Beauty news for those outward bound

The OPI nail bar is the latest outlet to open in the Auckland International Airport. Picture / Supplied.

Taking off

Airports may seem unlikely beauty destinations - aside from being duty-free stocking-up spots - but Auckland is becoming quite the place to while away some time airside before your next flight overseas. OPI is the latest outlet to open, with a nail bar allowing for pre-boarding manicures. It is the leading American brand's first airport nail bar worldwide. As an opening special, get a mini bottle of top-coat with a $30 manicure. A simple shape and polish is $15 and there are plans for a gel service next year.

At other specialty outlets, you can get your brows tinted or groomed and have mini makeovers done, as well as the usual sampling of perfumes, cosmetics and candles. At Ecoya's concept counter staff wear uniforms designed by World, adding another style-conscious touch to the shopping. The way things are shaping up at Auckland International Airport, we'll all be wishing for flight delays.

Destination Sydney

Sephora, the world's biggest beauty retailer, has just opened its first Antipodean outpost. Its new Sydney store, in the Pitt St Westfield shopping centre, is Sephora's largest in the Southern Hemisphere and drew crowds to the opening last Friday. The beauty emporium, owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, boasts more than 1400 stores in 30 countries, with the Financial Review saying it makes annual sales of more than $4 billion.

Stocking leading and niche brands, it offers customers the chance to compare products across ranges more easily than on traditional counters. Among new offerings to Australasia are Marc Jacobs Beauty and Tarte. We know of only one New Zealand-designed product in the Sephora line-up so far. No Bleeding Lips, an invisible lip liner, was picked up earlier in the year.

The Living Natue concept store.

Picture / Supplied.

Tokyo outreach

Living Nature's Japanese distributor is backing the New Zealand-made natural skincare and cosmetics company by opening a concept store in Tokyo, in the new Grand Tree Musashikosugi Shopping Centre near Shibuya. Living Nature has also launched gift starter kits, called Skin Steps, priced at $69 for a trio of products for those looking to sample its certified natural range. If you're up Kerikeri way, shop at source and check out the treatments on offer. See livingnature.com

Travel friendly

Airline passengers aren't meant to pack aerosols, which is easy to forget, so here's a pre-holiday reminder to check your beauty kit for suspect sprays. Rollerballs or hard-to-find solids are a good idea fragrance-wise because they take up less room than bottles, although perfume sprays are generally non-aerosol anyway. With hair products it can be trickier, so we immediately set aside the new Kerastase Fix Fabulous as a keeper.

It's a strong-hold, non-aerosol spray with a light feel and costs $39. Joico does a similarly good non-aerosol spray called Joico Joifix Firm, $26, or ask your stylist for recommendations. We're also a bit obsessed by mini-sized hair products and particularly like the wide selection of shampoos and styling products from Sebastian. Perfect for carry-on baggage, short stays or in your handbag.

Joico Joifix Firm; Kerastase Fix Fabulous; Collaboration between Stolen Girlfriends Club Redken.

Pictures / Supplied.

Worth grabbing

The collaboration between fashion label Stolen Girlfriends Club and hair brand Redken goes beyond backstage with the timely launch of a travel pack. Two airline size-approved mini refillable shampoo bottles in a plastic carry-all clutch are available as a gift with purchase at Redken salons now. In another fashionable collaboration, Redken recently signed Brazilian transgender model Lea T to its collection of muses and trend creators. The former face of Givenchy is well-known for fronting anti-bullying campaigns. She will appear in campaigns from early next year.

- VIVA