(shanghai daily)
Updated: 2007-02-13 09:17

With the advent of each new year, many people often think about how they can be more compassionate and treat themselves better. Can they make their skin smoother or hair healthier?

The answer is always yes. It's the new year, an ideal time to sit back and make beauty resolutions.

In the spirit of self-improvement, cosmetic companies are constantly coming up with new and innovative skin-care products as well as up-to-the-minute seasonal collections that contain the hottest colors to wear for the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Good skin always makes an ideal canvas for applying the many fabulous make-up offerings during the holiday.

Big brands like La Prairie, Estee Lauder and Clinique have introduced new treatments that promise dramatically improved skin with their state-of-the-art science and technology.

With proper skin care, a glamorous New Year look will surely draw attention in this festive season. Bobbi Brown has released its New Year Gold Look for women who wants to add sparkle to their appearance.

It features subtle gold shades on eyes with a deep liner and spun gold lips with a bit of shimmer.

"Eye make-up is the mosts important part of this New Year look," said Bobbi Brown makeup artist Jacky Qian. Use the star product Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner to smudge a heavy line and finish with the black No-Smudge Mascara to define, curl and lengthen lashes.

Lastly, don't forget to protect your hair in this dry season.

Experts recommend using a surface conditioner to remove static electricity and make combing easier.

Bobbi Brown No-Smudge Mascara (220 yuan/US$28.40)

The new No-Smudge Mascara provides volume, lengthening and curling. It improves the look of lashes and has enhanced staying power. Available in two shades.

New Shimmer Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (250 yuan)

The collection has been updated with two permanent shade additions: Chocolate Shimmer Ink and Graphite Shimmer Ink. Color is long-wearing and water-resistant.

This all-in-one mini compact has everything a woman needs to shape, groom and define eyebrows. It includes two shades of eye shadow for filling in brows, a mini eyebrow brush and tweezers.

Estee Lauder High Gloss (180 yuan)

First off, the packaging is adorable. With the long, sleek lip-gloss tubes featuring beautiful wearable colors, now you can wet your lips with luscious super shine, minus the heavy, sticky feel of traditional gloss. The High Gloss provides irresistible color and brilliance as it caresses with feel-good conditioners. Lips look moist, plump and smooth.

Guerlain KissKiss Gloss (240 yuan)

Drench your lips in sheer, pearly or sparkly colors with the new KissKiss Gloss. With its revolutionary, non-sticky formula lips stay moisturized and water-resistant, while the magnifying esters ensure a long-lasting effect with a volume boost. Its flat, smooth brush provides accurate application.

My Triiicky Eyeshadow (Price unavailable)

Marbled with three soft shades, these sheer shadows add sparkle to the eyelid as an all-over color wash or to selectively accent your best assets as a highlighter.

My Liiip Cube (Price unavailable)

Some of life's sweetest treats are pink - bubblegum, cotton candy and cupcake icing, to name but a few. Sephora Piiink celebrates beauty and fashion with a hip, young spirit. Each of these chunky cubes contains two shades of slick, sweetly-scented lip gloss that can be worn alone or in combination for a perfect pout.

Skin Caviar Intensive Ampoule Treatment (5,200 yuan)

This two-phase treatment system features six ampules containing lyophilisate and six ampules of nano-emulsion. When the contents are blended the result is a dynamic formula that guards skin against premature aging, immediately diminishing the appearance of lines and wrinkles and reducing skin discoloration. Through a concentrated six week skin-improvement program it will produce dramatic results.


Cellular Radiance Eye Cream (2,600 yuan)

The latest La Prairie achievement for the skin around the eyes tackles puffiness, dark circles and fine lines all at once, visibly improving tone and texture. The product's extraordinary rejuvenating action restores youthful vitality and a healthy glow to the face.

Clinique All About Eye Rich (330 yuan)

The newest addition to the brand's successful All About Eyes franchise is a soothing, moisture-rich formula. It glides effortlessly across the under-eye skin and eyelids to leave it feeling fully moistened, comforted and hydrated. The pale peach cream delivers an advanced eye treatment designed to target dark circles and puffiness with an extra moisture boost.

Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains For Face (500 yuan)

A true skin care innovation - these luxurious grains can be mixed with any of the brand's cleansers or water to create a customized, gentle exfoliator for the face. Formulated with adzuki bean powder from Japan, it helps to remove dry surface patches and promotes skin cell turnover.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Concentrate (980 yuan)

This concentrate works to visibly free skin from the accumulation of excessive damage. It dramatically and intensively boosts the skin's natural ability to repair the visible effects of this accumulation, helping to clean the slate of paste damage. You can also use it after sudden-skin traumas, such as when skin is uncomfortably dehydrated, after excessive sun exposure or pre-and-post microdermabrasion and chemical peels. Use it for 21 consecutive nights and your skin will emerge rested, supple, smooth and healthier looking.

Keratase Resistance Age Recharge (275 yuan)

To fight the effects of time, this product is a firming mask that rejuvenates lifeless, fine and brittle hair. A true technological breakthrough, the Vita-Resource Complex reinforces the core of the hair shaft, smoothes the cuticle and increases its resistance to external aggressions. Its unique gel characteristic transforms hair texture without weighing it down.

Keratase Oleo-Relax Elixir (245 yuan)

This product is an elixir for smoothing and controlling dry, frizzy and unmanageable hair. It nourishes, softens and smoothes hair with its Nutri-Oil Complex (shorea and palm oils) and anti-frizz protection ingredients. After an application of the Oleo-Relax Masque, apply one to two pumps of the elixir to towel-dried hair and work in. Re-apply a small amount after blow-drying as a finishing touch.

Bobbi Brown Luxury Brush Set (2,880 yuan)

Ten of the most popular Bobbi Brown brushes are included in this new zippered case. It also features a removable pouch to hold small items like tweezers, cotton swabs and cotton pads. The set includes the New Cream Shadow Brush as well as concealer, foundation, eye shadow, ultra-fine eye liner and brushes for eye brows, a face blender, bronzer and blush.