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subscribe to beauty counter blog via RSSThe 411: Marie Robinson
November 3, 2010 3:07 pm
Marie Robinson has pretty much cemented her position as one of the city’s top colorists. She got her start as an apprentice at Pierre Michel at the age of 19 and put in stints at Danilo, John Frieda (where she became famously adept at balayage highlighting), and Bumble and Bumble, before spending seven years as the head colorist at Sally Hershberger Downtown. Last spring, Robinson sent shockwaves through the beauty community when she abandoned the queen of the $800 cut to open her own eponymous salon, taking a chunk of the staff along with her. Besides having her own fancy new Fifth Avenue flagship, Robinson also has an impressive celebrity client roster (Liv Tyler, Natalie Portman, Rachel McAdams, and Anne Hathaway all trust their tresses to Robinson, and Kristen Stewart went strawberry blond at her suggestion this summer). She also recently added an enviable title to her CV: color director for Clairol (that’s her in the brand’s latest round of TV ads). Despite these achievements, Robinson remains refreshingly (make that shockingly) down-to-earth, which, along with those legendary highlighting abilities, makes her very easy to love. Here, she divulges who cuts and colors her own platinum blond crop, along with her favorite beauty destinations and must-haves.
The Pilates Instructor: Benjamin Degenhard at Equinox
“In three years, he has completely transformed my body. I love that he’s not extremely chatty and just wants to focus on working with me.”
Benjamin Degenhard at Equinox, 97 Greenwich Ave., NYC, (212) 620-0103, www.equinox.com.
The Makeup and Eyebrow Artist: Landy Dean
“Landy works fast! He can do my makeup in only 20 minutes, and in just that short amount of time, my face is complete perfection for a shoot. And his eyebrow shaping can transform and refresh my face even when I’m not wearing any makeup at all.”
Landy Dean at Marie Robinson, 155 Fifth Ave., 4th floor, NYC, (212) 358-7780, www.marierobinsonsalon.com.
The Derm: Pat Wexler
“Pat has the most delicate touch, and she is seriously able to make my skin look rejuvenated and years younger like nobody else.”
Dr. Patricia Wexler, 145 E. 32nd St., 7th floor, NYC, (212) 684-2626.
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tags: Clairol, Dr. Patricia Wexler, Hair, Intensit� Volumizing Serum, Makeup, Marie Robinson, NARS Cosmetics, R�Vive, Skincare
Why Courtney Love Is Just, Like, Getting Hotter
November 2, 2010 4:56 pm
Martial arts workout routines weren’t the only things on Courtney Love’s mind at last night’s Cinema Society screening of Due Date. Sporting her now signature fringe and, dare we say, demure makeup, Ms. Love had beauty on the brain. “Beauty is terror. Isn’t that what Balzac said?” she mused, as she sat in a booth at Lavo at last night’s after-party. The self-proclaimed “skin whore” was eager to share her latest makeup tricks, the skin regimen that keeps her camera-ready, and her philosophy on aging. “I am the smoker and the curser, but I am trying to learn about taking care of myself,” she said.
First things first: Love is losing the caked-on cosmetics. “I have friends that are growing old and freaking out and I am, like, getting hotter,” she said, explaining how she’d recently switched up her trademark heavy black eye makeup and red lips in favor of something a little, um, lighter. The move has been well received, though Love was tongue-in-cheek about the photos of herself at amfAR’s Inspiration Gala for AIDS research in L.A.: “I have been getting a lot of praise for looking good lately, but after the amfAR thing [the press] was like, ‘Oh, she didn’t have a facelift after all.’ I liked it when they thought I had had a facelift.”
