However, there are a couple of things to be considered when dealing with such a market: legal impediments, exotic business practices, unusual consumption habits and logistic tricks. Cosmetic products consumption varies from one region and another, with some unique local characteristics. Studies have shown that consumption is higher in the south than in the north, much higher on the east coast than in the western regions, and higher in cities than in the countryside.

China’s large market of hair care products is generally recognised to be approaching saturation, as many consumers have developed the purchase pattern of switching between several known brands, making it difficult for new brands to enter the market. While the market of skin care products is actually more receptive towards new brands, confronting domestic brands with foreign ones. According to surveys conducted by International Market Insight (IMI), “well known brand“, “right price” and “product feature” are the major considerations of consumers when buying skin care products. Skin care products cover products with special functions such as whitening, freckle removing, anti-wrinkle and moisturising.

The make-up market is expected to further increase thanks to the growing number of female workers in the business and other service sectors. Meanwhile, the moderate perfume market is rather small in scale and slowly growing because only a very limited number of mainland consumers use perfume, with most of them being light users.
Statistics about China’s beauty market.

According to the country’s first annual report on the beauty sector, recently released by four young Chinese economists He Fan, Ba Shusong, Zhong Wei and Zhao Xiao: Within 21 years, from 1983 to 2004, the sales volume of China’s beauty businesses has increased 260 times. With a 15 per cent annual growth, the beauty sector is turning into another huge money-maker after the boom in the real estate, auto, electronics and tourism sectors.

China is currently home to 1.54 million beauty parlors and nearly 3,800 cosmetic companies, and almost 8 million people are actually working in beauty-related businesses, plus another 4 million whose jobs are connected to the sector (2005 est.) A survey of five major cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Wuhan, shows that the most popular beauty items include SPAs, stone massages, Yoga, foot massages and nail treatments.

As another example, Issey Miyake and Narcisso Rodriguez (Shiseido) ancillary lines have been touching on treatment skincare. A US research company senior analyst Maria Badescu told me than they are seeing the designer element across all three categories and we have seen the increases in designer fragrances, so they are watching this in skincare.

Maria describes the trend for designer’s skincare as still in its infancy. However, whether the designer name will have credibility to deliver on its promises like a doctor brand is not expected to hinder the brand. The is a question of credibility. With the likes of Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent well established across the beauty categories, Maria points out, having a designer footing does not disclaim such a brand. The challenge, however, will be selling skincare based on the mystic of the brand.

The mass market is making a lot of effectiveness claims so you really have to distinguish yourself from everyone else with a point of difference and something special to buy into and we do think that designers have that footing that they can build on.

Despite the abundance of activity in fragrance, the designer brand can capitalize on its name for new growth—albeit smaller growth—in the skincare area. We see that the longevity of having a good makeup and skincare brand can really shore up a brand and give it a full-pronged approach. With consumers looking for differentiation, the designer brand brings an element of exclusivity and its cachet of quality to the segment.

Furthermore, younger consumers are using more makeup and skincare products than in the past, with 80% claiming to use skincare before the age of 18 years. In the US, selective skincare represented $2.2bn in sales in 2006 compared to the $1.9bn for fragrances. Skincare is actually the category that is used more by women than any other beauty category. The global appeal of skincare cannot be ignored. The bottom line is that innovation is going to drive any category. And the arrival of designer names in the arena might at least broaden the scope of skincare.

They are passionate individuals who venture out into still uncharted olfactory territory, on routes strewn with difficulties, like the path of an initiation to test their determination. And the results inevitably match their efforts with new creations that amaze and astonish the senses.

Mona Di Orio (Mona Di Orio in Parisian boutiques By Terry) travelled for fifteen years in the shadow of Edmond Roudnitska.

Today she creates her first compositions starting from exceptional ingredients.

