All posts tagged: beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty 2.0

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When Marc Jacobs Beauty was launched in 2013 with its sleek and shiny black lacquer-finish packaging, and true-to-makeup-artist formulas, it changed the luxury cosmetics game for the LVMH-owned Sephora and Kendo. With Jacobs’ signature quirky-edgy-sexy-sophisticate aesthetic, and quality products, the brand impressed beauty junkies amd flew off the shelves. Fast forward five years, the brand still holds its own (it has 1.8 million followers on Instagram); but it needed a new spin to keep beauty shoppers excited. In the face of immense competition, from runaway cult indie brands to those built entirely on pop culture, beauty brands have to reinvent themselves almost constantly. New formulas, another pretty face, fancy packaging, limited edition products; the works. But instead of trying too hard; Marc Jacobs Beauty stayed true and simply went down the tried-and-tested route of associating itself with the top makeup artists in the business. Such as the legendary Dick Page, and Diane Kendal. Marc Jacobs Beauty also signed on a bevy of the top makeup artists in showbiz as Global Industry Ambassadors; and boy, is …

Skin Inc Oxy-Recharge Bubble Mask

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If you only have an extra minute to amp up your skincare routine, give Skin Inc’s new Oxy-Recharge Bubble Mask (S$76) a shot. This product is a combination of the oxygen bubble mask (typically, a gel formula that you slather onto skin and it bubbles up), and a peeling mask. Skin Inc’s formula contains an Activated Carbon Perfluoro that supposedly releases oxygen into the skin; as well as antioxidants from Japanese yuzu, rosemary, green tea, and soothing licorice, chamomile and aloe. After the formula bubbles on skin for 20 to 30 seconds, rub it on skin to remove dead surface skin cells. Rinse. The entire process will not take more than a minute, but you’ll have fresher-looking and smoother skin. Skincare will be better absorbed, and make-up can be applied more smoothly. Use this mask (which smells delightfully of yuzu) a maximum of three times a week; and before your skincare and make-up routines for best results. Watch this clip to see how it works.

Shu Uemura Lacque Supreme

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The new Lacque Supreme liquid lipsticks by Shu Uemura are very good. And by that I mean long-wearing glossiness, translucent-but-rich-pigment kind of very good. Formulated with an oil-in-water emulsion, it feels moisturising and lightweight. Blended with a polymer coating used in pharmaceuticals and food, this liquid lipstick gives lips a high-shine that even lasts through meals of oily food. The colours are even and bright with one dip and two to three coats. The angled tip of the applicator makes it easy to slick on this gel-textured lipstick. Watch this clip to see the beautiful shine and colour. TBG’s picks of the lot: RD05 PK06 CR01 WN05 Available in 16 shades, S$43 each.

Makeup for Asian Faces: 2018

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Cut-crease? Winged-tip? Cupid’s bow? What’s that? To better reflect the contents of this article, the title should probably be changed to Makeup for East Asian women – the Chinese, Mongolians, Japanese and Koreans – with smaller eyes, single eyelids (or very shallow double eye lids), finer browbones and thinner lips. There is so much online content and makeup tutorials dedicated to women with large, deepset eyes, and poutier lips (injected or not); and barely any for women with different facial features. Although South Korea’s Allure does a pretty good job breaking down the makeup tips for women with smaller eyes and lips. And steal a few tips from these women with delicate features and an A+ makeup game. Single, hooded lids Eye makeup (liner and shadow) pretty much disappears when these women open their eyes fully. The space between their peepers and brows are also narrower. So just keep the makeup simple with subtle eye-widening contouring of the socket in neutral hues, a lash of mascara and liner. Clear complexion is key. Brows kept full. …

Mamonde Flower Facial Masks

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You’ve probably heard of a perfume wardrobe; but what about a mask wardrobe? Mamonde’s new set of Flower Facial Masks remind us of just that. Available in a variety of textures, these masks have different functions and are each themed with a different bloom. The Enriched Nutri Sleeping Mask is concocted with the Evening Primrose and capsule beads for an intensive treatment of dehydrated skin. (The fragrance may be a little too strong for the liking of some though.) While the Calming Hydro Sleeping Mask contains calendula extracts and petals to soothe and moisturise normal skin.  The refreshing floral scent is light and calming. Both sleeping masks – like Laneige’s bestselling Sleeping Masks – have a viscous and refreshing gel texture to seal moisture into the skin while you sleep. There is no need to wash it off till the next morning. As its name suggests, you can sleep through the night (or afternoon nap) with it on. The Petal Purifying Bubble Mask is blended with rose extract, and bubbles upon application on skin to lift …

