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.

That she’s so refreshingly normal for a chanteuse is, of course, what makes her appealing. Still, Norah Jones now seems determined to spice things up. On last year’s « Sucker », a duet with former Faith No More singer Mike Patton for his Peeping Tom project, she delivered the word « motherf***er » and she regularly performs with a glammy New York rock band.

Norah doesn’t really show up in gossip magazines and she made a concerted effort to stay low-key in a way that not a lot of other people with her success do.

The little slidehow is by Danny Clinch. He really got her looking gorge! don’t you think she has an angelic smile ?

For more on Norah Jones, check it out here

http://www.norahjones.com

Catch up on what’s new on Blue Note (an amazing label featuring the likes of jazz and blues musicians from around the globe)

http://www.bluenote.com

The plot is pretty simple, a man who seems worth nothing in life is at his wits end when his eye catches a stunning blonde, and she sets about to put his life right. Looking to escape his past Andre (Jamel Debbouze) accepts the help of the mysterious Angela (Rie Rasmussen) and sets in motion a chain of events that will change his life forever. Beautiful in its simplicity, Angel-A is a striking, supernatural love-story. The characters are very natural, with their interactions very relaxed and real. The dialogue just seems to flow, and nothing about these performances is stilted or out of place. This gave the whole film a very loose and natural feel, almost as though some scenes were improvised. The actors perform wonderfully, especially the male lead, Jamel Debbouze. He has an energy about him and quite a captivating face.

A few years ago, France’s most successful living director announced his intention to quit while he was ahead. He would, he said, make 10 films and then get out of the game. At the time few people took him seriously. But with Angel-A, he has reached his limit.

As played by newcomer Rie Rasmussen, Angela proves a very Bessonian figure: leggy and lippy, a grungy euro-chick with a heart of gold. She could be the younger cousin of Ann Parillaud in Nikita, or Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element. Parillaud, incidentally, was Besson’s first wife; Jovovich his second.

Simone is a waitress in the movie Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. When she decides to leave her dead-end, job, relationship and town to leave for Paris, Pee Wee bids her Au Revoir and wishes her the best in pursuing her life’s dream of living in France. That’s the reason of the name of this band name.

Why did they decide to use a French name? They are sayed to love France and certainly enjoy French music. Erika is a fan of France Gall, and she has been twice to France and really want to tour there. Au Revoir Simone looks like girls who people confuse for sisters. Heather D’Angelo thinks their image is more about what they exclude than include, and they try to exclude anything that conforms to or perpetuates mainstream ideals of feminine beauty and sexuality. As far as what exactly they exclude, they don’t wear a lot of makeup or revealing clothing, or bleach our hair, no fake body parts. They look natural. They all have long brown hair with bangs.

In February Moshi Moshi records will be releasing the sophomore records from the Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone.

Checkout ther album on their website

Today, its traditional yet popular materials, including sormeh (a black powder used as eyeliner) and golab (rose water) co-exist with foreign offers and beauty brands such as L’Oréal Paris.

Doctor knows best

With a population of more than 68 million, there is huge potential for beauty companies to tap into the market. However, with a 60% market share, pharmacies provide the principal channel for beauty sales selling an array of premium, selective and mass brands. The remaining 40% comes from retailers such as perfumeries and beauty institutes.

One particularity of the market is the link between beauty and medicine, demonstrated by the industry’s role in the pharmacy channel. Doctors and dermatologists are major purchasing advisors in Iran. Even to choose a makeup remover, women ask for their doctor’s advice.

If local brands will not be the main players in the market, local customs will certainly dictate the avenues foreign brands should explore.

Islamic values and cosmetic exhibition

The first cosmetics and personal hygiene fair was closed by the Iranian judiciary on February 6, 2005 in Mashhad city, which is a holy city devoted to Islamic values. During the exhibition, a large number of Iranian women visited the stands offering colour cosmetics and other feminine toiletries. Many women were openly wearing bright make-up, which is not in line with the Islamic code of conduct that forbids colourful make-up in public.

The Iranian judiciary officially asked the director of the Mashhad exhibition that only women run the cosmetic stands in order to respect the Islamic code, but it was not done. As a result, the Mashhad cosmetics exhibition was shut down but later re-opened.

Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, adolescent females have been required to wear a veil. But in spite of these restrictions, not all women cover their hair totally anymore and often wear trasnparent scarves so that their hairstyle can be visible. These customs open the door to the haircare segment, as well as to the eye makeup category, which is already a traditional bestseller in the market as eye contact is paramount in Iran, according to Hashemithe.

Mineral makeup is made from naturally occurring minerals like iron oxides, mica powder and titanium dioxide. This means that the ingredients you are slathering on your face on a daily basis come straight from the earth, not from some chemist’s lab. Even better than liquid foundation that is usually sticky and messy, mineral eco-friendly makeup comes in an easy-to-apply powder which covers blemishes and other pesky skin problems flawlessly while still allowing it breathe. Using powder also means there are no nasty oils in your makeup, which is good news for people with extra sensitive skin. Mineral makeup is also less likely to clog your pores and a lot of mineral makeup includes built-in protection against the sun’s UVA/UVB rays, so your face will look stunning and you’ll be protected from the damaging affects of the sun. And forget worrying about your makeup running (powder can stay in place even on the most humid of summer days and is practically water and sweat proof!). Think about it: now you won’t have to layer on sunscreen, foundation and powder. You’ll save yourself time in front of the mirror in the morning and even some cash!

So, what’s wrong with all the other man-made stuff? Research has shown that the Food and Drug Administration in the United States allows ingredients in makeup that are highly chemically processed and man-made (including dyes that make your eyeshadow all those pretty shades!), some of which have been shown to cause a bunch of skin problems and even cancer in rare cases! When you get the man made stuff, you never know what you’re really putting on your face (and when you’ve only got one, it deserves lots of care). Most people who have switched to mineral makeup say they like it better than the conventional stuff they used to buy. For exemple, a majority of persons who have used an eco-friendly brand of lip or eye makeup prefer it over a conventional brand they have used in the past.

For over 25 years, L’Occitane has been using authentic and natural products, and rigorously selects ingredients with the greatest respect for Man, animals and the environment. All of the cosmetic products are formulated with the most natural ingredients available: pure essential oils and (preferably organic) vegetal extracts used as active ingredients. The selection of natural and traceable ingredients is the very core of the company’s product development.

An overwhelming majority of eco-friendly lip and eye makeup users feel that these eco-friendly brand are of higher quality than conventional ones. L’Occitane and Dr. Hauschka lip makeup users say that these brand perform and look better than a conventional brand.

You already have environmental pollutants seeping into your skin each day. Why enable more by using cosmetics and beauty products contaiing harsh chemicals, many of which you can’t even pronounce, much less spell ? Lucky for you, new brands of eco-friendly cosmetics and green beauty products are now available everywhere. These certifiably organic products not only shun ingredients like petrochemicals, synthetic preservaties, mineral oils, pesticide residues and genetically modified additives, but even support local communities where they are produced.

Natural skin care and organic skin care is good for us, the environment and for generations to come.