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beauty treatments
Men’s grooming is one of the fastest growing sectors in the beauty business with men now spending an estimated $10 billion on grooming products and beauty treatments every year.
And now they have their own anti-ageing arsenal on the high street thanks to popular brands like Dermalogica, Yves Saint Laurent, Nip+Fab and L’Oreal developing men-only beauty ranges.
One such product is the Manotox from Nip+Fab’s Nip+Man range, a plumping, firming moisturizer that claims to give “amazing anti-ageing results without surgery”.
According to the company, the secret of the new product’s success is an ingredient called “liftonin”, which is believed to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Also in the mix is another new substance called gransil, which claims to help to smoothe the skin, and includes a cocktail of sea minerals to give the complexion a fresher look.
Manotox from Nip+Fab’s Nip+Man range is a plumping, firming moisturizer that claims to give amazing anti-ageing results without surgery
According to a survey conducted by OnePoll, 25% of men now have beauty treatments such as facials, massages and manicures more than once a fortnight, while the average man now spends between 40 and 60 minutes getting ready to go out.
The phenomenon has also led to a rise in waxing, with a third of men admitting to “manscaping” – removing hair from their groin area.
Escentual founder and male grooming expert, Rakesh Aggarwal, said: “Men are definitely more aware of how to look after their skin and appearance than they were even five years ago.
“Women aren’t the only ones that want to copy their favorite celebrities – with men like Matthew McConaughey, Josh Hartnett and Justin Timberlake having fronted male beauty campaigns, men are feeling the pressure to look groomed and it is now acceptable to admit to making an effort to look good.”
The male beauty boom has also spread into the surgery sector, with more men than ever now willing to go under the knife in a quest for the perfect face and body.
According to the American Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, men had almost 800,000 cosmetic procedures in 2012, or 9% of the total.
Particularly popular among male clients are procedures to provide them with the square jaws seen on macho A-listers such as Jon Hamm, Michal Fassbender and Daniel Craig.
“There’s less of a desire now for a conventionally beautiful white-bread face,” Dr. Steven Teitelbaum, an associate professor of plastic surgery at UCLA School of Medicine, told Details magazine.
“People are embracing strong features like ethnic, nontraditional noses.”
Gwyneth Paltrow promotes a healthy lifestyle but she admits having her vices, like smoking one cigarette per week.
Gwyneth Paltrow, 40, also admitted she has tried Botox injections in the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar.
When asked about her guilty pleasures, Gwyneth Paltrow, who recently penned healthy eating cookbook It’s All Good, said: “My one light American Spirit that I smoke once a week, on Saturday night.”
As for surgery, the star said she would be “scared to go under the knife”, although she admitted that may change as she gets older.
Gwyneth Paltrow promotes a healthy lifestyle but she admits having her vices, like smoking one cigarette per week
“I’ll try anything. Except I won’t do Botox again, because I looked crazy,” Gwyneth Paltrow said.
“I looked like Joan Rivers!”
The actress also admitted to stepping up her beauty routine in recent years.
“I really used to be bad with products, but I exfoliate every night and use a lot of organic oils,” she said, confiding that she is a Sonya Dakar fan.
Gwyneth Paltrow said she recently had the Thermage laser treatment, which she described as “quite painful”.
“It feels like someone’s smacking your face with a rubber band that has an electric shock in it,” she said.
“But I would do it again, because I feel like it took five years off my face.”
Gwyneth Paltrow also spoke about the apparent contradictions in promoting a healthy lifestyle and organic products while at the same time indulging in high-end beauty treatments.
“I think it’s a mix,” she said.
“You know, I use organic products, but I get lasers. It’s what makes life, finding the balance between cigarettes and tofu.”
Gwyneth Paltrow opened about her 10-year marriage to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, stating that they are “growing into very similar people”.
The star, who is already a mother to Apple, 8, and Moses, 6, said she is considering trying for a third child, despite the big adjustment that would entail.
“But then you see a baby and you smell a baby!” she said.
“And you’re like, <<Yep, I do>>. I don’t know. It’s a very big decision, so we’ll see. Anyway, I’m not doing it this month!”
Hotel Martinez in Cannes may already be one of the most sought after hotels in the world, but its fabulous new L.RAPHAEL Beauty Spa is quickly becoming one its biggest draws.
Located on the seventh floor of the stunning La Croisette building, the L.RAPHAEL Beauty Spa specializes in technologically advanced beauty treatments by the celebrated Swiss skincare brand.
The beauty retreat launched just in time for this year’s Cannes Film Festival and was reportedly filled with A-Listers dropping in for a touch of pampering before the big event.
L.RAPHAEL specializes in exclusive non-invasive Oxy treatments using its proprietary Oxy-Tech II machine, which is able to deliver active ingredients further into the skin than any topical application by combining high-speed jet pressure with oxygen and salt water.
Oxy-Slim treatment promises to firm up and reshape the body instantly by rejuvenating cells.
