Scandinavian Skincare

by Roseanna Roberts

One look at most Scandinavian complexions is a good enough testimonial to try some of their skincare regimens. These three brands all have an ethos of simplicity, draw on Eastern traditions, and use top-quality ingredients. We picked their travel kits because we love to be able to really just pick up and go—plus, it's a way to try out new products without a huge investment. These options are the next best thing to Scandinavian genetics.

Håkansson
Fresh from the Swedish laboratory of Katrina Håkansson comes in a weekend-size travel pack with an assortment Håkansson favorites. The opaque pouch includes their signatures, "The Moisturizer," a light all-over lotion for varied skin types; "The Soap," which can be used on the face as well as the rest of the body; "The Remover," ideal for wiping away dirt, oil and makeup while minimizing pore size and providing instant refreshment; "The Oil," used as an additional skin hydrater also doubles as a massage lubricant; "The Scent," with hints of fresh herb citrus notes in a creamy lotion, can be applied to pulse points for a natural essence; and "Vitamin Spray," ideal for a mid day pick me up, delivers nutrients and moisture to face and neck. The pack six vial-sized bottles are $26 and can be found at select retailers as well as on the Håkansson website.

Ole Henriksen
Danish-born Ole Henriksen's range of cosmetics has been on the market for over 30 years and is favored by the celebrity set in L.A. for their top-notch botanicals and clean, modern packaging. His line offers a number of quick getaway kits, including three specifically for the face; Oily/Blemish Prone, Normal/Combination and the newly-released Dry/Sensitive Skin. Each bag comes with a cleanser, toning face tonic, facial scrub, day moisturizer, night creme and a mask, all customized to your skin type. With enough to last at least a week—jars are sized between one and two ounces—it's perfect for longer trips or to give the products a thorough at-home trial. At $70 a pop, the kit also makes a great gift. Available on the Ole Henriksen site.

Själ
Mother and daughter duo Karen and Kristin Petrovich are the driving force behind this eco-luxury skincare company. Själ, a term that refers to spirit, mind, heart and soul in Swedish, emphasizing simplicity over high-maintainance skin care regime touted by magazines. Their creams work triple-time to deliver a number of benefits in a single formula. With heavily concentrated hydrators such as Lotus oil, collagen enhancing MDI complexes and wrinkle reducing peptides, the Kura Intuitif cream is a must have on any long haul trip. It received InStyle magazine's award for "Best Flight Cream 2006." The beautiful mod-designed jars come at a pretty penny, with a travel sized one-ounce jar of the Kura Intuitif cream priced at $150. The Orbe eye cream comes in a .5-ounce pot and sells for $170. Staple items for socialites and stars alike, the Själ range is a well worth luxury for your vacation. Available at Barneys , Bergdorf's and other fine retailers throughout the U.S. For international locations see the Själ website.

Call of the Wild A/W 2007

by Seth Brau

London-based clothing label Call of the Wild's upcoming autumn/winter 2007 collection looks very promising. The work of graphic design duo Kai and Sunny, the two have worked together since college handling everything from illustration and art direction for companies such as Nike and Levi's, but some of their best work comes from their very own label, Call of the Wild.

For their newest collection they've covered everything from t-shirts and hoodies to jackets and henleys in a modern, hip style that's simple without looking too formal.

My personal favorite pieces are the hard-to-describe jacket/cardigan pieces (pictured above left). Not quite a jackets but not exactly a cardigan either, they're sort of sweatshirts and they find a nice middle-ground between casual and fancy.

I also appreciate the lack of large brand markings and super bright all-over prints in the collection. The subtle lines and nice cuts make it the perfect line of clothing for the coming seasons.

via Highsnobiety

Who's the Fairest Black Mirror

by Tim Yu

Adding a sinister touch to home decor, Canadian designer HXfour's new design called "Who's the Fairest" is a black mirror made using high-gloss acrylic cast into a vintage frame. Custom sizes and shapes are available, check in at mirror [at] hsxfour [dot] com for purchasing details.

King of Kong

by Seth Brau

Though the complexity, graphic quality, and gameplay realism of video games have improved exponentially in the 30-or-so years since the genre became a staple of our culture, good old Donkey Kong is still considered the toughest game around. Reaching the "kill screen," the moment at which a programming malfunction kicks in and the game ends, is among the most coveted achievements in competitive video games, and has only been reached by three or four players since Donkey Kong was released in 1981.

"King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" chronicles the rivalry of Billy Mitchell (pictured right), a hot sauce mogul rocking perhaps the greatest mullet ever captured on film, and softspoken and obsessive middle-school science teacher Steve Wiebe as they compete for the Donkey Kong World Record. Combining the brash psychological warfare of "Pumping Iron" with the unabashed dorkiness of "Spellbound," "King of Kong" presents the nerds and weirdos of the competitive arcade gaming community in all their obsessive splendor.

"King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters" opens today, 17 August, in New York (IFC and AMC Empire Times Square), L.A., Seattle, and Austin. It opens the following week in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and Washington DC 24 August, with additional openings in other cities in the following weeks. See the trailer here

By Joshua Brau

Russian Architecture

by Lost At E Minor

Wondering what the latest architecture being built in the new Russia is like? One of the major trendsetters that led to today's architectural modernism, Russia is having a real spurt of building. The construction above is example of a proposed hotel in New Holland, St Petersburg. The hotel features a large courtyard with a waterway, once used for ship building. The central building is a raised glass promenade elevated above the court. Within the glazing sits a 700-seat concert hall. Ironically, and somewhat regrettably, this new Russian building has actually been designed by an American architect, Eric Owen Moss.