Sumitomo earmarks $1B for expansion of RP operations

With the beaches and otherwise sunny climate Down Under, it’s no wonder their products are such big hits in our tropical zone. Discover all-natural beauty gems and sophisticated arsenal alike from Oz.

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ModelCo

It’s the cosmetic line that has got beauty junkies in stitches. ModelCo and its line of progressive and innovative products has been burning up in major cities all over the world. Their Tan Airbrush in a Can spray is a major best seller and so is the new Lip Lights, lip color that comes with LED lights and a mirror attached to the tube to ensure perfect application every time. Lip Lights was in the swag bag for the Academy Awards last year.

Shelley Barret, creator of ModelCo, used to be a modeling agent. Her exposure to the needs of the models under her wing gave her the inspiration to start ModelCo. She has made every impossible beauty problem a snap with her quick-fix products. Her greatest coup to date is getting long-time friend Elle MacPherson to endorse Erase, a product meant to remove fine lines. The supermodel attaching herself to an anti-aging product shows that the proof is in the pudding. ModelCo now has dozens of products available, all geared to making the path to beautiful a great adventure.

ModelCo is available at Beauty Bar stores nationwide.

VitaMan and Spa Divine

After speaking to Glenn Kiddel, creator of both VitaMan and Spa Divine, you will wonder what you’ve been doing to yourself. These brands, which are committed to using all-natural ingredients, have been snapped up by spas all over the world. Celebrities such as famous rehabbed Aussies Mel Gibson and Keith Urban have also taken notice and have since been hooked on the products.

They have come a long way since conception a few years back in 1999 when Glenn noticed a void in quality men’s products. With the use of simple mixes such as lemon myrrh and eucalyptus, VitaMan’s no-nonsense approach garnered a cult following. From a company that had only three people, VitaMan is now in almost a thousand resort stores all over the world. It’s now found next to Clarins beauty products in beauty stores in Paris. “It’s not hype-driven and it promotes healthy living and interaction with the outdoors,” Glenn says of his products. “To feel good is to look good. What’s the point of having a great body if it’s not properly treated?” he adds.

The former psychotherapist to the Australian Olympic team applies VitaMan’s holistic approach and feel-good philosophy to Spa Divine which is targeted at women. Both lines hope to bring the spa lifestyle to your home.

VitaMan and Spa Divine are both available in Essenses Rustan’s.

Jurlique

All-natural products often don’t get the credit they so truly deserve. Jurlique is a highly acclaimed certified organic range of beauty products that have gone through rigorous tests to ensure products that go beyond satisfying.

From the rose hand cream that softens the skin and relaxes the mind to the cleansers and skin potions that cure the most curious of skin afflictions, Jurlique has been the quiet brand that has captivated a very fickle audience. Right now it’s available in selected spas; get your hands on the products while you can.

Napoleon

Anyone named Napoleon is meant to conquer. In this case, family man Napoleon Perdis took an unconventional route and created a luxury cosmetic line that has had women gasping for more. The huge celebrity following Napoleon has gained prompted this Greek beauty geek to open a boutique in Los Angeles with his muse actress Melissa George. His Auto Pilot face primers, lip lacquers and foundation have made Napoleon the go-to guy for the O.C. beauty addict. “Napoleon products do not try to be everything to everyone. It has a strong sense of what it is,” says his brother and business partner Emmanuel Perdis. Before his foray in the cosmetic industry, Napoleon was in advertising and even dabbled in law, thus proving Napoleon is a true renaissance man.

Shizen

Who would have thought that a phone call to a radio show would change someone’s life? For Simone Wyndham, a former PR agent, it brought about the parting of the Red Sea. Simone has always loved beauty products, and was making her own potions in the kitchen for as long as she can remember. However, it never occurred to her to create her own line until she won a scholarship to an aromatherapy school through a radio contest.

The school taught Simone that it takes more than lavender to relax and soon she was neck-deep in a world of organic cosmetics. “People use the word ‘organic’ loosely. To be certain that it’s truly organic it must be called ‘certified organic.’ It involves a whole process and certification. It can be difficult, but ultimately worth it,” she shares. One can assume, then, that Shizen is certified organic. “It should be good enough to eat. I mean, these products do go through your pores. You don’t want anything questionable in them, do you?” she asks. Simone is totally hardcore, but that doesn’t mean her products scream “granola.” From the sexy amethyst candle, which has actual amethyst crystals imbedded in them, to the delicious bath gels and oils, Shizen was made for the ultimate city girl who wants the best.

Shizen will soon expand to color cosmetics and you can be sure, from the dyes to the packaging, it will all be good enough to eat.

Tali Shine

It was a clear winner from the very beginning. Tali Shine cosmetics was created by a young woman named Tali Shine — the name itself is a calling for building a cosmetic empire. She is also an author and a beauty columnist in Australia, and her line is made for the girl on the go. From sassy makeup “books” that easily fit in any purse, to a range of body care products that put anyone in a mood to party, Tali Shine shines. “At the moment I am working on products that fit in with the new travel regulations. The ‘Tali Shine’ girl is very much a girl on the go, someone who likes to travel, so I have been coming up with products that she can travel with,” Tali shares. She adds, “We have been adding new colors and I am also working on products that are suited to my new markets. For instance, in Australia everyone is obsessed with looking darker but this is not the case in Asia as I found out, so I am working on different products to cater to my different markets.”

Among Tali’s favorite products are her glosses and her hand washes. “I do love my hand washes. They are the hand washes that are used in the bathrooms at the Sydney football stadium. I get so excited when someone I know goes to a game or a concert there and calls me to tell me they have seen my hand wash in the bathrooms!”

Tali Shine Products are available at Essenses Rustan’s.