Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry leads the campaign for Finishing Touch Flawless, the brand of beauty devices from Church & Dwight, with two commercials, Define and F-Words.
   Both commercials centre around the message of being yourself, embracing who you are, and bringing out the skin’s natural beauty.
   The first commercial promotes Finishing Touch Flawless’s Cleanse facial cleanser and massager; the second its 18 ct gold plated facial hair remover.
   ‘We have always viewed our tribe, the Flawless customer as diverse, savvy, and fearless, as well as independent and adventurous,’ said Hayley Parisi, Finishing Touch Flawless brand manager. ‘We work to bring these women creative solutions to common hair removal, skin, and beauty problems, and have developed high-quality, easy, and painless beauty devices designed to help every girl be her best version of herself. Our new campaign takes this position head-on and Ms Berry personifies the simplicity of real beauty.’
   The campaign will run through 2021. The Flawless line can be found at www.flawlessbeauty.com. US retailers include Ulta Beauty, Bed, Bath and Beyond, CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreen’s, and Walmart.
   Berry won the Academy Award for best actress for her role in the 2001 film Monster’s Ball. She began her career as a model and was the first runner-up in the Miss USA 1986 pageant.

Halsey has launched a make-up range, About-Face (styled all in lowercase), launching direct to consumers on January 25 at www.aboutface.com, and through Ipsy in a year-long partnership.
   About-Face’s messaging is all about individuality and self-expression, ‘recognizing that there is no one version of us,’ says the company. ‘Inspired by music, fashion and art, About-Face honours inclusivity, acceptance, experimentation and the democratization of beauty for our multiple identities.’
   Grammy-nominated multi-platinum singer–songwriter, artist and author Halsey, whom Lucire’s Elyse Glickman headed to Coachella with in 2017, is a self-taught make-up artist as well, and has done her own for performances, editorials and music videos. As a result, she had built up a deep knowledge of the products, to the point where she would blend and colour-correct to achieve the desired effect. She also understood what high performance entailed in make-up formulations.
   ‘Make-up is an art and art is about happy accidents, not any one ideal of perfection,’ she said. ‘I always feel the most free when I am creating looks without following any rules. The beauty industry has norms, but I want to encourage people to challenge those standards and allow things to be imperfect and fun.’
   There are three lines within About-Face: Light Lock, a face highlighter range; Matte, with high-intensity colours for the face, eyes and lips; and Shadowstick, a range of cream eyeshadow crayons. In total, there are 10 product categories, including beauty tools and limited-edition cosmetic bags. All products are vegan, clean and cruelty-free. Prices range from US$17 to US$32.
   About-Face’s next drop is in February, with a matte lip range called Anti-Valentine’s Day.

Claude Iverné/Creative Commons 3·0

Top: Pierre Cardin’s official portrait in 1992. Above: The cover of the book accompanying Pierre Cardin’s 60th anniversary retrospectives in 2010.

