Fringe Benefits

 

Keiji Yasuo, owner of Salon Keiji in Salt Lake City, is a firm believer in continuing education, which keeps his staff on top of their game and allows them to offer trendsetting hairstyles to their clients. Here Yasuo used diagonal sections to cut the fringe from short to long. —M.D.

Continuing education keeps stylists ahead of the competition at Salon Keiji in Salt Lake City.
Continuing education keeps stylists ahead of the competition at Salon Keiji in Salt Lake City.

 

STUDY ABROAD

 

Academy F, the brainchild of noted Los Angeles hairdresser Michael Polsinelli and Gianluca Sasso, is located in a historic convent in the heart of Florence, Italy. A concept space where hairdressers can exchange ideas and connect culturally, it offers a number of seminars for stylists who want to expand their creativity. Florentine architect Paolo Romagnoli designed the space—he's known for his ability to combine the original historic feel of a building with the modern. "We'd like to create a community of hairdressers from all over the world," Polsinelli says. For more information and a list of classes, visit academyf.com. —M.D.


 

Bless You The Blessed Bracelet, embellished with a copper charm, is intended to remind the wearer of life's daily blessings. Each bracelet has been carried across India and infused with blessings by spiritual leaders. A portion of the sales go to charities worldwide. blessedbracelet.com —N.R.


 

 

All Aglow

 

British fragrance house Jo Malone has a variety of elegantly understated candles that make great gifts this holiday season. The Fragrance Combining Candle brings a new sense of luxury to the home with three individual candles nested on a silver base. The candles can be lit alone or in unison to create a tapestry of scent. One of our favorite combinations: Pomegranate Noir, Lime Blossom and Lime Basil & Mandarin. jomalone.com —M.D.


 

Essie Lollipop is the right shade of candy-cane red for the holidays.


 

 

Bright Idea

 

Amla Skin Brightening Lotion from Anokha Skin Care—anokha means "unique" in Urdu—uses extracts of the amla fruit with vitamins B5 and E, sandalwood, saffron, licorice, fig, willow bark and mulberry to gently and gradually brighten the skin while reducing uneven tones. Amla is a small, sour fruit which contains the highest natural concentration of vitamin C, a natural skin brightener and an excellent alternative to hydroquinone. anokhaskincare.com —M.D.


 

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PAPER PUSHERS

 

Aveda has partnered with communities in Nepal for its holiday 2009 collection. Eight limited-edition gift sets support indigenous communities and craftsmanship of northwestern Nepal. Every gift set is embellished with lokta paper handcrafted by men and women in Malika and Dolakta, two forest regions high in the Himalayas. Aveda's sourcing of lokta paper helps support the local industry, which keeps families together and reverses deforestation. aveda.com —M.D.


 

 

PARIS MATCH

 

Your très chic clients will fall in love with the Paris Noir collection from Simply Sarah. These 100-percent cotton bags feature a white Eiffel Tower print on a black background and come in multiple styles. The Sasha, shown here, is a set of two plastic-lined cosmetic bags—the large is 8 inches by 10 inches and the small is 6 inches by 8 inches—that are contoured to allow you to see all of the contents. simplysarahshaw.com —L.M.


 

 

Think Pink!

 

During the month of October Adam Broderick Salon and Spa in Ridgefield and Southbury, CT, used professional lighting to turn its buildings pink as a visual reminder of the importance of breast cancer awareness, early detection and research. In addition, owner Adam Broderick has committed a percentage of all profits for the month of October to Ann's Place in Danbury, CT, which provides cancer support programs to patients and their families in Western Connecticut and nearby New York state. —M.D.


 

 

I Want Candy

 

Andrew Jose, who started his career at Vidal Sassoon, opened his first salon in London in 1995. In 2006 he introduced his own product line called J-Life. The latest collection from his creative team is Head Candy—it's all about shape with an interesting color mix. Visit jlifehaircare.com to find out more about the collection or product line. —M.D.


 

 

THE EYES HAVE IT

 

Eyebobs are high-quality reading glasses designed for fashion-forward, outspoken individuals. One visit to their Web site and you'll see why. Last year the staff lost one of its own when Kim Craft died of a heart attack at 42. To honor her, the company has partnered with The Heart Truth organization on a commemorative frame, the Kimtastic. Eyebobs will donate 50 percent of the proceeds for every pair sold to help combat heart disease. To order, visit eyebobs.com. —M.D.


 

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Better Together

 

Design and scent merge in Diptyque's elegant new Beauty & Beast candle collection, which consists of two 4.7-ounce candles—meant to be burned at the same time—with drawings by design duo Kuntzel+Deygas. La Belle (Beauty) features top notes of rhubarb, Egyptian geranium and black currant; a heart of violet leaf; and base notes of tea rose and sandalwood. The complementary La Bête (Beast) features top notes of Indonesian patchouli and Java vetiver, a heart of violet leaf and a woody base note. diptyqueparis.com—L.A.


 

 

BEAUTY BAR

 

We love the Agraria San Francisco Luxury Bath Bar in the company's signature fragrance, Bitter Orange, a blend of clove, bitter orange zest and a touch of cypress. The soaps contain olive oil, vitamin E, shea butter, yucca and kukui oils and sea fennel, and are wrapped in beautiful packaging, making them perfect for gifts. agrariahome.com —L.A.


 

 

Forever Amber

 

Fragonard Parfumeur from Grasse, France, took first place honors in the Natural/Organic category for Cette Nuit La in the Best New Product Awards competition at EX-TRACTS, a division of the New York International Gift Fair. Cette Nuit La (That Night), an amber fragrance with hints of patchouli, comes in an organic pouch that's as pretty as it is practical. fragonard.com —M.D.