All posts filed under: Tried and tested

Kat Von D Lock-It Foundation

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So much has been said about Kat Von D’s signature Lock-It Foundation. Here’s what I think about it: It is pigmented and evens out redness and hides other imperfections quickly. Apparently, it can even hide tattoos too. The shades are on-point; I’m Asian with with a rosy-golden complexion, and Light 44 melds seamlessly with my natural skin tone. So I don’t look like I’m wearing foundation. Once on, the foundation does not transfer, or oxidise, and is long-lasting. I applied this foundation with warm fingertips, my favourite method to get a flawless-looking complexion. And I found this formula rather dry, without the slip that I usually prefer when blending on foundations. But perhaps its thick, paint-like consistency is what allows it to stick well to the skin. So prep your skin thoroughly with skincare before layering this foundation on. Matte finish. I prefer satin matte or dewy textures, so I spritzed on some skincare mist to add a glow to my skin. The mist also helped to add a hydrating layer on top of this …

Fresh picks from Lush

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In a sea of mass-produced, natural ingredient-based skincare products, British brand Lush stands out. For the simple reason that each bottle, tub, or tube comes with a sticker that tells you who made it, and when. Like how the tub of Salted Coconut Hand Scrub delivered to me was made by Vendula, a big-haired blonde lady (I know, because a cartoon rendering of her features is on the label) on January 20 this year. This personal, handmade touch just makes the product that little bit more special. It also helps that Lush has always been known for its “fresh handmade cosmetics” with a relatively short shelf-life; giving me the idea that real people, instead of cold hard machines, are stirring the formulas in vats. The Salted Coconut Hand Scrub is blended with fine sea salt, glycerine, fresh lemon infusion, organic silken tofu (!!), argan oil, cupuacu butter, extra virgin coconut oil, neroli  oil. While the grains of salt gently exfoliated my skin, the oils thoroughly moisturised it too. The scrub left my hands feeling soft, …

La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer · Foundation SPF15

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At US$220, this concealer/ foundation is pricey. But so worth it. Firstly, because this product is made up of a concealer and a foundation. Flip up the cap, and you get the cream concealer. It provides high coverage, and is made for hiding dark circles and other minor inperfections. The texture is a little dry, but nothing like a little eye cream layered underneath to fix it. Then when you twist open the “cap”, which is really the pot of concealer, you get this gel-cream foundation. Which is amazing. It provides high coverage, so a little blob is all you need. I like to apply liquid foundation with warm fingers, because I think it allows for a seamless application. And this La Prairie one is perfect for finger application. It glides on like buttah, and evens out the conplexion quickly without patchiness. And the more I pat it in, the more it blends into my skin to look like I was barely wearing any foundation. Then the magic happens after the foundation sets, in about …

Aesop Parsley Seed Anti-oxidant Facial Hydrating Cream

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Aesop’s new Parsley Seed extension, the Facial Hydrating Cream is a rich formula made for drier skin types. Or for keeping the skin supple in chilly weather. Contains aloe leaf juice, glycerin, shea butter, sweet almond oil, lavender oil, camellia leaf extract, matricaria flower oil, cistus extract, as well as parsley seed oil. All to soothe, hydrate and protect skin from harsh conditions, free radicals and pollutants. Though thick, the cream sinks easily into the skin. It aroma, like all Aesop products, is calming, refreshing and reminds one of a relaxing spa. Best used with the other formulas from Aesop’s signature Parlsey Seed range. Like the Facial Cleanser blended with lactic acid (that softens and gently exfoliates), skin-brightening liquorice root, as well as blackcurrant seed (anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing). It lathers well and does not leave skin feeling tight and dry.      

Clarins Extra-Firming Mask

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Your nightly beauty ritual should be more than just a chore or a mindless routine. When you have the time to do it right, the nighttime routine is a perfect way to unwind after a long day. That is why the skincare products in your nightly skincare ritual should be more than just functional. Like this Clarins Extra-Firming Mask which has a cocooning gel-cream texture, as well as a soothing and calming scent. It contains Organic Green Banana and Lemon Thyme to help boost skin firmness and elasticity, and an ingredient called Palmitoyl Glycine which is said to visibly reduce stress lines and wrinkles. In the blend, there acerola seed extract is also added to lend skin radiance, while jojoba, mimosa and sunflower wax nourishes and soothes the skin. The mask also comes with instructions on how to melt the tension away from your face with its “Pressure Point Method”: 1. Gently but quickly tap fingertips all over face to stimulate the skin for absorption of the skincare 2. Place a blob of mask between …