Facelifts, in fact, haven’t entered into the equation for the 46-year-old, who hasn’t even gone as far as to have a facial this year. “I had no time to go see a dermatologist and it would have cost too much, so I didn’t do anything,” she said. So what does the Hole front woman do to keep her skin looking good these days? To start, she credits good genes. “My family, they tend to get fat, but they just don’t wrinkle,” she says. Love also uses Biologique Recherche’s famed P50 solution. “It’s really strong; it has things in it it shouldn’t have and lots and lots of alcohol.” Karin Herzog’s Vita-A-Kombi, a product that Uma Thurman turned her on to, rounds out her routine. “There’s a one, two, and three level,” she says of the oxygen-enriched face cream. “Just go for the three.”
tags: Biologique Recherche, Courtney Love, Due Date, Makeup, P50 Solution, Skincare
How To Tan Like A 49ers Cheerleader
October 29, 2010 5:48 pm
Here are some truths about me: During the week, I spend my days surrounded by beauty products, slathering expensive antiaging creams on the back of my hand, pirouetting through bursts of fine fragrances, and carefully lining an assortment of lip colors onto my mouth to test them for opacity, vibrancy, and staying power. But on Sunday, it’s a different story. For you see, Sunday is game day, that sacred day on which not a stitch of makeup is applied for fear of ridicule from the room full of guys who reliably fill my living room to watch 12 full hours of NFL action. I’ve been a football fan since birth, as most people born and raised in Philadelphia are (go Eagles!), and while there are no pleasantries exchanged during these weekly gatherings, save for play-action commentary and occasional screaming at the television, I live for Sundays.
This coming Sunday, a new viewing audience will be treated to the hard hits, exquisite long bombs, and the skillful running plays that make the game of football such an entertaining sport. For the fourth year in a row, the NFL will stage an exhibition game at London’s Wembley Stadium to build support for its 32 franchises abroad. To help woo the 84,000 soon-to-be fans that are projected to fill the seats to watch the San Francisco 49ers battle the Denver Broncos—spectators whose associations with football typically do not include full body pads (or the use of hands)—San Francisco is bringing along a secret weapon. That would be Kelly Richardson, owner of B. Bronz, the Santa Rosa, California-based tanning destination. In addition to working her bronzing magic backstage at Miss America, Richardson spray-tans the 49ers Gold Rush cheerleaders before every home game. On Sunday, she’ll give them a “stage” color to further entice onlookers with California sun-kissed skin—something that’s as rare in England this time of year, as, say a live game of American football. Here, Richardson talks about her new line and Sunday’s game plan.
So is the idea really to hook unsuspecting ticket holders with tans?
Yup—that always helps when doing promo events. We’re scheduled to tan Saturday night!
Tell me about the process. Are you spray-tanning or using self-tanning lotions?
We do spray-tanning, so we have to haul the equipment with us wherever we go, and we usually spray the group the night before the event. They wait about 10 to 15 minutes before they put on clothes and then rinse off in the morning. The product is very concentrated, so we can use very little on the skin and there is no sticky or tacky feeling.
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tags: B. Bronz, Kelly Richardson, Skincare, Tanning
Beauty Bytes: Best of Beauty Counter, October 2010
October 29, 2010 2:49 pm
If we had to choose one word to sum up the month’s biggest beauty goings-on, it would be: hair. A cornucopia of colors flooded the Paris runways; a wash of new brunettes showed up on the red carpet; a few very high-profile cuts had us contemplating changing our lob into a bona fide bob; and an ingredient scandal rocked the salon establishment, possibly turning the curly-haired masses against straightening treatments for good. But there was plenty of other news to report as the holiday season began at the retail level and a certain teen idol made his grand entrée into the world of primping. (If we had to choose two more words to encompass the month that was, they’d be Justin and Bieber). Click here for more of the top stories.
tags: Beauty Is Life, Fragrance, Gucci Westman, Hair, Jessica Biel, Justin Bieber, Kate Moss, Keira Knightley, Kim Kardashian, Louis Vuitton, Makeup, Marc Jacobs, Maybelline, Pat McGrath, Scarlett Johansson, Wondercap
More Halloween Makeup Ideas, Courtesy Of MOVE!
October 29, 2010 2:17 pm
If you’re still in the market for some Halloween beauty inspiration, look no further than MoMA PS1 in Long Island City. As previously mentioned, the museum’s famed 125,000 square feet of exhibition space will play host to MOVE! this weekend, in a union of fashion, art, and beauty. The two-day event pairs renowned artists like Brody Condon, Dan Colen, and Terence Koh with boldfaced names from the rag trade like Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, Rodarte, and Diane von Furstenberg for 12 collaborations of interactive performance-based installations. As a special bonus for the beauty-minded, the makeup and hair area—where face painter Alice Lane (pictured at left) will be prepping dancers and models with Lancôme makeup for the shows—will be on view so you can see the transformation process unfold. Additionally, there will be a makeover workshop hosted by the Cheryls (the four-piece Brooklyn art collective) and American Apparel. Words to the wise: Bring a pen and paper and take good notes; that “fashion zombie” makeup you’re hoping to pull off on Saturday night is not going to paint itself.
