31 December 2009

    Concept Motorcycles: 20 Bikes To Hope For In 2010

    bikemontage


    Lean, mean and sometimes even green, concept motorcycles often make us want to head out on the highway and look for adventure. These bikes may not be quite ready to tear up the road as we zoom into the wind, but we wish they would move from concept to reality very soon! As we take a look at concept motorcycles, here are 20 of the most bad-ass bikes to hope for in 2010.



    Lamborbiker Inspired by Lamborghini


    Lamborbiker


    (image credits:tuvie)

    Flavio Adriani took his inspiration from two great names in invention, engineering and design, Nikola Tesla and Ferrucio Lamborghini. Flavio has created some stunning motorcycles from his concept. We want this bad boy to become reality soon!


    Nuclear Fusion Motorbike 2050


    nuclear fusion


    (image credits:The Design Blog)

    Romain Herment has a motorcycle concept that uses nuclear energy as a power source. He calls it “Motorbike 2050 version 2.” This futuristic bike uses two inexhaustible natural elements, deuterium and tritium, allowing a sustainable ride in the days to come. The motorbike consumes 1 liter of water for a 100 km drive.


    Mad Max Aitu Motorbike


    Mad Max Aitu


    (image credits:coroflot)

    The Aitu seems to be rough and rowdy, ready for Mad Max to take it for a spin. Designer Renato Gschwend is hoping to attract adventurous souls who want to make heads turn if this bike ever hits the street. It features a powerful V-twin 1800cc engine and non-silent exhausts to ensure you’re heard roaring down the highway.


    Electric Motorbike: ZEVS


    ZEVS


    (image credits:www1.uni-ak.ac.at)

    Three designers Bernhard Ranner, Anders August Kittilsen and Rudolf Stefanich, worked to make ZEVS, “The first electric motorcycle for the “real biker.” It’s designed for “real men” and dusty roads, in the spirit of Harley Davidson, Custom Chopper culture and the good old Route 66 romance.


    Carbon Fiber For Fast, Light Cruise


    carbon fiber


    (image credits:The Design Blog)

    Designed by Julian Silva, this concept motorcycle is covered in carbon fiber for a fast and light ride. The framework is made of aluminum and wrapped with carbon fiber panels that store the mechanical systems. This motorbike was designed to encapsulate the pilot´s arms, legs and back through the secondary red panels and to keep the driver safe in case of a fall.


    Super Green Super Dangerous Super Bike


    SuperGreen


    (image credits:Yanko Design)

    Designer Pierre Yohanes Lubis thinks if you would like a very fast, very dangerous, very tiny motorcycle, then the Halbo might be for you. If it gets beyond concept and hits the main highway, let’s just hope you don’t hit the pavement too because it could be much worse than road rash. However, it does have a BMW stamp on it and is electric powered.


    Super Skinny Swordfish & Stalker


    SkinnySwordfish_Stalker


    (image credits:coroflot)

    Designer Alexander Kotlyarevsky peered into the future and then created both these concept motorcycles. He molded their alloy frames into a minimalistic design. The sleek silver hotrod is called Swordfish while the metallic pink bike is called Stalker. This futuristic duo is like his and hers for a rebel ride.


    Harley Davidson Circa 2020


    Harley


    (image credits:Yanko Design)

    Will the Harley Davidson Hog of the future resembles this beast? Designer Miguel Cotto believes so. The large 883cc engine is coupled with a Tron-like body. The wheel hubs are actually giant bearings.


    STRIDER – Super Hero Motorcycle Concept


    STRIDER


    (image credits:Industrial Design Served)

    Designer David Gonçalves has created more than one futuristic motorcycle. This project, however, started with a request from one of his clients who needed a bike for a cartoon superhero. A female superhero at that. Inspiration struck him and the concept of Strider was born.


    Sleek Sci-Fi Superbikes


    Sci-Fi Superbikes


    (image credits:The Design Blog)

    Designer Matt Williams created a superbike called KTM Motorbike. Vroom must have been the mantra playing while creativity blossomed. KTM looks ready to leap forward, looks fast even when parked. The V-twin engine is hidden within the frame. Its hub-center steering system provides a more usable steering angle than telescopic forks while the center is a more stable and predictable ride.


