The British Are Coming! The Bristish Are Coming! Beloved Boots, that is

This morning, before going to Bryant Park to pick up my press badge for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, I attended a launch event for Boots. In case you've never heard of them, Boots cosmetics are so beloved by British women that 1 in 3 women have at least one Boots No. 7 product in their handbags! Kiera Knightly loves Boots Nude Lip Pencil so much, she had a bag of them sent to her on the set while filming Pirates of the Caribbean. The products give your quality at a great price.

In the past, when I wanted to get my hands on some Boots products, I had to go to London for them. Now, lucky for all of us, Boots will be bringing a number of it's products and product lines to the United States, to launch in over 1,500 Target stores this March, and CVS Pharmacies (mostly in the West) and Shoppers Drug Markts throughout Canada, in April.

The mainstain of the brand is No 7, which features skincare and color cosmetics (we met the beautiful makeup artist turned cosmetics designer who re-vamped this line with inspiration from makeup in the archives--cool). What I didn't know is that There are other, really amazingly good and inexpensive lines from Boots as well: Botanics uses plant extracts in skin, bath and bodycare products. Apparently, these products were developed in conjunction with the Royal Botanical Gardens in London. If those folks don't know plants, no one does! Time Dimensions (which I really liked) is an anti-aging skincare system developed by people who have spent decades in the biz (we met one of these guys). Mediterranean is a bath and bodycare line inspired by the lifestyle of the region, and containing organic ingredients such as almond and olive oils, citrus fruits and herbs (the packages say "do not eat" but they are so enticing, I can see why they added that). Finally, Feel the Difference is what I'd call a "neutraceutical" line, with products you ingest to produce outwards results in your body and skin. The press literature says these are exclusive to target (we received some of these in our sample bags, and I'll be trying them and reviewing them in our monthly What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review columns http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html in the coming months, along with Boots color cosmetics.

The launch was held at Boylan Studios, all the way over on the West Side on 26th Street between 11th and 12th avenues (any farther West you would be in the river). It was one of the most well organized and complicated events I've attended. After a reception in the first room, featuring wall setups using actual items brought over from England from the original Boots Chemists (really clever idea) in back of two bars serving cofee and tea, or juice and water, and a brief presentation, we were split into small groups with a "tour guide" and brought into a huge loft space that had been sectioned into separate areas, in tents with a different product line in each. Music played for a minute, then when it stopped, the presentation (done by someone in the Company who really is involved with the creation and marketing) began. We got to touch and try products and ask questions. Alas, to keep things moving, we didn't get to sit, test, try and query the presenters for long. The music began and we left for the next tent, until we had repeated the process with every product line. There was a raffle for a trip to England, courtesy of Virgin Airways, but I didn't win. I really wanted to go back and talk to some of the presenters, but I had to get to Bryant Park, and I'd been there a long time. Reluctantly, I picked up my bag of "goodies" and headed out into the cold, quite excited about the products I'd just seen. I am delighted that Boots has seen fit to partner with Target and CVS--two really good stores both in terms of quality and price, and also customer service. I think there will be some online sales as well through Target. I'll be getting my "Boots fix" closer to home, come next month. If you haven't tried these products you will want to go to Target or CVS...they're worth the trip (and you don't have to fly there to get them). If you know them and love them, you'll find them easier to find than ever.