planet Retail Holdings. Said Planet Retail Holdings COO Sameer Prasad: “We are responding to consumer feedback and sentiments on the current economic environment and have lowered prices. At a time like this, we want to offer even better value for our masstige brand.”

The growth of modern trade formats is also expected to help TBS scale up its business plans, officials said. Indian consumers earlier purchased TBS products either through the unorganised market, or abroad. In fact, its annual clearance sale in the US and the UK is popular, where consumers get to select from aspirational brands at massive discounts, industry players said.

Planet Retail Holdings is also a franchise partner for Debenhams, Next, Monsoon Accessorize and Guess. In recent times, several upmarket global brands have cut prices to drive growth in India. TBS operates over 2,400 stores in 61 countries and is now a 100% subsidiary of French cosmetics giant L’oreal. TBS’ product portfolio includes makeup, fragrance and skin-care products. The products had earlier been priced at a huge premium over other competing brands.

Same-store sales in the US market, which reportedly constitutes 50% of TBS’ total sales, have shrunk due to recession, forcing the brand to seek growth in markets that display higher promise like India. TBS was launched by two entrepreneurs — Dame Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon. L’oreal bought out the brand a couple of years back by paying £652 million ($915 million). In India, TBS is opening new stores to widen its presence, which officials say is a priority market for L’oreal.

Fashion Week in New York acknowledges the new economy

2009-03-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK — It was not business as usual.

Extravagant runway shows were streamlined, invitation lists pared down and parties canceled. All evidence that the recession had finally hit New York Fashion Week, a biannual event that always seems to operate in its own bubble of celebrities, champagne and chauffeurs.

This season, the mood was more serious. The usual before-show chaos turned civil and orderly. It was far from somber, but it was as if everyone realized frivolity was not appropriate in a bottom line-focused weak economy.

Yet the clothes for next autumn and winter, shown by American designers last month, were anything but wan. There was a directional shift toward structural silhouettes in many of collections, particularly in the shoulders and sleeves. Even draping and ruching looked more architectural than fluid.

Some collections conveyed a futuristic toughness portrayed with leather, stocking-like boots, exposed zippers and distressed styling.

The emphasis on sculpted shoulders, studied tailoring and a 1980s-era neon color scheme defined a coming fall that will be unlike any we've seen in quite awhile.

"The big story for fall is the big shoulder," says Jayne Mountford, a fashion expert for Stylesight, a New York-based trend forecasting service. Endorsed by both American and European designers, she calls it the new "power dressing." Broad shoulders give women a bigger presence at the same time they cocoon the
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body in a security blanket of sorts, she says.

With so many stores reporting continued declining sales, what retailers looked for on runways were pieces that would make the cut on a lust list — items special enough to excite consumers into spending.

"What's important to remember is that buyers aren't just looking for trends coming off the runways," says Claire Hamilton, a retail and fashion expert for WGSN, a New York-based research and trend analysis firm. "Every piece headed to a store has to be special enough to make a customer feel like it's worth investing in."

The runways in New York, usually the most commercially viable clothing shown during the traditional fashion weeks that include London, Milan and Paris, showcased collections infused with bold ideas that women currently don't have in their autumn wardrobes.

"Everyone is concerned about the economy," says designer Carmen Marc Valvo, who usually stages a theatrical runway show for 1,000 guests in the biggest tent venue at Bryant Park. This season, he opted for a presentation at Citrine, a cozy nightclub where a few models at a time milled about among cocktail-sipping invitees and a video fashion show of his new collection played in the background on big-screen TV.

"Fashion needs to be a more intimate experience," given the tough times, says Valvo, who looked like he was hosting a small party instead of an industry event.

While the downturn made for a less ostentatious week, it did not mean luxury and finery were absent. Fur and cashmere, symbolic of cold-weather indulgence, came down catwalks in unexpected moments and in shockingly bright shades.

Michael Kors, who can always be counted on for classics, cashmere and camel, sent a neon pink "cashgora" melton coat and a cashmere sweater in road cone orange down his runway.

