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FINDING THE BEST CREAM
So many creams, so many promises. But
that certainly would not stop Quebec cosmetics doyenne Lise Watier from
adding two new products to the anti-aging arsenal. "None like this,"
Watier said at a breakfast conference to introduce Lift & Firm. A crowd of
black-suited media and Watier employees, mainly women, turned out at the
St. Paul Hotel last week to learn about, and get samples of, the line's
Instant Lifting Serum and Ultra Firming Rejuvenating Creme. "Our mission
is to bring out something better than what is on the market,'' said Watier,
blond, smooth-skinned and clad in a white Chanel jacket and black pants.
Her remarkable blue eyes were enhanced with an excellent makeup
application." All the elements of research and development - all the high
technology around the world - we have access to everything that is
possible." Watier, who will be 63 this year, if press reports are to be
believed, is known for her determination. She started her cosmetics line
in 1972 - "at age 8,'' she quipped - and has built it into a
multimillion-dollar business, with more than 300 products sold in 450
retail outlets. She will not reveal sales figures, and scoffs at published
reports. But it's not enough for her. She is still hoping to expand beyond
Canada, and especially into the United States.
Watier has enlisted Sophie Desmarais, socialite, philanthropist and
daughter of Power Corp.'s Paul Desmarais Sr., as the spokesperson for the
line. "I'm not doing it for the money. I am doing it because I believe in
it,'' Desmarais said. That's part of the pitch: a wealthy woman, well
known to the Quebec crowd, choosing a homegrown product. Women think the
more you pay, the better the cream, Watier said. "Wrong! "When you have a
dream and you pay $200 or $300, you have to realize a great percentage of
the amount is directed into advertising.'' Watier
said she keeps her promotion costs down and quality up. "Otherwise, I
wouldn't put it on the market. Because I would be dead by now. And I don't
want to die. I want to live. And grow.'' Asked what she thinks of plastic
surgery and injectables, she responded that they're fine if they make a
woman feel better. Lift & Firm, in fact, is one of many products that try
to mimic the actions of Botox and injectable fillers. Most don't work, I
tell her. "I would like you to try my Instant Lift,'' she said. "Then you
can give me a call.'' I ask if she uses the product. "What do you think?"
is her retort. " If it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for
anyone.'' Lise Watier Lift & Firm cream is $55; the
serum costs $48. On sale at The Bay, Sears and Pharmaprix.- By E. fried
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BEST MAKEUP SECRETS
Had a good look inside your makeup bag lately? It's
probably pretty scary in there. Products past their best-before date.
Mascaras seething with bacteria. Lipsticks gone bad and powdered blushes
turning rancid. It's enough to make going bare-faced seem like a viable
option. But if you prefer to meet the world enhanced by a bit of blush and
eye shadow, then consider the makeup bag makeover. Dia Shams, the counter
manager for Stila at Holt Renfrew in Ottawa, recently offered to help
customers pare down without giving up their look or having to invest in a
lot of new products. The biggest mistake women make with makeup is hanging
on to it for too long, she says. "Anything you have over six months --
it's garbage ...We think we're going to use it one day, but in reality we
don't." I brought Shams my makeup bag, which was stuffed with 25 items -
plus a grocery bag full of old cosmetics I had hanging around a bathroom
drawer. Shams threw out the old, the tainted and the never-used. The
result:
- 15 items (old mascara, old lipstick, old liner, goopy
concealer) in my makeup bag tossed in the garbage.
- Three items (a lipstick, an eye shadow to use as
liner, and a bronzer) added from my drawer.
- Two new items - Stila's Convertible Eye Color, a
shadow/liner, and Convertible Color dual lip and cheek cream - to replace
a pencil liner and a darker-coloured blush/lip duo. Shams let me add those
to my drawer stash.
- Final tally: a vastly more compact 15 items in my
makeup bag.
About two-thirds of my original drawer contents were
tossed, including makeup I had been hanging on to for sentimental reasons
(goodbye, Prescriptives blush bought 20 years ago) and others kept just
because they had been expensive. Some products, like the pressed powder
with the damp bacterial sheen and the mouldy lip liner, were particularly
embarrassing. The result is a makeup bag that doesn't weigh down my tote
and contains products I actually use, plus a couple of extra lipsticks for
special events. Here are Shams's tips for downsizing and managing anyone's
stash: Throw away anything past its expiry date, no matter what its
sentimental value or how expensive it was. "Makeup does expire because of
the oils in it," says Shams. Old makeup can irritate your skin.
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Toss out anything that has changed its colour, scent or consistency, has
something growing on it, or if the container is leaking or deteriorating.
Throw away anything that's drying out. This isn't always obvious. One way to
tell is to apply the makeup to your hand; the colour should be rich and
apparent from a single stroke. Replace mascara every three months. "Every
time you pull it out and use it and then put it back in (its container),
you're growing bacteria," says Shams. Fresh cosmetics will apply smoothly.
When they crumble, clump, drag, stick or go goopy, it's time to go. "If
you're not going to wear it, get rid of it. It's just going to take up
space," says Shams. Don't keep lipsticks more than a year. Lipstick should
smell warm, not sweet or like alcohol. Trash any lipstick that can't last
more than an hour on your mouth.
