November 20, 2008

Cosmogirl RIP: It’s the very last issue of CosmoGirl (tear) which becomes the fourth major teen mag to suspend publication this year after YM, Ellegirl and Teen People. CG, which was published ten times a year and reached approximately eight million readers before folding, will continue with it’s website but I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the print version of the teen mag will be universially missed.

The Dec 08/Jan 09 issue featuring the lovely Taylor Swift on cover, takes a cue from Barbara Walters by doing their own spin on the most intriguing people of 2008.  Included are gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson who are honored as girls who have the guts to follow their hearts rather than the crowd.

Uniqlo Try: To get the word out about their newly launched Bra Top, Japanese retailer Uniqlo recruited hundreds of women to participate in a video survey; questions ranged from “how comfortable is the top?” to “what’s your favorite magazine?” and the resulting videos were posted on a website called Uniqlo Try. Site visitors can opt to watch videos of women physically (age, height, size and build) similar to them. The website has gone viral, spreading to blogs and news sites, which apparently has contributed to a five-fold increase in sales of the Bra Top

November 20, 2008

The former tomboy from Lake Forrest, Illinios, McKey, won (all together now…) a contract with Elite model management, a spread and cover for Seventeen magazine, and a $100,000 contract with covergirl.

Nineteen-year-old McKey defeated her rival, LA high school student Samantha Potter, after strutting along one unique runway, a giant hot pink hill, and striking memorable poses. Annaleigh was third in the contest.

We picked both of the finalists at the beginning because of their athleticism and beauty. Winner McKey played all kinds of sports as a kid including hockey and soccer. She now trains as a boxer with her cagefighter bf. 

When McKey was 15, a sports injury forced her off the field and she began to channel her competitive energy into modeling.  Looks like it paid off!!

September 24, 2008 - Hey girls, if you’re a gamer, you might be interested in what’s likely the first ever teaming of a beauty and gaming company. Part make-over game, part beauty consultant, Project Beauty is the result of a collaboration between Shiseido and Sega, who are teaming up to bring makeup tips and beauty advice to the Nintendo DS.

Slated to go on sale in Japan this November, Project Beauty uses a scanning device that feeds digital images of the user’s face into the DS, which analyzes bone structure as well as the shape and position of the eyes, lips and other parts.

According to the manufacturers, the software sorts faces into one of four groups - cool, active, cute or feminine - before showing two images of the face, one without make-up and the other featuring a suggested make-over. Project Beauty aims to teach users basic make-up skills, such as how to apply foundation and allows them to select shades of foundation, blusher, mascara, lipstick and other cosmetics.

Depending on how it’s executed, I’m intrigued. Nintendo as a personal beauty consultant? Software like this has potential, especially if it’s made available for devices like smartphones. Quality beauty-related applications for mobile devices could really come in handy, especially while on the road.

I’m guessing that since Shiseido is involved with Sega on this one, the makeup and skin care suggestions will draw primarily from their line of products (duh), but who knows? — if it catches on in Japan, other makeup brands may soon follow.

We found Project Beauty available for presale on several sites at around US$ 55.00.

What do you think of the idea?

August 25, 2008

Well, the YWCA wanted answers and they just released a new report revealing the impact of idealized, airbrushed beauty and body image obsession on the economic well-being, health and interpersonal relationships of American women and girls.

The report, Beauty at Any Cost, shows alarming new trends and money spent on cosmetic surgery alterations, including dramatic increases among young women, and other serious health risks.

Standards perpetuated by a youth-obsessed media culture literally send thousands of messages, 24 hours a day. “We believe that the obsession with idealized beauty and body image is a lifelong burden that takes a terrible toll on all young girls and women in this country,” said YWCA USA CEO, Dr. Lorraine Cole. 

