We’re soon approaching the middle of 2021 – how time flies. Traditionally, the period leading up to the vacation/summer months of June and July will be filled with launches of bronzers, self-tanners, summer perfumes, hair texturising sprays… you get the picture.
This year, however, we’ve got nothing of that (thank Covid-19). Instead, we’re witnessing a brand new set of skincare and makeup brands finding their way here.
In a nutshell, the key beauty launches we have fall under two categories. One, existing Western skincare brands that have been around for a long time are debuting here, and two, niche and cult Korean skincare and hair products are making their mark.
Scroll ahead for a lowdown.
With Zoom Meetings back with a vengeance, why not play up your lipstick during that on-screen time with the all-new Gucci Rouge De Beaute Brillant hybrid lippie ($53) that comes with a beautiful packaging?
Claiming to offer 24 hours of moisture and high-pigmented shine, the Italian house has packed an abundance of natural ingredients like black rose oil, peony oil, jojoba seed oil and karite butter into the lipstick to keep your puckers feeling nourished and with the appearance of full and plump healthy lips.
The Gucci Rouge De Beaute Brillant is currently being sold at Gucci Beauty counters including the ones at Sephora and Tangs at Tang Plaza as well as on online portals like Tangs.com and Takashimaya’s e-shop.
If your skin’s looking visibly tired, dull, and dry, Chanel’s new Hydra Beauty Camellia Glow Concentrate may just save the day. The AHA-boosted gentle exfoliant will help hydrate and revitalise the skin with active ingredients that include Camellia yeast extract which is said to boost the natural production of hyaluronic acid by 50 per cent as well as Camellia Alba PFA and Blue Ginger PFA. Available from Chanel Fragrance and Beauty boutiques from May 28 and counters from June 4.
Fans of Dior Beauty can expect the popular Dior Lip Glow lip balm ($52) to boast some new updates. The new edition of the colour-enhancing lip balm has been reformulated with an added ingredient of cherry oil that claims to lock in 24 hours of hydration and six hours of continuous glow.
On top of this, the brand has also expanded its range of lipsticks and lip balm under the Dior Lip Glow line with new vibrant colourways. They include Universal Clear 000, a universal clear balm for men and women; Cherry 015, a delicious gourmet red shade; and Seoul Scarlet 025 that is inspired by South Korea’s metropolis and is the go-to vibrant red shade for Blackpink’s Jisoo. What’s not to love?
Just because we aren’t staying indoors more now, doesn’t mean we can give up on wearing sunblock. In fact, it’s especially important to have some SPF while you’re sitting by a window or working in silos on your laptop.
In the case of Biore’s Light-Up Essence Sunscreen ($16.90), a thin layer on the face and body is all you need as its powered with a patented Light-Up Essence technology that diffuses UV light rays upon interaction with the skin and cloaks the skin with a hydrating veil of moisture.
A big plus: the sunscreen offers both a soft radiant effect without any added shine and non-sticky formula too.
The Canadian brand, founded by Susanne Langmuir in 2012, is launching in Singapore on May 13 at Sephora.sg. It’s best known for its lipsticks that are formulated with food-grade superfoods. Whether you have sensitive skin, are halal or vegetarian, you’ll be glad to know that all of its products are clean, vegan, gluten-free, and animal cruelty-free.
Hero products include the Power Move Creamy Matte Crayon ($38) which is a matte, creamy lipstick that contains the nourishing pomegranate and wild African mango. Check out the Daycation Whipped Blush ($50) for a lightweight, fade-resistant and multi-tasking (can be used as an eyeshadow) blush that contains papaya extract for a light and natural-looking flush of rosy cheeks.
Another new skincare brand that has landed on our shores – Ole Henriksen. Founded by a Danish man named Ole Henriksen, the brand started as a spa in Beverly Hills with a three-pronged philosophy: exfoliate, treat and soothe. For starters, its hero products are C-Rush Brightening Gel Creme ($68) and Wrinkle Blur Bakuchiol Eye Gel Creme ($69).
The former is a lightweight gel-like cream which contains pure vitamin C to combat fine lines and wrinkles, and the daily effects of stress, fatigue, and pollution. The latter is a two-in-one eye cream which blurs those fine lines and wrinkles around your eye while caring for your eye’s delicate skin – specifically improving the firmness, elasticity and reducing dark circles.