Thakoon Panichgul's collection included a green and orange parrot feathered, fox winged cape amid the ladylike dresses fit for a first lady. In fact, in the front row was Desiree Rodgers, the White House social secretary, and Ikram Goldman, who owns the Chicago boutique frequented by Michelle Obama.

Marc Jacobs, whose defiance of convention makes him one of the most watched designers in the world, started his show with a prim gray cardigan and trousers before moving on to wide-shouldered jackets and coats in hot pink, electric blue and leprechaun green. He ended with cocktail dresses fit for a scene in a "Mad Max" movie.

"Everyone is referencing the '80s, but it's much more subtle than that," Hamilton says of all the acidy neon, and shoulder focus.

"It's a new kind of minimalism that seems appropriate for now."

Top fashion trends for fall

2009-03-23T03:19:00.001-07:00

Classic looks are big with some designers. Others channel the '80s with power shoulders, boyfriend blazers, leggings, leather and exposed bras.

There was a luxe trashiness to many of the collections for fall that's curious when everyone is in survival mode. Between Alexander Wang in New York, Pucci in Milan, Balmain and Givenchy in Paris, I was left with a distinct morning-after feeling. But why, especially now, would you want to wear a mini-dress the size of a postage stamp that makes you look like a street walker? I suppose it would get you noticed.

This is the cutting edge of fashion, the thing that's making magazine editors giddy. And there were more measured takes on the tough chic look -- black leather leggings worn with a long boyfriend blazer, the black leather bustier or bomber jacket. I guess if nothing else, sex always sells.

Other designers leaned on their heritage (Burberry's checks, Missoni's layered knits, Ralph Lauren's manor style and Chanel's Barbie-like kits of Madame's iconic accessories), or the heritage of others (Balenciaga's ode to Yves Saint Laurent), offering the kind of tweedy coats, cozy sweaters and pretty evening looks that store buyers were referring to as "investment pieces."

There was a lot to wear: Prada's earthen-hued skirt suits, Michael Kors, Narciso Rodriguez and Marc Jacobs' sportswear classics with flashes of neon, Lanvin's elegant, bias cuts, the everyday jackets and pants at DKNY, Derek Lam, Etro, Dries Van Noten, Chloe, YSL and Stella McCartney.

Now we just have to wait and see if anyone's going to buy. Here, a rundown of the season's top trends:

Most likely to already be hanging in your closet: A black leather jacket. If not, they were everywhere, the best with a subtle, studded collar at Yves Saint Laurent.

Outta my way: Power dressing manifested itself in strong shoulders, leg o' mutton sleeves and one-sleeved dresses.

Sandals aren't just for summer anymore: If it's cold, wear them with tights. If it's slushy, try the season's other big footwear trend, over-the-knee boots.

To shop for at the vintage stores: Anything 1980s, especially long boyfriend blazers in geometric prints and sparkly mini-dresses.

New "it" color, besides black, that is: Jade green as seen at Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Wear it sparingly or risk looking like a leprechaun.

If money is no object: Go for the Michael Jackson look at Balmain, the crystal-studded jackets and disco mini-dresses. Or buy the real thing at the Jackson memorabilia auction in Beverly Hills next month.

Most dubious trend: Capes, especially Marc Jacobs' neon, crossing-guard versions.

Trend that refuses to go away: Leggings. For a newer look, try high-waisted, pleated and peg-legged pants.

Trend we thought would never come back: Exposed bras, as seen at Balenciaga and Miu Miu.

Most timeless trend: Classical draping, as seen at Balenciaga, Viktor & Rolf, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Derek Lam and Donna Karan.

Most ingenious invention: Lanvin's knit-backed fur stoles, which can be pulled down over jackets, sweaters or coats.

Most annoying beauty habit: Hair crimping, which was responsible for at least one late runway show start.

Vivid hues, florals and prints brighten up warm-weather fashion

2009-03-23T03:12:00.001-07:00

Spring colors are bolder and brighter than ever, as if every fashion designer’s goal is to shock the public into a happy mood and stir up some well-needed energy.

