Beauty pro division

NEW YORK CITY Saturday, September 16, 2006 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Tickets: $25

Event Timing:

* 9:00 am - 10:00am: Private kick-off breakfast for the first 150 ticket purchasers at the "W" Hotel Union Square
* 10:00 am - 10:30 am: Kick-off prize raffle and Fall Fashion Trend Presentation at the "W" Hotel Union Square. All ticket purchasers welcome
* 10:30 am - 6:00 pm: Courtesy shuttles for all ticket purchasers with door-to-door service to top Manhattan fashion boutiques

Details:

* Cadbury Schweppes refreshment lounge at Midnight Oil located in the "W" Hotel Times Square
* SHOP Etc. gift bags to all attendees
* All tour ticket proceeds benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

Presenting Sponsors:
Adrienne Vittadini, Cadbury Schweppes & Lord & Taylor

Click here to purchase tickets or please call 877-SHOPEtc. (746-7382). For additional information please call 212-649-3015.

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Putting all of my flip flops away, bringing out the boots and sweaters, and the chilly weather this morning means that my favorite season is right around the corner – the holidays! During a season chock full of parties and celebrations, I think it’s important (and fun!) to accessorize that little black dress with glam holiday makeup.

With clients like jane iredale and Black Opal, it’s easy to achieve a stunning look. Personally, I think it’s best to emphasize one feature and really make it pop - usually my eyes - with something sparkly. Though I might be a little biased, jane iredale’s latest collection has beautiful gold, black, and brown liquid eye liners that I absolutely love!

Jane has a great tip to really make eyes stand out: paint a wider gold band first and then a thinner black one along the lash line. Or, for a more subtle look, use the liquid liner brush to paint dots between your lashes to give the illusion of thicker and fuller lashes – something that definitely works for me since I wasn’t blessed with the best lashes in the world.

This year, I think I’ll try to mix it up and emphasize the lips with the new Joy lipstick, which has some sparkle in it as well, but still looks classic and elegant. No matter what feature you decide to emphasize, make it bold!

If you're too busy to make an appointment at a day spa or can't spare the cost for skin care treats such as facials, read on to see how a few key organic ingredients and homemade recipes can help you become a do-it-yourself skin care specialist.

Many devoted skincare users have long celebrated organic ingredients and products as an alternative to the sometimes chemically enriched skincare products being churned out constantly. However, knowing what specific ingredients do to benefit skin care practices can help anyone concerned about whether such products would suit them and their skin type. While there are literally too many such ingredients to account for, there are a few whose roles definitely deserve to be in the spotlight.

It is now a fact that smoking harms nearly every organ of the body, causing many diseases and reducing the health of smokers in general. It is also a fact that quitting smoking has immediate as well as long–term benefits. Smoking cigarettes with lower machine-measured yields of tar and nicotine provides no clear benefit to health.

Cigarette smoking causes lung cancer. In fact, smoking tobacco is the major risk factor for lung cancer. People who smoke are 10 to 20 times more likely to get lung cancer or die from lung cancer than people who do not smoke. The longer a person smokes and the more cigarettes smoked each day increases the risk for developing lung cancer.

The Cucumber Eye Care Kit from Earth Therapeutics offers a soothing oasis in the middle of the stress, pollution, environmental factors or even a late night after the Oscars, which can take their toll on the eyes and the delicate skin surrounding the eyes. To soothe, calm, and condition, try the Recover-E Cucumber Eye Pads. Infused with real Cucumber extract, Vitamin E, and a beneficial blend of nutrients, these pre-moistened treatment pads cool and soothe on contact – offering a convenient, one-step solution for comforting and replenishing delicate skin around the eyes. Over time, these treatment pads help restore the skin.

