Double-Duty Lipsticks

Call us demanding, but we’re well past the lipsticksare-just-makeup stage. We want them to do more, and these new ranges more than step up to the plate. 

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

Call us demanding, but we’re well past the lipsticksare-just-makeup stage. We want them to do more, and these new ranges more than step up to the plate.  

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< The lipstick-cumintensive-lip-balm
Sisley Le Phyto Rouge plumps, nourishes and moisturises even dry, flaky lips. In 20 shades, $68 each.  
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< The lip-tint-cumovernight-lip-mask
Laneige Tin Tint Balm uses the same technology as the brand’s Lip Sleeping Mask to ensure eight-hour hydration. In eight shades, $26 each.
 
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The lipstick-cum-antipollutant-protector >
Clarins Water Lip Stain is the French brand’s first lip product to fight against pollution. The transfer-proof formula also moisturises and softens. In four shades, $36 each.
 
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< The high-shine gloss-cum-high colour-tint
Hera Sensual Tint is versatile and has a vibrant colour payoff, so you can get everything from Korean gradient lips to a plumped-up, high-shine finish. In seven shades, $43 each. – KT
 
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The Soaps That Are Truly Organic

There are no industry standards over the word “organic” in cosmetics in Singapore. What might be considered organic here may not be so elsewhere. That’s why certification from a recognised authority is needed.

With its range of The Blessed Soaps, Nature’s Glory is Singapore’s first home-grown brand to have its products certified by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia. Every element in its soaps is chemicaland toxin-free.

The soap bases are made of organic, food-grade coconut, olive and sunflower oils. Certified organic essential oils are used as fragrances; they are extracted through only steam distillation or cold-pressing, without added chemicals.

In fact, so natural are the formulas that they are not only safe for babies, the ingredients also nourish the skin – like food for the body, says Peter Lim, founder of Nature’s Glory. The soaps come in five scents and cost from $15. – CT 
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It’s called turkey neck – that jowly look you get when the muscles between the jawline and collarbone (called the platysmal bands) start to shorten when you get older. Jowling happens more to Asians. We’re generally shorter and smaller than Caucasians, so our neck muscles tend to be shorter to begin with. Further shortening with age makes it worse.

Since May 2018, Dr Lam Bee Lan of Ageless Medical Centre has been using botulinum toxin to treat the problem. Small amounts are injected into the platysmal bands to relax and lengthen them, so your neck looks more elongated.

Results last up to six months. Dr Lam says regular injections every six months for the first two years will contribute to a more slender neck in the long run. After two years, the interval between injections can be eight to 10 months to maintain the effect. It costs from $500. – CT 

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On The Clean Team

Japanese haircare brand Moist Diane recently remade its Perfect Beauty series of shampoos and conditioners ($16.90 each) that cater to the common hair concerns of Asian women.

The series used to be just siliconefree, but is now also paraben-free, colour-safe and sulphate-free (except the Extra Fresh variant). It’s gentler, yet cleans as effectively. Another upgrade: The argan oil used is now organic. It’s Ecocert approved, which means at least 95 per cent of it is free of chemicals like parabens, genetically-modified organisms and silicone. What’s in it for you? The antioxidant benefits are amplified and better able to protect your hair. – CT

 
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Ask A Makeup Artist

Q: I have hooded eyelids, so smudgeproof mascaras just, well, smudge. What can I do?

A: Eyelids are hooded when the skin above the double eyelid crease folds over it, says makeup artist Melissa Yeo. If you have such eyelids, use a volumising mascara instead of a lengthening one – the latter extends the lashes so much that they touch the eyelids and smudge.

Try: Lancome Hypnose Waterproof Mascara ($50) or YSL Beaute Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof ($55). “Both give the illusion of fuller lashes,” says Yeo.

Curl your lashes nearer the eyelids, not the tips, then apply mascara closer to the roots and gently swipe up. “To lengthen lashes, ensure the lash tips are just very lightly coated with mascara to prevent smudging,” she adds. – CT 

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