    Icare Bike Concept


    Icare Bike Concept


    (image credits:hypebeast)

    Conceptualized by Enzyme Design, the Icare motorcycle is meant to be the Aston Martin of the two-wheeled world with a six-cyclinder 1.8 Honda engine. It looks like a muscle motorcycle of the future, ready to rip up the road and outrace the cops in hot pursuit.


    Jaguar M-Cycle


    Jaguar


    (image credits:m-cycles)

    This roaring jaguar is the result of interior designer Lee J. Rowland teaming up with motorbike fanatic Barend Hemmes. Jaguar concept motorcycle has only been taken up to speeds of 55 mph, but you better believe heads turn as fellow bikers drool. The big cat is powered by 1200cc Harley-Davidson V-twin engine. The shape of this sleek cat is not suitable for anyone under 6 feet, meant to have feet propped far up front on the pedals as a real drag-style riding machine.


    The Bull Concept


    bull


    (image credits:m-cycles)

    Designer Lee J. Rowland was struck again with inspiration after the Jaguar and tackled this shiny bull. He had to think hard and long to figure out how to get the bull’s horns positioned on this bike. Red, loud, and shiny, the Bull concept motorcycle will surely call to some bike lover to be made into a reality.


    Ghost & Devil Motorcycle Concepts


    ghost_devil


    (image credits:En Derin,En Derin)

    What does a ghost and devil have in common? They’ve been turned into slick speed machines, or at least concept motorcycles. Designer Muhammad Imran designed Ghost while keeping a flying falcon in mind. He was also inspired by the bike tribute of “Ghost Rider.” Ghost calls out to the young and reckless and will hopefully offer fantastic future fun to those who really have a need for speed. Designer Robert Liddell aimed to give his motorcycle features fitting for the name Devil Bike. He created it with V-twin engine, so this shiny black bike will fit the personality of the young with a passion for speed and style.


    2015 Honda CB 750


    2015 Honda CB 750


    (image credits:Yanko Design)

    Designer Igor Chak came up with this concept bike, 2015 Honda CB 750. The brains of the bike is the on-board computer that can be controlled through a 5” OLED multi-touch display positioned right on the fuel tank. There are 3 menus: GPS, drive modes, and diagnostics mode. CB 750 gets its power from a four-cylinder liquid hydrogen engine. Ready, set, rocket outta here!


    Speed Racing Motorcycle Inspired By Aliens


    AliensRaCER


    (image credits:Tuvie)

    Designer Daniel Bailey was inspired by two things, making them clear in his concept motorcycle. Speed and the alien characters in “Alien.” This speed racing bike is rugged yet sleek. The design is aerodynamic and based on Kawasaki ninjas stats (height, wheel base etc…), so will future road ninjas or aliens be seen riding it?


    Magic Tricycle


    magictrike


    (image credits:Car Design News)

    Iranian designer Javad created the Magic Tricycle to drive on all three wheels for normal highway use, but can rotate around a longitudinal axis running from the front to the rear right wheel with the left wheel elevated into the air so the vehicle can be ridden as a motorcycle in more congested areas. To facilitate this, the seats rotate to keep the occupants sitting upright and the airborne wheel opens up blades which work like a helicopter tail propeller to aid stability.


    Ferrari V4 Superbike Concept


    Ferrari


    (image credits:autoblog)

    Designer Amir Glinik conceptualized this Ferrari V4 superbike. He created his design around the theoretical application of the Ferrari Enzo’s V12 engine, chopped down to four cylinders and modified to drive in a motorcycle frame. Hopefully this hot puppy will be hitting the highway soon. It’s lean and mean.


    Dodge Tomahawk Concept Motorcycle


    Tomahawk


    (image credits:allpar)

    Born to be wild? Get your motor runnin’ and head out on the highway. The Tomahawk is a Viper V-10 based motorcycle, a 500 horsepower engine with four wheels beneath it. It practically breathes fire. Chrysler sold nine replicas through Neiman Marcus for $555,000 each. If the price tag didn’t feel like a punch in your solar plexus, then here’s the evil part: Lookin’ for adventure? Well these motorcycles cannot be driven on public roads.

    25 December 2009

    5 Best Data Visualization Projects of the Year – 2009

    5 Best Data Visualization Projects of the Year – 2009













    It was a huge year for data. There's no denying it. Data is about to explode. Applications sprung up left and right that help you understand your data - your Web traffic, your finances, and your life. There are now online marketplaces that sell data as files or via API. Data.gov launched to provide the public with usable, machine-readable data on a national scale. State and local governments followed, and data availability expands every day.

