A brand new Bluemercury has just parked on the UWS and it’s driving us beauty enthusiasts to BUI…buy under the influence!

The creation of skin care aficionado Marla Malcolm Beck, Bluemercury Apothecary and Spa first opened in DC (Georgetown, of course) and now has over 25 stores. Finally we New Yorkers have one too. Hmmm……can we forgive Marla for not starting here first? Well, after my visit, I had to. It’s too good to hold a grudge against!

I recently met the energetic Marla with the flawless complexion, silken hair and driving ambition at the store for a personal tour of the new emporium filled with over 50 brands of skin care, make-up, hair care and fragrance. I felt an instant connection with her when I found out we shared a passion for certain brands like Darphin and Skinceuticals. Upper west side moms will be thrilled with Mustela, the French skin care line for babies. Cult brand fanatics will delight in being able to find their coveted Serge Lutens and T. LeClerc favorites and we can all rejoice in being able to peruse a store with upscale brands in an inviting atmosphere with knowledgeable and cheerful salespeople. And for those of you who need a last minute gift, there are lovely Tocca candles and some chic, well priced make-up bags in very pretty fabrics made exclusively for Bluemercury.

She’s the one you love the most and she’s the most beautiful lady in the world. Make her look and feel even more beautiful this Mother’s Day.

Okay, you can’t send her to Italy to bathe in the famous Tuscan mud, but you can thrill her with Tuscan Traditions from Borghese. Oh, did I hear you say she loves handbags too? She won’t be able to resist this straw tote! Lined in Tuscan orange fabric it’s filled with the famous Borghese Fango Active Mud, body cream, night cream, day cream with SPF 25, eye lift cream and moisture intensifier. With over $200 worth of goodies for only $53.00, you’d better hurry and get it pronto!

Available: Bloomingdales, Lord and Taylor and www.borghese.com

She always made you wash your hands even when you didn’t want to. Now, turn about is fair play. SpaceNK Handcare Essentials treats Mom’s hands with TLC. Available in five scents, the set contains an anti-bacterial hand wash and an intense moisturizing lotion nestled in a pretty box that she’s sure to re-use to keep treasures in. $50.00

Available: Space.NK 99 Greene St, 217 Columbus Ave and www.spacenk.com

What better way to celebrate the miracle of you, than by giving Mom Miraculous Beginnings by Crème de la Mer? If she’s a skin care aficionado, then trust me, she wants this! Inside the zippered travel bag is an assortment of their coveted skin care products that includes, of course, the famous La Mer cream as well as serum, concentrate intensifier, toner, and moisturizing lotion.
It’s available for normal/dry skin or for normal/oily skin. $325.00 – she’s worth it!

Writer Hunter S. Thompson said, “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.” While Thompson may have been exaggerating and focusing on the bad and the ugly, we are apt to agree that the music business lifestyle can wreak havoc on your skin, whether you’re a performer, a publicist, or a promoter, and regardless of your age.

The business demands a lot from your body. There’s late night parties and events, early morning meetings, lots of transoceanic travel, and hours upon hours under hot lights with layers of make up. The lifestyle puts your skin through the ringer and can –gasp!!- make you look much older.

In order to live the lifestyle and maintain skin that looks as fresh and smooth as it did when you were 21, Beauty News decided to come up with a regimen to target the specific needs of women who rock ‘n roll all night and party every day!

The Leather Pants Dilemma!
When you’re a rock chick, be it performer or industry insider, you need to be able to wrestle in and out of those skintight leather pants, so smooth, creamy skin is an absolute must. The 1-2 punch of Gabriel Couzian’s Washing Oil and Highly Nourishing Body Cream will assist with such a task. With its crisp, clean scent and light texture that melts into your epidermis, the cleanser and cream combo will keep your skin softer than a baby’s rump.

Available at Fred Segal. www.bliss.com and www.gabrielcouzian-usa.com

Glow, Baby, Glow!
Your skin has to be more than soft; it needs to glow like a Goddess’s during photo shoots for all those magazine covers you’re going to appear on. Drizzle a few drops of Nuxe Oil Gold Shimmer on your arms and legs, and your sexy skin will shimmer like molten gold.

Available at Henri Bendel, NYC and Beauty Collection, LA and www.nuxe.com

Organic, earth-friendly, and natural. All words that induce feelings of crunchy, granola-obsessed, heath fantasism found only in local whole food stores hidden on side streets or in posh, upper-class, overly-priced fad boutiques. In recent years, people have come to realize that the movement toward a healthier lifestyle is more than just a fad. It’s the growing understanding that everything affects our health, looks, and the environment. Organic obsession began with foods – fruits, vegetables, and meats. Consumers began to realize that what they put in their body had a direct relationship with health and environmental sustainability. But, it’s more than what we put in our bodies – it’s also what we put on it.

