I was having dinner with some friends the other night and we got to talking about the amount of time women spend grooming themselves. We were chatting about women like Dita von Teese and Dolly Parton whom I’ve never ever spotted in a picture without a full face of make up and salon hair. I’ve heard that Dita does her own hair and make up, and spends several hours getting ready. Dolly supposedly takes 4 hours to put on her face and gets up prior to her husband to get ready before he gets up.

Personally, when getting ready for a meeting or just a normal day, I will take about an hour and fifteen minutes from the time I get up, but that includes breakfast. For a special occasion I will probably take an hour and half. I will go out of the house without make up occasionally though, but only if I am not having a business meeting. Sometimes I just cannot be bothered…

It’s just such a pain in the butt sometimes to have to go through the same song and dance every single day. Exfoliating, shaving, waxing or plucking, blowdrying, straightening, curling, putting on a face of make and oh yes, lets not forget the gym.

I wonder, how much time do you guys spend getting ready on a daily basis?? and how much time for special occasions?? please leave a comment

dolly parton

A few weeks ago I was invited to a luncheon in the Dylan Hotel hosted by Maria Hatzistefanis founder and owner of Rodial. Maria founded Rodial in 1999, she wanted to combine her grandmother’s beauty secrets with 21st century technology. Rodial skincare prides iself on providing answers to problems real women face and tries to develop products that will make it unnecessary to have plastic surgery or injectables done.

I have been using two products for a while now, namely glamtox, a daytime face cream with SPF18 and the glamtox peel, the ten minute face lift. The glamtox facecream combines daily hydration with wrinkle plumping agents. The glamtox peel firms, lifts and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and relaxes contracted muscles, to reduce visible stress in the skin.

Because I wanted to reveal to you what these products did for my skin I waited a little while to write about it, curious myself at the results. These past couple of weeks I have been noticing positive changes in my skin. I use the peel about twice a week and the moisturizer daily. My skin is looking fresh, healthy, and dare I say it, plump, but in good way of course! My skintone is even and make up looks better. 

The Rodial skincare line is a luxury skincare line, it isnt for those that aren’t willing or able to spend some money on skincare. But if you are able to, and want a change from your current face care routine, try Rodial, you will not be dissappointed. I am definately hooked! 

Rodial is available at Skins Cosmetics in this country, but you can also make online purchases.

Fashiontweet was invited for a luncheon at the New Beauty and Wellness fair in the RAI in Amsterdam. The lunch was hosted by Pascaud Beauty Innovations. Pascaud is a unique beauty brand that creates natural products that rejuvenate the skin. We were witness to Bastiaan van Schaik receiving a BioSkinJETTING and BioSkinSMOOTHING treatment and frankly, he looked amazing. His skin was smooth, relaxed and had that plump look without looking puffy. Just how we like it.

I was sitting across from Micky Hoogendijk, I had seen Micky before at a couple of parties but never up close and personal. Micky has had many ups and downs in here life, not that you would see that on her face though. She looked amazing, her energy shows on her face. Micky has been using Pascaud treatments and products for a while now and she is very happy with the result. As an actress and presentor she prefers to keep movement in her face and Pascaud enables her to do just that.  We had a nice chat and I am looking forward to seeing her again at the upcoming E Factor event here in Amsterdam, but more about that later.

Mardge Pascaud and her business partner Chris Galenkamp hosted a great lunch! Gladly, we were given a Pascaud product package and I will be experiencing a Pascaud treatment soon… I shall report back to you with the results.

Micky Hoogendijk en Bastiaan van Schaik

You all know by now I am a big fan of the Americen Book Centre and of make-up. . . Well, I stopped by the ABC today and look:

Bobbi Brown @ American Book Centre

Two of my favourite things combined into one. This book is great, I have read an excerpt and really like it. Bobbi’s line of products is now available at the Bijenkorf in Amsterdam.  As avid beauty addicts you’ll know about her products and are probably very happy that they are finally stocking it here in NL.
Have fun reading and applying your face!

Skins Cosmetics

The press opening for the Skins Flagship Store in Amsterdam took place yesterday and Fashiontweet was invited.  The lovely Skins team and representatives of several brands were all present and available to us, explaining and promoting their visions and products.  I was amazed by the new look and feel of the store, it is sooo beautiful, light and airy. The interior is mostly white and the colours come from the products, just as it should be in my opinion.

Skins Cosmetics

A few of the products that really stood out for me:

Leonor Greyl, a french company based in Paris has been a pioneer in haircare for 35 years. At the new Skins Institute you can book an appointment for a hair and scalp analysis. A personal treatment will be created for you to ensure a healthy scalp and great looking hair. Paulina Moes, already a well known hairstylist in Amsterdam will be leading this new venture in haircare. I will be sure to book an appointment asap.

The new Skins Institute also employs a skincare specialist, Dany Diop. Dany has been a well known facialist for years, based in Haarlem, and is now working at the Institute. Dany is certified in Epidermologie®, educated at Joëlle Ciocco. Many, many famous faces are loyal to Joëlle Ciocco products and philosophy. It is a true asset to Amsterdam that we are now able to receive such wonderful treatments and purchase the Ciocco products at Skins.

Le Labo, an authentic and original perfume house from New York. Le Labo creates unique perfumes, that are created for you as you wait in the store. This way the freshness is guaranteed. You receive a personalised label on your bottle. I was lucky enough to receive a sample of Neroli 36 and have fallen in love with it.

Another favourite of mine is Laura Mercier, exlusively sold at Skins.  After a full day of presentations there was no time left to receive a consultation by the Laura Mercier representative so I have planned to return to Skins asap and I shall write a seperate report for you after that experience.

I was also very happy to meet Ellis Faas, a very famous dutch Make Up Artist. She is a true powerhouse and it was great to listen to her talk about her new make up product line ELLIS FAAS. Ellis Faas based the entire collection of her brand on the colours that naturally exist in every human body. From all tones of foundation to every lipstick and eyeshadow, the shades are inspired by the human body’s owns colours.

Ellis Faas

The first part of the make up line (available from Thursday) is ELLIS LIPS. It consists of a complete range of liquid lip colours in three textures: Creamy Lips, Milky Lips and Glazed Lips. For each of these textures, Ellis has designed nine specific colours. While signature colour ELLIS RED comes in all three textures. By the end of this year her entire line will have been launched, including: eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, foundation, concealer, powder, blush and highlighters. All products will be packaged in the pen-like device, specially designed for Ellis.