Clinique

WHAT: Clinique Makeup Master Class at Bloomingdale’s

WHY: Get pro makeup tips from Clinique Global Colour Artist Jenna Menard!

Secure a spot in her September 12 Makeup Master Class with a $50 reservation fee the day of the event, redeemable for anything Clinique. Jenna will demonstrate the hottest makeup trends of the season and a Clinique Expert will show you how to create your own Jenna-inspired look.

WHEN: 9/12

WHERE: Bloomingdale’s
1000 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10022
212-705-2000

Makeup manufacturers and beauty gurus have declared BB creams so last year. But what new product could possible take their place? The CC cream, of course.

While BB stands for “beauty balm,” CC is short for “Color Control” and is considered an improved and refined version of Korea’s innovative, life-changing BB cream that makeup artists raved about.

The primary difference between BB and CC cream is that the latter focuses more on color correction and concealing. It still has the lightness we love about BB creams, but is a bit more dense to help cover fine lines and wrinkles while evening out the skin’s pigmentation. CC creams still moisturize, reduce pore size and protect skin from the elements just as their BB cousin does.

As we go further into the new year, CC creams will become more widely available. At the moment, however, you can find the product at both drug and department stores in various price categories.

For example, Olay’s Total Effects CC Tone Correcting Moisturizer, a forerunner in the CC Cream craze, has been a hit since its fall 2012 debut. Another early, mid-end CC cream comes from Juice, who calls their version the Beauty Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream.

Olay Total Effects7-in-1
Tone Correcting UV Moisturizer

Juice Beauty
Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream

Wei to Go
Ideal Skin Perfect Finish

Wei East — affordable sister to Wei Beauty — is one of my personally favorite brands, so I’m delighted to see they’ve also hopped aboard the CC train. Their recently launched CC cream, dubbed the “Ideal Skin Perfect,” promises an effortless, perfectly blended finish with every use.

Brands such as Chanel, Smashbox, Luisdina and Clinique have also launched their own CC creams. And just like all the makeup lovers out there, I can’t wait to see what other brands bring to the makeup table in the coming months.

So — what’s your take on the CC cream? Are you eager to test out this new product, or will you clutch tightly to your BB creams and never let go? We’re eager to hear your thoughts, so share them with us in the comment section below.

By Wendy Rose Gould

At the end of the year, there are all kind of round-ups and lists. This is based on an article published in WWD under the title “Breakthrough Product of the Year”, that lists the most meaningful innovations in the realm of beauty. As always, WWD breaks down the results in two major categories – Prestige and Mass. And we will do the same, starting this week with the first category. Side note, we strongly believe that the line between these two categories is getting increasingly blurry, as there are no significant differentiations in price, benefit and presentation between the two.

PRESTIGE

Makeup
Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour
The full-coverage formula, available in 30 shades (each named after a part of Coco Chanel’s life) delivered as both hydration and long wear. Chanel is expecting the Rouge Coco to become an “iconic new makeup pillar”. And the sales so far seem to confirm their expectations.

Skin Care
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector
Powered by three patented repair enzymes encapsulated in a liposome-delivery system, Repairwear Laser Focus ties into a growing trend of products providing similar results to dermatologist procedures – an area that Clinique began pursuing last year with its best-selling “Even Better Skin Tone Corrector”.

Hair Care
L’Oréal Professionnel Inoa
No Ammonia professional hair color? L’Oreal is celebrating their anniversary with another technological break-through: the first professional ammonia-free hair color that lightens up to three levels, covers gray and has true-to-tone color results.

Fragrance
Womanity by Thierry Mugler
The scent juxtaposes sweet (think fruit) and savory (caviar). In a recurring theme, structure is provided by the woodsy elements. The linchpin of Womanity, according to Clarins executives, is the evolving quest of women to express themselves and their ideas.