In Etat Libre d’Orange we find subversive creations… with evocative names like Putain des Palaces (Hotel Slut), Sécrétions Magnifiques (Magnificent Secretions), or Real Blond… or the latest Vierges & Toreros! Quite a programme…

Perfume is dead, long live perfume! To obtain a truly original product Etat Libre d’Orange gave free rein to imagination: this is the rule Etat Libre d’Orange and its associated noses are committed to. With Etat Libre d’Orange, perfumers are hence freed from censure and have found a subversive and playful territory of expression where personal fantasy has the upper hand on marketing concepts. As if it were a return to the quintessence of perfume, to its raw animality, to its erotic energy, to the power of evoking the body and its urges.

What a way to shock sensitive souls!

This is how the creator describes some of his fragrances: « S is like sanguine, sweat, sperm, and saliva. A true olfactory intercourse, Sécrétions Magnifiques (Magnificent Secretions) takes us to the highest orgasm, to the instant that desire triumphs over reason.

For Putain de Palaces (Hotel Slut), it’s the absolute fantasy: What woman has not a Putain des Palaces lying dormant—or not—within her? Composition : Absolu Rose, violette, cuir, muguet, mandarine, gingembre, poudre de riz, ambre, notes animales…

With Vierge et Torero we are in Andalusia, a land dominated by fascinating and proud masculinity… Wood, musk and costus, in daring, unreasonably abundant proportions, would once and for all bite the dust in this arena dedicated solely to the glory of men.

Jasmin et Cigarette expresses the Gainsbourg type of elegance, the woman of the 80’s, smoky with Gitanes, claiming her eroticism, etc. ».

But the talented Etienne de Swardt declares her simple wish to satisfy a passion without a particular expectation… and, mostly, without an eye to profits.

These fragrances subvert the codes of perfumery and offer us a veritable recreation on the theme of the prohibited.

Stéphanie de Saint-Aignan’s creations are accompanied by a graceful text that tells us a story, that of the perfume.

Suzanne Lang travels the planet to bring us her rare and original essential oils.

Thank you to the precursors of this niche perfumery, like Serge Lutens and Frédéric Malle, and welcome to the new pioneers of perfume, crazy or passionate, who have decided to turn upside down yesterday’s parameters to offer us, hopefully, what will be tomorrow’s perfumery.

This is a perfumery in which creativity and noble ingredients are preserved, while perfumers apply the best of their talents and live their adventure fully.

A true declaration of independence, so… perfume lovers be warned!

Do we need to be reminded that a fragrance is the encounter between a scent and a person?

« Perfume is a vehicle for who we are », explains Francis Kurdjian, a talented nose of our times and creator of the label Indult (3 fragrances produced in 999 copies, a perfect luscious rose, a concentrate of patchouli and jasmine, and a highly refined infusion of vanilla)
So… breathe in, smell, but, mostly, dare…

The french skincare company will open its second SPA in the US, in the revamped Plaza Hotel in New York in October 2007. Designed by French architect Yves Collet, who did Caudalie’s other SPAs, the 800m² spa includes 15 cabins, the brand’s signature wine barrel bath and a jacuzzi.

It will also feature a retail area with the brand’s products range. Based on the powerful anti-oxidant qualities of grapes, Caudalie is a potent force against skin ageing. A brand that began at a family winery in Bordeaux in France has blossomed into Caudalie, the world’s leading vinotherapy skincare line. The first to use (and patent) stabilised grape seed polyphenols in skincare, Caudalie packs cutting edge antioxidant technology into formulas that help your skin look better with age. The line accounts for all skin types and offers luxurious and effective products for both face and body. All Caudalie products are paraben free.

The firm, which launched its first SPA in France in 1999, now operates in France, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, California

Caudalie ? It used to mean the afterglow of wine on the taste buds !

If you want to buy your Caudalie’s products, give a try to this shop. They have the cheapest prices of the market.

