A beauty event any other

Every year in a beautifully historic part of Italy there is a beauty event that overshadows all other beauty events worldwide. For the major part of the year you can enjoy a peaceful existence here, however, this one particular week in the beginning of every April Bologna undergoes such a metamorphosis that you might think you were in a different place altogether, in fact the population actually increases by 40%! Forget about the fact that this is where the oldest University in the world UNIBO (Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna) still stands, founded in 1088 with students such as Dante and Francesco Petraca. Cosmoprof02


And let's not take into account that during the Renaissance, Bologna was the only Italian city allowing women to excel in any profession. No, the important thing to remember here, is this is where the biggest most infl uential trend setting beauty event in the world takes place and celebrating 40 years in business Cosmoprof Bologna was once again breaking records. If you can imagine for a moment almost every single thing in beauty you can possibly think off housed under one roof, from breakthrough products that instantly change your skin tone to equipment that transforms your body in seconds. The excitement that builds when walking through the main entrance is quite overwhelming. The magnitude of the event is so vast with more than 2000 exhibitors and over 150 thousand visitors, it's easy to understand why it was virtually impossible to get to see everything. But, here's the problem you can't miss anything because the next big tanning product or botox treatment could be at the next booth. For the beauty industry as a whole it's all about the big reveal, the cutting edge products that promise to change your life, your looks and even take off twenty years of ageing in the wave of a wand.Alfaparf

Overall, there were many fantastic things to see and experience but there were certain things that defi nitely stood out from the rest and deserved a second look. For sure the biggest thing in skin care was leaning toward the natural botanics, it seemed everyone was promoting the use of natural based ingredients in their product lines.
This is certainly in response to consumer demand as we are now aware of the impact of chemicals in our beauty products and the effect they may have not only on our skin but also on our environment.
A common thread throughout the event was the attention to detail and transparency that skincare companies were eager to share. Unlike the past where keeping ingredients secret were paramount, cosmetic companies have changed dramatically to expose every feature in their products that boast of natural and even organic elements. Korres Natural Products are particularly interesting with over 300 skin and hair care products all based on the four main principals of the best natural ingredients, effectiveness, pleasing to the senses and perfect for every day use.

The Body Butters are divine with four different choices of Guava, Quince, Yoghurt and Fig, in fact fi g is about to be the next big trendsetter for most cream based products due to the high anti oxidants. All of Korres Body Butters deliver a deeply moisturising instantly smooth elasticity to the skin as well as offering powerful anti ageing properties. As we usually stay in Parma we were surprised at the impact of natural elements included in the displays of a local company, Davines.
Although they have worldwide distribution and are indeed a leading European haircare company they are also taking the lead in social responsibility. An example of this was their exhibition stand made completely out of paper designed by the world famous Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. Concentrating on the importance of social ethics in business and the environment Davines has partnered with Lifegate in hopes of creating the fi rst eco sustainable salon. Promoting a new line of sun protective products Davines has released SU Solar that promises to provide anti ageing properties to the hair. cosmoprof 02
Especially for sun seekers that enjoy a dip in the pool or sea, hair protection is guaranteed with strong anti oxidants and fi lmogenous agents to keep the hair nourished, soft and silky.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the show was the Masterpieces, described as the worlds only international event for Artistic Perfumery. This is an exclusive section of Cosmoprof by invitation only that exhibits the absolute fi nest fragrances available throughout the globe previewing their latest launches and pre launches for the year ahead. Just a few of the perfumeries that exhibited included Clive Christian with the most expensive perfume in the world, Bond no. 9 which marks each New York neighborhood with a scent of its own, Creed, Bulgari and many more. Also on display was Trafalgar 1805 the latest addition dedicated to Admiral Nelson and signed by Washington Tremlette, truly an inspirational fragrance. The plight of the rain forest is a major concern for most of us green enthusiasts to which Plumas and Gemas have focused on by developing a line of revolutionary bath and skincare luxury products. Each product was created with the rich biodiveristy and indigenous customs of Brazil to produce rare botanicals offering a sense of exotic beauty and natural well being, but even more importantly they have dedicated themselves to giving back to the community of Brazils Rain Forests. Among this unique line is a White Marajo Clay Exfoliating Body Cleanser with crushed passion fruit seeds.

Found in Amazonia it is an extraordinary rare mineral earth collected exclusively by local communities along the forest coast of the Marajo River Island. Strong therapeutic and medicinal properties are formed through contact with rich waters, seeds, and leaves giving this clay high concentrations of healing nutrients, mineral salts, potassium and calcium. Moving on to the equipment there is a new wave in tanning treatments that promises to put just plain old tanning to shame. It´s called Bodywave. No, this is not a boogie board to go surfi ng with and it isn't just another spray tan machine either! The new Q Med Bodywave is promoted as a Sun & Slim All in One! This is a hi tech system that uses Hz vibrations to work on toning, draining, relaxing and sun tanning altogether within ten minutes.

They also add that it is so innovative that you can get rid of cellulite and get the same results as going to the gym! Spectragenics have released a new personal laser hair removal system called Tria which is the fi rst clinically proven, eye-safe laser hair removal device for home use. It has a patent pending Diffuse Radiance Technology that safely targets hair growth beneath the skin that provides long term results. Although this hand held wonder reveals a study of very satisfi ed participants and has been designed by the same scientists who developed the medical grade lasers you still have to wonder why it is only available in Japan!