Lotte New York Palace Mother's Day Beauty Event

On Saturday, May 11th, Lotte New York Palace hosted the third annual Mother's Day Beauty Event in partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue.

The Villard Ballroom was transformed into a beauty pop-up for hotel guests and attending media, filled with makeovers, special gifts, and a rose-themed gift with each purchase to celebrate this year's "Roses" theme. Featured brands included Alexander McQueen, Acqua di Parma, Aerin, Bottega Veneta, Chloé, Clé de Peau Beauté Clive Christian, Estée Lauder, Lancôme, NARS and Nest Fragrances.

Throughout the event, live entertainment was provided by New York City-based jazz duo, Actute Inflections. The Lotte New York Palace Spa & Fitness Center offered complimentary hand and chair massages in the Red Salon.

Check out highlights from my afternoon of beauty as I visited each brand. 

Estée Lauder showcased Re-Nutriv skincare collection and spring makeup palettes. Estée Lauder created my eye look using the La Dangereuse eyeshadow palette by Violette filled with sparkle, pearl and matte finishes, along with the Sly & Sultry Deluxe Eye Crayon by Violette.

Chloé showcased three fragrances, including the classic scent that I actually keep at the office, Love Story, and the newest fragrance, Nomade, a floral scent with notes of Oakmoss, Freesia, and Mirabelle Liquor.

Bottega Veneta showcased their ultra-luxe Parco Palladiano collection inspired by an olfactive journey through a Palladian Garden, in Italy. One of my favorite scents in the collection is XIV Melagrana.

Alexander McQueen highlighted, Celtic Rose, a delicate aromatic floral perfume. 

Lancôme previewed the Absolue collection, which launched a rich cream, soft cream, eye cream, oléo-serum and eye serum in January. The luxurious line revitalizes to result in luminous, bright skin. 

Lancôme Spring Collection

Nest Fragrances displayed perfumes and body creams including Wild Poppy and Cocoa Woods. Wild Poppy has aromas of pear, raspberry, and apricot infused with hints of Himalayan jasmine and Rose de Grasse. Cocoa Woods has the essence of bittersweet cocoa wrapped in sequoia wood and white sandalwood, blended with exotic hints of tiare blossom and Thai ginger.

Nest Fragrances Rose Noir & Oud candles and diffusers

Wisteria Blue rollerball and Grapefruit candle

Clive Christian Noble Collection - Rock Rose is one of my favorites with top notes of Tarocco Orange, middle notes of Rock Rose and bottom notes of Lavender. 

Clive Christian 1872 and Original Collection No. 1

Clive Christian Private Collection

One of the Acqua di Parma fragrance picks: Note di Colonia VI 

Acqua di Parma Blu Mediterraneao Collection, with Fico di Amalfi as one of my favorites, with  top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Grapfruit and Citron, heat notes of Fig nectar, Pink pepper and Jasmine petals, and base notes of Fig wood, Cedar wood and Benzoin.

I'm really excited about the new line of Acqua di Parma candles ($69) and diffusers ($97). They smell absolutely amazing!

For my makeover, I had tried Clé de Peau Beauté The Foundation, with SPF 21. I was amazed at how well this foundation moisturizes, radiates and illuminates my skin. I can't say I've ever come across a foundation like this one! This foundation has medium coverage and is also acts as a primer. I also tried on Clé de Peau Beauté's concealer and lipstick.

Clé de Peau Beauté Synactif skincare contains MACC-PD, which strengthens the lymphatic channel and results in youthful, refined facial contours.

Nars showcased new palettes for spring/summer, including the limited edition Summer Lights Face Palette and new Endless Orgasm Palette

- Kim Weling

Valentine's Day Beauty Gifts

These are some of my top beauty picks from skincare to fragrances to indulge in this Valentine's Day, from KORRES, Image Skincare and Caswell-Massey.

KORRES Greek Beauty Sleep set ($24) is a brightening Vitamin C duo improves the appearance of uneven skin tone and texture for brightening and hydration. I love the scent of the Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil, which is infused with real rose petals and boosted with Super Vitamin C. The Wild Rose oil locks in moisture and boosts radiance when you apply it after applying your cleanser and serum in the morning, or you can also mix a few drops into your foundation for a hydrating, dewy glow. At night you can layer it under the Wild Rose Sleeping Facial, for added moisture, brightening and anti-aging benefits. 

The Wild Rose Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Facial should be applied at night right after you wash your face. This night cream is lightweight and makes your skin feel super soft and moisturized the next morning.

Image Skincare First Class Skin Favorites ($45) is the perfect set to pack, with travel-friendly ORMEDIC® balancing facial cleansing gel with aloe leaf juice and green tea, VITAL C hydrating anti-aging serum that brightens the skin and softens the appearance of wrinkles and supports skin elasticity, and PREVENTION+® daily matte moisturizer SPF 32 for broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection with micro-sponge technology that absorbs surface oils for a flawless, shine free finish - all in a silver reusable clutch! 

Caswell-Massey collection in collaboration with New York Botanical Garden includes fragrances, hand creams and bar soaps. Since I like masculine unisex fragrances, one of my favorite scents in the collection is RÒS, developed with the Master Gardeners at the New York Botanical Garden and Senior Perfumer Laurent Le Guernec from a living floral 'Scepter'd' Rose' that bears three roses on each stem, blossoming throughout the summer in the southeast promenade of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at the New York Botanical Garden. 

This sophisticated scent with a masculine character bears top notes of Citrus and a heart of Dark Spice, Amber & Anise. Other fragrances in the collection include Beatrix, Gardenia, Honeysuckle and Lilac. Since the process of developing the scents is so unique, all of the fragrances smell very much like the actual flowers at the New York Botanical Garden! They really are the best smelling florals out there!

