Secrets of Guinot Longue Vie

What goes into a specialty skin care line?  What elevates a facial from your neighborhood spa to something  extraordinary?  There are so many options at different price points in the industry that I often wonder how one brand stands from the other.

The friendly folks at Guinot Institut in New York sought to answer those questions with an illuminating session at their education headquarters.  Elizabeth Murchinson was on hand to explain the benefits of their top products and demonstrate what sets their signature Hydradermie facial apart from the rest.

I asked the Guinot staff what product was their personal favorite out of the huge line of items displayed in the showroom.  Without hesitation, every staff member claimed the Longue Vie Cellulaire products as their go-to for personal skin care.  This particular collection contains 56 supplemental ingredients, herbs, etc.  I wasn't informed what those secret ingredients were of course.  However, this formula was developed during their work with burn victims at hospitals with top dermatologists.  

Ms. Murchinson demonstrated the Hydradermie facial on a fellow blogger.  Instead of uncomfortable steam, this specialized facial depended on baking soda for deep cleaning.  The facial then involved concentrated gels working with ionized rollers to help get the product into the skin.  The facial was finished off with a Tesla-like electric current for anti-bacterial purposes.  When it was used on me, I could barely feel it.  It was a lot of fun to watch on someone else though.

I can't be objective when it comes to myself, but can say the beauty blogger/guinea pig looked completely refreshed and glowing following her treatment.  

I have since tried the Longue Vie moisturizer for about a month and can honestly say I feel a noticeable difference in my skin.  It does stay moist throughout the day and I have observed a marked improvement over my last product.

Elizabeth trains spa owners on performing the specialized techniques of Guinot treatments.  She gets involved in product development and travels to France to keep up to date.  She is a long time fan and employee of the company.  I asked her what the major difference between American beauty consumers and European ones.  She explained that Americans always want the most intense, most concentrated or powerful products... Americans generally like to see instant results.

Instant gratification eh?  God bless America.

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Norma Kamali - Wellness Mission

So much of fashion is about what’s on the outside.  American fashion icon Norma Kamali is making it her mission to makeover what’s on the inside.

The designer hosted a forum last week at MOMA to introduce a panel of wellness leaders in different disciplines.  She also started a video channel on Hulu.com screening videos of her conversations with these gurus.

She spoke to legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp, who was inspirational in urging people to move past mistakes.  She emphasized how the human body was a moving animal, and her methods of getting people to reach past their limits.

Another guest was Horst M. Rechelbacher, former founder of Aveda Cosmetics.  After he sold the company, he became an organic farmer.  Now he is developing a new bodycare line, Intelligent Nutrients that is food-based, non-toxic, harmonically made and organic certified ingredients.  The ingredients from his farm are produced via solar, wind and geothermal power.  He explained how toxic many of our foods and cosmetics truly are, yet most people have no idea.

While some of the ideas seemed extreme, several speakers made it clear that changes were accessible.  Acupuncturist Abdi Assadi testified to his formerly hedonistic ways.  The handsome and very charming Joe Cross gave great anecdotes about his cross-America mission to help the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead citizens like himself.  The investor and author used to be 100 lbs overweight with several major health problems.  He documented his life makeover in an inspiring documentary.

The next few weeks, the Norma Kamali café will host a series of free events.  These range from today’s green tea tastings and usage event, to food demos and sample with gourmet raw food chef Matteo.  Physique 57 is offering one-on-one demos with free class passes, to free gifts and testing with Intelligent Nutrients. 

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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics

Did you know that carmine, a typical ingredient in many cosmetics products is made from BEETLES? Me neither…And EW!  In fact, other regular ingredients like lanolin (secreted by the  sebaceous glands of sheep) are also derived from animals.  Don’t even ask about testing…

A vision of innovation and a desire to create a vegan, cruelty-free cosmetics brands inspired make-up artist David Klasfeld to create Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.  Along with fellow artists Katie Pellegrino, he created a collection that counts celebs like Lady Gag, Regina Spektor and Beyonce as fans. 

When you think of a vegan, PETA-approved brand, you expect to see a granola look with lots of natural colors.  The creative team has paid their dues working with M.A.C., Patricia Field and Heatherette.  The color palettes were bold.  The highly pigmented products were very fashion forward.  

I tried their signature Lip Tar product.  It is a thick, opaque lip gloss/lipstick hybrid.  It gives a very slick, bold look to your lips.  The Obsessive Compulsive line was built for professional use.  The Lip Tar  wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.  I tried the loose color powders as well.  The color was intense (other brands usually disappoint in this department).  The products are intended to hold up under bright lights and HD cameras…Perfect for the red carpet.  

Should I be surprised that the creative directors were meticulous in their product development?  With a name like Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics?  Absolutely not.

Photos by Mariana Leung

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Clarisonic's Buff and Polish

Sweltering heat, too many decadent cocktails and plenty of sexy swimwear shows kept the FABulous duo on our toes or high heels this weekend in Miami. What’s a girl to do when her engagement list is full of shows and no time for a quick freshen up trip back to the hotel?

We were contemplating the same question when we came across the Clarisonic booth inside the VIP Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim lounge held at the gorgeous Raleigh hotel. I walked around the VIP lounge while our divine MsFABulous sank into facial bliss with the specialist from Clarisonic using the new Opal Sonic Infusion System who was offering demos. The technician lightly applied the cooling Anti-Aging Sea Serum around the eye area before applying the Opal's system which works by applying a gentle sonic 'massaging' action to help penetrate the the serum into the skin. I noticed a subtle difference in Mariana’s eyes after the demo. Her eyes were less puffy and noticeably softened. MsFabulous remarked the next day after our treatments, that her migraine headache was less pronounced. Perhaps it was the serum or the massaging sonic treatment around her eye area that did it, but it certainly was a much needed treat and a product we are coveting and want to get soon from Sephora. This is an mini investment so try it first with a complimentary mini treatment at Sephora.

The Opal

The Opal's results were impressive enough for us to sign up the next day to try out the cleansing system at the demo booth under the fashion tents. The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System system was gentle on my face. The technician cleansed my skin Gentle Hydro Cleanser and finishing off with the the DR. ROBB Renewal Serum. After the cleansing, my skin definitely felt clean,not stripped down, and felt moist and soft for the rest of our hectic day. And yes, we went back again on Sunday for another treatment because it was addictive and much needed before our flight back to NYC to face Monday morning.

The company was kind enough to offer us the Skin Cleansing System to take home for a trial run. We will report back on our results.

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