skin

Luxist Review: TwinLuxe Luxury Shaving For Men

I remember when I was about 16 years old and I got a package in the mail from Gillette. It was a shaving razor, a few blades, and a can of Gillette shaving cream. I never asked for the kit. The clever marketing move done by Gillette gets men to use their products at a young age. Gillette taught me the "supermarket" approach to shaving, but I didn't learn what a "good shave" was until years later. The truth is that most men these days aren't familiar with the "art of shaving" (which is coincidentally the name a retail chain).

The modern gentlemen is expected to have knowledge in a number of areas, but topics concerning traditional forms of men's grooming are becoming lost. It is a shame, because the "supermarket" shaving experience doesn't even come close to what a proper shave can offer.

While not alone in this pursuit, new brand TwinLuxe is trying to get the "message" out there to men that a 'good shave' is a luxurious experience. In a sense it certainly is. A good shave is a process that requires good tools and a little bit of skill. Those wanting the modern convenience of a safety razor can forgot the straight razor experience, and still enjoy much of what a traditional shave has to offer. TwinLuxe intends to cater to the discerning individual by offering a high-end (according to TwinLuxe, they offer the most expensive regular production shave set currently on the market) shaving kit and accompanying men's skin products - each specially formulated by TwinLuxe.

Tags: blade, brush, kit, luxury, men, mens, review, shave, shaving, skin, TwinLuxe

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Darphin: Products Known for Transformational Results

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

If you're looking for a line of skin cream with both a rich French heritage and a focus on the inner balance and harmony of body and soul, look no further than Darphin. An illustrious background is just one of the qualities that makes Darphin a Luxist nominee in the best skin care category.

Darphin's roots date back to 1958, when founding father Pierre Darphin founded one of France's first beauty institutes. At the time, Parisian salons mostly focused on hair; Darphin was among the first who aimed to beautify the whole body. His Daurphin Institute combined a stable of cosmetologists, massage therapists, manicure experts and others with the goal of giving his clients the most all-encompassing treatments possible.

Gallery: Darphin

The son of a French hairdresser-to-the-stars, Darphin started all his clients with a mandatory one-hour consultation before deciding on a treatment. After the Institute's experts finished up with a client, Darphin would recommend skin care formulas for daily use at home, sometimes even prescribing a facial exercise regimen.

Today, Pierre Darphin's legacy of wide-ranging beauty products remains intact, with offerings in body care, dental care and skin care, to name a few. Darphin's signature creams include the Hydraskin Light Gel, a pistachio ice cream-colored gel used for moisturizing skin and keeping it supple (1.7 oz: $60), as well as the Stimulskin Plus Divine Lifting Cream, an anti-aging formula infused with green tea, chamomile and mulberry extract and other ingredients (1.7 oz: $295).

Vote for the skin care line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.

Tags: Awards-Main, beauty-main, Darphin, Luxist-Awards, Paris, skin, SkinCareProducts

The Best (and Worst) Anti-Aging Foods

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Everybody wants to look and feel young, healthy, and vibrant, but unfortunately our lives don't always make achieving that goal easy. Stress, pollution, activities, and even the food we eat can affect how fast and how gracefully we age. Are you making diet choices that will keep you looking young?

The best anti-aging foods:

Berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries are especially high in Vitamin C that helps to reduce wrinkles and age-related skin dryness, fiber that boosts heart health and helps maintain a healthy weight, antioxidants that fight against environmental and dietary toxins, and polyphenols that are thoughts to battle age-related mental decline.
Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and swiss chard have high levels of Vitamin K that helps keep bones strong and lutein and zeaxanthin that together keep vision sharp by protecting eyes from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.
Whole grains such as whole wheat, brown rice, and oats are full of a wide variety of nutrients and minerals that help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, and even gum disease. Whole grains are also full of appetite-curbing fiber for help maintaining a healthy weight.
Low-fat dairy because its protein can help maintain healthy strong muscles (age-related muscle loss makes you look and feel older) while its minerals can help keep bones strong and blood pressure within healthy limits.
Water helps all of the functions in your body, including waste and toxin removal and skin rejuvenation, work better and faster. Dehydration strains body systems but is especially bad for the skin, making it appear dull, less supple, and wrinkles more pronounced.

Tags: anti-aging, antiaging, beauty, beauty-pedia, dining, food, skin, skin care, skincare

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Raffles Dubai Amrita Spa Launches New Spa Treatments

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Raffles Amrita Spa in Dubai has launched a new line of treatments using Kerstin Florian International products -- the first spa in the Middle East to do so exclusively.

