Monday, October 22, 2012

Lola's Secret Beauty Blog's Exclusive Interview with Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor, Sophia Panych: Best of Beauty Awards (Beauty Breakthroughs)!!

I have been sitting on a little secret, well two actually. First, as most of you know Lola is the name of my cat, my given name is actually Helen. The bigger secret is actually that I was invited to interview Allure Magazine's Assistant Editor, Sophia Panych, about the Breakthrough Category of the Best of Beauty Awards-- which needless to say, was a very high honor.
Sophia Panych, Assistant Editor at Allure (source)
As you are well aware, for the last 16 years Allure has decisively set the standard by selecting the best beauty products on the market in their annually celebrated Best of Beauty Awards. Allure editors sample mountains of products, and then skim the cream from the top in order to take the guess work out of our purchases. Their little red and white sticker has come to signify the highest quality, and the best performing products on the market. The winning products have been painstakingly selected by the leading beauty experts at Allure, and then tested by dermatologists, chemists, makeup artists, and hair stylists to assess the claims and efficacy of the products. Indeed, this unobtrusive label has become the seal of approval that assures consumers that they can shop with confidence.
The Best of Beauty Awards 2012 features 245 products carefully selected from thousands upon thousands of products released this year. The top picks were then broken down into the following 16 categories: Skin Care, Eyes, Hair, Cheap Thrills, Base, Lips, Cheeks, Beauty Breakthroughs, Body, Tools, Best Splurges, Nails, Sensitive Skin, Scents, Natural Wonders, and Guys' Stuff. Click on each link to view all of the individual winners. You will also find all of the winners in the October 2012 issue of Allure that is on newsstands now.
Despite the fact that there are so many amazing products to peruse, Sophia and I mainly focused our discussion on the most innovative and eagerly anticipated category of them all- the 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs.

Sophia is a high-ranking expert in the field, and yet was so charming, lovely, and down-to-earth. While our interview was centered on Allure's Breakthrough category, I did try to contextualize my questions within the larger framework of the Best of Beauty Awards in general. I was also very interested in asking a few salient personal questions that I felt likely informed her professional choices, all of which make her uniquely qualified to do her job within a rich interdisciplinary artistic context. Armed with the experience of being a former ballerina, and with an Art History degree from NYU, Sophia's unique skill set allows her to adeptly interpret trends on the runway, interface with the artists backstage, and identify the best products on the market. According to Allure, "Panych is responsible for reporting beauty trends from the ready to wear collections at New York, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, and interprets runway looks for readers in Allure’s Backstage Beauty report." I think that you will agree that she is thoroughly delightful, infinitely knowledgeable, and very gracious. With all of this in mind, here is my exclusive interview.

The 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs list doesn't always mean the most expensive products on the market, but instead those whose innovations really stand out, irrespective of price point. These products were chosen based upon a myriad of criteria, among them the innovative technologies employed and for their ability to address age old problems with astonishing efficacy. The 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs boast an amazing array of groundbreaking products that will address a plethora of beauty needs, and will undoubtedly help a great many people find outstanding and effective products.

I think that you will agree that there are many temptations to choose from!

Here are the winners of the 2012 Beauty Breakthroughs (click on links for detailed descriptions at Allure.com):
Sally Hansen Salon InstaGel Strips

Now that you have seen Allure's top picks, what are yours?

27 comments:

  1. This is so terrific. You asked wonderful questions. I am so happy for you. You are amazing!!

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    1. Thank you so much, Marcia!! that means a lot coming from you! I'm so glad that you liked it. It was really fun to do, and Sophia was wonderful! <3

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  2. Great to hear the voice behind the blog! It is a superb interview, I look forward to trying many of the products soon. You are awesome!

    I already got GA Maestro Fusion foundation and Tresemme Split End Remedy, LOVE!

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    1. Hi Rola!! Thanks for your kind words-- I really appreciate it! <3

      I have the Armani Maestro Fusion foundation as well-- but have yet to review it! I can't wait to hear your thoughts about it!

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  3. Great interview! I love both the questions and the interactive style between you two. It makes the interview more lively as if you were there talking to her. Congrats!

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    1. Thanks so much, JoanneP! That is really such a lovely thing to say! xx

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  4. Whoa this was great, so many awesome products ! Congrats :)

    Stay Pretty, Miranda M. and Mackenzie M. We'd love you if you could follow our blog we're looking to get new beauty blogger friends :)
    http://prettysquared.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thanks so much Miranda and Mackenzie!! THanks for stopping by! I will definitely pop on over.

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  5. Congratulations, it's so wonderful that you were able to do this interview! You asked great questions, and as a subscriber to Allure for many years, it was so fascinating to hear Sophia's responses. xo

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    1. Moxie- It means a great deal to me that you feel this way!! I appreciate your support and very kind words! I'm so glad that you liked my questions! I really wanted to ask Sophia questions that went beyond the Breakthrough products themselves-- because I knew that everyone would be interested in her thoughts, in general. xoxo

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  6. I am so proud of you dear Lola! You did a brilliant job with your interview (as I knew you would!). What a fantastic post! Hope all is well and talk soon...

    xoxo,

    --The Beauty Professor

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    1. Thanks so much, sweet friend. I truly and deeply appreciate that you feel that way, and am immensely flattered!! I hope that you took advantage of the away time to get some much deserved R&R!! Let's definitely talk very soon! xoxox

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    2. BTW-- I totally felt all of your good vibes that day!!!!!! <3

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  7. I want to second what MarciaF wrote! But...I'm confused - the straight-haired blonde in the video is the same person as the wavy-haired brunette in the photo?? She looks totally different!!!

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    1. Thanks so much, Nina!! Believe it or not- both images are Sophie!! She does look quite different! The photograph came right from Allure.com!

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  8. excellent interview! you asked thoughtful questions and this interview had great flow!! i feel like i got an insider's scoop!

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    1. Hi harajukugirlfl1 Thank you so much for saying such lovely things-- I really appreciate it!! I'm so glad that you feel as though you got an insider's scoop-- I was hoping to provide that! :-)

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  9. What an exciting and fun opportunity, Helen--congrats! You did an amazing job! :D And btw, I HAVE to try that new CoverGirl mascara. I am a devoted fan of the original Lash Blast Volume so I will definitely be checking the new one out!

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    1. Thanks, Becca!! It was really fun to do!! I'm so glad that you liked it! I know, the CoverGirl mascara is on my list-- I have gone to multiple places and haven't been able to find it yet!! I hope that I can find it soon!! <3

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  10. Great interview, really interesting, you asked some great questions xx

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    1. Thanks so much, Replica!!! That meas a great deal to me coming from you!!!!! xx <3

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  11. What an amazing opportunity! Congratulations and you really did a fantastic job. My younger sister actually has an art history degree as well :)

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    1. Thank you, Victoria!! That is a really lovely thing for you to say-- I really appreciate it!!! That's very cool that your sister studied art history as well! <3

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  12. OUTSTANDING INTERVIEW!!! You did a such an amazing job, Lola!!! Incredibly informative and you asked really great questions. Most of all, you can just tell that you're an authentic, credible and wonderful person. I'm so proud of you, and it really has been such a joy and privilege to get to know you. A huge fan! - Tessa

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    1. Thank you so much my lovely friend! I'm so touched that you feel that way. You are bringing tears to my eyes. Everything that you say reflects the way that I feel about you as well!! xoxox

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