Women on the Verge of ’80s Makeup Splendor
October 28, 2010 4:00 pm
Pedro Almodóvar’s 1988 film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is memorable for many reasons. The madcap plot revolves around one emotionally unstable woman in Madrid who’s been left by her lover. In her attempt to find out why, she crosses paths with said lover’s crazy ex-wife, her best friend’s terrorist boyfriend, and a resourceful taxi driver who’s never short on advice—or mints. Besides giving us our first glimpse at a young Antonio Banderas (as the philandering lover, obviously), the film exposed us to some pretty fabulous eighties style: Think body-con skirts, teased hair, and lips so red they could be seen from space. Now Broadway is bringing the film back in a new musical incarnation (the curtains open on November 4). The production, which is in previews now, has all the colorful details of the celluloid original, including the ultra-vivid makeup, which is overseen by none other than Shiseido artistic director Dick Page. Here, Page talks about the passions of Almodóvar women, how orange lipstick creates drama, and a possible future on Broadway.
Tell us how you first got involved with the makeup for the musical.
I was actually asked by Catherine Zuber, the show’s costume designer, who had seen my editorial work and heard about me from a mutual acquaintance, Robert Duffy, the president of Marc Jacobs. And like an idiot, I said yes right away.
Haha. Did you have any previous Broadway experience?
I did theater back in school, but that was like a hundred years ago. I helped out with costumes and set design; I was head cook and bottle washer, too, but that was a very long time ago. I had never done Broadway. I thought, if I can handle backstage at Michael Kors, I could do this.
Were you a fan of Pedro Almodóvar’s films before you got involved with this project?
God, yeah, I was a big fan. I grew up in a large family of women, and I think his films convey how hardcore and bulletproof women can be, which I admire. When this musical opens, the main character Pepa has been dumped by her lover. She has all this brutal revengeful energy, but she looks so damn chic and pulled together.
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tags: Dick Page, Makeup, Pedro Almod�var, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Halloween Beauty Fright Fest!
October 27, 2010 11:55 am
Ah, All Hallows’ Eve, the one holiday when tons of makeup—for men and women—is not only encouraged, but expected. If you haven’t sorted out a costume yet, forgo all the pre-packaged Ricky’s options and get inspired instead by this roundup of beauty-driven ideas—that means heavy on the inventive coiffing and face painting. Here, MAC senior artist Keri Blair offers transformative tips for a few costumes you’ll likely be seeing a lot of (Avatar, Lady Gaga) and a few of the more obscure variety (Anna Piaggi and Tammy Faye Baker. Nothing says creepy like the infamous preacher’s wife’s heavy caked-on mascara). Happy spooking!
tags: Keri Blair, MAC Cosmetics, Makeup
Shien Lee Mixes The Macabre Into Her Makeup
October 25, 2010 1:39 pm
Shien Lee is a master of disguise. As the nightlife impresario behind Dances of Vice, a roving costume party troupe, Lee might appear as a cancan dancer one night and a gothic Victorian lady the next. Since its inception three years ago, her troupe has amassed an underground cult following that cuts across New York City subcultures from punk to burlesque. This Halloween is especially huge for Lee, as she prepares for an Edward Gorey Halloween Brunch Spectacular at the Highline Ballroom followed by a Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute at Le Poison Rouge. Here, the 25-year-old reveler talks about her penchant for maquillage born from another era (Weimar Berlin, to be exact), where to find rhinestone-studded lashes, and how to really keep your lipstick from moving (two words: hair spray).
What gave you the idea to start Dances of Vice?
When I first moved to New York, I felt like a bit of an outsider. I had always been into vintage music, fashion, and beauty, and Dances of Vice was a way to meet others who were into similar things. After my first party at the Pussycat Lounge, I realized that nobody likes to dress up more than New Yorkers, and things took off from there.
