The SpaGirls and I just returned from a road trip to Las Vegas, where we were immersed in the wild, wonderful and sometimes woolly world of beauty. Cosmoprof North America 2008, organized in cooperation with the Professional Beauty Association, was held July 13-15 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Vegas. The beauty trade show event drew some 26,000 beauty professionals and insiders, more than 700 exhibitors and was host to the hair celebrity-studded 19th Annual North American Hairstyling Awards. The event kicked off with a business forum where the always entertaining and proactive keynote speakers James Carville and Mary Matalin bantered about marriage, politics and how our historically significant political arena may change the face of the beauty biz depending on which way the election swings. We were also given an insider’s sneak peek into the beauty trends, products and innovations hiding just around the corner. Here’s just a few things we learned:
Bumping up isn’t hard to do. Invented by a former hair dresser, the Bumpit is an insanely simple invention that performs miracles at increasing hair volume. All you do is part hair across the crown of the head, pop in the self-gripping Bumpit, tease, spray and voila — from flat to fabulous. Bumpits are $19.99 for a set of four and come in four colors — light blonde, medium blonde, brunette and black — and two sizes — regular and rockstar. More at www.bighappiehair.com.
Going commando doesn’t mean you have to go all the way. The gals that came up with must-haves like the Rescue Sponges for removing deodorant marks have unveiled another innovation that had us giggling like school girls. The ingenious Nundies from Miss Oops are disposable, nylon and Lycra “pantyless panties” that adhere to the inseam of your britches. We argued whether the Nundies prevent the dreaded camel-toe phenomenon, kept a barrier of moisture-absorbing protection between you and your pants or just made you feel somehow less naughty. We came to no conclusion other than agreeing that the Miss Oops gals are super smart and we want to hang out with them. Nundies come in nude or assorted colors and are $15 per box. More at www.missoops.com.
Don’t call it a shower cap. Or a head band. Or a turban (puleez!). The newest innovation in keeping your out of your face while you cleanse, mask, apply makeup and so on is … drum roll please … the Tassi. The simple, super soft, stretch-terry cloth Tassi keeps hair out of your face while gently cradling even the thickest mane out of the way. Tassis come in a rainbow of 12 colors and are $14.99 each. We loved that the Tassi was born right here in Arizona by a former stay-at-home Mesa mom who developed the design idea that originally came from her Aunt Dot. How cute, huh? More at www.tassicompany.com.
Money can buy you love. Or at least a daily dose of optimism and empowerment. New to the growing ranks of organic skin and body care lines, Exuberance Beauty boasts a wide breath of cutting-edge products all formulated with organically grown ingredients. The kicker is that each product comes with a “love letter” that offers inspirational and thought-provoking messages. Products start at $24. More at www.exuberancebeauty.com.
Nobody likes a frumpy mommy. Seriously, what kid wants look up at his mother and see a frumpy, unmade-up face staring back at him? Enter Mommy Makeup. The selling point of this makeup line is that you can purchase it in easy-to-use kits that help busy moms put on a pretty face in record time. The Pretty-N-Polished and Clean-N-Casual kits each come with paint-by-number instructions, a face chart and all the products you need to achieve your look. In fact, as a busy pet owner and caretaker of two house plants, I’m thinking about picking up one myself. The kits start at $88. More at www.mommymakeup.com.
No animals were harmed in the making of this emu oil (they’re just sleeping). The jury is still out on exactly how the prized oil goes from bird to bottle. We asked the Emu Line representative point blank if the process hurt the animals and he explained that the emus used in the making of their emu-oil-infused products are “secondary use” (whatever that means). But most people who use the stuff swear by it and don’t give a hoot about how it’s made. Admittedly, we did see was some very impressive results when the the Emu Line was used on scars, stretch marks, swelling, bruising and other skin-marring issues. More at www.emuline.com.
The first step is admitting you have a problem. The second step is getting your hands on a bottle of Cracked Heel Formula by Footlogix. Dry, cracked heels are a chronic problem for us desert dwellers and Footlogix has come up with a solution for the pesky pedi issue once and for all. The Footlogix mouse incorporates a groundbreaking technology called Dermal Integration that penetrates deeper and faster to rejuvenate, moisturize and repair the skin. Ladies, seriously, let’s take the pledge together: No more crusty heels! More at www.footlogix.com.
For more on Cosmoprof, visit www.cosmoprofnorthamerica.com. For more on the Professional Beauty Association, visit www.probeauty.org. Photo: The Discover Beauty lounge at the 2007 Cosmoprof show.
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