End...Link Beauty Salon, Osaka, Japan
Salons are popping up across Japan faster than you can say Konnichiwa. And the design community is as key to their inception as the grooming world. Osaka's newest beauty atelier, End...Link, showcases a minimalist architectural aesthetic with intriguing functional features. Owner Tomohiko Masuda wanted to create a space that could be modified to suit his staff's needs and enlisted the expertise of Japanese designers Yasunari Tsukada to do so. The designers chose to work with light wood and white for the interior to keep the narrow space feeling airy and uncluttered. The three-dimensional wooden lattice walls are a functional accomplishment, with glass panel inserts that can be rearrange to alter the layout of the shelves.
2F, 2-3-18 Kitahorie Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan: www.endlink.jp
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Cosmetics meet skincare: The CC Cream
First it was the revolutionary BB cream (blemish balm) that knocked conventional foundations off the cosmetic hot spot. Now these moisturising, protecting and lightly covering formulas have themselves been overshadowed by a newer cosmetic must-have dubbed the CC cream (colour corrective). Like BB creams, this new magic product - offered in varying formulas by a multitude of brands - hails from Korea, one of the world's leading countries in skincare development. It does everything a BB cream can and more. Much like its predecessor, the CC cream acts as a moisturiser, serum, primer, foundation and often a sunscreen. In addition to these already impressive attributes, it provides natural-looking coverage with enough density to even out skin tone and hide signs of fatigue. Following intense investigation, this is our edit of the best CC creams about.
Image: Back stage beauty at Valentino's S/S 2013 catwalk show
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Clinique
One of the first leading cosmetic brands to showcase a CC cream, Clinique have worked to develop one with added nourishing qualities. The cream works to scatter light across the skin, which gives the appearance of a bright, even skin tone.
£28, www.clinique.co.uk
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Dr Brandt
High treatment credentials are assured in a CC cream from acclaimed dermatologist, Dr Brandt, but his version also gives the flawless finish of fellow complexion correcting creams and has the additional inbuilt 'shinerase' to keep skin.
£34, www.spacenk.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Nip + Fab
The first CC cream from a British company, this complexion corrector cream from Nip+Fab hydrates and illuminates dull skin. It contains moisturising extracts of Soline found in wild sunflowers, and Osilift, which is taken from oats to help tone skin.
£14.95, www.nipandfab.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Chanel
Yet to hit European shores, this upcoming CC cream from beauty giants Chanel is set to be the go-to skin product of the year. Offering high SPF 30 coverage, it provides long-lasting protection as well as instantly refined skin. The cream will be available on the market this August.
£41, www.chanel.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Peter Thomas Roth
Specifically targeting signs of ageing, this CC cream from clinical skin care experts Peter Thomas Roth contains Amazonian superfruits, Arbutin and Camu Camu. These deliver an intense dose of vitamin C which help to revive dull, weathered faces.
$48, www.peterthomasroth.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
N°5 Culture Chanel exhibition, Paris, France
An exquisitely curated retrospective of Chanel N° 5 opened in Paris on the 5 May and continues until early June. It celebrates one of the most iconic scents of our era with an in-depth portrait of the life, loves and inspirations of Gabrielle Chanel which led to the perfume's creation. Letters, paintings and sculptures elucidate the raison-d'être of each element of the Chanel N° 5 design; the black and white livery, sans-serif type, double C monogram, geometric glass flacon and octagonal stopper. These key elements have barely changed in its 90 years of existence, meaning N°5 is as relevant, timeless and enigmatic as when it first appeared, which makes its story - as told at the Palais de Tokyo - well worth experiencing.
Image: Constantin Brancusi, 'Etude pour Mademoiselle Pogany', 1913, Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris
N°5 Culture Chanel, Palais de Tokyo,13, avenue du Président Wilson, Paris: www.5-culture.chanel.com
Writer: Jean Grogan
N°5 Culture Chanel exhibition, Paris, France
An exquisitely curated retrospective of Chanel N° 5 opened in Paris on the 5 May and continues until early June. It celebrates one of the most iconic scents of our era with an in-depth portrait of the life, loves and inspirations of Gabrielle Chanel which led to the perfume's creation. Letters, paintings and sculptures elucidate the raison-d'être of each element of the Chanel N° 5 design; the black and white livery, sans-serif type, double C monogram, geometric glass flacon and octagonal stopper. These key elements have barely changed in its 90 years of existence, meaning N°5 is as relevant, timeless and enigmatic as when it first appeared, which makes its story - as told at the Palais de Tokyo - well worth experiencing.
Image: Philippe Halsman, 'The Essence of Dali', 1954, Private Collection
N°5 Culture Chanel, Palais de Tokyo,13, avenue du Président Wilson, Paris: www.5-culture.chanel.com
Writer: Jean Grogan
N°5 Culture Chanel exhibition, Paris, France
An exquisitely curated retrospective of Chanel N° 5 opened in Paris on the 5 May and continues until early June. It celebrates one of the most iconic scents of our era with an in-depth portrait of the life, loves and inspirations of Gabrielle Chanel which led to the perfume's creation. Letters, paintings and sculptures elucidate the raison-d'être of each element of the Chanel N° 5 design; the black and white livery, sans-serif type, double C monogram, geometric glass flacon and octagonal stopper. These key elements have barely changed in its 90 years of existence, meaning N°5 is as relevant, timeless and enigmatic as when it first appeared, which makes its story - as told at the Palais de Tokyo - well worth experiencing.
