Cosmetics & Beauty News October 2009

Another month, another closure
Following the announcement of the closure of Prescriptives last month, B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful is the next victim of the crunch. While they haven't gone bust, Lush has taken the decision to close, citing a sheer inability to make a profit, and will be absorbing the business. This strikes me as being a sensible pre-emptive decision which looks and sounds an awful lot better than having to call in administrators. But unlike Prescriptives' closure, this piece of news is much less surprising: the combination of a lack of catchy brand name, and the fact that the brand always did play second fiddle to Lush (especially given its similar philosophy, branding and products), means that this move is perhaps for the best.

Liz Earle guest edits Top Santé
November's issue of Top Santé is the Beautiful Skin issue, so it seems more than fitting to have Liz Earle, a former beauty journalist and now pillar of the eponymous skincare company, return as guest editor for the issue to offer skincare tips and advice. Liz Earle is also releasing the brand's first fragrance this month, with top notes of orange bigarade and cardamom, heart notes of lavender and nutmeg, and with base notes of cedarwood, patchouli, and tonka bean absolute.



Fragrance news
As Christmas approaches, and boys the world over panic about what to get for their wives and girlfriends, many new fragrances are landing on the market to exploit this little male weakness, with many brands taking to the perfume scene for the first time in anticipation. At the most affordable end of the spectrum comes Accessorize, which is releasing its debut scent in celebration of the brand's 25th birthday (£17.50), and Avon, who is teaming up with the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie for its latest blend (although this one's not out until August 2010). L'Occitane is also rolling out its winter fragrances, and for those with satisyfingly deep wallets, Jimmy Choo has just signed a 12-year-fragrance deal. There's also Dolce & Gabbana's new fragrance Rose The One (containing traces of lychee, rose, Madonna lily, ambrette seed, and many other flowers, it starts from £32 for 30ml), and Helena Rubinstein's All You've Ever Wanted, inspired and launched by Demi Moore. Plenty of choice, then...so no excuses :p

Chanel presents Vanessa Paradis
Another range sure to be on many women's 2010 wish lists this year is Chanel's new lipstick line, created with Vanessa Paradis and entitled Rouge Coco de Chanel. If, however, you can't wait that long, and want to get your greasy mitts on something just as expert, you could always buy Alex Box's book, which celebrates her work as a leading makeup artist (she has collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander McQueen, among others) and is published by Turnaround. At £50 it's still quite expensive, though (even if you buy it on Amazon.co.uk, it's still £40 for the hardback), but there's always the exhibition of the same name instead, which is running at the Annroy Gallery, 110-114 Grafton Road, Kentish Town, from the 23rd Oct – 22nd Dec.

Be squeaky clean in time for Christmas
As well as Sex & The City's Chris Noth being lately unveiled as the new spokesperson for Biotherm Homme, there are plenty of other skincare companies currently on the offensive to make sure you're looking your best. Neutrogena's new Deep Moisture range, for example, starts at a mere £4.99, and with its two body lotions (one for dry and one for sensitive skins) and its multi-use Comfort Balm, it promises to keep skin soft and supple for 24 hours with just one application. Soap and Glory tries to get the men on board with its new range, which comes in retro red and with its trademark tongue-in-cheek names (such as Dry Hard deodorant and the Man O'Phwoar gift set), and is also kind to the wallet with starting prices of just £3.49. But those of you looking for something a little more unusual also won't be dissatisfied: Green & Spring has just brought out its first range of skincare too, including face masks, skin refiners and lip balms as well as the more traditional cleansers, toners and moisturisers (though prices are a little more steep, the lip balm is just £7.50 and so would make a delightful stocking filler).

















In the media
Being launched on November 6th, Absolute Cosmetics was launched as the first ever free consumer magazine to be produced by professionals in the cosmetics industry. Aimed at giving real insight into the industry, the quarterly will offer product news and real life stories, and will deal with cosmetic and beauty myths and misconceptions. Equally exciting is the creation of new website The Skinny, which plays on the new sample sales craze (of which Gilt Groupe and RueLaLa are examples), takes the concept, and applies it to skincare, giving site users the chance to get the high-end skincare treatments they love at a fraction of the cost. The site, located at www.shoptheskinny.com, also provides video tutorials and personalised recommendations - sounds good to me.

National Skincare Month
November is National Skincare Month, so it seems like a good time to stand back, take stock, and make sure you're doing everything right for your skin. This includes drinking plenty of water, getting plenty of sleep, not smoking, eating well, not getting too much sun (and definitely NO SUNBEDS!), removing makeup thoroughly each night, having a few makeup-free days per week, and having a good solid skincare routine, using products that are right for your skin, remembering to account for any changes in your skin condition as you go through life. Have a happy and healthy November :)