For the last month or so, we’ve been sampling the new haircare range by James Brown London.

Inspired by Kate Moss, Brown created an entire line of hair products as effortless and cool as his own hairstyling techniques. With more British Vogue cover credits under his belt than any other hairdresser, Brown clearly knows what it takes to make hair perform.

We love how the bottles have great packaging with easy-open tops, and the scent is slightly masculine (enough so that our husband reaches for this more often than we do!).

We’ve been using the Dry Hair Shampoo & Conditioner which gives our hair extra shine. Instead of shampooing twice, as most brands suggest, Brown recommends leaving shampoo on for two minutes before rinsing, allowing the product to breakdown dirt and penetrate the hair shaft. Try this technique, it really works!

In addition to the Dry Hair products, the line offers shampoo and conditioner for combination, chemically treated, and fine hair concerns, as well as an assortment of styling products.

The sixteen James Brown London products are available online at boots.com.

Originals have a lust for life that can never be squelched! Some classics can’t be improved upon — from Carol Channing to Bjork to Blondie, Bowie, and every glam rocker and tightrope walker in-between. This season MAC pays tribute to all the high flyers, in the shades, shadows and styles that have stayed with us for all these years, and some of the late-greats we discontinued all too soon. It’s a throwback to the future. Originals are now and forever.

We can’t help but feel the crazy permeating from this image, but we’re terribly excited about MAC Originals hitting MAC counters tomorrow. (Originally, the collection was slated to launch on December 26th but, LUCKY US, the debut has moved up to tomorrow.)

We’re slightly disappointed that Mothbrown isn’t included in this collection, but there’s plenty of other cult favorites (Parrot, anyone?) to go around.

LIPSTICK
Rozz Revival Watermelon reddish pink (lustre)
Chintz on Chintz Sheer mid-tone yellow brown (lustre)
Utter Pervette Soft pastel pink (lustre)
Back to Del Rio Deep brown red (lustre)
Nouveau-Frou Beigey grey pink with white pearl (lustre)
Retrofluid Sheer dirty deep plum with gold and red pearl
Supersequin Plummy pink with silver pearl (lustre)
Twig-Twig Neutral brown plum (lustre)
Sandy B Light shell pink
Russian Red Intense bluish-red
Suggested Retail Price $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

LIPGLASS
Full on Lust Neutral brown pink (cream)
Avarice Mid-tone yellow red with soft red pearl (cream)
Real Desire Deep plum with red plum
Nico Now Mid-tone grey purple with multicoloured pearl (cream)
C-Thru Soft peached-beige with shimmer (cream)
Suggested Retail Price $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

SMALL EYE SHADOW
Daisychain Soft yellow beige with soft white pearl (satin)
Ochre Style Mid-tone yellow brown with gold (frost)
A Little Folie Mid-tone red brown (matte)
Memorabilia Dirty purple (matte)
Clue Mid-tone dirty grey with silver (matte)
Alum Mid-tone blue grey with soft blue pearl (frost)
Charred Deep steelgrey with silver pearl (frost)
Frisco Soft pastel pink (matte)
Parrot Deep aqua blue with bright green and blue pearl (frost)
Suggested Retail Price $14.00 U.S./$16.50 CDN

PIGMENT
Kitschmas Light airy shimmering pink/mauve pearl (frost)
Violet Vivid bright violet-purple (frost)
Melon Soft bright golden peach (frost)
Golden Olive High frosted green gold (frost)
Steel Blue Rich deep turquoise green-blue shone with small pearl particle (pearl)
Suggested Retail Price $19.50 U.S./$23.50 CDN

GLITTER
Reflects Blackened Red Sparkling burgundy
Reflects Very Pink Sparkling fuchsia pink
Reflects Transparent Teal Sparkling white with turquoise
Reflects Antique Gold Sparkling taupe
Suggested Retail Price $16.50 U.S./$20.00 CDN

EYE PENCIL
Ebony Soft black
Coffee Muted brown
Indigo Muted greenish-blue
Suggested Retail Price $12.50 U.S./$15.00 CDN

MASCARA X
Black Black
Suggested Retail Price $12.50 U.S./$15.00 CDN

MAC Originals is available beginning December 19th (tomorrow!) at MAC counters nationwide and online at maccosmetics.com.

In her final spring collection for Lancôme, Gucci Westman has created a beach-inspired iridescent color collection called L.U.C.I. (Luminous Colorless Color Intelligence) based on a Lancôme patented invention that is able to interpret particles of iridescent color and incorporate them into makeup products.

Sounds impressive, no?