Tired eyes are pampered. Tired skin is nourished and nurtured. Puffiness and swelling are relieved. Dark circles are visibly diminished. After a relaxing treatment with the Recover-E Eye Pads, try on the Herba-Gel Beauty Mask to put the finishing touches on your eye care regimen. The Herba-Gel Mask can be used either warm or cool to further soothe and invigorate tired, strained eyes. Eyes will feel fresh and rested. Skin around the eyes will look and feel soft, smooth, and radiant. -Enjoy in good health

I realize that 95% of you reading this blog most likely cannot relate to this next post, but it is something that many women who are either currently pregnant or dealing with post-pregnancy issues can relate to. This is supposed to be the time when people tell you that you are glowing and look beautiful, but honestly, these 40 weeks are filled with obstacles that range from skincare to physical issues that contribute to an assortment of emotions thrown in for good measure. I’ll be happy when my son is born in 8 weeks, but not yet ready to deal with the uphill battle I’ll have to take on to get back to my pre-pregnancy body (make that the body I had 4 pregnancies ago). However, I am definitely ready to leave many of these other pregnancy-related woes far behind.

Dr. Allison Pontius, a plastic surgeon at Plastic Surgery Associates of New York can understand what mother’s go through having gone through it herself. During her pregnancy she grew more interested in providing skin care solutions to expecting women and new mothers because of the skin care woes she experienced. Some of those woes all pregnant women can relate to are:

* Acne
* Melasma/hyperpigmentation (aka pregnancy mask)
* Odd hair growth
* Rashes
* Stretch marks
* Alopecia (thinning of the hair around the hairline)

Visit our Beauty Pro Blog for all the tips offered by Dr. Pontius to tackle each of these issues and make this special time easier and less stressful.

Tips and Tricks for easy, clear skin and a bounce-back body pregnancy:

* Use all-natural, gentle skin care products during pregnancy. This is not the time to start a medical-grade skin treatment program. Remember, what goes on your skin may go into your baby so read all labels carefully and thoroughly.

* Wear SPF-30 sunblock every day!

* Treat your skin gently-no aggressive scrubs or facials now. Your skin is more sensitive and potentially more prone to damage or spider vein development.

* If you develop acne, don’t pick! You may scar and the scars are more prone to hyperpigmentation during pregnancy.

* Drink plenty of pure water every day.

* Eat a healthy diet. Although your preferences will certainly change during pregnancy try to eat plenty of whole grains, protein, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

* Exercise! Try to maintain a gentle exercise program throughout pregnancy. Remember you won’t be able to do everything you did pre-pregnancy, but even 2-3 days per week will make a huge difference. Non-weight bearing cardio and light weights are ideal. Pilates and yoga are also excellent ways to stay in shape. This will help with excess weight gain, help prevent stretch marks and make it easier to get back into shape after pregnancy.

Talk to your plastic surgeon or dermatologist about your skin care regimen during and after pregnancy. If you developed skin problems (like hyperpigmentation or spider veins) during pregnancy you can safely start a more aggressive treatment regimen when you finish nursing.

More info about Plastic Surgery Associates of New York:
Doctors Smith, Polynice and Pontius serve as lead plastic surgeons for Plastic Surgery Associates of New York where they strive to understand your goals, provide patients with the highest level of plastic surgery care and natural-looking results. With prime offices on the Upper East Side and in the heart of Westchester, Plastic Surgery Associates of New York serves Greater New York with over thirty years of surgical experience, unparalleled product knowledge, innovative technology and high customer care. For more information, please log onto www.plasticsurgeryassociatesny.com.

We're always looking for a way to make our lip color last the entire day, to make our lips look fuller without the burning and stinging of lip plumpers or how to get that great matte look. I was able to tap into the expertise of my Makeup Artist friend Elke von Freudenberg for a few tricks on just how to accomplish the above.

A way to keep lipstick on all day is to avoid lipstick all together. First, apply a "lip-friendly" colored eye shadow on dry lips with an flat eye shadow brush.

Next apply your favorite lip gloss in clear or a colored gloss to create a custom color. The eye shadow powder gives the gloss something to stick too and lasts hours longer than gloss by itself.

The Finished Lip

For a trick that works just as well in real life as it does in front of the camera, try this tip to make small lips appear fuller. Apply a concealer pencil, or concealer with a brush around the outside line of the lip and blend well. The lightness makes lips appear fuller and more prominent.