Legendary fashion designer Pierre Cardin died December 29 aged 98, according to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, of which he had been a member since 1992.
   Born Pietro Costante Cardin in Treviso, Italy to a working-class family, he would find himself in France in his youth. His parents, along with their 11 children, headed to St Etienne, France, and he became a tailor’s apprentice as a teenager.
   Although fascinated by architecture, he stuck with the clothing trade, joining Paquin, the couturier, in Paris in 1944. At Paquin, he helped cut and sew the costumes and designed masks for Jean Cocteau’s film La Belle et la Bête along with Christian Berard. He also apprenticed with Elsa Schiaparelli.
   Cocteau introduced him to Christian Dior, where he was appointed the head cutter for coats and suits for the designer’s New Look collection, which appeared in February 1947. Branching out on his own, with the new company located at 10 rue Richepanse, Cardin began designing masks and costumes for the theatre, and attracted a clientèle that included Rita Hayworth and Eva Perón. The commissions allowed him to take over the rest of the premises.
   In 1951, André Oliver joined the firm and became Cardin’s friend and right hand, and who created the haute couture with him.
   By 1953, Cardin, now at premises on the rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, showed his first proper collection, and in 1954, he eschewed the feminine form and tradition by showing the “bubble” dress.
   He became a member of the Chambre Syndicale but left soon after, finding its rules cumbersome, and in 1959 he showed his first prêt-à-porter show at Printemps. This expanded his brand’s reach, but at the time it was unprecedented: couturiers did not take themselves downmarket. The same year, Cardin travelled to Japan and recognized the potential of Asia.
   The following year, he showed his first men’s collection, Cylindre, and established a men’s prêt-à-porter and accessories’ department. Eventually, supporters included Gregory Peck and the Beatles, who wore Cardin’s collarless suits.
   Cardin understood the relationship between haute couture and prêt-à-porter all too well, arguably before many others: the former would grab the headlines and could act as a loss leader, while the latter was where money could be made thanks to economies of scale. By 1963 he had launched a women’s prêt-à-porter department. The same year he met actress Jeanne Moreau when he was commissioned to design the costumes for her film La baie des anges. The two had a relationship for some five years, which additionally helped Cardin’s profile. However, Cardin identified as gay and Oliver was, with the exception of this period, his partner in life as well as in his work, until Oliver’s death in 1993.
   In the ’60s, Cardin, along with André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne, created what were regarded as futuristic, space-age designs, inspired by the decade’s forays into the space by the Soviet Union and the US. He even developed a synthetic fabric, Cardine, which Lauren Bacall wore. Another celebrity connection was the menswear for Patrick Macnee’s John Steed in the British TV series The Avengers.
   In 1970, Cardin took over the Théâtre des Ambassadeurs, turning it into the Espace Pierre Cardin, which celebrated the arts. Cardin was impressed by Jean Paul Gaultier’s sketches and gave the 17-year-old his break into the industry. During this decade, his business expanded massively to some 100,000 outlets.
   From a business perspective, he was known for licensing his brand name to a wide variety of products, many outside fashion (inter alia, cigarettes, frying pans and soaps), and claimed to have been involved in their creation. With a mistrust of bankers and lawyers, Cardin did the licensing deals himself. In 1972, Cardin launched his first men’s fragrance, Pour Monsieur.
   While still firm in the grips of communism, Cardin showed in mainland China in the late 1970s, believing the country would eventually open up and become a major economic force. In 1981 he opened a boutique in Russia, then still part of the Soviet Union. Cardin was one of the designers who showed power suits in the 1980s.
   Cardin spent his wealth on properties as well as purchasing Maxim’s restaurant in 1981, which he also grew, with additional branches, and here, too, he licensed the name beyond its original scope. Also in 1981, he launched a women’s fragrance, Choc. In 1983, he was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour and decorated as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres.
   In 1991, Cardin held a fashion show in Moskva’s Red Square to an live audience of 200,000, the first time such an event took place in Russia. He was promoted to Officer of the Legion of Honour and became an honorary UNESCO ambassador; in 1997 he was promoted again to Commander of the Legion of Honour. By 2001, no longer doing regular collections, he bought the Marquis de Sade’s castle, Lacoste, in Provence.
   He remained active well into his 90s, with even Lady Gaga donning Pierre Cardin at one stage. He continued to mentor younger designers and visit his Paris office.

Versace Eros eau de parfum hits counters in New Zealand on January 7, priced at NZ$165 for 100 ml.
   A woody, oriental scent, it has head notes of Italian lemon and mandarin, mint oil and candied apple, a heart featuring geranium, sage and Ambermax, and end notes of cedarwood, vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla.
   This masculine scent is said to embody excess and power, as envisaged by Donatella Versace. Retailers include Farmers, Life Pharmacy, Smith & Caughey, Ballantyne’s, H. & J. Smith and select David Jones stores.

   Jean Paul Gaultier’s Le Male Pride sees the well known fragrance in a limited-edition can, on shelves in New Zealand in February, retailing at NZ$158 for the 125 ml eau de toilette at Farmers, Life Pharmacy, Smith & Caughey, Ballantyne’s and H. & J. Smith.
   With the unexpected notes of mint and vanilla, the scent celebrates tolerance and our differences. Both the bottle and can bear a rainbow flag.

   Also débuting in February—on the 7th—is Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl eau de parfum légère, an oriental fragrance with a softer jasmine, namely the jasmine sambac imperial, and tonka. Recommended prices begin at NZ$115 for the 30 ml, rising to NZ$168 for the 50 ml, and NZ$218 for the 80 ml, at Farmers, Life Pharmacy, Smith & Caughey, Ballantyne’s and H. & J. Smith.

