FIRST PRIZE!
Three students from the Aveda Institute in St. Petersburg, FL, have won the first-ever Edwin Neill II Full Potential Award, which was created to honor the late Edwin Neill II, CEO and founder of Neill Corporation, Hammond, LA. Josh Rodriguez, Amanda Lewis and Evelyn Perez competed as a team to create the winning look, shown here, and received an all-expenses-paid trip to Miami for Offspring Miami Jam. —M.D.
 The first-ever Edwin Neill II Full Potential Award goes to the Aveda Institute in St. Petersburg, FL. |
Sweet Treat
The holidays can be a stressful time, making it the perfect occasion to treat your clients to a little something extra with their cappuccinos or tea. How about decadent pieces of seasonal fudge from Bella's Confections? The packaging may be cute, but it's the smooth, creamy fudge that's won over such celebrities as Meryl Streep, Patrick Dempsey and Jennifer Hudson. Available in holiday flavors like Pumpkin Pecan Spice, Peppermint Stick Bark and Holiday Jubilee, Bella's Confections' fudge has also been featured in gift bags at the Emmys and Oscars. Order online at bellaconfections.com. —C.W.
 |
Squeaky Clean
Green by Nature's body scrubs are full of natural exfoliants that gently and effectively remove dead skin and grime, leaving you smooth and revitalized. Best yet, the paraben-free scrubs come in a variety of delicious-smelling flavors: Mint Green Tea, Lavender Vanilla, Banana Shea, Ginger Lemon, Almond Cocoa, Lemon Verbena and Chamomile Rose. greenbynaturebeauty.com —L.A.
 |
Fashion Dos
American Fashion (Assouline, 2007) was commissioned by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and written by Charles Scheips, a cultural historian, journalist and curator. The book traces the evolution of American fashion from 1929 to today with more than 300 iconic photographs and portraits of more than 100 designers. It's required reading for fashionistas everywhere. assouline.com —C.W.
 |
THIS LITTLE LIGHT
Made with nongenetically modified soybeans and naturally scented vegetable oil, Jimmy Belasco candles, including the seasonal options seen here, are a 100-percent vegetable product, right down to the pure cotton wicks. For wholesalers, a unique Options Packaging System gives you the freedom to choose from among the various outer packaging designs so you can display the ones that best suit your salon and customer base. What's more, you can update your packaging designs easily at the change of each season—or just on a whim. jimmybelasco.com —C.W.
 |
FLOWER POWER
Pushing Daisies , ABC's prime-time forensic fairy tale about a baker who's able to bring dead things, including people, briefly back to life, features some of the most whimsical hair and makeup on television. "I like to refer to the series as a 'dramedy,'" says Daniel Curet, the head hairdresser on set. "The characters live in a world that's very campy and colorful, and the hair follows suit." Curet and his team use products like SuperStar Queen for a Day Thickening Spray and Hook-Up Mousse Wax, both from TIGI's Bed Head line, and Kérastase Sérum Nutri-Sculpt to whip the characters' hair into various shapes, which can range from elaborate fantasy coifs to Kristin Chenoweth's newly cut '60s flip to Lee Pace's romantically messy look. "All in all, the looks have a role in breathing life into the series," Curet says. —K.D.
 CND Smooch is perfect for the holidays. |
Amazon Advantage
Amazônia Nutrients is tapping into the Amazon Rain Forest's astounding biodiversity to bring haircare products to the market that combine the best of technology with effective, natural ingredients. Neither of the company's two haircare lines, the Classic line or the Colour Protecting line, contains artificial colors, fragrances or parabens. All of the ingredients extracted from the rain forest are done so in an environmentally sound manner. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Amazonia Nutrients benefits The Nature Conservancy. amazonianutrients.com —C.W.
 |
Body and Soul
PANGEA ORGANICS Bar Soaps, made with organic extra-virgin olive, hemp, coconut and soy oils, are available in nine different herbal blends that benefit both the body and mind. Shown here, the Indian Lemongrass with Rosemary soap rejuvenates the mind and refreshes the body, while the Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom clarifies the mind and smoothes the skin. pangeaorganics.com —L.A.
 |
Beauty Booster
Truffles, prized in the culinary world, are making their way into luxury skincare products. White truffle extract, said to restore skin's luminosity, is the key ingredient in Om Aroma & Co.'s new White Truffle Age-Defy Face Cream. The paraben-free cream contains a complex of seven vitamins, minerals, amino acids, peptides, Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants to combat the signs of aging. Three different formulas target oily complexions, normal/combination skin and dry/mature skin types. omaroma.com —L.A.
