Monthly Archives: July 2009

It seemed for a second that Maybelline was about to steal MAC’s well-known spotlight by becoming the official cosmetic sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for the next two years, but I should have known better. MAC has announced that they will be partnering with Milk Studios at least for the upcoming Spring 2010 season.  

Located in the Meatpacking District, Milk Studios and MAC will be hosting designers for free in comparison to Bryant Park’s minimum fee of $25,000.  Twenty-five to thirty shows are expected to take place including top designers Preen and ThreeAsFour.

The New York Times reports that John Demsey, the Estee Lauder group president who oversees MAC describes the collaboration as a way to “create a space for emerging and international designers at a time when they need more corporate support.”

Since MAC has been such a huge partner for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for the past five years, the question now is how much will MAC at Milk compete?  

Congratulations to both MAC and Maybelline!  Let the shows begin!

Above photo: John Demsey, Group President, The Estée Lauder Companies; Mazdack Rassi, Founder and Creative Director, Milk Studios; Gordon Espinet, Vice President, Global Makeup Artistry

This morning I was on NBC New York doing a segment on “Back to School Beauty Buys.”  As excited as I was my nerves were taking a toll on me because it was the first time I was going to be live in NYC where all of my friends and family were able to watch.  Thanks to my media coach who prepared me so well for past segments in other markets I felt confident.

I arrived early with my hair and make up ready, but was surprised to find out they wouldn’t even be touching up my face before I was going on air!  There was no time to worry.  After all, the hundreds of thousands of people who were about to watch me make my first NY debut weren’t really going to be looking at me.  It was the products that were going to steal the show.

First, the host and I discussed essential hair buys that will help to fix any summer damage caused by chlorine and the sun such as Paul Mitchell’s Super Strong Shampoo and Conditioner and Ouidad’s Climate Control Gel to protect your strands from humidity.  She seemed to really like Sedu’s Ultrasilent Hairdryer and agreed that it was worth an investment since it was a professional tool that will last a long time.  One tip I gave was that you can get professional hair tools at affordable prices at Folica.com.  Remmington’s Wet to Straight Flat Iron is another great buy because for those who tend to snooze a few too many times in the morning before class, it allows you to skip the blow drying all together!

We finished with skin care essentials that are great for both men and women.  DERMAdoctor Med e Tate wipes and the Clearasil Ultra Pimple Blocker Pen are two products everyone should keep in their backpack in case of emergencies.  Med e Tate are sweat control wipes that can be used anywhere on your face and body and if you apply the Pimple Blocker Pen as soon as you feel a pimple coming on, it will never actually form.  We also touched upon VEET Spray On Hair Removal Cream as a great option for quick hair removal if you don’t have time to shower and Schick Intuition Plus razors, which have built in soap bars.  Finally, Cetaphil Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 is a great buy because your skin tends to need a little extra hydration as the season changes to fall and year round SPF is a must!

The segment flew by and it was an honor to be a part of it.  I’ll post the link so you can check it out soon!

During my last trip to Bloomingdales, I promised myself I wouldn’t stop in the beauty department because I was on a mission to find a dress.  Who was I kidding?  I couldn’t help but stop at the Benefit counter to check out perhaps the most intriguingly packaged new perfumes that were just begging to be tested.

They have three new eau de toilettes that come in cocktail shaker containers with very fun, clever names.  My favorite is a very seductive scent called “My Place or Yours Gina.”  It’s an exotic blend with top notes including pink pepper, bergamot and tangerine, middle notes of peony, wild raspberry and white lilly and topped off by patchouli, tonka bean and vanilla bean. 

“Something About Sophia” (shown on left) is pleasantly light and uses notes such as freesia, sheer lily, jasmine sambac, peony petal and musk.  The third, “Laugh with Me Lee Lee,” is more of a woody floral with black violet, lily and jasmine surrounded by notes of cassis, melon, and amber.

Benefit’s new eau de toilettes are $36 each and can be found here.

Most wouldn’t welcome the end of summer, but I can’t wait for it due to the upcoming excitement of NYC fashion week. Ever since I began going to the shows a few years ago, MAC was the official cosmetic sponsor and completely took over Bryant Park.  Just announced this week, Maybelline has taken their place for the next two years.

The brand’s global makeup artist, Charlotte Willer, will be leading the Maybelline team backstage in creating looks for various designers including Tracy Reese and Charlotte Ronson.

Congratulations Maybelline!  

Dry hair? Check.  Faded color? Check.  Split ends? Check.  

Summer takes a toll on hair unlike any other season. Keeping it up seems nearly impossible, but thanks to the geniuses behind these beauty companies, we now have hope. Here are some tips that will help prevent and restore dreaded hair damage.

Start in the shower.  Use a shampoo and conditioner that aids in protecting your color or that specifically targets hydrating damaged hair.  Herbal Essences Hydralicious Self Targeting Hydrator cleanses while giving damaged hair a boost of added hydration.  I love the way it smells too.

Always use protection.  Slather the SPF onto your skin and hair but don’t forget about your hair!  While I was in Aruba, I religiously used Joico’s K-Pak Sun Therapy Protective Milk on my strands everyday before hitting the beach.  

Treat and retreat.  Once a week use a specialty masque that aids in rebuilding your hair’s protein structure. Redken Color Extend Sun After Sun Masque replenishes my hair weekly and also provides a UV filter for protection.