Beauty Report: Clarins

I've been quiet on the beauty front in the last few weeks as I've been trying out three new products that, I'm so happy to report, deliver on almost all fronts.

First is Clarins's Gentle Beauty Soap, a bar of which I received nearly two weeks ago at the brand's spring products preview. Let me say that I'm normally a pretty no-fuss gal when it comes to my soap as long as it's pleasantly fragrant, avoids me B.O. scenarios, and goes easy on the wallet. I think, however, that I might now be a convert to what I've termed "designer soap."

Gentle Beauty Soap is pretty fabulous. So fabulous, in fact, that my even less-fuss BF loved it ("The lather game is crazy!"), and cut the time I thought I'd have with the sample in half (the things you do for love...). He wasn't kidding, though: it takes 2-3 rubs of the bar onto your washcloth to work up a lather normally produced in double the time by drugstore brands. A benefit, no doubt, of Clarins's use of French soap milling technique, which eradicates excess air pockets in the bar.

Then comes the cleansing. Normally, most soaps leave me either somewhat on the dry side or going "Was that it?" with their unfulfilled promises of moisture that make one conjure visions of skin like a well-oiled slice of Duncan Hines cake. Not so here: Gentle Beauty strikes a beautiful, almost Zen-like balance between cleansing and moisturization I've never experienced. At the end, your skin feels thoroughly washed yet not at all dry. The texture is light yet luxurious, and turns bathing into a daily mini-spa experience rather than just that thing you do before work or bed.

The combination of shea butter, hazelnut oil, and natural essential oils, all ingredients which I'm not normally partial to, is also so seamlessly and precisely integrated--nothing overpowers anything else. The formula feels remarkably singular and unlike other products I've tried with that mix.

My only, and relatively minor, qualm is with the fragrance. Although I like that it's faint and citrus-like, there's also a slightly waxy quality to it that I thought could have been improved (I'd have loved stronger grapefruit or lemon notes, in particular). The $15.00 price tag is also not for the faint of spending but, it's Clarins. You already know you're going to come out of a pocket a little (yet receive high quality in return).

Gentle Beauty Soap is also certified organic and formulated to work on both your face and body (another reason the less-fussy will enjoy it). Although I didn't use it on my face as my skin there is pretty picky about what I cleanse it with, I'd have no trouble giving it a whirl if my sensitive skin had a proven track-record of being more receptive.

I think this soap is a worthy spring treat that [WARNING] may possibly become part of your regular repertoire once you start to use it. Some people structure their beauty budget according to those things they must splurge on, and those for which they can go a little down-market. For me, the former includes my face products and brush, but may have to expand a little to include this baby. It's that good. The only problem is how to hide it from ole "Lather game is crazy!"...

You can pick up Clarins's Gentle Beauty Soap online or at any Clarins shop/counter near you. Visit Clarins.com for more details.

Stay tuned this week for reviews of two other products that have changed up my beauty game!

We'll be Right Back After a Message from Our Sponsor

This week's a super-busy one offline for the CURB, kidpoos, so we're off for a few days. Don't change that channel just yet: we're back next week on Monday, March 15 with more hijinks, including reviews of some new products we're going mad for. As always, we'll be checking in on Twitter so get your fix live right here if you just can't wait. Ciao for now...

Chan Luu Fall 2010 Preview

One of my favorite things about observing fashion is when you get to witness a label mature. Notice I didn't say "grow" -- expanding your wares to include sunglasses, perfume, or, heaven help us, mattresses, doth not maturity make.

No, I'm talking about evolution of the kind where, for the first time, you really see the vision behind a label come through clearly and cohesively in a collection. I had the pleasure of experiencing such when I visited Chan Luu's New York showroom last week to preview their Fall 2010 line.

Chan Luu's signature piece is its rustic, leather-and-bead wrap bracelet, which you've seen everywhere from O Magazine to the cover of the current Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to Lady Gaga's wrist. Since 2004, the label has also produced a Ready-to-Wear component that, unfortunately, hasn't seemed to really separate itself from the shadow of its iconic accessory brother.

That's hopefully about to change somewhat, though, with their Fall 2010 collection. The Chan Luu aesthetic centers around textures and studied layering, and they've imbued that sensibility beautifully into this line. Present are some of the trends we saw on the runways at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York (metallics, sequins), as well as the designer's adherence to mixing and matching pieces across her offerings: the same interchangeability inherent in the wrap bracelets has been applied intelligently to the clothing.

I'm a big proponent of casual work wardrobes (actually, make that really casual), and found myself thinking, "If I worked in a creative industry where I had to look semi-put-together yet had room for play, this is along the lines of what I would wear." Think Houndstooth prints that don't take themselves too seriously, gauzy cardigans, and a lightly washed-out color palette of warm browns, greys, and reds that invites you to sink into the clothes immediately.

The jewelry, especially, took me away. Jade, in all kinds of pigments, abounded, as did turquoise-hued statement rings, a gold-dipped necklace that seems as if it's been carved out of a gnarly old mineral, and, of course, new incarnations of the trusty wrap bracelet.

I'll let the photos speak from here on out.

Pretty rad, no?

Look for Chan Luu's Fall 2010 collection later this year (you can keep checking their Web site for details).

Snow Day

CURB APPEAL is following it's home city's suit and taking a snow day today.

We've got tons to catch-up on next week: New York Fashion Week Wrap-Up (we're so timely, I know), a preview of Chan Luu's Fall 2010 collection preview (I'm still in raptures), and the usual mash-up of style, pop culture, and whatever else catches our fancy.

Bon weekend to all...

