Tech, beauty intersect in Silicon Valley

SAN FRANCISCO, California — The beauty industry has long relied on creating a sense of mystery, magic even, around its creams, powders and potions. But now it has something else up its sleeve: high technology.

French cosmetics giant L’Oreal has opened a “tech incubator” employing two dozen people in San Francisco and elsewhere seeking ways to use big data and algorithms to win the hearts and minds of customers.

It may involve analyzing large data sets to find the right color for nail polish, or patches that measure absorption of ultraviolet radiation — or using technology to spot emerging beauty trends ahead of the curve.

The French group is hoping that Silicon Valley’s talents can help it improve its products and connect better with customers.

Guive Balooch, who heads the San Francisco incubator, said he sees how these kinds of analytics and other technologies can help improve beauty products.

One of the innovations from the team has resulted in the L’Oreal Lancome brand developing an individualized makeup foundation, known as “Le Teint Particulier.”

This system, now used in some retail outlets, scans a person’s skin and uses an algorithm that designs a custom-blended product based on skin tone. The system was developed by California startup Sayuki, which L’Oreal bought in 2014.

L’Oreal’s team also created the Makeup Genius application which uses virtual reality to allow people to try various makeup schemes on their smartphone. It has been downloaded some 20 million times.

The cosmetics giant also worked with California Organovo for “bioprinting,” creating three-dimensional human tissue to test its cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and with PCH Lime Lab, a San Francisco design and engineering firm on the patch that sticks to one’s skin and changes color with exposure to sun rays.

Hair tech

The L’Oreal team also hopes one day to have a Genius app on hair color, which could help another key product line, if it can overcome technical challenges.

“Hair color is very complex, because you have 100,000 fibers on average in your hair, on your head, and they’re all moving in different directions,” Balooch said.

L’Oreal wants to stay on top of trends, and the data analytics team can play an important role, says Balooch.

“We do know from anonymous data what colors people are trying all around the world, we know what products they’re trying, we know how long they’re using them before trying something else,” Balooch said.

Being aware of new trends is also critical for marketing efforts. L’Oreal is working with Google, with whom it has an online advertising deal, to help better understand fashion trends by studying search queries.

This could allow L’Oreal to place ads better based on keywords, according to its digital strategist Axel Adida.

Adida said it is important “to be on point with the latest fashion that comes up on the street.”

“The thing which is very cool when you work with Google, it’s a sort of beauty insight center,” he added.

“So the things that come up and that pop up as a novelty, the new fashion and beauty, a lot of it is being searched very early. You see little things moving in the trends — and you end up with something as big as smoky eyes.”

source: interaksyon.com

Revlon drops China business, cuts 1,100 jobs

NEW YORK - US cosmetics company Revlon said Tuesday it was shutting down its operations in China to cut costs, eliminating about 1,100 positions.

Revlon said its China business represented about two percent of total sales, which topped $1.4 billion worldwide in 2012, and that the move would lead to savings of about $11 million a year.

It said most of the 1,100 jobs cut will be in China, including approximately 940 beauty advisers that were hired indirectly through a third-party agency.

The company will incur about $22 million in pre-tax charges due to the restructuring, of which $20.9 million was being recorded as a charge in December 2013.

Revlon markets beauty products under the Revlon, Gatineau, Mitchum, and Ultima II brands.

Shares were up 0.2 percent to $24.60 in midday trade Tuesday.

source: interaksyon.com

Holiday makeup for every budget

It’s the second week of December and the Christmas spirit is in full swing. Calendars are filled with parties and meetups, carols are playing everywhere, and eating big meals seems to be norm. In the beauty world, holidays usually translates to a bright red lip, smoky eyes, and lots of glitter—preferably worn one at a time. Has your makeup look gotten into the Christmas spirit yet? Here are four looks you can try as suggested by some of our well-loved cosmetic brands.



1. Jewel tones and high shine
Revlon Global Artistic Director Gucci Westman created The Evening Opulence collection for Fall/Winter 2013 which plays with rich purples, violets, and emeralds for the eyes and plums and fuchsias for the lips. Nails are decked out in graphite and matte sparkles. “I pictured a luxurious and polished woman, who looks to makeup to accessorize and enhance her look using bursts of color,” Westman said. “She is sensual, sexy and smart; modern, yet a little over-the-top. She makes each look her own, and her style is timeless.” Well, don’t we all want to be that woman?



