In 2011 I met Salma Hayek during lunch at the Mandarin Oriental hotel New York City for the launch of her cosmetics line NUANCE for CVS Pharmacy…and I just came across this photo of me first row in the charcoal botton shirt…with Salma Hayek.

Marta Walsh Meets Salma Hayek

Last week I had an amazing opportunity to meet Salma Hayek during lunch in New York City..Read Full Story In TM.

CVS/pharmacy and actress Salma Hayek were honored today with the “Launch of the Year: Mass” Award at the 2011 Beauty Inc Awards in New York City. The award was presented by Beauty Inc, a Women’s Wear Daily special-issue magazine, for the introduction of the exclusive beauty collection, Nuance Salma Hayek.

CVS/pharmacy and Salma Hayek

Announced at the 10th Annual Beauty Inc Awards breakfast at The Four Seasons restaurant and in the December issue of the magazine, the “Launch of the Year: Mass” Award recognizes company-wide and individual brand achievement for innovation and resonance with consumers. Beauty Inc is widely recognized as the premiere source of news for the beauty industry and the annual Beauty Inc Awards highlight the year’s most notable beauty industry achievements.

Nuance Salma Hayek

Nuance Salma Hayek launched in August 2011. The collection is the first complete beauty line developed by an actress in partnership with a national retailer. “I wanted to create a beauty line that was available to all women as I believe all women have the right to preserve their youth and their beauty,” Hayek explains. “My partnership with CVS/pharmacy has been an incredible platform to create exciting products and make them available nationwide. I am so proud that Nuance Salma Hayek has been honored with a Beauty Inc Award. Winning this award is a great legacy to the women in my family. I would like to thank the women who trusted me and helped to make the line successful so quickly.”

Nuance Salma Hayek was inspired by Hayek’s grandmother, a cosmetologist who developed her own homemade beauty remedies. An embodiment of her rich family heritage, the products in the Nuance Salma Hayek line represent the fusion of advanced, proprietary formulations and personal beauty rituals passed down from generations.

“We are honored to be recognized for the launch of our exclusive beauty collection, Nuance Salma Hayek,” said Grant Pill, Vice President of Merchandising, CVS/pharmacy. “Through our partnership with Salma, we were able to create a unique collection of premium beauty products that are affordable and accessible for all women. Since the launch of Nuance Salma Hayek in August 2011, we’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from the beauty community and, most importantly, from our customers. CVS/pharmacy is very proud to be recognized with the Beauty Inc Award for “Launch of the Year, Mass” Award.”

Designed to enhance the nuances that define every woman’s individual beauty, Nuance Salma Hayek contains more than 100 products spanning four categories – skincare, cosmetics, haircare, and body – and prices range from $2.99 to $25.00. Many ingredients in the line, such as tepezcohuite, blue agave, prickly pear, and lime enzyme, are being used in exclusive beauty formulas available to the mass market for the first time. Hayek rigorously tested every product, partnering with formulators to ensure the highest standards and most efficacious results.

For more information on Nuance Salma Hayek or to purchase the products, please visit cvs.com/nuancesalmahayek. To hear about Salma Hayek’s inspiration for the line and to learn about her favorite products, please visit facebook.com/cvsbeautyclub.

Last week I had an amazing opportunity to meet Salma Hayek during lunch in New York City at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and chat all about her new superstar cosmetics line for CVS Pharmacy: Nuance Salma Hayek.

Although Salma Hayek admitted to being tired & jet-lagged she looked absolutely beautiful at lunch. At age 45 Salma is truly one of the best looking natural beauties I’ve seen.

It’s not easy to come up with one good product not alone a whole cohesive cosmetics line. I’m glad to see that Hayek is using her uber celebrity power to create products that actually work and mean a lot to her as oppose to just put her name on anything like some other celebs do (and I’m not naming any names).

Nuance is worthy of some of the fanciest store shelves but Salma has chosen CVS Pharmacy and we couldn’t be so lucky. Her cosmetics line is the best thing that happened to a drugstore. Maybe it’s a new era, affordable quality cosmetics within our reach.

