For someone who does not flaunt her face on social media, Olivia Eleazar or Elkantlers as she is known to her over 28,000 followers on Instagram, is big on skincare. The founder of homegrown body jewellery brand Ask & Embla, who also wears the hat of a stylist and photographer (FYI: all the photos in this article and her social media page are lensed by her), religiously peppers her moody and monochromatic feed with adulations to her well-curated/minimalist stash of beauty products that she relies on time and time again.
Cue a post featuring a trio of cleanser, night serum and daily treatment by Singapore skincare label Allies Of Skin (“Skin Saviors? a salute to @alliesofskin, because I’m a disciple now”). Or how about a post featuring the organic skincare products by Plantioxidants? (“Friiiday night ? Every Saturday eve I put on some Tommy Flanagan, pour myself a glass of Sauvignin Blanc and have me a little @plantioxidants spa time to switch off for the weekend.”) Oh, then there are the multiple posts on Argentum Apothecary – an obsession of this 27-year-old.
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You won’t find a smorgasbord of brands in her beauty cabinet as she prefers to keep her beauty cache “lean”. “I first got into skincare proper when I became very health-conscious at 24. That was when I started eating clean and carefully calculating what I feed my body et cetera,” she says. “It was when I realised that every source of intake we allow our bodies, even the stuff we apply on our skin, feeds our very being. That got me started with really looking at what skincare I use.”
Besides highlighting the need to be intuitive and quickly adapting to the ever-changing needs of our skin, one aspect that also jumps out about Eleazar’s skincare regimen is her support of Singapore-born cult skincare brands like Allies of Skin, Re:Erth and Porcelain. What’s not to love?
How has your skincare changed during the circuit-breaker?
When the circuit-breaker kicked in, I amped up my application of face oils and moisturisers during the day – not simply because of accessibility but because I don’t have to be conscious about the enthusiastic amount of skincare resting on my skin and how it will react to my surroundings. I let my skin drink when I feel like it needs it.
What’s your one ride or die product?
I discovered Re:Erth’s Multi-Targeted Elixir recently and have been obsessed with how well it works for me. The brand delightfully describes its effects as ‘mochi skin in a mottle’ and that is how I feel my skin feels after using it. The most noticeable benefit I reaped from using it is a shrink in the size of my pores and the glassy smooth skin texture that I got. I’m already getting anxiety thinking about the day I finish my bottle – that’s how you know you love a product.
Tell us about how you developed your skincare routine.
My routines are never fixed, and I think I develop them mostly intuitively. I’ve come to realise that your skincare rituals can be broken up into phases, especially when it seems like the efficacy of some products are dwindling. But this simply means that my skin needs something else right now. So I switch up the products I use by paying attention to my skin’s mood.
What’s a skincare step one should never skip?
Using a cleanser for sure.
What’s your go-to item to pamper and indulge?
Porcelain’s Hydrocare Bio Cellulose Mask. This (coconut fibre which is packed with serum essence) turns back time and I’m serious.
What’s your favourite skincare brand at the moment?
Argentum Apothecary (founded in 2010 by South African-born Joy Isaacs, the brand is best known for utilising the inherent strength of silver hydrosol & DNA HP in its products). I got to know about it about two years ago and its products been steadfast skin guardians ever since. I mentioned earlier that I change my routine regularly but Argentum Apothecary’s products are a staple in my beauty arsenal.
What’s the best skincare advice you have?
Based on my personal experience, my skin is most independently healthy when I keep my routine lean and don’t use more products than I need.
What is a product you’re looking forward to try out next?
I kinda want to try a derma roller. I hear it stimulates collagen production and treat acne – but I flaked out when I saw the tool.
