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If you haven’t seen Kseniya Simonova’s winning performance at the Ukrainian version of Britain’s Got Talent with her sand animation, you really should watch this.
If you’re in the mood for something a little less sentimental, check out New York Magazine’s profile of Carrie Fisher.
The recession has claimed another victim - and this time it’s a particularly pretty one. Prescriptives, the cosmetics company owned and distributed by Estee Lauder is closing up shop. By the end of January 2010, the brand will be no more.
The main reason cited for the line’s close? The brand’s “long term business model is no longer viable in the current market environment,” so they’re looking to re-organize resources to focus on other areas.
I’ll be wearing black for a week to get over this news.
Prescriptives was one of the first mainstream companies to embrace the wide range of skin colours women have. Their Custom Blend service made them the go-to brand for many women frustrated with the lack of shades available for women of all colours - their “colourprint” service would literally mix the exact colour of your skin - it made buying foundation fun. If you’re a Prescriptives lady, now is the time to head to your local department store and buy up your favourites.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of using this line, here’s what I recommend snatching up before the lights go out next year:
Calyx Exhilarating Fragrance*. This was dubbed as a five-star masterpiece of a perfume by renowned fragrance critic, Luca Turin - he says this fruity, floral mix is one of the few perfumes a woman could wear for her entire life. I agree.
All Skins Mineral Makeup SPF 15. An oil-free, 16-hour long-wear foundation containing amethyst and rose quartz that makes skin glow.
Flawless Face Primer. A fantastic smoothing primer that contains the anti-oxidant green tea. It does everything a primer should do: soften fine lines, control oil and give the complexion a boost before applying foundation.
*Good news - Prescriptives may be shutting down, but Calyx will still be sold in fragrance bars and department stores via a different distributor.
Wednesday night on ABC, Cougar Town, starring Courtney Cox, is going to take on the midlife dating scene. Here are some links to get you in the mood:
So what do you think - is cougar a way you want to self-identify? Is the trend to take back this term a positive one, or one you’d rather avoid?
Have you all seen this book (and website) - The Superior Wife Syndrome? There’s an article about it at the Globe and Mail website as well.
Now apparently women’s competence at the tasks at home - or at least the crowing about thereof - is destroying marriages. You too can take the quiz, get your score, and see if your superiority is at work harming your relationship.
I mean, I get it… I have felt perhaps the slightest twinge of the Superior Wife “Syndrome.”
And yet, I don’t. Why is it that all the marriage advice seems to be directed at women? Ooops, there goes that syndrome again.
I recently revamped my shopping habits overnight thanks to a new bylaw in Toronto: Retailers are now required to charge a minimum of 5 cents for every plastic bag. I had thought I was reasonably ecologically on the ball by using reuseable bags and plastic totes for groceries, but I’d never really considered it when it comes to purchases like clothing or shoes.
Of course saving the planet this way leads to new dilemmas like: Which bag to carry? And that brings us to ALDO’s partnership with YouthAIDS and its 2009 ALDO Fights AIDS (AFA) campaign. ALDO’s world-class designers have created three collectible, limited-run reusable AFA Tote Bags to raise
money in support of YouthAIDS’ education and prevention programs in South Africa. The full story and more pics of the bags are available at ALDO’s website - you can even buy one online. By purchasing a tote for only $10, you will help provide one young person with the information and tools he or she needs to be protected from HIV for up to one year. 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of the totes will go to help fund YouthAIDS programs in South Africa and worldwide.
Happily, I have two of the bags to give away as well, so here’s the challenge: email me at jgruden@more.ca with your best shopping tip and you can win one - and your tips may be featured in a More.ca article a little closer to the holiday season.
Catch coverage of the Vancouver open calls for the More 40+ Model Search on ET Canada tonight!
ETA: Actually there was a schedule change - but there will be a longer piece later on ET Canada we hope. Stay tuned!
I took salsa classes in 1988 solely because of Baby and Johnny’s dance in Dirty Dancing. And it wasn’t Jennifer Grey who inspired me! There was something remarkably archetypal or maybe iconic in Swayze’s character: Did I ever - well the right word isn’t admire; maybe ‘lust after’ - his willingness to shepherd Baby through her transition from dating boys to dating men that really resonated with me at the time. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” indeed.
The dancing was not entirely a success, but a man did come along - that’s another story though!
This has been a strange summer for celebrity losses: Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, John Hughes, Patrick Swayze. It’s a good reminder to get out there and dance, no matter who inspires you. So fess up: Did you attempt Baby’s salsa?
I love my job. It may not be original but that’s the thought that came up over and over after I went to the More 40+ Model Search open call event at Tabi at Bayview Village yesterday. It was absolutely amazing to get to meet so many brave and, of course, beautiful women lining up to meet Linda and hand over their applications for the contest. Get the details and enter quick - the deadline is coming up!
It’s everyone’s stories that always get to me and I heard quite a few - from women in the midst of career change to women who had suffered really harsh losses and who were honouring those losses by going forward with their own dreams.
Everyone got a little pampering with a makeover from Yves Saint Laurent for each applicant and a skin care analysis from NeoStrata. I even managed to get some women on camera (and speaking of being brave, I’m still learning to shoot web video). Here’s Gloria talking about why she entered! I’ll be sharing more videos later on.
Today is the first open call for the More 40+ Model Search - in Ottawa, at the Bayshore Shopping Centre. Next up: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. I myself will be at the Toronto event (at least at the start), and I’m hoping to meet some of you there.
If you have been procrastinating about your entry, stop. Enter now. Deadline is September 21!
(Details are at the link, as are instructions on how to enter.)
It’s not easy to find a day spa that fits.I like my spa experiences to err on the side of high tech and minimalist: beauty therapists in official white coats, space-age machines and celebrities sneaking out the back exit.
I have many friends who prefer the complete opposite - an earthy, homey atmosphere with a relaxed vibe and a focus on well being, not just the latest way to zap a few wrinkles off your face.Here’s the happy medium - Healthwinds, a mid-town Toronto spa created by 55-year-old Kailee Kline. It’s a light, contemporary space with bamboo, ground quartz and calming water features and you won’t get eye rolled by any snooty young things at the front desk when you ask a question about a treatment.
Kline says she wanted to build a spa with a holistic, calming focus that was also sophisticated and chic; she’s done just that. Healthwinds uses organic and all-natural product lines like Eminence and Cellcosmet and features personal touches like a premium tea bar filled with mood-boosting snacks (baked on premises).
They also make a point of scheduling appointments with an extra 15 minutes tacked on to discuss any health or beauty concerns prior to starting and play host to special lecture series on topics like relationships and stress relief. It all adds up to a great spot for spa newbies and regulars alike.
Do you have a local, great spa? Tell us about it in the comments!
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