It also appears that those popular jewel-toned fabrics from winter simply exploded into spring, surprising us with fuchsia, orange, turquoise and bright green. Mix in some uplifting tropical hues such as lemon, lime, papaya and mango, and the color palette for spring and summer ’09 is complete.

Yellow, the boldest of them all, is splashed across handbags and dresses in hopes of invoking the warmth of sun, light and joy into the wardrobe.

“Everything is bright, almost neon,” said Mitzy London, owner of Mitzy London’s boutique in south Leawood.

“Color is everywhere and on everything.”

The key, of course, is to use all this color sparingly and subtly in your wardrobe, she said, and the last thing you want is to look like a flower garden or a canary.

Here’s how to tame a bright shade: You just love that soft, ruffled top in hot pink, but think, “What would I wear that with?” Grab it, tone it down with a black cardigan and tights and ballet flats, and you’re ready to hit the streets.

“This year it’s all about taking something that is decidedly feminine and colorful like a blouse and juxtaposing it with a cleaner, more tailored, plain soft skirt,” said Gregg Andrews, a fashion director at Nordstrom.

“In other words, it’s not about looking androgynous and it’s not about looking Little Bo Peep either,” he said. “It’s about mixing those looks together, like a soft dress with a heavier, chunkier shoe. You stop the look from becoming too precious.”

While we’re cozying back up to color, flowers are also in bloom: Find florals on dresses, tops, pants, shorts and jackets. You’ll even see them sprinkled on accessories.

Or perhaps a great print is what you prefer. Laura Haught, owner of Haught Style in Prairie Village, favors an Asian-inspired print with a contemporary butterfly motif. Other popular designs seem globally inspired.

“The prints we’re seeing aren’t really duplications of any one culture but more of an artist’s interpretation of one,” Andrews said.

And though color is key, don’t discount neutrals. Beige is back, and so are cool slate gray and rosy dust hues with subtle undertones that pair perfectly with blue and purple necklaces.

“Soft beiges and grays and colors that actually have a cosmetic tint to them such as blush and nude add a lot of femininity,” Andrews said.

One of the easiest ways to make a neutral statement, he said, is with a classic trench coat, a must-have for spring.

Natasha Richardson's Private Funeral Held in Upstate New York

2009-03-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

Liam Neeson, in a dark suit and sunglasses, was at the head of the casket as he and five other pallbearers carried his wife's coffin into St. Peter's Episcopal Church, near the home where the two married in 1994.

He and Richardson's mother, actress Vanessa Redgrave, waved to the dozens of reporters crowded behind a police barricade on the dirt road leading to the tiny white clapboard church. The grieving family — including the couple's two sons, Micheal, 13, and Daniel, 12 — then paused to allow the media to photograph them in front of church before the service.

Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Uma Thurman and Timothy Dalton were among the friends who filed into the church on the chilly spring afternoon.

After a graveside service under a large green tent, the 45-year-old actress was buried in a nearby cemetery, amid hilly horse farms about 80 miles north of New York City.

She was laid to rest near the grave of her maternal grandmother, the actress Rachel Kempson, who died while visiting her granddaughter and Neeson at their home in nearby Millbrook in 2003. Neeson and the Redgrave family, including Richardson's sister, actress Joely Richardson, visited Kempson's grave after the burial.

Richardson died Wednesday at a Manhattan hospital after falling while skiing Monday at the Mont Tremblant resort in the Canadian province of Quebec. The New York City medical examiner's office said Richardson suffered from an epidural hematoma, which causes bleeding between the skull and the brain's covering. She wasn't wearing a helmet when she fell.

Richardson is descended from one of Britain's great acting dynasties but built her own reputation in films such as "Patty Hearst" and "The Handmaid's Tale," as well as for her work on the stage. She won a Tony for her role in the 1998 revival of "Cabaret."

She costarred with future husband Neeson in the 1993 revival of Eugene O'Neill's "Anna Christie." The two married at their secluded Millbrook home the next year.

The famous couple was well known in this area, which counts many celebrities among its part-time residents.

"She was a lovely lady," said local resident Steve Lyall. "We'll miss her in the community."

