Archive for the ‘Hot Fashion’ Category
Some Modern Skin Care Magic Thanks to an Ancient Papyrus Scroll & a Tenacious Plastic Surgeon
On a whim, Bay Area facial plastic surgeon Stanley Jacobs bought a 600 page tome from the 1930s and discovered a recipe promising to "make an old man into a youth" from a mysterious Ancient Egyptian scroll dating back 3,600 years. Dubbed the "Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus," it had been discovered in the early 20th century, but never fully translated; most intriguing was the fact that the long-forgotten skincare-serum formula had, according to the hieroglyphics, been “proven good a million times.” A highly advanced civilization, Egyptians were also master chemists and physicians who mixed medicines and performed surgeries – and guided by their belief in everlasting life, these early pharmacists to the queens and pharaohs formulated a royal ointment to keep skin smooth and youthful.
So Jacobs enlisted the translating help of a prominent Egyptologist, and nearly a decade of archaeological travel and research later, he was finally able to discover the key ingredient: "hemayet" or mandelic acid. An alpha hydroxy acid and close cousin of glycolic acid that is derived from the bitter almond, the mandelic acid molecule is larger which means it penetrates the skin more slowly – making it less irritating and its beneficial action more sustained. It also means it can be used on all skin types and with varying skin pigmentation, both to diminish brown spots and to neutralize acne bacteria for fewer breakouts.
To recreate the Egyptian serum, Jacobs then teamed up with Jules Zecchino, a former Vice President of Innovation and Applied Research at Estee Lauder and longtime industry vet responsible for skincare classics like Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Capsules, Estee Lauder’s Fruition, Resilience, Idealist, Perfectionist and Illusionist, Vaseline Intensive Care Lotions, and Clinique’s All About Eyes & Turnaround creams. Together, they brought the ancient potion back to life as Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum with Mandelic Acid
Test subjects applied the serum to their faces and necks twice daily. Each week, the patients’ eyelids, cheeks, jowls, and necks were tested with a Cutometer - a device which measures the firmness and flexibity , or viscoelasticity, of the skin to one millionth of an inch – and by the fourth and fifth weeks, some patients were seeing as much as 85% improvement. “The Egyptians put such a weighted emphasis on protecting and minimizing the aging of skin, so it seems logical that they would have developed specific, natural chemicals, which we should explore and
utilize for modern man,” notes Jacobs. "The power and
knowledge of the ancient Egyptians coupled with modern science will — at long last — empower people with
the ability to maintain their youth," adds Zecchino. " And this is just the beginning.”
Which is true, as Dr. Jacobs is planning on expanding the line to include daytime moisturizers, facial cleanser, eye cream, night cream, facial scrubs, weekly home peels, acne solutions, and sunscreens.
Visco-Elastic Transforming Serum with Mandelic Acid is now available at Amazon.com.
- Lesley Scott
(bitter almond crop image via wikipedia)
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Steal her Look: Freida Pinto
Cute Flats for the Price of a Few Lattes…Plus Win a VIP All-Fashion Pass to Fashion’s Night Out in NYC
Cute right? Guess where they're from! Give up…already? Oh, alright: CLICK HERE to find out and snag yourself a pair (or three). These same fab footwear folks are also giving away an All-Fashion Pass to NYC during Fashion Week and a chance to participate in this year's Fashion's Night Out festivities.
- Lesley Scott
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A Fabulous Face & Body SPF 30 Suncream from Erno Lazlo
Ever since the derm had to remove a benign basal cell starting to sprout on our forehead – penance, no doubt, for a few too many college afternoons spent lounging lazily in the mid-afternoon sun slathered in baby oil – we've become certifiably sunblock obsessed. We've tried almost every one on the market, from pricey to drugstore to organic & all natural – and in our (totally non-scientific) guess'timation, at least 9 out of 10 sun protection lotions & creams feel too greasy, render you disco-ball shiny, or worst of all, leave you shiny and broken out! So after one too many broken promises of "comedogenic" and "matte", we approached this Erno Lazlo Total Face & Body Protection SPF 30 with a healthy amount of been-there-done-that skepticism.
Which is why we were more than a little pleasantly surprised at how lightweight and relatively non-shiny this powerful broad-spectrum sunblock is (just follow with a light dusting of powder or a quick touchup with your fave blotting paper). It contains Shea butter to nourish and moisturize, green tea extract to calm your complexion, antioxidant
vitamin E to fight premature aging, and mineral-rich sea water to help retain your skin's natural moisture. Because it actually lives up to promise, we've even started using it to moisturize and protect our hands after we wash them.
At it's not exactly cheap, but the tube is generous and because you'll actually use it regularly, what it will save you in future anti-aging procedures: priceless! Available at ErnoLazlo.com.
- Lesley Scott
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Where’d She Get It: Megan Fox’s Shoes
Megan Fox wore these brown Sam Edelman gladiator wedges while in Studio City, California. Here’s where you can get them:
Tie-Dye Goes Upscale at the Cross-Cultural Exhibition “To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color”
With so much tie-dye on the runways of late, it's fun to explore the history of the technique which spans both the centuries and the globe. The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) is investigating the trend in "To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color," a new exhibition opening at the de Young on July 31 which features over 50 textiles and costumes from a variety of cultures and historical periods that include a diverse array of resist-dye examples from Africa,
Asia and the Americas.
