Soft Beauty in Focus on the Spring Runways

Despite the extreme beauty statements on many runways, chicness and a natural beauty approach inspired many of the hair and makeup looks at New York’s Spring 2013 Fashion Week. There was an emphasis on softness and understated sex appeal. 

Textured hair designs embraced curves and bends. At Altuzarra low buns were knotted to mimic a kimono’s obi tie. The Jason Wu runway welcomed “mermaid waves” cascading down the models’ backs. Delicate crimps replaced super straight blowouts at Thakoon. “Spring is all about having an effortless and relaxed look,” said hair stylist Tiffany Mauk (PaulMitchell.com).

Fresh faces and nails glowed under the spotlights. The beauty team at Rodarte was influenced by the dusk and dawn hued scenes of the classic movie “Days of Thunder”. Diane Von Furstenberg wanted to enhance each model’s natural bone structure with subtle highlighting. A pearlized effect was achieved on nails by layering nude and pale shimmery polish at BCBG. “We want the girls to be extremely perfect but in a simple way,” said Tom Pechaux, BCBG's chief backstage makeup artist (Style.com).

Guido Palau of Redken shared his spring trend conclusion. “This is an especially sensual season for beauty,” said Palau (YouBeauty.com).
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Beauty Services Turn Ugly in the Wrong Hands

You have always considered yourself fashionable. Finally you have a little money to burn and want to step your personal style up another notch. You bought the new Alexander Wang tote, the Helmut Newton pencil skirt, and the A.L.C. blouse to get you started. It is time for hair and makeup! You decide to get some professional help to complete your transformation from girl next door to hip sophisticate. Young, polished, and professional is the mantra you want to adopt with a little help from a beauty guru or two. 

Online you research cosmetics lines and salons paying attention to their reviews and galleries. You add images of your desired new look to Pinterest for inspiration. Angelina Jolie's picture is the epitome of natural chic. Her face is minimal, sultry, and luminous. Rihanna's picture encapsulates the power of a sharp haircut. Her pixie is edgy, classic, and modern. You are no ingenue or rock star but surely these looks are achievable with expert direction. 

Your makeover day has arrived. Your chosen cosmetics line is legendary in the industry. Every color is at their artists’ disposal and every application technique is crafted to perfection. Your selected salon is a best kept secret with a cult following. Executives, models, and artists round out 

their client profile. Why do you exit the doors of both establishments feeling like you just broke up with your boyfriend? The makeup artist made you look like a drag queen despite you hinting “approachable” every step of the way. When the hairstylist swiveled the chair around to the mirror you resembled every other client being serviced that day even though you kept repeating “punky”. 

Almost every woman has had experiences similar to these. Incompetent beauty professionals are to blame. Professional women spend their hard earned money and their precious time in the hands of “experts” who do not listen, do not deviate from one prescribed look, and do not set aside their egos to service their clients effectively. Ladies, never leave any service unhappy or demand a refund. Never forget, “the customer is always right.”
Image courtesy Gopixpic.com

Exotic Traditions Add Spice to Traditional Beauty Treatments

Ethnic inspired beauty treatments are a growing trend in New York. The city is a melting pot of women from every corner of the globe. According to 2010 census data New York's racial composition is increasingly "non-white". The growing population of minorities and immigrants is changing mainstream beauty standards and impacting how women choose to care for themselves. "Exotic appeal" is a buzz word in fashion and beauty. The "All American" look is becoming sidelined in favor of multi-cultural features. Liane Membis of CNN said, "Over the past decade, an appreciation for ethnic beauty has been on the rise." This interest in all things exotic is shaping the beauty industry. Traditional treatments from various countries are adding exotic appeal to salon and spa menus.

Indian eyebrow threading salons like Shobha line many streets offering a gentler and more precise alternative to waxing procedures. Salons like Annabelle's in the East Village are seeing a rise in non-hispanic clients requesting the popular Dominican roller set and blowout instead of the once dominant flat iron straightening. Dominican salon enthusiasts rave that their hair is fuller and healthier when styled with these techniques. Spa connoisseurs are more often indulging in ancient bath house environments over modern oases. Clients can choose from Korean jjimjilbang indulgence at Aura Wellness spa or Japanese ryokan pampering at Shibui Spa.