Need to change a lipstick or gloss fast? Take a Q-tip spritzed with water or toner and roll off the lipstick. Make sure you roll from the outside corners of the mouth inwards. This trick works great when lipstick color changes must be done fast.

To create the perfect lip line, take concealer on a pointed concealer brush and lightly trace around the lip after you've applied lipstick. This creates a perfect line to the lipstick and gives a sharper edge.

The matte lip is back, but with a softer feel. To create this look easily, apply a favorite lip color. Separate a Kleenex so it's 1-ply and place over the lips. With a small eye shadow or fluff brush, lightly apply a loose neutral or translucent powder through the Kleenex. The right amount of powder will go through to create a soft matte mouth without the dry look and feel.

Finished Matte Lip

A bad hair day can ruin anyone’s look and can even make you left feeling like you need to wear a bag over your head. It is so important to pamper your hair to keep it in top shape, preventing bad hair days from ever heading your way.

If your scalp tends to dry, make sure to treat it right with a good scrub. Don’t go overboard, you only need to use a scrub once every 10 days. I recommend Korres Green Silt & Corallina Oligoelements Hair & Scalp Scrub. Its not harsh or abrasive the way some body scrubs can be, but leaves you without that embarrassing dry skin flaking off into your hair.

I can never bypass a great hair mask. I love using Ojon’s Restorative Hair Treatment, which uses 100% natural Ojon palm nut oil. If your hair is really is bad shape, it’s a hair mask that can be left on overnight.

When it comes to shampoo and conditioner, I’m again extremely partial to Ojon. It’s a combination of its wonderfully nutty fragrance and how soft and manageable it makes my hair. I’ve used their Ultra Hydrating Shampoo & Conditioner that is part of their 5-Piece Nurturing Hair Ritual Kit and find it amazing (even my husband loves to use it).

If you don’t like nutty fragrances, you may then like Kiss My Face’s Miss Treated Shampoo & Conditioner. I also use this shampoo/conditioner set and find I reach for it when I am in need of some aromatherapy. The Miss Treated Shampoo and Conditioner have a Eucalyptus and Peppermint fragrance that is great for stress release, but also to boost your mood. It’s an organic product that also uses essential oils to moisturize your scalp and is great for chemically treated and overstressed hair.

With Memorial Day come and gone, the unofficial start to summer is upon us. Before you head to the beach, it’s time to groom some unkempt [bikini] areas, get your body bronzed and dress up your beach wear for a trip to the shores that will rival summers past.

Bronzed Babe
Waxing “down there” is only half the prep for your day in the sun. Unless you’ve been lying in damaging tanning beds, chances are you could use a little color to help camouflage dimples and accentuate all the right curves. JOICO Skin Luxe Golden Shimmer allows you to show off your tan in its entire golden splendor, without the harmful effects from sun exposure. This luxurious, coconut-scented lotion builds an even, natural-looking tan without the dangers of sun bathing, while imparting a light touch of sexy, tan-enhancing shimmer on the skin.
For retail info, call 1-800-80-JOICO or visit www.JOICO.com; $15.95

When it comes to beauty products and services, what is your most trusted source for review?  While the ‘Best of Allure’ stamp of approval is well trusted by beauty consumers, isn’t word of mouth more powerful for an appearance-altering product or service?  

That could be why Sephora recently enhanced its rating and review system at sephora.com.

When it comes to beauty services, I am indebted to the various online critique sites.  And yes, I leave reviews as well to enhance the practice for other salon junkies.  A question that must remain on our minds is how reliable are these reviews from our virtual friends?  What doesn’t stop companies from writing their own positive reviews about themselves?

Sephora’s new highly monitored system has a number of improvements that attempt to avoid these falsehoods and bring the relevance of online reviews to a whole new level.  First, they provide guidelines for users who wish to review a product including reserving the right to disapprove a review.  They also safeguard the expert reviews with “badges” that appear next to their user name. The improved review system also features a question and answer forum function that allows the beauty seeker to ask a specific question of the user community.

After 22 years of searching I can confidently say that I have found the “fountain of youth.” The location? My tea cup!