Play up both your eyes and lips with this collection, as modeled by Emma Stone and Olivia Wilde. Try out the Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Embellished, Bejeweled, or Adorned. They can either amp up your existing lipsticks or tone it down, and the lacquer-like finish isn’t the annoying sort of gloss. It has lots of color and subtle shimmer, and stays for a decent amount of time before it needs a retouch. Another winner from this collection are the nail polishes in Divine, Elusive, Rich and Seductive. All say “opulent” and “holiday” and if you stock up on all four, that’s enough week-long manis to cover you for the whole month of December!

Perfect for: Dinner celebrations in neutrals, if you’re the low-key type, or in jewel toned sequins just like Revlon’s ambassadors Stone and Wilde. The holidays are the best excuse to pile on the shine, if that’s your style. Keep your hair sleek and simple so as not to go overboard. Emphasizing your eyes than your lips when lots of eating is involved will lessen the chances of makeup faux pas mid conversation.

2. Plums and pinks, and mauves
The Body Shop’s Winter Trend collection for 2013 recommends a smoky purple eye with a pink or mauve lip, for morenas. The 4-step Smoky Palette in Icy Plum carries different shades and finishes of violet, and the darkest shade, a matte plum, is a great break from the expected black smoky eye for the holidays. The brand’s new lipstick formulation, Color Crush Lipstick, is a shot of color with a creamy finish and Peachy Pink is the collection’s shade for those who prefer pale lips to a smoky eye. Feeling bolder and adventurous? Swipe on The Right Mauves for deep berry lips.



Nothing says happy like radiant skin, and The Body Shop’s latest Radiance range can enhance your complexion. Try Illuminate with Brush On in Sunlight or Shimmer Waves in Coral after foundation and before finishing or loose powder for that “lit from within” glow.

Perfect for: Brunch or lunch gatherings, where the natural sunlight will bounce of your extra radiant skin. Pull away your hair from your face if you truly want to highlight your skin, and don’t forget to sweep the extra on your decollete and shoulders, if they are exposed.

3. Old Hollywood glamor
Got the perfect little black dress and feeling a little classic? Bobbi Brown’s Old Hollywood collection pays tribute to the Golden Era of cinema and its American screen sirens. Perfectly lined cat eyes played up with shades of brown, gold, and champagne, and of course, a classic red lip, is Bobbi Brown’s Holiday 2014 look.



Check out the Old Hollywood eye palette which carries nine eyeshadows, from soft silver sparkle, subtle metallic gold, to rich chocolate and charcoal shimmers, these shades will define your eyes and create a great back drop for a precise winged eyeliner. Complete your glamor girl look with a bold red lipstick, also named “Old Hollywood” encased in a retro-gold case. And who says this look is just for an LBD or an LWD? Make it modern by donning red on red, like Katie Holmes’ on the ad!

Perfect for: Cocktails, where the low lighting, candles, and wine will really make you feel like a hobnobbing movie star, and you won’t have to worry about your red lips fading. Set your hair in Veronica Lake-esque waves, just like Holmes did, and opt for fine jewelry or smaller, classic accessories for a ladylike look.

source: interaksyon.com

BB cream is a girl’s BFF

There was a time when the beauty innovation that is the BB cream was but a trend suited only for porcelain-skinned girls of the younger generation. Foundation for kids, as I once heard someone put it. But with every BB cream that has been launched, the formula has proven itself resilient, with staying power both on the skin and the cosmetic counter.

What I just learned, though, was that the BB cream was actually invented by a German dermatologist in the 1950s –– it’s not a Korean formulation, but a Korean actress popularized it when she used it to cover laser surgery scars after she had gotten into an accident. As Korean girl groups and dramas grew in popularity, so did the BB cream, its fan-base increasing particularly in Asia.