    At the same time, there are now tons of tools that you can use to visualize your data. It's not just Excel anymore, and a lot of it is browser-based. Some of the tools even have aesthetics to boot.

    It's exciting times for data, indeed.

    Data has been declared sexy, and the rise of the data scientist is here.

    With all the new projects this year, it was hard to filter down to the best, but here they are: two honorable mentions and the five best data visualization projects of 2009. Visualizations were chosen based on analysis, aesthetics, and most importantly, how well they told their story (or how well they let you tell yours).

    Honorable Mention: MTV VMA Tweet Tracker


    MTV VMA Tweets

    The MTV VMA Tweet Tracker, a glorified bubble chart from Stamen Design and Radian6, showed the buzz on Twitter over the MTV VMAs. As I watched iJustine talk about the visualization on television, pointing out highlights in the bubbles and tags, I thought, 'Visualization sure has branched out.' Plus, the explosion of Kanye West's face on my computer screen was hilarious.

    Honorable Mention: Crisis of Credit Visualized


    crisis of credit

    We all know there were major problems going on with banks and credit this year, but it's a safe bet that most didn't quite know why. Jonathan Jarvis attempted to explain with his thesis project, Crisis of Credit Visualized. It isn't perfect, and it doesn't explain every detail, but it does explain a lot.

    5. Photosynth


    photosynth

    Photosynth, by Microsoft Live Labs, smartly strings photos together to create something of a browsable 3-D environment. It was actually released last year. I don't think it was really put to good use until this year though. With the inauguration of President Barack Obama, a historic event people won't soon forget, MSNBC used Photosynth to provide a view of the inaugural stands.

    4. The Jobless Rate for People Like You


    unemployment

    Unemployment rate was another important and recurring topic this year, and there were a lot of visualizations - maps, bar charts, and graphics - that showed it. None did it better than Shan Carter, Amanda Cox, and Kevin Quealy of The New York Times. In The Jobless Rate for People Like You, we were able to see the changes over time and filter down to different demographics. Transitions and browsability were top notch.

    3. OpenStreetMap: A Year of Edits


    open-street-map-edits

    OpenStreetMap: A Year of Edits showed all the changes to OpenStreetMap data in 2008. The visualization itself, by ITO, is beautiful, and what the animated map represents - a worldwide effort in providing an accurate geographic data source - is even more amazing.

    2. Protovis


    protovis

    Protovis, from the Stanford visualization guys Mike Bostock and Jeffrey Heer, is a 'graphical approach to visualization.' More importantly, it uses Javascript and SVG for web-native visualizations, which is where things are headed with, uh, visualization on the Web. True, there are plenty of Javascript libraries that let you make basic graphs, but none are nearly this advanced, and true, Protovis doesn't work in all browsers, but if you're reading this, you're probably smart enough to be on a modern browser, unless you're locked into Internet Explorer at work.

    1. On the Origin of Species: The Preservation of Favoured Traces


    origin-of-species

    On the Origin of Species, by Ben Fry, shows the changes to Charles Darwins' theory of natural selection, over time. I think a lot of you missed this one, because I posted it on Labor Day, but nevertheless, it's an elegant visual. It's a simple concept executed really well. Origin shows the full growing (and shrinking) text as little blocks with an emphasis on the evolution of Darwin's ideas. They were 20 years in the making.

    Origins is actually an offshoot of a much larger project yet to be released (if ever), according to Fry, so I'm of course really looking forward to seeing the rest.

    There you have it. It's the top five visualizations of 2009. There was a lot of great stuff churned out this year, and no doubt next year will be even better.

    Back to you - what do you think was the best visualization of the year? Leave your picks in the comments below.

    24 December 2009

    Infographic Coins for International Visitors

    Infographic Coins for International Visitors















    You know when you go to another country and have no clue what the coins of the local currency are worth? I always end up with a giant handful of international coins, which doesn't go well when I try to spend a Euro in Canada. The US vending machine won't take my Canadian quarters either, or my pesos.

    Designer Mac Funamizu puts an idea out there that might solve the woes of international visitors. Use wedges and proportions to indicate how much the money is worth:

    description

    infographic_coins4_image2

    Nevermind the increased production costs, storage, and people cutting themselves on coin wedges. They look awesome. Plus - the one- and five-cent pieces can double as bottle openers.

