October 9, 2009
Posted by marta
Serious Skincare’s Firmaface ($49.95) advises an unusual procedure: apply all over the face in an even coat “like a mask”, remain expressionless for three minutes until it “sets” then splash with water. The result: instant tightening. The secret ingredient: cement.
Actually, it is sodium silicate, an ingredient in the manufacture of cements, passive fire protection, refractories, textile and lumber processing, and automobiles. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, it is “the designated agent of death for cars surrendered under the federal cash-for-clunkers program,” because of its ability to permanently disable car engines.
This isn’t joke, this is Serious Skincare. Actually, they aren’t the only ones. If you have a nagging sense of deja vu, that is because sodium silicate is also in Athena 7-Minute Lift, one of the most unpleasant creams I have ever used (it is painted on with a brush and when it sets the sensation is rather like the numb/tingly feeling you get when the dentist’s injection starts to wear off). Read more...
August 26, 2009
Posted by marta
I have been sent unsolicited samples of Alchimie Forever Kantic Lights Off ($71). I have to say that this night cream is so blah, that I wouldn’t give it blog space except that it came with a with a note from the president and CEO, Ada Polla, that I found to be decidedly amusing.
Ms Polla, a winsome young woman who looks barely 20, is the daughter of Dr Barbara Polla, a biochemical researcher who specializes in antioxidants, and Dr Luigi Polla, a “European leader in the field of laser therapy”. Just over a decade ago, the Pollas (who are Swiss, by the way) opened the Forever Laser Institute in Geneva. While finding time to indulge their passion for contemporary art, the Pollas then launched a skincare line called Forever Choice. Read more...
August 12, 2009
Posted by copley
The news that Billy Mays had cocaine in his system at the time of his rather untimely death might explain his signature manic delivery. (And all that time, you thought it was the cleaning fumes!) When looking back at all the infomercials that made him a household name, Mays never got to grace the realm of grooming…which is unfortunate, since what a superb shaving specimen he would have made! His affinity for playing Mr. Fix-it never translated to the crowded beauty category in TV land.
As a rule of thumb, flashy commercials for cosmetics tend to come from multi-brand conglomerates with hefty advertising budgets and mass-market products. But the long-format cosmetic infomercial is a separate breed. It tugs on your heart strings with depictions of real people turning their lives around or amazes you with staggering beauty feats. Though sometimes staged by these same companies (Guthy-Renker being a regular), infomercials and direct response TV ads tend to be associated with oddball novelties, longstanding fixtures, and celebrity-endorsed newcomers. Read more...
July 23, 2009
Posted by marta
Cleansing with castor oil seems to garnering cult status, with websites devoted to it and message boards clogged with comments and questions. For the uninitiated, the idea is to mix one part castor oil with two parts olive, sunflower or other oil, spend an inordinate amount of time massaging into your face and then wipe off with a facecloth soaked in hot water. My rosacea is breaking out at the very idea and, anyway, I’ve always thought castor oil was a laxative. It suddenly struck me that castor oil cleansing is something Gywneth Paltrow might do. Wickedly, I searched on “castor oil cleanse gwyneth paltrow” and found that she swigs half a cup of the stuff to detox! Close enough, I say. qgvi6h5kfb Read more...
May 31, 2009
Posted by marta
A year ago I predicted that stem cells from fruits and vegetables would start to appear in anti-wrinkle potions. Capturing human stem cells is controversial and those from animals are somehow unappealing (and carry risk of infection). Enter vegetal stem cells. In particular, stem cells derived from apples have just started to appear in commercially available creams.
Of course, they don’t come from any old apple. No, these stem cells come from a very rare Swiss apple tree that we are told was cultivated over 300 hundred years ago for the long storage life of the fruit. So rare is it, that it was practically extinct. One day, a few trees were spotted somewhere in an isolated corner of the Alps. Scientists were all of a dither, seeing the possibilities immediately: stem cells could be extracted from this long living apple and be used to make other things live long – like my aging skin cells. Read more...
