Cosmetics & Beauty News March 2009

She's black
Despite being out of the limelight now for a year or two, Avril Lavigne has teamed up with Procter and Gamble to create her debut fragrance, Black Star. Available across Europe this July, and in the US and Canada in the autumn (Asia will follow in 2010), the bottle is reminiscent of Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb and the scent itself is said to contain notes of hibiscus, black plum, and dark chocolate. Lavigne describes it as 'young, fresh and edgy'. The range's prices will start from €16 for 15ml, and will include body lotion and shower gel as well as the eau de parfum.

Going down in history
The story of fashion and beauty house Christian Dior, written by Alexandra Palmer, will go on sale at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London this October, priced at £19.99. As a student of couture, art history and textile, and a curator at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada, she is arguably the best person to take on this tale of Dior's rich tapestry, and as someone holding a PhD, it should be well-written too. It will also be available via Amazon.

Purity for the man in your life
Well-hidden natural grooming company Pure Nuff Stuff has recently launched a range for men to keep themselves clean and shiny. The brand responds quickly to developments in the cosmetic industry (for example, withdrawing palm oil as an ingredient immediately when reports in 2008 cast doubts on its sustainability), and as well as keeping their noses clean ethically, the prices are to die for, with the men's range starting at just £2.75. Your man can clean himself with just about anything from Pure Nuff Stuff, from soap to shower gel to aftershave lotion. The brand looks like a promising entry onto the ethical cosmetics and beauty stage; I may just have to get my hands on some of their products myself, especially with custom blending available.

More Dior
In yet more Dior news, their summer colour collection already seems set to be a hit, drawing inspiration from the Pop Art movement and from Dior's own collection of watches. The gloss is yet another addition to the colour-changing battalion, containing wild mango and SPF10. The full list of the range's products can be found here.

Congratulations, and jubilations...
As well as Procter and Gamble recently holding its annual 2009 Beauty and Grooming Awards, Avon also celebrates 50 years of trading in the UK this week. In this time of economic recession, I'd say that's a job well done.Sources
www.basenotes.net
http://cdn.buzznet.com
Daily Fashion Monitor
Amazon
www.purenuffstuff.co.uk
www.cosmeticsbusiness.com
www.temptalia.com