L.RAPHAEL specializes in exclusive non-invasive Oxy treatments using its proprietary Oxy-Tech II machine, which is able to deliver active ingredients further into the skin than any topical application by combining high-speed jet pressure with oxygen and salt water
The treatment lasts for 50 minutes and during this time three different oils and gels are massaged into skin, including a slimming gel which uses forskolin extract, an effective slimming ingredient which fights cellulite and burns fat.
After each oil is applied, the Oxy-Tech II machine is pressed against the skin to drive the ingredients deeper into the body.
Oxy-Slim is definitely a great confidence-boosting pre-beach treatment, but unsurprisingly the results are not long-lasting.
Getting your toes sandal-ready is easy once you know how, and a good pedicure can last up to three weeks if done right.
“Spending just 30 minutes on a proper DIY pedicure is one of the most transformative beauty treatments you can do,” says foot health expert, Margaret Dabbs.
“Not only does a good pedi make your feet look groomed, it’s an instant confidence booster.”
1. File toe nails
First, invest in a good nail file.
“Emery boards can tear and split your nails, resulting in an uneven look. Whereas, a glass file will give you a perfectly straight line as it allows you to file back and forth without damaging your nails,” says Margaret Dabbs.
File nails straight across. While it’s trendy to go for fancy shapes on your fingers, Margaret Dabbs says feet should never be filed in a round shape like fingernails.
“Straight across is the most flattering and healthiest option, as rounded nails can grow into the foot,” she explains.
If you suffer from bunions like Victoria Beckham, try Margaret Dabbs’ foot-perfecting trick: “If you’ve got a big toe that leans slightly inwards, subtly file the big toe nail in a diagonal line so that the inside of the nail is a fraction higher.
“This gives the illusion of straight, evenly-shaped toes.”
Spending just 30 minutes on a proper DIY pedicure is one of the most transformative beauty treatments you can do
2. Buff and gloss
Next, use a square block buffer over the nail bed.
“Buffing nails gets rid of discoloration caused by leftover nail polish or fake tan,” says Margaret Dabbs.
Once ridges are smoothed and the toenails are stain-free, use a separate glossing buffer to create a glass-like effect.
The action is a bit like shining shoes; buff back and forth quickly over the nails until they’re gleaming.
“I always carry a glossing file in my handbag for those occasions when I don’t have time to wait for polish to dry – it’s the natural equivalent of top coat,” she adds.
3. File hard skin
“The most common mistake made during at-home pedicures is to file hard skin while your feet are in water,” says Margaret Dabbs.
“When feet are wet, it’s harder to see what areas need filing. Plus, cracked feet can split in water, which can be painful and lead to infection. So, always file on dry skin.”
The best callous tool?
“Leave cutting or grating devices to the pros, as it’s easy to go overboard which can leave you with sore, aching heels,” she says.
Instead, opt for a foot file (ideally crystal) that will evenly reduce hard skin.
“Always file hard areas, such as big toes and heels, in soft strokes towards the underneath of your foot. If you file upwards, you will be left with a ridge.”
4. Exfoliate
Once nails and hard skin are taken care of, soak feet in warm water ready to exfoliate away dead skin.
“When you don’t have an exfoliating product to hand, mix together body wash with a handful of coarse sea salt and massage into damp feet,” says Margaret Dabbs.
“This instantly revives tired looking feet, leaving cuticles clean and skin bright and gleaming.”
5. Oil and polish
Forget foot balms, for a “luxe” look use a foot oil which will penetrate deeper into the skin without the sticky finish of a heavy cream.
“Dry oils like emu oil contain moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties,” says Margaret Dabbs.
Great for holidays when the sand and sun leave feet looking parched, top up your pedicure with a quick spray each night to keep feet looking silky.
Duchess of Cornwall gave Kate Middleton her first pot of Heaven Bee Venom face mask soon after her engagement.
Then Camilla encouraged Kate to have her first £165 ($260) bee venom facial with Deborah Mitchell herself.
Deborah Mitchell, 46, is known for developing her own organic, locally sourced beauty treatments and – most importantly – for her discretion. Her celebrity clients include Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The beautician works from a small salon, called Heaven, in the Shropshire market town of Shifnal, and from a room at London’s Hale Clinic, and usually refuses point-blank to talk about her work.
Speaking for the first time about her Royal and celebrity clients, Deborah Mitchell says: “It was extraordinary watching the wedding on television, knowing I had been chatting to Kate a few days beforehand. What I still find amazing was the lack of tension at Clarence House in the run-up to the ceremony.
“It just shows how perfect the couple are for each other and how happy the Duchess of Cornwall was to be gaining a new daughter-in-law.
“Everybody was just so excited. It was like looking forward to Christmas.”
Deborah Mitchell will be at Charles and Camilla’s Scottish home, Birkhall, this weekend and has been a regular visitor to Clarence House and Highgrove since she first started working with Camilla in 2005.
