It doesn’t matter whether your bathroom cabinets are overflowing and your shower caddies are stuffed to the brim after some clever, much-needed Tetris-ing — there is always room for at least one more carafe of cream, serum and fragrance. Beauty Sweep is a weekly roundup of the best new products you don’t want to miss.
The “Lipstick Effect” is an economic theory that, basically, says: in times of great distress, people treat themselves to nicer versions of things they can already afford. So, rather than splurge way too much on a new designer handbag, a designer lipstick is something cheaper. Affordable, relatively, but still luxurious; still something with layers of packaging to undo and unfurl. Still something that feels like an indulgence. And right now, we all need a treat. Get the lipstick. Get the serum. Get the whole damn skincare range while you’re at it.
Beauty Buys, For Your Consideration:
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- Aesop's Exalted Eye Serum
- Clarins' Lucky Glow Collection
- Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Omega-Rich Cloud Cream
- Sulwhasoo's Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum EX
- LANEIGE's Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Collection
- Hermès Plein Air Complexion Balm
- NARS' Light Reflecting Foundation
- NARS' Afterglow Collection
- Atelier Cologne's Cologne Absolue in Bohemian Orange Blossom
- Terre de Mars
For you if… you’re looking for targeted and sustained hydration near the eye area
You should know this by now. The skin on your face, while occupying the same real estate, is not created equal. Maybe you need a little extra help on your T-zone; maybe you have a persistent dry patch square on your cheek. The most delicate of all, though, is the crescent swoop of skin surrounding your eyes, where you’re always told to be extra gentle. The fragile area Aesop’s Exalted Eye Serum was developed specifically for.
A concentrated blend of vitamins B3, B5, C and E nourishes while high-performing humectants help with moisture retention. And on the nose: a warm, woody, resinous aroma comes through courtesy of Juniper Berry Oil.
For you if… you love a limited-edition drop
Keen hikers of Hong Kong, you might be familiar with the Rose Myrtle flower, with its fuchsia-pink petals and branchy stamens that look like the shorn-off end of a fibre-optic cable. (They make fruit, too!)
Clarins’ Lucky Glow collection — launching in tandem with the flower’s blooming stage; for Hong Kong, typically April through June — repackages two brand favourite products, the Fix’ Make-Up setting spray and the Lip Comfort Oil Intense, in the limited-edition collection’s special Rose Myrtle florals.
For you if… you already love Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate
A palm-sized coffret with Kiehl’s name printed over midnight-blue glass is a familiar sight on any self-respecting vanity line-up. If those words mean anything to you, it means you’ve met the brand’s cult-favourite Midnight Recovery Concentrate; might even love it, can’t live without it. Now, meet Kiehl’s brand-new Omega-Rich Cloud Cream from the same Midnight Recovery family.
Concocted from 98.6% naturally-derived ingredients and botanical oils rich in Omega-6 and Omega-3, Kiehl’s new Cloud Cream formula works overtime overnight by locking in moisture in the skin’s protective lipid layer. And its lavender-scented, cloud-like texture? Applies like, apologies, a dream.
For you if… you love patented, science-backed skincare
Sulwhasoo’s patented Ginsenomics™ technology has been bottled up into capsules for the very first time in their just-released Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Serum EX, which holds 190,000 capsules in a mere 50ml container. Dissolving upon touch, the anti-ageing capsule-serum is said to be eight times more effective than prior iterations, and able to activate collagen in just 48 hours.
For you if… your skin feels parched; practically shrivelled and gasping for water
LANEIGE’s Water Bank collection is not new. What’s new, here, is the Blue Hyaluronic component — an exclusive ingredient developed from Amorepacific’s 38 years of research into improving hyaluronic acid. Blue Hyaluronic claims to be 300% stronger at damage repair due to its size; it’s 4,000 times smaller than typical hyaluronic acid which allows for enhanced skin absorption.
The Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic range comprises of a cleanser, essence toner, emulsion, serum, cream and eye cream. So you can really dive head first into Blue Hyaluronic if your skin loves it.
For you if… “no make-up” make-up is your cup of tea
“No make-up” make-up is, often times, tremendously involved. There’s a lot to be said about the labour that comes from looking like you, really, didn’t do much. Like this — the slight flush; the slight sheen; the slight darkened lash — is natural. Hermès’ Plein Air Complexion Balm doesn’t bill itself as foundation. Rather, it’s a “pigmented cream” that gestures at coverage, providing a whisper of colour that perfects and doesn’t do much to conceal.
Combined with its SPF 30/PA+++ sun protection, Hermès’ Plein Air Complexion Balm should really be treated like skincare. A skincare-suncare-makeup hybrid.
For you if… you want your foundation always photo-ready
Chances are, you already know the kind of foundation that works for you. So, cliff notes: NARS’s new Light Reflecting Foundation has a medium, buildable coverage with a natural finish in 19 shades.
It’s made with special Photochromic Technology that adjusts the complexion in response to any intensity of light. So you never have to worry about that ghostly, flash-photography pallor we’re all unfortunately stuck with as bygone prom photos. If only this existed!
Oh, and — vegan formula.
For you if… you prefer shiny, glowy finishes
In line with NARS’ always slightly risqué naming system, the Afterglow collection — comprising a sheer lip balm, a lip shine and a six-shade cheek palette — is a multi-product launch of pretty, shimmery colours you’d be yearning for come summer time. It’s all colourful! High-shine! Hits the light just right! The kind of make-up you’d swipe on in lounge bathrooms on sweltering evenings before heading out for at least three more glasses of Champagne.
For you if… you love a citrusy-floral scent
They say scent travels; activates the hideaway synapses of your brain that hold onto memories past, present and whatever comes through in the future. Well, make some worth remembering with Atelier Cologne’s new Cologne Absolue in Bohemian Orange Blossom; a floral, citrusy scent said to be an olfactory rendering of a Mediterranean orange tree.
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For you if… coffee is already an integral part of your lifestyle
So you start your days off bleary-eyed until your very first sip of coffee. Now imagine your skin, who’s probably never had a cup. Sad! No longer, though, for JOYCE Beauty has brought Terre de Mars into your stratosphere of beauty purchasing decisions.
Terre de Mars is a natural, clean, made-in-France beauty brand with ingredients derived from, you guessed it, coffee grounds. From body-and-face exfoliators to hand wash, body lotion and shampoo, Terre de Mars offers a comprehensive, top-to-toe skincare range that exemplifies the stunning extent of what “coffee-based cosmetology” can stand for. Now, a cuppa for you; a cuppa for every other part of you.