Zalando, the online fashion and beauty retailer, released its holiday campaign, entitled We Will Hug Again, last month. New images featuring Brooklyn Beckham, Diane von Fürstenberg, Jeremy Scott, Munroe Bergdorf, Stella Maxwell, Muslim Sisterhood (Lamisa Khan, Zeinab Salah and Sara Gulamali), and Rain Dove among others have been released to accompany the campaign.
   With COVID-19 still gripping Europe, images of celebrities doing the simple act of hugging—something denied to many as they cannot be in contact with their friends—seem hopeful and aspirational, helping them look to the future.
   In November, Zalando released a video to go with its campaign, called 100 Years of Hugs, along with a series of images, Hug Portraits.
   The retailer is also supporting the Red Cross to help those who may be isolated during the holidays. Consumers are asked to pick a favourite picture of a hug memory, share it on social media, and tag @Zalando and #WeWillHugAgain. For each one, Zalando will donate €5 to the Red Cross.
   Beckham said of the campaign, ‘Human connection and physical embraces are so important in life. At a time when many of us are apart from loved ones, it felt right to partner with Zalando to spread a message of optimism that we will hug again. These images are deeply personal to me and show moments I don’t often share, but now is the time to be thankful for the great moments we’ve had and look forward to creating many more sometime soon.’
   Bergdorf, who shared an image of her and her friend Billy, said, ‘My camera roll is full of so many gorgeous cuddles and hugs with family and friends that I was spoilt for choice. It’s lovely to look back on past moments and know that, even while things can be challenging right now, we will create many more memories like these in the future. Our loved ones are our support systems, they allow us to feel seen, heard and understood. I’m going to miss seeing so many of them over the festive season but I know we have so many amazing times to come. I’m glad to be part of spreading a bit of positivity and part of a campaign that is helping support those that need human connection the most.’
   Zalando’s Natalie Wills, its global director of social media and consumer PR, added, ‘We’re delighted that so many of the industry’s most well-known faces have lent their voices to share this positive message. The images they’ve shared celebrate the beauty of human connection, and we want to inspire the feeling of hope and optimism in these challenging times. It was also important to us to use this campaign as another opportunity to give back to the community and the support Red Cross on their mission to bring connection and support to those that need it most during this period.’

Scents that travel
Often profiled in our travel section, including some memorable features from personal visits by our travel editor, Stanley Moss, Aman finds itself in a beauty story as it launches five 50 ml eaux de parfum created by master perfumer Jacques Chabert.
   They follow Aman’s foray into skin care in 2018, and its wellness supplement brand, SVA, in September 2020.
   The new scents are gender-neutral, with each inspired by an Aman destination. Vayu has been inspired by Amanpuri in Thailand, conveying the freshness of summer and crashing waves; Ayom, inspired by Amanjiwa in Indonesia, is what Aman calls a ‘deep, dramatic and complex’ scent with a sense of rarity; Umbr, inspired by Aman Venice, is an opulent, layered scent, with hints of oak, leather and spice; Zuac, inspired by Amanjena in Morocco, is described as ‘warm ochre combined with drifting spice’; and Alta, inspired by the forthcoming Aman New York, is a bold, urban scent. All scents are phthalate-, paraben- and formaldehyde-free.
   The bottles are designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, and crafted in Japan from Paulownia wood, made from a fast-growing tree. The case is reusable.
   The scents are available at the Aman Shop and at the resorts’ boutiques. A further two scents are due in the spring.

For healthy hair

Here’s a brand that’s still a relatively well kept secret outside France: Ella Mae, a hair care brand using only sustainable organic ingredients sourced in Provence. Founded by a brother–sister duo in 2019, Ella Mae addresses common problems such as brittle and thinning hair, slow growth and dry scalp. Karanja oil is used throughout the range, with 100 per cent natural antioxidant protection for hair colour from repeated shampooing and UV rays. All ingredients are paraben- and sulphate-free, and never tested on animals. Most unusual is the use of snail slime, which has some of the best moisturizing compounds in nature, and is beneficial for hair and scalp. Find out more at ellamae.com. Lucire readers can get 30 per cent off with the code LUCIRE30.

Best in the land
The Luxury Lifestyle Awards in New York has announced that Diamond Laser Medispa, in Taupō, New Zealand, has been given the status of the Best Luxury Medical Spas in New Zealand. A beauty spa and skin clinic, it was founded in 2013 by Olivia Blakeney-William, and has competencies in appearance medicine, advanced skin treatments, tattoo removal, IPL, and diode laser hair removal.