Author: Beauty Gazette

Apivita Experience Store

Borne out of a pharmacy and inspired by the humble and hardworking bee, Apivita may be Greece’s best beauty and wellness export. It is rarely spotted in Athens, save for in a smattering of pharmacies. The brand used to be available in Asia, but is currently nowhere to be found there. But Apivita’s skincare and wellness selection is one of the best in Europe. Formulated with bee products – from regular honey to pricey royal jelly and potent propolis – as well as botanicals found in the rich lands of Greece and beyond, Apivita’s products are unpretentious. To get the full range of what the brand has to offer, visit its three-storey flagship at 6 Solonos St & Kanari St, Kolonaki, Athens. On the ground floor, take your pick from the wide range of skincare for women, men and babies. This includes its selection of delicious skincare masks for every concern, conveniently packaged in sachets so they remain fresh and easy to bring along on vacations. Apivita’s suncare and anti-ageing products are also of top-notch …

Iles Formula Haircare

Tired of haircare that cannot instantly repair her celebrity clients’ hair for red carpet appearances, hairstylist Wendy Iles decided to make her own. Iles Formula is sulfate-, paraben- and silicone-free. The Haute Performance Shampoo lathers well, and cleanses my bleached and dyed hair well without stripping it of the oils and colour. The Haute Performance Conditioner is the star product as it is made with silk proteins from Japan, a technology that seals and smoothes hair cuticles, as well as tucuma palm and macrobola tree seeds from the Amazon rain forest. The Finishing Serum works like a vitamin shot for the hair: nut oils, silk, ceramide. When used together, the trio gave me soft, voluminous and frizz-free locks. Most haircare products leave my chemically-treated hair stiff and dry, which I usually have to smoothen with at least two other kinds of leave-in haircare serums. I also love how the Haute Performance range is perfumed with pleasant white-flower and white musk accords, adding a touch of luxury to my me-time in the bathroom. Iles Formula is …

Urban Decay Born To Run collection

Inspired by #travel #wanderlust #bornfree #wishuwerehere Insta posts, Urban Decay has launched its new Born To Run eyeshadow palette. With 21 bright hues in matte, metallic and iridescent textures, this palette is handy for travels as it lets one create a wide variety of eye makeup looks. From sunset dinners in Santorini to beach parties in California, the palette has you covered. The shadow formula gets a little powdery when the brush dips into the pan; but tap off the excess and it goes on smoothly with minimum fall out. The colours are pigmented, but as with all shadows, best used with a primer. To complement the range, there are three limited edition bold Vice Lipstick shades: a glittery coral pink, a plum and a mauve pink. As well as three 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils to match the shades in the palette.

Clarins Limited Edition White Flowers Collection

To add a little luxury to your summer skincare routine, Clarins has rolled out a limited edition range of products themed on white flowers. The Hand and Nail Treatment (S$15 each) is available in three scents: Magnolia, Neroli, and Jasmine. While the Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector (S$33) which deeply moisturises lips and gives it a glossy shine, is available in a pretty rosy pearlescent finish that brightens the natural lip colour. Perfumed with neroli, the Catch-Light Face Highlighter (S$36) comes in a stick form and is easy to use for extra glow on the cheekbones, brow bones, decolletage and cupid’s bow.

Fujifilm’s Beauty Label Astalift Launches New Makeup Range

You would never have thought that there would be a connection between photographic film, and skincare. But in 2007, Japanese film manufacturer Fujifilm made a stunning diversification into the beauty business with the launch of Astalift. Tapping on its assets such as R&D in collagen and nanotechnology, it created beauty creams that were effective in delivering antioxidants to the skin. Today, its skin-firming and brightening skincare formulas, as well as supplements, are some of the best in the market. This May, Astalift launches its new makeup range Flarosso to complete its line of products. It comprises of quartet shadow palettes ($65), lipsticks ($46), blush (S$55), and a highlighter (S$55). The brand says it has incorporated technologies related to photography to colour correct the skin for perfect selfies: an overlay effect of yellow, magenta and cyan colours for more vibrant shades. Stay tuned for a video review snippet that will be updated in this post, this weekend.