I was fast to learn that Salma Hayek just like me is a true beauty junkie. She wasn’t afraid to demonstrate her products.

I’ve been trying Nuance Salma Hayek for CVS and these are my favorite products so far:

Nuance Salma Hayek Raw Honey Color Protect Conditioner & shampoo

Nuance Salma Hayek Wild Lime Exfoliating Facial Gel

Nuance Salma Hayek Cucumber & Rosewater Dual Phase Makeup Remover

Nuance Salma Hayek Detoxifying Facial Cleansing & Toning Towelettes

Nuance Salma Hayek Jojoba Dual Phase Body Oil

Nuance Salma Hayek Dark Cacao & Coffee Firming Body Cream

Nuance Salma Hayek Walnut Body Scrub

Nuance Salma Hayek My Secret Super Moisturizing Body Cream

Salma Hayek demonstrating the very fabulous and my favortie also the Nuance Salma Hayek Oxygen Activated Foaming Face Wash. She thought this face wash lathers so well men can shve with it.

The Lotus room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel is ready for lunch with Salma Hayek.

Another one of my favorite Nuance Salma Hayek Flawless Wear Tinted Moisturizer in Medium which is also Salma Hayek’s shade.

The view from the Lotus room at the Mandarin Oriental

As soon as my cab arrived the city aka New York City I see CVS Pharmacy looking so vibrant.

***The trip to NYC  to meet Salma Hayek for lunch was paid by CVS Pharmacy***

I snapped this pic on my recent trip to San Diego for BlogHer 2011. At the CVS booth I got to sample the NEW NUANCE by Salma Hayek for CVS Mascara & I loved it. I’ve been a Salma Hayek fan for years now. One of the things I relate most about Salma Hayek is the accent, which I also have, and her contagious passion for everything she does.

Marta Walsh & NUANCE by Salma Hayek for CVS Ultra Defining Mascara.

Also when I used to have dark brown hair in my New York City years people used to say I kinda look like her. Ha! Now with the blonde hair I get Jennifer Aniston. Funny. Anyways, let’s go back to the subject in hand-this mascara adds volume, length, and the pigment is nice and bold. “Precision fibers hug lashes for extra length.”-via www.cvs.com. I can’t wait to try more from Salma Hayek’s new cosmetic line with CVS, NUANCE. I will keep you posted.

See more pics from my San Diego BlogHer 2011 trip!

Got my hair done before my trip to San Diego and I went darker (thanks to the Red Door Spa in Phoenix AZ)…I think I’m starting to like it.

View from my hotel Marriott Marina in San Diego…simply beautiful & weather was perfection.

Look at this sky!! View from the pool at the Marriott Marina, San Diego.

On my way to pick up my BlogHer 2011 badge this way…

Got this as my welcome..CVS was everywhere.

Marta Walsh has arrived the CVS booth…all dressed up…not the best composition but you get the idea:)

The beautiful CVS booth.

I sometimes get a serious headache when I travel and when there is too much excitement in my day, ha! The Advil booth was just perfect. I needed this one.

I also got distracted by the beautiful Tempur-Pedic mattress booth my dream bed.

My boys do travel the world with me…

The beautiful beach at Coronado Island, San Diego.

Fancy Yoga on the roof? …at the Marriott Marina San Diego.

Finally  GOOD dinner at the urban and cool Hilcreast area in San Diego…much better then the dumb-down dining at the very touristy Gaslamp district…Estate House aka eh you rock!

…and a beautiful boat from Paradise Valley Arizona my hood…in San Diego.

***My trip to San Diego to BlogHer and sample of product mentioned in this post were provided by CVS***

This month Salma Hayek debuted her 100-piece Nuance cosmetics line for CVS, according to  Women’s Wear Daily. 100-stockkeeping-unit Nuance Salma Hayek line will bow in August 2011 exclusively in 7,000 CVS Pharmacy stores and online. I actually had the chance to visit the CVS headquarters in WOONSOCKET, Rhode Island just last week and got a sneak peek to Slama’s new makeup, skincare, and hair care collection which are priced between $7.99 and $19.99. The collection was inspired by Hayek’s grandmother, who was a Vichy Lab-trained cosmetologist and incorporated Native American and Mayan ingredients into her beauty treatments.

