It’s Friday and close to the magic happy hour, which prompted me to paint my nails at my desk at work. This isn’t as radical as it sounds when you work as an editor at Sephora, where I’ve witnessed coworkers curling each other’s hair with the latest Sultra hot tool in the aisles, or applying Paperself paper eyelashes in the conference rooms. The nail lacquer fumes wafting from various cubicles seems downright normal around here!
With the sheer number of new beauty products that land on my desk at Sephora each day, something has to have that total wow factor to get me excited enough to blog about it. There are plenty of new products, and plenty of very good new products. But then there are those rare products that I fall in love with, obsess over, and must share with everyone I know.
L’Oreal Professional’s new Mythic Oil is one of those amazing newcomers—and it’s not even sold at Sephora (though I really wish it was!). I first discovered it covering backstage beauty in September at the Jenny Packham show during New York Fashion Week and have been using it daily ever since.
As seen in the San Francisco Chronicle September 18, 2011
Lashfully Lounge in Cow Hollow district, SF. Photo courtesy of Lashfully
Nerissa Pacio Itchon, Special to The Chronicle
Call it the Kim Kardashian effect.
National mascara sales are on the upswing; salons specializing in lash extensions are hitting critical mass; doctor’s offices and cosmetics companies are finding big business in lash growth serums; and semi-permanent mascaras are picking up steam, proving that women are willing to try almost anything to achieve the lush, defined, cheek-grazing lashes that the reality TV stars have helped usher in as the beauty standard for the Tinseltown set.
“It all started with the media and celebrities endorsing prescription Latisse,” says Liv Contreras, a veteran licensed aesthetician and co-owner of Lashfully beauty lounge in the Cow Hollow district. “Then the Kardashians were the ones to really bling out lashes, making strip lashes, extensions and the whole lash trend even more popular.”
As Hollywood-averse as San Franciscans may seem, city dwellers have been quick to jump on the lash bandwagon. Lashfully, which Contreras opened almost 10 months ago with former client Matana LePlae, is one of at least a dozen lash-centric salons that have popped up recently in San Francisco, feeding the growing demand for lash enhancements.
Since the opening of Lash Lab nearly two years ago, bookings at the Cow Hollow salon have doubled to an average of eight to 10 clients per day, says 31-year-old owner Judy Anderson. Her team of five full-time licensed aestheticians focuses solely on lash extensions, and appointments fill up nearly four weeks in advance.
Although lash extensions have been around for decades, the service is starting to go mainstream with increasingly more options available. For women willing to spend the time and the money, it remains a popular, if not a downright luxurious, service.
When done properly, the painstaking process requires a licensed aesthetician to use precision-point needle tweezers and medical-grade glue to attach synthetic, animal or real human hair extensions to each lash. Devotees say the results are worth it.
“I love getting a look I can’t get by simply using mascara,” says Elena Greco, director of brand relations at San Francisco-based online beauty community Beautylish, who visits a salon for lash extensions every two to three weeks. “Also, I like the option of waking up and walking out the door without having to apply eye makeup.”
To read the rest of this story, go to the Sunday Style section on sfgate.com.
I parachuted into New York Fashion Week on Saturday, with the Spring/Summer 2012 shows already under way. So far, the collections I’ve seen have proven to be playful, exciting, and colorful—all that you’d expect from the season.
Backstage tonight at Marc by Marc Jacobs.
On Tuesday night, I got a sneak preview of haute couture designer Elie Saab’s debut women’s fragrance at an elegant launch party hosted by Vogue. The private event at the Clift Hotel drew an intimate crowd of local fashion, beauty, media and PR reps who sat down in the Spanish Suite to view a 20-minute film about the Lebanese designer’s behind-the-scenes work on the runway and the making of his first parfum.
After the film, in dramatic form, models accessorized in Elie Saab statement jewelry unveiled oversized bottles of “the juice” and presented each guest with a white grosgrain ribbon spritzed with the signature scent. Two lucky guests also walked away with the jewelry, which was raffled off as prizes.
In addition to running Carrots in San Francisco, sisters Melissa (left) and Catie Grimm write the blog Carrot Talk, where they mix their passions for fashion and food. Photography by Russell Yip / The Chronicle
As seen in the San Francisco Chronicle, Sunday, June 19, 2011
Nerissa Pacio Itchon, Special to The Chronicle
One look at the Grimm sisters’ blog Carrot Talk, and it’s obvious that their love of food and fashion go hand in hand.
As scions of the Central Valley Grimmway baby carrots empire and co-owners of Jackson Square’s aptly named Carrots boutique, Melissa and Catie Grimm pepper posts about their latest designer discoveries with ebullient food musings – from restaurant raves to gourmet recipes they’ve tried at home.
Courtesy of John Frieda
I’ve been a loyal user of John Frieda haircare for years. As much as I love my salon brands, and, of course, the exclusive hair launches we have at Sephora, nothing beats the thrill of finding a budget-friendly product at the drugstore that actually works.
Moanalani Jeffrey photographed in her Nob Hill home with Jacques, her French bulldog. Photography by Clarine Wong.
Moanalani Jeffrey is the only person I know who can juggle shooting a party with a hefty camera while chatting up guests, taking notes, and teetering on four-inch stilettos–all with a brilliant smile. The society columnist for the SF Examiner and an event photographer about town, Jeffrey has an inimitable glam-it-up style that suits her ebullient personality. Whether she’s “click-click-clicking” her way through a Hollywood shindig or chasing after her next subject onto the dance floor, this trendsetting Hawaii-native always has the right mix of fabulous fashion meets practical function for her high-energy job.
William and Kate's balcony kiss seals the deal at Buckingham Palace. Courtesy of The Daily Beast.
Clearly, I underestimated my appetite for the whole royal wedding bonanza. Knackered as I was walking to work downtown yesterday, I passed by Fog City’s newsstand, brimming with Will and Kate covers, which immediately caught my attention.
It’s a rare moment that I make a big beauty purchase without consulting my good friend Elena Leong. A true beauty buff—and industry vet—Elena has tested more lotions and potions than you would think were even humanly possible, both on the job and off.
Blog at WordPress.com.
Theme: Esquire by Matthew Buchanan.