- Kim Weling

The Factory by Steve Madden Fragrance Launch

On Friday, September 21st, I attended the launch of The Factory, Steve Madden's first-ever fragrance collection comprised of five unique scents. The collection is all about how personal style and self-expression fluidly evolve with every mood, vibe, and feel. 

Steve Madden unveiled the new scents with a multi-sensory pop up experience at 168 Bowery. The pop up featured installations by Reed + Radar, Michael Bianchino, Adela Andea, Lucia Hierro & Larissa McCoy. Each installation was meant to inspire a different facet within you as you experience each scent - the dreamer, the flirt, the risk-taker, the boss, or the traveler.

"We've been talking about doing fragrance for 10 years and the smell is so important," says Steve Madden. Check out the full interview here on IGTV.

Here's a closer look at each fragrance:

We Need to Talk

You know exactly what you want and you let others know it. 

Key Ingredients: Matcha latte, cucumber, jasmine petals, caramel

Secret Girls Club

Sometimes you just need to reset. Beach trip? *Renames group chat to Secret Girls Club*

Key Ingredients: Watermelon, fleur de monoi, frangipani, vanilla woods

Delusional Heart

Always imagining Oscar-worthy scenarios of how your romance could play out. We're here for it. 

Key Ingredients: Pink pineapple, ivy, dewy jasmine, marshmallow

She Plays With Fire

Tinder date go-to's: Sky diving lesson or crashing a wedding for the hell of it.

Key Ingredients: Marshmallow, birchwood, addictive musks

Kiss My Rose

On the rare occasion that people see you without your rose-red lipstick, and heels. They ask if you're not feeling well. Tell 'em. 

Key Ingredients: Warm nutmeg, geranium, red rose petals, spiced woods

- Kim Weling

Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship Unveils New Beauty Floor

The future of beauty just opened today on the second floor of the Saks Fifth Avenue Flagship in NYC! Beauty on 2 is a one-of-a-kind destination for world-class services and luxury brands you can't find anywhere else. 

The new, 32,000-square-foot beauty space includes more than 120 color cosmetics, skincare, fragrance and wellness brands —58 of which are new to the floor. With a significant focus on experiences, the floor is approximately 40-percent larger and now includes 15 new spa rooms along with services such as medi-spa treatments, facials, massages, manicures, brow services, a flower shop and more. By moving the Beauty department to the second floor, Saks is evolving the way customers shop and experience beauty.

The Saks Store Planning and Design team, in collaboration with Gensler, spearheaded the design focusing on opening up the space, creating broad sightlines across the floor and modernizing traditional finishes that complement the brand's heritage. The team used custom agglomerate white stone flooring from Italy throughout and restored original windows facing Fifth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street, allowing natural light to the floor and north and south facing views of the city.

TREATMENTS AND EXPERIENCES
Saks curated exciting treatments and luxury experiences for customers with services including:

• FaceGym, the original non-invasive facial workout, exclusive to Saks and the first shop in the United States.
• Dedicated spa rooms for CHANEL, Clé de Peau Beauté, Dior, Kiehl's Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Martine de Richeville, SKINNEY MedSpa and Sisley Paris.
• Brow and lash styling by Blink Brow Bar London, CoolSculpting and laser hair removal by SKINNEY MedSpa and manicures and meditation by sundays.
• Martine de Richeville's signature slimming, deep-tissue massage, Rémodelage, —a Saks exclusive and brand-first space in the United States.
• Hand-tied floral arrangements by EB Florals, revolving around the composition of the fragrances and their seasonal availability.

BRANDS
Anchor shops Aesop, CHANEL, Christian Louboutin Beauté, Dior, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Gucci, Kiehl's Since 1851, La Mer, La Prairie, Sisley Paris, and Tom Ford, brought new concepts to Saks featuring the latest in technology or exclusive designs. Highlights include:

• First of its kind CHANEL spa room modeled after the CHANEL au Ritz Hotel Spa in Paris.
• Dior spa room modeled after the Dior Institut at the Plaza Athenée in Paris.
• Ex Nihilo Osmologue for demi bespoke fragrances.
• Gucci's first new beauty concept store in the United States.
• A Guerlain Parfumeur boutique offering 110 iconic creations where visitors can choose their own scent through a digital consultation and personalize their own bottle.

Nearly all makeup and skincare brands at Saks provide a selection of complimentary services, known as "Beautiful Discoveries" including mini facials, eye treatments, hand massages, makeup and skincare coaching, and more. The floor will offer exclusive fragrances from Bond No. 9, By Kilian, Clive Christian, EB Florals, Ex Nihilo, Hermès, Roja Dove and more as well as feature an Apothecary concept including a 160-square-foot curated boutique of niche beauty products and expert favorites from 30 brands. Saks Fifth Avenue will launch new and exclusives brands including Orveda's gender-neutral range with 18 highly innovative and unique products as well as Floraïku, luxury fragrance inspired by Japan, and Valmont skincare and fragrance.

SERVICE
The department boasts a dedicated concierge who can direct visitors to specific brands, shops or products and book treatments. Clients can also easily reserve services on Saks.com. SaksFirst Beauty members can pick up their quarterly rewards at the beauty concierge counter and a beauty curator is available onsite to assess a customer's skin and recommend skincare treatment options.

EVENTS
Saks New York will host a series of beauty and wellness events in its 850-square-foot flexible event space with industry influencers, ranging from noted doctors to fitness empire founders and more. The space will also host master classes, public appearances, small private gatherings and visual installations.

Saks New York is located at 611 Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, and is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For additional information on the new location, visit the Saks New York store and events page on saks.com.

- Kim Weling