U*tique Makeup Vending Machine

While browsing one of my fav sites Racked.com, I came across this piece on an automated makeup vending machine. Whoa, right ? This is seriously cool and I think I want one in my house.

As of now there is only one in operation at Studio Fred Segal in LA, but more are apparently on their way to more locales.

From U*tique:

" Brand partners include industry icons such as: Lancome, ZIRH, Bliss, C.O. Bigelow, Lancaster, BURNCandles, Chantecaille, and rising stars such as: Hourglass Cosmetics, Vosges Haut Chocolat, EBoost Energy Supplements, David Kirsch Wellness, Lipstick Queen, ZELENS and Ketty Sean, a couture Parisian knit doll designer debuting in the US with U*tique. The U*tique team will frequently update the product selection to stay on the cutting edge.

“I wanted to help simplify the shopping experience for customers. Our store is like an interactive
gallery, each item is hand selected and celebrated,” Segal( founder) said. “Consumers can experience that wonderful kid-in-candy-store feeling -- their eye is delighted, their desires are met, the only difficultpart is choosing which treat to buy.”

Racked also mentions the machine will be able to dispense samples and show product videos as well.

Let the fun begin. Can I franchise this?

http://www.utiqueshop.com/

Schick Quattro Trim Style Razor/Trimmer

Razors just keep getting better and more innovative. I picked up the new Schick Quattro Trim Style at the Luxe Lab in NY over Fashion Week. The Trimstyle combines a 4 blade razor on one end with a bikini line trimmer on the other. Putting these two together was a good idea.

The Trimmer is waterproof for in shower use and has a comb end that can be adjusted or removed depening on level of trimming wanted.

The razor is refillable, and gives a great close shave. Perfect for summer, which is coming soon, really.

The package includes the one AAA battery you need for the trimmer and a shower hook.

In all stores now and sells for approx. $12.00

http://www.quattroforwomen.com/

Maison Belle

Earth Day is approaching and more and more of us are looking for ways to be more "green " in out lives. Some of the harshest products out there are mainstream household cleaners. It's not easy to make the complete changeover to all natural products, but more great lines are available to help begin to use more eco -friendly things in our homes.

One of these is Maison Belle.

Maison Belle was started by Isabella Smith of Denmark. She is very well known there with her own lifestyle magazine and I have been told is sort of the Danish Martha Stewart.

I have the hand wash from this line which has the most wonderful grapefruit scent. It smells good enough to be a perfume and has 100% natural essential oils of lemon and pink grapefruit.

I also sniffed some of the other products. All smell wonderful and won't make you want to hold your nose while you clean ( Tilex do you hear me?).

It's a lovely line , packaged beautifully. Even picking up one item will start you off on the right foot.

There are loads of options including laundry soaps( silk & wool wash looks especially handy),sink scrub, air freshener and lines within the brand like Purete Provence providing hand balms and scrubs.

All are made as natural as possible. Here's some of what the company has to say :

"Bottled in recyclable PET bottles, MAISON BELLE® products meet the stringent UK HSE standards for non-toxic household cleaners. All products are made in Europe in either Denmark or France, and all are made by responsible manufacturers who are serious about ingredient quality and purity. "

Some of the prices are:

Hand Wash $ 15.00

Laundry Soap $ 24.00 ( 20 machine loads)

Sinks cleaner $ 14.00

Christmas Clean( all purpose cleaner, smells amazing) $ 16.00

Maison Belle is available worldwide. In the US it is stocked at http://www.beautyhabit.com/

You can find much more info and stockists here:

http://isabellasmith.net.dynamicweb.dk/Default.aspx?ID=10

Estee Lauder Double Wear Creme Eyeshadow

I am loving all the new long wearing creme eyeshadows coming out. Normally these last longer and they make fast makeup application a breeze. Just blend onto your eyes and go. Some days there just isn't time to do a look with multiple colors using multiple brushes.

These new Double Wear Stay In Place eyeshadows from Estee Lauder are an addition to the Double Wear line. I'm already on record as a big fan of the Double Wear powder and liquid foundations, and have been using the corresponding mascara of late. It's thick but it holds up all day.

The eyeshadows hold up all day too. They have serious staying power. I have the Silver Leaf shade which is really a taupe, with a good bit of brown. Think bronzy steel grey, not actual silver. Its's highly wearable .

There are 10 shades in all incl. Antique Gold, Vintage Violet, Sea Mist, and Blue Velvet.

I have seen them online now at Nordstrom, but not yet on the Estee Lauder main site.

Double Wear Stay In Place Shadow Creme sells for $ 17.50