Recently in BEAUTY Category

How often to do you buy a new bottle of perfume only to find out that it either the smell doesn't last or is just too weak to start off with?

Alot.

Which sort of translates into: You've-just-wasted-upwards-of-$80-on-overpriced-flower-water.

I just got the scoop on a new line called Atelier Cologne from Founder, Sylvie Ganter, (of FRESH and Hermes fame). Sylvie told me, all of their fragrances are consider "cologne absolue" which means it is 12-20% concentration of the scent.

Remember when Farouk came out with Biosilk?

It was madness. Most salons & beauty supply stores couldn't stock it fast enough.

If the word gets out about Redken's new Wool Shake 08; I think we can be repeating Biosilk history.

Wool Shake 08 is a spray gel shake for your hair that promises "top volume and texture."

When I saw it; I loved the chunky bottle and the label (just teetering on the edge of tacky-salon-product-meets-edgy-cool).

When I tried it; I was sold. Maybe for life...

I've told you about my personal love affair with Ricky's... I remember the good old days, when they were just few blocks away from Canal Jeans (God rest CJ's little soul).

Throughout my affair, when Ricky's started expanding, I shunned them for being a sell-out, but then re-joined the masses, when I realized I couldn't bear to go without my Mattese lipsticks.

Well, guess what?

Ricky's newest launch, Revolver Salon, has two more locations popping up this March.

When Ricky's PR emailed me about the new salon locations, the email was entitled:

"Revolver For Frugal Fashionistas," and while I wouldn't go as far as calling them the Foxy-Brown-Ill-Na-Na Frugalista cheap, I do think they offer aggressive prices, and a much better environment than, say, real cheapO chop shop, The Lemon Tree.

Menu & new locations after the jump.

I polled a couple of the GC girls & asked them what they knew about Hanae Mori.

"Hmmm...," was the response.

So while, I was set out to do this post telling you about her new fragrance & how the company is integrating themselves into the Olympics, I'll switch it up a bit; and give you some background info:

"Hanae Mori is one of the most prominent and respected fashion designers in Japan. She is the only Japanese woman to have presented her collections on the runways of Paris and New York, and the first Asian woman to be admitted as an official haute couture design house by the fédération française de la couture in France. She is also the most honored female designer in Japan. Being one of the first women to have a career in Japan, she is widely regarded as an icon of the liberated women. Her fashion house, opened in Japan in 1951, grew to become a $500 million international business by the 1990's," -Wikipedia.

Mori has since retired from her fashion reign; however, still actively markets her fragrance line: Hanae Mori Parfums.

Ring a bell yet?

When I received an invite to BMF Media's Beauty Bar held at Townhouse Spa last week, it took me all of two seconds to respond, "Yes please!"

Beauty + Bar = Two of my BFFs.

Given the options of a complimentary blowout, manicure, pedicure or massage, I opted for the latter. And it's a good thing - it happened to be raining that day so all those suckers who signed up for nails regretted it.

While my partner in crime K and I waited for our much-anticipated rubdowns, we were escorted into the "Beauty Bar," which, to my delight - really was a bar. One Godiva liqueur-spiked cappuccino later (hey, a girl's gotta have her caffeine), I heard the heavenly call for my massage.

Fully thinking I was only getting a 10-15 minute chair massage, you can imagine my delight when I was led downstairs to the actual spa. Escorted into a soothing, candle lit room, I disrobed and happily wedged myself between the sheets on the massage table.

Nice. This is what I'm talking about.

Secret: I'm dealing with the joy of a serious PMS breakout.

Pimples.

You know, those wretched little cystic bitches that emerge during that special time of the month? They dont break the surface, causing ugly red bumps all over your face, so not glamorous.

So last night, during Spindustry & my evening "mask-a-thon", I decided to try something new, AmorePacific's Clarifying Mask.

The directions say you use this product as a traditional mask; or, as an overnight treatment to clear isolated pimps.

(I recently went to Amore Pacific's spa where I OD'd on a little too many beauty products - and have been meaning to try this since.)

I dabbed the mask onto the problem area, woke up & found my little bumpy friends almost gone. With another dose tonight, I'm sure I'll be good as new.

Needless to say, I left my house apt doing the happy dance.

On a more serious note; there are tons of 'zit-zapping' products on the market, the issue with most of them is that they will dry the hell out of your skin, which, esp. during the harshness of winter, is never a good idea.

What's refreshing about this clay mask is what is doesn't have in it: Sulfates, Synthetic Dyes (it's a white mask), Petro-Chemicals and Phthalates.

The mask is $50, but totally worth it.

I have done fake tans, fake lashes, fake hair, fake nails, and fake bitches friends.

So it's no surprise that when it comes to the latest fake tattoos from Chanel, I can easily quote SJP:

"...Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can't-live-without-each-other love."

Real tatts hurt and I can never be into anything long enough to have it on me forever.

But, this lil' gem lets me dress up and wash off in a couple of days.

For $78...loves it!

Launching March 1, Chanel.

Dashing Diva does the nails (and toes) for Andy & Debb, Georges Chakra & Caroline Seikaly.

More pix after the jump.

More pix after the jump.