Beauty

Beauty news: Red alert

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

by : Stefanie Polsinelli- Jan 17th, 2008

Trend of the month

Red lips made a comeback on the fall catwalks, and they’re here to stay. Use a lip brush to get the most precise finish, or, for a sheer effect, just dab the lipstick on with your finger to create a stain. Too shy to try this trend? Slick on a coat of crimson nail polish.

Yves Saint Laurent Lip Twins Lip Duo Satin/Shine SPF 8 in No. 11 Red Cristal ($38)

Lancome Vernis Magnétic Unfailing Nail Lacquer in Code Red ($19)

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl ($30)

Beauty sleep

Your body may be at rest while you sleep, but your skin is working hard to repair itself from sun and environmental damage. Prevage Anti-Aging Night Cream aids the process, thanks to idebenone, a powerful, wrinkle-fighting antioxidant. Other ingredients include shea butter, which hydrates, and vitamin A and lemon-peel extract, which target age spots.

Prevage Anti-Aging Night Cream ($140)

What’s new?

Like skin, lips suffer the effects of aging. (They get thinner, drier and more lined.) Lancôme’s lip treatment — part of its new Primordiale range — smooths and plumps your pout. It also contains vitamin E, which wards off free radicals.

Primordiale Lèvres Skin Recharge ($42)

Must-have: Rose garden

Rose has always been a classic note in fragrance, but thanks to recent offerings from Stella McCartney, Valentino and the edgy Juliette Has a Gun, it’s enjoying a surge in popularity. The newest version — from Bulgari — is a fruity floral called Rose Essentielle, which blends Ottoman rose with juicy blackberry and mimosa.

Bulgari Rose Essentielle Eau de Toilette Spray ($76 for 50 mL)

Ask a derm

Q: My skin is so dry, it gets itchy. Why does this happen, and what can I do to prevent it?
A: “During winter, the humidity in the air drops and the skin loses moisture,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett of
DLK On Avenue. “Skin cells become dry and start to slough off. As the skin gets drier, it is more prone to irritation and itchiness occurs. To prevent this, use a humidifier in your home. Also, take baths instead of showers and add a skin-softening oil to the water. Apply cream to your face and body while your skin is still damp. You can also try creams made to soothe irritated skin or prescription-grade steroid-based products.”

B. Kamins, Chemist Antipruritic Cream ($46)

Clinique Redness Solutions Urgent Relief Cream Anti-Itch Cream ($38)

Male room

Garrett Neff may be setting hearts aflutter as the face — and well-toned body — of MAN, Calvin Klein’s newest fragrance, but when it comes to romance, the 23-year-old model prefers to woo a woman the old-fashioned way. His idea of a great date includes “a picnic and a stroll in Central Park, then an intimate dinner with some live jazz.” Oh, and he likes to cook too: lettuce wraps, chocolate fondue and sangria are his specialties. Sound like the perfect guy? Well, that’s why he got the job, says Neff. “I’m in good shape, and I sort of represent what they [Calvin Klein execs] think is the ideal man.” First scouted at Miami International Airport two years ago, Neff has since walked the runways for Louis Vuitton and Chanel and starred in ads for Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld. But MAN — a blend of nutmeg, rosemary, incense and musk — is his first fragrance campaign. “It feels like an instant classic,” he says. “It smells familiar, yet there is nothing else like it out there.”

Calvin Klein MAN Eau de Toilette Spray ($69 for 50 mL)