I have tried quite a number of BB cream brands to test if the product works on all skin types –– not just the already perfect ones of Korean pop stars. I have also given away many half-full tubes for the following reasons: 1) Too white, 2) Too sticky 3) Too orange. Yes, there was this one that I thought was going to be the right shade for me because it was a little darker, but it turned me a bright shade of Snooki. Or Mariah on American Idol.

For a time, I was using this drugstore brand because of its higher-than-usual SPF content of 20. I am a sunblock freak and also, lazy, so anything that offers the benefits of two products in one tube is good in my book. Just my luck, this BB cream formula was discontinued and replaced with a formula that is targeted more to teens (I know this because the packaging is now Barbie pink). Also, it has become too thick to my liking. So I am now back to foundation, but in this heat, it just melts and sometimes even streaks (Thank you, sweat!). BB creams are just the ideal makeup product for the summer because it provides coverage and SPF.

Pond’s recently launched their first BB cream formula, Pond’s BB+ Cream, in two variants, Flawless White for the lit-from-within skin and Age Miracle for those concerned with concealing fine lines and age spots. Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream has GenActiv cover formula which is said to lighten dark spots by inhibiting melanin production, while Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream has Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which stimulates cell regeneration to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Both with SPF 30, Pond’s BB+ Creams provide better sun protection than most BB creams. It also goes on sheer.

At the launch held recently, Pond’s announced that they will be launching more shades to their BB cream lines to better cover the wide range of skin tones of the Filipina. Here, Pond’s BB+ Cream’s new ambassadors and members of the Pond’s Beauty Council share what they love about BB creams and why they choose to use Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream and Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream.

source: philstar.com

Skin so soft with Laura Mercier’s Face Polish

MANILA, Philippines - Customers now have a limited opportunity to save on Laura Mercier’s top-selling Face Polish, a creamy scrub with purifying micro beads that cleanses and exfoliates, removing dead skin cells to leave skin smooth and even toned. It’s now offered at P1,750 (30 percent off P2,550).

Laura Mercier’s Flawless Skin Face Polish has an emollient-rich formula that leaves skin soft and comforted. It acts as a gentle clarifier and is perfect for all skin types.

Simply put a small amount onto your fingertips and gently massage product into dampened skin. Rinse with warm water and pat the skin dry.


Laura Mercier is available at Rustan’s.

 source: philstar.com

Arches of beauty

In the face of beauty, brows are of great importance. The face is like a blank canvas — the right shape, grooming, arch and sometimes even the color of your brows can define your look.

There is a brow salon in Manila that caters to all these needs: Browhaus. The salon specializes in brow-styling services, from basic brow shaping through classic threading or modern tweezing, to semi-permanent brow enhancement through full brow resurrection or lengthening. It also offers other personal care services such as facial hair grooming. There is also a treatment where lifelike brow strands are carefully reconstructed and shaped to suit your facial features. This fuss-free and value-for-money treatment gets you perfect brows that last for two years. The salon’s expert services are facilitated by brow architects or brow stylists trained and supported by the Browhaus Training School.

Browhaus’ philosophy is “There is a reason behind every tweeze.” The salon has its signature Blueprint System, which takes into consideration every facial characteristic, from the shape of one’s nose to the position, angle and distance of one’s eyes, from bone structure to muscle movements.

Since 2004, Browhaus has been crafting beautifully-shaped, perfectly-proportioned, natural-looking brows for men and women in New York, London, Singapore, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Jakarta. It started its operations in Manila in 2008.


Here are some tips on grooming your brows:

1.)  It’s not just the shape of one’s brows but also the right shade that softens or enhances one’s features.

2.)  To create a dramatic look, darken your brows.  Light brows give your face a natural look. They make strong features lighter and softer.

3.) Comb your brows and don’t over pluck.

4.)  Don’t isolate the brows, they should complement your other features.

5.)  Grooming brows is also for men, it’s about being neat and well-groomed.

(Browhaus is located at 2/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street and 4/F, Greenbelt 5, Makati. For more information, visit www.browhaus-manila.com.)

source: philstar.com

For The Body Shop, ’its the season of goodwill and beauty

MANILA, Philippines - In this season of goodwill and beauty, The Body Shop is brimming with scentsational gifts, special-edition goodies, fun stocking fillers, and on-trend makeup, all designed to give joy to you, to your loved ones, and to the world.