    13 December 2009

    How to Cross-Check Your Facebook Privacy Settings

    Facebook TipsIf you log in to Facebook today, the site will prompt you to review and update your existing privacy settings.


    Basically you need to tell Facebook what parts of your profile should be visible to your friends, friends of friends, to search engines and to stalkers or people who aren’t connected with you yet.


    How to Change Facebook Privacy Settings



    The above video will give you a good idea about how you can customize your Facebook privacy settings. It’s easy.


    Double Check your Facebook Privacy Settings


    Now that you have updated your Facebook privacy settings, you should try looking at your own profile from the eyes of your friends, strangers and search engines to make sure that none of the information you want to keep private on Facebook is visible to other people.


    Privacy Check A: For people outside your friend circle


    A person may not be your friend but if he is logged into Facebook, he can possibly see some bits of your Facebook profile even though you not connected with each other.


    Log into your Facebook account and follow this link to instantly know how your profile might look to other people on Facebook who are not your friends.


    Privacy Check B: For search engines


    The best way to find out how search engines will see your Facebook profile is through their cache. Go to google.com and copy-paste the full vanity URL of your Facebook profile into the Google search box.


    Unless your account is very new*, your Facebook page will likely be the first result on Google for such a query (see example). Just open the "Cached" page and you’ll get a pretty good idea about how other people see through search engines.


    Facebook Profile in Google


    [*] The cached information is only as new as the last visit of Googlebot. Therefore, if you have recently changed any privacy setting, rather than waiting for Google to index your public page, you can simply log out of Facebook and open the vanity URL directly in your browser to know what’s visible in search results.


    Privacy Check C: For existing Facebook friends


    Follow the same link but this time, type the name of any of your existing Facebook friends and you’ll instantly know how your profile appears to that particular person.


    View Facebook Profile


    After you run your Facebook profile through these three simple checks, you can at least be sure that you aren’t accidentally exposing any private information on Facebook that you don’t want to.

    And what do you do with your beer cans?

    Can1

    Can2




    Can3

    Can5

    Can6

    And a soda can…
    Can7

    23 November 2009

    Box Office: New Moon Fails to Surpass The Dark Knight’s Opening Weekend

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    While it did break midnight and opening day records, The Twilight Saga: New Moon was unable to beat The Dark Knight’s huge opening weekend record, despite being the highest opening weekend of 2009.



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    The Summit Entertainment sequel took in an estimated $140.7 million domestically over the three day weekend, about $18 million shy of Batman’s record $158 million, and even shy of Spider-Man 3’s $151.1 million. New Moon will probably beat the life-time domestic theatrical gross of Twilight by the end of the week.


    New Moon’s worldwide total is $258.8 million, the seventh highest worldwide opening of all time, behind Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

    18 November 2009

    The Perfect Combination

    As our platform team works with more and more developers to expand access to information, users are able to tweet and read tweets in expanding ways across the web. Today, LinkedIn launched a smart integration that lets you sync up your account with Twitter to allow for an easy flow of information to take place between your networks.

    You’ll be able to set your professional status and display more fresh content on your LinkedIn profile via Twitter. And, showing your stream in places off of Twitter.com will connect you to even more people. Shared interest in tips, news, leaders and perspectives can thrust conversations into virtual brainstorms and even business opportunities.

    The peanut butter and the chocolate have come together to make the perfect combination. Enjoy!



    15 November 2009

    Recipe: Chilled Papaya Soup with Cardamom & Honey



    Makes 4 servings, 118 calories, 2 grams of fat

    Ingredients:

    15 ounces organic papaya

    3 tablespoons wild honey

    2 tablespoons lemon juice

    1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

    7 to 8 sprigs of mint leaves

    1/2 teaspoon of green cardamom powder

    4 fresh strawberries, chopped

    1 fresh kiwi, chopped

    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    3 cups fresh coconut water

    Preparation:

    Step 1. Peel, clean and cut papaya into cubes and place in a blender.

    Step 2. Add honey, lemon juice, 4 to 5 mint sprigs, green cardamom powder, grated lemon peel, sea salt, coconut water and blend together until the mixture becomes a smooth puree.

    Step 3. Refrigerate for almost 5 to 6 hours.

    Step 4. Serve with fresh chopped strawberry and kiwi and garnish with fresh mint springs.