Care by Stella McCartney challenges the conventional cosmetic laws by raising the following question: why are we more careful about our food than we are about what we apply to our skin, whereas it’s the latter that is our larger organ. This line is made with 100% certified bio-active ingredients, with no petrochemical products, no silicone or synthetic preservatives. Moreover, it doesn’t contain any animal derived components, or endangered plant species and its formulas aren’t tested on animals.

A truly organic line that offers formulas made of organic components that are more concentrated in essential nutrients than the traditional ingredients. Namely vitamins, antioxidants, oligo elements, and other essential organic components, such as the amino acids and the fatty acids, that support the vital functions of the skin. The line Care by Stella McCartney is Ecocert certified.

It’s because it combines this ecological commitment without concession with a luxury positioning that Care by Stella McCartney is distinguished from all care lines. Stella McCartney refuses the idea that it is necessary to make sacrifices to apply an organic product to one’s skin. With Care by Stella McCartney, she proves that it’s possible to offer a luxury product, highly powerful, with a perfume that is both extremely pleasant and organic, in a well designed packaging, without compromising her personal convictions or the safety of the environment.

The packaging is far from the austere corrugated boxing that goes generally with the so-called natural products. The concept is simple: air tight bottles when needed to protect the natural formulas they shelter, sober cases, perfectly elegant and meant to be in the bathroom or sport bags or simply be re-used. A modern packaging, for a modern product, both by its philosophy and its esthetics.

The line Care by Stella McCartney is perfectly integrated into current life styles. It is actually appropriate for both men and women, of any age. It brings to the skin, of any type, all it needs and nothing else. The products were conceived to be joined indefinitely, but can be used separately. No way to impose anything.

The environment, in which Stella McCartney grew up, has largely inspired the communication campaign. She grew up in an organic farm and wished that the visual would be the reflection of the natural beauty, and that the outside shots convey vulnerability and softness without giving up an elegant and sexy atmosphere.

With Care by Stella McCartney, take care of yourself and your environment; offer yourself an infinite universe of beauty.

The Laboratoires Dermatologiques Avene deal with sensitive, allergic and hypersensitive skins. Recommended by dermatologists worldwide, all Avene products are classified as dermo-cosmetics, which follow strict guidelines including a medical approach to skincare, and efficacy proven through clinical studies.

Sensitive skin needs daily, essential care to minimize occasional irritation and help restore the skin’s natural balance. Eau Thermale Avene’s essential care offers daily solutions that are formulated with Avene Thermal Spring water to soote and soften as well as rigorously tested raw materials which have been tolerance tested to provide a complete skin care program to help ease the signs and symptoms of sensitivity.

Today we wished to talk about the Cream SPF 30. There are really good things about this foundation, not least the fact that it contains SPF 30. The compact format also means it’s really easy to reapply to top up the sun protection factor and keep your flawless complexion throughout the day.

We love love the compact, it isn’t pretty but it’s just functional and very well thought out. This product is waterproof, so if you’ve got something you want covered, it stays covered, come sweat, rain or a dip in a swimming pool. You have to apply the makeup by patting it on, using a sponge. We would describe the coverage as medium.

When We first tried it it showed up some flaking skin on my forehead but the flakes seem to have almost gone with regular use. This makeup did not cause any breakouts, and We don’t find it irritating or itch-inducing. Although it wears reasonably well you may require a touch-up with it later in the day or evening (easily done since it’s in a compact with).

Best prices found for Avene’s products are on Leguidesante

Thanks to a special free downloadable software, the consumer will be able to capture with his mobile the image of some kind of intelligent bar code embroidered or printed on the clothing, called the tag. He takes a picture of the label that will enable him to watch clips, movies or all kinds of shows.

The 200 models of the men and women collection become evolutionary, thanks to a daily update of the content of the denim code tag. They will be available for sale through a multi-brand distribution network, and will be launched starting from April 07, in the 180 m2 showroom shop in the Etienne Marcel district in Paris.

