Categories
Beauty Featured Finance Lifestyle Living NYC Wellness

Downtown’s Ultimate Beauty Gift Guide 2020

 

We can all agree that 2020 was a year like no other, and it will go down in history as one of the most difficult collective challenges in our lifetimes. As the hashtag says, #weareinthistogether. No matter your level of income, age, skin color, or which part of the world you live in, we all had to rethink how we get from morning to night, facing challenges like working remotely and DIY beauty regimens.

We are grateful that our favorite brands made 2020 easier for us. We figured out how to get through it, even if it meant that our hair colorist had to drop off a premixed color formula so that our dear life partners (or children) could apply.

It may not have been a pretty sight, but from the creative photos on social media, it certainly came with a large dose of humility and humor.

This year we have decided to honor the brands who were there for our company in our Downtown’s 2020 Ultimate Beauty Gift Guide.

Here are a few of our favs!

 

Supremÿa Eyes at Night. Exceptional night skin care dedicated to revealing the youth of the eyes.

 

 

Supremÿa Cream An exceptional night treatment specifically for dry skin or skin lacking comfort, which targets the visible signs of aging to offer noticeably enhanced rejuvenation.

 

 

Scent Sational gifts from Sisley Paris. Sisley continues the original collaboration with artist Quentin Jones celebrating Izia in a new package inspired by her colorful ‘rock’ universe. Collages of roses, fluorescent ink, and flecks of paint boldly decorate the box. Its delicacy and lightness contrast with the ‘rock’ design of the box and echo the singular rose at the heart of the fragrance.

 

 

A limited-edition holiday bundle of 3 bestsellers from Bali Body, Ultra Dark Self Tan, Face Tan Water & BB Cream, it’s everything you need for the perfect glow. In a festive gift box!

 

 

Roam Slippers

 

 

ROAM slippers and sandals are all about comfort. They have custom-molded footbeds that are pillow soft while completely supporting your feet. The mid-soles are wrapped in neoprene for wicking and breathability, keeping your feet cool. There is also memory foam added to the uppers that allow the shoes to mold and form to your feet – truly creating a hug for your feet.

 

TYME

​Make ​​travel and everyday styling easier, and faster with Tyme. Combining many different size curling irons with a straightener. No more cluttered drawers, cabinets, and suitcases – just one tool.

One of our Publisher’s new FAV!

 

 

 

Joon Saffron Rose shampoo, this gentle conditioner detangles, hydrates, and smoothes hair. Used in traditional Persian beauty rituals for centuries, the “Antioxidant Powerhouse” created by Saffron, Rose, Pistachio and Pomegranate nourish and strengthen the hair strand while restoring elasticity, making your hair look/feel softer, stronger, and healthier.

Persians have used Saffron, Pistachio, and Rose in beauty rituals for centuries. Saffron, a spice worth more than its weight in gold, is used to strengthen hair. Pistachio nourishes and moisturizes for bouncy and smooth hair.

Coming from a haircare background, Shiva and Kayvon Tavakoli spent their entire lives in the salon haircare world. Their father came to the US when he was 17 years old and after moving to Houston, built a successful salon empire and haircare laboratory.

 

 

 

Joanna Vargas, We needed something to help keep our beauty regiment up, as we all worked from home, spas, and salons were closed during the quarantine. For a wide-awake look, with or without concealer, use the Magic Glow Wand to reduce the appearance of puffiness, invigorating your complexion, bringing your glow back.

 

Use it with a serum or mask for an unbelievably soft and radiant look!

 

One of our newest discoveries Deborah Lippman’s, hand and feet moisturizer, trust us, it will change your hands and feet forever. With the hard winter approaching, start now and by spring you will feel like a new person!

Your hands are the first to reveal your age. Keep them guessing with this award-winning cream formulated with shea butter, avocado, and jojoba oil. Winner of Health Magazine’s Healthiest Hand Cream, as voted by leading dermatologists Broad spectrum SPF 25 sunscreen protects from the sun’s UVA and UVB harmful rays Shea butter, Avocado, and Jojoba oil keep hands moisturized Botanical brightening complex helps to even skin tone.

 

 

 

 

Again for the 3rd year in a row, we are including BrooklynBotany. We cannot get through a winter without their scrubs and now new Sweet Almond oil.

This holiday season we sampled their new Blueberry Scrub, all we can say is THANK YOU Brooklyn Botany. Our dry skin feels renewed, and radiant, the winter dry itch is gone.

 

 

Sweet Almond Oil, the perfect name for Brooklyn Botnay’s oil..  sweet it is, very mild, and hypoallergenic. This oil is safe to be used for almost all skin types including sensitive, dry, and oily skin. It can even be used on children and babies skin.

