For me, counting down till X-Mas means gifting stress. Each year I promise myself to start hunting for the perfect X-Mas gifts in time, and each year I fail - again. The solution? Just head to Sephora as they have the perfect gift set for your mother, sister, friends, inlaws etc. They're seriously cool sets, not the average perfume plus travel size body lotion but glittery eyeliner sets and perfect eye makeup kits. And for each and every budget. Oh and tackle the gifts for your SO, father, brother etc. right away too. What are you waiting for?!
I personally wasn't aware of the fact that lovely but conservative Singapore has its own burlesque star, but the Little Red Dot keeps surprising me each time again. She goes by the name of Sukki Singapora, a name that wouldn't be out of place in James Bond movie, co-starring Kissy Suzuki, Honey Ryder and Pussy Galore, and launched a lipstick collection recently.
A common first world problem of living in the muggy tropics: body lotions that leave a sticky feeling after application. Why? Because we already feel perpetually hot, sweaty and sticky!!! Given the fact that the tropical heath makes us shower more often, stripping our skin from essential oils, simply scrapping body lotion from our beauty routine isn't the smartest option. Luckily there are some light weight body lotions available that do the trick, giving our skin what it needs without a trace of stickiness.
This week I came across what must be THE coolest makeup collection ever in Isetan on Scotts: Shu Uemura's Holiday 2017 Mario Bros Collection. 1-Up!
If you read my blog more often, you’d probably know that a product I absolutely cannot live without in the tropics, is a makeup setting spray. Recently, on a Friday night in Singapore’s Clubstreet, where you’re typically more busy sweating than partying, someone (that obviously does not read my blog) asked me how it was possible that my makeup always remained so flawless on nights like these. Setting spray, baby! Although I have quite a vast collection of these products at home to bulletproof my makeup, this week I just couldn’t leave Sephora without getting myself Tarte’s "Rainforest of the Sea" 4-in-1 Setting Mist. Because of the 4-in-1 feature that I’m curious about, but maybe even more because everything about Tarte and the Rainforest of the Ocean collection is just too cool.
Cheer with me: for the first time ever, Singapore will host a plus size beauty pageant. Do I care about beauty pageants? Not really. But I do care about challenging stereotypes of beauty, whether it be Western or typical Asian stereotypes. While in the West the discussion on dispelling beauty standards is trending and plus size models emerge, Asia is still coming around to acknowledging the need for body positivity. Plus-sized women in Singapore often face cutting remarks, even from the people closest to them. Luckily, Fiona Tan proves that Asians don’t have to be slim and petite to be considered beautiful…
The other day, one of my friends turned to me with the question what to do about hair loss, as she experienced her hair had increasingly been getting thinner over the past few weeks. Mysterious hair loss in the tropics, happening to otherwise healthy women, is a classic “oh, didn’t you know?!”-story among expat women in Singapore. Rumor has it, that this has to do with the water. But does it?
As you’ve probably noticed, I travel a lot. Like really a lot. Short trips and long trips. Remote and around the corner. From lavish, uber-luxurious Pacific island getaways to Spartan nights in traditional Japanese Ryokans. Unless you travel with a full-time sherpa, different kind of trips naturally require different approaches of packing and sometimes tough choices need to be made in terms of what to bring - and what not (mehh). One product I never compromise on, is dry shampoo. This lifesaver always comes in handy, whether you find yourself in need of a Quick Fix in The Ritz or a Thorough Touch up in a showerless Mongolian yurt you've been staying in for days. But which one to bring?
I was invited to a product presentation hosted by Jeunesse in the Fairmont Hotel, because now available in Singapore: AM PM Essentials, dietary supplements designed for your well-being -maintaining strong nails and healthy hair among the benefits- and Be the Envy Perfecting BB Mist Foundation, for a professional airbrushed look in seconds.
Last month we moved places within Singapore, and a new home always means new smells – the one more pleasant than the other. Great: the exotically sweet frangipane plants in the new garden. Not so great: continuous fried garlic fumes from the masterchef aspiring neighbor, and somewhat odd smelling closets. Luckily there are products called Home Fragrances, from scented candles to sachets and diffusers. Although this isn’t a beauty topic by definition, I didn’t want to keep my finds on home fragrances in Singapore to myself and therefore justify this topic as, well, beauty for your home.