Tie-dye is just one example of the resist-dye method, an inclusive term used for the process of dyeing textiles to form patterns by preventing dye from reaching specific areas of the cloth. Methods of resist dyeing include tie-dye, stitch-resist, batik or wax-resist dyeing, stencil-resist, mordant-resist, and ikat (warp- or weft-resist dyeing). “To Dye For not only highlights the museum’s impressive permanent collection of textiles, but also shows how cultures across the world have used similar techniques for centuries—with results that are sometimes similar, and at other times startlingly different," explains FAMSF textile curator Jill D’Alessandro. "The end result will be a stunning array of
textures, patterns and color.”
Exhibition highlights include:
– a
tie-dyed tunic from the Wari-Nasca culture of pre-Hispanic Peru (A.D.
500–900)
- a paste-resist Mongolian felt rug from the 15th–17th
centuries
- a group of stitch-resist dyed 20th-century kerchiefs
from the Dida people of the Ivory Coast
These historical pieces are contrasted with artworks from contemporary Bay Area artists like Judith Content, Ana Lisa Hedstrom, Angelina DeAntonis and Yoshiko Wada.
Modern fashion examples include an elegant tie-dye evening gown from Rodarte’s 2009 collection and an ikat trench coat from Oscar de La Renta’s 2005 collection, both of which foreshadowed the current spring/summer trend of tribal-infused fashions such as Dries Van Noten’s and Gucci’s ikats and Proenza Schouler’s and Calvin Klein’s tie-dyes.
The exhibition also showcases several pieces from the museum's own collection, including an early-20th-century ikat woven skirt from the Iban people of Sarawak, Malaysia, two exquisite hand-painted and mordant-dyed Indian trade cloths used as heirloom textiles by the Toraja peoples of Sulawesi, Indonesia, and a recently rediscovered ceremonial cloth
(kumo) from the T’boli people of Mindanao, Philippines. Measuring 74×84 inches and woven in three panels sewn together, the cloth is made from abaca and dyed with a warp-resist
(ikat). Characteristic of the T’boli ikat weaving, the cloth is dyed in a rich and sophisticated color scheme of black and red set off by intricate ikat patterns drawn in the natural abaca. This cloth is part of a larger collection of fine
and rare textiles from the Philippines gifted to the museum in 1938; despite being in the collection for over 70 years, this will be the first time this exquisite cloth will be exhibited.
"To Dye For: A World Saturated in Color" is on display from July 31, 2010 through January 9, 2011. FAMSF.org.
IMAGES:
TOP – clockwise: Trench coat by Oscar de la Renta, 2005 made from a warp-faced plain weave silk with warp-resist dyeing (ikat) and crocheted synthetic raffia & leather belt; Felt rug from Mongolia, 15th – 17th century – stencil-resist dyed; Woman's silk chapan robe from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, ca. 1860–1870 – warp-faced plain weave & warp-resist dyeing (ikat); Cotton skirt panel (sarong) from Java, Indonesia, ca. 1900 – plain weave & wax-resist dyeing (batik).
MIDDLE: Cotton wall hanging or bedcover (palampore) from India, 18th–19th century plain weave – mordant- and resist-dyeing & painting.
RUNWAY: via style.com
BOTTOM: Marisma "Salt Marsh" Judith Content, 2003 – Thai silk; shibori dyed, discharged, pieced, quilted and appliquéd.
- Lesley Scott
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Steal her Look: Natalie Portman
By All Means, Shop Online Already! Just Be Sure to Do it Safely with AVG Antivirus Protection
The hunt for playful wardrobe additions, snagging those early fall previews, snapping up steals & deals – and all sans annoying crowds, lines and other annoyances of shopping offline. Plus there's the fact that all your new treasures are delivered right to your door. Fabulous.
Not so fabulous: while you're busy stalking online bargains, hackers are busily stalking you and setting sneaky traps that ensnared a good 20% of online shoppers last year alone, according to Consumer Reports.
Fortunately, you can fight back, and for free! AVG Technologies has been in the anti-virus protection biz for years, and currently helps over 110
million people around the globe stay safe. Their AVG LinkScanner software analyzes the web pages behind any links or sites you're viewing to make sure they're not one of those 24-hour "here today, gone tomorrow" web threats lurking almost everywhere these days, from small sites to government pages to well-known brands. The AVG Identity Protection feature keeps an eye on how programs on your computer interact and if something seems fishy (or phish-y for that matter) shuts that activity down to protect your credit card numbers, passwords, banking info and other private data. And AVG Internet Security 9.0 combines a firewall, identity protection, and antivirus detection against developing new threats. In other words, they help you and your files stay safe whether you're surfing, searching, emailing, chatting, social networking, banking, or, yes, shopping.
Here are a few tips from AVG Technologies to help you stay smart and sexy while you bargain hunt…and avoid becoming the hunted:
- Look for the “https” in the URL. The “s” ensures security.
- A locked padlock icon in the address bar or on the bottom right corner is also a good sign: it means the site is approved by a trusted third party.
- If the Internet address bar is green, it means you are probably safe from phishing and online fraud, as it requires an ‘extended validation SSL certificate.’
- Limit your shopping to trusted online sites or brands that have a safe reputation for added peace of mind.
-Online security software is a must. You can download AVG free here (PC) or get Linkscanner for Mac (also free).
- Lastly: bear in mind that no security solution can replace common sense. When in doubt, don’t make the transaction or give away any personal information.
- For more handy dandy safety tips, be sure to check out this fun video featuring the Brainy AVG Guy.
- Lesley Scott
(NOTE: This post may have been sponsored by AVG Technologies, but the words and opinions are 100% ours.)
(image at top – source; above – source)
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