A colleague of mine enthusiastically embraced the new Prada perfume from the Prada fashion house.
By EVA BEN-DAVID
A colleague of mine enthusiastically embraced the new Prada perfume from the Prada fashion house, saying it would be an excellent choice for a fragrance gift for herself or someone else. Although the fragrance is subtitled Amber, the box it comes in is a pale, powder pink mixed with plum. The bottle is rectangular, streamlined and masculine looking, but the scent itself is deliciously feminine and reminiscent of Asia, with the strong yet delicate patchouli as its key ingredient. Initially slightly acrid with just a touch of citrus, the scent becomes sweeter with the passing of time. It doesn't overwhelm, but it does cling to the skin and has a lasting flirtatious quality, with just a suggestion of mystery. This exclusive brand name comes with a heavy price tag: a 50 ml. bottle of eau de parfum is NIS 450, and 80 ml. is NIS 540.
Sisley has created a day cream for those who are especially concerned about the negative effects of UVA and UVB rays, pollution and stress. The skin cream, called All Day All Year Essential Day Care, is said to create a “protective bubble†for skin cells, protecting the skin from all kinds of aggression; it is suitable for all skin types for those above the age of 25. I found the cream to be lightweight, easily absorbed, and full of enough moisturizing qualities to make the skin feel soft. The scent, however, was slightly off-putting, and when a friend smelled the cream, the first thing that came to mind was ginger root. Fortunately it's not a fragrance that lingers. I can only hope that my skin cells are now, after 28 days of use (the time required for natural cell renewal), really protected from environmental damage. The price of All Day All Year, however, puts it out of reach for many: a 50 ml. pump-dispenser bottle is NIS 1,688.
The new look for fall-winter by L'Or al has icy silver-blue and gold touches, as well as some darker brownish-red and pink colors for nails and lips. A colleague of mine loved the Color Appeal eye shadows in silver and gold, which she mixes with other eye shadows to give them a sparkly effect. The colors can also be applied alone for a very glamorous effect. I was particularly pleased with the Jet-Set Shine nail polish, which does indeed dry very quickly a definite plus for those who hate sitting around not being able to touch anything for twenty minutes after applying polish. The color, Dramatic Plum, is dark with a glossy shine, perfect with a winter-wardrobe; the price for a bottle of Jet-Set Shine is NIS 39, and the Color Appeal eye shadows are NIS 50 each.
The Israeli company Soft Touch doesn't usually disappoint when it comes to the quality of its products, and Lip Refiner Treatment Serum is no exception; the woman who tested it was pleased. The serum promises to give you younger, smoother and plumper lips, and even though she couldn't testify that this was exactly true, the serum did have a wonderfully moisturizing effect on dry lips and the skin around them. Even though you can use the serum morning and night, as well as underneath lipstick, she preferred to apply it only at night, since it does make lips look very shiny, and lipstick has a hard time sticking to the serum. A 15 ml. pump-dispenser bottle of Soft Touch Lip Refiner is NIS 125.
If you have dry skin, then you know that applying foundation is not always a pleasant experience it might cause an uncomfortable “tight†feeling. The True Comfort Foundation by Clarins is made especially for those with dry skin, or who just want to feel more moisturized. The foundation is creamy and does go on smoothly, smells nice and leaves the skin feeling soft. It also lasts throughout the day. The foundation contains a sun protection factor of 15, and promises to protect against pollution, free radicals, and UV rays. A red 30 ml. tube of the True Comfort Foundation, available in five different shades, is NIS 232; Clarins is available exclusively at the SuperPharm chain.
According to Gallery, the academy for beauticians in Jerusalem, the new fashion in nail polish is bright colors and we're talking really bright, almost fluorescent. My daughter thought it was fun to apply a bright green polish to her nails, but quickly removed it after a day or so, after getting too many comments. The bright colors can be used in combination or topped with glittery stones; this, of course, is better if done by a professional. A jar of the bright Gallery Nails polish is NIS 10.5; to order, or make an appointment, call 1-700-673-9919.