The ceremony Sunday caps off a grim week during which Neeson greeted a stream of friends and family during a private viewing Friday at the American Irish Historical Society. Celebrities paying respects this week included Diane Sawyer, Ethan Hawke and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Theaters on Broadway and London's West End dimmed their lights this week in honor of Richardson.

Her final feature film, "Wild Child," has been released internationally but not in the U.S., and Universal Pictures said a U.S. release date had not been scheduled.

Designers, buyers converge on affordable fashion at WIFW

2009-03-23T02:55:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, Mar 22 (PTI) As over 100 designers displayed creative clothing skills by making 56 models walk on the ramp at the five-day Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) ending today, they sent out a clear message: Fashion need not be expensive.
The Indian designers' community, which has made a name in global high street, saw themselves converging on the bottom line -- 'Let's make fashion affordable for the buyers hard-pressed for cash in a difficult environment'.

Brands like Liberty of London were missing at the bi-annual high street event in the national capital. But then, there were others like Anthropologie of the US which came looking for sourcing fashionwear from India.

Over 170 buyers, registered with the organisers, made it known to the designers that they must create fashion that is affordable even if frills around it are absent.

Another aspect of cost-cutting that was visible at the fashion week was the reduced used of sequins. The trend seems to be shifting to the western wear segment.

"The quality is definitely improving but what we are looking at is the quality-price (balance), where India is doing well," Portugal-based Lifung's official David Schneider said. PTI

Chemical peels for younger skin

2009-03-23T02:40:00.000-07:00

Forget Jimmy Choos, Juicy couture, or that weekend spa getaway. In these trying times, women are more likely to want to use their money to knock off a few years. One of the most cost effective treatments for fresh, new skin is a doctor’s office chemical peel.

Ok, it may sound like some torture out of one of the “Saw” horror films, but it is actually just a superficial burning of the skin - using chemicals - to reveal fresh, hopefully unlined, skin below. There are varying strengths, but the medium-type peel, called the TCA (trichloro-acetic acid), is one of the most popular. Think of it as extreme exfoliation. Peels are most often used to improve the appearance of sun-damaged skin on the face or backs of hands. They are also effective on some spots and blemishes and acne scarring. Today, there are a variety of physician only products to remove the outer layers of the skin and improve its appearance, including a fabulous new line of peels called .

Bene-factor Peel The first peel in the industry to contain growth factors, this non-wounding resurfacing treatment stimulates skin renewal. Utilizing a combination of L-lactic, L-malic and salicylic acids, as well as apple, cherry and blueberry extracts, Bene-factor Peel exfoliates dead skin cells and softens skin while lightening, brightening and repairing damaged skin. Ideal for blemished, aging, photo damaged and hyper pigmented skin.

Timeless Rx Peel This harmless, efficient peel utilizes 40% AGP Complex to stimulate cell turnover and protein synthesis, resulting in a smoother, more glowing visage—overnight! Minimally painful and maximally effective, Timeless Rx peel increases the skin’s natural moisture factor (NMF) to eradicate fine lines and wrinkles with the help of chirally correct L-lactic acid. Timeless Rx Peel is an ideal treatment for all skin types and conditions, including acne, photo damage and premature aging.

L-TCA Peel (TCA Complex) This medium-depth chemical peel greatly reduces the pain normally associated with traditional TCA peels. By deeply penetrating and exfoliating the skin’s surface with a blend of TCA and croton oil, L-TCA Peel diminishes the signs of acne scarring, photo damage and melasma with reduced irritation and downtime. Since TCA is not absorbed through the skin, there are no internal toxic effects. The slow action of the solution enables your surgeon to control the peel process and its depth. The Blue Peel can even be performed on the neck, chest, hands, back, arms and legs. Acne, photo damage and melasma patients will benefit from this non-wounding TCA alternative.

Results Rx is a physician-only system designed to increase skin care results for clinical pre and post treatments.