Image: Original Chanel N°5 packaging from 1921, Chanel Collection, Paris
N°5 Culture Chanel, Palais de Tokyo,13, avenue du Président Wilson, Paris: www.5-culture.chanel.com
Writer: Jean Grogan
Kjaer Weis' new sustainable mascara
Luxury and organic aren't often found in the same sentence - except when referring to beauty brand Kjaer Weis. Combining the two was instinctive for Danish founder Kirsten Kjaer Weis, who grew up on a rural Danish farm and has worked within the glamorous world of make up artistry for twenty years. Her knowledge of the two worlds collided to inspire her eponymous make up brand three years ago, whose newest offering is this sleek mascara encased in the trademark Kjaer Weis metal case with deep red details. The mascara boasts 99.81% organic ingredients and is refillable (like all of her products). Hands down the most sustainable and environmentally friendly mascara on the market.
Kjaer Weis Mascara, $38; Kjaer Weis Refill, $24; www.kjaerweis.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Duel Supply Co grooming range
In a world increasingly saturated with men's grooming products, it's no surprise that men are becoming exasperated by the bewildering world of beauty. In the midst of this madness, there are some emerging brands fighting to re-simplify grooming for men. One such brand is LA start up Duel Supply Co, which produces an edited selection of beauty necessities for guys. The men behind it, Alex Harman and Chad Jordan, were inspired after stumbling across a barber shop journal from the 1800's - a time when men's grooming was at its most basic. The small product line from the Duel duo includes two colognes, two aftershaves, shaving cream, hair wax and the most masculine of the bunch, beard oil.
www.duelsupplyco.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Duel Supply Co grooming range
In a world increasingly saturated with men's grooming products, it's no surprise that men are becoming exasperated by the bewildering world of beauty. In the midst of this madness, there are some emerging brands fighting to re-simplify grooming for men. One such brand is LA start up Duel Supply Co, which produces an edited selection of beauty necessities for guys. The men behind it, Alex Harman and Chad Jordan, were inspired after stumbling across a barber shop journal from the 1800's - a time when men's grooming was at its most basic. The small product line from the Duel duo includes two colognes, two aftershaves, shaving cream, hair wax and the most masculine of the bunch, beard oil.
www.duelsupplyco.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
Swell Advanced Range for hair
Newborn British haircare brand Swell couldn't wish for a more appropriate pedigree: its founders are hair stylist Andrew Bidwell and homeopath Jonathan Stallick. The debut line is specifically created to take care of fine hair, with a three-part system consists of a volumising, colour-safe shampoo, a nourishing conditioner for a glossy finish and a root nutrient spray composed of 18 botanical ingredients to improve health and growth. The trio (also available in a compact travel version) acts as a natural, protective shield against stress-related hair loss, tangling and blow-drying. Key ingredients include growth-booster Peruvian Maca, Blue Lupin to maintain the hair's colour and an ancient Swiss apple variety which helps fight hair loss.
Advanced Volumizing shampoo, £23; Advanced Volumizing Conditioner, £26; Root Nutrient Complex, £30; www.swellhair.co.uk
Writer: Rosa Bertoli
Givenchy Croisière Limited Edition S/S 2013 make up
Summer months and sun-kissed skin aren't immediately associated with colour cosmetics. Nicolas Degennes, artistic director for Make Up and Colour at Givenchy, has decided to change all this with the newly launched Croisière range, created to complement tanned skin. The limited-edition line is composed of two lipsticks with coordinated nail polishes in purple and coral. The jewel-hues come in a mix of matte and shiny finishes. The white leather casing is a departure from the House's more habitual black packaging and brings the cosmetics in line with Givenchy's creative director Ricardo Tisci's S/S 2013 ready-to-wear collection, which featured an abundance of white detailing.
Le Rouge Lipstick, £24; Le Vernis Nail Polish, £15; www.givenchybeauty.com
Writer Rosa Bertoli
Susanne Kaufmann's new Line M Range
Devoted minimalist and organic entrepreneur Susanne Kaufmann is celebrating the ten year anniversary this year of her eponymous natural beauty brand. Her ethos is all about needs rather that wants, so the organic offerings are made up of beauty products she classes as necessities. Kaufmann's most recent project is a refined selection of grooming essentials for men called Line M, which includes an eye gel, aftershave balm and regeneration cream, all of which contain soothing ingredients such as witch hazel to keep skin content.
Moisturizing Gel, €69; Eye Gel, €49; Regeneration Cream, €57; Shower/Shampoo, €42; www.susannekaufmann.com
Writer: Romy van den Broeke
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