Hair Today …
After converting New Yorkers to the joys of the vanishing bikini line, both the J. Sisters (those wax-happy Brazilian siblings and cousins) and the hair-removal experts at Completely Bare are prepared to help us deal with some of the potential pitfalls. The J. Sisters have just introduced a new line of products, including Azuline lotion, developed to soothe post-waxing redness and irritations ($16 at their salon, 35 West 57th Street; 212-750-2485). Completely Bare is now selling its own Bikini Bump Blaster pads with glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and witch hazel, to deal with the breakouts that result from ingrown hairs ($35 at Completely Bare, 764 Madison Avenue, near 65th Street; 212-717-9300). Even guys can get in on the action: Baxter of California has introduced Razor-Bump Repair, for soothing faces ($18; available next month at Sephora stores). Now, if only they could bottle something that would make last summer’s bikini fit.
Molding Bodies
“We want it to be like a small Canyon Ranch,” explains a rep for Clay, the new 20,000-square-foot fitness facility opening this week at 25 West 14th Street. Natural light filters in through huge windows in the workout rooms and fills the organic café (which also has outdoor rooftop seating) – even the locker room has skylights, so you feel a bit like you’re taking an outdoor shower. Clay’s holistic approach includes cooking classes, yoga, and six- to eight-week intensive programs in martial arts and meditation. A spa and product line are due later this spring. Up a few blocks, New York Health & Racquet Club (60 West 23rd Street; 212-989-2300) opened its largest fitness facility to date last week. In addition to the usual offerings, the 40,000-square-foot, $10 million center has a pool, sun deck, and garden, a wet-treatment room for body scrubs and wraps, and such upscale touches as marble columns and a fourteen-foot-high mirrored fountain.
Slick Contenders
The same quality extra-virgin olive oil that’s a staple in the kitchens of Daniel and Bouley Bakery has recently been repurposed – as (what else?) a beauty aid. The oil is being used by Susan Ciminelli in massages and body scrubs at her Bergdorf Goodman salon, and at Elizabeth Arden in the olive-oil pedicure. A range of smooth new products has hit the shelves as well, including Pain d’Alep olive-oil soap in a beautifully hand-crafted detailed zinc container ($21 at C.O. Bigelow Pharmacy, 414 Sixth Avenue; 212-533-2700), L’Occitane’s Exfoliating Shower Cream and Body Milk With Olive Oil ($12 and $20 at L’Occitane stores), Frédéric Fekkai’s Glossing Cream ($18.50 at Saks Fifth Avenue and Zitomer, 969 Madison Avenue, at 76th Street; 212-861-4110), and Mario Russo’s ABC Cuticle Crème with olive oil and shea butter ($15.50 at Henri Bendel). “The omega-3 fatty acids found in olive oil nourish the skin and help to promote longevity both internally when consumed and externally when used on the skin,” Ciminelli maintains. Frankly, all those olives are enough to make us want a martini.
Editor’s Pick
Stila Lip Glaze Palette
With all the lip glosses out there, it’s tough to narrow down the field – let alone pick one to drop in your purse on a given day. Stila has solved this dilemma with its Lip Glaze Palette, containing half-moons of ten different shades of gloss in fruity flavors like watermelon, peach, and raspberry. Even better: The ultraslick case can fit in a tiny evening bag ($45, currently available at Saks Fifth Avenue; arriving at Sephora stores April 1).
Additional reporting by Nina Judar.