As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Rene Furterer held an event recently to launch the Galénic Paris skin care line in the United States.

Exhibitors at the 2006 Face & Body Expo highlighted their presence on the show floor with live demonstrations.

Good Press
Graphic Design:usa magazine presented two Graphic Design USA Awards to Avancé for the packaging of its new Suncures Collection and the presentation of the Avancé Au Fait Spring 2006 magazine. “Packaging and collateral materials are what make products stand out to customers, so it’s important that they’re done well,” says Avancé vice president Dee Deluca-Mattos. The awards honor new outstanding graphic design, advertising art and marketing communications.

Allure released its annual Best of Beauty Awards in the magazine’s October 2006 issue. Readers and editors selected the following products for inclusion in the coveted list:
• Foundation: Bare Escentuals i.d. Bare Minerals Foundation SPF 15
• Hair: Aveda Volumizing Tonic
• Nail polish: Essie Cosmetics Cuticle Pen and Nail Polish in Mademoiselle (best pink); OPI Products Chip Skip (base coat); OPI Nail Lacquers in Lincoln Park After Dark (best dark); and I’m Not Really a Waitress (readers’ choice)
• Skin: Kinerase Cream for Sensitive Skin (antiaging); Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm for Eye and Lip Area (antiaging); Murad Oil-Free Sunblock in SPF 30 (facial sunscreen); and Rodan + Fields Unblemish Regimen for Acne, Blemishes and Breakouts (acne treatment)

Dermalogica and Lexus joined up for a series of quality-driven events.

Fast Lane
Dermalogica partnered with luxury automotive company Lexus to present “Taste of Lexus,” a series of weekend events held last fall in jet-setting cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and Miami. Each event attracted interest from approximately 4,000 guests who enjoyed fine cuisine and treatments (offered in a tented “Oasis” area) between test-drives of the latest Lexus models. Dermalogica kept the events on course by offering Face Mapping, its customized skin analysis and product sampling treatment. “There are a lot of expensive, sexy automobiles on the road today, but some of them don’t deliver on their promises,” says Dermalogica founder and CEO Jane Wurwand. “We chose Lexus not for its obvious status, but for its stellar performance in every category.”

Star Power
Two highly regarded skincare companies have won the loyalty of two highly recognizable fans. Pop diva and second-time new mom Britney Spears recently sent a note to Pevonia Botanica to thank the company for sending a variety of skincare products. “We appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness in sending them to me,” penned Spears. “I find your products to be extremely useful and beneficial in my recovery after my child’s birth.”

Dancing With The Stars’ Edyta Sliwinska sidled up to products from Repêchage.

Repêchage also garnered a famous nod from professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who maintained soft hands and a firm grip on her celebrity partner Joey Lawrence during ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars with Repêchage Sea Spa Hand Cream with Anti-Oxidants. After the cameras turned off, Sliwinska wiped away her stage makeup with Repêchage Opti-Cleanse Extra Gentle Non-Oily Eye Makeup Remover.

Returning Attractions
Spa-Addicts.com recently added a bonus that’s designed to encourage more of its users to visit its member spas. The Frequent SpaMiles Program enables spa-goers to accumulate SpaMiles points for receiving services at member spas. The points can then be redeemed for product packages from brands such as Sundari, EmerginC, Hormeta, Peter Thomas Roth, June Jacobs, Issimo, TRUE, Avidere, Comfort Zone, DermaNew, Kerstin Florian, Elementals, MD Skincare and Sprayology. For more information on the program or becoming a Spa-Addicts member spa visit www.spa-addicts.com.

Set The Standard
Comite International d’Esthetique et de Cosmetologie (CIDESCO) has introduced SPA Qualification, a certification program aimed to increase regulation of the quality of spa standards. An industry growth spurt and dramatic rise in world travel creates the need for recognized standards, says president Helene Weber Bramwell. “We’re very proud that some of the world’s leading spas and industry organizations have elected to ensure consumer satisfaction and professional standards by achieving the CIDESCO certification,” she says. The certification requires completion of 1,200 hours of classes and 600 work hours in a chosen field, as well as submission of a written exam and a 4,000-word thesis. Beauty centers can also become accredited if CIDESCO-certified members own them, and spas must also pass hygiene and equipment inspections.

CIDESCO leaders introduced the SPA Qualification program during the annual World Congress, held in Athens, Greece, where the organization also celebrated its 60th anniversary. Founded by two European salon owners in 1946, CIDESCO now has member affiliations in more than 33 countries; more than 200 accredited CIDESCO schools offer diplomas in subjects including beauty therapy, aromatherapy, electrical epilation and spa therapy. Past World Congresses have been held across the globe in countries including South Africa, Finland, Canada, Spain and Israel.

Education Partners
BIOTONE Professional Massage & Spa Therapy products recently launched the BIOTONE Edu-Partner Program, which aims to connect its products with cosmetology schools and education programs through promotions and advertising. By purchasing qualifying BIOTONE products, participating schools earn “Edu-Dollar” credits that can be applied to co-op advertising and marketing programs or redeemed for trial-size products to distribute to students. BIOTONE also provides a link to participating educators on its website. The program has already received positive response from participating educators. “It’s helping to increase the professionalism of our students and their educational opportunities,” says Steve Colarusso, program director of Charles of Italy School of Massage Therapy in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. ”

Recording artist India Arie hosted a crowd of young women at one of Aveda’s Outer Peace Patrol events in Los Angeles last fall.

Aveda Goes on Patrol
Last fall Aveda hit the road in Los Angeles with its Outer Peace Patrol mobile spa to spread the word to teens about its new Acne Relief line. The tour coincided with back-to-school season and included stops at hot spots such as The Key Club on famed Sunset Boulevard; the Fashion Institute of Design; Huntington Beach Pier; and Kriza Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa in trendy Studio City. Attending teens received free product samples, stress-relieving massages, skincare demonstrations and advice from Aveda’s director of spa education, Krista Kiley. Those who attended the evening at Kriza enjoyed some Q&A time with Grammy nominee India Arie, who served as host for the event and even treated the lucky crowd to a song.

Instant Gifts
Millennium by Harms, a spa and salon business management software company based in Boonton, New Jersey, and SpaBoom, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based online spa marketing company, recently formed a partnership that creates instant online gift certificates for salons and spas, available for purchase directly from a day spa’s website. Day spas that use the Millennium software will find the gift certificate purchase automatically recorded in the management program, and clients can instantly print or e-mail the gift certificate to the desired recipient. “Clients expend absolutely no effort, yet (day spas) receive the benefit of enhanced revenues by capturing the online gift certificate sales they’ve been missing before now,” says Harms Software founder John Harms.