Enjoy the thrill of finding naturally-inspired products, rich in the highest-quality ingredients, which deliver true beauty innovation and efficacy.

Relish the joy of giving pampering presents with luxurious sensorial textures that burst out of The Body Shop products onto the skin. And feel joy in knowing that these products come from an inherently ethical brand that cares about the planet, its people, and its animals. All The Body Shop products are 100-percent cruelty-free and 100-percent vegetarian.

Take comfort in knowing that a gift fromThe Body Shop helps spread joy far and wide. Its Community Fair Trade program helps enrich the lives of some 300,000 people living in marginalized communities around the world.

source: philstar.com

NARS Andy Warhol App Makes Over Your Facebook Profile

NARS Cosmetics developed a limited-edition product line for the holidays inspired by Andy Warhol. NARS Andy Warhol Collection includes a range of cosmetics products like an eyeshadow palette with Warhol’s portrait and an essentials kit packaged in a film canister.

NARS energized its robust online community by taking its tribute to the pop art icon a step further. The company created the NARS Profile Makeover app in which users can “Warholize” their Facebook profile for a visual makeover.

Users can pull images from their Facebook photos, desktop images or take a new picture from their webcam. They can then assemble images and templates that combine Warhol’s artistic touch and NARS’ branding.

source: mashable.com

Toxics group releases 15-item list to curb sales of mercury-laced cosmetics

A toxics watchdog has lauded the government after renowned toxicologist Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go was appointed head of the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a statement, the EcoWaste Coalition said that Go's appointment has "buoyed up expectations for tougher action to rid the market of dangerous cosmetics."

The group also expressed hope that the agency will further strengthen itself towards becoming a “center of regulatory excellence” dedicated to protecting the public health under his watch.

The group added that it was its duty to offer some suggestions and insights to help the FDA "reinforce its ongoing work to curb, if not eradicate, the unlawful sale of skin whitening creams containing dangerous amounts of mercury," Edwin Alejo, Coordinator of the EcoWaste Coalition, said in a letter sent to Go.

The letter was signed by 20 environment and health advocates, including film actor Roy Alvarez, Miss Earth Philippines titlist Cathy Untalan, educator Dean Antonio La Viña, environmental lawyer Gloria Estenzo-Ramos, pulmonologist Dr. Maricar Limpin, breastfeeding champion Ines Fernandez, climate defender Dr. Helen Mendoza, toxics campaigner Beau Baconguis, community leader Noli Abinales, Rotarian Romy Hidalgo, Ang NARS president Dr. Leah Primitiva Samaco-Paquiz and zero waste proponent Sonia Mendoza.

Of the 50 brands of skin whitening creams that the FDA had so far banned for containing excessive levels of mercury, the EcoWaste Coalition managed to buy over a dozen of the various proscribed cosmetics in several test buys conducted this year.

The mercury-laced skin whitening creams are being sold in some Chinese drug stores, beauty product shops, food and herbal supplements booths as well as in some stalls of ambulant vendors, they said.

As a result, the EcoWaste Coalition proposed a list of 15 items, which the group said will help disallow "the continued sale of mercury-laden skin whitening products and the apparent need for a more effective strategy to deal with this preventable health menace."

1. Issue timely health and recall advisories as frequent as may be deemed necessary to forewarn consumers against mercury exposure from certain skin whitening products, including those that have not gone through the required notification process with FDA.

2. Improve the content and delivery of the FDA health and recall advisories such as by providing photographs of the banned products.

3. Publish a paid advertisement in one broadsheet and at least two tabloids of national circulation warning the general public about all the banned products with accompanying photos.

4. Maximize the use of conventional broadcast and print media as well as new media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools) to ensure that the message reaches through the target sector/s, particularly cosmetics consumers and vendors.

5. Provide a hotline that concerned citizens, including vendors and consumers, can contact to obtain information or clarification about banned cosmetics.

6. Issue a more in-depth Health Alert that will provide information about the hazards of mercury in cosmetics, signs and symptoms of mercury poisoning, medical remedies, disposal of mercury-containing products, etc.