Some highlights of the Beauty at Any Cost report:

•  Americans fork over nearly $7 billion a year to cosmetics, beauty supply and perfume stores, and nearly 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed — an almost 500% increase in such procedures from 1997.
• If women put the average amount of money they spent on monthly manicure-pedicures ($50) into an interest-bearing retirement account every year for 10 years, they would have almost $10,000 saved.
• Over half of teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting and taking laxatives.
• Forty percent of newly diagnosed cases of eating disorders are in girls 15 to 19 years old, but symptoms can occur as young as kindergarten. Girls who spent the most time and effort on their appearance suffered “the greatest loss of confidence.”
• In the U.S., cosmetics are not subject to testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Individual companies are responsible for substantiating the safety of their products.

“We felt the problem had reached such a crisis proportion that we needed to speak up and draw a line in the sand that this must stop,” said Nancy Loving, director of communications for YWCA USA who added that the group will use the report as a jumping-off point for educational programs in its 300 locations in the U.S.

To help raise awareness and start a national conversation about these issues, the YWCA USA has teamed up with documentary filmmaker Darryl Roberts to become the distribution partner of his new documentary film, “America the Beautiful.”  The film provides an in-depth look and critical analysis of the harm inflicted by beauty obsession on young women and girls.

What do you think? Does America have an unhealthy obsession with being beautiful? 

Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard captured her first gold medal when she was just 14 years old, making U.S. swimming history as the second-youngest gold medalist ever. She competed in her second Olympics in 2004 in Athens and is heading to Beijing for the 2008 Games. At the height of her training, she’s in the pool four-plus hours a day. Find out how Shape Magazine helped get her hair back in peak condition.

You may not be in the water four or more hours a day - but if you’re a swimmer, you know the potential hair care problems.

The sun, coupled with chlorinated water, makes swimmers hair dry, brittle and in need of serious attention. For anyone who spends long hours in an outdoor pool, it’s critical to rehydrate the hair. It’s also a good idea to avoid overlayering too much to reduce exposure to lots of ends which eventually will split and look dull and frizzy.

In a quick search for great hair care advice, we came across some common hair-care myths. For example, do frequent trims make hair grow faster? No. Does switching shampoos make your hair healthier? No. Is brushing your hair 100 strokes each night good for your hair? No.

We also found out about some budget-friendly haircare products that can be purchased at the drugstore. These include Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask.

Redbook offers some surprising ways you might be taxing your tresses — along with easy fixes.  Outdoor elements (wind, cool temperatures) can be rough even for dry hair but when hair is wet, it’s actually more fragile and susceptible to breakage so beware.

Once you get your hair in great shape, you have to decide whether to wear it hair up or down. Marie Claire taps some beauty pros who share what’s absolutely essential to sport each look.

Pretty Tough Tip
Here’s our advice: If you’re a swimmer and chlorine tends to turn your hair green, try squirting lemon juice in your hair. Let it soak in for about two minutes then rinse out in the shower. No guarantees but it’s worked for us!

1. Limit baths and showers to five minutes and use lukewarm water.
2. Moisturize skin daily after you’ve showered or bathed. If you’re looking for a great skin moisturizer, try Gonzo Grapefruit Lotion.
3. Don’t put wool clothing directly on your skin. Put a cotton shirt or long underwear between skin and wool.
4. Use a humidifier in your home to add moisture to the air.
5. If you’re going to be outside, use a lip balm to seal moisture into lips and prevent them from chapping.

Perspiration, or sweat, is your body’s way of cooling itself down. Running, jumping, dancing, and even thinking burns calories, which heats up your body. The cooling center in your brain signals the cells in your skin to release the excess heat. In turn, sweat begins to seep out of the millions of tiny holes in your skin. (more…)

The new drink, which comes through Beverage Partners Worldwide (a joint venture between Coca-Cola and Nestle), will be marketed as a “negative-calorie” beverage.

Jason Warner, group marketing director for Beverage Partners Worldwide Americas, told Ad Age, “There’s calorie, low-calorie, zero-calorie, and now we offer consumers negative-calorie products.”

According to Rhona Applebaum, chief scientist for Coca-Cola, consumers who drink three cans a day of Enviga will burn a net average of 60 to 100 calories. (more…)