Green Tea has been used as a medicine in China for thousands of years. With extensive studies, scientists around the world have found that drinking four to six cups of green tea daily is proven to help reduce the risk of illnesses such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease and impaired immune function to name a few. The tea leaves have been found to be rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin C which helps boost the immune system and body. If green tea can work miracles for the inside of the body, what about the exterior?

The beauty industry figured it out. Now, more so than ever, green tea extract is found in acne related moisturizers, cleansers and toners to help reduce swelling and redness. (Neutrogena Acne Stress Control, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Perfume, Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting Serum, Clarins Pure and Radiant Mask, etc.) I had severe acne for 10 months. My face was crying for help. Finally in November 2008 I stopped using all of the fancy topical creams and cleansers that the dermatologists were prescribing and starting doing three simple things:

Do you have a night moisturizer for your beauty regimen? Daily moisturizers have flooded the market with SPF ranging from 4-60, but what about moisturizing during the hours most crucial to rest and skin repair: night. Night moisturizers are usually heavier than daytime moisturizers and though both a.m. and p.m. moisturizers share the same potent anti-irritants and antioxidants in their formulas, daytime moisturizers typically have a sunscreen (SPF) ingredient and nighttime moisturizers tend to have more hydration formulas. There are many companies realizing the importance of nighttime skin care, here are a few suggestions:

New York Fashion Week has ended, leaving us with a multitude of new trends to piece together. This fashion week, some trends, like dramatic, gothic lips, seemed to reflect the times. Maybe it was due to economic issues in the fashion industry, prohibiting some designers from hosting runway shows. Designers like Doo.Ri and Betsey Johnson sent their models down the runway (or took their pictures in a showroom) in graphite and blackberry-colored lips. I know it was fall fashion week, but depressed anyone?

These colors capture the drama of the runway where anything goes, but can lips this dark really be called ready-to-wear? Few would dare. So, how can you wear dark lipstick in the real world?

In general, most beauty products are luxury items; things you buy when you want to try something new or realized you've been using the same tube of mascara for half a year. In times like these, it's hard to justify spending money on beauty products. I can't seem to let myself buy that $25 mascara or the $50 eye cream anymore.

So lately, as I stroll the drugstore aisles, I've noticed products that I've never seen before. Not only that, the products that I've purchased work about as well as the products I spend up to five times as much on. So, which drugstore beauty products are the best for less?

As creatures of the new millenium, we are constantly in motion. For this reason, you may not be getting the sleep you need, and we all know what that means in the morning: dark circles and puffy eyes.

Your dark circles may not be something you can control. You could have allergies, or anemia, or you could be eating too much salt. Some women--or men--have a natural predisposition to dark circles, and there's nothing they can do about it. Also, aging makes skin thinner, which can make them more prominent. If dark circles have suddenly started to appear, there are measures you can take to reduce their appearance. So, what are the best dark circle remedies?

This season, the Yves Saint Laurent woman basks in the mesmerizing beauty and exoticism of Africa. With warm and radiant contrasting colors, she is bold and beautiful and supremely glamorous.

YSL Summer Look 2009 is composed of 5 products, including 3 limited editions:

- Eye palette “Trésor d’Afrique” collector offers 5 shades: ivory, to be used as a base; turquoise, plum and navy blue for definition, and toffee to brighten the arch area and bring warmth and contrast to the eyes.

It’s just like Grandma always said it would be. Or rather, in this case, Babushka. Raisa Ruder’s new book takes her Babushka's beauty secrets and shares them with those of us without a Ukarian grandmother. “Babushka's Beauty Secrets: Old World Tips for a Glamorous New You” by Ruder and Susan Campos, anchor of the weekend “Today Show,” bring an old-school approach to the beauty department.

Ruder, an esthetician to the stars, tells it just like her Grandmother did. From eliminating crow’s feet to fighting wrinkles, it’s everything Botox can’t do. We’re into the all-natural remedies, which features a recipe that promises to create the “perfect pucker.” If it means say good-bye to our never-ending beauty drawer, we’re all for it (Ok, that may be too drastic.)

