All posts tagged: skincare

Elizabeth Arden’s new Eight Hour Cream collection

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Elizabeth Arden is the original Lipstick Queen. In 1912, she supported the women’s suffrage movement by supplying them with red lipstick,  turning bright rouge into a mark of female liberation. Arden is also best known for her Eight Hour Cream, which she formulated in 1930 as a multi-purpose balm to treat everything from chapped lips to ragged cuticles and cracked heels. The apricot-coloured formula contains the skin-moisturising petrolatum, soothing beta-hydroxy, and Vitamin E. Apparently, Arden even used the balm on her thoroughbred horses to heal their cracked hooves. The bestselling balm has clinched 22 international beauty awards, and is a celebrity fave. To ride on the balm’s cult status, the brand has churned out at least 13 products in the Eight Hour Cream range. The latest of which is the Eight Hour Miracle Hydrating Mist, blended with pomegranate, acai, mangosteen, noni, goji, apple leaf, and coffee seed extracts. Use it to tone, soften and refresh skin, or even set your makeup. TBG’s other picks in the range: the Lip Protectants, and All Over Miracle Oil …

3Rific Premium Face Oil

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Sometimes, all you need in your skincare routine post-cleansing is just one product. Especially when your skin feels too laden with many products everyday, and need a “fast” (you’ll know when you get too many little bumps, and irritation). The made-in-Japan 3Rific Premium Face Oil is perfect for those days. It is lightweight, and doubles up as both a serum and moisturiser. Or just add a few drops into your liquid foundation for extra moisturisation and dewiness.  I like to use it as a facial massage oil to get rid of the water retention in my face too.  This unscented formula is blended with some of the most anti-oxidant rich plant extracts: Lupine seed extract for collagen synthesis Baobab oil with Vitamins A, C, and E; as well as omega oils Argan oil, rich in fatty acids Avocado oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamins A, D and E. Sweet almond oil Jojoba oil (emollient) Olive oil (Vitamin E) Evening primrose oil (anti-ageing) Rice bran oil (Vitamins B and E) Soybean oil (Vitamin E and …

50 Years Strong: Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

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Makeup maverick Shu Uemura launched his first cosmetic product, the iconic cleansing oil, in 1957. The original Hollywood artist formulated the oil to help actresses remove their make-up quickly in between shoots, while maintaining their skin’s integrity. “Makeup starts and finishes with cleansing.” – Shu Uemura Shu, whose mantra has always been that beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin, knew the importance of proper cleansing from way back when. Clearly, when a product is created to fulfill a need and created with heart, it will have longevity in the market. 50 years on, Shu Uemura’s iconic cleansing oil is available in eight versions (including a balm and a gel-oil) and the category is a bestselling one for the brand. To mark the occasion, Shu Uemura has re-formulated its popular Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil. It is concocted with jojoba oil, olive oil, ginger root oil, and shea butter oil, to keep skin moisturised while stripping it of (waterproof) makeup and other impurities. The best way to use the cleansing oils? With dry hands on a …

TBG 2016 Skincare Picks

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The 2016 skincare launches that worked for my skin. Skin Inc Pure Serum Mist. Seriously makes my face GLOW. I spritz it on to refresh my skin in the middle of the day, before I touch up with a BB cushion for a porcelain-like complexion. Super love. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Ampoules. My go-to when I have had a late night but need to look well-rested the next morning for important meetings. I layer the dry oil-like formula on top of the brand’s signature ADR serum for a 💥-packed skin-nourishing combo.    Clarins Booster. The idea is so ingenious. This watery formula is not to be used on its own but blended with a cream, serum, or even liquid foundation. It does not change the consistency of the product you’re blending it with, but you get extra customised benefits for the skin. I like the Energy version which visibly perks up my tired skin. Lush Softy Foot Lotion. I use this not just on my feet but all over because it smells amazing with …

SK-II Facial Treatment Essence Limited Edition Festive Designs 2016

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If you swear by SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence, then its yearly limited edition designs will get you hyped. Another pretty addition to the dressing table, this year’s FTE is emblazoned with the ephemeral Japanese art of Suminagashi. An ancient marbling art form, Suminagashi translates to floating ink in English.  Surprisingly easy to create, and each pattern is different; so you can never re-create the exact same lines and curves because it is all left to chance. The masters drip bright paint onto a tray of water to create patterns; then lay a sheet of paper on top of the ink so it is”printed” on. Suminagashi is fitting for this year’s SK-II FTE festive theme. After all, the FTE was inspired by aged sake, which kept the brewers’ hands youthful-looking. My own experience with the FTE? I’ve used it for many years, and it never disappoints. It keeps my skin clearer and translucent-looking. So much so that whenever I stop using it, I actually see a difference in my skin tone and start to break out. …

