In with the new

Forgive the cliché. But each time a new year comes around, we get the irresistible urge to provide readers with the newest fashion and beauty products available on the retail scene. (Actually we try to do that every week; we’re just a bit more blatant about it now.) To greet 2010, and to ignite the shopping bug you thought had been stored away along with the Christmas tree, here is a list of new and nice for the year — or maybe for at least the month.

New collection: Pedro for women

For quite some time, men have had a monopoly on those sleek, luxurious pairs from Singaporean shoe brand Pedro. Recently, however, Pedro Philippines introduced their line for women and these shoes were certainly worth the wait. These well-made pairs are stylish and trendy, but you don’t feel as if buying a pair comes with a requisite timeline. The gladiator sandal, now a standard in sun-heavy countries, is given many classy variations; heels come in an assortment of shapes and styles — from the chic stacked heel to the more classic stiletto — and wedges welcome the first spottings of pre-summer wear.

Pedro Woman is now available in SM Mall of Asia and TriNoma.

New beauty brand: Etude House

Don’t those girls in the video for the Korean mega-hit “Nobody But You” have you convinced that there must be something in kim-chi that gives a porcelain quality to Korean skin?

Our relatives up north do have amazing skin but put it down to their amazing beauty products.

Etude House is one of those premier Korean beauty brands that package high-quality cosmetic and skin care in cute compartments and boxes.

Their makeup comes in sweet packages equipped with small poufs and cute brushes; skincare is packaged in bottles that remind you of those days when you wanted everything pink.

The best thing about Etude House: their skincare and makeup actually do wonders for the skin.

Etude House is located at Megamall.

New way to tone up: Skechers Shapeups

You told yourself you were gonna get on with being a gym rat this year.

What if, just like those perennially perky presenters on home shopping networks, we slyly suggest that you can actually cheat on this resolution but still come up with the same results?

Skechers Shape Ups sneakers slip in fitness advantages without the gym enrollment.

Thick curved soles require you to balance while you walk, thus helping improve the posture and, at the same time, promoting firmer thigh, calf and glut muscles and tight abs.

It’s like having an elliptical trainer at your disposal, only you can bring it to the mall.

Skechers is available at department stores nationwide.

New designer: Mariane Perez

Another one bites the dust, but we’re not complaining.

Preview’s former assistant editor for fashion and beauty Mariane Perez realized it wasn’t enough to just shoot clothes; she wanted to create them.

So she took a short course on fashion design at the Fashion Insititute of the Philippines and, within less than a year, had come up with her own eponymous label.

Her creations are unapologetically feminine: frills, lace and lots of skin. “My label is the epitome of modern romance, but with a fashion-forward slant. I aspire to create the same insouciant elegance of women like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Marion Cotillard and Carine Roitfield,” says Perez.

Her statement pieces include bohemian-style, floor-sweeping frocks, cocktail dresses with lots of texture, and a classic jumpsuit that can be worn in multitudes of ways.

Mariane: The Label is available on http://shopmariane.mutliply.com, or contact her at mariane.perez@yahoo.com.

New beauty bargain: Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

Here’s a super cream but without the five-digit tag price.  The multi-awarded Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream, sold out when it first launched in the US and the UK, has arrived in Manila, bent on proving that firm, youthful skin can be had without the credit muscle.

This miracle cream contains a mix of ingredients that targets lines and wrinkles due to the loss of collagen and turgors, two factors that any woman in her 50s would probably give up her Chanels to retain.

The skin is also kept hydrated and more elastic, in a manner that is supposedly more efficient than 32 other supercreams out on the market.

It’s worth a try, especially if 15 big ones are at stake.

Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream is available at grocery stores nationwide.

New beauty haven: Beauty and Butter

After hours spent hunting down the perfect Christmas gift and small-talking your way through Christmas parties, you deserve a spot of pampering.

Hie yourself off to the mall, not for some more retail skirmishes but to have your hands, feet and nails pampered at the funkily-designed Beauty and Butter nail salon.

The salon specializes in nail art — they have their own designs but work with what you want — but they’re also big on giving you and your nails more than just the usual mani and pedi.

Scrubs, waxes and facials are also available.

Beauty and Butter is located at Megamall.