 

Can’t get to St Barth this year, no worries, they bring their delightful products to you. And, just in time for Christmas with Ligne St. Barth

Feel the beauty of the island – surrounded by warmth, a breath of wind cools your cheeks. Sea Breeze embodies the lightness of a tropical summer day: with the deep blue Blue Lagoon shower gel, tingling like a bath in the surf. Try this sun splash, with grapefruit as an invigorating freshness accord. This beguiling Premium Care Oil gives your body, face, and hair, a golden sheen.

 

 

 

We cannot get enough of this brand. Anything they make it superb. We love the new refill pouch. Sustainability is here for Ouai.

We have tried many dry shampoo’s and it can be hit or miss. But not with Ouai’s Super Dry Shampoo. Works every time and does not leave your hair unruly or limp.

 

 

Ready for a private dinner at home for two, or just want to feel sexy? Intensely seductive, Good Girl Eau de Parfum Carolina Herrera’s Suprême reinvents the iconic Good Girl fragrance with a daring new formula. Redefining the emblematic contrast of lights and shadows encourages you to connect with your rebellious side. Grab one for a delicious stocking stuffer.

 

One does not think about body serum. However, we have been using Immunocologie body serum for years. Yes, it does moisturize, repair, and restore. It’s very light to the touch but deeply moisturizes. A dry oil intended for full-body application. We found that after a bath or shower apply, and leave on your skin all day and or night, it’s silky smooth and your skin will feel radiant and restored.

 

 

Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown Give the gift of luxury to your loved one, or maybe the gift you have been looking for yourself. Join Downtown New York’s newest intimate space Club 27 where you can focus on your personal fitness and wellness goals, surrounded by inspiration and without any distractions.

 

Mudras.com

 

With this signature bespoke massage treatment, you will experience the magically unique and tailor-made Body Reset massage. This is considered a secret weapon for many of our #MudrasFam. The BodyReset Technique was developed by Yotam Kafri founder of Mudras.com Holiday special for first-time clients. Get 30% off on your first session!
Mention Downtown Magazine to get your special offer. LIMITED TIME ONLY!

 

 

Get your gift certificate now!

 

For those who are enjoying the sheer pleasure of CDB, these are our picks for the 2020 Holiday Season

 

 

 

Meet our first CBD infused moisturizer specifically formulated for the face. Lord Jones Whole Plant Formula Acid Mantle Repair is a soothing CBD moisturizer formulated to help maintain the acid mantle, support the skin’s moisture barrier, and rebalance the appearance of stressed skin.* Each jar contains 250mg of CBD (<0.3% THC).

 

Treat the CBD purist in your life to a trio of our most popular Lord Jones products gumdrops, body lotion, and Royal Oil.

 

 

 

These premium tinctures contain 500mg of full-spectrum CBD derived from specially-sourced hemp for unparalleled purity and quality. Each dropper delivers approximately 20mg of CBD. Available in two flavors, Orange and Peppermint.

 

 

Her Royal Hempress

Her Royal Hempress skincare collection is defined by synergistic, small-batch blends of CBD and potent botanical actives that have been specially crafted with the highest attention to detail. Created by a generational, social-conscious gardener & mother Emma Spivey, Her Highness uses powerful botanical ingredients to complement the transformative CBD to leave skin feeling naturally radiant and for therapeutic relief. 

Her Highness 

Her Highness is a cannabis lifestyle brand based in New York with a curated collection of cannabis, CBD, and consumption essentials designed with the modern consumer in mind. Her Highness product is thoughtfully designed with the intent of bringing cannabis into a woman’s world, not the other way around. With a dynamic range of stylish, high-quality products for smoking, stress relief, self-care, and pleasure, Her Highness satisfies every cannabis craving.

New Highs CBD

New Highs CBD hopes to enlighten and empower women and men towards the path of an elevated lifestyle utilizing the healing properties of CBD. New Highs products invigorate the mind, body, and soul-lifting up high while remaining non-intoxicating.

“Dr. Kerklaan Therapeutics inspired by his desire to help my patients. In 2013, patients started asking about CBD and their health. He took the opportunity to research, study, and attended conferences in order to confidently provide answers to patients who were asking about the health benefits of CBD. Here are just some of our favorite products.

Deep moisturizing lotion utilizing condensed red ginseng water that strengthens the skin barrier and balances the pH for healthy and luminous skin. Donginbi Red Ginseng. DONGINBI was created in 1899, based on internationally recognized manufacturing company Cheong Kwan Jang’s philosophy of creating Korean red ginseng for external use.

Botanika life has a wide array of products catering to an active and healthy lifestyle.  Improving what already works by bringing in nature’s miracle ingredient CBD.

 

Whatever your plans for this holiday season, stay safe, do not gather in large crowds, think about your loved ones and, wear a mask. We look forward to seeing you in 2021.

 

From our home to yours Happy Holidays!

