Cosmetics and Beauty News - October

Lots of cosmetics and beauty news this month, from brand new names to household names, and from high street to luxe. To kick off...


B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful opens London flagship store
On October 9, Oxford Street was abuzz with the flagship store from Lush's sister company. Specialising in cruelty-free cosmetics, it's been available online for some time, but now it takes to the streets. Featuring a makeup bar-cum-cocktail bar, it's already set the standard as being one of a kind. Don't forget to check out its new fragrance, superworldunknown.
Another fragrance to emerge from its online world into a physical store is Cult Beauty, which recently unveiled its presence at London's Bloww Salon and Spa.

New skincare brand Kyoku for Men launches
Despite its launch on October 9, this is still very much a dark horse. The packaging is made more androgynous by the inclusion of a flower-star-type logo, and the range is currently only available online. The emphasis is on masculinity, but still on embracing sensuality and sexuality: possibly a first for men's skincare. However, their website may be a reason why it's still a virtual unknown: it caused my (admittedly ageing) laptop to throw a bit of a paddy. Apparently it can't cope with an episode of Top Gear running at the same time...

Clothing brand Monsoon launches fragrance
Monsoon takes the advantage of the winter holiday season to expand into fragrances. A good choice, I feel: it's been providing women with stylish and modern outfits for years, whether for everyday or for your wedding. It's reasonably priced, with its 100ml bottle retailing at £25, and is also available in 30ml, 50ml, and a body mist, body lotion, and bath and shower cream, are available too. I'd have made the Monsoon logo less obvious myself; however, the colour scheme is beautiful and Christmassy, and it's sure to be an affordable but chic holiday hit.

The first anti-ageing perfume launches
Designed to make its users smell eight years younger, Ageless Fantasy uses antioxidant-rich fruits in its scent to achieve this almost-too-difficult-to-believe effect. With its basis in natural biochemistry and its Thierry Mugler-style bottle, this is set to appeal to the very youngest of anti-age proponents. At $120, and the fact that I don't really want to smell 14 (!), I think I'll be giving this a miss for now. However, with the right publicity, this environmentally-friendly product could become the sought-after elixir of youth across the world.

Teen show Hollyoaks branches into fragrances
Staying with the fragrance news, teen UK show Hollyoaks, clearly not content with their calendars, books, and all-morning Sunday omnibus, have chosen the release of a related scent to next target their viewers. The first TV line of fragrances, the cast themselves had a hand in the scent's development, right down to the shapes of the bottles. The female scent is fruity, sweet and musky, while the masculine equivalent is cleaner and spicier. Available from The Perfume Shop, at a mere £20 each, even the youngest Hollyoaks fan should be able to find enough in their bank account for this.

Elle Macpherson moves into skincare
Celebrity ranges carry a certain amount of derision from some areas of the cosmetics sphere. However, since the multi-million-pound success of ex-model Macpherson's lingerie range, it could be eminently sensible, not to mention that the range's emphasis on making women feel good (not necessarily sexy - just good) makes her stand apart from her rivals. Called 'The Body' after her famous nickname, the range is available in Boots and Selfridges, and includes reasonably-priced body polish and facial toner.

Your very own beauty advisor online
This is what zuneta.com aims to provide. As well as keeping you informed of the latest products, its sophisticated website also allows you to ask for tips and seek relevant advice from experts, after choosing your phenotype, or skin/hair type. It strives to answer frequently asked questions, such as 'what skincare regime should you be following to get the most out of your skin?' and 'what can I do now to prevent early signs of ageing?', in a way that's relevant to you. Good stuff.


It's collaboration time!.
Kiehl's has teamed up with Brad Pitt to create its environmentally friendly Cradle to Cradle Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser (try and say that one quickly if you can...), with all of the proceeds being donated to Pitt's charity, which helps to build sustainable housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina. On a less hippy-like side, Avon is collaborating with triathletics brand Ironman to create its new fragrance for men, with emphasis on determination, drive and success. A happy twin of the caring, sharing aspect, I think.

Balenciaga meets Coty
In (yet more) fragrance news, Balenciaga has chosen Coty as a partner to help its relaunch into the world of perfume. Having not released a new perfume for over 60 years, this collaboration will be crucial, and with Balenciaga already being a hot A-list couture brand, this new scent should head straight to the top of celeb wish lists when it launches in 2010.


Hitting UK outlets on November 3rd, Mon Soin du Visage is a high-end skincare range that combines 16th-century France with traditional Japanese ingredients that includes everything from facial cleansers to bath oils. Starting at £48 for a product, and soaring to £177, this is not for people who don't have money to blow. If you do have the cash, however, you should also try Lisa Simon's similarly priced Parisian range (exclusively available at Les Senteurs).

Dove & Woman's Own Pro-Age Awards
Finally, Dove has partnered with UK magazine Woman's Own to recognise the incredible achievements of women over the age of 45, in line with Dove's philosophy that while doing all you can for yourself on the outside helps, true beauty starts from within. Top.

Sources:
www.generation-nt.com; www.elleuk.com; www.vogueuk.com; Condé Nast; Reuters; www.zuneta.com; www.kyoku.com; www.digitalspy.co.uk; B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful; Monsoon; Ageless Fantasy; Fabric Magazine; Daily Mail; Les Senteurs; IPC Media