BEAUTY CONFESSIONS: Barry Beck, co-founder of Bluemercury

If you feel shopping for beauty products at a department store too pressurized and impersonal, then you need to check out Bluemercury. Started in 1999 by husband and wife entrepreneurs Barry and Marla Beck. Their concept was to create a neighborhood beauty and spa boutique that offered varied or exclusive products in a more relaxed setting. With over 130 stores nationwide the luxury retailer has been wildly successful, they’ve just opened their 7th Chicago store and plan to open seven more throughout the city. I spoke to Barry to find out his beauty confessions.

WHAT IS YOUR BEAUTY ADDICTION? I love Molton Brown; I use their body wash every single day, it's my favorite product, it’s like a treatment in the morning, and it makes me feel better. People always think that I use ‘Black Peppercorn’ because it’s more masculine, but the truth is I use ‘Pink Pepperpod’.

WHAT’S YOUR FAV THING ABOUT LIVING IN DC?
It is a gateway city. When you look at America you got these gateway cities; you got NY, DC, Chicago and LA. So it’s an incredible gateway city, it’s still manageable, and you're able to get around. And it still has that wonderful suburban feel to it even though it’s growing so fast. It’s an incredible city, and I love it. And I love Georgetown, where we are based, it’s so vibrant and exciting with incredible shops and restaurants, and I love being there.

WHICH CITY SPENDS THE MOST ON BEAUTY PRODUCTS?
Definitely, New York City but Number 2 is Chicago and number 3 is LA. Chicago is in front of LA!

LAST FILM YOU WATCHED?
Miss Sloane, with Jessica Chastain, great movie and you know what I loved about it the most? Her outfits. Every woman should go out right now and watch that movie just to see what she wore. The outfits were so chic, so stylish so wonderful. It might be hard to pull some of them off like the patent leather, but she was so elegant, so timeless.

WHO WAS YOUR CELEBRITY CRUSH GROWING UP?
Heather Locklear … and my guy crush is Leonardo DiCaprio, I love him. He’s my favorite actor in the world; he’s such a movie star. I was in a room with him once, in California we were at a party together. And he walked into the room, and you can just tell he was a true Hollywood star, love him…elegant, refined and he is a Bluemercury customer.

FAVORITE PRODUCT IN YOUR STORE?
My favorite number one product is the Power Glow Peel. I love it, especially for guys... it’s one minute, change your life, make you look better, swipe to the right, and it’s no fuss!

WHAT’S YOUR CHOICE OF DRINK?
Macallan 18, I’m a scotch guy.

FAVORITE BOOK?
The Snowball about Warren Buffett, you know why? It teaches me lessons on business and life.

Bluemercury's new North River store, 356 North Clarke Street, is now open.

FASHIONABLE DISCOVERIES: Bespoke Apothecary Preparations

The trend of bespoke of beauty products and services continues. Back in August for the Chicago Tribune, I tried out two new customized services, one for make-up, (Lancôme) and the other for hair (Kerastase), which you can read about here.

Now we can add skincare to the list with Kiehl’s. Originally an Apothecary when it first opened in 1851, customers would go to Kiehl’s for your prescription medicine as well as customized herbal and natural skin and hair remedies. Kiehl’s has decided to go back to its roots, with a personalized skincare service called Apothecary Preparations.

I was fortunate enough to be invited along to try out their new service.

Step 1: Diagnosis
At your one-on-one consultation with a Kiehl's customer representative, aka KCR, your skin will be diagnosed. The surface oil on your face is measured to help identify your skin type (normal, oily, combo or dry). I'm a combo, as I'm oily on my T-zones and normal to dry elsewhere.

Then a dehydration analyzer will be used to measure the water in your skin, 1 being the lowest and 100 the highest. I was told you don't want anything less than 50, I, unfortunately, got a disappointing 34. What does that mean? My skin is dehydrated, and I need to start drinking lots more water.

Step 2: Selection
Next, you discuss with your KCR a series of skin-related issues, like texture, dullness, redness, wrinkles and pore size and identify which two are your main concerns. This determines the two skin boosters that will be mixed in with your base concentrate, to create your individual serum. I went with Brightening and Pore Minimizing.

Step 3: Personalization
You leave with a box and bottle with your name plus details of your personal formula and directions for use.

Your personalized serum is recorded in the system for future reorders.

Apothecary Preparations is currently available at 21 of their stores and retails for $95. Go to kiehls.com to find your nearest location.

CAT'S MEOW eight statement rings for your next cocktail party

NEW WORK: CHICAGO MAGAZINE

INDEX FINGER:
18 karat white gold with 38.48 carat Aquamarine and pave diamonds ring, $60,200, Sidney Garber, 118 East Delaware Place.
Swarovski Crystals triangle ring $169 (part of a set), Swarovski, 540 Michigan Avenue.

MIDDLE FINGER:
18 karat white gold and 1 carat diamond criss cross ring, $4,490, James & Son, 1457 N Halsted St.
18 karat yellow gold and.60 carat diamond wraparound comet in ring, $4,990, James & Son, 1457 N Halsted St.

RING FINGER:br /> 18 karat white and rose gold, 11 carat center lemon quartz and diamond ring, $5,800, Pomellato, 41 E Oak St.
Platinum Spessartite 13.24 carat ring, $65,000, Tiffany & Co., 730 N Michigan Ave.
18 karat blush gold, platinum and 1.21 carat center diamond with 49 pave-set .32 carat diamonds ring, $9040, Eve J. Alfillé Gallery & Studio, 623 Grove Street, Evanston.

PINKY FINGER:
Sterling silver Prasiolite ring, $1,300, David Yurman, 40 East Oak St.

FASHIONABLE INVITE: Gilt City Warehouse Sale

WHO: Gilt City
WHAT: Warehouse Sale
WHERE: Museum of Contemporary Art Warehouse, 1747 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60622
WHEN: Friday, May 19, 2017
• Friday Night First Access Session: 7pm-9pm, $25
• Friday Night Late Entrance: 9pm-11pm, $20

Saturday, May 20, 2017
• Saturday Morning Session: 9am-11am, $10
• Saturday Early Afternoon Session: 11am-1pm, $10
• Saturday Late Afternoon Session: 1pm-3pm, $10
• Saturday Early Evening Session: 3pm-5pm, $10

WHY: The Gilt sale is back with a makeover. Along with up to 80 percent off retail prices of designer fashion you will also be offered onsite styling, makeup touchups, luxurious pop-ups, complimentary monogramming and more.

Tickets are now available at giltcity.com/Chicago

ROCK STEADY, Gear up for concert season with these pitch-perfect accessories

NEW WORK: CHICAGO MAGAZINE

FASHIONABLE DISCOVERIES: Victoria Beckham's collection for Target is revealed!

The collection will included more than 200 items for women’s, girls, toddler and baby, and ranges in price from $6-$70, with most items under $40 and will be offered in sizes XS-3X for women and NB-XL for girls, toddler and baby.

VB x Target out April 9.

The Two Best Looks From The 2017 Oscars Couldn’t Be More Different

NAOMIE HARRIS IN RAF SIMON FOR CALVIN
Naomie Harris is amazing in this minimal yet stunning dress by Raf Simon first red carpet dress for Calvin Klein. I love the simplicity, yet the train keeps it interesting and different.