How to Have Better Skin Instantly: 7 Things to Do

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These may seem obvious but you are probably too lazy to do them. So here’s a reminder to add these steps to your regular skincare routine, for fresher and clearer skin in 2018. 1. Exfoliate with a washcloth at least three times a week. Go for 100 per cent cotton cloths, and slough away the dead skin while washing your face. Exfoliate either in the morning or evening. You’ll have less flakey dead skin and blackheads. 2. Unclog pores with a micellar lotion or makeup remover. Every night. No stinting on this step. Especially when you slather on longwearing foundation and sunscreen. Biore makeup remover wipes, Sephora makeup removers, and Bioderma’s micellar lotion are our go-tos. 3. Invest in a magnifying mirror. A seven-time magnification glass will let you clearly see all those clogged pores. So you will conscientiously practice points 1 and 2. 4. Use a skin-softening lotion as the first step of your skincare application routine. This will really amp up the efficacy and absorption of the skincare products applied afterwards. We like …

Fenty Beauty Mattemoiselle Lipstick Swatches Review

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Something was clearly up when Rihanna launched her Fenty Beauty Collection in September but a single lipstick was nowhere in sight. Then last month, she unleashed Stunna, a gorgeous red lip paint. On Christmas Day, she goes all out with 14 matte lip colours in the Mattemoiselle Plush Matte Lipstick range. With a satin-matte finish (as this is a solid lipstick after all), most of the formulas are surprisingly smooth to apply (especially PMS, Freckle Fiesta, Candy Venom, Shawty). Creamy and pigmented (some shades like the pinks, corals and reds more so than the others), the lipsticks are also relatively long-lasting (if you don’t eat oily foods with it on). The colours are also even (except for maybe Griselda), and oh-so-gorgeous. At S$28 a pop, they will be launching on Christmas Day in the Sephora US stores, and on Boxing Day in Sephora Singapore stores and online. Here are some swatches to help you decide which ones to snatch off shelves. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without expressed and written permission from The Beauty …

Clarins Double Serum 8th Generation

TBG Skincare Picks 2017

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Skincare products launched in 2017 that are TBG-approved, so worth your time and money. Click on the highlighted links for the deets. Find out more about this night cream that gives the skin an improved glow and clarity overnight. Read on for further details on the Rice Power serum that soaked and hydrated the skin most effectively. TBG’s favourite face oil of 2017. A sheet mask made with Gore-Tex? We’re in. A surprisingly good soft cream TBG fell for. An iconic beauty formula made even better in 2017. A multi-purpose mask-moisturiser-primer, with a most interesting texture. The best pulpy sheet mask at a great price. A customisable, modular mask for that instant, long-lasting glow. Pamper those peepers with these potent skincare patches.

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership I, II, III; Luxetrance and Mattetrance Lipstick

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The famed celebrity makeup artist – known for travelling with tons of Louis Vuitton luggage, and her exacting make-up standards – is busting all make-up launch traditions. She does her brand announcements exclusively on Instagram, responds actively to all her followers on the social media platform, and rolls out collection after collection without thought for consumers’ pockets or seasons. Then there’s her fantastic makeup formulas. All pigmented and smooth colours in textures that only an artist like her can dream up; and an entrepreneur like her can go through with getting the make-up factories to produce. The Mothership eyeshadow palettes come with 10 shades each in a myriad of matte, iridescent, metallic and glittery shades. In each of the three palettes, there are two black and nude shades that are repeated; but then again these are essentials that complement all the other bold hues. There is minimal loose powder falling around the face when the shadows are applied, as they have a dry but creamy quality to them. The formulas can also be applied wet …

Tatouage Couture Matte Stain by Yves Saint Laurent Beaute

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Yves Saint Laurent Beaute has always been at the forefront of the liquid lipstick game. Some six years ago, when it launched its Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres, it blew so many of its competitors out of the water. The lightweight texture of the liquid lipstick gave lips a punchy colour with a Ferrari-finish shine. Now, it is set to keep lipstick junkies’ pulse racing with the new Tatouage Couture Matte Stain. As lightweight as the Vernis a Levre, with that fresh watery feeling on the lips, the Tatouage formula dries down on the lips with a pretty pop of colour and a trendy satin-matte finish. Clearly inspired by the permamence of tattoos, the Tatouage range is long-lasting (but not through oily food). Just one dip and one coat is enough for an smooth and even coat of beautiful colour. The spatula-shaped applicator – stamped with a tiny YSL logo, no less, for that luxe factor – makes precise strokes a breeze. Watch this for a snapshot of how this lippie performs. TBG’s picks: No.16, …