If you’ve been following the wave of Korean shampoos and haircare products, this may sound familiar to you – Phytopecia+ Hair Boosting Shampoo ($45 for 250ml). The former Phytopecia Hair Boosting Shampoo was loved and raved for its…. but has since gained a “+” sign with its formula update. Now, the shampoo includes Salicylic Acid (to remove impurities), Niacinamide (nourish scalp), and an ingredient called P1P to promote cell-regeneration for healthier and thicker hair.
You may have noticed this yellow sheet mask that’s been appearing on your Instagram and Facebook feed. It’s the South Korean skincare brand, I Woke Up Like This (IWLT)‘s Boosting Face Up & Eye Patch ($58 for a box of four sheets) which targets double chin and dark circles at once. Key ingredients include a synthetic peptide Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 (made from a protein found in Botox); hyaluronic acid; birch sap; and Centella Asiatica extract.
Over in the makeup department, Charlotte Tilbury dropped a brand new Brow Fix ($50) – a clear brow gel that’s long-lasting and waterproof (after it sets in five minutes).
On her new Brow Fix, Charlotte Tilbury herself said: “Brow fix is my new innovation to set your supermodel brow shape in place all day & night. It’s a long-lasting 24h clear brow gel with a silk thread brow fixing formula for elasticity + gloss! It never leaves a white cast, looks stuck down or dried out. Never stiff or sticky, instead brows are full, feathered & fixed in place!”
Suitable for those of us with shapeless brows, or thick and messy brows that need some instant lifting or tidying.
There are two new colour tuning sunscreens with SPF50+ and PA ++++ in town by the Japanese skincare brand, Allie. Formulated by Kanebo, you can expect these two sunscreens (comes in purple or apricot for different purposes) to be lightweight, waterproof, and offers light coverage with priming effects. How to choose between the purple or apricot version?
Allie Ennui Purple sunscreen is for dull skin and visible pores. It corrects dull skin with its purple tone and comes with a fresh and calming hydrangea and sage scent. Meanwhile, Allie Sunny Apricot sunscreen blurs away dark circles and pores with its apricot-pink tone-correcting shade and is lightly-scented with apricot and osmanthus.
Going for $30.90 at Lazada, Shopee, and Don Don Donki.
In the past month, Neutrogena launched a brand new range to their skincare line called Bright Boost. The three-piece product range aims to boost your skin metabolism and brighten your skin. Here’s a little fun fact: the range was formulated by four millennial female scientists from Singapore, France, United States and Brazil. You will find the Neutrogena Bright Boost Re-texturizing Serum ($29.90), Bright Boost Gel Cream ($27.90) and Bright Boost Overnight Cream ($39.90) at all leading supermarkets, Guardian, Watsons, and Lazada.
If you’re looking for a ‘quick fix’ to conceal and hide your dark eye circles, Fenty Beauty’s new Bright Fix Eye Brightener ($37) will help remedy your concerns. Formulated with a silk smoothing and a hydrating complex that consists of ingredients like sodium hyaluronate and jojoba oil, you’ll be assured to get ample nourishment on the under-eye area and at the same time achieve a radiant, natural appearance. The product even comes in 16 flexible shades that’ll work with a diversity of skin tones too.
On the lookout for an Asian clean beauty label? You’ll be pleased to know that Hong Kong-based Coconut Matter’s available right here on our shores, exclusively at Society A Beauty and this month they’re offering a whole range of natural deodorants too!
Positioned as the Mood Deodrant ($33), each deodorant roll-on stick will help soothe and remove arm odours with its blend of organic coconut oil alongside up to 19 plant and mineral skin-loving ingredients. Fuss-free and clean, you can also be assured that the formulations will not include toxic chemicals (think: aluminium, phthalates, silicon and alcohols) and will leave no residue, stickiness or stains throughout your day.
The Mood Natural Deodorants come in five scents that include: Spring for a floral burst of freshness with geranium, lavender and lime; Bliss for a zesty citrus blend of lemongrass, lime and frankincense; Zen for the warm and woody soothing relief of cedarwood, bergamot and vetiver; Hero for a refreshing mix of peppermint, eucalyptus, and rosemary; and Coconut for an essential oil-free, coconutty aroma that’s suitable for the most sensitive of skin types.
A version of this article first appeared in The Singapore Women’s Weekly
