BeautyDuty  
You owe it to yourself.
By Melissa de la Cruz 
  LinesofLeastResistance  
Estee LauderEstee Lauder wants you to remember your first line. No, it’s not the latest anti-drug campaign, it’s their new eye product, Unline, which they warn may be "more than a little addictive." The product promises to take care of past, present and future lines—an extravagant claim, perhaps, but this easy-to-apply gel/cream formulation does smooth creases and decrease puffiness after only a few days. That’s a habit you’ll be glad to have.  
  
JetStream 
Acqua di ParmaAny internationalist worth their private jet knows Acqua di Parma is to toiletries what Louis Vuitton is to luggage. And for those whose Lear-limo comes complete with a Jacuzzi, you’ll need something from their recently expanded Bath and Body Collection. The company, whose scent and body range was relaunched six years ago, now offers a Bath Oil, Salts, Talc and Beauty Cream. Don’t forget to towel off for customs.   
   
TattooYou   
Midriffs, once the province of Long Island Lolitas and Hollywood starlets, have suddenly become de rigueur amongst the A-List Atkins Diet crowd. What better way to show off your six-pack than with Temptu's delicate Mini Midriff Tattoo Transfers ($10) made especially for a flat tum-tum? Keep some Temptu body paint by the bed, and you've got the perfect evening for that special someone who likes to paint by numbers.   

HeadRush  
The scent of a depraved woman, Gucci's Rush is a heady combination of jasmine, freesia and gardenia, mixed with the contemporary accents of patchouli and vanilla. It even goes with cigarette smoke and liquor-soaked breath. Knock yourself out.  

FabledAesop  
Finally a range for everyone allergic to additives—and overblown beauty company promises. The Australian skin, body and hair line Aesop uses only pure plant and vegetable extracts, but the results look straight out of a lab. Aesop’s philosophy is that the harvesting and distilling of plants for cosmetics should vary from year to year, just like fine wine. We'll drink to that. A special toast to the Amazing Facial Cleanser, a non-abrasive foaming blend of tangerine, ylang-ylang and lavender stem oils.  
   
VataHari   
Sundari (which means "Beautiful Woman" in Hindi) is a cosmetics line based on traditional Indian Ayurvedic principles. The company advocates healthy skin as part of a "sense of well-being", and provides products according to your skin type and "dosha." Their survey shrewdly deemed our Hint guinea pig the pick of the bunch: a "vata" (small-pored and sociable), as opposed to a "pitta" (combo-skinned and intelligent) or a "kapha" (oily and depressive). That made her feel better already—and the light, lavender moisturizer came especially recommended. Sundari products are not tested on animals, and use minimum preservatives to achieve their impressive two-year shelf life. Yours will be gone long before then. 
 

  
  TravelTop5: 
This holiday season, don’t forget these compact cosmetics in your tote bag. When you get off the plane and greet Grandma, you want your relatives to be able to tell you apart.  
 		  
  OriginsComeFlyWithMeTravelKit 
Airborne essentials in miniature: lip balm, on-the-spot gels which relax and to uplift, emergency moisturizer, and a ‘sprinkler system’ for the face. Single-shot vodka bottle not included. ($25)  

Guerlain'sIssimaBlueVoyage  
This range of tiny travel treats—including in-flight serum, relaxing body oil, recovery night cream, and cleanser—means your face will be flying First Class, even if the rest of you is in Coach.  

PrescriptivesFlightCream  
Frequent flyers swear by this lotion, which not only moisturizes and refreshes but also gives the skin a temporary face-lift. Earth-bound models know that in emergency dehydration, it also works as a five-to-10-minute hydrating mask. A trade secret of the Mile High club. ($28)   

Pond'sCucumberEyeTreatments 
They look and smell like the real thing, and relieve puffiness caused by fatigue and cabin pressure. No snacking on them before the peanuts arrive. ($7.99)  

Skyhydra   
The ultimate high-altitude moisturizer can be applied in seconds, but works for hours to maintain your skin’s firmness and equilibrium in a pressurized cabin. Buying duty-free doesn’t have to mean arriving beauty-free. ($39.99)  
 

  
 
  SpaTrek:  
  TheAvedaInstitute   
  Closer than the Hamptons and cheaper than Betty Ford, The Aveda Institute is a Mecca for Gothamites who need to clear their mind—and pores. Slightly off the beaten path, in arguably the only non-trendy part of Soho, the Institute is a million miles removed from the flashy pyrotechnics of new generation salons such as Bliss.  
    
Unabashedly New Age in its good-faith preference for all things natural, the company’s pure plant- and flower essence-based products have converted their fair share of New Yorkers from psychotherapy to aromatherapy. Although there are scenier places in town for your standard facial/manicure/gossip session, this is generally regarded as the essential-oil pit-stop for soothing and detoxifying facials and massages. Beauty editors and aficionados speak about Aveda body and facial cures with an awed reverence normally reserved for, well, Aveda products.		  
    
With this in mind, I opted for the New York cure du jour, the Himalayan Rejuvenation Treatment, a four-part two-hour Eastern-ish technique. After helping you to choose the essential oil which best characterizes you (mine smelled suspiciously like gin), your attendant leaves you alone to disrobe. Although annoying New Age waves crash through the sound-system, don’t expect any H20 in the dry, surprisingly scratch-free exfoliation. Your body is then massaged with the unctuous solution that has been blended with your preferred essential oil. Next up is where the treatment departs radically from your standard salon fare. Claustrophobes beware; a canvas tepee is lowered over you, covering you to the neck. Once sealed, steam is pumped in through an opening for 15 long minutes. It has to be said, this step is probably not most people’s definition of a relaxing time. Once the teepee is removed, a drip-shaped apparatus containing "meditation syrup" is placed above your head, releasing a continuous drizzle onto your "intuition chakra", located in the middle of your forehead. Although I feared this was going to be a bit like water-torture, it was extremely relaxing and left me wanting more. Which, in essence, is the problem with the Himalayan routine: the relaxing massage and drip are short-lived, while the disturbing iron-lung-like ordeal of the teepee seems to last an eternity. 
  
 
  
 
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