 See Nick Arrojo, Vivienne Mackinder and Brad Johns at IBS NY April 27–29, 2008. |
MARVELOUS MONTREUX
Don't be put off by the length. At nearly 1,600 pages, Live! From Montreux (A Publishing Co. Ltd., 2007) by Montreux Jazz Festival founder Claude Nobs is a must for any jazz lover. Marc Balet of Mixed Business Group in New York City designed the book, but the piece de resistance is a pair of crimson, plastic hands that serve as bookends. You'll need them—there are four volumes in the $800, special-edition set. "The hands signify applause," Balet says. —K.D.
 |
In Full Bloom
Bloom, a cosmetics line from Australia, has launched a range of skincare products made from natural ingredients. The eight products include Butterfingers Shea Butter Hand Cream, infused with sweet almond oil; Buff Off Apricot Kernel Face Scrub, with ground walnut shells to gently exfoliate; and Saving Face Multi Vitamin Face Cream, which has vitamins A, C and E, as well as shea butter and essential oils. With cute names and feminine packaging, these products are sure to enhance any daily skincare regimen. bloomcosmetics.com —N.P.
 |
Prized Possession
Aveda's Antoinette Beenders' Flapper tool is proof-positive of the old adage, "Necessity is the mother of invention." Unable to find a tool capable of molding Afro-textured hair into amazing shapes, she created the Flapper, which is actually a pair of lacy tights stretched over coat hangers that are pulled into a diamond shape. "This is my go-to tool when I need help achieving the most beautifully molded shapes," Beenders says. —K.D.
 |
Scents and Sensibility
Pacifica's new line of perfumes will make you feel as if you're on a tropical vacation every time you get a whiff of your wrist. Based on the fragrances of the 10-year-old company's popular soy candles, baths soaps and body products, such as Tahitian Gardenia, Waikiki Pikake and Tuscan Blood Orange, the perfumes are made from the purest and most natural ingredients, making them organically fresh and versatile. pacificacandles.com —A.L.
 |
TAKE A SIP
Sipping Beauty tea is available in six blends that contain powerful antioxidants and natural ingredients like vanilla bean, peppermint leaves and rose hip fruit that target different beauty needs. Try Multi Beautimin to keep skin looking radiant, Weightless to take the mind on a mental vacation, Whiff to keep breath smelling good and Beauty Sleep to relax the mind and body. Each package features a different doll whose "story" can be found on the company's Web site, along with a blog, a newsletter and information on upcoming events. www.sippingbeauty.net —N.P.
 |
HOLLYWOOD LAND
Tom Julian, senior vice president and director of trends for ad agency McCann Erickson, shares the beauty buzz from the West Coast.
 Tom Julian |
Los Angeles is a mecca for salons, day spas and beauty boutiques. The quest for the best challenges beauty industry leaders to keep a step ahead and always glow in the headlines. In the '80s, it was all about celebrity hairdresser-owned salons. Then came the '90s and the emergence of the salon/spa. Today, what makes something hot is being located in the coolest 'hood with a fantastic backdrop. These are the destinations that actresses and the Los Angeles elite flock to, while the rest of world just watches.
Since the fall, we've been keeping an eye on:
Ziba Beauty. With their newest location in the Glendale Galleria, Ziba, which means beauty in Persian, has become one of the fastest-growing retail successes by specializing in luxurious and affordable Indian treatments. What started as a mother-and-daughters' idea more than 20 years ago has turned into a chain of 11 salons. Ziba Beauty signatures include The Art of Threading, an ancient, noninvasive hair-removal service to shape eyebrows; The Art of Mendi; Sumita beauty products; and an in-house beauty magazine. The modern, loungelike decor was created by J. T. Nakaoka Associates Architects.
 Ziba Beauty in Glendale, CA |
Frédéric Fekkai. The Frenchman keeps expanding his Los Angeles empire. After years on Rodeo Drive, Fekkai can now be found on Melrose Place, one of the newest neighborhood shopping streets. With a second-floor salon, the 1,400-square-foot space has been billed as a "luxury retreat" set within a Spanish mission-style building. Cuts, coloring, manicures, pedicures, brow treatments and beauty consultations are on the menu. The loft-inspired space was created by architect S. Russell Groves, using brown leather, polished nickel and silk fabrics.
 Ziba means beauty in Persian. |
Benefit. This San Francisco-based brand has gone south to la-la land. Two neighborhood locations were selected: Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and Third Street (near the Beverly Center). Jane and Jean Ford, the brand's founders, are known for their feminine and playful approach to beauty, services and products.
 By the Numbers |