Not only do these exotic treatments hint at emulating the beauty of women from their cultural origins, they present a mental getaway for patrons. Multi-tasking New Yorkers desire a virtual escape from urban life even if it lasts only an hour. Susie Ellis of Spafinder.com said, “These are full-on experiences that can range from romantic to ritual-like treatments.”

How to Go Flapper for the Jazz Age Lawn Party

Do you know what a pin curl, a cupid's bow, or a half moon manicure are? If the answer is no, you are not ready to go deco at the Jazz Age Lawn Party. The long anticipated annual event, hosted by retro enthusiast Michael Aranella, is June 15th-16th on Governor's Island. The annual event has become a magnet for style journalists and bloggers enchanted by the dazzling array of vintage fashion and beauty looks on display. Past events have been publicized by Women's Wear Daily and The Sartorialist. So how does a modern fashionista master the flapper girl beauty regime? 

Bobbed hair is the quintessential flapper fashion statement. As an alternative, many silent screen starlets, like Mary Pickford, opted to don styles that were first pin curled then pinned up in the back to emulate a cropped silhouette. Pin curling is a wet set technique. First wash and condition hair, apply setting lotion, then roll individual lengths of hair around the fingers, lay flat to dry, and use bobby pins to secure. Once dry unravel the curls and softly brush to form face framing waves. Roaring twenties makeup focused on the lips since products for the face and eyes were not as refined and easy to use as they are today. Crude forms of blushes, foundations, and mascaras were used by artists on film sets, but the everyday flapper kept it minimal. Clara Bow popularized the “cupid’s bow” lip look. To emulate this trend retrace your lip line in a pouty heart shape to define and minimize the mouth. Finish by filling in the center with a red or brown toned creamy lipstick. 

1920s manicures were the precursor to today’s highly graphic nail art. The natural nail color was exposed to reveal a half moon shape at the nail bed while saturated color highlighted the nail from center to tip. The process is like doing a reverse French manicure. Take a French manicure design strip and place it starting at the bottom third of the nail, overlapping the nail bed. Paint the dominant two thirds of the nail in your primary color. Once the color is dry gently peel away the strip to achieve an old Hollywood manicure. 

Vintage style resources like the blogs Glamour Daze, Bobby Pin, and the Fedora Lounge forum offer additional advice on reliving the age of decadence. The Art Deco Society of California has a page called "How to Gatsby: Hair and Makeup". The newest film adaptation of The Great Gatsby is inspiring the jazz age trend according to Kari Molvar of Harper's Bazaar. Look to the film for more flapper beauty inspiration.
Image courtesy Dfashioncity.com

Brooklyn Beauty

“Given the labor markets, becoming a new artisan will be the best employment path forward for many,” said SmallBusinessLabs.com based on a 2008 report. With mainstream jobs on the decline many unemployed are finding the best career option is to become their own boss. The artisanal movement is a trend that emerged from the Great Recession and has become synonymous with Brooklyn culture. Local hipsters have capitalized on the trend, making Brooklyn a mecca of artisanry. The city is a source for many handmade items, including an array of apothecary products. 

Popular lines are specialized to reflect the formulators’ unique philosophies on beauty care. Adina Grigore of Sprout Wellness started mixing products because the typical drugstore and department store brands are too harsh for her ultra-sensitive skin. Angela Shore bases her line, Jiva Apoha, on Ayurvedic principles and shamanism. The rock n’ roll lifestyle inspires Armour Beauty designer Theo Kogan. Amanda Walker created A Perfume Organic as an anti-allergy line. It is one of only five American fragrance companies that is USDA certified organic. Emma Graves’ Between You and the Moon focuses on her own “Triangulator” theory of healing arts. “Scent is Life” is the modernist mantra of C.B. I Hate perfume founder Christopher Brosius. Developing a niche idea has been the key to success with these beauty entrepreneurs.