    30 October 2009

    Hello, Bharti Airtel

    Twitter is committed to fostering the open exchange of information because we passionately believe it can have a positive global impact. When people can exchange information freely and publicly they are able to accomplish great things. As powerful as the Internet has become for the democratization of information, its range is limited when compared to mobile texting—a format uniquely native to Twitter. There are over one billion people with internet access on the planet but there are more than four billion people with mobile phones and Twitter can work on all of them because even the simplest of these devices feature SMS.

    We have seen people use Twitter to help each other during fuel shortages, track the spread of wildfires, check in during earthquakes, organize major charitable events, spread urgent news efficiently around the world, and much more. In many of these scenarios, texting has been the key. People exchanging information quickly and efficiently with the device that has become essential to everyday life, their mobile phone. In many parts of the world people do not have Internet access but they can text—and that means they can access Twitter.

    As we grow, we seek to partner with organizations that share our vision for positive global impact. Our partnership with Bharti Airtel, the largest mobile operator in India, means a huge population of people can now send tweets at standard rates and receive tweets for free. Bharti Airtel is offering people in every city, every village, every remote taluk and even the smallest panchayat the opportunity to connect to Twitter and enjoy the open exchange of information with no added fees. We are proud to have Bharti Airtel as our partner. Give Twitter a try with your Airtel phone by sending START to 53000. And spread the word!

    Twitter is not about technology, it's about people. We worked quickly to establish full SMS service in India with the largest operator because organic growth in the region has been unusually strong and there is huge potential for positive impact. India already shines brightly with Twitter advocates like film stars Priyanka Chopra @priyankachopra Gul Panag @gulpanag, and Mallika Sherawat @mallikala, director Karan Johar @kjohar25, Minister of State Shashi Tharoor @shashitharoor, upper house member Pritish Nandy @pritishnandy, news anchors Barkha Dutt @bdutt and Vir Sanghvi @virsanghvi, plus media outlets MTV India @MTVindia and NDTV @ndtv just to name a few.

    Despite growing global awareness, Twitter has under 80 employees altogether but our little mobile team packs a punch. Kevin Thau with help from Tim Huske have built a mobile team of six people within Twitter and they've made considerable strides bringing full SMS service to the US, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and now India. As long as you keep asking for Twitter, we'll keep working to activate full service in your region with no extra charges. Don't forget to activate your mobile—visit the Devices page or text START to Twitter.

    "

    23 April 2009

    The Main Squeeze: Grapefruits


    Ring in the new year with this refreshing fruit that is good for your clients in so many ways. The perfect time for a resolution is January, a month that offers the opportunity to adopt more healthy choices for yourself and your clientele. And embracing the benefits of grapefruit, a citrus fruit discovered in Barbados in the 18th century, is a great way to begin.

    The grapefruit was named to reflect the way the fruit is arranged when it grows—hanging in clusters, similar to grapes. Many botanists think the fruit is actually a result of natural cross-breeding between the orange and the pomelo, and Florida, California, Arizona and Texas are all large producers of the fruit. It also can be found in Israel, South Africa and Brazil.1

    In the kitchen
    Grapefruit is a large citrus fruit that is categorized as white, pink or ruby. It is juicy, tart and tangy with an underlying sweetness, and it is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, potassium, folate and vitamin B-5, and contains lycopene.1

    Long thought to help people lose weight, a recent 12-week study from the Scripps Clinic confirmed that adding grapefruit and its juice to your diet three times a day can increase weight loss. Its flavonoid content also helps fight against free radical damage, which results in aging.2 Grapefruit can be enjoyed alone for a healthy breakfast, as well as in entrees, desserts and salads. And a big glass of grapefruit juice is a low-calorie, nutrient-dense juice choice.3 One detail to note about the consumption of grapefruit: It is important to encourage clients to check with their physicians before consuming grapefruit and its juice because it can make certain pharmaceutical drugs more potent, possibly leading to dangerous results.

