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The technicolor wizards at MAC didn't bat an eyelid when cosmetics gurus all but banned psychedelic eye shadows in favor of champagne shimmer a few years ago. Now that bright hues are no longer verboten, show your love for the o.g. color people by picking up a pot of Electro Sky, a peacock-hued shadow from their decidedly un-wimpy spring collection. We've actually been looking for just this kind of not-navy, not-teal, not-cobalt color forever. Yes, it's bright but use it sparingly and eyes of all color will pop (in a good way). Just what you'll need after days, weeks, months of seasonal affective disorder and solitary confinement. $12.50 at www.maccosmetics.com. |
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Finally, a product that goes straight to the source. Rather than waste all that time in the gym just for the after-rush of endorphins, the good people at Guerlain have supplemented their Issima line with a chock full of buzz cream called Happylogy (forgive them; they're French). The silicone-infused day-to-night moisturizer is loaded with vitamins and a patented "pro-endorphin" complex to make your skin glow. We don't care if it's the snake oil it sounds like—the stuff goes on like butter, smells fantastic and really does make the surface of your skin feel and look quite smooth. There's a companion serum as well but at that point, if the endorphin thing is the real deal (jury's still out: We're wearing Happylogy right now but aren't yet squirming with joy) you might never leave the house. $86 for 30ml. |
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Caudalie, the company that introduced grape-based antioxidants to the world, was just another upscale producer of Bordeaux until the early 90's, when a visiting pharmacist was shocked—shocked!—to see the vintner was tossing the seeds post-hooch extraction. That stuff carries an antioxidant 10,000 times more powerful than Vitamin E. So the vineyard backed his research and—voilà—out of the detritus of a country of boozers, a cosmetics line was born. If that isn't enough to make you cheer, Caudalie's cultiest product surely will. Beauty Elixir, an anti-aging, spray-on lotion-toner with rosemary, mint and orange flower, is based on a youth serum supposedly developed in the 18th century by Queen Isabelle of Hungary. Even Beauty Duty's beyond-macho Paris bureau chief can't get enough of it, spritzing his face so liberally that his wife has started looking for gay porn under the bed. $56 for 3.8 oz at www.neimanmarcus.com |
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There is nothing worse than a man content to bask in his own foul reek, but the Speed Stick-Old Spice axis of cheapie doesn't provide much better in the way of olfactory options. Next time you're tempted to leave the room when he puts his arm around you, slap some Clinique Happy for Men Anti-Perspirant-Deodorant stick on his stanky pits. Citrusy and non-staining, it also goes on dry, which means you'll endure that much less morning-after small talk before he's dressed and out the door. Now that's Happy. $12 for 2.6 oz at www.gloss.com |
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Just Calm Down
32 W. 22nd Street
New York, NY 10010
212-337-0032
Like a good narcissist, I've always been sent into a spiral of depression by even the smallest blemish so I prepared for the worst when the facialist at Just Calm Down asked me to lie down on the couch during a recent consultation.
Was my complexion so scary that I required therapy? Did my outward appearance betray some inner turmoil? Fortunately, the couch on which facials are performed is one of the many unconventional touches on display at this recently opened salon in the Flatiron/Chelsea District and not a cause for concern. (Bugger conventional wisdom, I'll drink to any establishment that promises wine on the sandwich board outside.)
Inside, owner/managers Tara J. Oolie and Christine Cortese have overlooked the traditional Swiss laboratory decor favored by many of today's spas in favor of a warmer, exposed brick setting that's meant to resemble a French carriage house. Continuing the Gallic theme, manicures are done on writing bureaus, while pedicures are given on rustic French benches. Comprenez?
The treatments on offer are as atypical as the interior, ranging from the Geology 101 Hot Stone Massage to the Lady Godiva Chocolate Manicure and Pedicures and the Hot Mama Pregnancy Massage. (Facials range from $55 - $120; body treatments start at $105; and manicures go from $35.)
Given the ongoing damage to my liver, I opted for the Boy's Night Out treatment, which is recommended for releasing toxins and the specific facial needs of men (apparently we need special attention because our skin tends to be oilier than women's and we get more blocked pores from shaving).
Customization is key at Just Calm Down, with clients encouraged to reflect their mood by choosing everything from the music to the specially blended massage oils. Brahms Cello Concertos got the nod and my aesthetician, Lana, suggested I try a combination of lavender and chamomile for my massage essence (evidently good for hangovers and lack of sleep). Though not a million miles removed from other facials I've had, the Boy's Night Out one-hour treatment—consisting of scrub and cleanser, followed by papaya mask, toner for dry skin, personalized facial massage, antioxidant infusion, calming hydrating mask, and AHA toner—was thoroughly relaxing and efficacious. Although I walked out a little too pink for my liking, a week later I am strutting around sans pustules. And that makes me as happy as Narcissus in front of a mirror. -Horacio Silva
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