Our yearly list is not just a selection of the best or most popular beauty buys. It highlights the top 25 products that do better, work smarter and achieve more than others in their range.
This overnight mask gave us a K-pop-worthy complexion just after one night’s sleep: dewy, soft and smooth, with a slight glow. Formulated with white jade powder, it supposedly purifies skin of free radicals, impurities, stress and toxins, while strengthening its protective barrier. Think of it as a herbal tonic for your face – you might not use it daily but when you do, your skin’s health improves pronto.
This is how it works: Prunus extract and inositol target visible dark spots, including hidden ones that have yet to emerge, but still contribute to the appearance of “cloudy” skin that lacks radiance, even in younger women. Our verdict: Skin looks immediately brighter and more luminous after using it.
See: Sheet masks that will give skin a radiant glow before a night out
It’s like laser therapy that destroys brown spots by heat-zapping them so that the darkened skin will flake off – but in a watery serum form. Meant to optimise turnover and remove surface dead skin cells loaded with melanin, it not only lightens existing spots, but also boosts clarity for a more even-toned, radiant complexion.
There’s serious brainwork behind this: Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research into reversing the age of cells, this targeted treatment serum reportedly helps strengthen the “energy factory” within each skin cell to fight fine lines, sagging, dullness and dehydration.
Most matte lipsticks tend to be intense and strong, but can appear flat or dry. This breaks the mould with the fluidity of a gloss and the hydration of a cream for a more modern and comfortable finish.
Made with a “dual-matrix” technology that supposedly helps ingredients penetrate skin 25 times faster compared to a regular cotton sheet mask, it contains nearly half a bottle’s worth of the brand’s Advanced Night Repair Serum’s skin-repairing ingredients. Add anti-pollution, calming and hydrating ingredients, and your complexion looks rested, fresher and more glowy in just 10 minutes.
A must-have for anyone with reactive skin, it is formulated with only 10 ingredients so as not to aggravate sensitive skin’s tolerance level – but don’t call this basic. What this moisturiser lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. One of the star ingredients is silver needle tea extract that not only soothes, but also reportedly fights damage from free radicals, and strengthens skin’s protective barrier.
Its hyper potent formula is infused with a concentrated version of the brand’s signature skin-healing ingredient Miracle Broth, which is said to accelerate skin renewal and rejuvenation, and soothe irritation. The result: a serum that targets all signs of ageing, from lines to uneven texture, enlarged pores to sagging and dullness.
This might be extremely fuss-free, but it’s also very effective. Used like a regular serum, it’s formulated with quinoa husk extract, fruit acids and cactus extract to increase cell turnover, help refine texture, improve skin tone evenness, soften, and boost radiance.
The price tag might be hefty, but this claims to be so all-encompassing that you won’t even need a serum before using it. Targeting everything from skin firmness to suppleness, translucency to texture, and (of course) hydration, it’s a jar of moisturising magic, if you will.
See: Our top 20 moisturisers that hydrate, treat and condition skin
This not only promises to “block stress” to your skin cells, which can cause premature ageing, but also reportedly removes signs of previous damage and strengthens skin. It’s also said to be a boon for the chubby-cheeked – raspberry and pine tree extract reportedly control and reduce the size and quantity of fat cells for a more lifted, contoured appearance.
Whenever we’re travelling to cold or dry climates, this goes into our beauty kit. Like a velvet veil, the cream feels weightless on one’s face, protecting skin and preventing moisture loss.
Given the haze, this is the one cleanser everyone here should have. The antioxidant-rich oil reportedly fights free radical damage and reduces sallowness, as well as removes pollutants such as PM2.5 that can cause premature ageing and irritation.
See: More anti-pollution skincare products that protect skin from dust and dirt
A concentrated citrus fruit blend (it looks like a yummy gourmand jam) that contains an all-natural fruit paste made of 50 per cent crushed oranges, lemons and clementines harvested in the Mediterranean once a year. The mask gently refines skin to improve its clarity and soften texture – thanks to the AHAs that are naturally found in the fruits.
