What women over 40 want

German-born luxury women’s apparel retailer, Escada, was bought Megha Mittel after filing for bankruptcy in August 2009. Megha Mittal, daughter-in-law of he Lakshimi Mattal (CEO of the world’s largest steel company and 8th richest person in the world), plans to turn the brand from red-carpet only to everyday ready-to-wear.

Maybe that explains the deeply discounted pieces at the Escada Sample Sale, at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 19th Street. Luxury clothing and some accessories up to 90% off retail values. Yesterday, the apparel section offered a large variety with timeless classics and wardrobe backbones as well as the marked Escada evening dresses. There are many pieces for work, interview or a day of shopping. Our Editor scored a pristine English riding-style jacket for $95 marked down from $950. The accessory selection was slimmer. Shoes were marked down, most of them 90% off retail price.

The sale drew a more conservative crowd of middle-aged, well-dressed professionals, which may explain how the organization remained in tact. Sizes are plentiful and staff are friendly and there to answer questions about sizes, prices and damages. Be prepared to check your belongings at the door. All sales are final.
       

WHEN: 3/7 – 3/10 Sun-Tues. (10-7), Wed. (10-5)

WHERE: 110 W. 19th St. between 6th & 7th Ave

Emma Dinzebach
 

Some of our friends flew South (really far South) to catch a mid-winter glow, but we weren’t so lucky. So we set off to find our get our glow on el natural. Face masks, bronzer, extensive exfoliation, and a even pricey facials only got us so far. To obtain an authentic mid-winter glow, we had to work our way from the inside out.

Sweat, however uncomfortable and icky it might be, is your dull winter skin’s best remedy. Why is sweat so good for your skin? A good sweat can remove up to 30% of your body’s toxins.  Foods we eat, drinks, and the smoggy city we live in fill our bodies with toxins on a daily basis. Sure our body naturally rids itself of some toxins, but sweating is a fool proof way of cleaning our bodies and making our skin shine bright.  (Incidentally sweat helps regulate our pulse and calm our neurotic NYC nerves.)

Winter might be a time when you sweat less – the gyms are cooler, outdoor runs are increasingly difficult with the streets covered in snow and slush, etc. But winter is one of the most important times to flush your skin. So hit the gym, got to hot yoga, or run the stairs in your apartment building. But by all means, sweat once a day to rejuvenate your skin.

Emma Dinzebach

Once ubiquitous only in Chinatown, minor surgical procedures are now popping up in popular “medical spas” all around town. Offering minimally invasive treatments like laser hair removal and Botox are amongst the package places like Tribeca Med Spa offer to keep up with customer demand. Most city med spas do indeed have M.D.’s on staff to perform medical treatments, but currently no regulative legislation exists to ensure medical spas are keeping up to snuff – medically, legally and otherwise. After a fatal liposuction case at a medical spa in Florida last year caused concern across the country and indicated a need for stricter regulations. Proposed legislation aims to regulate who can own a medical spa, which procedures are allowed, the training and credentials the person performing those procedures must have, etc.

In New York City, reputable medical spas include Tribeca Med Spa, Sensitive Touch in Midtown East,  GemVie Medispa, and Cosmetic enhancement can include Mesotherapy, Lypodissolve, (which is a Level I liposuction technique), vein removal, Botox, Restylane and Juvaderm. Each of these medical spas offer consultation and treatment performed by the supervising M.D., but other medical spas in the area do not. Medical spas are attractive because they offer competitive price points for services that were once luxury options. While we haven’t personally been to the above medical spas, for what it’s worth Dr. Gerald Ginsberg, a cosmetic surgeon and medical director at Tribeca Med Spa was highlighted by the New York Times.

Our advice, as always, is to research, research, research because when you have a bad facial, the worse thing that happens is a little redness or an allergic reaction. When you have a botched Botox job, it’s going to look a little worse. We found a site called Medical Spa MD, which appears to be a blog for the medical spa community and might be a good start to research the inner-workings.
Emma Dinzebach

If you watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies you most certainly saw M.A.C. make-up artists elaborate face designs. But six M.A.C. heavyweight artists will also paint the faces for the closing ceremonies, select figure skaters and victory medal presenters. The Canadian company’s selected artists are thrilled to be a part of the Winter Games and reported that their artistry runs the gamut from elaborate and theatrical to natural and outdoorsy.

M.A.C., like Polish cosmetic company Inglot, have their roots in costume make-up but have painted the mainstream make-up palate with vivid colors, making bold and bright accessible to every woman. In fact, just last week the Times Thursday Styles reported that now more than ever woman are opting for colors and relying on their make-up artists to show them how to wear the color appropriately. Teachers, corporate executives and even bankers – at least in NYC – don’t think twice about swiping their lids with blues, plums and greens, making make-up less of a necessary chore and more of an accessory. Whether it’s a painted pink pout or a purple lid, find your inner Rainbow Bright and use her to lift you out of the cold.

And if you are still scared, visit the MAC store on Prince in Soho. Unlike the two-week trained employees at Sephora, MAC make-up artists go through both costume and everyday make-up training and have mastered the art of balancing the two.

Emma Dinzebach