Shu Uemura The Lightbulb Aerial

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A new addition to Shu Uemura’s stand-out Lightbulb range of foundations that are made to give skin a glow that seems candle-lit. The Lightbulb Aerial is a powder compact that offers light to medium coverage. The finely-milled powders soften the appearance of imperfections, and do not leave skin with a powdery, white cast. As compared to the other two products in the Lightbulb range, this compact has the most matte texture, albeit with a subtle pearlescent finish. It also has SPF 13 PA ++. I prefer to use it with a kabuki brush as a finishing powder, or with the flocked side of the complementary Lightbulb sponge for a light touch. In comparison, the Lightbulb UV compact (SPF 30 PA +++)gives skin high to medium coverage, and a polished porcelain-like glow. While the original Lightbulb fluid offers high coverage and a megawatt, dewy glow.  

Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules

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You’ve had a crazy week. Back-to-back meetings, then on to a night out with friends. Important board meeting the next morning, and you have to look fresh, polished, and alert. Repeat this hectic routine, five days in a row. And you wish there was something that could keep your skin looking supple, clear, and dewy the next day (even when you have had very little sleep, and running on adrenaline and caffeine). Such a beauty potion probably doesn’t exist. But then, Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules ($196 for 60 capsules), comes close. I’ve been a long-time fan of Estee Lauder’s iconic Advanced Night Repair (ANR) serum. It perks my skin up and makes it look like I had eight hours of sleep the night before. So I had high hopes for these ampoules which are “fast-acting”, help to soothe skin, support the its nighttime repair functions, while boosting its resilience. Each capsule dispenses just the right amount of serum which has a dry oil texture (not greasy, absorbed by skin really quickly, …

Save our skin: Skincare to deal with air pollution

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Hazy days are here again in Singapore. The clear skies turn yellow and brown, as the smog and dust from the burning forests in the neighbouring regions hit the island. Aesop’s Bitter Orange Astringent Toner is a good option for humid and polluted environments. This refreshing astringent toner is a blend of bitter orange, witch hazel and rosemary leaf. Soak a cotton pad with it to wipe away pollutants on the skin surface. Like most Aesop products, this toner has that relaxing spa-like scent to refresh the mind. The Oil-Free Facial Hydrating Serum is a viscous, gel-serum moisturiser with plenty of antioxidants to combat the free radicals caused by pollutants. Made with aloe vera gel, Ylang Ylang and panthenol (vitamin B5 and a humectant), it is suitable for combination, oily, or sensitive skin. It leaves a thin film on skin which keeps it supple. I  also love this combination for days when my skin feels oily, and just needs a lightweight serum/ moisturiser to perk it up. This duo is also a great addition to a man’s skincare …

Clarins Anti-ageing Treatment Essences

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Clarins’ new Treatment Essence lotions are good fun. They come in three different textures to treat various skin types. The Super Restorative Treatment Essence Smoothness (red bottle) is for mature skin, or those with dull and tired skin. It is blended with pueraria lobata extract which nourishes while  firming the skin. Ginseng and green coffee extracts are also added to re-energize the skin and boost its radiance. This product also has exfoliating properties to gently sweep away dead skin cells on the surface for smoother skin. The viscous texture of the lotion keeps skin extra supple; I have to say this my favourite of the three (although my skin is not that mature…)   The Multi-Active Treatment Essence Vitality (the pink bottle) works particularly well for those who are under 25, and prefer something lightweight. This milky lotion leaves a satiny-matte finish on the skin. It is refreshing, smoothening, and helps to keep skin lightly hydrated. It contains teasel extract, and acerola seed extract to boost skin radiance and cell rejuvenation.   While the Extra-Firming Treatment Essence …

Shiseido Vital-Perfection Wrinklelift Cream

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True story:  Lines, and dry, crepey skin around your eyes give your age away.  So I always invest in a good eye cream to smoothen the appearance of fine lines near the peepers. (The other areas to take note for overall youthfulness too: the neck, and back of hands) Shiseido’s new Wrinklelift Cream is multi-tasking. While promising to minimise the appearance of wrinkles, it also claims to brighten and smoothen the skin. The star ingredients: Retinol, and Shiseido VP8 (which includes the brand’s signature brightening ingredient 4MSK).  Retinol – derived from Vitamin A – is known to be one of the most effective anti-wrinkle agents around. Shiseido says its version is more stable, potent, and hence, even more effective. It boosts cell turnover and the skin’s natural moisture levels.  Shiseido VP8 is a blend of Plant extracts with anti-ageing benefits: improving the appearance of sagging, dullness, fine lines, age spots, roughness and dryness.  4MSK improves skin tone by exfoliating off excess melanin. The texture of the cream is rather watery and easily absorbed. Almost immediately, …