At GRAZIA Singapore HQ, the old excites us as much as the new and in this weekly column, we ask our fellow friends, industry-goers and beauty aficionados about the last thing they loved be it trends, products, or even the image they looked at when it came to inspiring themselves.
Here, Vivien Toh (@vivsbeautynotes) aka a makeup artist, content creator, and founder of makeup studio The Radiant People shares some of her lasts.
The last beauty product I finished was Fresh’s Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence ($139). I started committing to this product in March this year, and my skin has seen a significant improvement in glow and luminosity.
I have two more bottles stocked up at the moment so I’m not moving on from this product any time soon.
The last viral makeup/skincare trend I tried was the Meredith Foundation Method. I thought it would be a flop, but it really did give me amazing flawless coverage.
But I never ever did it again because it felt a little too heavy on the skin.
The last beauty product I bought was the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise Eyeshadow in Champagne ($51) from the latest Sephora sale as I’ve been wanting to get this for a long time. I mainly use this on my clients with mature skin who tend to have looser skin on their eyelids because of how it blends out amazingly and super smoothly.
It also creates the perfect base for a soft-glam eye look!
The last image I looked at for beauty inspiration could be any from Seo Ok’s (@ok_ouioui) Instagram feed. She is a highly acclaimed celebrity makeup artist from Korea (she does SNSD’s Taeyeon, IU, Go Youn Jung, IVE and more), and I personally love her style.
Especially, how she is able to create clean-looking lashes that stand out but are not over the top.
The last beauty product I bought again was Ettusais’s Eye Edition Mascara Base ($20.90) that’s the best product for stubborn, straight Asian lashes. Period.
It also separates and lengthens lashes really well, giving a nice clean base for mascara application. Many other base products also turn ashy on the lashes over time, but not this one.
The last beauty indulgence I treated myself to was a session at the Sulhwasoo Facial Spa at ION! To be fair, my aunt was the one who treated me to this, but it was such an unforgettable experience so I thought to share about it.
I don’t think I have gone for another facial that is as relaxing and as indulgent as this one.
The last beauty product I made a holy grail was Kiehl’s Retinol Skin Renewing Micro Dose Serum ($135). I told myself at the beginning of the year that this would be the year that I’d start including retinol into my skincare routine.
My skin is extremely sensitive and I’ve heard stories about how retinol can burn if not introduced to the skin effectively. I’ve experienced none of that with this one!
This is now a holy grail in my glass skin routine that involves using Vitamin C in the morning (I use Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution in the morning) and A at night.
The last beauty product I gifted someone was the Shu Uemura Chromatics4 Eye Sculpt Autumn Dusk ($75) to a friend in preparation for the fall season!
On a side note, I have these eyeshadow quads in other shades and I’ve been frequently using them on my clients as they blend out so beautifully and complement Asian skin tones very well.
The last beauty product that truly impressed me was YSL Beauté’s Le Cushion Encre de Peau ($108). I’ve always wanted to try this but I honestly could not for the longest time justify spending more than $100 on a cushion.
I recently had a chance to try it after they launched their new and improved formula and all I can say is that my wallet is crying but my skin is glowing. It’s hands down the best cushion I’ve tried this year as it’s incredibly lightweight and long-lasting.
And the most amazing thing is how it looks increasingly beautiful throughout the day and into the night. I don’t think I will shut up about this cushion anytime soon.
The last makeup/skincare trick I taught someone was to use satay sticks as lash curling ones. This doesn’t just help keep lashes curled, but it also helps to achieve the clean K-pop idol lash look that is all the rage at the moment.