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. In the Pink
Some might use a concealer to eradicate visual signs of fatigue while the more fortunate ones are able to get good sleep. For us, the application of blush in a summer holiday-suggesting shade seals the deal. These twee ones from Gucci boast high pigment payoff, an emollient formula that guarantees blend-ability, and now, three new shades titled True Pink, Soft Rose, and Intense Plum that you might be tempted to apply on the eyes too without the need for a primer.
Gucci Beauty Blush de Beauté, $95
2. Keep Swiping
If you’re a lip product hoarder and are looking to lighten your makeup pouch, perhaps we can convince you to scale down with this lip gloss that provides the conditioning feel of a balm and shimmering finish of well, a gloss. As for the colour payoff, it doesn’t provide the full opacity of a cream or liquid but its non-sticky formula allows you to build it up to whatever depth you want but just make sure you blot as you go along.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Lip Gloss, $35
3. Clear Weather
We’ve been fans of Byredo candles for many reasons from how cleanly they burn to the kind of enthralling scents they conjure up like Apocalyptic and Fleur Fantôme. Summer Rain is one of the most interesting candle launches this year: its scent is designed to smell like fresh air that’s blowing through a forest after a thunderstorm with notes of spearmint, green fig, and sandalwood. And its projection even when not burnt is powerful enough for you to use it as both fancy decoration and a way to subtly diffuse fragrance through a small room.
Byredo Summer Rain Candle, $135
4. Lift Off
Massage your eyes with a cold spoon, place some green tea bags over them, or subject yourself to medieval torture by showering yourself in icy-cold water—these are some hacks promoted to reduce puffiness and sagging but this gel-cream serum outsmarts them all. With ingredients like firming organic Harugana extract and smoothening Cassie wax, lightly tap it on the skin and wait 60 seconds for visible firmness and a lifted effect (botox in a bottle!). A little bit goes a long way too as too much might cause concealer to pill.
Clarins Total Eye Lift, $125
5. In Hot Water
There’s something slightly boring about having a skincare routine that features products from the same brand but we promise that the astounding results with this serum series of seven are well worth the aesthetic displeasure. Despite targeting different skin concerns like dark spots to fine lines (they come together to form 35 different combinations), the main ingredient in each is a bio-ingredient called BIYUSEN™ that is developed from the waters of a Hokkaido hot spring and which is formed by hydration-boosting fulvic acid, humic acid which slows down wrinkle production, and texture-eradicating hyametomelanic acid. So technically, and if you do the math, you are combating four skin concerns with the use of just one product which might allow you to skip two steps.
Iren Shizen Serums, $68.
6. London Calling
So many brands have bottled the vibes of Great Britain with combinations like violet and citrus to mimic the countryside or roses and powder to conjure up posh femininity but the British fragrance House Miller Harris has a different take on Anglomania olfactory with three unexpected scents— a base note of earl grey tea with its slightly bitter citrus smell that is blended with gourmet like spicy rhubarb and herbaceous angelica. Sounds delicious? Certainly, babes, if you’re looking for a perfume to give your fragrance wardrobe more full-bodied flavour. Appropriate for wear even in Singapore? It’s surprisingly uplifting scent will put a smile on your face even in this heatwave.
Miller Harris Lost In the City, $272
7. Mane Function
Nioxin has been in the business of correcting hair loss problems for 26 years and their latest product will allow you to literally put your own to bed. After spritzing and rubbing it onto your scalp (tip: section your hair into seven sections for even application) the serum delivers powerful antioxidants like vitamin E, caffeine, and biotin that repair oxidative damage on the scalp that causes thinning and breakage. The best part? It never stains the sheets as it comes in a clear formula that is instantly absorbed.
While you can expect thicker, fuller hair within eight weeks of daily use, the product is not a cure-all for mane problems that come with poor sleep but hopefully, its soothing fragrance might promote a deeper one for you.
Nioxin Night Density Rescue Serum, $98
8. Absolute Length
They often say that time flies but strangely, it comes to a grinding halt when we have to wait in the shower for a hair conditioner to work. Some might say that you can always just exfoliate, shave, or brainstorm but if time is of the essence, consider this conditioner that instantly coats the cuticles with rich ingredients like coconut oil, camelia seed oil, and sweet white lupine (a plant that also promotes circulation).
If time is of the essence, you can wash it off anytime between 10 seconds to a minute but even better results can be achieved if you have the patience to wait the length of a Rihanna song or half the duration of a Korean drama.
Percy & Reed Give Me Strength Strengthening Conditioner, $45
9. Getting Even
The cream’s counterpart that’s called Bum Bum (alas, it is pronounced boom boom instead) might be popular amongst celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez but we dare say that this one is a brighter idea as it takes things up a notch by chemically exfoliating dark spots, texture, and lines while still richly hydrating like Bum Bum does.
It also coats the skin with amber, plum, and vanilla deliciousness if you’re allergic to conventional ways of perfuming yourself.
Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright™ Cream, $77 for 240ml
10. All In One
We try our hardest to refrain from using cleansers that purport to purge both impurities and makeup from the skin but sometimes, we might have had one drink too many or a double cleansing session feels like running a marathon. Enter this cleanser that has two key ingredients—French green clay and Moroccan rhassoul clay—which provides a deep-cleansing experience that never leaves the skin dry and tight.
It also contains other lovely ingredients like soothing Neroli essential oil and vitamin C to brighten the skin but nevertheless, use this product as the second step of your cleansing routine as frequently as you can. Or, speaking from experience, leave a stash of cotton pads and micellar water within inebriated reach by your bedside.
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser, $56.00