Avoid quick-drying nail polishes, which could yellow your
nails. OPI and Chanel make good polish and basecoats, says Shams. Replace
liquid eye liners ("even experts have a hard time getting them right") with
soft pencil or pen liners. Invest in quality natural-bristle makeup brushes
that are soft (Stila's feel like fur) and shaped for their purpose. "You
could have really bad makeup and you can still use it properly with a good
brush," says Shams. Clean them with a quality brush cleaner; Shams
recommends Lise Watier's ($12.99 at Shoppers Drug Mart). Use foundations,
under-eye concealers and tinted moisturizers with 15 SPF or more for sun
protection. Substitute tinted SPF moisturizer if you have clear skin. Buy
eye shadow with quality pigments. Eye-shadow pigments start to decay after
six months. Fresh pigments are richly coloured on the first application and
should last at least six hours. When the top layer begins to decay (the
colour won't be as bright), scrape it off and use what's underneath. Invest
in products that do double duty, for example, Stila's Convertible Cheek and
Eye blush/lipstick combo. A shimmery powder can be a finishing powder in the
evening and substitute for foundation during the day. A pale eye shadow can
double as a brow highlighter. Choose makeup in colours that will work with
most of your clothes and for any daytime occasion. Ask a beauty expert for
advice about products you don't know how to use.- By Wendy Whenburton.
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L.A. FASHION WEEK
L.A. Fashion Week, its focus on fall
2006, came to a glamourous end with the debut of
Collection bebe, the new couture offering from the casual
California clothier. Company founder Manny Mashouf
had envisioned it for years: a luxurious line that would
enliven the 30-year-old bebe brand and hold new appeal for
the Hollywood set. He matched Madonna stylist and costume
designer Arianne Phillips with Los Angeles designer David
Cardona to create the camera-ready collection. Stars
aplenty turned out Thursday night to see the designs.
Anjelica Houston, Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean
Cobain (who is the spitting image of Kurt), LaToya
Jackson, Jillian Barberie, Stacy Kiebler and bebe's new
spokesmodel, Mischa Barton - clad in a purple minidress
from the new collection - all scored seats along the
runway's front row. "We're very influenced by the
Hollywood stars that rule the universe right now," bebe
chief executive Greg Scott said backstage. "Ultimately,
you will see this collection on the red carpet."
Characterized by rich textures, flowing fabrics and
asymmetrical lines, the collection features party dresses
and fancy gowns, plus coats, slacks and blouses. All are
inspired by Mashouf and the tulip, Cardona explained."
Manny had this vintage tulip dress," he said. "The flower
evolved and became the starting point for everything."
Some dresses even have petals. Two-tone flaps of fabric
form the skirt of a silver strapless minidress and long
gray satin gown. A red taffeta dress collects at the knee
and finishes in a layer of leaves. Cap sleeves and collars
are petal-shaped. Hemlines look like inverted flowers.
"The tulip is super-sensual, ultra-feminine and organic,"
said Phillips, who was nominated for an Academy Award this
year for her work in "Walk the Line." "We have a great
history of architecture here in L.A., and to us, the tulip
is a beautiful piece of architecture." The collection's
palette is dominated by gray, silver and black, with an
occasional shock of red, purple or icy lavender. It
includes many strapless dresses and bubble skirts, shown
with knee-length leggings and long patent-leather gloves.
Skirts and bloomers have balloon hems. Pants are high-waisted
and cut slim, tapering at the angle or cuffed into capris.
Generous use of silk, satin, jersey and chiffon give
designs an elegant look and graceful flow. Asymmetrical
lines add interest to almost every piece. Single straps,
geometric details and unbalanced collars lend an edgy feel
to the sophisticated collection. "These clothes are made
for the young, fresh set," actress Elizabeth Banks, also a
front-row attendee, said before the show. Collection bebe
is the first runway offering for the brand, which Mashouf
started in San Francisco in 1976. The bebe show capped off
the five-day happening officially known as Mercedes-Benz
Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. The event featured 30
design suites and more than 35 shows, including runway
collections by Kevan Hall, Louis Verdad, Sue Wong and
Agent Provocateur.-By Sandy Coen
MORE FASHION AND WORLD HAUTE COUTURE ON
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Photo
from L to R: #1.: Ditch the baggy look.
You're not hiding your body with that extra fabric, you're making it look
bigger. Instead, wear clothes that fit trimly and well. #2. Diminish hips with
A-line skirts and dresses. These skim the hips and flare at the knee,
making hips appear smaller.
Photos
from L to R: #1. No half-calf.
Skirts and dresses should stop around your knee or go down to the floor -- no
stopping halfway. #2. Don't button up.
Never do up a jacket or shirt all the way to your neck. Leave a couple of
buttons open to create a slenderizing V.
Photos
from L to R: #1. Avoid bulky fabrics
like tweed, nubby knits and boucle. Look for silky jerseys and fabrics that
skim over your body without clinging. #2. Make the
jean scene. But stay away from washes and light
colours. Instead, choose jeans in a uniformly dark denim.
