THE FORMULA

LOVE AFFAIRS

EVERYTHING’S COMING UP ROSES

NOVEMBER 28.2012 by AIMEE BLAUT

Rose products are sprouting up everywhere I look. From decadent rose oil infused with twenty-four carat pink gold to more humble lip balms and scented candles; roses are staging a beauty take over. Throughout history they have been revered for their sweet scent; and thanks to science we now know that certain species of the flower are packed with vitamin C, soothe the skin, and may reduce skin damage and wrinkles. They have been coming onto the scene for a while with the occasional launch of a rose product but now brands like By Terry are creating entire ranges around the flower. So I’ve tested the market and compiled a list of new launches and old classics, here are some of my favorites:

LOVE AFFAIRS

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

NOVEMBER 26.2012 by AIMEE BLAUT

Say happy holidays with some of my favorite holiday collections. I love all of these launches so much that this post could double as my holiday wish list.

Diptyque’s collection of printed holiday candles come in three colors with limited edition scents. My favorites are the pine scented Sapin Doré and Amber Oud, which is infused with oriental spices. They work great as solo presents, but if you’re feeling extra generous pair a mini candle with a Clarins Odyssey Palette for perfection. The Face Compact and Eye Quartet Mineral Palette come in red velvet sleeves and shiny gold cases. The deep gold and brown tones in the eye quartet are perfect for the upcoming cold months.

When it comes to beauty products, I love anything mini. They are great for traveling or testing out a new brand. I am obsessed with the Dr. Jart+ BB Cream Sampler because you get to try four of Dr. Jart+’s Beauty Balms for the price of one. It’s a great gift for someone new to the BB Cream craze, or looking to try something different. The Stila Waterproof Eyeliner Set is another favorite in this category. The pack come in their five best selling shades (they also work great as stocking stuffers).

Everything MAC has put out this season is perfect for gifting. Their collections are beautifully packaged and come in faux-wrapped boxes ready to be gifted. The palettes look like little evening bags. I am especially fond of their Gorgeous Bronze Face Kit, that comes with a bronzer, eyeshadows and lip colors and their Divine Desire Paramour Pink Set, a full face collection in soft and bold pinks. I also have my eye on Mac’s Making Pretty Collection, launching in December. The Silver Dusk powder is great for New Years. The powder comes with a pink puff packed inside an an ultra-femine bow-topped box, making one beautiful present.

When I fly into New York with super stressed skin, I book an Oxygen Facial at Bliss. It’s my go place for a skin pick me up. I own every product in their Oxygen line for those times I have to go it alone, turning my apartment into a makeshift spa. I am a major fan of their Best in Glow gift set because you get everything, the mask, the face wash, the oxygen cream, and lip balm all at once.

Giveaway: See something you like? Tweet @theformulablog with #formulagifting and tell me what you love from the post. Next week one special reader will be selected and gifted that their holiday favorite. Happy holidays! XX

Photos by: Aimee Blaut

Tags: Beauty Gifting, Bliss, Bliss Spa, Clarins, Dr. Jart+, Gift Guide, Gifting, Holiday Gift Guide, Holiday Gifting, Holidays, MAC Cosmetics, Mac Holiday

THE EXPERT

ROCHELLE JACOBS, CO-FOUNDER JUNE JACOBS SPA COLLECTION

NOVEMBER 20.2012 by AIMEE BLAUT

THE_FORMULA_BLOG_ROCHELLE_JACOBS_SILPE_2

"I joined the business in 1999. My mother created the Peter Thomas Roth line with Peter while I was in college. I graduated from school and was on a finance mission, working at Lehman Brothers and I was on Wall Street. In 1999 my mother was still handwriting checks and there was not a computer in the office, it was crazy (laughs). She was running the entire business out of her desk without any technology. I said ‘Mom I want to come help you.’ She was a single mother and said ‘absolutely not, this is not how I raised you, you will work on Wall Street.’ So I interviewed with her and Peter and created this power point presentation like I did at Lehman Bothers and Peter was like ‘when you can start.’ My mother was more like ‘okay fine’ and that’s how I came into the company.

Around this time Sephora opened and a new market began to explode. We opened a manufacturing facility that catered to our needs. During that time my mom started her Spa collection. She saw that there was nothing out there that was a good median between the ultra clinical and the real fluffy brands. Working with spa directors she came up with products that would compliment the services and launched the June Jacobs line. Marcia Kilgore from Bliss is one of the major people we worked with and it was a lot of work to get product to market that was innovative and luxury. That is how the line came to be and we wanted to keep the line within the spa world and as green as possible.

I have a very minimal but very effective skin care regimen. I like to try other people’s things out just to see how they are but I usually break out, which is actually crazy. I get up and wash my face with my Clarisonic once a day. I like the way it feels in the morning to wash off whatever I had on at night. I use it with Pumpkin Scrub or Creamy Cranberry Cleanser, which is very gentle. I don’t use moisturizer because I’m so oily but I’m fine with serums. I use the Elastin Collagen serum. Otherwise I’m so shiny and it hasn’t gotten better as I’ve gotten older so I just avoid heavy creams. I use the Cellular Collagen eye serum, which I love. My biggest issue is my under eyes and it absorbs my under eye concealer really nicely.

I don’t wear makeup generally because I like to let my skin breathe. Laura Geller introduced me to makeup way back when and since then almost everything I use is by her. I’m obsessed. I like to play up my eyes and she has eyeliners in crazy colors; they are really fun in Eggplant and deep greens. I have to use various different under eye concealers if I want to cover up my dark circles because it’s gotten to the point where I work so much, I’m not sleeping. She has two concealers I love, The Real Deal Concealer cream and Caulk, which looks like a crayon. They crayon is great and I can color in where I need it. The Wonder Wand, is another favorite, it’s an illuminator that I use in the corners of my eyes to brighten them up. For perfume I wear Thierry Mugler Angel, which I love and for hair touch ups the Oscar Blandi Protein Mist is amazing.

At night I wash my face with our Anti-Aging Blemish Control cleanser. It’s for people my age who are still acne prone. Then I use the same face and eye serums. I never used eye serum and when I hit forty overnight it went. So now I need to. My big secret is that I use the Papaya Mask as a moisturizer. I apply a really thin layer on my face at night and leave it on. Papaya is a natural enzymatic so it exfoliates super gently and is packed with vitamins and I’m a little shiny at night, but my skin is glowing in the morning.

Some exciting news since we began pushing the international spa market is our recent partnership with the Hyatts. About six months ago we were able to open up in seventy-eight spas at the Hyatt Hotels around the world. We created four signature protocols for them with individual techniques.”

Photos by: Aimee Blaut

Tags: Bliss, Clarisonic, Hyatt Hotels, June Jacobs, Laura Geller, Marcia Kilgore, Oscar Blandi, Peter Thomas Roth, Thierry Mugler