Amrita Spas are known for fusing luxury, cutting-edge spa treatment trends with local traditions, so in the case of Dubai, it's no surprise that one new treatment is called "Her Royal Highness" and includes caviar -- the 90 minute facial that uses Kerstin Florian's Caviar Signature LIne, products that contain caviar protein, which is said to have anti-aging properties. (The treatment costs 829 dirham, or approximately $225 US dollars.) Bring Dubai decadence back with you by incorporating Kerstin Florian's products into your daily routine -- when you run out, you can purchase the Signature Caviar Kit online for $345.

Tags: caviar, dubai, facial, skin, spa, spa treatments, SpaTreatments

The $600 Ren�e Rouleau Facial

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Services

Based in Texas Renée Rouleau is an aesthetician with a passion for skin care. At her salon she offers a variety of services including facials for everything from general cleansing to detox to anti-aging. Her top-of-the-line Synergy 7 facial is especially noteworthy, however, as it tops the price chart with a whopping $600 price tag.

The Synergy 7 facial gets its name from the 7 treatments that are combined into one to make for a truly luxurious and cutting edge two hour anti-aging experience that focuses on deep cleansing, resurfacing, Vitamin C infusion, lifting & firming, repairing & hydrating, oxygen infusion and calming & protecting. The end result? Renée Rouleau promises "your healthiest skin ever."

Via ForbesLife

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Tags: beauty, facial, facials, renee rouleau, ReneeRouleau, rouleau, skin, skincare, synergy 7, synergy 7 facial, Synergy7, Synergy7Facial

Annick Goutal Skincare

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

I adore the fragrances of Annick Goutal (especially Eau d'Hadrien) and so I am intrigued by their skin care line. The Creme Splendide is the first day cream to incorporate active rose sap. It also has vitamins A, E, C and B5, calcium and magnesium, to moisturize and boost radiance. The cream leaves behind a subtle scent of roses and the greener scent of rose sap. It also comes in a Genereuse formula which contains Mimosa Tenuiflora, macademia and jojoba oil and is designed for sensitive and dry skin. Both sell for $140 each at Barney's along with other products in this line.

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Tags: annick goutal, AnnickGoutal, cosmetics, fragrance, skin, skincare

Stingray Skin Evening Bag, Handbag of the Day

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

If you really like exotic skins, than this is the handbag for you. This evening bag is made of stingray skin, so it is no coincidence that the bag is also shaped rather like a stingray with wide wings and a handle as the tail. Described as "eerily beautiful," it has a slightly pebbled surface and is both water and scratch resistant. It is small and only measures .5" x 4.5" x 4" and closes with a small toggle. Price: $190.

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Tags: animal, handbag, handbag of the day, hide, leather, opera bag, skin, stingray

Walgreens Beauty Goes Upscale

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

Walgreens is introducing a whole new concept to its stores, and all US drugstores, with its European Beauty Collection. The collection is a group of upscale beauty and cosmetic products from seven European companies that have not yet been introduced to the US market and will be available exclusively at Walgreens through at least 2007. The brands include:

Institut Arnaud Paris, a French face and body care line that is very popular in spas.
Skincode Switzerland, a range of herb, plant, vitamin, and other "natural" items, developed with The University Hospital in Zurich.
Spa Aquatique, a marine-based French spa collection
Red Water, a Greece line that includes native Greek herbs, oils and waters.
La Fleur Organic, an organic line from Provence, France.
Art Deco, the number-one selling skin care/cosmetic brand in German department stores.

By introducing these masstige products (mass + prestige), Walgreens is hoping to target customers who don't ordinarily shop for cosmetics and beauty care products at their store, customers who ordinarily pass up the "mass" products, as well as appeal to buyers who are interested in using a more specialized or exotic product.

For the potential customer, especially one who is already interested in luxury or specialty brands, the most appealing part of the European collection (EBC) is that some of these products sell for more than $100 in Europe, while Walgreens will have them priced from $13-$60, with an average of $27.

The Walgreens EBC will debut in October.

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Tags: beauty, cosmetics, drugstores, european, products, skin, skincare, walgreens

Borba Chocolate Bar

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance

We've written about Borba products before, specifically their skin-benefiting waters and age-defying gummies, but their newest offering sounds even tastier. Their Clarifying Chocolate Bar is made of Swiss dark chocolate with a patented "boost" that is supposed to clear skin and prevent breakouts. The other Borba products are very popular, which is an indication that either they work well or taste great - neither of which is a bad thing. The 1.79-oz. bars are $8 each at Nordstrom.