7. Publish a consumer information material (e.g., a simplified, illustrated version of the Health Alert) that will inform users about the health and environmental risks posed by mercury-containing cosmetics for wider distribution and consumption.

8. Encourage victims of mercury exposure from skin whitening products to come forward and tell their stories in appropriate venues.

9. Designate a "No Mercury in Cosmetics" awareness-raising day or any appropriate event to drum up public interest and alertness about this toxic health threat. A potential date is August 4 of every year to mark the issuance of the landmark FDA Advisory 2011-012 banning a total of 50 mercury-laden skin whitening products.

10. Spearhead or support a “Brown is Beautiful” campaign that will encourage Filipinos to be proud of our beautiful, natural complexion.

11. Actively promote and support city or municipal ordinances prohibiting the importation, distribution, sale and use of mercury-containing cosmetics.

12. Forge an agreement with the Bureau of Customs for a more stringent control on the entry of contraband cosmetics such as skin whitening creams.

13. Conduct a series of law enforcement activities, including on-the-spot confiscation of contraband items and preventive closure of business establishments, to rid the market of illegal skin lightening cosmetics, and to demonstrate FDA’s conviction and firmness to enforce the law.

14. Forge Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) with the management of shopping malls to secure their cooperation in preventing the distribution and sale of banned cosmetics by shop owners in their premises.

15. Work out an arrangement with FDAs or equivalent regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions suspected as sources of imported mercury-laced cosmetics such as China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc. to prevent export of such tainted goods to the Philippines.

source: interaksyon.com

Cosmetic Surgeons Push 'Skin Doctors'

The true test of a cosmetic product’s efficacy is when professionals like cosmetic surgeons prescribe or endorse the product to patients either as alternative to invasive procedures or as a post operative skin treatment.

A lot of cosmetic surgeons stumble on and buy the cosmetic products even without any promotion or advertising push during their “trips” to the malls or to reliable retail shops of cosmetic products. Sometimes, they try the product personally and upon noticing beneficial changes on their skin they recommend it to their patients.

One time, Marshelly Grace Lazaro (owner of Cytherea Global Cosmetics Inc., exclusive distributor of Australian product Skin Doctors) got a surprising call from the store manager of Rustans about a walk-in customer who presented a prescription of a cosmetic surgeon for Skin Doctors’ eye tuck (eye bag remover).

She called the doctor and found out that the doctor bought and used it before, saw it was effective in removing eye bags and recommended it to his patients. So she offered to supply the doctor with Skin Doctors to sell directly (for added income) to his patients but the doctor refused. He said he was happy just endorsing products that work.

“Before I deliberately avoided tapping the cosmetic surgeons thinking that they are my competitors only to find out that they push our products, even giving complimentary samples to their patients,” Lazaro said.

Some cosmetic surgeons offer Skin Doctors for patients who don’t want surgery while others offer it as a complimentary product after a face lift. There were other patients who came from a face lift, botox or other surgical beauty procedures who also obtained complimentary smaller sizes of Skin Doctors products from the clinics to help them recover faster and avoid bruising and reddening of their skins.

“Now I have more clients who are cosmetic surgeons than ordinary dermatologists. Since the ordinary dermatologists sell cheaper products from Korea, Thailand and sometimes sourced locally. I think I am the first distributor of Skin Doctors who went to retail at once. The other Skin Doctors distributors just followed,” Lazaro admitted.

Lazaro began exclusively distributing Skin Doctors in the country in 2004 selling them at first through professional channels, dermatologists and spas or clinics. She discovered Skin Doctors during her travel to Australia when she noticed several pages of full-page ads about the product so she rang the company and had an appointment. After the meeting, she signed a contract, gave downpayment for the stocks to be shipped to her and was given monthly sales quotas, which at first seemed too stiff for her. But later she found out that after educating customers (in workshops done in the outlets), the products would sell themselves.

Skin Doctors is so named because it has 30 products for every conceivable skin concern. “We have three products for the eyes (for eye bags or periorbital puffiness, periorbital dark circles or under eye circles and eye lines); for the face there is a product to remove melasma (or the patchy brown discoloration of the skin on the face), product for whitening, skin firming without the use of collagen; skin renewal; preventing photo aging (from UV exposure); skin resurfacing through gamma hydroxyl; zit zapper that works on pimples overnight; removing and preventing wrinkles; a product for post operative bruising and for the body there are removers of varicose veins and cellulite.