I'll keep it short so everyone can make a beeline to Daiso: the beloved Japanese dollar store (2 Singapore Dollar, actually) we mainly go to for magic sponges, now has the cutest toe separators ever.
I just returned from the most amazing trip to Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. Lagoons, beaches and a lot of sun. Since I live in South East Asia I’ve become pretty neurotic about UV-rays and sun protection, so I always carry several different types of sun block with me in my beach bag. Before installing myself on a beach bed I meticulously treat every millimeter of my body with a spray, cream or both, but coming home healthily bronzed I realized –shock- I apparently forget to pay attention to a very important part of my body: my hands, looking bronzed but all worn-out. Time to come to the rescue with Korean KOCOSTAR's 5 Finger Nail Pack and Sephora's Argan Hand Mask.
Besides BB creams, CC creams and Cushion Compacts, Lip Tints (or Stains, Inks, Tattoos even) are still one of the most prominent K-Beauty trends - and the ones I definitely love most. Time to try what is marveled upon as the strongest, most long-lasting tint ever: Lip Tone Get it Tints!
In the almost 2 years that I’ve been living in Singapore, I’ve been blown away again and again by Asian cosmetics brands, in particular makeup and more specifically lip products and mascara. Just about everything seems to be better about makeup at this side of the ocean: innovative products, eye-catching design & packaging, amazing textures, long lasting quality and friendly prices. One product type I haven’t tried yet is liquid eyeliner, as I’ve been pretty pleased with Lancome’s Artliner for over a decade now. I’m curious though whether within this category too, Asian brands will kick my favorite Western liquid eyeliner out of my Holy Makeup Essentials Pouch. I have pouches and pouches full of makeup, but only one special pouch for the winning can't do without essentials - and spots aren't easily given away...
For a region with such an abundance in suncare products, remarkably little variety in after-sun products seems to be available. This could be explained by the fact that most products available are sun protection products, implying that the locals’ approach of hefty sun block coating works against the horror of anything that remotely resembles a tan. Add the near-religious sun-avoidance with UV-blocking umbrella’s and visors to that and a society lacking any need for after-sun products is born. But then there’s the expats, like me, that after almost 2 years of living in Singapore still tend to forget that the sun burns hard around the equator. And that one must always use a sun block, even when it’s just for a 5 minute walk to the supermarket somewhere mid-day. Find out how to cool down sunburns quickly, how a product that is labelled ‘after-sun’ is sometimes misleading and what products to use instead for effective sunburn relieve.
A good waterproof mascara is key to survive the tropics looking good. Not because of the heat or humidity (smudging mascara due to the climate is an entirely different topic), but because of the many tropical rain showers that typically break loose the exact moment you walk home from the MRT after a long day of work. Or from the nail bar, in case you don’t work (just kidding). But also more pleasurable moments like a lazy poolside Sunday or –so spoiled- the fifth time you spend a weekend at the beach in Bali this year. The downside of waterproof mascara is however the difficulty to remove it without irritating your eyes or damaging your lashes. Although there are many waterproof eye makeup removers available, these typically still involve some rubbing and tend to leave the eyes oily and sticky. Japanese superhero makeup brand “Heroine Make” has a special mascara remover that promises to remover stubborn mascara without rubbing…
Unless you're invited by local friends, you probably won't feast on a Reunion Dinner tonight to celebrate tomorrow's arrival of the Year of the Rooster. But, "When in Rome.." as they say, it never hurts to be educated on local customs. Or at least understand why your neighbour has been wearing red lipstick for days or hasn't bathed since the New Year started. For a prosperous New Year, read (and follow if you dare) these personal care & beauty customs for Chinese New Year - Gong Xi Fa Chai!
A typical weekend night in Singapore: stumbling on 4-inch heels from Employees Only in Amoy Street to Clubstreet and torturing my feet even further by walking to Kilo Club in Tanjong Pagar Road. Great night - painful feet. Luckily, in Asia there's a beauty mask for everything: this Sunday, it's time to pamper my poor hoofs with a special foot mask...