Marta Walsh standing infront of a poster about www.talkingmakeup.com which was hanging on the wall at the CVS headquarters in WOONSOCKET, Rhode Island

View to a CVS Pharmacy store from the Westin Hotel & Resort in Providence Rhode Island

I really like the packaging and the ingerdients conscious line. I got the impression the Salma Hayek was very passionate to come with good quality beauty products and just put her celebrity name on it. The products from first impression smelled good and felt good. Here’s sneak peek to some of the products I got to touch and smell and test out at the CVS headquarters. I have learned that Salma actually using the the Nuance shampoo & conditioners and her shade for Nuance Tinted Moisturizer shade is Medium. And make sure to sign up for the CVS ExtraCare Card for great saving.

Nuance Salma Hayek ultra shine lipgloss

Nuance Salma Hayek Walnut facial scrub

Nuance Salma Hayek eye shadow quad

Nuance Salma Hayek smooth & shine shampoo and conditioner

Nuance Salma Hayek flawless coverage mineral foundation medium/deep 235

Nuance Salma Hayek flawless coverage mineral foundation medium/deep 235

Nuance Salma Hayek flawless wear tinted moisturizer

Nuance Salma Hayek mascara

Nuance Salma Hayek wheat protein volumizing foam

***My trip to Rhode Island was paid by CVS Pharmacy***

Moroccanoil, the fast-track luxury Argan oil hair product pioneer and leader, sponsored what could be the season’s most exciting beauty book launch last week for celebrity stylist Robert Vetica’s new “Good To Great Hair.” (Fair Winds Publishing).

Hosted by Salma Hayek, the star-filled beauty bash filled Eva Longoria-Parker’s restaurant, Beso, to capacity. Hollywood’s leading celebrity hair stylists, make-up artists, fashion stylists were in attendance, as well as Debra Messing, film star Maggie Q, Slumdog Millionare’s Anil Kapoor, Melissa George of Grey’s Anatomy, Rose McGowan and Moroccanoil’s Carmen and Ofer Tal.

Debra Messing, Carmen Tal, Robert Vetica and Salma Hayek at the “Good to Great Hair” Book launch party. Photo © Amy Graves for Moroccanoil.

To cap the high-energy evening, multi-platinum-winning recording artist Anastacia gave an exciting performance that had guests, VIPs, and media on their feet and cheering.

Debra Messing & Salma Hayek at “Good to Great Hair” Book Launch Party.
image via: MahaloFashion.com

Before the performance, Vetica said, “The success of this evening is a validation that our community of editorial hairdressers, make-up artists and fashion stylists is thriving and unmatched in what they do.”

“In my interviews with top beauty editors, it became more and more evident that a book had to be written. I wanted to offer women more detailed directions on how to achieve beautiful hair with little effort. The book is full of trade secrets, and shares many of my own experiences in editorial and celebrity styling on the set.”

In honor of Salma Hayek’s participation in “Good to Great Hair”, Fair Winds Press will make a donation in support of UNICEF’s efforts to eliminate Maternal and Neonatal tetanus.

About Good To Great Hair by Robert Vetica Book: $24.99. Available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Amazon and other stores where quality books are sold.

Top Star Stylist Robert Vetica’s New Beauty Book Dishes on How Every Woman Can Create Day to Day Hollywood Hair Magic at Home. In His New Book Good to Great Hair.

“…Robert always gives me the perfect hairstyle for big nights out or an elegant fix for not-so-fun, badly-timed hair misadventures. This book should be in everyone’s bathroom drawer.” -Renée Zellweger.

