Author: Beauty Gazette

Dr Barbara Sturm and her skincare line: 6 things to know

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“I’m the Mother of customised skincare,” declares Dr Barbara Sturm, the German orthopaedic surgeon-turned anti-ageing skin expert. Instead of sounding arrogant, she is actually just matter-of-fact. The doctor is after all, the word-of-mouth go-to for some of the most beautiful and ageless in Hollywood, young and older: from Cher and Jennifer Aniston to Rosie Huntington-Whitley, Irina Shayk and Hailey Baldwin.  In 2003, she pioneered a method that uses one’s blood for a customised anti-ageing face cream, the MC1 or “Blood Cream”. In a nutshell, here’s how it works: she puts a vial of your blood through a “mechanical stimulation” process to trick the cells into thinking that it needs to produce wound-healing proteins.  “The resulting concentration of anti interleukin-1 and transforming growth factor (TGF) beta is 140 times higher than what you would have in the body,” says Dr Sturm. She adds the concentration into a tub of moisturiser, and there is the customised face cream. (Primarily, the use of your own blood is for hygiene purposes.) The doctor created the MC1 when she was …

Sulwhasoo Facial Treatment at Tang Plaza, Orchard Road

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A facial treatment at Sulwhasoo soothes frayed nerves and perks up tired skin. The relaxing ritual begins with deep breaths of a scent of your choice: sandalwood, frankincense, pine, or plum blossom. I chose to indulge in the calming woodiness and incense-tinged sandalwood; and was told that the scent would be added in the skincare formulas used in my treatment. I tried the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Treatment ($220 for 60 minutes), an anti-ageing routine using the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream EX and complementary products, to rejuvenate the skin. A series of deep-cleansing steps, and masking are accompanied by the therapist’s deep and firm strokes that drain the lymph nodes on the face, décolletage and chest. There are no extraction procedures in Sulwhasoo facials. Following a warm compress, icy cool jade applicators were used for a refreshing facial massage that tightened and firmed my skin. The treatment felt so good; the 60-minute session felt short; a 90-minute one would have been perfect. After the facial, my skin had a mega-watt glow and was tighter, smoother, with pores …

Crabtree & Evelyn’s new superfood-inspired handcare and bodycare

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This whimsically-rustic lifestyle label has released its new range of products inspired by food, herbs, and spices. As always, Crabtree & Evelyn takes pride in its olfactory concoctions infused into the products, that are comforting and soothing on the senses. Clearly, this is why the brand is a mainstay in the bathrooms of those who turn bath time into a daily ritual for melting away the day’s stress.  And they always make such great gifts for every occasion you can think of (birthdays, Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc.). The new Lavender & Espresso line is scented with cypress, citron, patchouli, sandalwood and coffee bean oils. The Rosewater & Peppercorn range is also blended with bergamot, tonka bean, and patchouli extracts. While the Citron & Coriander collection contains lemon, honey and shea butter. The Pomegranate & Argan Oil line-up is blended with pistachio, ginger, grapeseed and argan oils.  Pear & Pink Magnolia products are sweet with frangipani, green ivy and teakwood. Goatmilk & Oat is a cocktail of free range goat’s milk, oat kernel, lavender, rose, geranium …

Project Wellness 2017: For healthy skin, eyes and teeth

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Last weekend, the inaugural Project Wellness panel session that aims to connect doctors to the public was held at the co-working space Trehaus. The Doctors on the panel – Dr Goh Seng Heng, pioneering laser treatment expert; Dr Marlene Teo, periodontology specialist at TP Dental Surgeons; and Dr Livia Teo, oculoplastics consultant at the Singapore National Eye Centre – discussed the effects of sleep, stress, and sugar on the skin, eyes and teeth. The Beauty Gazette reports on their tips. Sleep Dr Goh Seng Heng: When you lack quality sleep, you get dark eye rings, bags and pigmentation around the eyes because the skin in the area is very thin; blood flow is sluggish, and the active pigment cells there go into overdrive to produce melanin. And as the skin is tired, it will lack clarity, smoothness, and glow. Eczema may be triggered too. For those with serious pigmentation around the eyes, try non-ablative lasers that could lighten the darkness by 50 per cent over three weeks of 20 to 30 sessions. Choose competent doctors …

Marie-Stella-Maris on Net-A-Porter

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While quenching your skin this summer, quench the thirst of the underprivilged as well with Amsterdam-based lifestyle label Marie-Stella-Maris. Since 2014, it has been donating a portion of its profits to provide clean drinking water to the underprivileged. So far, more than 18,000 have benefited. For every litre of Marie-Stella-Maris Mineral Water sold, 5 cents is donated; while for every lifestyle product sold, 1 euro is donated. Their raison d’être is to work towards UN Resolution 64/292 – The Human Right to Water and Sanitation. Manufactured in Sweden, the skincare products are made with organic ingredients such as shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba, sweet almond oil, as well as coconut oil. We tried the No.2 Handcream (lightweight but moisturising with shea butter, sweet almond oil, rosemary leaf oil, lavender oil); No.97 Pillow Spray Eau de Lavande (lavender with hints of eucalyptus and musk, refreshing); and No.73 Liquid Soap (with aloe vera juice, black pepper, lavender, geranium flower oil, gentle and lightly foamy). Good options if you like the concept of “clean beauty” with a social cause, plant-based, with …