For more info: WHERE TO FIND THEM: www.resultsrx.com or by calling 877.367.7975

Electrolysis and waxing

2009-03-23T00:21:00.000-07:00

Electrolysis (ee-lehk-TRAWL-oh-sihs) and waxing are two methods of epilation (ep-ih-LAY- shun), or removal of hair below the skin's surface. So far, electrolysis is the only hair removal procedure that's considered permanent by the FDA (F-D-A). In this technique, a thin, steel probe may be inserted into each hair follicle and one by one, the hairs are electrified with a low-voltage current. When performed properly, the current runs down the hair shaft to the root, destroying the follicle. The dead hair should then easily pull out. Another method uses an electrified tweezer to grip the hair and send the current. Multiple visits are needed to treat all cycles of hair growth successfully. Depending on the area and hair density, the complete process may take a few months to over a year, and can also be expensive. A temporary but more affordable alternative is waxing. Either cold strips or hot wax may be used. The wax is applied to the skin, covered with a strip of cloth, then yanked off in the opposite direction of hair growth. The procedure can be painful, though it may become less uncomfortable over time. Waxing usually leaves skin hair-free for about three to six weeks.

US bikini wax ban plans ditched

2009-03-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

The US state of New Jersey has scrapped plans to ban bikini waxes after an outcry from beauty salon owners.

The Cosmetology and Hairstyling Board proposed the move after two women were hospitalised for infections following the procedure; one filed a lawsuit.

But officials reversed course after salon owners complained about losing business ahead of the swimsuit season.

Waxing is popular in America, especially as sunbathers head for the beach in the summer.

David Szuchman, New Jersey's consumer affairs director, said in a letter to the board on Friday that he would not support the ban.

"Many commenters have noted that the procedure can be safely performed. I, therefore, believe that there are alternate means to address any public health issues identified by the board," Mr Szuchman wrote.

Salons in the New Jersey area reportedly offer the procedure for up to $60 (£40).

Spa owner Linda Orsuto told the Associated Press news agency: "It was an unnecessary issue.

"In New Jersey especially, where the government has been picking our pockets for so long, it was like: 'Just stay out of our pants, will you?'"

Bikini waxing is a term used to describe the removal of hair visible on parts of the body beyond a typical two-piece swimsuit.

The procedure can be painful because it focuses on sensitive areas of the body, sometimes resulting in skin irritation or rashes, dermatologists say.

Wax On! New Jersey Drops Brazilian Waxing Ban

2009-03-23T00:11:00.000-07:00

Details are fuzzy at this hour, but it looks like New Jersey lawmakers have avoided a hairy situation by reconsidering a ban on Brazilian bikini waxing. The move caused an uproar from Salons, and from consumers anxious, for a change, to be ripped off. The Chicago Tribune has the hot scoop: (h/t Ris Bros.)

Perhaps realizing how silly they looked, Garden State officials on Friday scrapped plans for a ban on "Brazilian" bikini waxes.

The ban was being considered by the state's Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling because two women had been hospitalized in the last year for infections following a bare-it-all Brazilian-style treatment.

But in a letter to the board on Friday, New Jersey Consumer Affairs Director David Szuchman wrote: "I cannot agree to the complete prohibition ... banning removal of hair in the genital area."

This is a prime example of government overreach trumped by public outrage. Talk of the waxing ban resulted in a lot of coverage, which enabled the Cosmetology Board to see the forest for the trees.

Unlike the killer spider recently found at an Oklahoma grocery store, the Brazilian waxing technique isn't actually from Brazil. The Trib explains:

For the uninitiated, a Brazilian-style bikini wax involves the full removal of hair from what can euphemistically be called the "bikini region." Jeannette Abou-Mourad, owner of Sisters Skin Care and Waxing on Michigan Avenue, explained that despite its South American name the practice began thousands of years ago in the Middle East, a tradition considered routine and hygienic.

Although New Jersey has removed the unwanted ban, there is still no state law specifically allowing the practice, but waxing enthusiasts should be satisfied with the bird in the hand...

While my fellow Jerseyans and I are glad that we narrowly avoided the ban, it was still too close for comfort. Perhaps the Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling needs to be cut down to size.