All posts tagged: beauty

Aesop Lucent Facial Concentrate

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The Australian label’s new serum is another beautiful formula. Clear, viscous, and slick like gel, it is made to be layered between other skincare products without burdening the skin with a  sticky, greasiness. It contains rose petal extract, Vitamin C in the form of sodium ascorbyl phosphate (that is said to help firm skin, reduce the appearance of pigmentation, and protect from UV damage); as well as Vitamin B3, or niacinamide, to soothe and balance skin. No sticky after-feel and sinks right into the skin. Even on its own, it left skin soft and supple. Use with a skin-softening lotion before application, and follow with a moisturiser and sunscreen afterwards for best results.    

Sunplay Skin Aqua sunscreens

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Good sunscreens can also be affordable, especially when they are of the Japanese drugstore variety. And nothing pleases a beauty junkie more than a great drugstore find (the French, South Korean, and Japanese pharmacies are the best for guilt-free shopping sprees). Japanese women are known to be especially picky when it comes to their sun protection. They have their anti-UV ray umbrellas, and then they have their super SPF 50+ PA++++ sunscreens that are lightweight and comfortable to wear. Like the new Sunplay Skin Aqua range. The UV Essence has a gel-cream watery, refreshing texture; while the handy mist feels barely-there on the skin. The UV Mist makes the re-application of sunscreen over a full-face of makeup super fuss-free. It can also be used on the scalp and hair, and to protect hard-to reach areas such as the back, and back of the neck. If you have intolerant skin that is prone to breakouts, try the fragrance-free options that come in blue bottles. The UV Milk feels moisturising, and makes for a good make-up primer. …

Dyson Hair SuperSonic hairdryer

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Say hello to the game-changing hairdryer. Dyson – maker of (literally) the coolest fans and some of the most powerful vaccuum machines around – has launched its first hairdryer. And it has that signature negative space – a circle for this gadget- that makes it so coveted; at least in our books. Because you need to look stylish even when drying your hair. Here’re the other reasons we think the SuperSonic is revolutionary: 1) The design is ergonomic. The motor is tucked into the handle of the hairdryer, instead of the head/ near the nozzle. The weight of the dryer is balanced in the grasp of your hands, so you will find it easier to perfect that blow dry. 2) It is a multi-tasker. The gadget distributes negative ions to reduce static, keeping hair smooth and slick. 3) Super-powerful. Though small, the motor’s impellers are cut from aerospace-grade aluminium. It moves over 13 litres of air at high-velocity and high-pressure through the gadget. So you can dry and style your hair quickly. 4) So easy to use. You can make …

Make Up For Ever Pro-Sculpting Palette: 4-in-1 Face Contouring Palette

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I’m usually not very confident when it comes to using cream contouring products. They seem less forgiving when I make mistakes; as they are often more pigmented than contouring powder, and more difficult to blend. But I gave Make Up For Ever’s new Pro Sculpting Palette a shot, and I love it. The texture is creamy but lightweight, and so easy to blend, with just the right amount of pigment so it is not so scarily intense. The palette comes with four shades. I tried the one in no.20. From left: A nude shade for very fair skin. On my golden-rose Asian skin tone, it looks almost white. So I used it around my eye area to brighten it, clean up the area around my brows, and blend out the eyeshadow. I used the shade with the MUFE brush in no.174 with straight hairs (the middle brush in the pic). The milky brown latte colour is made for sculpting the face. Always pick matte shades for contouring, like this one, so your face would look …

Estee Lauder Genuine Glow Collection

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Exclusively at Sephora Estee Lauder counters, the new Genuine Glow collection is inspired by the signature dewy-skin glow of the K-Beauty trend. The five products in the collection are all made for giving you that effortless, fresh-faced, au natural make-up look. Wear these to the gym, or just to look like you just hit the gym. These fuss-free products are easy to carry around and apply on-the-go; some are even multi-tasking. The Reviving Oil Lip Tint comes in a click-pen that dispenses the glossy gel-balm through a silicon applicator. The product is easily absorbed, and does not leave behind a greasy after feel. It made my lips feel soft and just ever so slightly poutier due to the minty formula. This product is also a lip tint, which left my lips with a natural-looking, just-bitten pink.   The Priming Moisture Balm leaves skin with a silky finish, so your foundation sits better on the skin, and lasts longer. While it is hydrating, wear this primer over lotion, serum and moisturiser for best results. It also …

