Functionalab at Bendel
by Jessica M

On my last visit to Henri Bendel in New York, I noticed a new display on the beauty floor: it’s a wall of shelves dedicated to products from Functionalab, a Montreal-based brand of “beauty-nutrition supplements.” Functionalab promotes the idea of inner health as the foundation of outer beauty, and it offers a wide range of formulas. You can shop “à la carte” by selecting individual supplements to target specific needs. Or, for a more complete analysis, you can consult with a Functionalab representative, take a ten-minute questionnaire, and receive a personalized program with a month’s worth of daily doses.

Functionalab’s vitamins and tonics are the most chic-looking health products you’ve ever seen: they’re all labeled with vibrantly colored symbols and lettering on pure white containers. The product codes imitate the Periodic Table of Elements (remember that, from high-school chemistry?) and some of the bottles are shaped like beakers and flasks from a futuristic science laboratory. And I noticed that one of the images in the display is a take-off of Robert Mapplethorpe’s iconic portrait of rocker-poet Patti Smith, but at least Functionalab is stealing from the best!

After looking through the shelves, I took home some brochures for further reading, and one basic product from the line: a bottle of Health Drops in the Antiox blend. Health Drops are concentrated liquids that you add to any beverage for a boost of vitamins, minerals, and natural extracts. One dropper-full of Antiox Health Drops contains as much antioxidant power as fifteen cups of green tea, which is wonderful if (like me) you’re more of a coffee-drinker but you still want to take in more of these super-nutrients. I’ve been adding my Health Drops to a glass of water with a lemon slice (where it gives a fresh, zingy flavor) or to my morning orange juice (where I can’t really taste it through the orange). Three other blends of Health Drops are available: Detox (with natural orange flavor), Focus (with peppermint), and Immune (berry-flavored).

I’m thinking of going back to Bendel for some Functionalab vitamins, such as the Pure Skin Beauty Dose (for balancing and revitalizing oily skin), but in the meantime, I’m feeling wellness-conscious – and cool – with the Health Drops bottle standing on my kitchen counter.

Functionalab Health Drops sells for $30. For more information, see http://www.functionalab.com. To contact Functionalab at Henri Bendel, call 212-247-1100 or 1-800-HBENDEL.

Product photo via Functionalab. Store photo by Jessica M.