Like traditional oriental medical treatments, this supposedly helps improve your body’s own regenerating ability to give you a healthier complexion. The brand’s signature Chojahabidan Complex is said to boost cellular energy, while the formula’s cordyceps extract promises to boost immunity and radiance. It also has lotus extract that reportedly purifies skin.
See: More anti-ageing cream masks that give dull, tired skin a boost
This targets signs of fatigue such as dark circles, eye bags, puffiness, redness, dullness and dehydration. The antioxidant- rich serum also boasts a cocktail of French lemon balm, goji berry and gentian root extract to combat inflammation and oxidation. This reportedly detoxifies and energises skin cells, reducing any evidence that you’ve been keeping late nights.
This might be the gentlest at-home peeling product we’ve ever come across. The three-step treatment uses polyhydroxy acid, which has a larger molecular structure than most acids, so it penetrates more slowly. It is also more hydrating and gentler on sensitive skin. The promised result: brighter, fairer and smoother skin without any irritation.
A moisturiser in mist form, this combines the hydrating properties of the brand’s popular Water Bank Moisture Cream with Hydro Ion Mineral Water, hyaluronic acid and quinoa extract to fight dehydration, strenghten skin’s protective barrier, tone and refresh one’s complexion. Great for normal to dry skin, spritz this to hydrate without clogging pores – either before applying makeup, or throughout the day as a quick pick-me-up.
Check out more face mists that are great for Singapore’s hot weather.
Beauty insiders and makeup artists have been raving about this nifty device that uses both LED chromotherapy and low frequency stimulation to brighten, soothe, repair and sculpt – all in just 10 minutes. The best part: It’s the size of your fist, so you can easily bring it on holidays – like putting a spa in your pocket.
This gel cream can take the place of both your regular night serum and moisturiser – yup, that’s how powerful it is. It also works as a nourishing and protective sleeping mask that firms, brightens and softens the look of fine lines, leaving you with a more supple and luminous complexion in the morning.
Like Xanax for your skin – with none of the side effects – this leave-on mask has white lotus extract to soothe, leaving the complexion more relaxed and calm, with less obvious tension lines. The marshmallowy textured cream also has belle de nuit floral extract, which promises to reduce the harmful effects of damage accumulated during the day from pollution and UV rays, acting like a repair ointment for cells. Results are said to be equivalent to spending a whole day at a retreat.
See: Overnight sleeping masks that are the best post-party skin savers
Lotions are a part of most skincare routines because they help soften skin and boost the efficacy of the rest of your skincare. This one does much more. The watery liquid has the chemical compound astaxanthin and collagen peptides, which supposedly get rid of damaged collagen and cells to boost skin renewal, giving you a firmer and more supple complexion.
This night serum has the antioxidants resveratrol and vitamins B and E to boost skin repair, radiance and suppleness. While it does all these, what we’re most obsessed with is how it instantly leaves the complexion so smooth and soft, our skin feels as good as 10 years younger.
Multi-tasking skincare isn’t new, but this takes the cake for sun protection. It has an anti-pollution shield technology that supposedly forms an invisible barrier to prevent harmful toxins and pollution particles from coming into contact with skin; a 100 per cent mineral blend SPF50/PA++++ formula to protect against UV rays; an antioxidant blend of green tea, amino acid and ferulic acid to help neutralise free radical damage; and enzymes from plankton and ocean bacteria extract to reportedly boost skin’s natural DNA repair. As though that isn’t enough, the cream is also lightly tinted to help hide flaws. Phew.
This primer rocks an airy, whipped cream-like texture that makes lashes look visibly fuller after application (we swear, it’s almost fluffy). Its colour is a crystalline, reflective shade of pale white that enhances the shade of your mascara. And it even has an ultra-high content of lash-care ingredients such as fatty acids, vitamin E and soya extract.
Like this? Check out our top 20 makeup products of 2016, the best haircare products for healthy, shiny hair and the top 20 moisturisers that hydrate, treat and condition skin.