In case we didn't have drama enough to bore the therapist with, the love-hate relationship with makeup brushes could be extra fodder. At no time do we need them more than on the road—with badly blended blush, just try getting knocked up by a rich Euro—but must they be such suitcase hogs? Fortunately, Paula Dorf has lessened the load, cooking up the teensiest professional-quality kit we've seen yet ($85). Six full-size (yes, you read that right) brush heads—three eyeshadow, a cheek, a foundation, and a concealer—with a detachable handle in a leather folding case that's smaller than most coin purses. Now toss that birth control out the Eurostar window and get busy!
|
 |
 |
If you want to ditch brushes altogether and stick with Teutonic sausage, then take German line Uslu Airlines for a whirl. It's all about airbrushing—from foundation to blush to eyeshadow. Sure, the main tool (heh heh) ain't cheap, but you only need three drops of natural-finish, water-based pigment to cover your whole face, even less for blush or eyes. Vary the coverage of the 41 shades like a good graffito (just hold the wand closer to your face for more coverage). You can thank us now for refraining from mile high club jokes. $461 for airbrush, $38 for 1 oz, available online at Barneys New York or in Paris at Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré, +33 1 55 35 33 90.
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
File by Terry Color Skin Enhancers under Products You Don't Think You Need But Actually Do. The tinted makeup base comes in nine glowy, light-reflecting, complexion-correcting pastels, and reminds BD of those great old Chanel powders (remember those—in purple or peach?), except richer, nicer to your skin and more versatile—especially the new shade Apricot. Mix with or layer over foundation, or use them straight. Crusty pallor be gone! $72 for 3 oz at Barneys New York, 212-826-8900.
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Every spa under the sun plays the New Age card (lilting Andean flute music, tea, aromatherapy butt waxes) but, by Shakti, Susan Ciminelli is one of the originals. Not that you'd "naturally" seek a karma tune-up on the top floor of Bergdorf Goodman, but with crystal healing and Reiki on the menu alongside electro-current facials and cellulite massages, the next time you feel a little guilty for sassing that shopgirl on 5ive, book an appointment upstairs.
We'd been hearing about Ciminelli's essential oil and algae-enriched skincare products forever, but even though our conscience was relatively clear, our skin wasn't. So we booked an hour and a half Aromatherapy Extensive Cleansing Facial (starts at $165, or $275 with Ciminelli), and added on a Pumpkin Prune Fruit Enzyme Peel ($35 additional) because, well, Ciminelli was a mildly aghast at our terribly clogged pores. Expect to pay about $75-95 extra for treatments performed by the den mom herself. And don't fear the hard-sell if she suggests an extra—the soft-spoken, gently loopy Ciminelli can take no for an answer and won't give you the kind of "Can't you afford it?" crap you'll find on the eight floors below if you hesitate. Bonus: if she thinks you really need it (obviously we did), Ciminelli will toss a few crystals on you as you lie there under mask and steam.
Though we can't confirm whether the crystals did the trick, the Pumpkin was a good call. After cleansing with her minty, penetrating Algae Deep Cleanse (at every step, Ciminelli administers the goods via lymphatic drainage massage), she rubbed on the Peel made out of steamed pumpkin and prune. The natural acids went to work on our pores and when we were then extracted (she's got a light touch), re-cleansed and doused with pepperminty Toning Formula oil and a coating of Mineral Lotion, we were so bioluminescent we almost lit the way home—a ray of light not even a quick tussle over those fluoro-green Marc Jacobs pumps on the third floor could dim.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