What to expect from Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

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It is inevitable. One of the biggest pop stars of her time, Rihanna will be launching her own make-up line in Fall 2017. More than just an award-winning musician, she is a fashion icon, model and trendsetter. In other words, she is a money-making machine. The Barbadian 28-year-old has already dabbled in cosmetics from time to time, with her popular limited edition lines with MAC, and fragrances. This time round, the real deal (literally) takes place with the LVMH-owned Kendo backing her up. Kendo is also responsible for the wildly popular Kat Von D beauty, and the pretty Marc Jacobs Beauty line. Get the deets on WWD. So what can you expect from the line? All you have to do is observe her make-up looks closely. The bold lip: dark, sexy plum/ burgundy/ wine. With the modern,completely matte finish. Always paired with on-point eyeliner and expertly blended soft neutral/ taupe shadow. Betting that these will definitely be part of her upcoming collection. Then, there’s the make-up that shows off her softer side. Nude lip, arched …

Kat Von D VS Jeffree Star: Battle of the liquid lipsticks

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So. If you don’t already know, there is plenty of chatter online about the recent fiasco between the tattoo artist Kat Von D, and Internet sensation Jeffree Star. I don’t want to get into the details of the drama, because I honestly don’t care. As a consumer, I’m most concerned about what I get when I pay for their products. Now that Kat Von D Beauty is available in Sephora stores in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand – when it was previously impossible to buy it online in the region – everyone wants to know…so what’s the main difference between Kat Von D’s bestselling Everlasting Liquid Lipstick and Jeffree Star’s Velour Liquid Lipstick? Which formula is better? Especially when both KVD and JS products are supposedly made in the same factory (just like the rumours about Bourjois and Chanel make-up; and Kylie Cosmetics and Colour Pop Cosmetics)? I’ve been a fan of Jeffree’s Velour Liquid Lipstick since around the end of last year or so. I like Kat Von D’s stuff, but never had a chance …

The palettes to invest in, now

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Besides the awesome new BeautyKiller palette by Jeffree Star, here are the other face combo boxes you should consider investing in at the moment. Like Star’s, the other two palettes that caught my eye on social media (as they were trending like crazy), are created by self-styled Youtube gurus who hit the jackpot. There’s the Becca Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette. I don’t know Jaclyn Hill, but her gorgeous and literally gleaming face palette caught my eye online and in the store. Made for that ethereal, healthy glow, the compact features five shades inspired by delicious bubbly: Pamplemousse – A deep coral pink blush with subtle gold flecks Amaretto – A tan-terracotta blush Rose Spritz – A rosegold-bronzey confection with iridescent shimmer Champagne Pop – A crisp, gold-based highlighter with iridescent shimmer Prosecco Pop – A slightly frostier highlighter with iridescent shimmer Comes in a beautiful, hefty, gold-speckled casing. Quick tips for using this palette and highlighters in general: To avoid looking greasy and sweaty when wearing highlighters, avoid the T-zone and chin areas, where …

Sephora Singapore re-opens flagship store at Ion Orchard

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When Sephora first threw open its doors at Ngee Ann City in Singapore in late 2008, it revolutionised the beauty retail landscape in the city. Department stores no longer dominated the beauty shopping scene, and a plethora of brands were introduced to the market. By the following year, the LVMH-owned Sephora went on the offensive and opened its then-largest store in Southeast Asia, a 1,200 sq m store in Ion Orchard. Today, there are 11 outlets of the multi-brand beauty superstore; from the swanky malls on the main shopping strips to the suburbs. Over the years, Sephora has kept up its game. It introduced new and exclusive brands every quarter, such as Urban Decay, NYX, Ciate, Butter London, For Beloved One, moonshot, Nudestix, and Living Proof, as well as limited edition sets that were only available at selected Sephora stores. By the middle of 2015, Sephora bought beauty e-commerce site Luxola to ease its transition in selling goods online in Southeast Asia, and launched Sephora.sg earlier this year. To accommodate the re-shuffling of floor space at …

Nars Survival Kit 2

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All you need to look like you’ve got everything in control.  Like when you’re at the airport of a foreign country for a  work trip and discover that your luggage didn’t arrive with you. Or when you’ve just got yourself a fabulous but tiny purse, and need to fit your whole life in it.  Enter the Nars Survival Kit 2.  The palette features the light lavender Tokyo II (also colour-correcting) eyeshadow to brush all over the lids  to make eyes look brighter.  The rich, deep brown Galapagos eyeshadow with gold flecks is made for smudged, sexy smokey eyes. Some prefer to wet the brush and use the shadow as liner.  The Modesty and Day Dream Blush make for multi-dimensional cheek bones; use the light colour on top cheek bones and the coral pink on apples of cheeks to hairline.  The pigmented deep red-fuchsia Phantasia Lip Gloss adds polish and a pop of colour to the face.  Complete eye makeup with Black Moon Audacious Mascara.