All posts tagged: interview

TBG Interview: Alwyn Chong, owner, escentials

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When escentials first threw open its doors in 2001 at the Raffles Hotel shopping arcade, it changed Singapore’s beauty retail scene forever. The multi-label beauty store brought in one-of-a-kind cosmetic brands that only the discerning, well-travelled, cult beauty junkies recognised. Today, escentials is still the Singapore exclusive retailer of Le Labo, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Verso, Lipstick Queen, Diptyque, and Creed. It would not be an understatement to call Chong a tastemaker of the local beauty retail scene. Over the years, escentials has also introduced many other beautifully understated brands to the Singapore market: Eve Lom, Serge Lutens, Byredo, Annick Goutal, By Terry, Memo Paris, Strivectin and Perricone MD. And after all, escentials is part of Luxasia, which distributes more than a hundred cosmetic brands – like Calvin Klein and Bvlgari – across markets such as China, India and Myanmar. Luxasia was founded by Chong’s father Patrick in the mid 1980s. Chong is managing director of Luxasia; and he runs the business in China, while overseeing the Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines markets. He is also co-founder …

TBG Interview: Marshall Lin, Hairstylist, Frederic Fekkai

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Marshall Lin’s story is the kind of story that makes you believe dreams do come true in the Big Apple. Like so many others, he moved to NYC from Hong Kong with his family when he was 14. At 15, he found himself apprenticing in a salon. He lied that he was 16 – afterall, age is just a number to be manipulated – just so that he would seem old enough. “I was young, wild, active, creative; I love to meet girls. All the right elements to be a good hairstylist,” he says. And meet girls he did. Today, Lin has a long waiting list; and has groomed and styled A-listers such as Kate Bosworth, Olivia Palmero, Christina Aguilera and Coco Rocha. With more than two decades of experience backstage and on editorial shoots, Lin is now known for his signature effortless #wokeuplikethis #coolgirl cuts. Lin talks all things hair with The Beauty Gazette.   What, in your opinion, does a good hairstyle look like?  A good haircut should show off and frame your bone structure, this …

TBG Interview: Kate Forbes, head of R&D, Aesop

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In town for the launch of Aesop’s new Lucent Facial Concentrate (more details below), Dr Kate Forbes has been instrumental in the Australian brand’s  formulas for the last 15 years. She tells The Beauty Gazette why and how Aesop products can be blended together for a customised solution for the skin. “Our approach to the skincare routine is simple: everyone is different. It all depends on the environment they live and work in, their skin type, the skin-feel they like after the application of the products, their stress levels. All these factors affect how the skin looks. So we talk to our customers to offer a prescribed solution for their needs, mixing and matching the options in the different ranges. There is a palette of Aesop ingredients that we use quite frequently. Such as an aloe vera base for gel serums, and creams because it is so soothing; chamomile extract to calm; as well as the antioxidants like green tea extract and Vitamin C. So certain products work well when blended together.” Here are some “formulas” …

TBG Interview: Pernilla Rönnberg, Founder of Estelle & Thild

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Launched in 2007, Swedish skincare label  Estelle & Thild is known for its Ecocert-certified organic and potent formulas. It is available in more than 1,300 stores worldwide. In Singapore, it is stocked in Sephora stores. Making the transition to organic or “cleaner” beauty products may be tricky. But Estelle & Thild’s lightweight and effective formulas make it easier. As Earth Day approaches, brand founder and CEO Pernilla Rönnberg shares – in an exclusive e-mail interview with The Beauty Gazette – why she believes in sustainable and “clean” beauty. Do you remember the moment you decided that the market needs more organic skincare labels?  The idea behind the brand came to me when my children were newborns. I was in a stage of my life where I wanted to do something else, something that was meaningful. As a former CEO of a conventional skin care brand, I’ve seen the amount of chemicals that go into producing conventional beauty products, and grew painfully aware of how these affect our bodies and the environment around us. I wanted …

TBG Interview: Nicolas Travis, founder, Allies of Skin 

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With his new skincare label finally hitting shelves after years of planning, Nicolas tells The Beauty Gazette why Allies of Skin is a necessary addition to your beauty arsenal. What made you decide to start your own skincare label?  It’s been a lifelong dream of mine. I’ve always been fascinated by the link between good skin and confidence. I had really bad acne as a teenager and it took years to clear up. I remember the experience of finding the right products extremely daunting especially when you’re a student with a budget. There’s just so much noise and so many empty promises. The ability to leave the house as you are is powerful and it all starts with good skin. I want to help facilitate that. There is no silver bullet that is going to fix everything in a week. It takes diligence and patience. Using the right products is half the battle won. There are a lot of fear-based directives in the beauty industry – the use of the term ‘anti-aging’ for example. I’m …