Laneige White Dew Vita Capsule Sleeping Mask

Amorepacific’s Laneige changed the masking game when it launched its Sleeping Mask in 2002. Busy and stressed out women could finally fall asleep with a beauty mask slathered on, and without being worried that they would wake up with “over-treated” skin and irritation. Now, Laneige has upped the ante on its bestselling Sleeping Mask. The new skin-brightening White Dew Vita Capsule Sleeping Mask comes with a separate sachet of Vitamin C powder to be blended together, for a more intense moisturising and skin-whitening treatment. This keeps the formula fresh and more effective. The gel mask soothes and envelops the skin in a thick layer, as each capsule is a generous 0.3ml. The lightweight packaging makes it easy to slip the mask into a beauty travel pouch, and keep your face bright, even, and hydrated while on the road.

Welle Co Australia The Super Elixir Nourishing Protein and Alkalising Formula

You may never have original supermodel Elle Macpherson’s height, face, body, skin, genes. But now you can reach out for the “Super Elixir” that she swears by for a healthier gut, and less bloated, flatter tummy (ab muscles not included). This dietary supplement comes in the form of a fine powder, and contains all the good stuff: organic barley grass, organic wheatgrass, pineapple, apple, organic alfalfa, spinach, goji berry, apple pectin, fructo oligosaccharides, L-Glutamine, linseed meal, psyllium husk, lemon, lime, beetroot, carrot, xylitol, acai, pomegranate, calcium citrate, papaya, probiotic blend (lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium bifidum, bifidobacterium lactis, bifidobacterium longum), organic spirulina, broccoli, grape seed extract, kelp, magnesium citrate, milk thistle extract, eleutherococcus senticosus extract, zinc gluconate, dandelion leaves extract, maitake mushroom extract, shitake mushroom extract, green tea extract, turmeric, aloe vera, horsetail, copper gluconate, beta carotene, D-biotin, selenium methionine. It tastes green and earthy but not unbearable, and best taken when shaken well so you don’t get powdery lumps stuck in the throat. The supplement can be added to plain water, or shakes. I like it …

Three Angelic Synthesis Foundation Serum

Japanese label Three Cosmetics’ skincare infused foundation line has been extended with the new – interestingly named – Angelic Synthesis Foundation Serum (S$85). Containing botanical oils and extracts, the foundation is also made with fine powders that mattifies the skin while lending it radiance. A serum-infused foundation that supplements the skincare routine is always a good idea. Lightweight and relatively long-lasting, this foundation gives the skin a more matte finish than Three’s Flawless Ethereal Fluid Foundation. Ideal for those with an oilier skin texture or living in humid conditions. Available in ten shades, the Angelic Foundation is also free of skin-irritating UV-absorbing agents, parabens, and mineral oils. To complement this “bare-skin” makeup routine, Three also launches the Airlift Smoothing Wand concealer stick (S$55) and Ultimate Diaphanous Loose Powder (S$75).

TBG Interview: Etienne de Swardt, Founder, Etat Libre D’Orange

Enigmatic, intriguing, irreverent and irresistible. That pretty much sums up the indie French perfume label Etat Libre D’Orange. The selection of juices concocted by Etat stands out from a sea of same-ness in the over-commercialised perfume industry, and seals its cult status. Classic examples: Like This (Indonesian ginger, pumpkin, tangerine, immortal flower, Moroccan neroli, rose, spicy notes, vetiver, woody notes, musk, heliotrope) blended with the imagination of actor Tilda Swinton. Tom of Finland (Aldehydes, citron, feuilles de bouleau, pin, safraleine, poivre, cypres, geranium, vanille, feve tonka, iris, vetiver, daim, musc, ambre gris), inspired by the Finnish homoerotic artist Touko Valio Laaksonen. Secretions Magnifiques (Iodized accord – fucus, azurone – adrenalin accord, blood accord, milk accord, orris, coconut, sandalwood, opoponax), a cocktail of the “scent” of blood, sweat, sperm, saliva… Etienne de Swardt, the brand’s maverick founder answers – with his usual irreverence – a few of The Beauty Gazette’s quick questions. What sets Etat Libre D’Orange apart? The permanent art of sabotage and indecency with the sole dogma of highest quality for the formulation itself; somehow to save our souls by …

Sulwhasoo Peach Blossom Spring Utopia Limited Edition

Luxury South Korean beauty brand Sulwhasoo’s latest limited edition range is adorned with plump peaches and spring flowers illustrated in a classical style. Symbolising longevity and vitality, the gold-accented designs are available on the First Care Activating Serum EX, Perfecting Cushions, Lip Serum Stick (which look brightly coloured but are actually very moisturising balms that give lips a hint of pink/coral). Also look out for the blush/highlight palette which comes with pretty embossed florals. The Peach Blossom Spring Utopia is a good buy for makeup collectors, or those who’d like to add some old-world Eastern glamour to their vanity.