Presented at the last Exhibit Who’s Next at the beginning of month, the jeans of the young French-Dutch brand Denim Code are nothing else other than the Web 2.0 of jeans, according to Christian-François Viala, one of the founders of the brand.

The small stroke of genius of this mark, the tiny plus that tickles us for the geeks is the intelligent use of a QR Code, these codes bars that are widespread in Japan. A QR Code is a matrix code or 2 dimensional bar code created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 94. The « QR » is derived from « Quick Response », as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed.

The idea is that, once your Denim of digger bought, you take a picture of the code sewn onto the…well, the… in short, the belt with a mobile phone. A Javascript makes it possible to interpret it and to connect you to the webserver of the brand.

Once connected, videos and interactive contents, etc. are offered to you. A little top is expected to hit the markets for a price between $35 and $75; and the jeans will cost between $45 and $80.

The secret to black and dark skin beauty is to understand the many undertones found in darker skin. It’s important to know your own skin and choose shades that best complement your natural tones. Black women skin care is just as easy to follow as any other skin care. Different types of skin simply use different skin care products. There isn’t much more to it than that. Learning what products work best on darker skin is the first step in treating your skin.

The major worries for daker skin are spots. In fact, this kind of skin produces a lot of melanin. At the slightest scratch or skin aggression, the melanocyte system is warned and creates hyperpigmented spots that take long to disappear. Another problem is that a moderate climate is not suitable for black skins that are rather better under the sun. They are thought to be strong because they resist well the photocutaneous aging, but they can develop many types of allergies, in particular because of bad care habits.

What are the best cares to perform on a daily basis?

Women overestimate their skin resistance and tend to excessively clean it with pickling solutions. This destroys their hydrolipidic films and makes them dry. To compensate, they use very greasy creams, but that causes dehydration. The best thing to do is to use skin care products that are adapted to one’s type of skin, no matter what the brand is. It’s not necessary to use specific products for black skins. My advice is to use different cosmetics according to seasons: a rich cream in winter, and a more fluid one in the summer. One should remember also that this type of skin has a very fast cellular renewal and that the dye is scrambled quickly. However, it still tolerates gumming twice a week, to get rid of the accumulated dead cells.

What to think of the products that are supposed to clear up the dye?

Women of color always wanted to have a unified skin color, which is rather difficult taking into consideration spots. To satisfy this request, very dangerous products were introduced to the market. Those were based on hydroquinone, a highly carcinogenic compound. They were withdrawn from the French market, but can still be found abroad. Another radical method is the abusive use of cortisone that will destroy the skin to unify the dye, but unfortunately also affects the melanocyte system. These techniques are fascinating as they are easy and give immediate results, but they can cause serious damage. Nowadays, many clearing or stain-resistant products are made of protected molecules and are perfectly adapted to the skin, without any damage. But for that, one should be patient and use them regularly.

What are the main problems for the Afro hair?

Afro scalps are low in sebaceous glands, which makes them very dry. Besides, it’s a flat hair that makes successive curls. It grows slowly and is hard to do. That’s why one alters this frizzy hair with defrisants and braids. Obviously, these practices damage and weaken the hair, so it’s important to use specific products to hydrate and disentangle it. Above all, one should not think that washing hair too much is likely to desiccate it. That is false, and moreover, the accumulation of sebum and impurities on the roots and the addition of very greasy care products may cause an occlusion of the scalp. The latest will cause a lot of dandruff, whereas with one or two regular washing with hydrating shampoos, this problem can be avoided. Also, the use of a disentangling each time is needed, as well as an in-depth care with a mask once a week and hairdressing creams on a daily basis, because crisped hair needs to be weighed down to be more easily malleable.

Tattooing has been a Eurasian practice at least since Neolithic times. Mummies bearing tattoos and dating from the end of the second millennium BC have been discovered at Pazyryk on the Ukok Plateau. Tattooing in Japan is thought to go back to the Paleolithic era, some ten thousand years ago. Tattoos have experienced a resurgence in popularity in recent decades in many parts of the world, particularly in North America, Japan, and Europe. The growth in tattoo culture has seen an influx of new artists into the industry, many of whom have technical and fine art training.