The packaging here looks amazing—so sleek and cool—it’s kind of a bummer that this is Gucci’s last collection with Lancôme.

Here’s what we’ll see in this collection:

L.U.C.I Eyes – Light Color in Motion Eye Shadow Duo
A stunning shell-shaped eye shadow compact holds two shadows, a beautiful bronze and a photonic shade. Use the photonic shadow over the bronze color to create a unique third shade. Or use the photonic shade on its own to create a luminous look. Available in Ray of Apricot Light. Suggested Retail Price: $45.00

Photonic – Illuminating Powder Brush Face
This glowing, translucent photonic loose powder can be used to sculpt the face or add a sheer veil of radiance. Available in Ray of Apricot Light. Suggested Retail Price: $40.00

Ombre Glacée – Cooling Gel Illuminator Eyes
This creamy, cooling eye shadow can be used alone or blended over another color to highlight and brighten the eye area. Apply the light texture over your eyelid and up to the brow bone or experiment by bringing it from the eye down to the cheekbone to create a beautiful aura that lights up the face. Available in Chameleon, Morning Pearl and Sunrise. Suggested Retail Price: $22.00

Color Fever Gloss – Sensual Vibrant Lipshine
Make a statement and use the photonic gloss as a topcoat over lipstick or one of the two new shades of Color Fever Gloss to transform shades into intense, brilliant colors. Available in Sunray (photonic shade), Seashell and Rainbow. Suggested Retail Price: $23.00

Color Fever Shine – Sensual Sheer Color. Vibrant Shine.
Revamp your lips with two new lipsticks. Use the photonic shade by itself for a reflective lilac effect or place over the deep rasberry shade for a dazzling, luminous result. Available in Luminous (photonic shade) and Desert Pink. Suggested Retail Price: $25.00

Traceur Design –Illuminating Long-Lasting Eyeliner Soft Brush
An eye liner with photonic lilac reflections to line the eyes and make them sparkle. Available in: Ray of Purple Light. Suggested Retail Price: $20.00

You know as well as we do that the Photonic Illuminating Brush Face in Ray of Apricot Light will have a permanent home in our Makeup Bag.

The Lancôme Spring 2008 L.U.C.I Collection by Gucci Westman will be available beginning January 2008 at lancome-usa.com, specialty stores, the four Lancôme boutiques and counters nationwide.

The beauty department at Bergdorf Goodman is insane.

It’s pretty much the only department in the store we step foot in (not because we don’t want to—it’s just a little overwhelming to peruse cashmere sweaters that cost more than our monthly mortgage payment).

Shopping in the Bergdorf beauty department is an experience that every beauty product junkie should enjoy at least once in her life—the decor is beyond gorgeous, the service is exceptional, and there’s an affordable item for every price point. What more could you ask for?

Oh. Right. CELEBRITIES.

No worries, they’ve got that covered too.

Recently we were at the Prescriptives counter (our favorite Bergdorf hangout) with Julia and one of our readers, Tara (Hi Tara!), when we spied Dustin Hoffman across the room.

Julia was stocking up on a year’s supply of Tint Balm and Tara was busy consulting with Jason—both of them clearly too engrossed to be bothered by a celebrity—so we headed over, alone, to find out why Tootsie was hanging out in the Bergdorf beauty department on a Friday night.

As we made our way over to the crowd forming around Dustin Hoffman, an amazing fragrance wafting up from a free-standing table display stopped us dead in our tracks.

Before we knew what was happening, we fell head over heels and into the arms of Lisa Hoffman Variations Tunisian Neroli fragrance oils (shown in the red pouch below).

With four variations of the same fragrance (morning, daytime, evening and bedtime) your scent can change along with your mood throughout the day. Initially, we only wanted to purchase the daytime version of Tunisian Neroli, as it was the most captivating to us, but Lisa herself explained to us that our nose would find the other versions of the scent equally appealing if applied at the time of day they were created for.

Erika with Lisa Hoffman

Since the fragrance oils are not sold individually, and there was no way we could live without this enchanting scent, we purchased the set for $150 and walked away a very happy woman.

Each variation of this scent is perfect and we love them all equally. (However, we’re sad to say our morning version died an untimely death at a French restaurant called FROG in SoHo. During dinner with a group of friends, our airline-approved plastic baggie containing our precious Lisa Hoffman fragrance oils fell from the table and morning was smashed to bits. Our eyes are tearing up just thinking about it.)

Lisa Hoffman Variations also comes in French Clary Sage and Tuscan Fig.

PS- We never did get to meet Dustin Hoffman but, honestly, meeting his wife was way more exciting!