She says her introduction to Camilla and her enduring relationship with the Duchess came as a huge personal boost at a time when she was struggling with low self-esteem after the death of her father, from whom she had been estranged since he walked out on the family when Deborah Mitchell was six.
Her mother, Sheila, later remarried and Deborah Mitchell adored her stepfather Peter Brown, but says that she spent years trying to please her absent father.
Deborah Mitchell, who has two children Ella, 14, and Christopher, 13, is in the throes of a divorce herself – from her second husband Chris Cox, who owns a meat processing firm.
She says she started right at the bottom of her profession after studying at Telford College of Arts and Technology, travelling from house to house in the Midlands as a mobile beauty therapist, before opening her first salon in 1998.
“I started off with one £10 pack of nail extensions and my first customer gave me a £1 tip,” Deborah Mitchell recalls.
“I invested that and eventually I bought my own couch and rented the beauty salon at the Holiday Inn in Telford.”
Duchess of Cornwall gave Kate Middleton her first pot of Heaven Bee Venom face mask soon after her engagement
Her first celebrity client was Tracey Taylor, the wife of Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, who introduced her to the other band members and their wives.
She was a regular visitor at Taylor’s home, the Grade II listed mansion Beckbury Hall in Shropshire.
“Duran Duran had a recording studio there and I would often encounter musicians such as George Michael and Rod Stewart jamming in the hall,” Deborah Mitchell said.
Later, she met Kylie and Dannii Minogue.
“Kylie first came to me at the Hale Clinic about ten years ago,” she says.
“She was very inconspicuous. She arrived in a taxi, wearing no make-up, glasses and with her hair scraped back underneath a hat. Dannii came to me just before she was made a judge on The X Factor.
“I remember telling her that I thought Simon fancied her, and she just smiled.”
But Deborah Mitchell’s big breakthrough came when she was summoned to treat Camilla Parker Bowles.
“I remember the first time I went to Clarence House,” Deborah Mitchell recalls. “I was wearing a shift dress – I don’t wear a uniform – and I arrived in a taxi. The Duchess’s lady-in-waiting Jackie Meakin met me at the police barrier and walked me inside. I was taken to a private reception room where I was offered tea or coffee and Duchy biscuits, which I love.
“Then I was shown to Her Royal Highness’s bedroom, which is a beautiful cream room full of amazing antiques with the Royal crests on them, and wonderful paintings. I felt so honored to be somewhere that the public never gets to see.
“I had taken my own treatment couch from the Hale Clinic. I set it up while I worked out how to curtsey and put her on the treatment couch at the same time. I wasn’t nervous – I never get nervous with celebrities because I’m confident of my treatments – but I was stunned how relaxed and comfortable it was working for her.”
Camilla loved the effect of the treatment and the favorable press comments about her appearance that followed. Deborah Mitchell was soon a key member of her wider entourage. That Christmas, Camilla gave Deborah Mitchell a signed photograph in a leather frame.
Since then, Deborah Mitchell has regularly treated Camilla. She looked after her when she broke a leg while hill-walking at Birkhall and it was one of Deborah’s Heaven Scent candles that helped revive Camilla after she was caught up in last year’s riots.
Unlike some of Deborah Mitchell’s demanding celebrity clients, Camilla is very thoughtful and considerate.
“Once I shifted around some of my other clients to fit her in, but she was most upset anybody would be put out on her behalf,” says Deborah Mitchell.
“She said to me, <<Please don’t do that again>>.
“She is very different from clients such as Simon Cowell and Victoria Beckham. The first time he came into the Hale Clinic, he tried to persuade one of my clients to swap her treatment for X Factor tickets so that he could have her appointment. And once I got a phone call from Posh Spice wanting to know why she hadn’t got my Bee Venom mask.
“Her close friend, the make-up artist, Maria Louise Featherstone, had a pot and she was a bit put out that she hadn’t had it first. So she asked me to send her six jars.”
Deborah Mitchell has met most of the other members of the Royal Family and has treated both Camilla’s daughter, Laura, and her daughter-in-law, Sarah Buys, and, of course, Kate.
It was only after her engagement that Deborah began treating Kate.
“I feel very proud to have been one of the first people to know the name of her cocker spaniel. He ran up to me when I was doing a treatment for her one day so I began stroking him and she said, <<Come on Lupo>>.”
The success of her Heaven beauty products, developed using organic ingredients, have seen her named International Businesswoman of the Year.
Deborah Mitchell now has salons in China, Taiwan and Japan, and is launching in New York this autumn.
But until she met the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005, Deborah Mitchell was not a household name. A year after the wedding that brought her work in front of an incalculably huge global audience, Deborah still values the Royal connections that she sees as the crowning glory of her career.
Kate and Camilla, meanwhile, still draw on her expertise to help them face the world as two of the most photographed women on the planet.
