Travelling smart!

In my quest to hang on to my personal effects whilst flying round the world, I've stumbled onto this little gem.
Travalo is a pocket sized 8cm refillable perfume atomizer spray bottle that can be filled in seconds. With its unique pump action there's no need for a funnel, so no spills which means you don't have to suffer an accidental perfume overload. Packing an incredible 50 sprays plus a small window to see when you're running low, this aircraft grade aluminium bottle is safe and tough enough to carry your favourite fragrance wherever you go... and it's even allowed in your hand luggage!

Tasty fragrances!

There's a fine line between the beauty industry and the food industry, and I'm often enlisted to consult on those cross over projects.

So whilst scouring this years SIAL Paris for interesting and unusual innovations I discovered this attractive and just plain tasty range of organic food flavourings that tickled my sensorial taste buds like expensive perfume.

Brum' is a new concept of airless aluminium spray cans containing organic essential oils and natural flavours to enhance or even replace fresh herbs, flowers and citrus fruits. From black pepper and fennel to grapefruit and geranium, it's like Chanel for food lovers!

Love my face!

Thanks to my myface cosmetics, I have made the transition from summer glow to autumn glam without missing a beat!
myface cosmetics make it easy for non-professionals to get the make-up artist finish. Divided into the three skin tone categories, fair, medium and dark, each range allows the consumer to get the right blend of colours to suit their complexion. Lipstick tones match blushers which in turn compliment the foundations. So no more unnecessary purchases, it's a one stop shop to looking good.

Nailed it!

Well the French beauty consumer has spoken! Or at least let us in the business know that even in a recession looking good matters right down to our finger tips.
Statistics show that in the past year colour cosmetics sales in France's mass retail have risen by 2.6% with Nails leading the pack at whopping 10% rise. Eyes are next with a 2.7% rise followed by Face at 2.6% and Lips at 1.2%.
There's nothing like a little colour to lift the spirits!

From ice lollies to fat loss!

The Zeltiq technology was developed after scientists in the US noted that children who sucked a lot of ice lollies had unusually hollow cheeks.
The reason for this they discovered is that fat cells freeze and die at a much less extreme temperature than skin and muscle cells.
According to testimonials from people who have had the treatment it is "uncomfortable" but not painful and recovery time is short. I've checked around and the price is quite high (approximately 1000€ per session), but still a better solution than liposuction! I'm going to wait for the day we can all buy a Zeltiq at the corner store (remember the Walkman?!)

A change is in the air!

How many times have you had to reluctantly give up your favourite lip gloss, hand cream, even mascara because you forgot it was in your bag when going through airport security! Even having carefully measured out my toiletries into flight friendly containers, there’s always something that gets forgotten. Well there was good news at the meeting of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) last week in Montreal for those of us who can’t live without our lotions and potions. Within the next two years the current restrictions will be lifted thanks to new explosive detecting technology.
My question today is what actually happens to all the good stuff that gets confiscated?!

2000 years of looking good!

How does an olive tree span 2000 years? That was the question that prompted the founders of Millea, in collaboration with “Nicolas Alziari” the world-renowned makers of fine ‘grand crus” olive oil since 1868, to create this range of high performance organic skincare. Ecologically responsible, certified organic by Ecocert and dedicated to sustainable development, Millea offer their clients the opportunity to participate with the kit “an olive tree for life”. Each kit contains three olive tree seeds to be planted as a small gesture in maintaining the balance of nature!

Peel, Seal and Reveal

They say never judge a book by its cover, but with MD Corrective Care that’s what first caught my eye. The bright, colourful and inviting packaging made me want to take a closer look, and when I did, I found that the within those fun covers were medical grade power packed formulas that simplify professional skincare. MD Corrective Care's second skin technology addresses aging skin, oily and acne prone skin, sensitive skin and photo damaged - hyper pigmented skin. I especially like their “Instant spot lightener” for those “old lady” freckles.

My latest "Coup de Coeur"

This fun, scrumptious brand of organic skincare Pulpe de Vie won the "Coup de Coeur" at this
year's Beyond beauty, and it's not hard to see why!
Their values are simple: Innovation, Quality, Efficiency and Sustainable Development. They source locally produced organic ingredients, reducing their carbon footprint to a minimum and helping small fruit producers diversify their organic production!
The products also look great, smell wonderful and the web site is terrific. Definitely a brand to watch!