Quickie: Skirt Chaser

I'm seriously in a mood for skirts lately. Maybe it's because I'm impatient for spring, or perhaps it's the fact that I love stomping around in a skirt and flat boots. I feel in small part like I'm channeling Jenny Cavelleri (Ali McGraw) in Love Story, one of my all-time favorite style icons on film.

What I also enjoy about skirts is that they come in such an array of useful styles. Feel like hiding a multitude of sins (or an early pregnancy)? Go for an A-line with a bit of a tulle lining. Want to show off your natural curves (or the ones your Spanx suddenly gave you)? Nothing sexier than a high-waisted pencil skirt. And skirts with pockets are really just about the best thing ever next to Pima cotton and brunch at Norma's.

Here are a few skirts I wouldn't mind chasing. I'm especially, and pleasantly, surprised by the dark teal leather pencil from Kardashians by bebe. And the Marni and Christopher Kane selections? Make me wanna get lite like shorty at 0:15:

BTW, I Googled "skirt chaser" just for kicks - check out some of the images that came up:

The John Edwards US Weekly cover is doctored beyond belief (That he's holding Sarah Palin's kid wouldn't have anything to do with it, now would it?) but still way too good to pass up...

Image Sources: TMZ, Toonpool, Michelle Malkin, Skirt Chaser Vintage (Myspace),

CURB APPEAL A-List: Clarisonic Sonic Skin Cleansing System

Today we're debuting a new feature called "Curb Appeal A-List," a carefully curated group of favorite things that the Curb would rather wear Pajama Jeans to a fashion show than do without. Seriously.

Everyone has what I call their "desert island" beauty products--i.e., "if I were stuck on a desert island, I'd die without [blank]." The island in my head definitely has electricity because there is no way I'm winding up there without my Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System brush.

Voted one of Sephora's "Best Of" in 2008, I discovered the Clarisonic on a trip there nearly nine months ago. At a near-breaking point over what to do about moderate acne, clogged pores in my T-zone, and uneven texture, I knew the ideal solution would be a facial treatment every six weeks but, really, who's got those kind of coins in this economy? I needed something that would give me the deep cleansing effect of facials without taxing my budget.

A savvy Sephorite immediately steered me towards the brush with two warnings: 1. it's an investment and, 2. it will change your life (in a good way). Both of them couldn't have been more accurate. While the $195.00 I dropped for it initially made me wince, the results are nothing short of miraculous. Apart from addressing all of the specific concerns I had, one of the additional benefits of the brush is that I've begun to use products in lesser amounts: because it cleans so thoroughly, a little will start to go a long way with your skin, thus saving you money on moisturizers, serums, and cleansers in the long run.

It's also diminished my fine lines and pores, and helps all of my other face products work noticeably better since my skin is now so smooth it absorbs them like a paper towel. Finally, it's really just plain fun and easy to use: I've never looked forward to washing my face so much. It's a like a mini spa experience every day.

You'll need to replace the brush head every 3-4 months but at $25.00 per brush (or two for $40 on Clarisonic's Web site), it's a reasonable price when you consider that you're getting many of the benefits of deep, facial-type cleansing daily at a fraction of the cost of regular treatments. The one thing I don't recommend is the cleanser the brush comes with (I didn't find it very effective and neither did many other people going by reviews on Sephora and other sites that sell the brush.). Use your own preferred face cleanser; my suggestion is one with exfoliating properties mild enough to use daily, such as Bliss' Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, which really allows you to experience the full force of the brush's cleaning power.And now, with the new travel-size Clarisonic Mia, you can really keep it strapped to you at all times for, you know, any of those Lost scenarios that threaten to pop up...

For further information about the brush or to purchase one, visit Clarisonic.com.

Image Sources: Face Candy, Bliss

NYFW: The Relaunch of Z. Cavaricci

Wednesday (or NYFW Day 7, for those of you left with enough energy to still keep counting) held a pleasant surprise in the form of Z. Cavaricci's preview of their new line for plus sizes at the Bryant Park Hotel. I admit that when I heard about this, images of Trans-Ams and Aqua Net crept into my head, as did the opening strains of "Silent Morning." [Holy ish. I just re-watched the below through to the credits at the end and realized that the late Ted Demme was an Assistant Director on this video. Talk about keeping it late '80s-early '90s today.]

After the viewing the collection, however, it's pretty clear the joke was actually just on me.

Pretty impressive, no? The designs retain the signature Cavaricci flash and have been updated smartly to fit today's Contemporary aesthetic (they've also incorporated Japanese denim into the jeans--I particularly liked the motorcycle-style pair in one of the above shots).

The denim is generally soft to the touch and malleable yet evades appearing as if it's jeans parading as leggings or, oh, I don't know, something else. (I refuse to let Pajama Jeans cop a swift death. Partly because I never tire of saying "Pajama Jeans.") That they did it for plus sizes makes it even more noteworthy since the thought behind a lot of clothes marked 12 and up is either "cover up as much as possible" or "pretend it doesn't exist."

I was especially taken with the accessories, which, of course, anyone of any size can wear. The necklaces, belts (which look like something you'd get at Scoop or Intermix), and sunglasses, in particular, are especially strong on bang-for-your-buck value (everything in the collection is under $100, BTW). I got my Solstice model on, complete with inspiration from Marisa Berenson, just so you all can see what I mean:

Mah greezy hurr aside, aren't they fantastic? They've got a wonderful, wearable '70s (bottom two) and '80s (top) feel to them. The first pair, especially, give you a bit of accessible, Gaga-esque pizazz that doesn't involve you gluing a freshwater pearl to your nose or whatever.

The Z. Cavaricci Plus-Size Collection debuts in mid-April/early May at Torrid stores nationwide and online, and at ZCAV2010.com.

Image Source: Child of the Moon