The book is expected to be published this summer. And if it’s anything like our grandma’s cookies, this beauty book may be too good to be true.

Linda Mason is releasing the must have book for every woman. Makeup for Ageless Beauty is Mason's tricks and tricks as a makeup artist is specifically targeted to women ages 40+.

Linda Mason is a makeup extraordinaire. When she's not dishing out tips to beauty addicts in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City, she's lending her talent to some of fashion's biggest names. She has worked for such designers as Giorgio Armani and Jean Paul Gaultier. Some of her biggest fans include beauties Joan Jett, Veronica Webb and Brooke Shields. All three ladies are even featured in the book.

Wearing lipstick is often a more difficult task than it appears - How do you find the right shade for your skin tone? What's the best shade of eyeshadow to wear to complement it? There are numerous questions to answer before buying and applying!

Although the enchanting look of red lips is a trend that doesn’t seem to be leaving anytime soon, many women believe they can wear red lipstick with just about anything - thinking it is adding glamour or fashion to their look. However, for some skin tones or with the incorrect accents, it could do the opposite. Let’s look at some beneficial rules and tips to help us with deciding which shade of lips we really want!

If you have pale to light skin, deep reds, light to medium brown shades, or darker beige with pink undertones, compliment the best. A really flattering shade is one of the satin lipsticks by NARS entitled, Rouge Basque. It is best to stay clear from bright, obnoxious colors with this skin tone.

For those who have an olive or medium skin tone, lip shades like deep pinks or reds, rich berry shades or even browns are most flattering. However, when picking a shade of brown it is most complimentary if you choose a deeper shade rather than a light shade of brown. Light browns tend to make those with medium or olive skin tones look a little washed out. A great color to try would be Chanel’s Rouge Coco Lipstick, Orchidee!

If you have a dark skin tone it is best to accent your lips with rich reds, plums, or coffee-colored browns. The NARS sheer lipstick, Tanganyka is a perfect shade to try!

According About.com beauty guide, Julyne Derrick, when you do sport the red lipstick you should make the rest of your make up lighter and fresh looking. You do not want to go big on the eyes and the lips - as this could resemble a clown look.

Many of us buy desirable looking shades only to get home and find out that it does not suite us the way we had initially hoped. If you have a drawer full of undesired lip colors, don’t throw them out! Try blending them to create the perfect shade for you! The majority of make up artists today blend different shades together as opposed to using one shade. Try it out! Let us know what you think by tweeting us @PierceMattiePR!

It's true, as a blogger, I will often tweet about the misguided and often (very) ridiculous pitches I receive from PR firms on a regular basis. I've been pitched everything from electronic cigarettes to wood fireplaces for my...beauty blog. And, typically, you'd see me write about how PR firms need to get over the see where it sticks mentality and understand quality over quantity. However, today I turn my focus to bloggers, because honestly? Their pitches to us here at Pierce Mattie PR, and I'm sure to most PR firms in general, are getting out of hand.

Do I mean the frequency of pitches requesting product has increased? It has, however what I want to focus on is the sheer out amazement I feel over the unprofessionalism that seems to wreak havoc in how they approach us. I'll post the most recent, and one I feel takes the grand prize of all pitches EVER, first (and exactly as we received it):

From: <Name of blogger>
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 7:35 PM
To: Pierce Mattie
Subject: please

Hi I was wondering if there is any way for me to review any of your products ( I would totally love to try all your products), I have a blog and would do a long review of every item that you send me. Please think about it. I would post a link to the review on facebook and on twitter. God bless. I am an un-employed college student, who\'s mom died when I was 15 and who\'s father has never really been in my life (he does not even think I am his). Please allow me to do this review it would be helping me out as I am just starting to do product reviews. I have been doing book reviews for a while now but am wanting to review other items.Thank you in advance. I am really looking forward to hearing from you.

God bless and take care.
<Name of blogger>
P.S here is a link to my blog: xxxx

I honestly have no words...and where do I begin? So is she trying to build the credibility of her blog based on the fact that her mom died and her dad doesn't think she is his...or because she is an unemployed college student looking for free products to write about? I'm not entirely sure...

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