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You know what makes me really excited? Finding new uses for beauty items that are meant for something else.
So I just stumbled on this piece from Sunday’s NY Times about François Nars’ makeup for the Marc Jacobs Fall 09 show. (Diclosure, I love Nars’ makeup. Fuller disclosure, I have a friend who works there.)
His inspiration was the 80s punk look (yay!). Most notably, he used eyeshadow for lip color. Genius! Rich pigment, unusual (for lips anyway) colors. The makeup looks fierce.
Incidentally, the woman credited with creating that signature 80s punk look that rock icons like Debbie Harry and Joan Jett (not to mention early MTV) made famous is the incredible makeup artist Linda Mason, who has a shop in Soho that’s totally worth a visit. I had the pleasure of meeting her at the NY Make Up Show last year, and purchased her book and two of her really gorgeous make up palettes. They cost a small fortune but the colors are hyper-saturated and are fantastic to blend together to create your own unique colors.
I hear the collective groan around a return to 80s fashion (shoulder pads, really?), but I find the hair and makeup from that era simply awesome. Cyndi Lauper, anyone? Can anyone think of a more colorful, vibrant, just plain fun style icon since?
I made the mistake of turning on CNBC yesterday while the latest Congressional dog-and-pony show was on air. One of the politicians was questioning the Fed dude on the mark-to-market accounting doo-dad: “can marketing this mark-to-market help find a market for the mark?” WTF?
Honestly, this economic meltdown is giving me wrinkles. And it looks like I am not the only one. Consumer research group Mintel projects that the anti-aging product market will grow 20 percent over the next five years. Maybe the “lipstick effect” is more than a convenient buzz word? Personally, I am trying to rein in my cosmetic spending, but I also buy WAY too much of the stuff.
Are you “splurging” on beauty products? If so, what?
Oh Allure! Why do you break my heart? I always rip open the new issue when it arrives, anxious to read the “beauty bible” and am always so disappointed. The March issue came this morning, and the cover tag of “Stressed Out Skin?” pulled me in, only to hurt me within the very first paragraph.
In analyzing the skin of our over stressed masses, writer Sarah Van Boven says “Not only does stress cause our sebaceous glands to pump out more of the oil that bacteria thrive on…” Or, Oil = bad.
Oil on our skin, for the most part, is a good thing. We need it to help kill the bacteria on our skin (oil=acid; bacteria cannot thrive in an acidic environment). However, there is one more piece to the acne puzzle. Oxygen. The problem is when the pore gets clogged by dead skin and dirt and oxygen cannot reach the bacteria to help kill it. Oil alone is not the sole culprit.
Strip away that oil and you will have to read the Sensitivity part of this article: “The epidermal barrier that locks moisture to the skin is the same thing that keeps irritants like pollution, allergens and chemicals out.” Guess what that epidermal barrier is? The one you just stripped away because of your acne.
I suppose I should learn by now not to get so excited when the damn magazine shows up. But it’s kind of like porn. Excited by the promise yet ultimately deflated by the actual experience.
I spent 30 minutes of my morning exercising on a vibrating platform. My pilates studio is now offering Power Plate sessions, and at a fraction of the cost of my usual pilates training, I decided to give it a whirl.
The idea is that you work out while on this contraption that uses whole body vibration, causing your muscles to continually work while you try to maintain balance. Since your muscles are working harder, theoretically you can shorten workouts to 30 minutes while maintaining the benefits of a full hour session.
It is also supposed to speed up weight loss, and since the vibrations stimulate lymphatic drainage, it has the potential to reduce cellulite. But the most impressive scientific studies have pointed to the benefits of the vibrating plates on osteoporosis sufferers (the impact of the vibrations on the bones cause them to strengthen). My trainer had me sit with my chin on the plates to let it vibrate my face (not recommended with teeth clenched), since there are also claims that it erases wrinkles because the vibrations stimulate collagen production. Hmmmmm….
And, hey, Madonna does it!
My first session was last week, and my glute, hamstring and thigh muscles were so sore the next day that I could barely bend over. I am not sure how much I actually like working out on the Power Plate yet. Doing pilates-inspired exercises on something that’s vibrating is proving a steep learning curve for my body.
Basically, all my pilates training goes right out the window and I end up focusing on these WTF sensations from the vibrations. But I do find myself more fatigued during the workout. And, just a few hours later, I am already feeling the start of post-workout muscle soreness, which does not bode well for tomorrow.
That’s not me in the picture, by the way. I look a LOT more confused when I am Power Plating.
I am a very naughty blogger. After a month of promos at the spa, it was full on holiday mode. Then there was a whole blog re-think. What do I want this to be? Why am I compelled (or not) to do it? And why the hell am I paying for it?
So, after several months of thinking about it (I am a Libra after all; nothing is done without a very large think), here I am in a new home on WordPress. I loved TypePad, but we are in a recession, after all, and the few extra bucks a month I was tossing to them could be put to better use… Like buying more beauty products for my overstuffed bathroom cupboard!
So the TypePad posts have been exported here. Although the formating is wonky, they are readable. Maybe one day I will fix them… In the mean time, loads of product to catch everyone up on. I look forward to my faithful readers returning, and making some new friends in the WordPress world.
BeautyOlogy 