Skin Inc Pure Recovery Dew

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Hands-down, this new hydrating formula is the most lightweight one that I’ve come across. Described as a “gel-to-dew” moisturiser, it is dispensed from the pump as a translucent white gel. But when you spread the dollop onto the skin, it turns into droplets of water. So you’ll feel like you’ve just applied an essence on your skin. Or splashed some water on your face, except that it does not dry out your skin. Emollients are added to keep the skin hydrated for longer. This Skin Inc Pure Recovery Dew ($72) concotion contains Japanese onsen water from the famous Izuma Yumura hot spring that is rich in minerals and soothes; hyaluronic acid to keep skin moisturised; and the antioxidant French pine bark. I like the fact that this formula is easy to layer between my extensive day skincare routine: essence, <Recovery Dew>, serum, cream moisturiser, sunscreen, primer, foundation. Because its texture is watery when applied onto the skin, this moisturiser also blends perfectly with the rest of Skin Inc’s water-based serums. So you can continue to customise …

Clarins Booster

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Just like how you would pop vitamin pills – or perhaps even take a vitamin shot in the arm – to get a quick charge so you can go about slaying the day; Clarins’ new Booster drops are made to give your skin that extra TLC even when you are on-the-go. Just pick the right one for your skin condition and lifestyle, add a few drops into the moisturiser or foundation, blend in your palms and apply. I really like how the watery serums are super lightweight and almost odourless. So it blends right into my regular skincare creams and foundation without changing its consistency. And yet, I get the extra skincare benefits which I feel almost immediately. After using it for the past week, my skin looks clearer and perkier; and more awake in the mornings. Because switching up your skincare routine is troublesome, just add a few drops to the ritual for maximum benefits. The Energy Booster ($65) is customised for those who are often up late, have a hectic lifestyle, jet-lagged, or …

Origins Rituali Tea range

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Trump won the US elections earlier today. And when the going gets tough, the tough gets masking. Increasingly, I’ve come to realise that to do well in the corporate boardroom, rest and “me-time” is incredibly important. To be sharp and efficient in the office, I need at least two to three hours of “me time” to read, meditate, put on a mask; and at least eight hours of sleep. Origins’ new Rituali Tea range is perfect for my beauty night caps. Although I prefer to stay away from tea before bed – the caffeine will keep me up the entire night – I appreciate the anti-oxidant packed leaves blended in masks. Inspired by tea rituals, the range is an indulgent home spa one; especially when you have the time to wind down in the evening or over the weekend. The Matcha Madness Revitalising Powder Face Mask with Matcha & Green Tea ($68) and Oolong-La Purifying Powder Face Mask with Oolong Black Tea & Chai Spices ($68) actually froths up like real tea latte when you …

Shiseido The Ginza: Tokyo must-visit for beauty junkies

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Japan’s most established beauty brand with a strong international presence, Shiseido, turns 145 years old next year. It boasts a rich history: Founded by a former head pharmacist of the Japanese Imperial Navy, Shiseido pioneered the use of skin-softening products with Eudermine lotion in 1897 (still a best-seller today); and skin-brightening concoctions with Peroxide Cucumber (Japan’s first skin-whitening product first launched in 1917). Besides its namesake label, Shiseido is also the parent company of at least 40 brands, including the premium Cle de Peau Beaute, Maquillage to drugstore labels Majolica Majorca, Anessa and Aqualabel. So if you are obsessed with beauty and happen to be in Tokyo, it would be worth your while to head to its flagship store, Shiseido The Ginza  (1F-3F, 7-8-10 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061; tel: 03-3571-7735; open 11am to 8pm everyday). Set aside at least three hours (or more if you want a pampering facial and spa session) to fully explore this building and Shiseido’s adjacent ones; more details on that below. Launched in 2011 to mark its 140th anniversary, the three-storey Shiseido The …

How to always have good skin

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You have your moods; and so does your skin. As the hormones keep your body running through the monthly cycles, the condition of your skin changes. Besides the right diet, exercise, and a calm frame of mind, suitable skincare helps too. Gloria Yuan, an aromatherapist with more than a decade of experience; and international support and trainer at Neal’s Yard Remedies, was in Singapore for the launch of the Deliciously Ella x Neal’s Yard Rose, Lime & Cucumber line (pictured). She shares tips on how to care for your skin (and body) throughout your monthly cycle. Before your period: Skin might become oily, with clogged pores that result in pimples. Legs may become swollen, and your abdomen may become bloated.    Use an oil-free and mattifying serum to control the oil. The Clarifying Mahonia Skin Gel is anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, so it helps to calm skin. To deal with the swelling legs and bloatedness, pamper yourself with essential oils. Add 25 drops of geranium essential oil into a 100ml bottle of sweet almond oil.  Massage it into your …