Each day our skin, the body’s largest organ, absorbs layers of makeup, grit from city streets, and even our “skin care” products. Meant to make us more beautiful, mainstream skincare regimens contain preservatives and synthetic chemicals that toxify skin. So, what makes us appear healthier, fresher, and younger is the root of what will eventually age us. Without realizing it, we’ve put our skin and our health at risk – and we’re all part of the problem. Now, with the “green” movement in full force, it’s the perfect opportunity to rework your skin care to help yourself and the environment.

With 40 percent of the world’s industrialized emissions, the United States is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases. Aiming toward a harmonious relationship that both utilizes and gives back to Mother Nature, today’s companies are taking skincare to the next level. What started with the use of 100 percent organic ingredients has transcended to include company-wide integrations. These strides consist of biodegradable and recycled packaging, sustanibly harvested ingredients, and donations from proceeds to like-minded, forward-thinking organizations working for a healthier tomorrow. We’re worked through piles of products, and found a few choice products that epitomize eco-friendliness. Take a chance and “go green” with these revolutionary skin care products.

The epitome of eco-chic, UK brand Nude has evolved as a leading product bringing together health consciousness and beauty. A high-end luxury brand founded by Fresh & Wild’s (the UK’s whole foods market) Bryan Meehan, Nude’s natural ingredients work to protect the skin from external damage and rebalance its moisture levels. The Cleansing Milk removes makeup and leaves skin clean with an organic blend of baobab oil for moisture, licorice to soften, iris and juazeiro extracts to cleanse, as well as other probiotics and peptides, derived from milk, to strengthen the skin’s defenses. For added protection, the Replenishing Night Oil utilizes Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9, as well as raspberry, cranberry, avellana, and kukui to work as antioxidants against free radicals. Tahitian vanilla oil and rose absolute create a calming natural fragrance. In an effort to refrain from polluting, the company, itself carbon neutral, packages products in recyclable bottles and jars made with 40 percent post-industrial recycled plastic. This extends to boxes, gift bags, stationery, and non-toxic inks produced with green energy that accompany orders.

Available at Barney’s New York, select Whole Foods and www.nudeskincare.com

Naturopathica’s giving back and now you can, too. A portion of the proceeds from their Environmental Defense Mask will go to www.stopglobalwarming.org, a non-partisan effort geared toward demanding a solution for, and to fight global warming. An aromatic concoction of red wine’s anti-oxidant qualities, wild cherry bark to reduce inflammation, wild black cherry puree to soothe, and red grape seed extract, the environmental defense mask is rich and revitalizing. The use of sustainably harvested ingredients without petroleum-based ingredients and paraben preservatives, recycled paper contents, and minimal packaging to reduce waste add their eco-friendly effort. Even with a thin layer, the mask creates a slight tingling of the skin, but it goes away quickly. Once rinsed away, it reveals glowing skin. Your skin will go from tired to luminous in less than 10 minutes. This pick-me-up can be used twice a week. Not only does Naturopathic give back financially, the company is also making strides within the business. The company is enrolled in the Green Choice Utility Program to offset 100 percent of their electricity usage and reuses all packaging and materials received by company warehouses.

Available at Great Jones Spa, 29 Great Jones St., or www.naturopathica.com

Lancome scientists haven’t been resting on their laurels since the success of their Collaser-48 serum. No-sir-eee….devotees will be super psyched with the improvements of the new High Resolution Collaser-5X face and eye serums. This latest technology utilizes rice peptides, co-enzyme R and vitamin Cg to help stimulate the many types of collagen our skin has and improve skin tone. The Eye Serum also features vitamin P and caffeine to reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. A winning pair!

Available: Fine Department stores and www.lancome-usa.com

For over 2000 years, the privileged have flocked to Hungary to enjoy both the beauty and health benefits of its healing mineral waters. Yes…. 2000 years! The Romans erected bath houses on the hot springs of Buda. (that’s the other half of Pest), which has a unique geological situation that creates thermal waters extra rich in minerals and trace elements which are soooo good for the skin.

The Hungarian skin care line, Omorovicza is the creation of two lovebirds whom when dating in Budapest, would go to the city’s most beautiful bath houses and soak up the waters. After noticing how wonderful their skin looked, research ensued, and now a collection of skin care utilizing the properties of these special waters along with today’s latest mineral cosmetology is born. The Deep Cleansing Mask provides a deep cleansing due to calcium, magnesium and clay which draws out impurities and provides antioxidants to protect skin.

Available: Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and www.bergdorfgoodman.com

As long as we’re diving into thermal waters for beautiful skin, we have to tell you about Blue Lagoon skin care products. It’s no coincidence that Iceland has so many good looking people and that most of them spend time soaking in all the unique minerals of the Blue Lagoon. On my trips to Iceland, I never came home without some for myself and friends. Now available here is the complete range of Blue Lagoon products utilizing the geothermal seawater, unique silica and algae extracts to cleanse, purify and help prevent premature skin aging. Take the plunge!