Fresh Faced: Creams to help protect your skin from the winter chill

As the cold season approaches, creams are constantly a vital must-have in every woman’s skincare best practice.

Award winning Fresh luxury perfumes and cosmetics house Lancôme has made a huge impact in the world of beauty. In 2009, its Advanced Génifique collection sold roughly 35 million bottles worldwide and received over 170 awards. The French house has now upgraded the product with a unique complex of seven pre-and probiotic fractions. One drop delivers 30 million pre- and probiotic fractions to the skin and is said to facilitate skin recovery by up to 77 percent an hour after application.

Next on our list is Belif‘s Ritual Time-Honored Tincture of Chamomile Cream. Belif is known for its heritage ingredients, time-honoured extractions method and anti-stress using its own original fragrance of herbs. This product apparently provides skin restoration and lasting radiance with intensive care for rough and dry skin, which makes it healthy and radiant, especially when used in a three-stage process.

Known for its next-generation age-defying solutions, Clé de Peau Beauté has launched its Volumizing Cream Supreme, an age-defying innovation inspired by dermatology and regenerative science. This volumising cream helps boost the skin’s natural plumpness, resulting in a firmer, softer, smoother, moisturised and youthful-looking skin.

Meanwhile, DERM iNSTITUTE marries DNA technology and oriental therapeutic herbs for purportedly unsurpassable results with its Anti-Oxidant Hydration Cream. Rich with antioxidants and ceramides repair ingredients, it apparently helps protect against the winter chill.

Last but not the least, IT Cosmetics employs the mantra of “Sleep your way to younger-looking skin with it!” with its Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Night Cream helping to renew your dermis overnight. Its rest-and-restore technology addresses five major skin issues: ageing fine lines, wrinkles, dryness, dullness and firmness. Almost instantaneous results are seen in terms of hydrated, smoother and supple skin.

“To ward off winter’s drying effects, hydrating creams are an absolute must”

Get the Look: The Autumn Almaknack

Get the Look

In the darkest times, it’s still possible to shine and let all around see your inner light. Start with the lightweight Airbrush Flawless Foundation from Charlotte Tilbury, then enhance your cheekbones with Lancôme‘s Blush Subtil. Moving up to the eye region, apply Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Eyes to Kill Designer Eyeliner for an ultra-slim effect, then reach for the High-Pigment Longwear Eyeliner from NARS for a smokey touch below the eyes. Focussing on the lashes, opt for the Climax Mascara, again courtesy of NARS, before treating your eyes to a little shine from Givenchy’s Prismissime – Nine-colour eyeshadow palette. Next, add a dab of Tom Ford’s Fiber Brow Gel to the brows. Give a shine to your lips courtesy of Hourglass’ Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss and, finally, enhance your overall glow with Guerlain’s new Parure Gold Mist.

Uncommon Aromas: Enticing new perfumes to spruce up your scent

As any fashionista is well aware, a well-chosen scent can elevate any outfit to a whole new level. As spring unfolds into summer, the world’s leading perfumers have unveiled a slew of seasonally-inspired new perfumes for you to add to your collection. Here are three particular scents that merit special mention.

New perfumes - Lancôme's La Vie est Belle — *Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle*

Paris-headquartered Lancôme prides itself on its unceasing quest to make life ever more beautiful with its crystal-bottled La Vie Est Belle – a feminine combination of bergamot, jasmine and rose – the latest in its aromatic armoury. With its floral notes having an innately sensuous appeal, a contrastingly light dash of creamy sandalwood adds a surprisingly grounded counterpoint, making this one of the must-have scents for the coming summer season.

New perfumes - Penhaligon's The Ingénue Cousin Flora and The Impudent Cousin Matthew — *Penhaligon’s The Ingénue Cousin Flora & The Impudent Cousin Matthew*

Not to be outdone, Penhaligon’s, one of Britain’s foremost fragrance houses, has added two new stunning scents to its Portraits portfolio – The Ingénue Cousin Flora and The Impudent Cousin Matthew. While the former ably captures a refreshing innocence with its citrus notes and musky beats, the latter manifests more of a mischievous tone, courtesy of its capering notes of patchouli and warm spice.