Small scale beauty companies have created a market tuned into New Yorkers looking for something they cannot find at Sephora, Duane Reade, or Saks Fifth Avenue. Part of the appeal is that “artisanal” carries the cache of being “exclusive”. In a city with everything at a person’s fingertips, possessing something locally sourced is a status symbol. “Their products have both fed wealthy New Yorkers’ demand for custom-made, non-mass-producible goods and created new demand for those items among the middle class,” said Will Oremus of Slate. New York’s elite supporting the local economy while staying beautiful is a trend custom-made in Brooklyn.
Image courtesy Fragrantica.com

Beauty Innovator: Edris Nichols

A bright red sign simply displays “Edris” at the corner of West 14th Street and Washington Street. Visitors lodging at the nearby Hotel Gansevoort and the Jane spill onto the sidewalk. Luxury boutiques like Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Diane Von Furstenberg line the surrounding streets. Who or what is Edris? Edris is a space filled with relics of African, Asian, and European origin. Edris is the execution of a business plan based on modern sensibility and organic resources. Edris is the namesake salon of hairdresser Edris Nichols. 

Edris, a native of the Caribbean, first became interested in hair as a teenager. She studied cosmetology as part of a New York high school vocational program. From there she trained under Warren Tricomi. Edris has developed a strong presence in the New York fashion and beauty scene. Edris represents a style aesthetic that blends uptown elegance with downtown edge according to LinkedIn.com. Edris’s mission is to service a multi-cultural and multi-textured clientele desiring a unique approach to hair care. 

Upon opening her salon in 2003, Edris was ahead of the curve with her unique approach. NaturallyCurly.com reports that beauty companies are increasingly developing products to meet the demands of wavy and curly haired customers, salon services for highly textured hair are becoming more varied, and consumers of many races are seeking haircare that rebels against the societal preference for straight hair. Edris was one of the first luxury salons to embrace this trend and offer high fashion style for coiled hair. Her signature techniques have landed her clients including Iman and Naomi Campbell as well as backstage work for designers such as Tracey Reese.

Alison P. Davis, a correspondent for Elle, shares her own Edris experience in the article “Blown Away”. Davis was once ashamed of her curly hair and overwhelmed with how to care for it. After a visit with Edris, the journalist said, “ The rest of the day is like a Pantene ad.” 
Phot courtesy Giltcity.com

 

Beauty Jobs in High Demand

Careers in the beauty industry are rapidly increasing in New York. Career openings in marketing and development, cosmetology, esthetics, and massage therapy are growing according to Susan Ewing Miller, a beauty industry expert at CareerRookie.com. With the New York City jobless rate at 9.2 percent, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, new college graduates may find a lucrative career path in beauty culture.

Miller highlights six attributes of the beauty industry that reveal the potential for a promising future:

1. The beauty industry is broad in scope. Potential employees can seek opportunities in salons and spas, entertainment, fashion, research and development, and entrepreneurship.
2. The beauty industry is consistent. In a bad economy job seekers put greater emphasis on appearance to maintain a competitive edge. Applicants are choosing to embrace more beauty services to help them look their best.
3. The beauty industry is personal and local. In a world where outsourcing and computerized assistance has become the norm, beauty industry professionals can count on job availability despite these trends. Beauty services rely on experts close at hand to provide a personalized touch.
4. The beauty industry embraces technological advances. Fresh discoveries in science and technology are the basis for new treatments and new products. As cutting-edge research about biology and chemistry is uncovered, the more beauty industry sales increase due to implementing those resources.
5. The beauty industry is growing. The National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences reports that job vacancies in the beauty fields are increasing beyond many traditional professional occupations.
6. The beauty industry requires continued education. With trends in fashion, beauty, and wellness constantly evolving, related professionals must always stay in tune with new developments. A beauty career means consistent acquisition of new skill sets.

       

New York City has a variety of career and training programs for the beauty industry: 

1. College Degree Programs. F.I.T. offers bachelor and master degree programs in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.
2. Certification Programs. Schools like Arrojo Cosmetology School, Empire Beauty School, and Swedish Institute provide vocational education programs in cosmetology, esthetics, and massage therapy.

Jim Cox, executive director of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools said, “The old stereotype that only kids that can’t get into college go to beauty school — that’s gone.” Cox and Lynelle Lynch of Bellus Academy expressed the importance of the beauty industry in today’s economy to The New York Times. Lynch is positive about her students’ prospects. Lynch said, “The industry is much more sophisticated than it once was.”

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