What’s been your favorite costume of late?
I recently did a look inspired by David Bowie. I wanted it to be a striking, space-queen glam explosion of sorts. I wore a custom-made silver catsuit complete with silver gloves and silver platforms. The makeup was futuristic, too. I layered different tones of metallic eye shadow from light to dark on my lids to create a 3-D effect, lined my eyes with tons of dark kohl pencil, then painted my brows so they slanted up—Spock-style—and wore rhinestone-studded fake lashes.
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tags: Dances of Vice, Hair, Makeup, Shien Lee
Talking Fall Hair Color With Redken’s Tracey Cunningham
October 25, 2010 12:08 pm
With November just a week away, Fall has hit its stride, which means a couple of things: First, you’re likely coming to the end of your seasonal-transition skin issues (rejoice!) and, two, you’re probably considering a hair color change now that those summer sun streaks seem incongruous with the cooler temperatures. “I warm my clients’ shades up in the fall,” Tracey Cunningham told us. As Redken’s creative consultant for color and one half of Beverly Hills’ celeb-friendly salon Byron + Tracey, Cunningham knows a thing or two about color changes (she tends to the tresses of Kate Bosworth, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Jessica Biel on the regular). Here, the coiffing star talks deep mahogany and brilliant copper-red hues and name-drops the Victoria’s Secret Angel who currently boasts the most requested hair color in L.A.
So, why warmer for winter?
It’s funny how clients embrace the winter. You’d think that we’ve trained them to think that they need to go darker! But people just really want to do that. They really want to cozy up.
Break it down for us; how are you instructing your clients—be they brunette, red, or blonde?
For my brunette clients, I plan to keep their base a dark chocolate truffle hue with thick golden highlights starting from the mid-section of their hair; for redheads, I lean towards a single-process tone with no highlights, just vibrant deep mahogany tones; and blond locks will be light and golden—a California blonde with the base a shade darker to give some dimension to the look. Think Kate Bosworth for this blond shade, it pops on her and looks great with a red lip. Sometimes just doing a gloss will work—it will warm up your highlights to a caramel tone—or with solid color, it would just make it more rich.
Whoa—Kate Bosworth has been really blonde recently. Will that really work on everyone?
Well, Kate is naturally really blonde. People always ask, “What’s the perfect blond?” and it’s really whatever looks good with your skin tone. Like…Cameron Diaz can tan.
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tags: Emma Stone, Hair, Karen Elson, Kate Bosworth, Redken, Tracey Cunningham
The 411: Lyn Harris
October 22, 2010 2:42 pm
It was ten years ago that Lyn Harris, after training with the perfume world’s most elite noses in Paris and Grasse, started her fragrance brand Miller Harris out of a cozy shop on London’s Needham Road. Since then, the innovative perfumer has opened two more outposts in London (the posh flagship in Mayfair has a tea salon in back) and one in Tokyo. She’s also branched out into lifestyle products, built a formidable bespoke fragrance business, and collaborated on an oak moss-laced scent with one of the world’s most beloved style icons, Jane Birkin. Packaging enthusiasts adore Harris’ bottles and cartons etched with meandering botanical illustrations, while perfume purists appreciate her commitment to using only the most exquisite raw, sustainable materials for her creations. Her latest, Fleurs de Bois, which was released this summer, is a grassy scent meant to mirror a classic English garden. Here, Harris shares her favorite spas, scents, and beautiful escapes.
The Pro: Lyn Harris
Founder of Miller Harris fragrances.
The Spa: Hotel Royal-Thalasso Barrière
“This Thalassotherapy spa in La Baule in France is one of my favorite places in the world. I love to come here on holiday.”
Hotel Royal-Thalasso Barrière, 6 rue Pierre Loti, 44503, La Baule, France, www.lucienbarriere.com.
The Hotel: Jnane Tamsna, Marrakech
“I spent some time here this year. They cook vegetables that are grown in their own beautiful gardens and the grounds are filled with lots of beautiful small pools, which are wonderful.”
Jnane Tamsna, Douar Abiad, La Palmeraie, Marrakech, 212-524-32-84-84, www.jnanetamsna.com.
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tags: Fragrance, Lyn Harris, Miller Harris