New perfumes - Il Profvmo's Fleur De Cerisier — *Il Profvmo’s Fleur De Cerisier*

The good people at Il Profvmo, meanwhile, clearly remain committed to supplying true romantics with the sweetest possible scent, with its new Fleur De Cerisier able proof of that particular proposition. While remaining true to its Italian roots, the fragrance takes apt inspiration from Japan’s flowering sakura season, granting the scent welcome notes of the freshest blossoms and a beguiling splash of cherry liqueur.

Santa Pores: St Nick’s perfect pick of prezzies for your skin

No matter how welcome winter is in Hong Kong, the cold winds can easily leave you feeling – and looking – frosty. Thankfully, as the season of gift-giving is upon us, there’s never been a better time to hint-bomb your nearest ones into slipping your choice of costly skincare products under the lower branches of the festive family tree.

Lancôme’s new Absolue Soft Cream should top everyone’s Crimbo cosmetics list, with its bold utilisation of rose-infused biotechnology all but guaranteed to silkily revitalise even the most cold-afflicted complexions. Immediately absorbed by your grateful epidermis, the cream gets straight to work, with your skin back to its summer peak in no time.

Another marque striking a tactical alliance with nature is Giorgio Armani Beauty, with all the ingredients of the brand’s Crema Nera Supreme Reviving Cream said to be derived from myrothamnus flabellifolia, a rare African plant reputed to have resurrectory properties. Within a month, if the company is to be believed, your winter wounds will have vanished and your skin will – once again – be in full bloom.

Rarer examples still of nature’s bounty have been sought out by Estée Lauder, with its new Re-Nutriv Ultimate Diamond Transformative Energy Creme Rich said to harness the healing power of one of the world’s most elusive ingredients – black diamond truffle extract. With such an exotic element in your corner, newly-supple skin and long-lasting hydration are almost a given.

Should Santa still have space in his sack, Augustinus Bader’s Rich Cream, with its blend of argan, avocado and evening primrose oils, is just the perfect way to de-crinkle your skincare this Christmas.

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Text: Bailey Atkinson

Eyelights: Put on the best of looks with our three favourite eyecreams

Eyes – that most delicate of areas on our skin – show the first telltale signs of ageing that no amount of concealer can truly hide. The trick, ladies, is not to hide, but to cure, by turning back time. On hand to help you do exactly that are three superhero eyecreams guaranteed to protect your peepers from pollutants and the passage of time.

Giving in to the demands of bereft beauty livers, Lancôme has reinvented its armory of eyecreams. Standing out among these is the Advanced Génifique Eye. With probiotic fractions from top to toe, this iconic enhancer strengthens the skin around the eye, while ably fortifying it against further damage.

For its part, Estée Lauder has launched the NEW Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recover, which not only protects the eye from the usual suspects (UV rays, pollution, lack of sleep), but also from that most hidden of combatants – at-night blue LED light.

On offer from Sisley all the while is its hero product – SISLEŸA L’Intégral Anti-Âge Eye and Lip Contour Cream, a treatment known to work wonders on the delicate areas around the eyes and lips. Promoting the healthy and enduring functioning of skin cells, it reduces the giveaway signs of ageing, including wrinkles, puffiness and those dastardly dark circles.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Say yes to brighter, bag-free eyes

The eyes may very well be the windows into the soul, but they are also the first giveaway of stress or fatigue. These two factors take a heavy toll on the body and ultimately cause signs of ageing to appear around the eyes. Anyone who has stayed late at the office all week or juggled too many tasks at once can attest to the fact that dark circles and puffy eyes are a common – but most unwelcome – consequence of a ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyle.

Giorgio Armani has taken on the challenge of restoring eyes to their original lustre with its new skin care line, the Crema Nera Extrema Eye Duo, which includes both an eye serum and an eye cream. The new formula contains ingredients that are known to aid skin rejuvenation – like magnesium, potassium, sodium, silicon and haloxyl – as well as extracts from a “resurrection plant” that can regenerate with just a single drop of water after a 10-year drought. The serum is said to target wrinkles and restore firmness and density, while the cream can be used to combat puffiness and dark eye circles.

“Dark circles and puffy eyes are consequences of a fast-paced lifestyle”

In addition to Giorgio Armani, several trusted skin care brands like Lancôme and Jurlique have released new anti-ageing products. Lancôme’s Absolue Precious Cells Intense Revitalising Eye Cream contains a skin-hydrating formula that is said to improve skin density while reducing puffiness and erasing signs of fatigue within 28 days. Likewise, Jurlique’s Nutri-Define Eye Contour Balm brings together a diverse range of ingredients – horseradish, rosemary, peppermint, mulberry and glycogen – to firm the eye area.

