As the local beauty industry slowly returns to its former glory with drops by the day, we have taken it into our hands to talk weekly about some of the best beauty launches. Some are noteworthy for their instant results, while others are special simply because they make us feel and look good.
Here, the top 10 beauty launches that landed on GRAZIA’s beauty desk or piqued our interest this week.
Pictured Above: 1. Free Spirit
Soapy and clean. The signature creaminess of the Narciso Rodriguez musk. A femininity that’s charming and confident. Need we say more about the charmingness of the brand’s latest flanker? If we had to then it would be that its new top note of jasmine makes for an elegant and sensual opening.
Narciso Rodriguez For Her Forever Eau De Parfum, $210 for 100ml
2. MICRO MAGIC
For anybody unfamiliar with the Chanel Hydra Beauty line, it’s one that uses microfluidic technology that encapsulates the illuminating effect of white camellia within thousands of micro-droplets that “splashes” across the area it is applied. Less scientifically speaking, it means that your undereye area immediately looks brighter, fresher, and hydrated after application as if you took a swim in refreshing cold waters.
Chanel Beauty HYDRA BEAUTY Micro Crème Yeux Illuminating Hydrating Eye Cream, $107
3. FRESHLY SQUEEZED
Don’t let the almost acid-like pink colour scare you off because it goes on instead as a berry colour that’s never too intense looking while surprisingly flattering on any skin tone. It’s also more opaque compared to previous Lip Comfort Oil shades so skip the lipstick and reach for this on days where you’re not feeling a full routine.
Clarins Lip Comfort Oil in #16 Fuschia, $45
4. PUFF ALONG
What should a good dry shampoo do? In our opinion, it has to have a formula that’s ultra-fine to prevent clumping and provide a refreshing feeling on the scalp to soothe itching that comes with skipping a hair wash for the day. This one does both but with two more benefits—it contains hair conditioning ingredients like keratin, ceramide, and jojoba oil and its citrus and pear scent is especially refreshing given Singapore’s recent heat wave.
Diane Perfect Beauty Dry Shampoo in Fresh Citrus & Pear, $12.90
5. SUNNY STATE
Diptyque has always had a knack for creating transportive scents and this one is pleasingly linear. Think an incredibly Pinterest board-esque summer holiday in the Mediterranean and next, imagine what admiring the sunset is like amidst a field of lavender, lemongrass, and pears. Like liquid summer in a bottle, it’s a refreshing blend of floral and citrus with a slightly salt-tanged note too—a concept that’s also illustrated on the bottle’s iconic oval.
Diptyque Ilio Eau De Toilette, $232 for 100ml
6. MICRO MAGIC
To effectively combat acne, the homegrown beauty brand considered one of the main but non-visible reasons it occurs—a weak microbiome that leads to a damaged skin barrier, inflammation, and red spots. By combining a 2% blend of pre- and postbiotic bioactives into a water-based cream, this product can be well tolerated even on the most sensitised of skin. Pro tip: leave it in the fridge and slather it on thickly when you feel like your skin feels especially “angry” on hot days.
ést.lab Purclear Multi-Biotic Balancing Cream, $108
7. ELEMENTAL MAGIC
The first fragrance in the House’s Botanical Rainbow collection contains something called a ‘LOEWE Accord’, an ambery olfactory note that has been distilled from the rockrose and is used in an interesting way in this fragrance. It provides “heat” that helps the fragrance’s sweeter notes llike pear, peony, and sandalwood to “ripen” and of course, gives it amazing sillage despite the fragrance itself being a classic summer launch.
Loewe Aire Anthesis Eau de Parfum, $255 for 50ml
8. IN THE BALANCE
To call this toner just a toner is not doing justice to how beautifully it conditions your skin. It balances the skin’s PH levels for immediate brightness and clears dead skin cells and impurities at the same time but our favourite way to use it is to swipe once, pat it in, and go once again to leave the skin slightly damp to allow the application of a serum after to soak in better.
Melixir Vegan Balancing Toner™, $43
9. CELESTIAL MAGIC
This limited edition take on the Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder still comes with a formula that has no flash-back and all-day makeup setting power but its three pretty pastel shades—pink for brightening and blue and yellow for counteracting redness—now helps with discolouration like we mentioned. Pro tip: use a sponge instead of a brush as the formula seems to be picked up better using the former.
NARS Light Reflecting Prismatic Powder in Moonwave, $65
10. ALL ODDS
Uriage is often compared to Avene and while most would say that the latter’s thermal waters are more potent, the former usually wins when it comes to multitasking products that are well tolerated. This one can be used on all skin types and addresses everything from dehydration, fine lines, irritation, and dullness with a combination of pure and natural hyaluronic acid that’s tolerable even if the skin is highly sensitised.
Uriage Eau Thermale H.A Booster Serum, $69.90