LYRA MAG.

PART ONE: Coming - arriving-the latest beauty tools and makeup trends ...sourced from tradeshows -which is where  all those niche, luxury and mass beauty lines often get their products from. Hence  a lot of similar goodies for consumers-seem to be launched around the same time-like the matte-hydration, long lasting-bold lipstick trend. via GIPHY At recent MakeUp in NewYork trade show -we had a few minutes to cruise around...and gave a thumbs up to Jepson 's smooth (patented) anti-microbial makeup sponges perfect for even applications of foundation, BB creams, suncreams' kind of textures. Pictured-2 types-made of smooth/soft silicone which is naturally a lot more 'clean'-anti-microbial/anti-odor...and ez to clean... and the Duo-Sili Sponge-smooth.scoft silicone one one side...and optional materials on the other-including the more traditional material. NICE.

ORLANE PARIS, NOTE COSMETICS, TALIKA, VOTRE VU Finding it tough to perk up for the holidays? Putting on a happy face...may not be authentic...but putting on a new lipstick-or other beauty-hair products...imo- proven mood booster ...that won't break the budget. Part One: via GIPHY source xovain.com BEAUTY TIPS: Privately owned premium French brands are some of  the highest quality beauty products in the world.  ORLANE Paris    year round guaranteed sun glow- comes in this pretty compact brighten up any skin tone. The Powder Multi-Soleil =4 complementary luminous colors-in formula packed with skin healers like moisturizing hyaluronic acid and vitamins a, c, and e. Paraben free too. (Giftable for sure- gift wrapping available).

wwhhhhooooa!-The "future of makeup..."msrp $300 From TechDrive . IMO-def. more useful than our Google Glass relic.

 Empire Hotel, NYC A 21st century interpretation of the Tudor-Elizabethean era was Mehron Make-up Artist Orlando Santiago's inspiration aka "…to complement the regal Saunder collection, I created this high-end renaissance-like beauty. The skin was porcelain with a very intense, merlot sculpted lip, to give a bit of an edge." Mary Ellen Best -Painter Queen Elizabeth I editorial look-with the blanking out of the eye area-emphasizing the lips and color of eyes Orlando Santiago Face: Celebre Pro HD Make-up, Mixing Liquid, Face Smoothie EYES-in this picture -INtense Pro Pressed Powder Pigment in Pure Lightening, Detailiz in White, Brows-AgGem, Celebre Pro HD Loose Mineral Finishing Powder in Translucent, Celebre Pro HD make-up Cheeks/Contour:  E.Y.E. Powder in Cocoa LIPS: Celebre Pro HD Make-Up, E.Y.E. Liner Pencil in Brown, L.I.P. Cream in Cherrywood  Eyes:-in the above pic -E.Y.E. Powder in Cocoa, Espresso and Black Onyx, L.I.P. cream in Wild...

Spotlight Day: Midtown Loft Part 1 Her Nails Rock, Tat2U Cosmetics, M.Asam, Monthly Express, Arts&Scents, My Amazing Blow Dry Secret® Beauty Press organizes media events that allows smaller niche beauty brands and services ---to demo their wares to invited guests form the print and virtual worlds. Smart on stop way to get the buzz going in a marketplace that offers up a lot. ZOYA NAIL POLISHES... We made a beeline for the manicure post-under the auspices of NY Fashion Week staple AJA Clovis of @HerNailsRock---who we see backstage-with her team- painting talons longer than ours (ha ha)…in custom looks designed by ZOYA NAILS . talented manicurists also got the models' nails all ready backstage at NYFW-ZANG TOI Fall 2014. We had ours done-and manicures done by professionals always last longer,  TAT2U Makeup We go to enough makeup trade shows to know that private labels are often "behind" the names of many bold named makeup...

Tenth Ave./NYC Ellis Faas, Jane Scrivner, Kjaer Weis, Portland General Store, Susanne Kaufmann  Smaller brands of skincare can get overlooked in our mass marketed world-but some of our favored products to use-are made by Asian and European based companies that have limited distribution, anywhere. From a nifty company based in Queens- BSQ International- a table full of niche brands from overseas were on display. Susanne Kaufmann -from Germany-is a natural-herb/botanically oriented collection of bath/beauty products for men, women and children-and is quite popular in her native country. We actually got acquainted with the label on our last trip to Europe---which unfortunately did not include a stay at the affiliated- luxurious Hotel Post Bezau.   (sign). Susanne Kaufmann-Bath Oils... Natural oils-and their embedded healing properties-whether sourced from fruits, plants or homeopathic ingredients (arnica, St. John's Wort…), are growing more popular here-...

Tenth Avenue, NYC James Read Tan, Rouge Bunny Rouge, USLU Airlines,  Meow Meow Tweet The Big Apple version of the Elements Showcase is geared towards retailers, large and small-attending the nearby Gift Show at the Javits Center. We love stopping in-for the smaller, high end-niche/cult beauty labels---as collections that might lack marketing muscle-definitely don't lack for quality anything else.  James Read-he told us he's chums with "all the Vogue girls.." we can see why-he's smart, engaging and good looking.  Most of what we saw … with only time for the non-fragrance exhibitors because it overlapped NY Fashion Week ---were products that are the 'children' of hard working entrepreneurs already in the beauty biz…who could not find ' something ' that fulfilled their needs-and in turn, launched their own. Some standouts in the beauty category--are rep-ped by one smart entity, Cult&Commerce- --where one of the founders (so we lat...