Aside from serums and creams, the Mē Bright Eye Illuminating Device by Iluminage is a unique way to target those dreaded under-eye circles. It enhances collagen production through a combination of red LED light and radio frequency.
But for those who simply want an easy route to more radiant skin, brands like MTM and Iluminage have released new eye masks. The Custom-Blended Eye Mask by MTM takes on wrinkles and dark circles with its specially-designed collagen pads. Iluminage’s copper-infused Skin Rejuvenating Eye Mask can be worn while sleeping to minimise the appearance of wrinkles, and many customers who have reviewed the product claim that it provides the utmost comfort for uninterrupted beauty sleep.

Class-act cover-ups for blemish-free beauty

Giorgio Armani’s Night Light Crema Nuda simultaneously moisturises the skin and hides imperfections. For extra sheen, it also boasts a “glow” incarnation.

Inspired by the soft luminosity of pavé diamonds, Clé de Peau’s Radiant Stick Foundation has a translucent finish and delicate glow.

Clarins Instant Concealer – available in three shades – is brimming with caffeine and aloe vera extracts, ideal for reviving those tired eyes and reducing giveaway dark circles.

Lancôme Absolue Sublime Radiance Smoothing Loose Powder promises the texture and finish of a liquid foundation in a handy sponge cushion. Containing rose, camellia and citrus oils, as well as gold mother-of-pearl, a radiant look is all but guaranteed.

Skincare products to rekindle the spark of youth

“Live in the moment” – It’s a ubiquitous admonition, one endlessly trotted out by yoga instructors, beauty gurus and personal coaches. We’re forever being told that mindfulness and meditation are cure-alls for many of life’s most persistent problems – stress, anxiety, insomnia and a host of other contemporary ailments. Can stopping to smell the flowers really slow the passage of time, or is youth something that can never be recaptured?

Guerlain, a leader in the field of anti-ageing cosmetics, seems to think growing old is far from compulsory. As proof positive, its new Orchidée Impériale cream comes complete with instructions on how to maximise its benefits through a variety of massage and breathing techniques. Meanwhile, the main ingredient – an orchid popular in traditional Chinese medicine – gets to work counteracting the root cause of wrinkles and blemishes.

Similarly, Tatcha is promoting the power of muscle stimulation with its Ageless Akari Gold Massager. Coated in 24-carat gold leaf, this luxurious massage tool is said to nurture collagen synthesis.

For those seeking a more indulgent skin treatment, the new Extra-Firming Mask by Clarins smoothes wrinkles and firms the skin with its soothing mix of organic green bananas and lemon thyme. Alternatively, courtesy of Lancôme, there is the ever-popular Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate. Known affectionately as “The Little

Black Bottle,” its biotechnology-derived ingredient is said to repair the skin, while improving its luminosity.
Although all unique in their approaches, the one thing that unifies these brands is their commitment to rekindling the spark of youth – the most precious gift that could ever be bestowed.

“These beauty brands seem to think growing old is far from compulsory”

The cutest cosmetics for Christmas

Looking for a gift for that special someone? Then look no further than beauty boxes from brands like Christian Louboutin, Lancome and MAC to name a few.

Skin balm staves off wintry harm

Winter is not always a wonderland for the skin, especially for naturally drier skin types. Fortunately, new skincare products with innovative formulas promise to lock in moisture and prevent dryness and cracking.

A reputed name in skincare and beauty, Lancôme has released a new water-infused cream for ultimate skin hydration. The brand’s Liquid Care products – part of the revamped Énergie de Vie line – aid the retention of water in the skin.
Greek beauty brand Apivita has sourced local ingredients, including Greek royal jelly, to create its Queen Bee age defense serum.

For those who love to be pampered, several bath products also boast moisturising properties. Jo Malone’s Geranium and Walnut Duo comes with a body scrub and hand cream. Containing sunflower seed and shea butter, it leaves skin feeling soft, with none of the harsh effects of body scrubs.

When it comes to skin hydration, the lips can’t be neglected. The new Sugar Cream Lip Treatments by Fresh come in three natural shades and provide up to six hours of moisture.

Men needn’t stress about finding a lip product that won’t compromise their masculinity. The unisex HimHer Lip Care balm by Giorgio Armani leaves lips feeling supple and silky.

Winter is here, so bundle up, lather up and pucker up.