Categories
Beauty

Ouai: Haircare the Right Way


If you’re into haircare, you’ve probably heard about OUAI a long time ago. Actually, scratch that. You’ve probably heard about it regardless.

OUAI has quickly become one of Downtown’s favorite brands. And it’s clear to see we’re not alone. While its been around sometime already, OUAI keeps coming up with new products making it a stable for almost any use — be it hair masks, styling sprays or supplements, and now also a body oil!

Yup, you heard that right. They just launched the latest and greatest — and as always, perfect for the busy city woman always on the go — a Rose Hair & Body Oil. A luxe multitasking oil that smells divine. Part hair oil, fast-drying moisturizer, and a part-time perfume.

Founder Jen Atkin wanted to create something special with OUAI. And let’s just say — she has! She’s created a community.

“I felt a lack of an interactive website with hair tutorials and style suggestions. We are building a conversation site. A place to get solutions and ideas and see what others are doing,” Atkin told Downtown.

The website is made up of products, how to guides and quick tips and tricks.

“I’m inspired by the girl-on-the-go who doesn’t have time to spend 30 minutes every morning with hot tools. Effortlessness is central both to the OUAI brand and to my styling philosophy, but the look is impossible to achieve without healthy hair,” Atkin said.

Finding the Right Haircare

To make sure everyone get the best care for their hair, they even have a consultation service on their website. Through seven questions, the service helps pinpoint your problems and gives you the products you need.

“To determine if you have dry or damaged hair, look at your elasticity. Split ends are usually the indicator of damage from heat or color,” she explained and added, “If your hair is dull or has no shine, then it likely needs a product that will moisturize or repair.”

The consultation is designed to address one of the primary opponents to beautiful natural hair; using the wrong products. The service is designed to suit every customer’s unique needs and answer their questions — like if they came to Atkin in person.

“The questions are based on the real-life concerns that my clients and followers are always asking me about,” she explained.

“Most people buy their shampoo and conditioner from the same product line such as Volume, Repair, Clean and the like — they don’t realize that you usually need a different shampoo and conditioner variety for each.”

“The goal is to get more women to the point of being able to embrace and enjoy their natural texture, instead of fighting it,” Atkin said.

Luxury is Accessibility

OUAI’s mission is for people to find their favorites, find the products they need, and then mix it in with other brands they like. And then of course, for it to be easy.

“Luxury is accessibility. We feature an auto-replenish option and your favorite OUAI products will be on your desk or doorstep in no time. We are not just another random monthly beauty box,” Atkin said.

“New Yorkers have more options than most other consumers in the world, and they have less free time to explore them,” she added.

OUAI is all about listening to their audience and they try to respond and adapt as much as possible.

“We’re not releasing new products just to release them, we’re trying to identify gaps in the market directly from our fans before we start developing something. We want to hear from you!” she said.

Photos courtesy of theouai.com

Categories
Uncategorized

4 Hair Care Brands To Look Out For In 2017

There is no shortage of fun or healthy hair care products out there. So when it comes to taking care of your hair in the New Year, it can feel overwhelming when trying to choose the right product for you.

Here are four up-and-coming hair care brands, as recently sampled by Downtown:

1) IGK Hair

Launched in 2016, IGK’s team is comprised of four lead stylists: Chase Kusero, Franck Izquierdo, Leo Izquiero, and Aaron Grenia. Chase is the man behind Jared Leto’s ombre-man bun. Franck has created looks for Lanvin, Givenchy, and Marni. Leo has styled for Oscar de la Renta and Chloé beyond the aforementioned Lanvin. The New York City-based Aaron has well over 15,000 followers on Instagram with plenty of celebrity clients to speak of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRINFWGPp1Q

2) Oribe Hair Care

Oribe Hair Care was founded by hairstylist and beauty industry veterans Daniel Kaner and Tev Finger. Its Dry Texturizing Spray — which includes ginger root extract, mango extract, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, and Oribe’s siganture complex — was part of a partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation in September. Beyond hair care, Oribe is also known for its fragrances, as its Cote d’Azur is considered to be its signature scent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKVfDrQ1qp0

3) OUAI Haircare

OUAI, as founded by celebrity stylist Jen Atkin, is known for its sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners. The brand recently expanded to offer hair consultation services. Online visitors can get a personal haircare prescription by answering a seven question multiple choice quiz at www.theouai.com.

4) R+Co

R+Co is a collective of hairstylists, namely Howard McLaren, Thom Priano and the singularly-named Garren. R+Co products are not only free of parabens, sulfates, mineral oil and petrolatum, but they are also vegetarian, cruelty-free, gluten-free and color-safe. The brand recently unveiled a batch of travel sets for under $50; its Treasure Set includes 8.5 fl. oz. of its Gemstone Color Shampoo, 8.5 fl. oz. of its Gemstone Color Conditioner, and 1.6 fl oz. of its Death Valley Dry Shampoo.