You might have already heard of the brands here with their sleek design and modern approach, you might even really like them. For these reasons and more, they’re primed for even greater fandom. Joie Goh reports.
Also known as: The home-grown beauty label specialising in fuss-free, customisable serums that work.
The brains: Sabrina Tan, an IT professional turned skincare guru, who was inspired to launch the brand in 2007 after streamlining her own beauty routine.
Why it’ll be bigger: Its latest accolades say it all. Besides mushrooming from a single boutique in Clarke Quay to 350 points-of-sale worldwide within the past eight years, it was picked up by Sephora in the US in 2014 – a big deal considering how the multi-label retailer has an eye for spotting independent brands and turning them into cult hits (see Fresh). International publications such as WWD, Allure and The Huffington Post have recently raved about it. Ditto the global social media elite including Michelle Phan, Eva Chen and Chiara Ferragni.
Bestsellers (from left): The Get Glowin’ Brightening Mask ($98), Pure Revival Peel ($71) and Pure Deepsea Hydrating Mask ($72).
Must try: My Daily Dose Custom-blended Serum ($169). Either take the online Skin Identity Check, or head down to a Skin Inc boutique – all styled as “skin supplement bars” complete with high stools and mixology counters – for your beauty cocktail on the spot. After identifying your top three concerns, you’ll be recommended the corresponding ingredients, which will go into in a coloured glass bottle of your choice, and you’re good to go.
Also known as: The South Korean natural brand even K-beauty cynics love
The brains: Cosmetics giant Amorepacific, which is also behind major South Korean beauty labels like Sulwhasoo and Laneige.
Why it’ll be bigger: Despite debuting in Singapore only in end-2013, this 16-year-old brand has helped present a new side to K-beauty (one that’s not twee) and organic beauty (one that’s not old school) and, in doing so, built a steady following. Its formula? Sleek, simple offerings – think essentials like sheet masks, serums and cleansing oils, as well as on-trend makeup items like BB cushion compacts and liquid lipsticks – all packed with natural ingredients and packaged modern eco-chic style.
The brand’s stores resemble fun yet stylish greenhouses – bright and sophisticated with lush foliage on the walls. Its largest outlet here at Vivocity even offers a soap-making zone, where customers can create their own soaps with three of Innisfree’s signature ingredients: green tea, volcanic clay and tangerine.
Bestsellers (from left): Water Glow Cushion ($34), Whitening Pore Synergy Serum ($54) and The Green Tea Seed Serum ($36).
Must try: The Green Tea Seed Serum, which is the most nourishing serum from the brand’s top-selling line, it has green tea extract derived from organic tea leaves cultivated on Jeju Island, and reportedly boosts skin’s moisture content while supporting its barrier function to promote long-lasting hydration.
Also known as: The skincare brand making artisanal goodness accessible to everyone
The brains: Husband and wife duo Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg. Both Soviet emigres, they launched their budding beauty empire on American soil in 1991 – first as a multi-label beauty boutique in Boston selling upscale natural personal care products, before going into their own line of artisanal scented soaps two years later.
Why it’ll be bigger: It’s already taken the Western world by storm (525 points of sale; a majority stake owned by LVMH; and A-list celebrities from Rita Ora to Oprah Winfrey cannot stop raving about its products). Now it’s time for Singaporeans to get converted too.
While the brand debuted in Hong Kong in 2005, it only arrived on local shores five years ago via Sephora. Last March, it opened its first standalone boutique here at Ion Orchard (#B3-45/47), incorporating the same iconic features of its New York flagship – mosaic tile flooring, glass bubble chandelier, and an overall apothecary-meets-townhouse-chic style.
That aesthetic is reflective of its effective and stylish products. All plant-based with indulgent textures and elegant scents, each one is high on feel-good factor the way artisanal products are meant to be. To complete them: the clean yet luxurious, apothecary-esque white porcelain jars and clear glass bottles – basically the stuff of Instagram and design magazines.
Bestsellers (clockwise from left): Sugar Face Polish ($95), Soy Face Cleanser ($63) and Rose Face Mask ($95).
Must try: The Soy Face Cleanser, an extra-gentle, fine-foaming gel cleanser that smells faintly of its principal ingredients – calming cucumber and soothing rosewater. It cleanses away most makeup (except the most stubborn waterproof mascaras) and impurities, while leaving the skin feeling soft and comforted, not stripped and squeaky.
Also known as: The brand that literally makes you picture-perfect
The brains: Japanese photographic film pioneer Fujifilm
Why it’ll be bigger: At nine years old, this Japanese brand is considered young compared to several of its counterparts from its home country. In Singapore, it’s just getting started with the opening of its second standalone boutique at Wisma Atria this month (unit number unavailable at press time) – five years after it opened its first at Jem (#01-20).
Its premise: Human skin is surprisingly similar to photographic film, a material on which the company has done almost a century of R&D on since its founding in 1934. Oxidation – the leading cause of pigmentation and skin ageing – is also responsible for colour fading in photographs, so who better to look to for cutting-edge antioxidation technology than the masters of film? Besides, one of the most important structural proteins in skin is collagen, also the primary raw ingredient in film.
The other cool thing that customers will enjoy at the brand’s stores: the choice of getting their purchases home-delivered with a minimum spend of $300.
Bestsellers (from left): Pure Collagen Drink ($60 for a box of 10), Perfect UV Protector SPF50+/PA++++ ($68) and Essence Destiny ($98)
Must try: Jelly Aquarysta ($148). The brand’s signature product, this pre-serum is the first step of your skincare routine, meant to go on after cleansing and before lotion. Its unique texture (resembling red Jell-O – you can stir it vigorously, yet it will revert to its original smooth state with a flat, even surface) has spawned imitations. Two years ago, it clinched the Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation’s Invention Award, thanks to Fujifilm’s development of its key ingredient: the human type nano-ceramide, which promises to replenish and maintain optimum moisture in skin.
An adapted version first appeared in Female’s February 2016 issue.
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