Permanent tattoos are applied by injecting color pigments into the second layer of skin using a needle that is attached to a motorized instrument. The tattoo may take anywhere from a few hours to several months to complete, depending on size and detail of the design.

Having a permanent tattoo done requires research. You most certainly don’t want to have your tattoo done by just anyone. Imagine getting a tattoo, only to later discover you contracted the disease hepatitis from an unclean tattoo needle. Having a tattoo done safely should be your number one priority. State health departments in Texas, Oregon and Wisconsin monitor and inspect tattoo studios. However, tattoo studios operate in many states in the U.S. but are NOT inspected by a local health department. New York City currently has over 400 licensed tattoo artists. Tattoo studios are still illegal in several states in the US: Vermont, Massachusetts and Oklahoma being a couple at the time of this writing.

You also have to remember tattoo aftercare is vital to the longevity of your tattoo! How your tattoo looks three months or three years from now depends upon how you treat it right away. Follow these steps to promote a healthy tattoo.

If you have already had a tattoo done and have since then regretted it, there are several ways to have the tattoo removed. The method of removal however, will depend on the pigment used, amount of time the tattoo has been on the skin, the location of the tattoo and if it was professionally done or not. Keep in mind that tattoo removal is a very costly procedure and it’s not always possible to completely remove the tattoo. Often there is permanent scarring where the tattoo once was.

The most common removal methods are laser treatment, dermabrasion (which involves freezing, then sanding the skin) or salabrasion (which requires the use of a salt solution instead of freezing. The skin is then sanded).

If you’re looking for a less permanent and safer approach to tattooing, try a temporary or henna tattoo.

Although not permanent, Henna tattoos are a more temporary ink, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of body art. Colors however, are limited. Usually henna inks come in shades of red, green or brown and depending on your skin tone, the colors may react differently than others.

For many celebrity, getting tattoos can become a media circus with future employment ramifications. A tattoo design that was crafted with personal intention can suddenly become the latest must-have copycat item for hundreds of fans worldwide.

Part of being a celebrity is having every detail of your life opened up to the attention of the public. With the rise in popularity of body art, and the lessening of the stigmatic perception of things like tattoos and piercings, those who enjoy celebrity watching now scrutinize every little inking and puncture of their favorite stars.

The first Western celebrities to make tattoos fashionable were the British upper class in the late 1800s. Family crests and other small signets were popular on forearms.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) get a colorful variation on their “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” advertisement campaign. After a series of ads featuring unclothed female models, the latest ads are spun off under the concept “Think Ink, Not Mink.” In addition to bared bodies, the ads feature the appearances of both male spokesmodels and celebrity tattoos.

If you have a tattoo please, leave me a comment, and let me know if you get a nice experience with your tattoo studios

There are several products in the Rose & Reine range including an intriguing sounding Enchanted Oil, which is an iridescent dry oil that adds a gleam to hair and body with a pearly glimmer; Milky Mist, which is a body care lotion; a scented candle and fragrance.

L’Occitane has launched recently Rose & Reine Eau de Toilette, a new limited edition variation on their popular Eau des 4 Reines fragrance. The four roses of the original (Turkish rose, Grasse rose, Bulgarian rose and Moroccan rose) are accented with fruity and fresh notes for summer.

« Among all the roses of the garden, it is the fruitiest that the young lady of Forcalquier prefers. Its voluptuous and sparkling accents are like a delightful fruit she adores – while dreaming of the future day when she will become a queen, like her three sisters. The soft and juicy perfume of this freshly picked rose is concentrated in the Eau de Toilette Rose & Reine – a natural, delicate and velvety scent ».

Rose & Reine is available in Eau de Toilette, Sublime Enchanted Oil, Moisturizing Mist and matching candle. The bottle looks old and quaint.