Laneige Ideal Shadow Quad and Blush Duo

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Laneige has proven that while it may be a K Beauty brand that (like most Korean beauty exports) focuses more on its skincare options, it can hold its own with colour cosmetics too. The new Laneige Ideal Shadow Quad ($42 each) is now available in 10 palettes, from a risque red-themed quartet named No.10 Red Fox Fur, and pretty masala-hued No.7 Rosebay Garden to handy matte neutrals like No.6 Soft Powder. The powders are fine and smooth, easy to blend and layer with moderate pigment power; just the way most Asian women prefer it. The Laneige Ideal Blush Duo collection ($39 each) also features a cute peach and mint blush palette, literally named No.2 Peach Mint. The mint shade looks translucent on skin, brightens and mattifies. No.4 California Coral is a pretty peachy duo; while the No.6 Wood Blossom is perfect for subtle contouring (again, subtlety is always key for Laneige). Watch this clip for a closer look of TBG’s picks from the lot. ​​

M’Pir The Nail Bar, Tangs

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When you want a quick mani and pedi in the heart of town that is neat, refined, and lasting; consider M’Pir The Nail Bar now relocated to the level 4 beauty floor of Tangs at Tang Plaza, Orchard Road. I had a pedicure on a pair of busted toes that were in dire need of grooming; and mani with the trending metallic chrome finish (see main pic), all done simultaneously within a speedy 90 minutes. The nail technicians were precise in their work, friendly, and professional. The tools were all properly sterilised; the space well-ventilated and roomy. M’Pir also offers a range of toulene-, formaldehyde-, and dibutyl phthalate-free nail polish and gels.  Watch a snippet of how I got my Angelpro gel chrome nails done at M’Pir. ​​ Call +65 6732 9001 for appointments.

Aesop Facial Appointments, Singapore

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In March, we visited Aesop’s Nakameguro store in Tokyo to experience its indulgent face spa.  This month, the brand launches its signature facials at the newly renovated beauty floor on level 4 of Tangs at Tang Plaza in Orchard. As with all Aesop spaces, this one at Tangs is calm, tranquil and cocooning with its dark green accents (the marble is gorgeous), light birchwood shelving, and gleaming brass sinks. Just like the space at Nakameguro, this Aesop spa features a spacious room with a super-sized single bed.  For sure, this is not one of those facial rooms that are sliced up so much that you can barely stretch (or breathe in). The changing area is also roomy, so the experience is complete.  This is why Aesop can only take up to four appointments per day; there is only space for one customer at any one time.  The automated bed that can be adjusted to the curve of your body, is supremely comfortable with warm blankets. Watch for a virtual tour of the space. ​​ About the …

Cle de Peau Beaute Rouge a Lèvres Lipstick

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The new Cle de Peau Beaute Rouge a Levre lipsticks come with a new lipstick bullet shaped like a wave, so that it hugs the lips closely for intense and precise application. Currently the top picks in our lipstick collection, these are moisturising and lightweight while offering opaque colour in one swipe. Relatively long-lasting, the formula has a high-shine finish. Because the texture is so creamy, it does not pull or drag on lips during application so you get perfectly-shaped lips every time. Available in 12 shades; The Beauty Gazette picks are: No.7 Dragon Red, a true blue red (watch the swatch); No.9 Silk Thread, a dusky rose pink; as well as No.10 Chinoiserie, a light coral pink.  

Origins Clear Improvement and Modern Friction: Gentle but effective deep cleansing

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Origins’ launches this year have been impressively effective. Its new trio of skincare products offer a deep yet gentle cleansing of the visage. The Modern Friction Cleansing Oil is as pretty as it is beneficial for the skin. The formula has a gold and lavender gradient, as it is made up of radiance-boosting white and purple rice oils that are mixed only when you pour the viscous concoction into your palms. And something interesting happens when you apply the oil onto your face: a soothing warm sensation that softens skins, melts away makeup, and widens pores for deep cleansing. Add water to turn oil into a milky emulsion, and rinse. This formula – which contains rice bran oil, camphor extract, and soybean oil – left my skin supple, clean, smooth, and actually clearer. Origins’ new exfoliating products are made for different skin types. For those with oilier skin, pick the Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Exfoliating Cleansing Powder. Add a splash of water (or even a light watery toner) to the fine sooty charcoal powder with …