The Concorde may have ceased service seven years ago, but today, more than ever, we live in a supersonic age. News travels at the speed of light, emerging trends get disseminated instantly—even fast-food restaurants serve up slow-cooked food. So it comes as no surprise that the supersonic age has come to skin care. This spring, sees a slew of product launches with names like Instant Un-Wrinkle and Gone in Sixty Seconds Instant Wrinkle Eraser. And why not? Skin care, more than others, is a category predicated on instant gratification. “That expectation is fundamentally altering the language of skin care,” Danielle Pergament writes in “Clock Works,” in which she researches how consumer desire and ever-sophisticated technology are colliding to create a new paradigm for efficacy—and expectations.
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Cover girl Emma Roberts is on the fast track, too. The onetime teen-scene queen has no fewer than five films set for release this year, both blockbuster and independent fare. A Hollywood veteran though still only 19, Roberts is intent on proving her acting chops. Already she’s winning kudos from directors. Says Dustin Lance Black, who directed her in the upcoming What’s Wrong With Virginia: “Some of these young actors do feel as if they have lived inside of the young-actor bubble. That’s not Emma. You can put stuff in front of her that is layered, and she gets it. She might even teach you a few things about it.” For an equally nuanced portrait of Roberts, turn to “The Age of Enlightenment.”
Hairstylist Sam McKnight is also supremely skilled at interpreting the creative direction of others. Over the span of his 30-year career, McKnight has worked with the world’s leading photographers and designers. Not content to rest on his laurels or rehash the status quo, he continually redefines the parameters of his work. Discover what drives him in “Modern Master.”
McKnight may be a style-world veteran, but the six beauties featured in “Euro Star,” are just getting their start. Taken one by one, each represents a unique direction in the realm of beauty, be it the edgy exuberance of Tati Cotliar or the blonde chameleon Sigrid Agren. Collectively, they point to a new aesthetic that’s bubbling up, one that embraces individualism. As you’ll see, their diversity is astounding, as is the wide range of inventive hairstyles on the runways of Paris and Milan. For a look at the season’s newest hair care products—an equally as diverse roundup—turn to “Texture in Context.”
Finally, in August, WWD Beauty Biz will publish our annual list of the world’s 100 biggest beauty companies. If your company has not been included in the past, but might have a beauty business large enough for consideration (last year, the cutoff was approximately $110 million), please send an e-mail with basic company information to BBizTop100@condenast.com. Include the parent company’s name, location, brands it manufactures and wholesale beauty sales for the 2009 calendar year. Please note that we do not count functional bar soaps, razors, toothpaste, food, medicine, vitamins or detergents as part of beauty volume. For any other inquiry, or feedback about the magazine, please e-mail me at jenny_fine@condenast.com.