Beauty Byte

by Annie Tomlin

Rumors have been swirling all week about Aerin Lauder possibly departing the family business. Today, the details have been released. Aerin, the granddaughter of Estée Lauder, is launching her own lifestyle brand. Aptly called Aerin, the luxury lifestyle brand will include a beauty collection to be sold at select Estée Lauder counters beginning in 2012. She'll continue to serve as an Estée Lauder global brand ambassador and spokesperson while developing her own brand. Judging by her favorite spots in Paris, expect nothing but high style and impeccable taste.

by Miriam Lacey

Model Inès de la Fressange was one of Karl Lagerfeld's most iconic muses, but these days she's taking on a job with much wider exposure: acting as the newest spokeswoman for L'Oréal. Fifty-three-year-old Inès certainly seems like a solid choice for L'Oréal, and it's nice to see the company expand its roster of mature spokeswomen. In a world full of spokesmodels hawking anti-wrinkle creams when they're barely out of their teens, there's some comfort for me in seeing an actual adult making the sales pitch. Would you like to see more mature spokespeople, or just greater age variance in general?

by Miriam Lacey

Model Kimbra Lo is getting all kinds of press on the heels of filing a sexual harassment suit against her former employer, American Apparel CEO Dov Charney. Saucy (read: NSFW) photos from the day Charney allegedly assaulted Lo are circulating, and some are suggesting that they prove that all Charney's advances were met with consent. (How posing for nude photos means consenting to have sex, we're not sure.)

However people are trying to portray Lo, she actually does have a history as a professional model, and even created this modeling tip video for Seattle Fashion TV in 2009. Her advice is pretty standard but suggests that she has legitimate modeling aspirations. Perhaps her "session" with Charney was supposed to be purely work-related, as she claims. To see the clip for yourself, just keep reading.

by Miriam Lacey

High lipstick sales are associated with a bad economy, but apparently high luxury skin care sales may indicate financial recovery. Even though the US fiscal situation is far from sunny, CNN is calling 2010's eight percent increase in luxury skin care receipts "a clear sign of a recovery," and suggesting that recent runs on $320 and $500 face creams point to a larger economic trend.

I'll be a lot more heartened when there's a big jump in mid-range skin care purchases, since that would indicate to me that middle class women are comfortable with spending again. Until that happens, though, do you think your beauty spending is a good indicator of your economic stability?

by Miriam Lacey

Recently, I saw this terrible article about a mom who is supposedly injecting her 8-year-old with Botox and giving her "virgin" waxes. Internet denizens are up in arms about it, understandably, and the story is showing up all over the place. Before we all call the Child Welfare Office, though, there are several things about this story that don't seem quite right. I did a little research, so to see why I have my suspicions, just keep reading.

by Miriam Lacey

Pop Chart Lab's new poster, A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Popular Music ($20), outlines some of music's biggest hairstyles from the last half century, starting with Bill Haley's swirly curl and proceeding all the way up to Lil Wayne's braids and Lady Gaga's craziest extensions. It's a really fun visual exercise; I just wish a few more legendary ladies were represented.

Mike Score (aka Flock of Seagulls guy) and Kid from Kid 'N Play made the cut, but there's no Cher, Lauryn Hill, Dolly Parton, or even a single Spice Girl. Hopefully, sometime soon they'll expand their roster of hair profiles to include a few more women whose great work (and style) are worthy of commemoration.

by Jaime Richards

There's no denying her sultriness (even one of her hypersexy Calvin Klein Secret Obsession ads was banned from TV), and now, Eva Mendes has a new fragrance deal. She's just been named the face of Angel by Thierry Mugler.

Eva, who succeeds Naomi Watts, was chosen because of what Mugler calls her "independence, determination, and humor." While Naomi's ads focused more on the ethereal, I'm sure we'll be seeing Eva in some more come-hither posing. Are you glad to see Eva in a whole new fragrance campaign, or is it just too back-to-back with her Calvin Klein deal?

by Miriam Lacey

Devastatingly chic starlet Emma Watson can add another high-end brand to her roster. The actress, who already has a deal with Burberry, has become the new face of Lancôme. "It starts with an L and ends with an E. I'm sure you have guessed the new face of Lancôme is me," Emma humorously rhymed on her Twitter page earlier today. Of the deal, Lancôme's Youcef Nabi told WWD that, "Thanks to her charm, romanticism, and her incredible modernity, Emma Watson has become the icon of her generation . . . We are delighted by this new collaboration with Emma, who brings a fresh spirit to Lancôme." Do you think the pairing is a good match?

by Jaime Richards

Shalimar fans, get excited. The classic scent from Guerlain, which made its debut 86 years ago, is getting a new, updated companion. Shalimar itself will not go away, but a more modern addition to the line, Shalimar Parfum Initial ($70-$132), has been added to target a younger audience. Fragrance-maker Thierry Wasser explained that when formulating the juice, he opted to remove some of the more intimidating notes, such as leather, from the formulation.

And while the new scent (an amber floral) will pay homage to the original, featuring centifolia rose, Italian iris, tonka bean, and vanilla, Initial will get an up-to-date boost with notes of caramel, Calabrian bergamot, and the hedione molecule (which makes the juice smoother). Initial is currently available in Guerlain's Paris boutiques, with a US launch slated for August.

Source and WWD

by Jaime Richards

She has her own nail polish collection through OPI and her own celebrity scent, and she's been the spokesperson for Proactiv. Now, Katy Perry has a whole new beauty gig, as she's just been named the face of GHD, a UK-based hairstyling appliances brand. "Katy completely embodies GHD's spirit of female transformation and empowerment, as she is recognized as a cutting-edge style icon unafraid to push fashion and beauty boundaries," GHD's Paul Stoneham told WWD. Katy is known for her beautiful coiffures and adventurous spirit, so it seems fitting that she'd represent a high-end hairstyling brand. Do you agree?