“It is really complete, which is why I am happy with Skin Doctors. But sometimes it is difficult to manage such a wide array of product variants. But Rustan’s is happy since the comprehensive skin care line make customers faithful shoppers,” Lazaro said.

Because of the strength of the brand in Australia and the UK, PharmaCare, the biggest pharma company in Australia bought Skin Doctors but opted to keep Lazaro as exclusive distributor for the Philippines, despite the fact that some offered to distribute the products in the Philippines. The new management saw the feasibility of retailing the products more than selling through professional channels (the old strategy) for most of its country dealerships. In Hongkong, the top market in Asia, retailing is also getting bigger.

Because of her youth and good looks, Lazaro is able to attract equally-attractive and eloquent sales people to man the counters at Rustans in Glorietta and Shangrila (now temporarily being renovated); Cebu and the stand-alone outlet in Davao, which opened two years ago.

The top selling product of Skin Doctors is the eye tuck, increasingly among young call center agents whose jobs require night work. In close second is super facelift – cream for firming and tightness and then skin whitening.

“Some who undergo botox experience a downtime after a treatment. They can’t be presentable for how many weeks only to find out that after some time, they need to go through a firming procedure again. Our cream has no downtime. Just apply daily and you will notice the improvement,” Lazaro said.

She developed a strong friendship with the 75-year old brother (back then) of tycoon John Gokongwei who profusely thanked her for bringing Skin Doctors to Cebu; he no longer had to go through the scheduled eye bag removal by just using the 15ML cream (that he bought for P5,000). Her sales staff convinced Gokongweig to cancel his surgery since Skin Doctors would do the job he needed. “Now he is our product evangelist,” Lazaro said.

source: mb.com.ph

Inquiry Into Cosmetic Products Urged

MANILA, Philippines — Some Filipinos are unaware that the cosmetic products they buy are tainted with toxic materials that can lead to certain types of cancers, cardiovascular and other neurological diseases.

Thus, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said, it is imperative that Congress conducts an inquiry into the perceived need to introduce and implement toxic reduction strategies in cosmetics and other consumer products to protect the Filipino consumer.

Santiago has filed Senate resolution No. 749 directing the Senate Committee on health and demography to initiate the inquiry in the upper chamber. “It was alleged that major chemicals used in cosmetics – for example, heavy metals such as lead in lipstick, mercury and hydroquinone in skin whiteners, coal tar derivatives in dark hair dyes, hormone disruptors in fragranced products, and formaldehyde and paraben preservatives in numerous personal care items – could cause various diseases, including cancer.” Though cosmetic consumers consists largely of women, Santiago said “men are also exposed to the harmful effects of these chemicals due to their environmental exposure to such (items), particularly those chemicals applied daily to the body.”

Citing a report made by a Dr. Ann Blake of the Green Ribbon Science Panel of California’s Environmental Protection Agency who has at least 18 years experience studying toxic ingredients in cosmetics, Santiago echoes Blake’s call for a “stringent regulation” of ingredients known or suspected of causing cancer and other serius harm to human health. “Blake, in forum sponsored by EcoWaste Coalition and the country's Food and Drug Authority (FDA), reported that the FDA of the United States reported last December the presence of lead in 400 types of lipstick, while the local FDA banned last August 50 brands of skin whitening creams that contained "dangerous amounts of mercury," including products tested by the EcoWaste Coalition using X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer.” The senator added: “Environmental exposure to chemicals in consumer products are linked to major public health issues such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune and neurological diseases, obesity and type II diabetes, pediatric asthma, reproductive and developmental disorders.”

And given the dangers of everyday exposure to toxic chemicals found in beauty products, Santiago said the government should ban outright the use of cosmetics and other consumer products found to be toxic.

“It is the obligation of the State to regulate products being sold in the market; it is also the State's duty to promote greater consumer awareness, with customers buying the products not because of the attractive packaging, but because they have studied the ingredients and educated themselves on their health effects,” Santiago said.

source: mb.com.ph