    As a spa cuisine ingredient, grapefruit is both commonly and uniquely used throughout the industry. Lavish Mobile Day Spa in West Bloomfield, Michigan, offers a spa party menu that features Shrimp Salad with Avocado and Grapefruit, and Wellness Spa in Shanghai includes Steamed Prawns, Cottage Cheese, Pink Grapefruit Salad and Sunflower Seeds in its Nature’s Own spa cuisine lunch. The Spa at the Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania’s Circular Dining Room features duck confit with grapefruit consummé as a specialty dish, and Beef Bresaola with Pink Grapefruit and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper is on the appetizer menu at D’Italia Restaurant at El Dorado Royale spa resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. Clover Honey-Glazed Pink Grapefruit graces the dessert menu at Laguna Beach, California’s Studio at Montage Resort & Spa, and check out the recipe for Grapefruit and Shrimp Caesar Salad from registered dietician and spa nutritionist Kathie K. Graham, RD, and Chef Chenel Dorival, Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami.

    Grapefruit can be a tangy treat for the skin, too. The vitamin C content in grapefruit and its juice may help build collagen, reducing wrinkles and enhancing skin’s strength and elasticity.2 Also, in a recent study, grapefruit extract was shown to act as an effective skin lightener, although more research is being done to make sure there aren’t any stability issues with this powerful antioxidant.4

    Used in a variety of different treatments, spas are taking advantage of the refreshing benefits of grapefruit. At Buhl Mansion Guesthouse & Spa in Sharon, Pennsylvania, the Contour aromatherapy bath treatment helps stimulate skin’s metabolism to release water and toxins using grapefruit, juniper, birch, palmarosa and cypress, and the Ultimate Urban Body Mask offered at The Spa at Trump at the new Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago caps off with a massage application of grapefruit, rosemary and cypress aromatherapy oils. The Perfect Contour Anti-cellulite Treatment from Club Sport in Walnut Creek, California, combines grapefruit, basil, black pepper, hyssop and clary sage to help slim the body, and at New Age Health Spa in Neversink, New York, the Babassu Sugar Body Polish features a scrub infused with grapefruit, jasmine and bergamot. The Chardonnay and Grapefruit Massage can be enjoyed at the wine-inspired Vineyard Creek Spa in Santa Rosa, California, and at the Satori Spa at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa in Dubai, the stimulating pink grapefruit and juniper berry body mask enhances the Satori Extravagance treatment. The Camelback Signature Facial at Camelback Spa Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona blends grapefruit, mandarin orange, cranberry and pomegranate for an aromatherapeutic experience, and at Green Lake, Wisconsin’s Evensong Spa at Heidel House Resort, men can enjoy the rejuvenating body scrub that combines mineral sea salts, grapefruit and thyme to refine skin texture. The Agave Body Glow at The Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, uses the spa’s signature scrub infused with grapefruit essential oil and natural agave extract for a full body polish. Also, take a look at the step-by-step how-to for the Grapefruit-Mint Signature Treatment from The Secret Garden Inn & Spa in Weaverville, North Carolina.

    From candles to cellulite cream, professional skin care products are also getting in on the grapefruit revolution. Nature Pure Labs offers the LipoMelt Grapefruit Hippophae Body Polish, and Spalasium offers Grapefruit Organic Essential Oil that is uplifting and addresses cellulite. Yon-Ka Paris offers a Ylang Ylang-Grapefruit-Thyme option in its Candle Therapy collection, and Kashwére soy candles offers a Ginger Grapefruit scent. Éminence Organic Skin Care’s Vitamin-C Collection features a Pink Grapefruit Clarifying Masque to heal blemishes, Pink Grapefruit Vitality Masque to revitalize skin and Grapefruit-C Gel to calm inflammation, and GlyMed Plus’ Sal-X Exfoliating Cleanser uses grapefruit to re-energize environmentally stressed skin. The Refreshing Citrus Pedicure Soak from Orly uses grapefruit, honeydew and orange extracts to refresh tired feet, and Sonya Dakar’s Red Grapefruit Wash removes impurities and dirt without causing dryness.

    Inside and outside
    For beauty both inside and outside, grapefruit offers a refreshing resolution for 2009. Share the good news with your clients by adding grapefruit to your treatment menu, spa cuisine menu or retail section and uplift while improving your clients’ health.

    Six ways to make Spa-going more Affordable.


    By Liz Plosser
    1. BE WEB SAVVY. Join as many spas’ e-mail lists as your in-box can stand, and troll their sites frequently—most post specials and discounts. Recently, Channing’s Day Spa ran a $50 promotion on massages and facials (regularly $90 and up, channings.com).

    2. VISIT AT OFF-HOURS. “Mornings and midweek are the slowest times at spas,” says Lynne McNees, director of the International Spa Association. For example, exhale offers 50 percent off all 60-minute facials and massages booked at 8am, seven days a week.

