Beauty

Beauty news: Blue crush

What's hot this month? ELLE picks the best.

by : Stefanie Polsinelli- Apr 24th, 2008

Trend of the month

Forget basic black! A swipe of royal-blue eyeliner is the fastest way to capture this spring’s trend toward intense, vivid hues. "It brightens the eyes without going overboard on colour," says Jane McKay, senior makeup artist for M.A.C Cosmetics. For evening, add bold fuchsia lips to dial up the drama-if you dare.

L’Oréal Paris Colour Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss in Tutti Frutti ($8.75)

CARGO
SupersEyes Mascara in Blue ($19)
Make Up For Ever Star Powder in No. 905 ($20)
M.A.C
Eye Shadow in Submarine ($16.50)

Win it! Freeze-frame

Prepping for after-work cocktails just got easier. Used over or under your makeup, Freeze & Go is a colourless cosmetic that fills in fine lines and plumps up the skin. Black tea and pomegranate extracts fight free radicals-even while you’re sipping your cosmo.

Freeze 24/7 Freeze & Go Instant Smoother & Brightener ($65)

What’s new?

Too Faced Cosmetics teamed up with FUZE Beverages to create a lipgloss that’s literally guilt-free. Available in three fruity flavours, it contains the same energizing and appetitesuppressing ingredients, like chromium, that are found in FUZE energy drinks.

Too Faced FUZE Slenderize Guilt Free Lip Gloss in Dragonfruit Lime, Strawberry Melon and Blueberry Raspberry ($27 each).

Must-have: Air force

With its two crystal doves, the L’Air du Temps bottle has been inspiring fashion designer Olivier Theyskens since he became artistic director at Nina Ricci in November 2006. To celebrate the scent’s 60th anniversary, the brand introduces its Couture Edition. The ethereal bottle houses the classic scent’s blend of gardenia, violet and amber notes.

Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps Couture Edition Eau de Toilette Spray ($69 for 50 mL)

Ask a derm

Q: What are essential fatty acids, and how are they beneficial to the skin?

A: "Essential fatty acids [EFAs] are fatty acids that can’t be made by the body and thus need to be obtained from our diet,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett of
DLK On Avenue. "They are found in fish, canola oil, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and flaxseed, among other things. EFAs are necessary for maintaining the barrier and structure of the skin — specifically, the stratum corneum. There isn’t a lot of evidence to support the use of EFAs in cosmetics, but they may enhance cell membrane structure and function and may have an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin."

Biotherm Baume Corps Intensive Body Treatment ($33)

The Body Shop Moringa Body Butter ($22)

Fruit bowl

Perfumers have fallen in love again with the chypre family of notes-that sophisticated blend of patchouli and oak moss. For his first women’s fragrance, fashion designer John Varvatos has created a voluptuous scent that he calls a “floral chypre.” The amber liquid contains notes of Georgian apricot, Damascus plum and golden mandarin. The heart is composed of lily, Indian mango blossom and Turkish rose, and the base is formed with the chypre blend, tonka beans and wild honey. If it all sounds good enough to drink, it just might be: The fragrance also contains a hint of the aromatic Italian digestif grappa. With his wife, Joyce, as his muse, Varvatos wanted to create an old-world scent with a modern twist. He has also created a perfume version (a rarity in fast perfumery today) with a 50-percent concentration. (Grappa sold separately.) RITA SILVAN

John Varvatos Eau de Parfum ($90 for 50 mL)