With a foreword by adoring fan Salma Hayek and an intro by Debra Messing, plus rave reviews by A-listers Rene Zellweger, Avril Lavigne, Kyra Sedgwick, Naomi Watts and many more iconic beauties, star stylist Robert Vetica’s sensational new book, Good to Great Hair is set to become the go-to beauty bible for every woman ready to have great hair, day after day. It’s a fountain of insider information – an easy-to-follow beauty guide based on Robert Vetica’s 25+ years of experience as well as his own formula for success to “keep it simple; work the basics.” Vetica’s unique, highly personal, clear-cut conversational style draws the reader in and keeps them engaged. The book’s beautiful photographs by leading international fashion photographer Alberto Tolot shows readers each step of the way to amazing style.

Vetica believes every woman should personally benefit from the knowledge he gained working with some of the world’s highest profile women, many of whom struggled with the same everyday style problems and challenges that he has solved on the set, at a moment’s notice.

“I’d resigned myself to the fact that 50% of the time, during my non-professional life, I would look like a frizz ball. But after watching, learning and asking questions while Robert whipped up yet another masterpiece with my hair, I can now wake up knowing that I’ll never have a bad hair day again.” -Debra Messing.

What’s Inside: Vetica’s secret to haute coiffure: “simple…simple…simple.” In his soon-to-be released, Good to Great Hair, Vetica’s well-practiced basics are translated into uncomplicated “ABCs” that all women can incorporate into their daily routine in a matter of minutes – even if they think they don’t have the knack. The result? Perfect hair every day – whether it’s for the office, an interview, the mall or an event requiring a more sophisticated look, such as a party or a wedding. The Vetica way is to have every woman accomplish perfect, beautiful hairstyles as quickly, easily and inexpensively as possible.

 ”Robert can make anything happen in any situation and in any amount of time.”
-Avril Lavigne

“When Robert does my hair, I forget to look in the mirror.”
-Naomi Watts

“Robert is a master of transformation
-Salma Hayek

Good to Great Hair is divided into three sections, The Essentials, Special Effects and Style Secrets, with each one building toward the finale. There are pages and pages of step-by-step styles with informative advice for every woman. It’s all supported with beautiful how-to images with solutions for every hair type, length and texture.

Part I: THE ESSENTIALS: It’s where great hair begins. Vetica analyzes and defines the reader’s hair texture and its unique challenges as never seen before. Then he takes us into the secrets of today’s most helpful products and essential tools of the trade.

Part II: SPECIAL EFFECTS: It’s an adventure into the world of the Red Carpet with insight into special accessories, hair color and hair pieces.

Part III: STYLE SECRETS. It’s Vetica’s art of haircutting and hairstyling, with beautiful, crystal-clear, detail-by-detail images. This is his personal inside scoop on how to create celebrity hair styles with everything from faux hair to fabulous effects to innovative styling techniques pioneered by Vetica.

Vetica’s goal in his remarkable new book is to make every reader’s particular hair “listen up and behave.” Along the way he shares his own successful method of how to create megawatt styles whether for strolling the red carpet, strutting the catwalk, or adventuring anywhere and everywhere. This Vetica insider is filled with incredible tips such as: what’s in his styling and tool kits; how he uses his simple arsenal to create unforgettable looks for the red carpet and runways in 20 minutes flat; how he invents nip-and-tuck magic with small, hidden braids; how he disguises split ends and creates a stellar shine; how to transform lifeless hair into a lush, voluminous mane with the genius of clip-on extensions; how he saves time by refreshing a style – and not starting from scratch; along with extensive how-to guides.

All About Robert Vetica: The author is a fashion icon in his own right with more than 25 years of high-profile experiences in the hair world. He regularly styles the most beautiful celebrities in the world, including Salma Hayek, Debra Messing, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne, Shakira, Renée Zellweger, Hilary Swank, and Naomi Watts. Whether it’s for the Academy Awards or major fashion magazines worldwide, Vetica uses innovative and imaginative techniques to make “the famous” look great with little effort and even less time. He is based in Los Angeles.