    3. GO WITH FRIENDS. Booking with pals boosts your odds of scoring a deal. “Call the spa manager and say, ‘I’m coming with friends, and we’d love to know what kinds of group specials you can offer us,’?” advises McNees. Bigger groups garner bigger deals: At Honey Child, ten buddies can split a $400 package of ten massages, meaning rubdowns are just $40 each.

    4. PLAY THE NEWBIE CARD. “If you don’t see a deal listed online for the spa you want to visit, call the spa director and tell her you’ve never been in but would love to experience the spa,” McNees says. “If you don’t ask, you’ll never know what could’ve been.” At Tirra Salon & Spa, first-time clients who mention the deal when making their appointment receive 20 percent off their visit.

    5. REFER A PAL. Spas offer referral bonuses when your friend visits and cites your name. Urban Oasis mailed us a $20 coupon toward our next massage when a buddy followed our rec. Booyah!

    6. BUY IN BULK. Spas also offer serious savings for folks who stock up on multiple sessions. At That’s the Spot, you get a 10 percent discount when buying a series of five massages. If you don’t see an enticing package, ask the spa director if she can create one

    Peruvian Maca Root


    Maca root, Lepidium meyenii or Lepidium Peruvianum, is a nutritious Peruvian root crossing over from health care to the beauty category. In supplements, it was originally associated with fertility and virility claims; Inca warriors are said to have eaten it before battle to fortify themselves. More recently, maca root has been positioned as a superfruit with the ability to reduce stress and assist with weight loss or hormonal changes. Maca root is rich in essential minerals, fatty acids and amino acids.

    Within the beauty category, maca root first emerged in 2002, in hair care products such as Andean Products MacaOption shampoo and conditioner and later in facial care. It remains a niche ingredient; however, in the past three months, maca root has provided the key active ingredient in several new European skin care brands, including the Body Shop’s new range for men.

    Condensé launched a collection of 19 natural beauty products for face and body with 100% natural actives and no parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oil or artificial colorants. The Normal to Combination Skin line includes a Deep Moisturizing Cream with black tea ferment and maca root. It claims to nourish and soften the skin, refill wrinkles and stimulate fibroblasts.

    Pure Altitude Bio-Organic range is the new line from French alpine spa brand Fermes de Marie. Its Maca Root Elixir draws on the brand’s signature antiaging edelweiss active and adds organic maca root and daisy extract. This ECOCERT-certified product claims "to help tired, strained skin recover radiance, suppleness and vitality.”

    Nuxe Nuxuriance antiaging Re-densifying Emulsion features araucaria seeds, bakau plant cells, maca root and tetrapeptide dermican. This day cream focuses on the energizing capabilities of maca. It is designed for women who have skin “weakened by hormonal variations.” It contains 79.7% ingredients of natural origin and the new Nuxe preservative system. It is free from parabens, phenoxyethanol, mineral oils, coloring agents or ingredients of animal origin.

    Maca root’s association with virility makes it a fitting ingredient for a men’s grooming range. As noted above, in fall 2008, The Body Shop released a range of skin care, deodorants and shaving products for men named after maca root. The Maca Root Energetic Face Protector with SPF 15 is described as a “dynamic defender” with energizing maca root and moisturizing Brazil nut oil from Peru and Guatemalan aloe vera.

    YESforLOV is a range of products for sensual well-being that associates pleasure with skin. It includes skin care, protection and intimate games. While maca is not included in the skin care products, it is featured in the Libido-Vitamins, a dietary supplement designed to act on libidinal energy and the well-being of the sexual organ tissues. It is formulated with natural extracts of maca, ginseng, damiana, guarana, cinnamon and L-arginine, and claims to be dosed to regenerate, stimulate and heighten sexual energy.

    Unlike many ingredients—especially superfruits—that traditionally move from food and beverage to beauty, maca root crossed almost directly from health care to personal care. Its use is limited in the food and beverage category. Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD) reveals that it has appeared in fewer than 10 launches in the past five years, mostly in energy drinks and snacks in the United States.

    The emergence of maca in skin care echoes Mintel’s findings that the beauty category is looking beyond superfruits to lesser-known natural ingredients with health benefits. Actives claiming to boost energy, cell longevity or immunity are ripe for growth as the beauty food trend develops.
     

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